NYU Prof Sides with Matthew, Not Darwin, on Fossil Record | The Institute for Creation Research

NYU Prof Sides with Matthew, Not Darwin, on Fossil Record

Charles Darwin is widely credited with providing the first proper treatment of "natural selection" in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species. He portrayed it as a natural law with intelligent and powerful attributes—nature could select, could preserve the fittest, and, given time and enough accumulated small changes, could transform and create new and different life forms.

But fossils failed to provide the evidence to support this unscientific version of history. If Darwin's theory is correct, there should be untold myriads of different life forms gradually transitioning from one to another. Instead, organisms look distinct, fully formed, and essentially the same wherever they appear, whether in the rock record and or in the living world.

New York University geologist Michael Rampino recently acknowledged that 19th-century horticulturist Patrick Matthew may have published, almost three decades earlier than Darwin, an evolutionary history of life that is closer to what the fossil record actually shows.1

Darwin insisted that evolution transforms species by slow and gradual changes. Matthew, in 1831, described natural selection as driving the transformation of species primarily through catastrophic events that resulted in periodic mass extinctions, thus clearing the way for surrounding creatures to adapt to and populate new ecological environments. According to Rampino's essay published in the journal Historical Biology, Matthew's version fits the fossil record more accurately.

At its core, however, a discussion over which version of evolution by means of natural selection best fits fossils commits the fallacy called "begging the question." That is, the conclusion of evolution by natural selection is assumed in the premise.

Matthew appears to have theorized that evolution of new body forms could occur rapidly as extinction events clear out new habitat space. Since fossilized creatures show the most variations when found in those layers that are above (and thus were deposited after) an apparent extinction event, the evolution of new body forms is therefore assumed to have occurred rapidly following those events.

Whether evolution occurred quickly following catastrophic extinctions or slowly and gradually is an invalid discussion, however, if evolution by natural selection does not occur at all! This third option is often ignored but is nevertheless most consistent with both the fossil and biblical data.

The reason that there is none of the expected abundance of transitional forms is because Darwinian evolution never happened. Life forms were each a product of creation, not evolution. And the reason that there are variations within basic body plans―like rapid adjustments to fin size,2 shell size,3 body size,4 coloration,5 or the number of tusks, horns, or toes,6 for example―is because each creature's basic form was designed to express such variations. Those designs were intended to enable creatures to adapt to new environments as they "multiply, and replenish the earth"7—an especially important ability following a natural disaster.

References

  1. Darwin's Theory of Gradual Evolution Not Supported by Geological History, NYU Scientist Concludes. New York University press release, November 9, 2010, reporting on results in Rampino, M. R. Darwin's error? Patrick Matthew and the catastrophic nature of the geologic record. Historical Biology. Published online before print November 8, 2010.
  2. Thomas, B. Shark Study Hammer More Nails in Evolution's Coffin. ICR News. Posted on icr.org June 15, 2010, accessed November 11, 2010.
  3. Thomas, B. Snail Changes Outpace Evolution's Slow Crawl. ICR News. Posted on icr.org April 14, 2009. Accessed November 11, 2010.
  4. Thomas, B. Dinosaur Ranks Shrink as Species Numbers Dwindle. ICR News. Posted on icr.org October 13, 2009. Accessed November 11, 2010.
  5. Thomas, B. Butterfly Mimicry Is Based on Elegant Genetic Switches. ICR News. Posted on icr.org March 18, 2010, accessed November 11, 2010.
  6. Thomas, B. Elephant Secrets under Middle East Sands. ICR News. Posted on icr.org January 26, 2009. Accessed November 11, 2010.
  7. Genesis 1:28.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on November 17, 2010.

The Latest
NEWS
Mysterious Erosion Confirms High Flood Boundary
Two separate research reports arrived at a similar conclusion.1,2 Both found an episode of mysterious erosion had occurred near the end of...

NEWS
A Uniquely Designed Air-Filled Sac Within Birds’ Lungs
Soaring birds are a majestic sight to behold, especially when they undergo such climbing and endless spiraling so effortlessly. Not surprisingly, evolutionists...

NEWS
Liberty and the Word of God
“And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts” (Psalm 119:45). July 4th is called Independence Day here in our country because on...

NEWS
July 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome...

NEWS
Valued Longtime ICR Employee Mary Smith Retires
Mary Morris Smith, an employee of the Institute for Creation Research for many years, has retired. The second daughter of ICR founder Dr. Henry M. Morris...

NEWS
Man of Science, Man of God: George Washington Carver
Who:  George Washington Carver What: Father of Modern Agriculture When: 1864 or 1865 – January 5, 1943 Where: Diamond Grove,...

ACTS & FACTS
The Scopes Monkey Trial: A Battle of Worldviews
Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee, and its statue of William Jennings Bryan Image credit: M. Mueller The Scopes Monkey...

ACTS & FACTS
Long Non-Coding RNAs: The Unsung Heroes of the Genome
Evolutionary theory holds that all living things came about through random, natural processes. So conventional scientists believe the genome has developed...

ACTS & FACTS
Yosemite National Park, Part 1: Tiny Clues of a Grand Picture
Yosemite National Park in California is a sure source of stunning scenery. It’s no wonder that American naturalist John Muir persuaded President...

ACTS & FACTS
From Inference to Theory: A Common Design Case Study
Without a doubt, humans, chimpanzees, and other organisms share similar features. An early explanation was that these features reflect similar designs...