The Cambrian explosion is widely recognised in scientific literature as the first major appearance of complex marine life found in Cambrian rock layers.1 Less commonly discussed is the explosion of terrestrial life during the Carboniferous and early Permian periods. The fossil record shows a sudden increase in the diversity of amphibians and reptile-like animals, along with a vast range of plant species and arthropods typical of lowland coastal environments.2-6 However, there is no evidence to support the assumption made by secular scientists that reptiles evolved from amphibians.
The missing evidence for amphibian evolution
The concept of amphibians as a transitional form holds a central place in evolutionary theory. Although fossil evidence is lacking, it is widely believed that the first amphibians appeared during the Devonian period, often referred to as the Age of Fishes. They are thought to have evolved from lobe-finned fish that possessed a respiratory organ functioning as a lung, such as the lungfish, and fins supported by internal bony rays, which were supposedly capable of enabling movement onto dry land. However, the fossil record does not preserve any part of the proposed transition from fish to tetrapods.6,7
The three main groups of amphibians are anurans, which include frogs and toads, urodeles, which include salamanders and newts, and caecilians, which are limbless amphibians. Frogs and salamanders have no known evolutionary history, as they appear suddenly in the Jurassic period, already similar to the forms seen today. The origin of caecilians is also entirely unknown. One supposed form with limbs appears in the Jurassic.
This creates a difficulty for evolutionary scientists, since extinct amphibian-like animals appear suddenly and in varied forms in Carboniferous layers, while the three modern groups of amphibians appear just as suddenly in Jurassic layers, without any known ancestral forms.
Temnospondyls and reptiliomorpha
Temnospondyls are a varied group of amphibian-like animals, both small and large, whose fossils have been found on every continent in Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic layers, with a few also discovered in Cretaceous layers. They are considered similar to amphibians because of their complex life cycle, which includes a larval stage, metamorphosis, and adulthood. They were suited to freshwater, land, and possibly coastal marine environments. Their features suggest that they were semi-aquatic, although some may have lived entirely on land and returned to the water only to reproduce. Some temnospondyls had scales, claws, and bony plates resembling armour, which raises the possibility that they were not amphibians at all.
Reptiliomorpha is a group of reptile-like tetrapods that appears suddenly in the fossil record at the same time as temnospondyls. Since amphibian-like and reptile-like land animals appear in the same layers, there is no evidence of evolutionary development between them.
Arthropods
The Carboniferous period also marked the appearance of giant arthropods, including massive dragonflies known as Meganeura, with wingspans of up to 70 centimetres, and Arthropleura, a type of millipede that could reach lengths of two metres. Meganeura is believed to have been a predator that fed on smaller arthropods and freshwater animals. Arthropleura, by contrast, was herbivorous, as remains of lowland coastal plants such as lycopods have been found in its intestines and in its fossilised faeces.
The presence of complex creatures like Meganeura in the same layers that are considered the beginning of terrestrial animal history does not support the evolutionary account.
Carboniferous coal
Ferns and seed plants also appear suddenly in Carboniferous and early Permian layers. Some, such as Lepidodendron, reached heights of up to 30 metres and formed forests in coastal lowland areas. Here again, there is no evidence of a gradual transition from aquatic to terrestrial forms, as a wide range of plant life appears abruptly, without any evolutionary ancestors.
The large-scale burial of this plant material also raises difficulties for evolutionary theory. This vast quantity of broken plant matter would have needed to be buried rapidly in order to produce the extensive coal beds found in many parts of the world.
Carboniferous coal layers are also covered by marine sediments. In many instances, layers of marine limestone are found both above and below the coal. This does not support the long-standing evolutionary claim that coal was formed slowly in freshwater environments. The late palaeontologist Jennifer Clack remarked that coal forest deposits overlain by marine sediments point to a widespread large-scale event.4
The Flood as the answer
The evolutionary model provides little explanation for the patterns observed in the fossil record. In contrast, the biblical account of a global flood offers a clear and consistent interpretation of the same evidence. As previously noted, Devonian strata are dominated by fish and other marine organisms. Directly above them, the Carboniferous layers contain a sudden appearance of terrestrial arthropods, lizard-like reptiles, amphibian forms, and coastal forest plants.
This pattern can be readily understood as the result of progressive destruction caused by global floodwaters similar to tsunamis. Powerful waves would have rapidly swept over coastal environments, leading to the burial of both plant and animal life in the Carboniferous layers, along with the formation of coal beds and the deposition of marine sediments.
By the way, we recommend reading the articles:
- Rainforests in Antarctica
- Lucy: Human Ancestor or Extinct Ape?
- Coprolites: Indisputable Evidence
- Why Were Extinct Trees the Most Complex?
- Who Were the Neanderthals?
Footnotes
- Tomkins, J.P., 2020. The Fossils Still Say No: The Cambrian Explosion. Acts & Facts, 49(12), pp.10–13.
- Clack, J., 2012. Emerging Into the Carboniferous: The First Phase. In: Clack, J. (ed.) Gaining Ground: The Origin and Evolution of Tetrapods. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
- Clack, J., 2012. East Kirkton and the Roots of the Modern Family Tree. In: Clack, J. (ed.) Gaining Ground: The Origin and Evolution of Tetrapods. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
- Clack, J., 2012. The Late Carboniferous: Expanding Horizons. In: Clack, J. (ed.) Gaining Ground: The Origin and Evolution of Tetrapods. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
- Benton, M.J., 2015. Early Tetrapods and Amphibians. In: Vertebrate Paleontology. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Tomkins, J.P., 2021. The Fossils Still Say No: Missing Early Evolution of Land Vertebrates. Acts & Facts, 50(4), pp.12–14.
- Tomkins, J.P., 2021. The Fossils Still Say No: The Fins-to-Feet Transition. Acts & Facts, 50(3), pp.12–14.
Based on: J. P. Tomkins, The Fossils Still Say No: Enigma of the Carboniferous Explosion, Acts & Facts, Institute for Creation Research, May 2021, pp. 11-13.
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