Here’s how to think biblically about “transitional fossils” (CT Scan, Episode 92)

Transitional fossils supposedly represent animals in some intermediate stage of evolution—for example, between fish and land creatures, dinosaurs and birds, or ape-like ancestors and humans. Museums and textbooks cite various “transitional” fossils as rock-solid evidence for evolution. Here’s how to think through any such claim with the 7 Checks of Critical Thinking.
___________

DIGGING DEEPER

Videos:
🔹 “Three Ways to Make an Apeman,” with Dr. David Menton. Available on Answers.TV. https://www.answers.tv/three-ways-to-make-an-ape-man
🔹 “Lucy: She’s No Lady,” with Dr. David Menton. https://answersingenesis.org/media/video/evolution/lucy-shes-no-lady/
🔹 “Fossils and the Flood,” https://answersingenesis.org/media/video/science/fossils-and-the-flood/

Articles:
🔹 Menton, D. (2018). Did Dinosaurs Evolve Into Birds? https://answersingenesis.org/dinosaurs/feathers/did-dinosaurs-evolve-into-birds/
🔹 Woodmoreappe, J. (2001). Mammal-like Reptiles: Major Trait Reversals and Discontinuitieshttps://answersingenesis.org/fossils/transitional-fossils/mammal-like-reptiles-major-trait-reversals-and-discontinuities/
🔹 “Tiktaalik—Walking Off the Stage.” (2010). https://answersingenesis.org/fossils/transitional-fossils/tiktaalik-walking-off-the-stage/
🔹 Mitchel, E. (2013) Did Archaeopteryx Evolve Flight and Then Get Grounded? https://answersingenesis.org/extinct-animals/did-archaeopteryx-evolve-flight-and-then-get-grounded/
🔹 Mitchel, E. (2013) Fossils Fail to Transition from Dinosaur Legs to Bird Wings. https://answersingenesis.org/fossils/transitional-fossils/fossils-fail-to-transition-from-dinosaur-legs-to-bird-wings/
🔹 Mitchel, E. (2014) Canada’s New Cambrian Explosion: Burgess Shale Chapter Two. https://answersingenesis.org/fossils/fossil-record/canadas-new-cambrian-explosion-burgess-shale-chapter-two/
🔹 Menton, D. (2008) Did Humans Really Evolve from Apelike Creatures? https://answersingenesis.org/human-evolution/ape-man/did-humans-really-evolve-from-apelike-creatures/ (From The New Answers Book 2, available to read online for free here: https://answersingenesis.org/answers/books/new-answers-book-2/)
🔹 All articles about Lucy at AnswersinGenesis.org: https://answersingenesis.org/human-evolution/lucy/
🔹 All transitional fossil articles at AnswersinGenesis.org: https://answersingenesis.org/fossils/transitional-fossils/

Articles about other underlying assumptions:
🔹 Natural selection: https://answersingenesis.org/natural-selection/
🔹 Mutation: https://answersingenesis.org/genetics/mutations/
🔹 Information theory: https://answersingenesis.org/genetics/information-theory/
🔹 Millions of years: https://answersingenesis.org/theory-of-evolution/millions-of-years/
___________

CITED REFERENCES
• Agnolin, Federico L., et al. "Paravian phylogeny and the dinosaur-bird transition: an overview." Frontiers in Earth Science 6 (2019): 252.
• Jane Reece, et al., Campbell biology, Canadian ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2014), 548.
• Woodmorappe, John. “Mammal-like Reptiles: Major Trait Reversals and Discontinuities.”
Journal of Creation 15, no 1 (April 2001): 44-52. https://answersingenesis.org/fossils/transitional-fossils/mammal-like-reptiles-major-trait-reversals-and-discontinuities/
___________

FREE e-BOOK
Sign up for our email newsletter and get a free copy of Patricia’s eBook, “How to Think About Facts that Challenge your Faith”
https://answersingenesis.lpages.co/how-to-think-about-facts-that-challenge-your-faith-ebook/
___________

BLOG
See Patricia’s blog posts here: https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/patricia-engler/
___________

DONATIONS
https://answersingenesis.ca/donate
___________

ANSWERS TV
Patricia’s Critical Thinking Course based on these videos is available on Answers.TV. Sign up for your free trial and check it out!

#pengleraig