The process of fossilization means that the vast majority of animals which died weren't fossilized, and those that were have been subject to the vicissitudes of time.
The fossil record does show some instances of rapid speciation. Indeed, we have seen speciation in our recent history, with fish in Mexico. That only means that the process can be sped up by selection pressures, which is after all one of the logical inferences of EbNS. Allopatric speciation also tends to happen quicker due to the isolation of the breeding population.
As for how fossil lineages are tracked, it is usually done by way of comparative study of homologous bones. You're right that the drawings are most often speculative, but they are also based on fossil information. No one regards the drawings as evidence, and you shouldn't either.
As for radiometric dating, I'll have to get home and on my computer. It's a little too complex to handle on my phone without clear references handy.
The fossil record does show some instances of rapid speciation. Indeed, we have seen speciation in our recent history, with fish in Mexico. That only means that the process can be sped up by selection pressures, which is after all one of the logical inferences of EbNS. Allopatric speciation also tends to happen quicker due to the isolation of the breeding population.
As for how fossil lineages are tracked, it is usually done by way of comparative study of homologous bones. You're right that the drawings are most often speculative, but they are also based on fossil information. No one regards the drawings as evidence, and you shouldn't either.
As for radiometric dating, I'll have to get home and on my computer. It's a little too complex to handle on my phone without clear references handy.
