The genes of the original created kinds enabled many different and beautify species able to disperse geographically across the earth. Even within a species, visually different forms often live in separate geographical regions. It is apparent that God spoke the created kinds into existence such that people in every region would have the opportunity to perceive His divine nature through the things that have been made.
“O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. … When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. … May my mediation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD. ” Psalm 104:24, 30, 34
“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20.
Below are examples of similar species that display beautiful variants and live in different geographical regions.
White Admiral and Red-Spotted Purple. The butterflies photos featured in this post are members of the Admiral genus. The Red-Spotted Purple and the Viceroy have similar looking larva and chrysalis and the adults can interbreed to form a hybrid. The White Admiral and the Red-Spotted Purple are the same species. There are 25-30 species in this genus separated around the world and forms in the U.S. are also separated geographically.
Milkweed butterflies. The Monarch butterfly is one of 300 species of milkweed butterflies including these in India.
Brassy Ringlets. The Colorado Alpine butterfly is one of 45 subspecies of 10 Brassy Ringlet species found in fragmented alpine regions around the world.
Polydamus and Pipevine Swallowtails. The eggs, larva, host plant and chrysalis of these species are similar, but the butterflies look entirely different and live in different regions of the U.S. The tail-less Polydamus can interbreed with the Pipevine Swallowtail.
Cecropia and Glover moths. These giant silk moths are similar, but the Cecropia lives at lower elevations.
Humans also came from a few individuals, Adam and Eve and then Noah’s family. God dispersed humans around the world according to parental lines coming from Noah’s three sons and their wives following the simultaneous creation of groups with different languages at the Tower of Babel.
“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him.” Acts 17:26-27
“The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.” Genesis 9:18-19
“Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they many not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.” Genesis 11:7-8.
All of this information points to the fact that God disperses creation throughout the world to give Him glory. We cannot escape seeing who He is in power and wisdom and beauty and goodness because he purposed that the whole earth is full of His handiwork, illustrating His divine nature even in this fallen world. Believers in His Son Jesus, our Savior, further look forward to seeing creation restored.
