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Feliks, J. 2014. Debunking evolutionary propaganda, Part 6: The inconvenient facts of living fossils: BrachiopodaPleistocene Coalition News 6 (2): 12-14.

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DEBUNKING EVOLUTIONARY PROPAGANDA, Part 6

The inconvenient facts of living fossils: Brachiopoda

A lifelong reader of textbooks in every field exposes “thousands” of examples of false statements of fact and other propaganda techniques easily spotted in anthropology, biology, and paleontology textbooks


By John Feliks

Chatellperronian [Neanderthal] Rhynchonellid REDRAW [aft-Leroi-Gourhan.gif

Fig. 1. 35,000-year old Neanderthal “living fossil” rhychonellid brachiopod personal ornament redrawn by the author after Leroi-Gourhan, 1964, for Musings on the Paleolithic Fan Motif, 2006. Even in early Upper Paleolithic times 30-40,000 years ago humans had no difficulty recognizing the same shell types whether in living or fossil form. They even made necklaces consisting of both living and fossil shells side-by-side.

Fig.2_print-screen_for-arrows-on-html-page_PCN#28.jpg

Fig. 2. Timeline of major brachiopod-groups (Wikipedia after ucmp.berkeley.edu after Gould & Calloway 1980, Clams and brachiopods—ships that pass in the night). Note that lingulids, rhynchonellids, and terebratulids are still alive today. Note also the tremendous time spans of several of the now extinct orders (arrows).

In 1859, Charles Darwin appeared on the world stage with a bedazzling theory that all life evolved—one animal or plant gradually morphing into another—by a process he called 'natural selection.'

However, from the very beginning, Darwin knew he had a big problem—the fossil record.

Still, science took the bait, hook, line, and sinker; ignored the facts, discarded normal objectivity and critical thinking, and sold all that it had to adopt evolution “as a fact.”

According to paleontology’s own numbers it can plainly be seen that the fossil record is not a record of species, genera, families or orders—let alone classes or phyla—evolving one into another but a very clear record of thousands of well established organisms which have not changed for tens to hundreds of millions of years. For the first examples proving this to be true, see Figs. 1-7.

This installment is about brachiopods, marine


(continued on page 13)
Genus Current living fossils Range Fossils
Lingula

Living genus; Rare fossil at right;
see Tales of a Fossil Collector,
this issue.
Unchanged
after 513 million years


Cambrian–Recent;
513.0 MYA–Present
Worldwide tn_Lingula-w-ped-preserved_Ordo_Eureka-Missouri-dscvrd-by-jfeliks_1200dpi_scan-favor-ped-surface_crop -10brght+30cntrst_h1k_h400.jpg
1" wide (2.6 cm)

Lingula w/pedicle; Ordovician;
rec. by author; Eureka, Missouri
Rhynchonellida

Living order; Extinct genera include
Rhynconella
(Fig. 1)
and Rhynchotrema (right)
Unchanged
after 488 million years


Ordovician–Recent;
488.3 MYA–Present
Worldwide tn_Rhynchotrema_Georgetown-Kentucky_jfeliks-1200dpi_h400.jpg
9/16" w (1.5 cm)

Rhynchotrema
; author; Ordovician;
Georgetown, Kentucky
Terebratula

(Living genus)
Unchanged
after 375 million years

Devonian–Recent;
375.0 MYA–Present
Worldwide tn_640px-Terebratula_ampulla.1_-_Plioceno_Wikimedia-Commons-crop-clean_h400.jpg
2 1/4" w (5.6cm)

Terebratula; Pliocene
(Wikimedia Commons)
Terebratulina

(Living genus)
Unchanged
after 165 million years


Jurassic–Recent;
164.7 MYA–Present
Worldwide tn_392px-Terebratulina_brachial_valve_Wiltshire, UK-Upper Cretaceous_Wikimedia-Commons_h400.jpg
1/2" w (1.1cm)

Terebratulina; Cretaceous,
UK (Wikimedia Commons)

Fig. 3. A few examples of thousands of orders and/or genera (presently brachiopoda) showing no evolution across hundreds of millions of years. The science community’s success at selling evolution as “fact” despite what the fossil record shows depends upon requiring students to interpret evidence in only one way rather than objectively.

Genus Former living fossils Range Fossils recovered in situ by the author
Ambocoelia
Unchanged
440 million years

Ordovician–Arikareean;
460.9–20.4 MYA
Worldwide
Ambocoelia_Sylvania-Ohio_jfeliks_1200dpi-autolevels-tighter-crop.jpg
1/4" w (7mm)

Ambocoelia; recovered in situ Devonian;
Sylvania, Ohio
Orbiculoidea Unchanged
338 million years

Ordovician-Cretaceous;
478.6–140.2 MYA
Worldwide
tn_Orbiculoidea_Hamilton-Middletown_Butler-Co.Ohio_jfeliks_1200dpi_cntrst24_h400.jpg
5/8" w (1.6cm)

Orbiculoidea;
recovered in situ Ordovician;
Butler Co., Ohio 
 Chonetes   Unchanged
285 million years

Silurian–Permian;
460.9–175.6 MYA
Worldwide
tn_Chonetes_Sylvannia-Ohio_jfeliks_600dpi_autolevels.jpg
1 1/16" w (2.7cm)

Chonetes; recovered in situ Devonian;
Sylvania, Ohio
 Cyrtina Unchanged
260 million years

Ordovician–Triassic;
460.9–201.6 MYA
Worldwide
Cyrtina-Rockport-MI-w-Nida_c1986_600dpi.jpg
 1/2" w (1.2 cm)

Cyrtina; recovered in situ Devonian;
Rogers City, MI
Dalmanella
Unchanged
236 million years

Ordovician–Permian;
488.3–252.3 MYA 
Worldwide
tn_Dalmenella_Little-Bay-de-Noc_UP_jfeliks_600dpi_autolevels.jpg
3/4" w (1.9 cm)

Dalmanella recovered in situ Ordovician,
Little Bay de Noc, U.P. 
Spirifer

(broad genus)
Unchanged
217 million years

Ordovician–Triassic;
449.5–232.0 MYA 
Worldwide
tn_Giant-Spirifer_War-Eagle-Arkansas-c.1992_jfeliks_300dpi_clean-rotate-crop_h400.jpg
3 3/8" w (8.8 cm)

Spirifer recovered in situ Mississippian,
War Eagle, Arkansas 

Fig. 4. Before extinction all genera were living fossils. These examples were recovered by the author from formations across the U.S. and parts of Canada over a 30-yr. span.

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PLEISTOCENE COALITION NEWS

Page 13



creatures that resemble clams but are of a completely different nature. Externally, each of a brachiopod’s two shells, when viewed straight on, are symmetrical like the well-known heart-shape symbol, teardrop, or spade symbols; clam shells are asymmetrical.

Except for the two terebratulid brachiopods in Fig. 3, I personally recovered all specimens seen here directly from well-known formations throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada across 30 years time. These few specimens are only the tip of the iceberg (i.e. it takes time to choose a few specimens, scan them in, and compile the details; very difficult to do when the brachiopod section alone could go on for many more pages). The same treatment presented here for brachiopods will be provided for other animal and plant groups as well and, hopefully, will demonstrate the scope of the matter. I am providing the same information evolutionists already have but with a different interpretation. And again, make no mistake, this is all part of re-assessing the validity of the evolutionary interpretation of human origins sold to the public as scientific fact.

Darwin himself knew quite well that the fossil record was problematic and was honest enough to repeat this over and over again in The Origin of Species. He clearly expressed—without rhetorical trickery—that the fossil record did not support his theory; however, he believed that it must. Hence, the beginning of the world’s first major science religion. Look at the facts presented here and ask yourself, “Is evolution set-in-stone?”

The date range details for each of the brachiopod genera are from Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database which is housed at Macquarie University’s Department of Biological Sciences, Sydney, Australia. The database is assembled by hundreds of international paleontologists and is based on the fact that the same fossils are present in formations around the world.

In last issue’s Tales of a Fossil Collector, Part 4 (PCN #27, Jan-Feb 2014), I offered a simplified definition of the term “living fossils”—organisms that haven’t changed since their first appearance in the fossil record—plus an expanded definition, namely, that at various points in time “all” organisms were living fossils(as exemplified in Figs. 4-7).

It has been my hope in this series to provide documented proof that three fields of science have been misleading the public regarding fossils—biology, paleontology, and anthropology—and that these three fields, unlike other sciences, depend upon preventing


(continued on page 14)
Genus
Former living fossils  Range
Fossils recovered in situ by the author
Athyris
Unchanged
201 million years

Silurian–Triassic;
422.9–221.5 MYA 
Worldwide
Athyris_Hungry-Hollow-Aus-Auble-River-Ontario-Canada_jfeliks_600dpi_autolevels_pic2.jpg
1/2" w (1.2 cm)

Athyris; rec. in situ by author; Devonian;
Arkona, Ontario 
Schizophoria
Unchanged
191 million years

Silurian–Permian;
443.7–252.3 MYA 
Worldwide
tn_Schizophoria_Milan-Arkona_jfeliks_1200dpi_paper-background-autolevels_h400.jpg
1 1/8" w (2.9 cm)

Schizophoria; rec. in situ
by author; Dev.;
Arkona, Ontario 
Rhipidomella
Unchanged
187 million years

Silurian–Upper Permian;
439.0–252.3 MYA 
Worldwide  tn_Rhipidomella_Hungry-Hollow-Ausable-River-Ontario-Canada_jfeliks_600dpi_autolevels_h400.jpg
11/16" w (1.8 cm)

Rhipidomella; rec. in situ
by author; Dev.;
Sylvania, Ohio 
Leiorhynchus

(Eumetabolotoechia
Unchanged
150 million years

Devonian–Permian;
409.1–259.0 MYA 
Worldwide
tn_Leiorhynchus_Hungry-Hollow_Ontario_jfeliks_1200dpi.jpg
3/4" w(1.9 cm)

Leiorhynchus; rec. in situ
by author; Dev.;
Arkona, Ontario 
Leptaena
Unchanged
135 million years

Ordovician–Mississippian;
471.8–336.0 MYA 
Worldwide
tn_Leptaena_U.P.MI_jfeliks-600dpi_+3bright+7contrast_h400.jpg
1 1/8" w (2.3 cm)

Leptaena; in situ by author; Ordovician;
northern Kentucky 
Echinoconchus
Unchanged
131 million years

Devonian–Permian;
383.7–252.3 MYA 
Worldwide
tn_Echinoconchus_Mississippian_Mill Creek. Iua-Mississippi_jfeliks-2brightr_18contrast_h400.jpg
1 3/16" w (3 cm)

Echinoconchus in situ; author; Mississippian;
Iuka, Mississippi 
Composita
Unchanged
127 million years

Devonian–Permian;
379.5–252.3 MYA 
Worldwide
tn_Composita_Paris-Illinois_1971-jfeliks_1200dpi_white-bkgd-contrast+16bright+16.jpg
11/16" w (1.8 cm)

Composita; in situ by author, Pennsylvanian;
Paris, Illinois 
Atrypa
Unchanged
121 million years

Ordovician–Mississippian;
457.5–336.0 MYA 
Worldwide
tn_Atrypa_Rockport-MI_jfeliks_600dpi_h400.jpg
1 1/4" w (3.1 cm)

Atrypa; rec. in situ by author, Devonian;
Rogers City, MI 
Punctospirifer
Unchanged
112 million years

Devonian–Permian;
364.7–252.3 MYA 
Worldwide
tn_Punctospirifer_Paris-Illinois_1971-jfeliks_1200dpi-white-backdrop_h400.jpg
1/2" w (1.3 cm)

Punctospirifer; in situ by author, Pennsylvanian;
Paris, Illinois 
Marginifera*

*Compare age range with Neospirifer 
Unchanged
109 million years

Mississippian–Triassic;
360.7–251.3 MYA 
Worldwide
tn_Marginifera_Paris-Illinois_1971-jfeliks_1200dpi_white-bkgd.jpg
9/16" w (1.5 cm)

Marginifera; in situ by author, Pennsylvanian;
Paris, Illinois 
*Neospirifer

*Compare age range with Marginifera 
Unchanged
108 million years

Mississippian–Permian;
360.7–252.3 MYA 
Worldwide
tn_Neospirifer_Paris-Illinois_1971-jfeliks_1200dpi_tighter-crop_h400.jpg
1 5/16" w (3.3 cm)

Neospirifer; in situ by author, Pennsylvanian;
Paris, Illinois 

Fig. 5. Continuing from Fig. 4, more examples of well established one-time living fossils with no morphing between genera. Specific date ranges are agreed to by international consensus.

Page 13


PLEISTOCENE COALITION NEWS

Page 14

tn_Eodictyonella_Waldron-Indiana_jfeliks-1200dpi_h400.jpg

tn_Resserella-emacerata_angle-scan_Georgian-Bay_Craigleith-Ontario_jfeliks_1200dpi +10brght-cntrst_h400.jpg

Fig. 7. Two brachiopods—Eodictyonella and Resserella—that were living fossils after the exact same 69 million-year span. According to international consensus they both appeared 460.9 million years ago and they both disappeared 391.9 million years ago (see Fig. 6). Notice Eodictyonella’s remarkable double-spiral golden mean-style net-like ornamentation. One of the standard tricks in evolutionism to explain such traits is to produce a false sense of validation by making up stories, e.g., “this or that trait evolved because it offered an advantage.” The ubiquitously-used trick diverts the focus from the facts of the fossil record. The fossil record does not show what should be trillions upon trillions upon trillions (no exaggeration) of easy-to-map evolutionary sequences. It is difficult to argue that traits ‘evolve’ when genera remain the same across thousands of millennia. We are not talking about changes at the ‘dog-breed’ level such as in paleontology papers but the overarching claims of macroevolution. Both specimens recovered in situ by the author (details Fig. 6).

conflicting evidence from being seen in order to promote evolutionism as unchallenged.

Here is an overview of the evidence of this provided so far: Part 1 listed well-known propaganda techniques Darwinism depends upon to keep the public duped. Part 2 provided proofs that college evolution textbooks are ‘packed’ with fictional statements presented as fact. Part 3 showed how these falsehoods carry over from invertebrate paleontology into anthropology. Part 4 provided proof that evolutionists are not objectively qualified to assess “any” evidence. And Part 5 was offered as a wake-up call to American parents that through recent legislation they weren’t aware of their children are on the verge of losing their chance to develop critical thinking skills and exercise their right to use them. When it comes to something as important as ones beliefs about human origins, if an overarching scientific claim has obvious problems then everyone including children has a right to hear the issues and weigh the evidence for  themselves.


            _________________



John Feliks has specialized in the study of early human cognition for twenty years demonstrating beyond any reasonable doubt that human cognition does not evolve. Earlier, his focus was on the invertebrate fossil record studying fossils in the field across the U.S. and parts of Canada as well as studying many of the classic texts (Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Index Fossils of North America, etc.). Feliks encourages students to challenge evolution-based ideas being forced upon them as fact with full confidence that evidence is there to support them.
Genus
 Former living fossils
 Range

Fossils recovered in situ by the author

Derbyia

Unchanged
102 million years

Devonian–Triassic;
353.8–251.3 MYA

Worldwide tn_Derbyia_Kansas-Pennsylvanian_jfeliks1975_300dpi-clean_h400.jpg
2 1/2" w (6.4 cm)

Derbyia; rec. in situ by author; Pennsylvanian;
eastern Kansas

Strophodonta*

*Compare age range with Sowerbyella

Unchanged
96 million years

Ordovician–Mississippian;
449.5–353.8 MYA

Worldwide tn_Strophodonta_Sylvannia-Ohio_jfeliks_600dpi_autolevels_h400.jpg
1 7/16" w (3.7 cm)

Strophodonta; in situ by author; Devonian;
Sylvania, Ohio

Sowerbyella*

*Compare age range with Strophodonta

Unchanged
96 million years

Ordovician–Mississippian;
449.5–353.8 MYA

Worldwide Sowerbyella_Little-Bay-de-Noc_Upper_Penninsula_jfeliks_600dpi_autolevels.jpg
1" w (1.5 cm)

Sowerbyella; in situ; Ordovician;
Little Bay de Noc, U.P.

Sieberella

Unchanged
81 million years

Ordovician–Devonian;
460.9–379.5 MYA

Worldwide tn_Sieberella-scan_Rogers-City-MI_jfeliks_h400.jpg
1 1/2" w (3.9 cm)

Sieberella; rec. in situ; author; Devonian;
Rogers City, MI

Acrothele

Unchanged
70 million years

Cambrian–Ordovician;
520.0–449.5 MYA

Worldwide tn_Acrothele-Cambrian-inarticulate-brach_Antelope-Springs_jfeliks1975_520Mya_1200dpi_h500.jpg
1/4" w (6 mm)

Acrothele; rec. author; Cambrian;
Antelope Springs, Utah

Rhynchotreta

Unchanged
69 million years

Silurian–Mississippian;
439.0–342.8 MYA

Worldwide tn_Rhynchotreta_Waldron-Indiana_jfeliks_1200dpi.jpg
1/2" w (1.2 cm)

Rhynchotreta; rec. in situ, author; Silurian;
Waldron, Indiana

Eodictyonella*

*Compare age range with Resserella
(see also Fig. 7)

Unchanged
69 million years

Ordovician–Devonian;
460.9–391.9 MYA

Worldwide tn_Eodictyonella_Waldron-Indiana_jfeliks-1200dpi_h400.jpg
1/2" w (1.2 cm)

Eodictyonella; rec. in situ, author; Silurian;
Waldron, Indiana

Resserella*

*Compare age range with Eodictyonella
(see also Fig. 7)

Unchanged
69 million years

Ordovician–Devonian;
460.9–391.9 MYA

Worldwide tn_Rhynchotreta_Waldron-Indiana_jfeliks_1200dpi.jpg
7/16" w (1.1 cm)

Resserella; rec author; Ordovician;
Georgian Bay, Ontario

Meristella

Unchanged
62 million years

Silurian–Devonian;
442.9–360.7 MYA

Worldwide tn_Meristella_Waldron-Indiana_jfeliks-1200dpi_autolevels-crop_h400.jpg
1 1/8" w (3 cm)

Meristella; rec. in situ, author; Silurian;
Waldron, Indiana

Chonetinella

(mislabeled as Mesolobus in pdf)

Unchanged
60 million years

Ordovician–Devonian;
313.8–254.0 MYA

Worldwide tn_Mesolobus_Paris-Illinois_1971-jfeliks_1200dpi_autolevels.jpg
9/16" w (1 cm)

Chonetinella (mislabled as Mesolobus in pdf);
in situ by author, Pennsylvanian;
Paris, Illinois

Pholidostrophia

Unchanged
55 million years

Silurian–Devonian;
439.0–383.7 MYA

Worldwide tn_Pholidostrophia_Sylvania-Ohio_jfeliks_1200dpi+9brght-cntrst_h400.jpg
11/16" w (1.8 cm)

Pholidostrophia; rec. author; Devonian;
Sylvania, Ohio


Fig. 6. More examples of prior living fossils recovered by the author across the U.S. and parts of Canada. Interpretations of the fossil record taught to children as fact without uncontested physical evidence or consensus are not science.


Page 14

Return to The Pleistocene Coalition

Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, Part 1: Basic propaganda techniques in college textbooks
Return to
Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 2: Fictions taught as fact in college textbooks, 1st half
Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 3: Fictions taught as fact in college textbooks, 2nd half
Return to
Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 4: Evolutionists are not qualified to assess 'any' evidence
Return to
Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 5: Mandatory U.S.-legislated indoctrination now in place, 1st target, captive-audience children in K-12 science classrooms
Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 6: The inconvenient facts of living fossils: Brachiopoda
Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 7: The inconvenient facts of living fossils: Mollusca
Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 8: The inconvenient facts of living fossils: Porifera and Cnidaria
Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 9: The inconvenient facts of living fossils: Echinodermata
Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 10: The inconvenient facts of living fossils: Bryozoa
Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 11: The inconvenient facts of living fossils: Arthropoda
Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 12: The inconvenient facts of living fossils: Trace fossils & graptolites [PDF]
Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 13: The inconvenient facts of living fossils: Plants [PDF]
Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 14: The inconvenient facts of living fossils: Fishes and invertebrates [PDF]
Return to Debunking evolutionary propaganda, part 15: Tetrapod evolution credibility questioned via invertebrate fossils [PDF]

Recent external mathematics publications:

Feliks, J. 2012. Five constants from an Acheulian compound line. Aplimat - Journal of Applied Mathematics 5 (1): 69-74.

Feliks, J. 2011. The golden flute of Geissenklosterle: Mathematical evidence for a continuity of human intelligence as opposed to evolutionary change through time. Aplimat - Journal of Applied Mathematics 4 (4): 157-62.

Return to The graphics of Bilzingsleben series, Part 1: Proof of straight edge use by Homo erectus
Return to The graphics of Bilzingsleben series, Part 2: Censoring the world's oldest human language
Return to The graphics of Bilzingsleben series, Part 3: Base grids of a suppressed Homo erectus knowledge system
Return to The graphics of Bilzingsleben series, Part 4: 350,000 years before Bach
Return to The graphics of Bilzingsleben series, Part 5: Gestalten
Return to The graphics of Bilzingsleben series, Part 6: The Lower Paleolithic origins of advanced mathematics
Return to The graphics of Bilzingsleben series, Part 7: Who were the people of Bilzingsleben?
Return to 
The graphics of Bilzingsleben series, Part 8: Evidence for a Homo erectus campsite depiction in 3D
Return to 
The graphics of Bilzingsleben series, Part 9: Artifact 6 'Lower tier' in multiview and oblique projections

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The golden flute of Geissenklosterle (preview of Aplimat 2011 paper)
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Pleistocene Coalition News
is produced by the Pleistocene Coalition
bi-monthly since October 2009.


Contact the author of this article: feliks (at) umich.edu