Creation Moments

Jonathan Cotton: Lobsters that can diagnose illnesses in other lobsters coming up on today's Creation Moment. And now here's our Creation Moment host Ian Taylor.

Ian T. Taylor: The spiny lobster is a social creature. Lobsters like to congregate in groups in crevices and cooperate in defending their home against danger. When they migrate, they walk head to tail in single file groups. However, researchers have noted that certain lobster layers contained only one lobster and they also noted that some of those lobsters did not appear healthy. Upon further study, they found that the lobsters that looked unwell were infected with a virus they named PAV 1. That virus they learned is commonly spread by physical contact, although young lobsters can be infected through water contaminated with the virus.

Further, underwater surveys revealed that even when the disease is not apparent, healthy lobsters avoid those infected with the virus. Whilst 56% of the healthy lobsters were found sharing a layer, only 7% of the infected lobsters shared a living space. In lab tests, 60% of the healthy lobsters avoided a hiding place if it had an infected lobster in it. Scientists don't know how the healthy lobsters can sense the virus, but it is obvious that they do and they avoid their sick comrades. Before the advent of modern medicine, people knew to avoid others with obvious diseases like leprosy.

It appears that God also gave the same ability to sense disease and avoid contact even with the lowly lobster.

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