Primates IV (Talk.Origins)

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Known species-species transitions in primates: Phillip Gingerich has done a lot of work on early primate transitions. Here are some of his major findings in plesiadapids, early lemurs, and early monkeys: Plesiadapids: Gingerich found smooth transitions in plesiadapid primates linking four genera together: Pronothodectes, Nannodectes, two lineages of Plesiadapis, and Platychoerops.

It has already been shown by cross-breeding experiments that the created kinds can transcend genera; all this does, therefore, is show that these four genera are the same kind of monkey.

Early lemur-like primates: Gingerich traced two distinct species of lemur-like primates, Pelycodus frugivorus and P. jarrovii,... Early monkey-like primates: Gingerich also describes gradual species-species transitions in a lineage of early Eocene primate: Cantius ralstoni to C. mckennai to C. trigonodus.

These two studies just show the variety within two genera of monkey; the members of each are all the same kind of monkey. The idea that the changes were gradual assumes the accuracy of Evolutionary dating.

And here are some transitions found by other researchers: Rose & Bown (1984) analyzed over 600 specimens of primates collected from a 700-meter-thick sequence representing approximately 4 million years of the Eocene. They found smooth transitions between Teilhardina americana and Tetonoides tenuiculus, and also between Tetonius homunculus and Pseudotetonius ambiguus.

While Creationists disagree with the stated dates, this type of variety among the same kind of monkey is to be expected.

Delson has studied transitions in primates from the Miocene to the present. For instance, in a 1983 paper he discussed a possible smooth transition from Theropithecus darti to T. oswaldi, ... Kurten (1968) reports a smooth transition linking Macaca florentina to M. sylvana

This is to be expected since they are just variations of the same kind of monkey

...discusses transitions in hominids, concluding that Homo sapiens clearly shows gradual changes over the last 800,000 years.

Issues about dating methods aside, the Bible does indicate that there have been at least some changes in mankind since the Flood, including the development of the so-called races, and a reduction in life spans, both of which would produce changes in man over time.

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Once again we see only distinct kinds. Some of the claimed types are based on such fragmentary evidence as to be laughable. The supposed evidence of human evolution is highly questionable, while evidence for the long lives recorded in the Bible is represented as evidence for evolution.

The data is really consistent with the fact that God created man on day six, without using evolution.

This alleged transition would be laughable if it were not causing people to reject Christ and go to Hell.