No. Although this idea is illustrated often with a theoretical “tree of life” pattern, it cannot be proven with any evidence.
No one claims to “see” evolution happening today – “it takes too long.” [Fruit fly and pepper moth experiments are irrelevant. With them, although changes occur within the species, the species do not change in the slightest – and the latter is what evolution is supposed to be all about.]
Originally it was presumed that “missing links” would be found among the billions of fossils being examined by scientists. Over one hundred years ago, Charles Darwin said in Or~in of Species (Collier, 1962, p. 168), “As by this theory innumerable transitional forms must haw existed, why do we not find them imbedded in countless numbers in the crust of the earth?… I will here only state that I believe the answer mainly lies in the record being incomparably less perfect than is generally supposed [that is, not enough fossils have been studied yet].” To continue (p. 308), “Why then is not every geological formation and every stratum full of such intermediate links?.., this, perhaps, is the most serious and obvious objection which can be urged against the theory.” (our emphasis)
But now it is crystal clear that there are NO intermediate fossil forms. Evolutionary philosopher D.B. Kitts said (Evolution, Vol. 28, 1974, p. 467), “Despite the bright promise that paleontology (fossil studies) provides a means of ‘seeing’ evolution, it has presented some nasty difficulties for evolutionists, the most notorious of which is the presence of ‘gaps’ in the fossil record. Evolution requires intermediate forms between species and paleontology does not provide them.”
Thus there is today a radically different, new theory of evolution! Darwinism (slow, gradual evolution) has been shown to be devoid of any proof. However, instead of
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therefore rejecting evolution as good scientists should, many still “believe” in it (literally “by faith’).
This new theory called “punctuated equilibrium” uses the lack of evidence for evolution as the proof for it! The meaning of “punctuated equilibrium” can be seen in the following quotation (Newsweek, 11/3/80), “Evidence from the fossil record now points overwhelmingly away from the classical Darwinism which most Americans learned in high school.., scientists now believe that species change little for million of years [equilibrium] and then evolve quickly, in a kind of quantum leap [punctuated].” And, of course, in such a “miraculous” transformation of species, no intermediate forms are left to be fossilized. So that is why they cannot be found in the fossil record! (Of course, evolutionary philosophers have no suggestion as to how both male and female of the same species “happen” to suddenly appear by accident!)
But Darwin had something to say about all this (Science Digest, 2/82, p. 96, quoting from the Origin of Species), “He who believes that some ancient form was transformed suddenly.., seems to me to enter into the realms of miracle and to leave those of science.”
Well, in this we believe Darwin was correct. Miracles are what it is all about. Creationists say that the Creator miraculously made all life forms in the very beginning. He did not make just one cell; He made every living thing at approximately the same time.
What scientific principles support this hypothesis? Genetics does, in every respect. Like reproduces like, even after hundreds of generations. Costly experiments are not necessary to prove this. It is common knowledge, even to the unlearned.
If that is what men have observed for 5000 years of human history, we can safely extrapolate backward and be assurred that all forms of life we know today, as well as all extinct forms, were present at the same time in the very beginning. This is not to say that every variety of horse and dog, for instance, was there in the beginning. But God miraculously created a horse and dog kind with the potential in their gene pool to develop the variety we see within their species today.
Extinction is evidence of once-plentiful varieties which were originally created, hut have ceased to exist. On the other hand, other varieties have persisted through the millenia.
Creationists do not expect to find intermediate fossils (nor living forms).
And there are none.
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