(Note: It has been a while since I last read the book so details
are a bit fuzzy. Rest assured that I am
reviewing the text and will correct any inconsistencies in my recollection as I
find them.)
As stated above, fossils are bits or traces of organisms
that have been long buried and are then dug up. One of the interesting things
about fossils is that they are pretty rare.
This rarity is due to the unlikelihood of fossilization to occur. For an organism to be fossilized it has to be
buried before it is eaten by scavengers or decomposed by detritivores*, buried in
such a way that it is not decomposed while underground (which is where a lot of
the decomposers hang out), be positioned in a place geologically that will
allow for its tissues to be replaced by minerals and finally survive the heaving
and weathering that takes place under the subtle yet relentless motions of the
earth.
With all of these required conditions it is a wonder that we
have any fossils at all. But, especially
considering the enormous timescales that span natural history, fossilization
conditions have and will exist and there is an ever growing collection of
fossils. This collection, when
considered collectively, is known as the fossil record.
Like the conclusions drawn from the da Vinci Code (sorry I just can't give up the Dan Brown references)
some of the conclusion from the fossil record have been controversial or, maybe
better said, disagreed about. However there
are a few things about fossils that are generally agreed upon. One is that if you find a fossil in old rocks
the fossil is also old. Another is that
there are uncanny connections in structure between older fossils, newer ones and
modern day organisms. A final agreement
about fossils is that the fossil record is incredibly incomplete.
This last point is often cited as proof that evolution is a
misguided, unsubstantiated guess put forth by humanistic scientists. Unfortunately this conclusion is simply
wrong. The rarity of fossilization
events to occur actually predicts that there would be limits to the fossil
record. Most unfortunate about the mischaracterization
of the fossil record is that it makes those who purvey that viewpoint appear unreliable. That unreliable quality is then all too
easily transferred to other areas such as statements of faith in an all
powerful God, who came to Earth as a human, defeated death and provides salvation
for anyone who believes.
No comments:
Post a Comment