6. Other Compelling Evidences (3)

☼ Exhibit #10: Symbiotic Relationships

A symbiotic relationship, or symbiosis, is the cooperation between two organisms (usually two animals or an animals and a plant) that maintain a more or less intimate association that benefits each of them, establishing a real win-win cooperation. Sometimes they bond so closely they interact with the outside world as a single organism.

Hundreds of examples of symbiotic animal relationship and other symbioses are found in nature including the following:

The Goby fish and a shrimp:  The shrimp digs and cleans a burrow in the sand in which both the shrimp and the Goby fish live. The shrimp is almost blind and this leaves it vulnerable to predators. The goby fish touches the shrimp with its tail to warn it of impending dangers, and both shrimp and goby fish quickly retreat into the burrow.

Clownfish and sea anemones: Another example is the clownfish that lives among the tentacles of tropical sea anemones. The territorial fish protects its host from anemone-eating fish, and in turn the stinging tentacles of the anemone protect the clownfish (mucus on the clownfish protects it from stings).

Egyptian Plover bird and crocodile: A well-known land version of symbiosis is the relationship of the Egyptian Plover bird and the crocodile. The bird preys on parasites that feed on crocodiles and are potentially harmful to the animal. The crocodile openly invites the bird to hunt on his body, even so far as to allow the bird to enter his mouth safely to hunt. This relationship not only brings the bird a ready source of food, but genuine safety, since few predators dare strike at such proximity to its host.

Oxpecker birds and large animals: The oxpecker picks parasites off large mammals such as the buffalo, elephant, and zebra. It was recently discovered that while the birds do this, they also keep skin wounds on the animals open, and feed on the blood. Hence the relationship between oxpeckers and their hosts is sometimes beneficial for both though at times the oxpecker behaves like a parasite.

The bee and the flower: Bees fly from flower to flower gathering nectar, which they make into food, benefiting the bees. When they land in a flower, the bees get pollen on their hairy bodies, and when they move to the next flower, some pollen rubs off, pollinating the plant. This benefits the plants. In this symbiotic relationship, the bees eat and the plants reproduce.

The bacteria and the human: Certain bacteria live in the intestines of humans and many other animals. The human can not digest all of the food eaten. The bacteria eat this food and partially digest it, allowing the human to finish the job. The bacteria benefit by getting food, and the human benefits by being better able to digest his food.

Symbiotic relationships are strong evidences for Intelligent Design.  After all, how could two organisms so different from each other independently evolve into a relationship where together they use their individual strengths and complement their weaknesses?