Tuesday, September 9, 2008

FAQ of Transitional fossils.

We've often heard that there are no examples of transitional species in the fossil record. Kathleen Hunt at Talkorigins has put together a FAQ of transitional vertebrate species to answer these claims:
PART I has FISHES TO FIRST MAMMALS & BIRDS:
  1. Introduction:
    1. Types of transitions
    2. Why are there gaps?
    3. Predictions of creationism & evolution
    4. What's in this FAQ
    5. Timescale
  2. Transitions from primitive fish to sharks, skates, rays
  3. Transitions from primitive fish to bony fish
  4. Transition from fishes to first amphibians
  5. Transitions among amphibians
  6. Transition from amphibians to first reptiles
  7. Transitions among reptiles
  8. Transition from reptiles to first mammals (long)
  9. Transition from reptiles to first birds
PART 2 has transitions among mammals (starting with primates), including numerous species-to-species transitions, discussion, and references. If you're particularly interested in humans, skip to the primate section of part 2, and also look up the fossil hominid FAQ.
  1. Overview of the Cenozoic
  2. Primates
  3. Bats
  4. Carnivores
  5. Rodents
  6. Lagomorphs (rabbits & hares)
  7. Condylarths (first hoofed animals)
  8. Cetaceans (whales & dolphins)
  9. Perissodactyls (horses, rhinos, tapirs)
  10. Elephants
  11. Sirenians (dugongs & manatees)
  12. Artiodactyls (pigs, hippos, deer, giraffes, cows, etc.)
  13. Species transitions from other miscellaneous mammal groups
  14. Conclusion:
    • A bit of historical background
    • The major features of the fossil record
    • Good models & bad models: which theories match the data best?
    • The main point.
  15. References
SOURCE

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