One of the favourite "weakpoints" that creationists love to attack is that of the evolution of horses. However, it looks like one of the proverbial missing links has been discovered. And by an 8 year old boy no less.
The new fossil is of a three toed horse, a step between the five toed ancestors and the modern day, one toed horses.
Of course, instead of filling one gap, we all know this only creates two new ones.
Way to go kid.
Update: Check comment for more information on how this fits into the bigger understanding of horse evolution. Thanks to Josh Rosenau for passing along the info.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
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2 comments:
Horse Talk blew it. I contacted the paleontologist involved, and he forwarded the email he sent to the New Zealanders:
Thank you for your article on Gavin's horse discovery. He is having a good time with all this. This started with a small article in our local (Auburn) town paper that was then picked up by one of our area (Sacramento) TV stations, that was then picked up nationally. Your participation is great too but your header that reads "Boy's find fills gap in horse evolution" is not really correct. Horse evolution is well known and his find does not change what is already known about horse evolution. His find confirms what is known but adds a bit in the history of mammalian paleontology and geologic history of NW Nevada.
His find is interesting as the fossil bones were picked up in a lahar (volcanogenic mudflow) 15 million years ago and show the violence in which they were transported and finally deposited. His find is special because it was found by such a young boy. The specimen will make a nice traveling exhibit for the Sierra College Natural History Museum that will go out to the local schools. Perhaps you would be so kind as to change your header to read more appropriately. Thanks again,
Dick Hilton
Professor of Geology
Chairman, Sierra College Natural History Museum
Horse Talk blew it. I contacted the paleontologist involved, and he forwarded the email he sent to the New Zealanders:
Thank you for your article on Gavin's horse discovery. He is having a good time with all this. This started with a small article in our local (Auburn) town paper that was then picked up by one of our area (Sacramento) TV stations, that was then picked up nationally. Your participation is great too but your header that reads "Boy's find fills gap in horse evolution" is not really correct. Horse evolution is well known and his find does not change what is already known about horse evolution. His find confirms what is known but adds a bit in the history of mammalian paleontology and geologic history of NW Nevada.
His find is interesting as the fossil bones were picked up in a lahar (volcanogenic mudflow) 15 million years ago and show the violence in which they were transported and finally deposited. His find is special because it was found by such a young boy. The specimen will make a nice traveling exhibit for the Sierra College Natural History Museum that will go out to the local schools. Perhaps you would be so kind as to change your header to read more appropriately. Thanks again,
Dick Hilton
Professor of Geology
Chairman, Sierra College Natural History Museum
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