Explaining the fossil record.
Why that particular order of fossils?
Imagine this scenario: (Start with an open mind and don't dismiss it immediately!)
The Precambrian period was coming to an end.
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Trilobites, corals, sea anemones, and shellfish of all types were growing peacefully on the ocean floor, and fish were swimming around.
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But then torrential rain started to pour down,
and water began to burst up from deep below
ground (subterranean water).
There were massive earthquakes, volcanoes were
erupting and were sending up huge amounts of steam
and hot water. There was also a lot of tectonic activity
- where the continents moved and were crashing
into each other.
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The ocean floor suddenly had water billowing up from beneath it. This massive movement of water carried huge amounts of sediment and so it buried all the slow moving and immobile marine organisms along with any fish which couldn't escape.
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Fact file
The fossil record testifies to the massive destruction of marine life with 95% of the fossil record accounted for by shallow marine creatures,
(and most of these were small in size).
To get an idea of the different proportions of the number of fossils found within the fossil record, see the diagram below: [1]
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The sediment and water surged up the estuaries, burying the brackish areas
and then burying the fresh water creatures that couldn't escape.
The fish started to die as more and more loose sediment clogged up the water.
Fact file
Air breathing mammals - whales, dolphins, seals, etc would have survived much better in sediment filled waters, than fish with gills. So fewer would have been killed - especially in the early stages.
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Then the continents started to sink,
causing a massive surge of sea water
to sweep across the land - throwing many marine creatures and sediment onto it.
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This invading sea water smashed it's way across the land, picking up everything in it's path.
In the rapidly deepening water, all dead sea and land creatures, and plant debris was held in suspension in the swirling waters, until the currents started to slow down.
Then massive layers of sediment started to form.
These layers are now known as the Early Paleozoic
(the Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian).
"With the beginning of the Cambrian at the retreat of Proterozoic ice, the sea level rose significantly. Lowland areas such as Baltica were flooded and much of the world was covered by epeiric seas." [2]
In our scenario we would say that the whole world was flooded.
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All the hills had been washed away. (The higher mountains were not yet formed).
All the carcasses of creatures, animals and humans were smashed about in the violent waters, and all of them would have ended up floating on the water, where many would have gradually disintegrated by the action of sea scavengers and the elements.
Fact file
We may think that an animal that dies in the water will sink to the bottom, but that isn't true.
Dead animals float! So this would have a considerable impact on what was buried early on in the deep sediments that were laid down.
For example, dead whales float,
(see Tas Walker 'Whale explodes fossil theory'). [3]
"....Dead animals don't immediately sink to the bottom of the ocean—they generally float on the surface. Anyone who has kept an aquarium would know that. It’s only after other marine creatures have substantially scavenged the corpse that it will sink...." [3]
A New York newspaper tells us that a dead cow floats on water:
"...The unfortunate animal had apparently floated into our part of the Susquehanna from upstream...." [4]
Dead ducks also float:
"...All the dead animals I saw were ducks with many being Mallards. However it was hard to be sure in a lot of cases. Most of the dead animals were in a normal floating position but with their heads underwater..." [5]
etc, etc.
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The collisions of the continents caused enormous pressure and heat, which made the rock layers fold and faults appeared. These movements formed the large mountain ranges.
At this time (now known as the Devonian) these new mountains were pushed up above the ocean, so any living amphibians and reptiles that had survived the violence of the flood, came up onto this new land, and some of these left their footprints which then became fossilised.
Fact file
The first fossilised tracks are found in the Devonian,
and they are amphibian tracks.
"The continents of North America and Europe collided, resulting in massive granite intrusions and the raising of the Appalachian Mountains of eastern North America." [6]
It is thought that other mountain ranges were pushed up earlier than this - if that is correct, then amphibian tracks are likely to be discovered in those earlier layers
or, the dating on the formation of the mountains has got confused.
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The massive amounts of vegetation which was being carried by the water, started to get deposited in huge areas, which later became the seams of coal.
Fact file
By the end of the Devonian there were so many different plants which had suddenly appeared in that layer, that it is called the 'Devonian Explosion'.
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The violence of the waters probably kept on for a number of years, and the majority of the floating corpses would have been totally destroyed.
How does our scenario fit with the actual fossil record?
Bear in mind that many fossils and even the Periods themselves, have been dated according to their position in relation to the date of a 'known' fossil. Unfortunately this 'reliable age indicator' has on occasions been proved unreliable, and a different fossil has been chosen to become the new indicator.
Also as time goes on, more and more fossils are found
in the 'wrong' layers according to the theory of Evolution.
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We have been trying to look at the evidence in the fossil record, and to seek an explanation as to why there is that particular order of fossils.
The theory of Evolution is just a theory - an explanation of what happened, but it is not proven and it has many unanswered questions.
Whether people believe in the theory of Evolution or not
doesn't matter as far as the Christian faith is concerned.
The danger is that many people take Evolution to be totally proven and that it somehow disproves the existence of God
and undermines the Bible.
But there are many Christians who do believe in Evolution and that doesn't give them a problem,
and there are many Christians who don't believe in Evolution.
We believe that Evolution is not solid fact and that these
'Periods' / 'Epochs' of time, were not laid down over millions
of years, but were the result of a number of huge events
that occured at around the same time.
This had a catastrophic effect on this world, and the rock strata
carries the scars of this.
It would have caused the worldwide destruction to creatures
and animals on a massive scale.
The fossil record does not show the evolution of animals and plants.
It is a truthful picture of the many different species.
There are no fossils which prove that one species has evolved
into another species.
The fossil record does show a burial sequence in the aftermath
of this massive flood.
We believe that this event is written about in the Bible,
and is known as the 'Flood'.
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For a very detailed chart showing what types of fossil have been found in what period click here. It also groups fossils together under marine water, brackish water, fresh water and land. There is section for plant fossils as well.
Back to the 'Blinded by unscientific science' menu.
© 2004 seeking-god.co.uk
[1] Wise, K.P., 'The Flood and the fossil record', an informal talk given at the Institute for Creation Research, San Diego (USA) on August 17, 1988.
[2] www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/cambrian/cambtect.html
[3] Walker, Tas. 'Whale explodes fossil theory'. Creation Magazine Volume 24 Issue 2
[4] The Daily Star (New York, USA) "Plans would help prevent confusion" Thursday, April 1, 2004
[5] www.sipe.com November 11, 2003 Russell Sipe wrote about this in the Santa Ana River bed near Glassell Avenue.
[6] www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/devonian/devtect.html