Creation Science Issues - Fossil Footprints
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Creation Science Issues: Fossil Footprints
In a fascinating article by Leonard Brand and James Florence, titled Stratigraphic Distribution of Vertebrate Fossil Footprints Compared with Body Fossils, the authors examine fossil footprint sites and their correlation with actual fossil distribution. While fossil footprints, known as "trace fossils," are impressions left by ancient animals, true fossils are the preserved remains of these creatures.
Analysis
Brand and Florence found that the number of bird and mammal fossils aligns with the quantities of trace fossils. Essentially, areas with abundant body fossils also tend to have numerous trace footprints. However, this is not the case for reptiles, amphibians, and dinosaurs, where trace footprints do not match the number of body fossils found.
The authors suggest this discrepancy is due to dinosaur activity early in the flood (Triassic sediments). By the later stages (upper Jurassic and Cretaceous sediments), fewer reptiles and amphibians survived to leave footprints, aside from the larger dinosaurs. This contrasts with the young earth creationist perspective that all these sediments were laid down late in the flood.
Rebuttal
There are several issues with this theory:
1. Fossil Discovery Challenges: Fossil records are inherently unpredictable, and significant finds, like mass dinosaur graves in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, can skew data incorrectly attributed to a global flood. More trackways or hidden fossils could alter current correlations.
2. Flood Model Inconsistencies: If the flood model is accurate, dinosaurs would have perished during the first 40 days, when the water levels reached their peak. Yet, multiple footprint layers exist, indicating movement over time, which contradicts the idea that all rock layers were deposited during the flood's 370+ days. This evidence requires fluctuating conditions, not compatible with the flood narrative.
3. Flood Layer Deposition Timing: Brand and Florence’s claim that Triassic sediments were formed early in the flood conflicts with the Institute for Creation Research’s model in Grand Canyon: Monument to Catastrophe. Their model states these layers developed during the flood’s receding phase. Genesis 7:24 describes peak waters lasting 150 days, while Genesis 7:21-23 states all life perished during this time. If so, how could dinosaurs leave footprints during this receding phase?
4. Paleoenvironment Considerations: The authors neglect to consider the paleoenvironmental conditions necessary for footprint formation. Understanding these environments is crucial for any conclusive study.
Conclusion
Brand and Florence suggest that footprint data support a global flood model. However, the evidence of trackways in late-flood sediments challenges this theory. Ultimately, the validity of their conclusion depends on which flood model one subscribes to.
For more on the original study, see [Stratigraphic Distribution of Vertebrate Fossil Footprints Compared with Body Fossils](www.grisda.org/origins/09067.htm).
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Creation Science Issues - Fossil Footprints.
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