Page 62 - Atlas of Creation Volume 2

In an article in New Scientist, Tom S. Kemp, curator of the Oxford University museum's zoological col-
lections, described how findings had been turned into evidence for the theory of evolution, just as in the
case of punctuated evolution:

In other words, when the assumed evolutionary processes did not match the pattern of fossils that they
were supposed to have generated, the pattern was judged to be ‘wrong.' A circular argument arises: inter-

pret the fossil record in terms of a particular theory of evolution, inspect the interpretation, and note that it
confirms the theory. Well, it would, wouldn't it? 41

According to the proponents of the punctuated model of evolution, stasis in the fossil record repre-
sented the "equilibrium" in the theory defined as punctuated equilibrium. The theory maintains that under
environmental pressures, a species can have evolved in as short a space of time as only a few thousand
years. It then entered a period of stasis and remained unchanged for millions of years.

Therefore, proponents believed that this claim could account for the stasis in a large proportion of liv-
ing things. In this way, they thought they had covered up the challenge that the fossil record poses to evo-
lution. But this was a grave deception.

The Punctuation Mechanism

In its present state, the punctuated theory of

evolution explains living populations that exhibit
no change over very long periods of time as hav-
ing remained in a kind of "equilibrium."
According to this claim, evolutionary changes

take place in very narrow populations and at very
short intervals that interrupt—or in other words,
"punctuate" the equilibrium. Since the population
is such a narrow one, natural selection quickly fa-

vors large mutations, and the emergence of a new
species is thus made possible.
According to this theory, a reptile species, for
example, can remain unchanged for millions of

years. However, one small group of reptiles that
split away from this species in some way is sub-
jected to a series of intense mutations, for some
reason that is not explained. These mutations

endow those individuals with some advantage
(and there is no instance of a beneficial mutation).
They are quickly selected within this narrow
group. The group of reptiles evolves quickly, and

may even turn into mammals. Since this entire
process is so very rapid and takes place with a rel-
atively small number of creatures within a narrow
time frame, few if any fossil traces are left behind.

As close inspection reveals, this theory was
proposed as an answer to the question of "How
can an evolutionary process happen so fast as to
leave no fossil traces behind?" In reply, the theory

makes two fundamental assumptions:
1. The assumption that macro-mutations—in
other words, wide-ranging mutations that cause

60 Atlas of Creation Vol. 2