The fossil record

The Nature of the Fossil Record

“95% of the fossils (by number) consist of shallow marine organisms
(e.g., corals, shellfish).

“Of the remaining 5%, 95% are all the algae and plant/tree fossils
(including the coal) and all the other invertebrate fossils (e.g.,
insects).

“5% of the 5% (or 0.25% of the entire fossil record) are the vertebrate
fossils (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals).

“Only 1% of this 0.25% (or 0.0025% of the entire fossil record) are
vertebrate fossils that consist of more than a single bone! (E.g., there
are only about 2,100 dinosaur skeletons in all the world’s museums.)”

– Kurt Wise, “The Nature of the Fossil Record,” ICR lecture.

Are the quantifications above approximately true?

Just wondering. Not that they prove anything.

Burgy
Received on Mon Jan 30 13:59:23 2006