Fossils - Exposing the Evolutionist slight-of-hand

From Mr. Williams page http://www.evolutionfairytale.com/articles_debates/fossil_illusion.htm:

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The Slight-of-Hand
Here’s the catch, the magic behind the illusion. Whenever an evolutionist presents his line of evidence for evolution in the fossil record, he will without fail, virtually every time, present a vertebrate transitional fossil. Why is this important? The evolutionist is failing to mention to his audience that vertebrates constitute less than .01% of the entire fossil record, and of these fossils, most species are represented by a bone or less!

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I suspect the vertebrates get the attention because the general population finds vertebrates to be more interesting than the invertebrates.

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What about the other 99.99% of the fossil record? That’s the other key piece of information the evolutionist is withholding from you. Complex invertebrates make up the vast majority of this portion of the record, roughly 95%. We have cataloged literally millions of different species of these very complex creatures, and we have entire fossils, not just pieces here and there. In this rich and virtually complete portion of the fossil record, there is not a single sign of evolution, whatsoever!!!

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OK, let's look at the invertebrate 95%. That fossil record shows a certain population of organisms in the lowest (and oldest) rocks. As you go upsection (and uptime), you find diferent populations. Some organisms have disappeared, others have appeared. There has been a progression as time has passed.Regardless of what caused these changes, the changes are very real. Even if these changes are a result of a series of special creations by God, it is still an evolution of the life forms on earth.Moose------------------
Old Earth evolution - Yes
Godly creation - Maybe

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Edge: Sorry, Fred, that's not what Moose meant. There is a progression of fossil assemblages present in the record. You have never explained this.

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Websters:
Progression
2) a sequence or succession, as of acts, happenings, etc.I have also used this "progression" as being my fundimental evidence of evolution. Perhaps I am pushing things too far, but as I see it, in the fossil record, "Progression" and "Evolution" are synonymous.The change from one situation to another situation is an evolution. This is independent of the mechanisms of that change. In itself, it doesn't say that Godly creative processes were or weren't the mechanism for the evolution. In itself, it doesn't say that the theory of evolution processes were or weren't the mechanisms for the evolution.This is how I personally divorce the "fact of evolution" from the "theory of evolution"An analogy to this thought process would be the "evolution" of the automobile. Autos have changed through time. In that case, we know that the evolutions were because of human creative processes.MooseAdded by edit at c. 1:15 am ET, 1/15/02:
Perhaps I was negligent at the original time of posting this original message, but I have now gone back and given a more careful look at the Fred message in question. I now have a greater understanding of Fred's point. He had interpreted my use of the term "progression" to mean a sequence of events that were making some sort of progress in some direction. I think that's a pretty understandable, if erroneous interpretation. I guess it's some strange quirk in the English language that a progression doesn't necessarily mean that progress is being made. You could even have a progression of events leading to a regressive result.Still Moose------------------
Old Earth evolution - Yes
Godly creation - Maybe

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[This message has been edited by minnemooseus, 01-14-2002]

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[This message has been edited by minnemooseus, 01-15-2002]

I'm no great expert (much rusted geology degree), so I would suggest taking the following with that grain of salt.At the time of the Cambrian explosion, there were vast ecologies vacant. Thus there was room for a lot to happen, with lessened interspecies competition.There may well have been a substantial environmental change, conductive to the happening of the explosion.I know I got a good Cambrian Explosion link stashed somewhere. I'll also search to see if there is an existing "Cambrian Explosion" topic.Cheers,
MooseOK, added by edit - The only existing topic with "Cambrian" in the title can be found at http://EvC Forum: IC & the Cambrian Explosion for Ahmad...cont.. -->EvC Forum: IC & the Cambrian Explosion for Ahmad...cont..[This message has been edited by minnemooseus, 08-12-2003]