04/20/2006

Discovery of Ancient Methane Puts Theory of Evolution 'On the Rocks'
First direct evidence for methane-producing microbes on early Earth supports creation model

NEWS ADVISORY, April 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- Japanese scientists discovered 3.46-billion-year-old methane bubbles in rocks from the Dresser Formation located in Western Australia. The chemical fingerprint associated with the methane provides the scientific community with the first direct evidence for methane-producing bacteria on early Earth.

“This is science at its very best with important implications for the origins of life,” says acclaimed biochemist Fazale Rana, Ph.D., a well-known origin of life researcher from the science/faith think-tank Reasons To Believe, www.reasons.org.

“Even though these methane producers were single- celled microbes they were amazingly complex from a biochemical standpoint.”

In the book Origins of Life, published in 2004, Rana and his co-author astronomer Dr. Hugh Ross predicted that complex microbes, like methane producers, existed early in Earth’s history. This groundbreaking book presents the first scientifically testable theory of creation for the origin of life.

“It’s satisfying to see how well our creation model predicts scientific advance,” says Rana. “The presence of complex microbes this early in Earth’s history raises significant questions about the theory of evolution.”

Dr. Rana, a recognized expert in origin of life research, maintains that life appeared on Earth too quickly and is initially much too complex to make sense from an evolutionary standpoint.

“The traditional naturalistic model has life emerging gradually from a ‘primordial soup’ over a vast period of time—hundreds of millions of years—to yield relatively simple life forms,” Rana continues.

“Yet the data from the fossil record fails to match these critical criteria. The recent results obtained by the Japanese scientists only further compound the problems for the theory of evolution.”

Fazale ‘Fuz’ Rana, Ph.D.—Fazale ‘Fuz’ Rana did his undergraduate work in chemistry at West Virginia State College. He then completed his post-graduate studies at Ohio University and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry. After completing postdoctoral fellowships at the universities of Virginia and Georgia, he worked for seven years in product development research for Procter & Gamble.

Prior to joining the scholar team at Reasons To Believe in 1999, he published more than 15 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and made more than 20 presentations at international scientific meetings. Dr. Rana also coauthored a chapter on antimicrobial peptides for Biological and Synthetic Membranes and he holds one patent.

Since joining Reasons To Believe he has chaired three conferences and has written two books published by NavPress, Origins of Life: Biblical and Evolutionary Models Face Off and Who Was Adam: A Creation Model Approach to the Origin of Man. He has published numerous articles on the apologetic significance of recent discoveries in the life sciences. He appears each week on the live Web broadcast, Creation Update, and is a highly popular and frequent guest on a wide variety of nationally/internationally syndicated talk radio and television programs.

Reasons To Believe (www.reasons.org) is currently celebrating its 20th Anniversary. Founded in 1986 by renowned astrophysicist Hugh Ross, Ph.D. Reasons To Believe is unique in its position of demonstrating that science and the Bible complement one another. The mission of Reasons To Believe is to remove the doubts of skeptics, strengthen the faith of believers, and offer solid answers to questions about God and science. Reasons To Believe provides resources that will keep you informed about up-to-the minute discoveries in the sciences and how they harmonize with God’s revelation in the words of the Bible. It is our conviction that since the same God who ‘authored’ the universe also inspired the writings of Scripture, a consistent message will come from both revelations. In other words, the facts of nature will agree with, not contradict, the Bible. Recent scientific discoveries support this now more than at any other time in history.

Hugh Ross, Ph.D.—After studying physics at the University of British Columbia and astronomy at the University of Toronto, Hugh Ross continued his research on quasars and galaxies as a postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology. While at Caltech he began serving as minister of evangelism for Sierra Madre Congregational Church.

Since 1986 he has led Reasons To Believe, an institute founded to research and proclaim new reasons –from the frontiers of science—for trust in God’s Word and faith in Jesus Christ. Over the years Dr. Ross has given hundreds of apologetics lectures, seminars, and courses in universities, churches, business firms and other venues across the U.S. and around the world. He is a popular interview guest on a wide variety of nationally/internationally syndicated radio and television programs.

His books include The Fingerprint of God, The Creator and the Cosmos, Beyond the Cosmos, The Genesis Question, A Matter of Days, and as co- author, The Genesis Debate, Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men. He contributed a chapter on Mars in Dr. Rana’s book, Origins of Life: Biblical and Evolutionary Models Face Off, and also contributed details for the new scientific model for creation in Who Was Adam: A Creation Model Approach to the Origin of Man.