This is a famous and oft repeated question. Its origin usually is attributed to Charles Darwin, who is claimed to have said, “From the fact that there are 500,000 species of beetles, the Creator, if he exists, must be inordinately fond of beetles.” The true origin of the question is the biologist John B. S. Haldane. In a speech Haldane gave to the British Interplanetary Society in 1951 and reported in volume 10 of the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Haldane said, “From the fact that there are 400,000 species of beetles on this planet, but only 8,000 species of mammals, the Creator, if he exists, has a special preference for beetles.”

The not-so-subtle implication of Haldane’s statement is that a God who loves beetles more than he loves mammals appears to contradict the description of the God presented in the Bible. When we consider the physics of beetles, however, Haldane’s statement proves consistent with the biblical description of God and his stated purposes and mission.

Psalm 104, the longest and most detailed creation psalm in the Bible, describes God packing Earth with as much life as physically possible and with as great a diversity of life as physically possible. We humans are the beneficiaries of this creation strategy. It is this strategy practiced by God over billions of years that has endowed us with over 76 quadrillion tons of biodeposits—limestone, marble, coal, oil, natural gas, etc. that we can use to launch and sustain global high-technology civilization and use that civilization to take the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to billions of human beings.

Given God’s goal of packing Earth with as much life as possible and as diverse as possible, the physics of Earth and beetles mandates that God will create many more species of beetles than of mammals. The number of species on Earth has been steadily increasing since the origin of life some 3.8 billion years ago. God created humans on Earth when the number of species of life he had placed on Earth had reached the theoretical maximum permitted by the laws of physics God had chosen to govern the universe.

The physics of the universe and the physical characteristics of Earth determine what the maximum number of species will be for animals of different scale sizes. For an 8,000-mile-diameter Earth, the greatest theoretically possible number of animal species peaks for animals with adult body sizes equal to about one centimeter. The average adult body size for beetles is about one centimeter. Therefore, given God’s goal to pack Earth with as much life as possible and as diverse as possible, it should come as no surprise that there are so many species of beetles.

We should not be surprised either that at the time of the creation of humans there were only about 8,000 species of mammals. Given the diameter of Earth, the average body size of mammals, and the complex warm-blooded nature of mammals, Earth’s theoretical maximum carrying capacity for mammals is close to 8,000 distinct species.

Featured image credit: H. Well, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Germany

Check out more from Dr. Hugh Ross @Reasons.org

About The Author

Dr. Hugh Ross

Reasons to Believe emerged from my passion to research, develop, and proclaim the most powerful new reasons to believe in Christ as Creator, Lord, and Savior and to use those new reasons to reach people for Christ. I also am eager to equip Christians to engage, rather than withdraw from or attack, educated non-Christians. One of the approaches I’ve developed, with the help of my RTB colleagues, is a biblical creation model that is testable, falsifiable, and predictive. I enjoy constructively integrating all 66 books of the Bible with all the science disciplines as a way to discover and apply deeper truths. 1 Peter 3:15–16 sets my ministry goal, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience." Hugh Ross launched his career at age seven when he went to the library to find out why stars are hot. Physics and astronomy captured his curiosity and never let go. At age seventeen he became the youngest person ever to serve as director of observations for Vancouver's Royal Astronomical Society. With the help of a provincial scholarship and a National Research Council (NRC) of Canada fellowship, he completed his undergraduate degree in physics (University of British Columbia) and graduate degrees in astronomy (University of Toronto). The NRC also sent him to the United States for postdoctoral studies. At Caltech he researched quasi-stellar objects, or "quasars," some of the most distant and ancient objects in the universe. Not all of Hugh's discoveries involved astrophysics. Prompted by curiosity, he studied the world’s religions and "holy books" and found only one book that proved scientifically and historically accurate: the Bible. Hugh started at religious "ground zero" and through scientific and historical reality-testing became convinced that the Bible is truly the Word of God! When he went on to describe for others his journey to faith in Jesus Christ, he was surprised to discover how many people believed or disbelieved without checking the evidence. Hugh's unshakable confidence that God's revelations in Scripture and nature do not, will not, and cannot contradict became his unique message. Wholeheartedly encouraged by family and friends, communicating that message as broadly and clearly as possible became his mission. Thus, in 1986, he founded science-faith think tank Reasons to Believe (RTB). He and his colleagues at RTB keep tabs on the frontiers of research to share with scientists and nonscientists alike the thrilling news of what's being discovered and how it connects with biblical theology. In this realm, he has written many books, including: The Fingerprint of God, The Creator and the Cosmos, Beyond the Cosmos, A Matter of Days, Creation as Science, Why the Universe Is the Way It Is, and More Than a Theory. Between writing books and articles, recording podcasts, and taking interviews, Hugh travels the world challenging students and faculty, churches and professional groups, to consider what they believe and why. He presents a persuasive case for Christianity without applying pressure. Because he treats people's questions and comments with respect, he is in great demand as a speaker and as a talk-radio and television guest. Having grown up amid the splendor of Canada's mountains, wildlife, and waterways, Hugh loves the outdoors. Hiking, trail running, and photography are among his favorite recreational pursuits - in addition to stargazing. Hugh lives in Southern California with his wife, Kathy, and two sons.



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