Confidence in Christ

The so-called ‘Molecular Clock’ or ‘Genetic Clock’ is based on this constant increase in number of mutations occurring during DNA reproduction for each generation. By knowing the mutation rate per generation, and the mutation differences between modern man and his mutation-free ancestors, along with an estimate of the average time span between generations, the age of modern man as a species can be back calculated.

For example, suppose the number of mutation in a certain DNA is found to be 1 per generation and modern man exhibits 200 mutations. This would tell us modern man is 200 generations removed from his mutation free ancestor. Further, if we assume the average age between generations is 30 years, then we would multiple 200 mutations per generation times 30 years per generation and come up with an overall age estimate of 6000 years.

The problem with this technique is that it can be, and is, misused. Until recently, factual empirical data concerning the mutation rate was not available. Therefore it was back calculated based on assumed dates of fossils fitting evolutionary thinking. Hence it was a sort of dirty little secret involving circular logic to the uninformed or casual reader, and seemed to reaffirm man evolved from a common ancestor with apes millions of years ago. With the completion of the Human Genome Project, however, tools and techniques are now available enabling detailed DNA studies to empirically determine the mutation rate.

With the state-of-the-art tools, what have qualified researchers found? One of the first conclusion reached is the genetic differences between any two individual people alive today is much smaller than originally thought. This directly implies the age of the human race is much younger than originally thought. Modern man is not millions or even hundreds of thousands of years old as claimed by evolutionist, modern man is less than 10,000 years old.

One such early secular study, published in 1997 by Thomas J. Parsons et al, titled “A high observed substitution rate in the human mitochondrial DNA control region” states, “The observed substitution rate reported here is very high compared to rates inferred from evolutionary studies.” In other words, this early DNA study by evolutionary minded researchers, countered their group-think regarding what the observed mutation (substitution) rate should be based on evolutionary thinking. Further, they state, “Using our empirical rates to calibrate the mtDNA molecular clock would result in an age of the mtDNA MRCA (most recent common ancestor – aka Eve) of only ~6,500 years ago.” This secular, evolutionary supporting research study dating of the origin of man to 6,500 years ago agrees quite nicely with the Biblical dating for Adam and Eve of 6000 years ago.

A more recent research by Dr. Nathaniel T. Jeanson, combined the raw test results of three other recent mutation studies (Guo et al. 2013, Rebolledo-Jaramillo et al., and Ding et al. 2015) to achieve a larger sample size and then applied statistical analysis to the results. Based on whole mitochondrial DNA genome mutation rates, he computed the 95% confidence bands for the DNA differences expected after 6000 years and arrived at 20-79. The actual DNA data came in at 38-40, almost squarely in the middle of the predicted range, thus indicating mankind is only 6000 years old.

Another research group, Jacob A. Tennessen et al. (23 researchers), published their findings in 2012 titled, “Evolution and Functional Impact of Rare Coding Variation from Deep Sequencing of Human Exomes.” In their paper, they describe the discovery of a recent acceleration of the human population growth starting 5,115 years ago. This aligns with the Biblical account and dating for Noah and the flood.

Still other researchers, Dr. John C. Sanford and Dr. Robert Carter, statistically analyzed over 800 human mitochondrial sequences from around the world to reconstruct a representation of Eve’s original DNA sequence. They determined the average human is only 22 mutations removed from the original Eve mitochondrial sequence while some individuals were as much as 100. Based on a recent study indicating a 0.5 per generation mutation rate for the mitochondrial sequence, they concluded “it would only require 200 generations (less than 6,000 years) to accumulate 100 mutations.” Again, this aligns with Biblical dating for the origin of man.

So what does all of this mean? First, the factual, scientific DNA evidence clearly indicates man and chimps did not descend from a common ancestor. We are not here as the result of Darwinian evolution. We are a totally different species from orangutans, gorillas and chimps. Sure humans share a lot of DNA with chimps, but that points to a common designer who used similar building blocks for our physical design. Further consider the same metrics showing we share 96% of our genes with chimps, would also show we share about 90% of our genes with cats, 85% with mice, 80% with cows, 61% with fruit flies, 60% with chickens, and 60% with bananas! Second, per worldwide mtDNA studies, modern humans are only about 6000 years old as a species just as the Bible indicates. Coincidence?