I came across a page on AiG called "Living Fossils Enigma". It lists several living fossils an then tries to use them to refute evolution. First off, I'm going to refute the reason he gives for living fossils challenging evolution:
"[Evolutionists think] the key to success is to ‘be abundant and live everywhere’,1 i.e. to be an opportunistic generalist, not fussy about food and habitat. However, many ‘living fossils’ are in fact highly specialised, such as the coelacanth, superbly suited to living in deep-sea caves."
I wonder how much deep sea caves have changed over the past 400 million years? I'm thinking not much. Deep Sea caves could, and probably would, remain unaffected by things like meteor strikes and climate changes.
Next, let's talk about the coelacanth. Marine Bio lists the modern day Coelacanth in a different genus and species than the fossil coelacanth.
So it's not just in a different species, it's in a different genus than the fossil fish. Answers in Genesis should have known that, but they continue with their deceptive implication that this is just like the fossil pulled out of the ground.
In another article AiG claims the Wollemi Pine as a living fossil. They use this to cast doubt on the fossil record as recording time as it was. Well, first of the bat, we need to note that these Wollemi Pines are very, very rare. The article even says that there are less than 40 known specimens. That would account for it not showing up in the fossil record. Another thing is the fact that these trees are very diverse. Brooklyn Botanic Garden had this to say:
"The Wollemi pine, the ultimate survivor, is proving to be hardy and versatile in cultivation. It is not only attractive and striking in appearance, it is easy to grow and low maintenance.
It will adapt to a diverse range of climatic zones, thriving in full sun to semishaded outdoor positions."
So it's not unthinkable that such a diverse tree would last so long.
They also use the examples of Horseshoe crabs, cock roaches, etc. They're forgetting some changes, like that of the immune system, can't be recorded. And again, if selective pressures don't change signifigantly, neither does the organism. They are setting up a false caricature version of evolution in which organisms must always change drastically no matter what. And anyone who has studied evolution at a proper university should know that's not the case.
"[Evolutionists think] the key to success is to ‘be abundant and live everywhere’,1 i.e. to be an opportunistic generalist, not fussy about food and habitat. However, many ‘living fossils’ are in fact highly specialised, such as the coelacanth, superbly suited to living in deep-sea caves."
I wonder how much deep sea caves have changed over the past 400 million years? I'm thinking not much. Deep Sea caves could, and probably would, remain unaffected by things like meteor strikes and climate changes.
Next, let's talk about the coelacanth. Marine Bio lists the modern day Coelacanth in a different genus and species than the fossil coelacanth.
So it's not just in a different species, it's in a different genus than the fossil fish. Answers in Genesis should have known that, but they continue with their deceptive implication that this is just like the fossil pulled out of the ground.
In another article AiG claims the Wollemi Pine as a living fossil. They use this to cast doubt on the fossil record as recording time as it was. Well, first of the bat, we need to note that these Wollemi Pines are very, very rare. The article even says that there are less than 40 known specimens. That would account for it not showing up in the fossil record. Another thing is the fact that these trees are very diverse. Brooklyn Botanic Garden had this to say:
"The Wollemi pine, the ultimate survivor, is proving to be hardy and versatile in cultivation. It is not only attractive and striking in appearance, it is easy to grow and low maintenance.
It will adapt to a diverse range of climatic zones, thriving in full sun to semishaded outdoor positions."
So it's not unthinkable that such a diverse tree would last so long.
They also use the examples of Horseshoe crabs, cock roaches, etc. They're forgetting some changes, like that of the immune system, can't be recorded. And again, if selective pressures don't change signifigantly, neither does the organism. They are setting up a false caricature version of evolution in which organisms must always change drastically no matter what. And anyone who has studied evolution at a proper university should know that's not the case.
