I would like to start up a theoretical discussion about ecology in the Ante-Diluvian world of the young-earth creationist (YEC) model of natural history (such as is presented by Ken Ham
here).
This model generally requires that all animals and plants (both living and fossil) co-existed until the Flood killed all but the few kinds that God had Noah preserve on the Ark. This means that today's lions and tigers and wolves (or something of their biblical "kinds") had to compete for food, not only with each other, but with yesterday's theropods, gorgonopsids and pelycosaurs, and that today's birds and bats had to share the skies with yesterday's pterosaurs and griffinflies.
In this thread, we will assume that
natural selection can occur, as Ken Ham believes, and that most other currently-accepted ecological principles (e.g. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, nutrient cycling/energy flow, competitive exclusion, etc.) are also correct. Note that these principles are not generally a matter of disagreement between IDists and evolutionists.
To narrow the topic a bit, let's consider a single organism that I'm sure everybody is familiar with:
Tyrannosaurus rex. My question is: How would
Tyrannosaurus have effected the Ante-Diluvian ecosystem, assuming that today's animal "kinds" existed alongside it before the Noachian Flood?
Here are a couple interrelated questions to begin this discussion. Please use these as the basis for your argument (though you're free to switch "bison" or "wolf" for something like "moose" or "
Smilodon").
1. Could
Tyrannosaurus prey on bison? How would the bison avoid predation from
Tyrannosaurus?
2. Did
Tyrannosaurus compete with the wolf for food (such as bison)? Why or why not?
If this goes well, maybe we could propose a theoretical CGI documentary for Ken Ham and the Creation Museum to produce!
Edited by Bluejay, : Grammar
Signed,
Nobody Important (just Bluejay)
™ Version 4.2