New Record-Setting Living Fossil Flabbergasts Scientists

Creation-Evolution Headlines ^ | 12/5/2003 | Creation-Evolution Headlines

[bondserv]

New Record-Setting Living Fossil Flabbergasts Scientists   12/05/2003
A remarkably-detailed fossil ostracode, a type of crustacean, has been announced in the Dec. 5 issue of Science¹ that is blowing the socks off its discoverers.  Erik Stokstad in a review of the discovery in the same issue² explains its significance in the evolutionary picture of prehistory:

Over the past half-billion years [sic], evolution has dished up [sic] an almost endless variety of novelties: lungs, legs, eyes, wings, scales, feathers, fur.  So when paleontologists find a creature that doesn’t change, they take note.   (Emphasis added in all quotes.)

Two things about this fossil are exceptional.  (1) It has a “jaw-dropping” amount of detail, such that even small fragile parts and soft tissues were perfectly preserved.  (2) It is indistinguishable from modern ostracodes:

What’s most amazing, ostracode experts say, is how eerily similar the soft-tissue anatomy is to that of modern relatives.  “I was flabbergasted,” says Koen Martens, a zoologist at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 

This fossil, found near Herefordshire, U.K., was found in Silurian deposits estimated to be 425 million years old.  That means that its modern counterparts are living fossils, virtually unchanged for all that time:

Some ostracode specialists are stunned.  “This is a demonstration of unbelievable stability,” says Tom Cronin of the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia.  Whereas ostracodes diversified [sic] into some 33,000 living and extinct species, “these guys have just been plodding along totally unfazed.”

This fossil, named Colymbosathon, is also upsetting those who look for evolution in the genes:

Finding a modern cylindroleberid in the Silurian clashes with molecular data, which suggest that the group and related families originated relatively recently, says evolutionary biologist Todd Oakley of the University of California, Santa Barbara.  There’s no conflict for zoologist Anne Cohen, a research associate at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, who thinks Colymbosathon actually belongs to a long-extinct family.  In any case, the new fossil indicates that a basic ostracode body plan was already present in the Silurian.  It could also help [sic] sort out evolutionary relationships of fossil ostracodes.

David Horne (Queen Mary College, London) predicts more “long-lost evolutionary blueprints” [sic] may emerge from these deposits.  “The probability that they will find similarly preserved representatives of other ostracode lineages, and of other arthropods, is both high and extremely exciting.”

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¹Siveter et al., “An Ostracode Crustacean with Soft Parts from the Lower Silurian,” Science Dec. 5, 2003.
²Erik Stokstad, “Invertebrate Paleontology: Gutsy Fossil Sets Record for Staying the Course,” Science Volume 302, Number 5651, Issue of 5 Dec 2003, p. 1645.

This is just one more of many remarkable, astounding, flabbergasting examples of living fossils.  “Unbelievable stability” is not a prediction of Darwinism.  The Darwinian world is supposed to be a fluid world, filled with diversification, radiation, and innovation.  During the imaginary 425 million years, the continents moved all over the world, animals crawled onto the land and became geckos and crocodiles and birds and caribou.  Mountains rose and valleys sank, and glaciers repeatedly advanced and retreated over much of the planet.  Some animals moved back into the oceans and became whales, porpoises, manatees and sea lions in just a small fraction of this much time, and humans emerged from grunting chimpanzees, invented language and abstract thought, and conquered space.  Is it reasonable to assume that in this slow whirlwind of continuous dynamical change, these ostracodes just reproduced themselves over and over millions of times without any change whatsoever?
    Darwinists are caught in a crossfire of antagonistic evidence.  Only a well-armored Darwinist could be excited about incoming bombshells like this.  Only by wearing Kevlar-lined lead helmets around their brains can they keep the bullets from penetrating and the insides from exploding.

[FastCoyote]

Since you believe Darwin completely wrong, (not just one aspect of a larger dynamic), then you just as assuredly have problems with extinctions. If evolution is false, then that means at one time ALL creatures documented in the fossil history must have been present at the same time. So, what you are claiming is that 6000 years ago Tyranosaurus Rex commingled with pterosaurs with humans, with vast numbers of ape species (unless you think the Leakeys fabricated their discoveries). Therefore, Eden was an incredible menagerie of species, because without evolution it must all be subtractive from there.

[XBob]

1 - " Darwinists are caught in a crossfire of antagonistic evidence. Only a well-armored Darwinist could be excited about incoming bombshells like this. Only by wearing Kevlar-lined lead helmets around their brains can they keep the bullets from penetrating and the insides from exploding"

===

What a pile of crap. Lots of living things still exist which aren't evolving further. Roaches, certain 'palm' trees, alligators, ants, creationists.

[bondserv]

They might not be that old. Ya ever think of that?

Why isn't the theory of natural selection considered another one of gods creations?

Because the only reliable message we have from the Creator of the universe precludes it.

[farmfriend]

Consider yourself added. If you ever change your mind, or I get you on the wrong list, just let me know.

[bondserv]

Therefore, Eden was an incredible menagerie of species, because without evolution it must all be subtractive from there.

I believe the evidence dictates that genetic mutations and changes are evidence of degradation, not complication.

The Bible calls that degradation the curse/waxing old, modern science calls the curse the 2nd Law of thermodynamics.

[John Valentine]

I'm with you. I alkso think that it is entirely possible that nature rediscovered one of its forms. Why not?

[John Valentine]

You put a smile on my face. I'm with you.

[bondserv]

"You keep using that word, I don't think it means what you think it means."

Spaniard to the Genius in:
"Princess Bride"

[FastCoyote]

Don't even start the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics crap with me. I'm a mechanical engineer who has made a lifelong study of what the 2nd law says, and does not say, and there isn't one lickspittle worth of truth in the idea that the 2nd law precludes evolution. Indeed, it encourages local evolution!. While the universe may as a whole be dying entropically, local systems are free to do as they please only limited by energy sources and sinks.

[My2Cents]

Good point. If someone wants to continue to place their faith in Darwin, in spite of its crumbling foundations, that's their business. But I don't think I'd want to hurdle toward eternity calling God a liar in the first couple of pages of His book.

[FastCoyote]

That would be "dieing".

[My2Cents]

What energy source created greater complexity and order among living organisms?

[bondserv]

The theory of Evolution is like attributing the production of a sandcastle to the ocean because you observed the water creating the mote.

Two men become stranded on a remote island. As they explore the island they come upon a sandcastle with towers, buttresses and a drawbridge. The design of the castle is amazingly intricate.

One man comments, "It is amazing what time and the ocean can create. The small rocks and seashells on the shore must have got caught in eddies and swirled around and chiseled out that castle. There were a few palm leaves floating by that scribed out the little lines that look like bricks. We are alone here and there is no need to consider anything else."

The other man looked at him incredulously and said, "No, that castle was created by another intelligent being with a clear intent of design, we are not alone."

Rom 1:19-25
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

[Orblivion]

Oh? what do you consider "reliable". Some book that's been edited throughout it's history?

"if english was good enough for jesus christ, it's good enough for the united states of america" someone said once.

If you don't think stuff can be lost in translated or abused for other purposes. Go watch The Reagans on Showtime. Latin was no a language of the common people was it? Why do u think that shit was in latin? To keep the common man from even reading the bible. Books from the bible have been lost. There ARE historical questions. It's not a perfect book. It's written by imperfect men. Shall we discuss the EVOLUTION of religion on this planet? Cause u know it didn't all begin and end with Christianity. First known idol is the Venus of Willendorf, 30,000 years old. A fertility statue. A gargantuan fat chick with a behive hairdo. Signifying the supreme value of fertility in early man who was runnin around with clubs and spears and shit. As man evolved culturally and technologically so did religion. Once man was more self sufficient, the focus of worship moved to Nature, weather, other unexplainable things. Once we got past those hurdles, The gods became more human, Gods of war, gods of love, the king of the gods. As humans evolved. Their gods became more and more human. Judaism is the first religion to completeley personify a sole Sureme Being as a patriarchal father figure. What's more likely, god setting abush ablaze and handing out tablets? Why didn'e he just carve them into the side of a friggin mountain? Then we'd know. But no, we're spose to believe, Moses wandered into the mountains, alone, for a little while, came back with some hand carved stone tablets, with a code of conduct. and rule #1 being, this is the only code of conduct to follow or else. I don't deny there's some supreme being or that there's a greater design here or whatever. I just don't pretend to know what it is. Or let anyone try and tell me just cause of some really well written historical text that they put their faith in.

[My2Cents]

When you boil down all the arguments of the evolutionists, they come down to moral imperatives, not scientific ones. The fact that they get so worked up emotionally attacking opponents of the theory shows that to them the issue is one of the heart, and not of the head.

[My2Cents]

So, the reason you believe in evolution is basically because you have a confused concept of God....

[You Gotta Be Kidding Me]

"Why isn't the theory of natural selection considered another one of gods creations?"

Actually, it is. The Catholic Church's official view is that the Church doesn't care how God (capital G) formed the world and that Darwinism does not neccessarily conflict with Christianity at all. "To God, a day is like 100 years and 100 years is like a day." Millions of years to us is a day to God. Yes, there are Christians who don't buy that, but not all don't. Darwin was a devout Christian, not a devout atheist.

Keep in mind, science can never prove, or DISPROVE the existance of God. It's strictly a mater of faith, either way.

[Orblivion]

Here you go again. I guess you are on speaking terms with god? You know him personally? Understand his master plan?

Oh, and did I ever say I believed in it? I am not some evolution zealot. I think there's some truth to it. But I hardly put all my faith in that bucket. Like u do with your book.

[BenLurkin]

OLDEST LIVING FOSSIL

[visualops]

The moths see a light.