Creation Science Reviews
Creation Ministries International Daily Feature
Expanding Fossil Ranges
20 January 2012
Review by Greg Neyman
Answers In Creation
In a recent article on the Creation Ministries International website, author Michael Oard (a meteorologist) argues that expanding fossil ranges undermines the validity of old earth/evolutionist claims about these fossils.1
This lengthly article can be summed up in this short summary. Species A is thought to have lived from 150 to 50 million years ago. New fossil evidence of this species has been discovered, and scientists date this new fossil at 200 million years in age. Since science was wrong about the age range of this species, this casts doubt upon science, and its claim that science portrays an accurate history of this organism. Therefore, young earth creationism must be correct!
Nothing could be further from the truth! Although people caught in the young earth trap will fall for this type of faulty reasoning, in reality this merely shows that science, through new discoveries, is refining its understanding of this species (and many other species as well, as the article points out). Due to new discoveries, scientists now know even more about species, removing further doubt about the species (not increasing doubt, as is claimed by Oard).
If we find that an organism first appears in the fossil record at 200 million years ago (Ma), it would be foolish of us to assume that this is the very first of its species, and that none existed prior to 200 Ma. When science states that a species lived from 150 to 50 Ma, it is not claiming that it did not exist before or after that time period. It is merely stating that this is the range in which its fossils have been recovered. Finding an older (or younger) fossil does not invalidate any scientific claims about this fossil, it merely refines them so we have a better understanding of it.
Conclusion
As a scientist, Oard should understands that my point above is valid, and realize that his claim is an empty one. Yet, young earth creationists frequently make empty claims, knowing that they are preaching to YEC believers, who will believe their every word.
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1 Further Expansion of Evolutionary Time Ranges by Michael Oard, Creation Ministries International Daily Article, 20 Jan 2012
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