Re: Human skull evolution

Stephen Jones (sejones@ibm.net)
Mon, 08 Jun 1998 06:09:10 +0800

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Glenn

On Wed, 03 Jun 1998 21:32:48 -0500, Glenn R. Morton wrote:

GM>There is a report tonight on the AP Wire http://wire.ap.org in the science
>section which describes a relatively modern looking skull found in strata
>dating 1 million years old. While the skull has brow-ridges like erectus,
>it has modern human facial features. The importance of this lies in the
>time at which the morphological transistion from erectus to sapiens began.

Thanks for the information. I was unable to access the article at the above
web site. Have you got an exact web address, or can you post the article?
Thanks.

GM>Those who hold to the view that anatomically modern man was created by God
>directly and separately from Homo erectus around 100,000 years ago need to
>explain why erectus had begun the transition to the modern human skull
>shape 1 million years ago.

Who believes that "anatomically modern man was created by God directly
and separately from Homo erectus around 100,000 years ago"?

For example, I believe that "anatomically modern man was" mediately created by
God" from pre-human ancestors, but I don't believe it had to be "directly and
separately from Homo erectus around 100,000 years ago."

GM>Progressive creation and special creation should predict no transitional forms
between erectus and us because there is nogenetic relationship.

Certainly this is true of "special creation" and it may be true of some versions
of "Progressive creation." But it is not necessarily true of PC. Erickson says
that in PC the original created unit could be "as broad as the order or as
narrow as the genus":

"More adequate is the position termed progressive creationism. According
to this view, God created in a series of acts over a long period of
time. He created the first member of each "kind." That grouping may
have been as broad as the order or as narrow as the genus. In some
cases it may have extended to the creation of individual species. From
that first member of the group, the others developed by evolution. So,
for example, God may have created the first member of the cat family.
Then God created another kind There may well have been overlaps
between the periods of development, so that new species within one kind were
continuing to arise after God created the first member of the next kind.
Note that between the various kinds there are gaps not bridged by the
evolutionary development." (Erickson M.J., "Christian Theology, " Baker:
Grand Rapids MI, 1985, pp383-384)

So in the case or man, PC could believe that the "first member" of the
"genus" Homo was created de novo and all the rest "developed by
evolution." On this version of PC, there would be no problem posed by a
"skull...1 million years old...showing brow-ridges like erectus" and having
"modern human facial features."

On my Mediate Creation view, which holds that God created life's
complex designs (including man) by modifying existing designs, either
through pre-programmed natural causes or supernatural intervention,
there would be no problem with "a relatively modern looking skull found
in strata dating 1 million years old" with "brow-ridges like erectus" and
"modern human facial features."

GM>Yet the existence of a series of transitional forms, which now begins
>1 million years ago, presents a continuum of forms radually changing into
>our form (in a mosaic pattern) over the past million years presents evidence
>that the creation of mankind must have been prior to H. erectus.

It "presents evidence that the creation of mankind must have" BEGUN "prior
to H. erectus"! This is fully in accord to MC and some versions of PC.

It is BTW more evidence against your 5.5 mya Adam/Noah theory. On that
view, man was sufficiently advancedto build an 450 foot long,
3-decker ark (Gn 6:15-16) 5.5 mya!

Steve

"Evolution is the greatest engine of atheism ever invented."
--- Dr. William Provine, Professor of History and Biology, Cornell University.
http://fp.bio.utk.edu/darwin/1998/slides_view/Slide_7.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen E (Steve) Jones ,--_|\ sejones@ibm.net
3 Hawker Avenue / Oz \ Steve.Jones@health.wa.gov.au
Warwick 6024 ->*_,--\_/ Phone +61 8 9448 7439
Perth, West Australia v "Test everything." (1Thess 5:21)
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Glenn

On Wed, 03 Jun 1998 21:32:48 -0500, Glenn R. Morton wrote:

GM>There is a report tonight on the AP Wire http://wire.ap.org in the science
>section which describes a relatively modern looking skull found in strata
>dating 1 million years old. While the skull has brow-ridges like erectus,
>it has modern human facial features. The importance of this lies in the
>time at which the morphological transistion from erectus to sapiens began.

Thanks for the information. I was unable to access the article at the above
web site. Have you got an exact web address, or can you post the article?
Thanks.

GM>Those who hold to the view that anatomically modern man was created by God
>directly and separately from Homo erectus around 100,000 years ago need to
>explain why erectus had begun the transition to the modern human skull
>shape 1 million years ago.

Who believes that "anatomically modern man was created by God directly
and separately from Homo erectus around 100,000 years ago"?

For example, I believe that "anatomically modern man was" mediately created by
God" from pre-human ancestors, but I don't believe it had to be "directly and
separately from Homo erectus around 100,000 years ago."

GM>Progressive creation and special creation should predict no transitional forms
between erectus and us because there is nogenetic relationship.

Certainly this is true of "special creation" and it may be true of some versions
of "Progressive creation." But it is not necessarily true of PC. Erickson says
that in PC the original created unit could be "as broad as the order or as
narrow as the genus":

"More adequate is the position termed progressive creationism. According
to this view, God created in a series of acts over a long period of
time. He created the first member of each "kind." That grouping may
have been as broad as the order or as narrow as the genus. In some
cases it may have extended to the creation of individual species. From
that first member of the group, the others developed by evolution. So,
for example, God may have created the first member of the cat family.
Then God created another kind There may well have been overlaps
between the periods of development, so that new species within one kind were
continuing to arise after God created the first member of the next kind.
Note that between the various kinds there are gaps not bridged by the
evolutionary development." (Erickson M.J., "Christian Theology, " Baker:
Grand Rapids MI, 1985, pp383-384)

So in the case or man, PC could believe that the "first member" of the
"genus" Homo was created de novo and all the rest "developed by
evolution." On this version of PC, there would be no problem posed by a
"skull...1 million years old...showing brow-ridges like erectus" and having
"modern human facial features."

On my Mediate Creation view, which holds that God created life's
complex designs (including man) by modifying existing designs, either
through pre-programmed natural causes or supernatural intervention,
there would be no problem with "a relatively modern looking skull found
in strata dating 1 million years old" with "brow-ridges like erectus" and
"modern human facial features."

GM>Yet the existence of a series of transitional forms, which now begins
>1 million years ago, presents a continuum of forms radually changing into
>our form (in a mosaic pattern) over the past million years presents evidence
>that the creation of mankind must have been prior to H. erectus.

It "presents evidence that the creation of mankind must have" BEGUN "prior
to H. erectus"! This is fully in accord to MC and some versions of PC.

It is BTW more evidence against your 5.5 mya Adam/Noah theory. On that
view, man was sufficiently advancedto build an 450 foot long,
3-decker ark (Gn 6:15-16) 5.5 mya!

Steve


"Evolution is the greatest engine of atheism ever invented."
--- Dr. William Provine, Professor of History and Biology, Cornell University.
http://fp.bio.utk.edu/darwin/1998/slides_view/Slide_7.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen E (Steve) Jones  ,--_|\  sejones@ibm.net
3 Hawker Avenue         /  Oz  \ Steve.Jones@health.wa.gov.au
Warwick 6024          ->*_,--\_/ Phone +61 8 9448 7439
Perth, West Australia         v  "Test everything." (1Thess 5:21)
--------------------------------------------------------------------

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