The Failure of the Fossil Record

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The Failure of the Fossil Record

Kevin Simington

The impression is given in popular media that the theory of evolution is supported by a vast swathe of irrefutable evidence. Most people are under the impression that evolution is overwhelmingly supported by paleontology (the study of fossils). The truth, however, is that the fossil record now constitutes a severe embarrassment to evolutionists.

Dr. Roberto Fondi, Professor of Palaeontology at the University of Seaella, Italy comments;

“The fundamental assumptions upon which evolution is based are not at all confirmed by palaeontology. All the biological groups, from bacteria to humans, appear abruptly in the fossil record, without any links connecting them. If evolution had really happened, the evidence would be in abundance and incontestable. The museums would be overflowing with exhibits clearly documenting the transitions between various biological groups. But the fact is that after nearly two centuries of intense research, there are NO such exhibits. The very few fossils once claimed to be some kind of evolutionary link, such as the amphibians, Ictheostica and Simorea, the bird Archaeopteryx, and the Australopithecine ape, Homohabilis, are, at best, highly questionable.”

Regarding Archaeopteryx, which was, for decades, one of the most heralded supposed “missing links”, the Encyclopedia Of Evolution, by Dr. Stanley A. Rice, now states;

“Modern birds are not the descendants of Archaeopteryx, which has proved to be an evolutionary dead end. Birds diversified well before Archaeopteryx.” Similarly, the Berkeley University website states, “It has long been accepted that Archaeopteryx was a transitional form between birds and reptiles. However, its feathers, wings, furcula (“wishbone”) and reduced fingers are all now acknowledged as being characteristics of some modern birds.”

In terms of so-called human evolution, the original missing links, taught up until the 1970’s, have now all been disproved; homohabilis, hesperopithecus, Java Man, Piltdown Man, Peking Man, Neanderthal Man and, more lately, Lucy (Australopithecus). These have all proven to be either hoaxes by fanatical atheists or false hopes. For example:

  • Hesperopithecus was believed to be one such missing link, but in the late 1960’s, Henry Fairfield Osborn’s field expedition proved beyond doubt that Hesperopithecus was the remains of a modern-day wild pig!
  • Java Man was discovered in 1891 by Eugene Dubois. Yet Dubois also discovered fully human skulls at the same level as Java Man, and concealed them for 30 years. Before he died he confessed this and admitted that Java Man was really a gibbon. Furthermore, Frau Selenka’s expedition, in 1907, discovered that the Java Man site was a volcanic area and could not be more than 5000 years old!
  • Piltdown Man, discovered in 1912 by Charles Dawson, was chemically analysed in 1953 by Prof. Kenneth Oakley, who proved conclusively that the skull was that of a modern human and the jawbone was that of an ape. The bones had been chemically treated by Dawson to make them appear old, and the teeth had been filed down to resemble human teeth. Charles Dawson was disgraced by the eventual unveiling of this fraud, which had fooled the scientific world for 40 years.
  • Neanderthal Man, discovered in 1848 at Forbes Quarry, Gibraltar, was declared by evolutionists at the time to be THE missing link. In 1939, it was proved by Prof. Sergio Sergi that Neanderthal Man had walked erect, and not on all fours as evolutionists had previously believed. Then, in 1947, a Neanderthal Man was discovered to have lived in a cave AFTER modern man had inhabited it. Neanderthal Man is now known to have been a modern homosapien.
  • Australopithecus Ramidus was hailed in 1994 to be the latest supposed missing link. Scientists have now unearthed a nearly completed skeleton of the same creature and have had to re-classify it as Ardipithecus Ramidus – a monkey.
  • “Lucy” (an Australopithecine) is the latest supposed missing link hailed by evolutionists. However, living specimens of this creature have reportedly been discovered in the jungles of Sumatra. The creature, known as Orang Pendek, is simply another variety of the Orang monkey species, and not, as we were told, an ancient ancestor of homo sapiens. The well-known French science journal, “Science et Vie”, admitted this fact in its February 1999 issue with the headline “Farewell Lucy” (Adieu Lucy) and the statement that Australopithecus could not be considered the ancestor of man.

THERE ARE NO UNCONTESTED TRANSITIONAL FORMS

The result, in recent years, of more rigorous examination of archaeological evidence, has been the repudiation of all previously held transitional forms. There remains today not one single, uncontested transitional form as evidence for evolution between species.

The Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC is the premier museum in America, and is colloquially considered to be the “head office” of evolution. It used to have an exhibit called “Origin Of Life: Apes to Man”, which featured impressive representations of the various transitional ape-man forms. The display was eventually closed down in the 1980’s, and a sign was placed outside it reading,

“A lot has happened since this exhibit opened in 1974. The science of human evolution is a fast-changing field. Much of the material here is now out of date. We are developing a new exhibit based on the latest findings.” The display never re-opened!

In 1999, Colin Patterson, one of the world’s leading evolutionary paleontologists, based at the British Museum of Natural History, wrote the landmark book, “Evolution”. In it he failed to mention a SINGLE evolutionary transitional form. When a Christian scientist, Luther D. Sunderland, wrote and asked why he had failed to mention any transitional forms, Patterson wrote back, saying,

“I fully agree with your comments on the lack of evidence of evolutionary transitional forms. If I knew of any (either fossil or living) I would certainly have included them in my book. I’ll lay it on the line – there is NOT ONE SUCH FOSSIL [emphasis mine] for which there is a watertight argument.”

This now famous quote has severely embarrassed evolutionists, and Patterson, under pressure from the atheist movement, has subsequently tried to qualify his original comment.

If evolution was true, we should expect to find MILLIONS of transitional forms all over the earth. Yet there is not one such transitional fossil! As Prof. E.H. Andrews states,

“The fossil record now constitutes a severe embarrassment to the theory of evolution.”

What will you believe? The increasingly unsubstantiated theories of fallible humans, or the authoritative Word of God, which declares, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

For more detailed information, including references for quotes, see my book, “Finding God When He Seems To Be Hiding”, available from my website, SmartFaith.net.