Sunday, April 09, 2006
Reelin' 'Em In
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After noting that gaps in the fossil record between related species are a major theme in the effort to discredit evolution with the public, Adler points to the obvious implications of the find: "Tiktaalik could turn out to be as iconic as Archaeopteryx, the fossil link between dinosaurs and birds."
After recounting the Discovery Institute’s reaction that Tiktaalik "poses no threat to [ID] ... Few leading [ID] researchers have argued against the existence of transitional forms," Adler sets the gaff:
Jerry Adler over at Newsweek is having a little fun slapping the IDeologues of the Discovery Institute around for their stand on Tiktaalik roseae*.
After noting that gaps in the fossil record between related species are a major theme in the effort to discredit evolution with the public, Adler points to the obvious implications of the find: "Tiktaalik could turn out to be as iconic as Archaeopteryx, the fossil link between dinosaurs and birds."
After recounting the Discovery Institute’s reaction that Tiktaalik "poses no threat to [ID] ... Few leading [ID] researchers have argued against the existence of transitional forms," Adler sets the gaff:
Those "leading researchers" may know better, but the fossil gaps are cited many times in the controversial ID textbook "Of Pandas and People." The book takes particular note of the large difference between "the oldest amphibian" and "its presumed [fish] ancestor."
And then he drags it over the gunwale to flop around in the bottom of the boat:
It's a gap wide enough for a fish to walk through -- and now we know that one did.
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* I'm assuming just about everyone has heard about this excellent fossil find but, if not, go to PZ Myers blog, Pharyngula for a good summary.
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