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Transitional Fossils

DavidFirth

Well-Known Member
For those of you creationists who insist that there are no transitional fossils. All credit goes to King Crocoduck:


Just because they look somewhat similar in no way proves they are transitional fossils. Good try, though, you'll probably fool millions of people.
 

Guy Threepwood

Mighty Pirate
Yeah, there is a problem with the word "transitional", it tends to confuse people who don't understand evolution, I think they think it means evolution has "a plan", that it is going somewhere. The "somewhere" is ,of course, us; Homo sapien right? We have big brains, we are the dominant species on the planet now right? Everything was leading to us right? All the species that have come and gone was just some blind and clumsy attempt, like a artist starting out as a child finger painting blobs, until he or she refines their art into something beautiful and sophisticated. I'm pretty sure the dinosaurs would have said the same! (No I don't speak dinosaur, not sure how they communicated. It was a long time ago!)

I suppose this idea helps some theists to reconcile evolution with their religion, but it is of course erroneous. It panders to our ego, like the concept that the Earth is the centre of the Universe, and we "have dominion" over every other species. Bacteria and viruses might prove us overly optimistic on that front, if we don't wipe ourselves out with warfare or people induced global warming. Happy days!

We are the only means we know of, by which the universe can contemplate it's own existence. You are special in that way.

Anthropomorphic climate on the other hand- believing that bad weather is caused by humans, is the most ancient superstition known to mankind. You give us too much credit, we're not really that powerful!
 
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jonathan180iq

Well-Known Member
Please try. It is

6-15-12-Blog-Image-from-Free-Digital-Photos1.jpg
Probably the best short video on transitional fossils on the net.

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Is it better than the girl who breaks up plaster and claims it's how dinosaurs are made?!?
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
Just because they look somewhat similar in no way proves they are transitional fossils. Good try, though, you'll probably fool millions of people.

Not just the similarity. The timing and location also contribute to that conclusion.

Now, of course, you can take the position that each new species is created anew to be similar to the old species and also is eliminated just as a newer species that is similar is created.

if you do so, you remove yourself from rational discussion.
 

DavidFirth

Well-Known Member
Not just the similarity. The timing and location also contribute to that conclusion.

Now, of course, you can take the position that each new species is created anew to be similar to the old species and also is eliminated just as a newer species that is similar is created.

if you do so, you remove yourself from rational discussion.

Microevolution among like kinds is real and has been observed. However, ape to man and bacteria to whale is, shall we say, quite a stretch of the imagination.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Microevolution among like kinds is real and has been observed. However, ape to man and bacteria to whale is, shall we say, quite a stretch of the imagination.
Not if one does the research.

Also, if one accepts "micro-evolution", then they logically should accept "macro-evolution". If that's too difficult to do, then let me suggest that one who thinks it can't happen should put forth objectively-derived evidence that there must be some sort of magical wall that keeps micro- from flowing into macro-. So, here's the opportunity to do just that, so maybe someone here can go for it.
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
Microevolution among like kinds is real and has been observed. However, ape to man and bacteria to whale is, shall we say, quite a stretch of the imagination.

The ape to man transition (ignoring the fact that humans are apes) is about the same as from wolves to dogs, so it isn't that big.

The 'bacteria to whale' happened over a very long period of time with many different stages, all of which are either documented in the fossil record or where we have analogs in living things today.
 

DavidFirth

Well-Known Member
The ape to man transition (ignoring the fact that humans are apes) is about the same as from wolves to dogs, so it isn't that big.

The 'bacteria to whale' happened over a very long period of time with many different stages, all of which are either documented in the fossil record or where we have analogs in living things today.

Well, I don't buy into the theory. It sounds like a last second throw to get away from "God created." No way men came from apes and no way whales came from bacteria.
 

DavidFirth

Well-Known Member
As would be making it from San Francisco to Los Angeles in one giant step instead of doing in small increments.

36465617352_86c5d29b9b_b.jpg


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The trouble with that comparison is that the individual pictured was not a monkey in SF, then a human in LA. Poor comparison, just another one of your many ways of showing how much you hate God's word.
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
The trouble with that comparison is that the individual pictured was not a monkey in SF, then a human in LA. Poor comparison, just another one of your many ways of showing how much you hate God's word.
Boy, try as I may, even dumbing it down to a child's level of understanding, I still fail to get through. Oh well. :shrug: Enjoy your self inflicted ignorance.

.
 

jonathan180iq

Well-Known Member
let me suggest that one who thinks it can't happen should put forth objectively-derived evidence that there must be some sort of magical wall that keeps micro- from flowing into macro

This is where they stop responding, every single time.

What's coming next is little more than repeats of their previous misunderstandings.
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
The trouble with that comparison is that the individual pictured was not a monkey in SF, then a human in LA. Poor comparison, just another one of your many ways of showing how much you hate God's word.

You allow micro-evolution, which is small changes in rather short periods of time. But you don't allow those small changes to add up over longer periods of time to make large changes.

Why not?

It's like you are OK with a small number of pennies adding up to be 10 cents, but don't accept that a larger number of pennies can add up to be $10,000.
 
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