COLUMN
Use and Abuse of the Fossil Record
By Penny Higgins
A common argument used to support creationism and its related ideas of origins, including Intelligent Design, is that there are no apparent transitional forms found in the fossil record. The claim is made that major taxonomic groups, such as the Phylum Chordata (including Vertebrates), the Phylum Echinodermata, or others, appear abruptly in the fossil record as if they came from nowhere. The most prominently cited example of this is the ‘Cambrian Explosion.’ Even within phyla, the existence of transitions between various classes are claimed to not exist. That is, creationism claims that no transition between fish and amphibians, for example, exists in the fossil record. Such a transition does exist between fish and amphibians, and will be discussed at length in this series.
A thorough understanding of biology, geology, and paleontology is needed to fully understand the arguments. Alas, few of us have such a complete knowledge of the natural sciences. This series is written to dispel some of the claims of creationism by highlighting relevant scientific facts and understandings in such a way as to be accessible to the interested lay-person.
Articles
- Defining Terms
- The Case of the ‘Fish-ibian’
- On Creation Science
- Why “Intelligent Design” (ID) is not science, and why, therefore, it should not be taught in a science curriculum.
Dr. Pennilyn (Penny) Higgins is a Research Associate in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Rochester. Penny's research interests include: Stable isotope geochemistry of biogenic apatite and of carbonate minerals; annual-scale studies of ancient climate and dietary sources of fossil vertebrates using stable isotopes of tooth and bone apatite; atmospheric CO2 concentration and effects on plant metabolism through geologic time; uranium geochemistry and its relation to uranium ore deposition and fossil preservation; vertebrate taphonomy; and application of GIS to problems in paleontology.