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Line 4: − Anti-creationists typically reject this claim. One such attempted rebuttal is that by [[Kathleen Hunt]] who created a Transitional Vertebrate Fossil FAQ.<ref>Hunt, Kathleen, [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-transitional.html Transitional Vertebrate Fossils FAQ] (Talk.Origins)</ref>+ − + − Many scientists have admitted the lack of transitional fossils.+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
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[[Creationist]]s claim that transitional forms between different kinds of creatures are systematically absent.
[[Creationist]]s claim that transitional forms between different kinds of creatures are systematically absent.
Most scientists typically reject this claim. One such rebuttal is that by [[Kathleen Hunt]] who created a Transitional Vertebrate Fossil FAQ.<ref>Hunt, Kathleen, [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-transitional.html] (Talk.Origins)</ref>
== The lack of transitional forms ==
== The existence of transitional forms ==
In ‘’The Origin of Species’’ [[Charles Darwin]] wrote that the fossil record (as it was known then) was lacking in transitional forms. He predicted, however, that transitional forms would be found. In accordance with that prediction, since the publication of ‘’The Origin of Species’’ many transitional forms, both fossil and living, have been identified.
The following are some examples of known transitional forms<ref>The examples are taken from New Scientist magazine of 1 March 2008, ''What Missing Link?'' by Donald Prothero, professor of geology at Occidental College in Los Angeles and lecturer in geobiology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.</ref>.
=== Fishbians ===
The so-called “fishbian” sequence of fossils shows the steps by which fish crawled out of the water and onto the land during the [[Devonian]] period. Fossils exist that span the entire transitionfrom the distinctly fish-like ''Eusthenopteron'' to the four-legged amphibian ''Hynerpeton''. The fossil record of the fish-to-amphibian transition is now among the best documented of all.
=== Rhinos ===
The fossil record of rhinoceroses is extensive. Starting with dog-sized creatures, such as the early [[Eocene]] ''Hyrachyus'', that are barely distinguishable from early tapirs and horses, fossil rhinos gradually diversified into a wide variety of forms. Some of these forms became gigantic, culminating in the huge indricotheres, which were about 7 metres tall at the shoulder and weighed 20 tonnes. None of the early rhinos had horns. The living rhino family began in the middle [[Eocene]] with primitive creatures such as ''Teletaceras'' which looked much like the earlier “running rhino” type excepting for the development of a chisel-like upper tusk and pointed lower tusk.
=== Pinnipeds ===
The pinnipeds are seals, sea lions and walruses and are descended from primitive bears. A recently discovered fossil has provided a beautiful transitional form between the two groups<ref> The early [[Miocene]] fossil ''Enaliarctos''. See ''Science'' vol. 244, page 60.</ref>. Although superficially like a seal the fossil lacked most of the specialisations that modern pinnipeds require for their aquatic lifestyle. In addition, its “flippers” had long toes and claws, halfway between bear paw and pinniped flipper. There was subsequently a great “radiation” of seals and sea lions in the middle and late [[Miocene]], all of which appear in the fossil record.
=== Other examples ===
There are many other examples of transitional forms including: velvet worms, lancelets, synapsids, ceratopsians, giraffes, ichthyosaurs and manatees.
== Creationist claims of a lack of transitional forms ==
Whilst there is general agreement among evolutionary scientists that many transitional forms exist, by selectively quoting, some creationists seek to demonstrate that evolutionary scientists admit to a lack of transitional forms. The following quotations have been employed to that end by creationists:
The late paleontologist [[Stephen Jay Gould]] said in 1977:
The late paleontologist [[Stephen Jay Gould]] said in 1977: