Editor’s note: We are pleased to offer this Abstract from Part II of a new paper by Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig, “Richard Dawkins, the Koala, and the Giraffe: How Evolutionists Overlook Signatures of Design, Part II.”

Abstract: Key Points of the Contents

1. In Part I, we saw several citations from Richard Dawkins on evolution such as “Evolution is a fact. Beyond reasonable doubt, beyond serious doubt, beyond sane, informed, intelligent doubt, beyond doubt evolution is a fact.” And, “The number of clues, the sheer weight of evidence, totally and utterly, sledgehammeringly, overwhelmingly strongly supports the conclusion that evolution is true — unless you are prepared to believe the Almighty deliberately faked the evidence in order to make it look as though evolution is true.” And, “Evolution has to be gradual if it is to do any explanatory work.”
2. These are followed by a series of citations from four biology professors (embryology, zoology, botany, and botany/genetics) and a professor of philosophy all from state universities, denying Dawkins’s assertions. See the link, here, where more than one thousand scientists have signed “A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism.” To wit: “We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.”
3. Discussion of the fossil record of the koala shows the constancy of the genus and family to which it belongs. This is over millions of years of the geologic time table. Although the fossil record of the koalas is rather incomplete at present, I predict that further discoveries will be in full agreement with the facts found for life forms displaying a rich fossil record. On the latter, I cite the paleontologists Oskar Kuhn and several examples published by Günter Bechly.
4. We return to the assertions of Dawkins on the number of clues that sledgehammeringly, etc., prove that evolution is true. Similarly, Jay Mathers Savage says that “we do not need a listing of evidences to demonstrate the fact of evolution any more than we need to demonstrate the existence of mountain ranges.” Other Darwinians have put it on par with the fact that the sun is hot, the earth is a sphere, with gravity and other testable phenomena. About the “mountain ranges” and evolution, we might say: “Mountain ranges are a fact. Beyond reasonable doubt, beyond serious doubt, beyond sane, informed, intelligent doubt, beyond doubt mountain ranges are a fact.” And: “The number of clues, the sheer weight of evidence, totally and utterly, sledgehammeringly, overwhelmingly strongly supports the conclusion that mountain ranges truly exist.” Or: “We do not need a listing of evidences to demonstrate the fact of mountain ranges any more than we need to demonstrate the existence of evolution.” What serious scientist would ever say such curious things?
5. Finally, I note and discuss an astounding case of convergence between humans and koalas, “the only non-primates with fingerprints.” I add a few quotations on the evolutionary problems of convergent characteristics in the living world, from Kahle, Meyer et al., Tan, Spetner, Luskin, Dilley et al., Reeves, and by Günter Bechly again, now on mammals and birds. 

A Postscript on Günter Bechly

Regarding Dr. Bechly, I wish to add the following postscript. After I had almost finished the second part of this preliminary article on the koalas, quoting Bechly six times at length on important points (see above), on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 23:20 here in Germany, I checked Evolution News and was stunned to read David Klinghoffer’s “Farewell to Günter Bechly.” He begins:

We are shocked and grieved to report the death of our friend and colleague Günter Bechly, on January 6 in an auto crash in Austria. He was 61. “There is no easy way to say this,” said Center for Science and Culture Managing Director John West yesterday morning when we all found out. I could feel my scalp tighten from the grim tone of his voice before I even knew what was coming. Now try in vain to imagine how Bechly’s wife, Luise, and his two young sons are feeling. It seems beyond inadequate to wish them comfort.

This great loss for his family, friends, and scientific co-workers (and science in general) has been addressed by Klinghoffer here.

I have learned a lot from several of Bechly’s printed publications — not to mention his public talks and his more than 200 posts at Evolution News. It is truly a pity that there will be no new articles by him under the title “Fossil Friday” anymore.