Using creation science to demonstrate evolution: application of a creationist method for visualizing gaps in the fossil record to a phylogenetic study of coelurosaurian dinosaurs
P. SENTER
Article first published online: 17 JUN 2010
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Volume 23, Issue 8, pages 1732–1743, August 2010
DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02039.x
Keywords: Archaeopteryx;baraminology;classic multidimensional scaling;Coelurosauria;creationism;creation science; Theropoda
Abstract
It is important to demonstrate evolutionary principles in such a way that they cannot be countered by creation science. One such way is to use creation science itself to demonstrate evolutionary principles. Some creation scientists use classic multidimensional scaling (CMDS) to quantify and visualize morphological gaps or continuity between taxa, accepting gaps as evidence of independent creation and accepting continuity as evidence of genetic relatedness. Here, I apply CMDS to a phylogenetic analysis of coelurosaurian dinosaurs and show that it reveals morphological continuity between Archaeopteryx, other early birds, and a wide range of nonavian coelurosaurs. Creation scientists who use CMDS must therefore accept that these animals are genetically related. Other uses of CMDS for evolutionary biologists include the identification of taxa with much missing evolutionary history and the tracing of the progressive filling of morphological gaps in the fossil record through successive years of discovery.
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Using creation science to demonstrate evolution 2: morphological continuity within Dinosauria
P. SENTER
Article first published online: 4 JUL 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02349.x
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Volume 24, Issue 10, pages 2197–2216, October 2011
Keywords: baraminology;Ceratopsia;Coelurosauria;creationism;creation science;Dinosauria;Microraptor;Ornithischia;Sauropoda;Theropoda
Abstract
Creationist literature claims that sufficient gaps in morphological continuity exist to classify dinosaurs into several distinct baramins (‘created kinds’). Here, I apply the baraminological method called taxon correlation to test for morphological continuity within and between dinosaurian taxa. The results show enough morphological continuity within Dinosauria to consider most dinosaurs genetically related, even by this creationist standard. A continuous morphological spectrum unites the basal members of Saurischia, Theropoda, Sauropodomorpha, Ornithischia, Thyreophora, Marginocephalia, and Ornithopoda with Nodosauridae and Pachycephalosauria and with the basal ornithodirans Silesaurus and Marasuchus. Morphological gaps in the known fossil record separate only seven groups from the rest of Dinosauria. Those groups are Therizinosauroidea + Oviraptorosauria + Paraves, Tazoudasaurus + Eusauropoda, Ankylosauridae, Stegosauria, Neoceratopsia, basal Hadrosauriformes and Hadrosauridae. Each of these seven groups exhibits within-group morphological continuity, indicating common descent for all the group’s members, even according to this creationist standard.
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