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Created kind in the creation account

In the creation account in Genesis chapter 1, there is a phrase ‘of every kind’ repeated three times in day three, twice in day five, and five times in day six of creation (v21, 24-25). On the third day, God created plants yielding seed and fruit trees of every kind (v11-12). On the fifth day, God created every living creature that moves, of every kind (v21), and every winged bird of every kind (v21). On the sixth day, God created living creatures of every kind (v24), cattle, creeping things and wild animals of every kind (v24), wild animals of the earth of every kind (v24), and everything that creeps on the ground of every kind (v24). Also on the sixth day, God created humankind, according to his likeness (v26).

It is significant to note that the plants and animals were created according to their kind, but human beings were created in the likeness or image of God. According to Genesis, there is a distinct difference between human beings and the rest of the created world, including animals and plants.

During the flood

Noah was told to bring two (one male and one female) of every kind onto the ark (Gen 6:19-21). This is that Noah did at the beginning of the flood - every wild animal of every kind, domestic animals of every kind, and every bird of every kind (Gen 7:14).

Species or kinds?

In the 1700's Carl Linnaeus developed what has become the standard system of classification, with seven levels of classification: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.

Fixed species

One common misconception of the creation account is that the created kind in Genesis is same as a species. It is often assumed that the account in Genesis implies that God created each species separately, and that these have remained unchanged since the original creation. This is known as the ‘fixity of species’. This would suggest that the species observed today are exactly the same as those God originally created, although some, or many, have since become extinct.

How many species are there?

For several reasons, it is surprisingly extremely difficult to give an exact calculation of the total number of species living in the world. One suggestion is there is a total of 2.1 million species of animals and plants including 1.5 million invertebrates (microorganisms, insects, molluscs etc). For the vertebrates, estimates are that there are 6,600 mammals, 12,000 birds, 8,500 amphibians and 12,000 reptiles, and 36,000 fish currently living.

Clearly it would have been equally totally impossible for Noah to have taken two of each of this number of species into the ark, as it would also been for Adam to have named them all.

What is a species?

It is actually very difficult to make an exact definition of what a species is. Normally a species is defined by its characteristic appearance, and particularly whether individual organisms can interbreed and produce fertile young.

These are three definitions of a species from scientific sources which express the difficulties.

“A species is often defined as a group of organisms that can reproduce naturally with one another and create fertile offspring. However, the classification of a species can be difficult, even riddled with controversy.” National Geographic.

“A species is a group of organisms that share a genetic heritage, are able to interbreed, and to create offspring that are also fertile. Different species are separated from each other by reproductive barriers. These barriers can be geographical, such as a mountain range separating two populations, or genetic barriers that do not allow for reproduction between the two populations. Scientists have changed their definition of a species several times throughout history.” Biology Dictionary

"A species is a group of living organisms that are all broadly similar and can, at least in principle, breed with one another. This seems straightforward enough, but the word ‘species’ is actually fiendishly difficult to define. Despite decades of research, biologists do not agree on what constitutes a species."New Scientist

What is a Baramin?

This is a made-up word which is sometimes used to refer to a created kind. It is made from two separate Hebrew words joined together, ‘bara’, meaning ‘to create’, and ‘min’, meaning ‘kind’.

How many created kinds were there originally?

The best we can do today is to come up with a rough estimate. This is based on two considerations, the basic appearance of the organism, and whether they can hybridise.

1. The basic appearance

This is also known as the cognitum. This is the way the human cognitive senses, particularly sight, naturally group different organisms together. For example, by sight it is clear that horses, zebras and donkeys all belong to the same family of animals, or that lions, tigers, jaguars and leopards are all cats, normally referred to as ‘big cats’. These are normally grouped into families in the Linnean classification. A family consists of genera and species, all of which share a similar appearance, and often particular biological and genetic characteristics too.

2. Hybridisation

Hybridisation occurs is when two organisms from different species, or even different genera mate and produce offspring, known as a hybrid. There are countless examples of animals of different species successfully interbreeding to produce a hybrid. Some of these hybrids are fertile, and others, like the mule, are not. Some of these only take place in captivity, while others will occasionally occur in the wild.

Some of the more well known hybrids

Among the big cats, a tigon is the offspring of a male tiger and a female lion and a liger is the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger. Tigons and ligers are normally much larger than their parents. These only occur in captivity because lions are resident in Africa and tigers are resident in Asia. Hybrids are also known between leopards and lions, and between lions and jaguars. All these are within the same genus Panthera.

Among the horses, hybrids are known between horses and zebras (known as a zorse), and between zebras and donkeys (known as a zedonk). Mules are hybrids between a horse and a donkey, but are normally infertile. All are within the genus Equus.

An example of a hybrid between different genera is the wolphin, which is the result of a cross between a female common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with a male false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens).

Among both wild and domestic birds, hybridisation is surprisingly common. For example, there are many hybrids between ducks of the genus Anthya, including Tufted Duck, Pochard, Scaup and Ferruginous Duck. There are also hybrids between Anthya ducks and ducks of a different genera, like the Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina).

Conclusion

The Biblical understanding is that a created kind is a reproductive unit. If two organisms can reproduce, they belong to the same created kind. However, some members of the same created kind may no longer be able to reproduce because of genetic variation and mutations.

Based on the two criteria, it has been estimated that there were about 1,400 original created kinds, and that two of each of these 1,400 were taken on the ark (plus seven of each of the clean animals, particularly sheep, goats and cows).

What happened after the flood?

At the end of the flood, God told Noah to bring out his family and all the animals from the ark, so that they will be fruitful and multiply on the earth (Gen 8:17-19).

Each created kind became the basis for all the species that are members of that kind. Each kind contained the genetic information for the multitude of different species and varieties that would arise from the original kind.

Though we observe multiple species and varieties within kinds, we never observe one kind evolving into a different kind. Instead of an evolutionary tree of life, we observe a creation orchard of God’s created kinds with variation occurring only within those kinds.

Each kind was originally created separately, but particularly following the flood there has been great diversification and variation, particularly when populations have separated geographically and genetically. Species within a created kind can often hybridise, but hybridisation is never possible between two different created kinds.

Two difficult questions

Often it is asked, ‘How could Adam name all the animals?’, and ‘How could Noah take them all on the ark?’. If there were around 1,400 different created kinds, both of these could have been possible. If there were 2.1 million different kinds, then both of these would be completely impossible.

Size of the ark

The ark was surprisingly large, and is comparable with the size of modern car ferry. According to Genesis, the dimensions of the ark were as follows: length 300 cubits, width 50 cubits and height 30 cubits (Gen 6:15). A cubit is normally believed to have been the length of the arm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. This is about 45 cm (1.5 feet). This would suggest that the ark was 135m (450 feet) long, 23m (75 feet) wide and 14m (45 feet) high. Apparently the average sized animal is the sheep. A ship this size would have no problem fitting 2,800 sheep into it.

Made in the image of God

In the Genesis account, there is a distinct difference between human beings and the animals. Even though humans share some biochemical and genetic make-up, that is no evidence of having a common ancestor, or of having the same value. The Book of Genesis makes a great emphasis on the fact that human beings are of much greater value before God than the animals are.

"Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth’. So God created mankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Gen 1:26-27).

This is stated again at the beginning of the list of the descendants of Adam. "When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them mankind, when they were created. (Gen 5:1).

When human beings have offspring, those children are also share the image of God. “Adam ... became a father of a son in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth” (Gen 5:3).

The value of human life in the sight of God is based on the fact that humans were made his image. “Whoever sheds the blood of a human, by a human shall that person’s blood be shed; for in his own image God made mankind.” (Gen 9:6).

Image of God, not children of God

It is important to distinguish between being made in the image of God and becoming children of God. All human beings, whether they believe in God or not, are made in his image. However, it is only through faith in Jesus that we can become children of God. This is stated in the prologue to John’s Gospel, “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” (Jn 1:12).

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