Posts

Showing posts with the label Paleontology

Penguin Wing Evolution Story Fails

Image
Time and time again, proponents of descent with modifications are presented with fossils of creatures that show no appreciable change between then and now. Some evolutionists admit that they walk by by faith, not by sight. The thought of admitting there is a Creator makes them squirm. There are seventeen accepted species of penguins. Despite common ideas, they are not confined to Antarctica, but are found in diverse places such as southern Africa, the Galápagos, and more. They vary in size with the smallest being the blue (little, fairy) penguin at thirteen inches (33 cm). Blue penguin, Flickr / Laurens ( CC BY-ND 2.0 ) A few fossil fragments about the size of the blue penguin were found. It could be considered an eighteenth species. Although this child is suspicious of the amount of information that can be deduced from a few fossils because big mistakes have been made, scientists are telling us that the new fossil ( Pakudyptes ) shows the wings were like those of modern penguins — fl

Another Strike Against Dinosaur-to-Bird Evolution

Image
One crisp autumn day, I was riding out Folly Road past Stinking Lake (which is not as bad as it sounds). Riding down from the Darwin Ranch was Al Buehterawl. We reined in and commenced to jawing. Eventually the subject turned to birds supposedly evolving from dinosaurs. He knows full well that I oppose the idea that dinosaurs evolved into birds. When I pointed out that birds existed at the time of dinosaurs and museums are deceptive about this fact , Al Buehterawl took a deep breath and moved the goalposts with, "They were primitive  birds." Owl, Pexels / Simon Rizzi Darwinists are often deceptive. That's right, I said it!  Most (but not all) evolutionists believe that dinosaurs evolved from birds, treating it like an established fact despite contrary evidence. Their terminology is changing, referring to some reptiles as "non-avian dinosaurs" as a way of reinforcing their belief. For that matter, calling something "primitive" means less evolved, whic

Explaining Fossil Dinosaur Eggs, Tracks, and More

Image
Theories, models, worldviews, and other things need to be internally consistent. Atheism fails in this regard and is unliveable, so  professing atheists (Rom. 1:18-19) have to stand on the biblical worldview. Likewise, believers in particles-to-paleontologist evolution often need to borrow from biblical creation science. A student who claimed to believe the Bible lost faith because of fossil dinosaur footprints. He couldn't imagine  a global Flood allowing for footprints. Problem is, he did not check for that internal consistency in creationist models, so he made assumptions instead of doing his homework. Dinosaur tracks at Jurassic Moenave Formation, US Geological Survey (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) I'll allow that it's still something to consider. A flood is a busy time, especially when it's global in scale. Checking on creation models of the Genesis Flood shows a specific model that does a good job of explaining tracks, eggs, scavenging (they

La Brea Tar Pits and the Genesis Flood

Image
Near Los Angeles (translation: the angels) was an area known as Rancho La Brea  ( la brea  translation: the pitch, or, the tar), and a part of that became Hancock Park. Savvy readers know that it is the location of the famous La Brea Tar Pits. Much research has been done regarding this natural asphalt. The story goes that animals would get trapped by the tar and cry out in distress, attracting predators who would also get trapped. That tale is popular but the reality is quite different. Indeed, there are reasons to doubt current speculations. Mastodon display at La Brea Tar Pits, Flickr / Ingrid Richter ( CC BY 2.0 ), modified at PhotoFunia Study on it a spell. Thousands of fossils recovered from La Brea, many of large plant eaters and carnivores. If those were trapped and pulled down, wouldn't the bones be together? In fact, most skeletons are disarticulated (spread out). Biblical creationists agree with secular scientists that the area shows massive flooding, but creationists go

Ape Fossils Found in Wrong Places

Image
It is interesting that Darwin's acolytes on social(ist) media tend to show ignorance of their own belief system, or mayhaps they try to steamroll over creationist opponents with hot air. Some have claimed that there are no fossils out of order — which would be news to secular scientists. There are many fossils and artifacts in what evolutionists would consider wrong places, which has caused them no small amount of embarrassment. Still, they cling to their uniformitarian views because the alternative (special creation) is anathema. Monkey fossils are causing loyal evolutionists consternation. Spider monkeys, Wikimedia Commons / Bernard Spragg ( PD ) Both creationists and evolutionists try to work out biogeography — how did that  get over there ? The monkeys in question were found in South America. Fine, nice weather, plenty of things to climb on and play with. But there are no fossils of their ancestors. They seem to have come from Africa. How, prithee? Although secularists laughed

Logic Getting Worse in Evolutionism

Image
As discussed here many times, believers in descent with modifications tend to use horrendous reasoning in their papers. (Lapdog popular science journalists often makes things worse .) Researchers are prone to offering an explanation with insufficient evidence for something observed but excluding other possibilities. Evolution is a given, treated as a fact or even a law . They exclude Intelligent Design and especially biblical creation even though evidence support those explanations. If an organism exists, it must have evolved through atheistic materialism — which strikes this child as begging the question . Not only do materialists get away with using bad logic in their presentations, the problem is getting worse. Nobody cares. Evolution doesn't care (study on those last three words and see what I just did). Consider how the Pauli Exclusion is used as a rescuing device for dinosaur soft tissues , which is...truly bizarre. One recent example of fake science logic involves the coela

More Dinosaur Tissue Fake Science

Image
The fact that soft tissues in dinosaur bones has been found is a serious problem for evolutionists, and they know it. Papa Darwin depends on deep time, so the secular science industry presents fake science to take the tear out of Darwin's eye. Desperately devoted evolutionists online show dishonesty, ignorance, or something else when they try to wave off soft tissues (It was a fluke or two? Nope.) There are many examples of soft tissues that are public knowledge. The latest attempt by secularists is to make collagen last millions of years. Triceratops at the Dinosaur Journey Museum , US Dept of Transportation /  aschweigert   (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) The disingenuous science here is that researchers did not actually test stuff, but yee haw boy howdy! It sure does look good on paper. Also, review of the work seems to have been a festival of bias confirmation, no contrary views (especially from those yucky creationists) would be considered. That is indeed u

New Fossil Bats, Still No Evolution

Image
In the Southwestern United States, there is a place popular with geologists and paleontologists called the Green River Formation . There are several rivers and tributaries called Green River, and this area is a tributary of the Colorado River. The formation and basins include several states. Since so much research is done in the formation, it is not surprising to get news from there. What may have been surprising to secular scientists is how the new bat fossils they discovered gave no clues to an alleged evolutionary ancestor of bats. Since secularists don't play the hand they're dealt, they reshuffle and deal from the bottom of the deck. In this case, the unevolving bat fossils did not fit their paradigm, so they tacked on two million years to bad origins. Sure, why not? If it helps keep the story going and avoid the fact of recent creation by the God of the Bible, they'll find ways. The Green River Formation is also interesting because of varves (thin layers of sediment).

Hobbit Continues to Trouble Evolutionists

Image
Actually, Hobbit is a nickname for a clan of vertically impaired humans classified as  Homo floresiensis . Fossils were discovered several years ago and scientists came up with ideas as to why they were so small. There is a range of human height, of course, but to exceed that in either direction involves illnesses or conditions. Of course, secular scientists were looking for an angle to promote their precious evolution. Were they even human ? The evolution connection remains elusive, even to imaginative scientists that infest the secular science industry. Homo floresiensis , Flickr / Ryan Somma ( CC BY 2.0 ), cropped It was thought that  island dwarfism  was an explanation for their small stature. This is where creatures who are forced to live on an island have diminutive offspring. It is actually beneficial. However, it had never been observed in humans. Now it is thought to be the most likely explanation. The fossil Hobbit was about half the height of the average European male today

Dinosaur-to-Bird Evolution Refuted by Breathing?

Image
It is considered a fact by many evolutionists that dinosaurs evolved into birds, so that canned chicken in my pantry is actually evolved dinosaur. As baryon-to-bird evolution is dogma in the secular science industry, dissenters are downplayed. The same happens to dinosaur-to-bird evolution deniers. As seen in " Non-Science in Dinosaur-to-Bird Evolution ," there are numerous problems with those stories. Indeed, serious scientific difficulties should have stopped the concept right away. Many scientists believe despite  the evidence. One major problem is that birds and reptiles breathe differently. Confuciusornis , Flickr / paleobear ( CC BY 2.0 ) Reptiles, many animals, humans all breathe with a bellows (draw in, push out) style, although they are not all designed alike. Birds have more of a flow-through system. That means dinosaurs would have had to evolve countless transitions — any of which would have been stopped by natural selection, so evolution could not happen. Lung sy

Fossil Discoveries Fit Creationist Expectations

Image
Descent with modifications evolution maintains that, biologically speaking, all life forms go back to a common ancestor. The claims of evolutionists should be verified in living things today as well as through the fossil record; there should be an uncountable number of transitional forms. Biblical creationists reject evolution partly through lack of evidence. While they believe in speciation, diversity, and the biblical kinds (similar to the family level in modern reckoning), they maintain that there are no transitional forms in the fossil record. Aerodactylus scolopaciceps  with soft tissue, Wikimedia Commons /  Steven U. Vidovic, David M. Martill  ( CC BY 2.5 ) What in the wild world of paleontology is a-goin' on here? Some recent examples show why creationists are not surprised because the discoveries fit their expectations. Secular reckoning has sharks as ancient critters, and a small group suddenly appeared in the fossil record. No evolution. A web-spinning spider allegedly 3

A New Ankylosaur and the Genesis Flood

Image
Off the southern edge of England, in the English Channel, lies the Isle of Wight. It is known for landscapes, chalk, and geological features, so the locals were probably not overly surprised to learn that a new ankylosaur was discovered there. Ankylosaurs were herbivores. These critters looked like turtles gone wrong, what with all that armor and all. One curiosity is that they are usually found fossilized on their backs . Also, like other creatures of that time, evolution is assumed but there is no evidence of it. Edmontonia rugosidens, Wikimedia Commons / Mariana Ruiz (PD) The way they were buried in sediment is a curiosity to secular scientists, and they have some ideas that do not pass the sniff test. So many ankylosaurs were clumsy, fell into rivers and floated out to sea where they were buried? This child lacks belief that such an idea is plausible. Indeed, the more reasonable explanation (although streng verboten  among Darwin's acolytes) is the mechanisms of the global Gen

Nevada Crocodile Fossil and Opposing Models

Image
When the hand one is dealt is not playing well, cheat. After all, secular scientists seem to be doing that more and more. One example is the definition of archosaur . It has certain physical characteristics and includes crocodilians, dinosaurs, pterosaurs — and birds. Quite a broad category, and includes the tendentious assumption  that birds evolved from dinosaurs. Evidence and logic differ about that last part. A new fossil pseudosuchian (expensive word for crocodile) species was discovered in Nevada. That is counterintuitive, since those critters do not live so far inland. Crocodile, Pixnio /  Steve Hillebrand , USFWS Another species? That's nice. That also fits with biblical creation science models. Of course, like the assumption that birds evolved from dinosaurs and are related to archosaurs, secular scientists assume that crocodiles evolved even though there is no evidence of it. They also have to deal with the location of this one, as well as mixtures of organisms fossilized

Trilobites Still Trying to Evolutionists

Image
People who have read material or watched videos about fossils have invariably come across trilobites, since there was a passel of them. They are associated with the Cambrian Explosion , where way down yonder in the Cambrian layer, life forms suddenly appeared — with no signs of evolutionary ancestors. Trilobites are icons of evolution, but they are quite trying to Darwin's disciples. Aside from appearing fully formed, they were intricate. Advances in technology allowed scientists to learn that they had impressive optics , for example. Recent pristine trilobite fossils further trouble evolutionists. Trilobite, US Dept / Interior,  BLM  (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) The fossils were discovered in a Morocco mountain range, which is not exactly the kind of place to seek marine organisms. They were preserved in ash, and even the complex digestive tract was preserved. What has been discovered about trilobites, including this bunch, fits the expectations of biblical

Makoshika State Park and the Genesis Flood

Image
If you mount up and ride out Montana way and look near Glendive, you will come across  Makoshika State Park . It takes up an impressive 11,538 acres and does the usual state park things like camping, hiking, hunting, and so on.  Makoshika also has activities that they call educational because it is a part of a massive playground of paleontologists, the Hell Creek Formation. That means dinosaur bones and fossils. There is a wagon trainload of them for study and for secularists to evosplain the demise of dinosaurs. Rock formation in Makoshika State Park, Wikimedia Commons / Larry D. Moore ( CC BY 4.0 ) Storytellers commence chattering about the Chicxulub impact by a big rock from space and how it was responsible for dinosaur extinction. That story is unraveling . Also, dinosaur blood vessel grooves and other things are still in existence, but should not exist in the conventional deep time narrative. If secularists stripped away evolutionary presuppositions, they could examine the eviden

More Evidence Neanderthals were Human

Image
At one time, Neanderthals were portrayed as stupid brutes in our supposed evolutionary history. Evidence over the years prompted Darwinists to realize that they were not so far removed from humans after all . Still, they try to keep some form of evolutionary link going, plus showing racism against Neanderthals . This makes racist Charles Darwin smile. It should be case closed  that humans and Neanderthals were the same species because our ancestors exchanged DNA. (Indeed, some folks may have allergies because of inheriting DNA from Neanderthals .) New research affirms their humanity. Neanderthal reconstruction, Flickr /  Michael (a.k.a. moik) McCullough  ( CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ) Someone can search for but not find an ape that fashioned jewelry because it had deep personal meaning. Symbolism — which indicates abstract thought, a human trait — is indicated among these "archaic humans." Also, it has been suggested that they are not exactly extinct . They had culture and were intellig

Lone Ranger Dinosaur Makes Tracks

Image
There are several areas that have fossilized dinosaur tracks, which is quite remarkable if you think on it. Glen Rose, Texas has a significant number of them. They are easy to see at Dinosaur Valley State Park . Sounds like an interesting place to visit. During a time of drought in 2022, even more tracks were exposed. Paleontologists and other folks were excited to see them. One trackway is impressively long, apparently made by  Acrocanthosaurus atokensis . One tell-tale sign is that it has claws on its feet. Acrocanthosaurus atokensis , Wikimedia Commons / Petr Menshikov ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ), modified Hey, Cowboy Bob! How is  A. atokensis on the beach like Christmas? Because of its sandy claws ! Moving on... Secular scientists have some imaginative stories to tell about how they formed, but like so many other attempted explanations by Darwinists, they do not withstand scrutiny. With a proper understanding of sedimentation during the Genesis Flood, forming and fossilization of the tracks

New Shark Fossil no Surprise to Creationists

Image
Believers in universal common descent presuppose evolution, so they get excited when a fossil is found that can be manipulated into supporting their paradigm. Facts without the deep time and evolutionary assumptions more readily support recent creation and the Genesis Flood. A fossilized shark was discovered down Arkansas way, and Darwin's disciples are excited about how this new discovery can provide information about evolution. Part of the thrill is that cartilage was involved, and that stuff does not fossilize very often. Shark, Pexels / Marc Derndorff When I say new discovery , I mean that it was found in the 1970s. Recently, it was analyzed with CT-scans and given digital reconstruction. (That technology is impressive.) They assigned it a new genus and species name. However, it's still a shark with no evidence of evolution. Also, others were fossilized with it, indicating the rapid burial characteristic of the Flood. There were some other surprises where sharks have been f

Evolution and the Rescuing Device of Stasis

Image
In " Dishonest Darwinists Dodge Living Fossils ," the concept of stasis  was mentioned. To oversimplify,  living fossils are organisms that remain essentially unchanged from fossils to their living counterparts. Some fossils have millions of years assigned to them. Organisms did not evolve because they did not need to: stasis. Darwin's disciples glom onto the stasis rescuing device because living fossils are a serious impediment for evolution. Living fossils also indicate that the earth is not as ancient as evolution requires. Spotted Gar, Wikimedia Commons, USFWS / Brian Montague (public domain, usage does not imply endorsement) Know why gars live in mostly freshwater or brackish environments? Because if they lived in the oceans, they'd be sea-gars! Not funny, Cowboy Bob. Gars have been described as cigar-shaped, and some can grow rather large. Evolutionists say that their slow rate of evolution affects their low rate of speciation. Also, DNA repair mechanisms could

Dishonest Darwinists Dodge Living Fossils

Image
There are creatures in the fossil record that show no appreciable difference between supposed millions of years to their modern descendants. Charles Darwin was displeased with this additional evidence against his conjectures. He called them living fossils . If a handful of them existed, they might be waved away as odd quirks. But there are many living fossils. Evolutionists change mystical hats, trading the one where evolution is an undeniable force with the other where stasis occurred. That is, they did not have to evolve. These owlhoots get downright dishonest as well. Horseshoe crab (which is not really a crab) is a living fossil, MorgueFile / xpistwv Unfortunately, people are  not taught  critical thinking, and they seldom display healthy skepticism. The Bearded Buddha taught that things evolved from a common ancestor, branching out on the Tree of Life, gradually turning into something else. Right? People know this, but when dishonest evolutionists change the definitions with the