Ricochet feeding for rays described in ScienceDaily 26 September 2018 and Science Advances 26 September 2018 doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aat9533.
Manta rays are kite shaped fish that feed by filtering plankton from water flowing into their mouths as they swim. The water, minus the plankton, then passes out through their gills. This is an intriguing system for two reasons. One is that the rays are able to capture plankton particles smaller than the pore size of the filter; the other is the filter does not get clogged up by larger particles.
A group of scientists have studied the manta ray’s feeding apparatus, and the way fluid flows through it, and found “a unique solid-fluid separation mechanism” that passes the water over a series of leaf-like lobes, and sets up a vortex in each pore (hole in the filter). This causes particles to be bounced off the filter and be concentrated above it where they are collected and ingested by the fish. Because the particles are collected above the filter, rather than on it, the filter does not get clogged.
The research team called this method of filtration “ricochet separation”. They went on to write; “This solid-fluid separation mechanism may have interesting industrial applications, since it operates at high flow rates, effectively filters neutrally buoyant particles, and resists clogging.”
Editorial Comment: So, the evolutionist claim is that these co-called primitive fish have solved a problem that human industrial designers have not yet solved. But to find out how it works required intelligent scientists who carefully studied the structure of manta ray filters and used their knowledge of fluid dynamics to build a computer model. In other words, to finally design a real system that works the same way, will require creative design and clever engineering.
It’s predictably obvious isn’t it? If industrial designers ever do come up with a non-clogging high flow filtration system that works the same way, it won’t be the first time a man-made system has been developed after studying a living system. Our colleague Prof. Andy McIntosh and his fellow engineers have designed a spray system based of the bombardier beetle sprayer. Andy is smart enough to give the credit for the sprayer to the Creator of the beetle, rather than the beetle itself. We hope whoever designs the ray-inspired ricochet filtration system has the sense to do the same!
See Andy McIntosh and John Mackay talk about the bombardier beetle and other examples of God’s brilliant creation on the DVD Dr Andy Downunder and Personal with John Mackay Preview here. DVD available from Creation Research webshop.
Evidence News vol. 18 No. 17
21 November 2018
Creation Research Australia
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