Archaeopteryx
From RationalWiki
Archaeopteryx was a winged, feathered bird-dinosaur that lived in the Late Jurassic.[1] Really. Of course, try telling that to Answers in Genesis, who like to claim that Archaeopteryx was just an ordinary bird and not a transitional form, which is an example of creationists moving the goal-posts of what a transitional form is to satisfy their own agenda.[2][3] It is important to note that Archaeopteryx is possibly not the first transition between reptile and bird, but it is the best known, having been discovered only a few years after the publication of On The Origin of Species and subject to much controversy of it being a hoax (accusations, which so far, have not stood up well).
[edit] Creationist beliefs
Creationists believe that ostriches have larger claws than Archaeopteryx in its wings. They also believe that since many reptiles (snakes) do not have teeth, it makes the fact Archaeopteryx has teeth entirely pointless.[4]
[edit] Anatomical evidence
- Teeth present in the adult stage.
- Dinosaur-shaped pelvis.
- Long tail.
- Not all fingers fused.
- Neck attaches to skull from the rear instead of from below.
- Metatarsals not fused.
- Gastralia (ventral ribs) present.
- Trunk vertebrae not fused.
Awwwwww.... poor creationists.
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ "Archaeopteryx" on Wikipedia
- ↑ "Archaeopteryx" on AnswersinGenesis.org
- ↑ "Archaeopteryx is NOT a hoax—it is a true bird, not a “missing link" on AnswersinGenesis.org
- ↑ Answers in Genesis
