Re: Cambrian Explosion

Arthur V. Chadwick (chadwicka@swau.edu)
Tue, 06 Jul 1999 12:50:54 -0700

At 09:51 PM 7/5/99 +0000, Glen wrote:
>Isn't Time a rather loose source in this instance?

Well, consider the people quoted as well. But then I also know that a
prestigious journal like Time would never misquote anybody.

>in storage, I believe that the following phyla do not appear until after
>the Cambrian. I agree with Susan, plants are new body plans. There is also
>the cycliophora which was found on lobster lips this decade and is a new
>animal phyla.(Petar Funch and Reinhardt Mobjerg Kristensen, "Cycliophora is
>a new phylum with affinities to Entoprocta and Ectoprocta," Nature, 378,
>Dec. 14, 1995, p. 711). Why did God create the animals in almost one fell
>swoop but then dribble out the plants? This would imply that change can
>occur, contrary to some of your quotes.

They were speaking only of animal phyla. The fact that cycliophora were
only recognized by biologists in the past 5 years may give you a clue as to
why they have not been recognized in the fossil record. It doesn't really
speak to the point of their origin.
Art
http://geology.swau.edu