When using fossil records to describe evolution, there are conflicting opinions that serve in the favor of evolution, and some that go against evolution. Many scientists and scholars believe that because there has always been a gap in the fossil record, evolution could not describe the different species we have in the world today and that there is no way to link the genetic makeup of species in the past with those today. The theory of creationism aims to debunk the evolutionary theory by suggesting that the gap in the fossil records is enough to falsify the theory of evolution. What is known as transitional fossils, trace common traits among ancestor species and link those traits with species that exist today. Transitional fossils give us a glimpse of common descent and how it may have occurred.
These ideas of transitional fossils are known as the missing links. This means that these fossils are ultimately what show the evolution transition. Many have tried to say that fossils do not show evolution due to the gaps, but many argue that the examples of early humans prove others wrong. There have been many fossils starting with primates that show the changes through time to the rise of early humans. From these fossils we have evidence that evolution is taking place and with out fossils we would not be able to trace back to out human ancestors.
Creationists try to refute evidence for evolution by stating that evolution is only a theory. However, Evolutionists have a lot of evidence to support their claims. Physical evidence such as fossils have been found all around the world supporting evolution. There is no scientific evidence that support creationism, and this is why many people are against having it taught in schools. Creationists claim faith and scriptures as evidence. However, many of their claims cannot physically be proven and humans wrote the scriptures, which isn’t accepted in the scientific world as direct evidence of the supernatural theory.
What is often overlooked when objecting to the theory of evolution is that despite a few gaps in the fossil record, there is still plenty of fossil information that is available. The overall picture that it presents is a progression of smaller and fewer species that evolved into all others. From simple to complex, each species has characteristics that appear to be a modified adaptation of a former species, dating all the way to the first forms of life. The evidence that is missing is not enough to reject evolution. It is still possible to infer the validity of the theory. It is a perfect example of an inference to the best explanation, which basically means that although there is some missing proof, there is reasonable justification to consider it true. More importantly, it means there is not a stronger alternative, such as Creationism, which better explains the evidence.
http://atheism.about.com/od/
http://www.sullivan-county.
http://www.scientificamerican.
http://books.google.com/books?
http://atheism.about.com/od/evolutionexplained/a/FossilRecordEvolution.htm
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