The Fantastically Fun and Frustrating Fossil Record
Ryan Cox • April 23, 2021
Throughout the past school year, Matt Miles and I have been blessed to teach science class every couple of weeks for a Christian school in Oklahoma. Recently, we covered earth sciences with applications from the Global Flood (Genesis 6-9). As Matt taught about earthquakes, volcanoes, rocks, and minerals, he shared how the Flood laid down massive amounts of sediment around the world. Large deposits and formations of sedimentary rock span entire continents and could only have been deposited by the Global Flood.(1)
This session set up what I would cover in the following lesson – FOSSILS! Needless to say, the students and I thoroughly enjoyed studying the different types of fossils (petrified, preserved, carbonized, molded or cast, & trace fossils), all of which CTF was able to provide several examples for the students to hold or examine. This brought us to what has been discovered in the fossil record.
The fossil record is the cumulative knowledge of documented fossils. Excellent examples would be the data collected and provided by the Paleobiology Database and the Neotoma Paleoecology Database. These resources show the locations of documented fossil discoveries that have been submitted by contributors. The fossils span the globe with new discoveries constantly being added to these databases.
Now, as we taught the students, for a plant or animal to turn into a fossil, there needs to be (1) lots of mud brought by (2) lots of water (3) very quickly. If the specimen is not buried quickly in the sediment, it will be scavenged or decay.
Hmmm. Let’s see now: we have fossils found around the entire world on every continent, and they all had to be buried very quickly with lots of mud and water. Is there any explanation as to how every part of the planet at some point must have been covered by mud and water to produce fossils? The Global Flood.
Not only does the fossil record testify of the Global Flood, it does great disservice to the myth of biological evolution.
Dr. Mark Ridley, professor of zoology and evolutionary biology at Oxford University and whose doctoral advisor was Richard Dawkins, admitted in New Scientist, “In any case, no real evolutionist, whether gradualist or punctuationist, uses the fossil record as evidence in favor of the theory of evolution as opposed to special creation”.(12)
This session set up what I would cover in the following lesson – FOSSILS! Needless to say, the students and I thoroughly enjoyed studying the different types of fossils (petrified, preserved, carbonized, molded or cast, & trace fossils), all of which CTF was able to provide several examples for the students to hold or examine. This brought us to what has been discovered in the fossil record.
The fossil record is the cumulative knowledge of documented fossils. Excellent examples would be the data collected and provided by the Paleobiology Database and the Neotoma Paleoecology Database. These resources show the locations of documented fossil discoveries that have been submitted by contributors. The fossils span the globe with new discoveries constantly being added to these databases.
Now, as we taught the students, for a plant or animal to turn into a fossil, there needs to be (1) lots of mud brought by (2) lots of water (3) very quickly. If the specimen is not buried quickly in the sediment, it will be scavenged or decay.
Hmmm. Let’s see now: we have fossils found around the entire world on every continent, and they all had to be buried very quickly with lots of mud and water. Is there any explanation as to how every part of the planet at some point must have been covered by mud and water to produce fossils? The Global Flood.
Not only does the fossil record testify of the Global Flood, it does great disservice to the myth of biological evolution.
- Each and every animal or plant that appears in the fossil record is fully formed, showing no signs of any evolutionary processes.(2,3)
- Once something appears, it remains it stasis – it never shows any evolutionary change.(4)
- Numerous animals, plants, etc. in the fossil record believed to be millions of years old in the evolutionary scheme are found alive today having gone through no evolutionary change (i.e., coelacanths, gar fish, bowfin fish, tuatara, etc.).(5)
- Animals are routinely found out of evolutionary order (i.e., mammals and birds found with dinosaurs).(6,7)
- Fossils are frequently found in marine sediments(8) and/or buried with marine fossils (i.e., T. rex fossils buried with 5 species of shark and 14 species of fish in eastern Montana).(9)
- The continued discovery of preserved biomaterial in fossils consistently invalidates any possibility of millions of years as the materials could only have survived for thousands of years at best.(10)
Dr. Mark Ridley, professor of zoology and evolutionary biology at Oxford University and whose doctoral advisor was Richard Dawkins, admitted in New Scientist, “In any case, no real evolutionist, whether gradualist or punctuationist, uses the fossil record as evidence in favor of the theory of evolution as opposed to special creation”.(12)
Though the fossil record may be extremely frustrating and detrimental to the tenets of evolution, it is a consistent and faithful witness to Creation and the divine judgement of the great Global Flood.
(1)Tim Clarey, Ph.D. 2020. Carved in Stone: Geologic Evidence of the Worldwide Flood. ICR: Dallas, TX, pp. 378-399.
(2)E.V. Koonin. 2007. “The Biological Big Bang model for the major transitions in evolution”, Biology Direct, 2:21.
(3)S.J. Gould. 1977. “Evolution’s Erratic Pace”, Natural History, 86 (6).
(4)Ibid.
(5)John Morris, Ph.D. & Frank Sherwin. 2010. The Fossil Record. ICR: Dallas, TX, 6th printing 2020, pp. 113-4.
(6)National Science Foundation. 2014. “Scientists discover fossil of bizarre groundhog-like mammal on Madagascar: Newly discovered fossil alters thinking on evolution of early mammals”. Nov. 5, 2014 News Release, <https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=133092>
(7)Dr. Carl Werner. “What Museums Aren’t Showing You”, Real Science Radio, updated list maintained by Bob Enyart, <https://kgov.com/434-mammal-species-in-dinosaur-layers#mammals-ate-dinosaurs>
(8)Tim Clarey, Ph.D. 2017. “Dinosaur Fossils Found in Marine Rocks… Again”, 25 May 2017, <https://www.icr.org/article/dinosaur-fossils-found-marine-rocksagain>
(9)Tim Clarey, Ph.D. 2015. “Dinosaurs in Marine Sediments: A Worldwide Phenomenon”, Acts & Facts. 44 (6).
(10)Brian Thomas, Ph.D. & Bob Enyart. List of Biomaterial Fossil Papers (maintained), <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1eXtKzjWP2B1FMDVrsJ_992ITFK8H3LXfPFNM1ll-Yiw/htmlview>
(11)Andrew A. Snelling, Ph.D. “Where Are All the Human Fossils?’, Creation14, no 1 (Dec. 1990): 28-33.
(12)Mark Ridley Ph.D. "Who Doubts Evolution?", New Scientist, Vol. 90; June 25, 1981, p. 831.
(2)E.V. Koonin. 2007. “The Biological Big Bang model for the major transitions in evolution”, Biology Direct, 2:21.
(3)S.J. Gould. 1977. “Evolution’s Erratic Pace”, Natural History, 86 (6).
(4)Ibid.
(5)John Morris, Ph.D. & Frank Sherwin. 2010. The Fossil Record. ICR: Dallas, TX, 6th printing 2020, pp. 113-4.
(6)National Science Foundation. 2014. “Scientists discover fossil of bizarre groundhog-like mammal on Madagascar: Newly discovered fossil alters thinking on evolution of early mammals”. Nov. 5, 2014 News Release, <https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=133092>
(7)Dr. Carl Werner. “What Museums Aren’t Showing You”, Real Science Radio, updated list maintained by Bob Enyart, <https://kgov.com/434-mammal-species-in-dinosaur-layers#mammals-ate-dinosaurs>
(8)Tim Clarey, Ph.D. 2017. “Dinosaur Fossils Found in Marine Rocks… Again”, 25 May 2017, <https://www.icr.org/article/dinosaur-fossils-found-marine-rocksagain>
(9)Tim Clarey, Ph.D. 2015. “Dinosaurs in Marine Sediments: A Worldwide Phenomenon”, Acts & Facts. 44 (6).
(10)Brian Thomas, Ph.D. & Bob Enyart. List of Biomaterial Fossil Papers (maintained), <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1eXtKzjWP2B1FMDVrsJ_992ITFK8H3LXfPFNM1ll-Yiw/htmlview>
(11)Andrew A. Snelling, Ph.D. “Where Are All the Human Fossils?’, Creation14, no 1 (Dec. 1990): 28-33.
(12)Mark Ridley Ph.D. "Who Doubts Evolution?", New Scientist, Vol. 90; June 25, 1981, p. 831.
In Genesis 12 the Lord calls Abraham (Abram) to be the father of a great nation. This all happened to Abraham at 75 years old. Some might say that is too late in life to start something new, especially a calling of that magnitude. Yet that was not the overwhelming part to me; that would come in verse 7 when the Lord said the land would be his offspring’s. Wait, what?! The Lord had a plan and His Providence would guide Abraham, even when Abraham did not have offspring and did not wait on the Lord. I have to wonder how I would have reacted to such a call and covenant. As we know from Psalms, the Lord guides and sustains all by His Providence for His name sake, which we are focusing on this year. But does Providence act on our timing? When God called Abraham, he had no children. Yet the promise given was that his offspring would be a great nation in a land saved for them. What we know now is that Abraham wouldn’t have his son Isaac until he was 100 years old, a full 25 years after the covenant was made. Most of the time we expect the Lord’s hand working in our life to be immediate, but that is not always the case. In some cases it might take years to experience the Providence coming to fruition. Remember Genesis 21:2 states Isaac’s birth was at the “appointed time.” This understanding should give us peace as we rely on Providence and, at times, are called to patience. Providence was again on display for us to understand that even in obedient sacrifice He will be glorified, as Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac, who was inherently tied to the covenant of the Lord. Abraham was faithful in all aspects, even when most of us might say “no way” to that sacrifice to the Lord. Yet at the right time, through faithfulness in Abraham’s obedience, there was Providence providing behind him in the ram. Our faithful obedience sometimes feels like a tough ask from the Lord, but rest assured He is there, ready to lift up His name through us. Providence continued through time, 100 years later, after Isaac had his sons, Jacob and Esau. Then Jacob was blessed by the Lord with 12 sons, one of which was Joseph, who was sold to Egypt by his brothers. You probably recall all the ups and downs of Joseph’s life, yet he was faithful to the Lord throughout them all. Remember, there was a covenant at stake. The Lord, through His Providence, made sure he had Joseph where He needed him to save the great nation of Israel from famine. This Providence secured the covenant line to continue to Christ. Many times throughout history Providence has guided and protected His covenant, and now you and I can be blessed with inclusion in His great nation through Christ. If it had not been so, then we literally have no assurance of our salvation. Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ that His Providence is faithful for all eternity, so we may know peace and have confidence in the promised destiny. Our ministry here at CTF has always emphasized the importance of Genesis 12, Abraham’s covenant. We share there is no difference in importance of Genesis 1-11 over chapter 12 and through the entirety of the Bible. The whole Bible is inspired to be trustworthy and to show His Providence throughout history for His name’s sake and also for our salvation. Blessings.
Fort Necessity, also known as the Battle of the Great Meadows