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pattems of insects and fish , to the
incredibly intricate sexual organs
and behavior patterns of birds ,
mammals, and man himself. But
such a " lineup" really proves very
little. It certainly does not prove that
more complex organisms are the de–
scendants of simpler ones. In fact,
even simple creatures are often un–
believably sophist icated in their sex
habits.
ls Sex Necessary?
Evolutionary biologists contend that
sex- the combination of character–
istics from two simi lar but genetic–
ally distinct parents- is absolutely
essential for the significan! variation
in offspring needed for evolutionary
"advancement." Nonsexual repro–
duction simply does not have
enough potential for creating new
characteristics. " Asexual reproduc–
tion makes identical copies of pa–
rental cells, unless a oew mutation
intervenes to yield a minor change,"
states Harvard professor Stephen
Jay Gould. "But new mutation is
infrequent and asexual species do
not maintain enough variabil ity for·
significan! evolutionary change."
This is why evolutionists look to sex
to provide the raw material for nat–
ural selection and evolutionary in–
novation.
But even with sex, the laws of
heredity set definite limits on how
far the variations in progeny can go.
Cats produce only cats. Dogs,
though dilfering greatly, engender
only dogs-not pigs, bears, or horses.
So, contrary to the claims of evolu–
tionists, sex cannot be invoked as
the source of the large-scale changes
needed for evolution to occur.
Nor does a theoretical "need" for
sex explain the origin of sex. And
therein lies one of the greatest evo–
lutionary paradoxes of all: If all
higher organisms evolved from uni–
celtular life forms, and if these origi–
nal unicellular forms were asexual,
and if cetl division of these primor–
dial protozoa produced little or no
variability in subsequent genera–
tions (all the above are basic tenets
of modero evolutionary theory),
then how could such •Sexless forms
of life ever give rise to higher sexual
organisms?
And why, if asexual reproduction
can produce viable otfspring, was it
The
PLAIN TRUTH April 1978
.
ACuriousTwist-·-
The SexLife oftheMosquito
To most people, the mosquito is a
bothersome pest wi th an irritating
proclivity for drawing blood. But
the sex life of the mosquito is a
fascinating study in the hidden in–
tricacies of what is usually consid–
ered a "simple" organism. lndeed,
the structures of the sexual ap–
paratuses of the male and female
mosquito are incredibly complex,
and the sexual behavior patterns
of the mosquito are surprisingly
elaborate.
Since space does not permit us
to describe atl the mysteries and
complexities surrounding the sex
life of the mosquito, let us focus on
only one specitic aspect: the baf–
fling change in mate anatomy
required for the mating of mos–
quitoes of the species
Aedes Ae–
gypii.
What is this mysterious ana–
tomical change? Shortly after a
mate mosquito emerges as an
adul~
his rear end undergoes a re–
markable rotation. The last two
segments of the abdomen begin to
rotate until, over a period of 20
hours, they have made a full turn
of 180 degrees. In other words, the
male's posterior tu rn s upside
down- permanently. The female
abdomen, by contrast, atways re–
mains
in
its original position.
This curious twist is absolutely
essential for mating to occur, since
the maJe must clasp the female in
a very complicated fashion to en–
sure fertilization. A partial twist-
say 90 degrees- will not do the job.
According to
Dr.
Jack C. Jones, an
entomologist who has conducted
extensive research on the amazing
reproduct ive systems of the mos–
quito, the mechanism responsible
for the st range posterior rotation is
not known. Jones' studies indicate
that the muscles of the body wall
do not cause the rotation.
But whatever the mechanism,
howcould such a revolutionary rota–
tion have evolved? According to
evolutionary theory, changes in or–
ganisms accumu late over long
periods of time, eventually resulting
in a superior creature. In the case of
longer legs, or bigger horns, such a
concept might make sense. But can
you imagine mate mosquitoes
slowly learning, over millions of
years, tocompletelyrotate their hind
ends so that they could mate with a
fema le? Unless the male mosquito
had theabi lity toeffectanessentially
complete rotation from the very be–
ginning, the mosquito could not
successfullymate, and would now be
extinct. Yet mosquitoes quite obvi–
ously exist today. And remember,
the posterior tlip of the mate mos–
quito is only one of a series of
spectacular changes and transfor–
mations that are vital for mosquito
mating and reproduction.
The curious twist in the sex life
of the mosquito would seem to
provide strong and compelling evi–
dence for the unfathomable in–
ventive genius ofGod .
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