Why So Few Human Fossils?

The question arises, "Why do we see very few human fossils in the rock strata?" There are many reasons for this, and one key is what is fossilized. The overwhelming majority are marine organisms including an abundance of clams. Land-based creatures are far fewer, and there is an extreme scarcity of human fossils — most of which are very incomplete.

Oso, Washington after March 22, 2014 mudslide
Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan Olson
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Despite uniformitarian assertions, fossils are the product of catastrophic processes and burial. The Great Biblical Flood of Noah's time was an extremely violent, global event. The tragedy in Oso, Washington helps illustrate why human fossils would be scarce.

The human population in Noah’s day was extensive, likely numbering in the multimillions. With the exception of the few people on the Ark, this entire population was annihilated by the Flood. Since the Flood also deposited nearly all of the sediment that later became Earth’s geologic strata in a single year, one would think that at least some of the bodies would have been buried and preserved as fossils.1 So, why don’t we find more human fossils in Flood strata?

Human remains are scarce in the fossil record, but so are all land-dwelling mammal, bird, and reptile fossils. The overwhelming majority of animal fossils are marine invertebrates. We find innumerable clam fossils but very few mammals. Why is that? Terrestrial vertebrate animals have a lower fossilization potential than marine organisms, which often have hard outer shells. When a mammal fossil is found, it usually consists of a piece of only one bone. Whole-body mammal fossils are extremely rare. The hydraulic forces that simultaneously deposited sediments and dead animals were typically strong enough to be highly destructive. Muddy sediments moving at great speeds generate powerful shear forces. Few animal bodies would have remained intact.

Some people may find the graphic descriptions to be unsettling. If you wish to continue, read the rest of this article by clicking on "Human Fossils: A Present-Day Flood Example".