You just had to say this.
>The fossil record is a record of stasis and sudden appearance. What does
> THAT tell us?
It tells me that you continue to ignore the fish/amphibian transition.
Here is an updated list again.
378 MYR ago- Pandericthys--These are lobe-finned fish. Their brain case is so
much like that of the earliest tetrapod, they were originally classified as
tetrapods until a complete skeleton was found. Then is was proven that they
were really still fish. (Ahlbert and Milner, 1994, p. 508). This fish also
had lungs and nostrils (Schultz and Trueb, 1991, p.87) but also had gills.
These things really looked like tetrapods until you see the fins. The teeth
had infolding enamel which is identical to that of the earliest tetrapods.
Unlike all fish but like the tetrapods, the Panderichthys have lost the dorsal
and anal fins, leaving 4 fins in the place where legs would be in the
Tetrapods.(Ahlberg and Milner, p.508. This contradicts Gish's claim that there
is no fossil which shows loss of fins. (Gish, 1978, p. 78-79)
368 MYR-Ichthyostega-- much like Acanthostega but has 7 digits on his
hindlimb. He has lungs. His legs were only good for being in water. They could
not support his weight. (Coates and Clack, 1990, p. 67)
366 MYR -Hynerpeton-more advanced legs and pelvic girdle than Ichthyostega.
(Carroll, 1996, p. 19)
362 MYR- Acanthostega- has four legs, lungs but still has gills. (Coates and
Clack , 1991, p. 234) He has 8 digits on his front leg. His legs could not
support his weight either. (Coats and Clack, 1990, p. 66-67). He has fishlike
lower arm bones (Coates and Clack 1990, p. 67)
358-352 MYR A fossil found in Pennsylvania which is the second oldest
amphibian, has only lungs and no gills and is fully capable of walking on
land. (Washington Post, 117:(239): A2, Monday Aug. 1, 1994)
Note that the loss of gills would be a deleterious mutation since an animal
that can live in both land and sea is more fit. Yet this did not kill the
tetrapods.
And Jim, don't try citing that Lower Devonian trackway from Australia. That
slab was found in a courtyard of a 100 year old house, They don't know where
it came from so they can't be sure of the age. Second, there are no digit
marks on this slab and they aren't really sure it is a tetrapod rather than a
fish.
references
Alberg and Milner, "The origin and Early Diversitfication of Tetrapods,"
Nature April 7, 1994.
Carroll, Robert L., "Revealing the Patterns of Macroevolution", Nature, 381,
May 2,1996, p. 19
Coates and Clack, "Polydactyly in the earliest Known Tetrapod limbs," Nature,
Sept 6, 1990, p. 66-67
Coates and Clack, "Fish-like Gills and breathing in the earliest known
Tetrapod," Nature, 352, July 18, 1991, p. 234-236
Gish, Evolution: the Fossils say No. 1978.
Schultz and Trueb, Origins of The Higher Groups of Tetrapods, Comstock Publ.
Assoc. 1991.
glenn
Foundation,Fall and Flood
http://members.gnn.com/GRMorton/dmd.htm