Argument #1: Transitional Fossils

[orogenicman]

If a kind or basic type of animal over a long period of time has evolved into a different kind of basic type of animal, then it is reasonable to expect a plethora of transitional forms in the fossil record. However, this is not the case, rather, the fossil record shows the original diversity of animal and plant forms.

Evolution models of the fossil record predict the following:
- wholesale transitions in organisms over time

What does this mean (wholesale transitions)?

- primitive forms evolving into complex forms
- gradual derivation of new organisms produced transitional forms

There is no rule or general principle in biology that requires organisms to evolve from something less complex to something more complex. That said, there are many instances where this has occurred. A perfect example is the crinoids. Early examples are much simpler in their skeletal structure than are later species. The most complex species of crinoids we see, in fact, are found at the climax of their evolution in the Mississippian period. But this is not a function of some overriding principle requiring increased complexity over time. It is a function of the rapid adaptive radiation that occurred within the class as new niches opened up for them.



Cambrian crinoid



Mississippian crinoid

We do not find any of these to be true based on our fossil record.

If you believe that, then you don't know much about the fossil record. You certainly haven't proven it to be the case here.

Trilobites are an example of an organism appearing suddenly in the fossil record void of any evidence of transitions. Furthermore, trilobites have an organized complexity comparable to modern day invertebrates.

There are many examples of species seemingly "suddenly" appearing in the fossil record. But there are easily demonstrated reasons for this. The first is the nature of fossilization. Fossilization is the exception, not the rule. Relatively few organisms become fossilized. The vast majority are recycled back into the ecosystems from which they lived. Only under specific circumstances do they get fossilized. But when fossilization does occur, often, nearly entire ecosystems are preserved.

The second reason is erosion. Many deposited strata that may contain fossils become eroded over time. For this reason, we do not have a complete set, anywhere on the planet, of all the strata that have ever been deposited. Here is a classic example:



In the correlated strata above, many beds fall away while others suddenly appear as measured across the eastern U.S. Examination of the formations in these locations show evidence for erosional features between beds while at other places, the formations are more complete.

A third reason is tectonic. Collisions of two continents, such as we see in the Himalayas, creates large regions of massive uplift, turning regions of former sea beds into mountain ranges, and taking with them the fossils that were previous deposited in those ancient seas. But as the mountain ranges rise, the rocks are eroded and wash away, and so the fossil beds are almost never complete. Conversely, sea beds are also destroyed at subduction zones, as the ocean floor becomes subducted beneath an impinging continental mass, and gets recycled back into the earth. So nowhere on the planet is the fossil record going to be complete.

The facts remain, fossils have been discovered to suddenly appear in the record without transition. This is what would be expected from intelligent design not macroevolution.

The fact remains that thousands of transitional fossils have been recovered from the fossil record, and your intelligent design cannot explain why other than to resort to the non-scientific slogan "undefined creator did it".

---

Sorry about the large images I posted in my previous post. If the moderators know how to reduce them, that would be appreciated. So rev, at you prepared for your second round (this should be interesting)?