Basic HTML Version
forros of life, totally unrelated to the
reptiles.
It is this utter and complete change
that confuses paleontologists who seek to
find an evolutionary answer for the
existence of all life.
Musing about this problem, geologist
Carl Dunbar quotes George Gaylord
Simpson, one of the most respected men
in paleontology:
"'lt is as if the
mrtai11 were mng
doum SUDDENLY
on a stage where al!
the leading roles were taken by reptiles,
especia!Jy dinosaurs, in great numbers
and bewildering variety, and
rose again
IMMEDIATELY
to reveal the same set–
ting but an
ENTJRELY NEW CAST
in
which the dinosaurs do not appear at
all, other reptiles are mere super–
numeraries [unimportant, bit-part
actors] and the leading parts are all
played by
MAMMALS'
n
(HiJtorical
Geology,
Carl O. Dunbar, p. 426).
Evolution in Crisis
Why is this sudden change in the
character of life so devastating to the
evolutionary concept?
Because evolution demands
slow
change over
long
periods of time. But
here the fossil record shows
QUICK
change in an obviously
SHORT
period of
time.
Evolution demands .
mtmerouJ inter–
media/e
living things which can be
hooked together in an attempt to show
an evolutionary sequence. However, the
fossil record reveals a
PROFOUND
CHANGE
from reptilian hosts to mam–
mals - and
WITHOUT
any proven inter–
mediaries.
Scientists are thus faced with
two unanswered puzzles: How
were the dinosaurs destroyed, and
what killed them off so guickly?
And second, what is the meaning
of this abrupt change in the type
of Ji fe on this earth?
The Reasons Given
Not one
of the theories propounded
for dinosaur extinction is accepted
by all paleontologists. Paleontologist
Edwin Colbert's decisive verdict on the
ultimate cause of the dinosaur disaster
is that, "This is one of the big ques–
tions of paleontology for which as yet
NO SATISFACTORY ANSWER
has been set
forward"
(Dinosa11rs,
Edwin H. Col–
bert, pp. 250-251).
Briefly, let's examine a few of the
theories. What about climatic change?
Perhaps it got too cold for the dino–
saurs. According to evolutionary time
scales, it would take many millions of
Courtery
Amorlcon Mureum of Nolurol
History
23