Stephen E. Jones

Creation/Evolution Quotes: Geology

Geology:

1. Geological time scale


• Evolutionary theory is not required to arrange fossils


2. Dating


• Danger of circular reasoning

Geology:

1. Geological time scale


• Evolutionary theory is not required to arrange fossils



"In discussing the power of evolutionary theory, Root-Bernstein says: "In the absence of evolutionary theories, any chronological ordering of the fossil record would seem to be a possibility, and no means would exist to choose one order over another." This statement expresses the common misconception that paleontologists arrange fossils in a theoretically reasonable order and then use this order to construct a chronology. In fact, no evolutionary theory at all is required to use fossils for geochronology. The best evidence is that the geological time scale in its modern form was fully developed by about 1840 - before Darwin's Origin of Species. The time scale based on fossils was built by geologists who were creationists. Since 1840, many details have been filled in, but the basic sequence has remained unchanged." (Raup, David M. [Professor of Geology, University of Chicago], "Evolution and the Fossil Record," Science, Vol. 213, No. 4505, 17 July 1981, p.289). [Top of page]

2. Dating


• Danger of circular reasoning



"And this poses something of a problem: if we date the rocks by their fossils, how can we then turn around and talk about patterns of evolutionary change through time in the fossil record? We need an independent time frame to know that a trilobite in Ohio is roughly the same age as one in New York before we can talk about geographic variation; otherwise, their differences might as well be ascribed to the sort of process of gradual change that Darwin thought was inevitable with the simple passage of time." (Eldredge, Niles [Chairman and Curator of Invertebrates, American Museum of Natural History], "Time Frames: The Rethinking of Darwinian Evolution and the Theory of Punctuated Equilibria," Simon & Schuster: New York NY, 1985, p.52). [Top of page]

* Authors with an asterisk against their name are believed to be creationists.

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