Science and Creationism 7. Fossils © Colin Frayn,

© Colin Frayn, Circular reasoning for fossil/strata ages Fossils date strata, strata date fossils? Not true –Many other methods can also date strata Radiometric dating Comparison with known strata elsewhere By examining patterns of magnetic reversals Knowledge of the processes involved Stratigraphy predates evolution –The order of strata was derived in the 19 th Century, before the Theory of Evolution

© Colin Frayn, Polystrate fossils Fossils that lie through several layers Spirit lake –Fossilised trees Hovind uses this story incoherently –He says spirit lake shows that polystrate fossils can be formed naturally –…but polystrate fossils elsewhere are apparently evidence against evolution! We expect a few polystrate fossils –On the whole, fossils adhere to very well-defined strata –Some (non-supernatural) catastrophic events do occur, and deposit thick layers of sediment very quickly

© Colin Frayn, Frozen Mammoths Found frozen upright –With undigested food in their stomachs Apparently this requires catastrophically low temperatures –Minus 300F? Not true! Mammoths (like elephants) had a slow digestion They were covered by mud slides Killed, buried rapidly, then frozen There’s no controversy

© Colin Frayn, Hydrologic Sorting Claim: The order of fossils can be explained by sorting due to flood waters Does this explain the clear sequence we see? –No, not at all –Fossils are not sorted by density or buoyancy Many dense creatures are at the top of the geologic column (e.g. mammals) –…not at the bottom, where they should be Buoyant creatures (e.g. ammonites) are at the bottom –…not at the top, where they should be –The sediment around them is not sorted either

© Colin Frayn, Soft Tissues Discovery of a T-Rex fossil with soft tissues preserved inside –Mary Schweitzer et al –Tiny fragments of fossil that resembled soft tissue –May not be actual tissue It might have been chemically changed and preserved –It isn’t a problem even if it is real tissue Mineralisation in the fossilised bone formed a sealed coccoon in which the tissue was protected from all external influences.

© Colin Frayn, Fossils Form Quickly Fossils can form in under 6,000 years –This is probably true –…but it’s irrelevant –Fossils are dated by other methods Radiometric dating Analysis of the rock in which they were found