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  • Letting the Fossil Record Speak
    Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?
    • What to Look For

      4-6. If evolution were factual, what would the fossil evidence show?

      4 If evolution were a fact, the fossil evidence would surely reveal a gradual changing from one kind of life into another. And that would have to be the case regardless of which variation of evolutionary theory is accepted. Even scientists who believe in the more rapid changes associated with the “punctuated equilibrium” theory acknowledge that there would still have been many thousands of years during which these changes supposedly took place. So it is not reasonable to believe that there would be no need at all for linking fossils.

      5 Also, if evolution were founded in fact, the fossil record would be expected to reveal beginnings of new structures in living things. There should be at least some fossils with developing arms, legs, wings, eyes, and other bones and organs. For instance, there should be fish fins changing into amphibian legs with feet and toes, and gills changing into lungs. There should be reptiles with front limbs changing into bird wings, back limbs changing into legs with claws, scales changing into feathers, and mouths changing into horny beaks.

      6 In this regard the British journal New Scientist says of the theory: “It predicts that a complete fossil record would consist of lineages of organisms showing gradual change continuously over long periods of time.”⁠4 As Darwin himself asserted: “The number of intermediate varieties, which have formerly existed, [must] be truly enormous.”⁠5

  • Letting the Fossil Record Speak
    Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?
    • [Box on page 55]

      Orthodox evolutionary The creation pattern

      theory anticipated a fossil anticipated a fossil record

      record that contains: that contains:

      1. Very simple life forms 1. Complex life forms

      gradually appearing suddenly appearing

      2. Simple forms gradually 2. Complex life forms

      changing into complex multiplying ‘after their

      ones kinds’ (biological

      families), though

      allowing for variety

      3. Many transitional “links” 3. No transitional “links”

      between different kinds between different

      biological families

      4. Beginnings of new body 4. No partial body features;

      features, such as limbs, all parts complete

      bones, organs

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