New Species Found In Insect Fossil On eBay

When Dr. Richard Harrington bought a fossil aphid preserved in amber from someone in Lithuania, he got more than he could have thought possible for £20. It turns out that the aphid belongs to a new species, according to an aphid expert in Denmark, Professor Ole Heie.

“He discovered that it was something that hadn’t been described before.”

“He discovered that it was something that hadn’t been described before,” Dr. Harrington explained.

Although Dr. Harrington initially wanted to pay homage to the place where he found the species with the name Mindarus ebayi, Professor Heie named the bug Mindarus harringtoni in honor of the purchaser. As far as Dr. Harrington knows, this aphid, “encased in a 40–50 million-year-old piece of amber,” is the first such find of its kind.

Did you notice that subtle slip there? For the most part, this report is a rather light-hearted look at an interesting find. But what need is there to mention the supposed age of the amber? For one thing, there is no way to corroborate the claim, and the article writer seems to think we should just take it without providing any reason for such a claim to be true. For all the reader knows, this could simply have been what the eBay listing said:

Great piece of amber—really old—like, 40 million years. Cool insect thing inside.

The main point is that the savvy reader should expect more than just empty claims. Yes, the find is certainly good observation science, but what need is there to throw in just-so stories about the supposed age of the amber and what the insect ate? While this example may be more trivial, keep in mind that this is the same tactic Darwinists use when talking about human “ancestors,” dinosaurs, and other matters of the unrepeatable past. Perhaps they believe that if they say it enough with enough conviction that people won’t question their unsubstantiated “facts.”

Of course, starting from the Bible as foundational, there is certainly no need to worry when they make such claims.