Term Paper

There are many strengths and weaknesses when using the fossil record as a means to establish the theory of evolution. Since the discovery of fossils paleontologist have been trying to establish an accurate timeline of our historical evolution. Through the years many discoveries have been uncovered and assembled to help create a glimpse into our evolutionary past.

Using the fossil record can “help us reconstruct patterns in the history of life”. (Starr, 244) We can reconstruct what has happened in the past and why a particular species has gone extinct. We can look at the various circumstances whether it is by natural selection, mass extinction, or some other natural disaster that may have over-come several species types or just one species. Upon the discovery of the Basilosaurus which was a long whale like creature. The fossil that was discovered was a partial skull of this species of whale. “Writing to his staunch advocate T.H. Huxley in 1871, Darwin asked whether the ancient whale might represent a transitional form. Huxley replied that there could be little doubt that Basilosaurus provided clues as to the ancestry of whales.”(Switek, 156) By analyzing the particular bone structure and the way in which the bones are assembled a close recreation of where the species may have evolved from exists and what their habitat may have looked like according to the time period that they were from. By understanding the evolution of species of animals by discovering their fossils we can construct what the habitat may have looked like and what the animal ate and potentially what its role was in the ecosystem.

We also have the strengths of showing what may have happened between a species to further highlight the theory of natural selection. We can use this to show how animals have evolved to create a better chance of survival by utilizing what abilities they have to survive in their particular habitat. Another strength is that it allows us to potentially look towards the future and better understand how species have reacted to various natural disasters and what happened at that time. It also gives us a better picture on what our planet first looked like before it had been inhabited by humans and other species. It also gives us a better window view into what our ancestry looked like and how we developed into the evolved species we are today. By understanding the past we will have a better look into preserving our future by learning from our mistakes.

One of the weaknesses thrives in a rivalry between anthropologists Richard Leakey and Donald Johansen. Both believed in the theory of evolution but both had 2 entirely different views of the origins of humans. Johansen was a part of the team that discovered the famous “Lucy”. This fossil is said to be the direct connection between ape and man creating a Y shaped tree of origin in which the connection between ape and human is Lucy. Johansen also discovered many others like Lucy in the same area and named the group of fossils “the First Family”. Richard Leakey had a different vision and wrote and assisted on many books explaining the origin of mankind. Leakey had many discoveries of fossils as well showing yet another developed human kind in another region other than Africa. Leakey goes on to explain “This hypothesis of linked evolution was a very clear scenario of human origins, and it became central to the development of the science of anthropology. According to this scenario, the original human species was more than merely a bipedal ape: it already possessed some features we value in Homo Sapiens. The image was so powerful and plausible that anthropologists were able to weave persuasive hypotheses around it for a very long time. But the scenario went beyond science:” (Leakey, 4) One weakness is that of their own peers developing other theories based on the findings of another. Having read Bones of Contention the anonymous aphorism “I wouldn’t have seen it if I didn’t believe it” (Lewin, 19) comes to mind as another type of weakness in dealing with using the fossil record.

Without a clear understanding of what a particular species may have looked like, the assembly and/or analysis of a fossil maybe based on what was believed to be rather than what was. “Practically all paleontological discoveries can be described as bones of contention” – said by anthropologist John Napier (Lewin, 19) is a clear statement that regardless of what maybe thought to be the truth of the matter is that all paleontological discoveries maybe up for contention. The last weakness I will mention is the rarity of finding fossils of species that are extinct. Even though we have discovered 250,000 known species (Starr, 244) the finding of a fossil of an extinct species is rare because “an organism’s remains are quickly obliterated by scavengers or decay.”(Starr, 244) Because of this many of the fossils we have found are scattered or deformed. As we evolve and our scientific methods become more concrete this may fade away as there will not be as much to contend. However, the constant testing and re-testing of these theories may lead to new evolutionary discoveries and theories.

Having read into this topic trying to understand how our species fits into the theory of evolution I have developed very strong opinions on this subject. While I consider my-self a religious person, I think it is somewhat naive to incorporate and deny any evidence on the basis that it goes against your religious beliefs. That being said some of the weaknesses and hardships I have encountered as far as understanding the whole theory of evolution is the lack of transitional species that currently exist or transitional fossils that have been discovered. While the “Lucy” fossil has been discovered a long with several others, all of these fossils have been fragmented and very few are whole if any at all. In general many of the fossils discovered are fragmented and are up to the team to assemble. While they do have backgrounds in assembling these fossils I cannot quite let the fact remain that we do not have the whole picture. If I were to assemble a 1,000 piece puzzle and have ¼ or half of the pieces would it really b accurate to assemble what I have and then create a background including common ancestors? The fact would still remain that pieces to display the whole picture are missing and therefore leaving it up to contend.

On the other side the discoveries have been a great glimpse into what species have survived and lived in certain time periods, and how species have evolved within their own species. Natural selection is proven over and over when a fossil is discovered. For this matter I believe using fossils as a strong point to prove the theory of evolution is accurate. I believe that there is a clear depiction of how species have survived through mass extinctions, climate changes, volcanic activity, and other natural disasters. I also believe that we can use these fossils to depict what may happen in the future as our natural resource consumption moves into an irreversible level. As we continue to destroy our earth we can use these fossils to see what animals survived through environmental disaster and what they developed into as we may be headed towards extinction faster than we think.

References:

Lewin, Roger, 1987, Bones of Contention Second Edition, University of Chicago Press

Switek, Brian, 2010, Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature, Bellevue Literary Press

Starr Evers Starr, 2011 - 2008, Biology Concepts and Applications, Brooks/Cole

Leakey, Richard, 1994, The Origin of Humankind, Basic Books

References: Lewin, Roger, 1987, Bones of Contention Second Edition, University of Chicago Press Switek, Brian, 2010, Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature, Bellevue Literary Press Starr Evers Starr, 2011 - 2008, Biology Concepts and Applications, Brooks/Cole Leakey, Richard, 1994, The Origin of Humankind, Basic Books