Another day, another magnificent transitional fossil.
The new fossil, a chappy called Gerobatrachus hottoni, proves that some modern amphibians, frogs and salamanders evolved from an ancient amphibian group called temnospondyls. The fossil has both frog and salamander features - it has two fused bones in the ankle normally only seen in salamanders, as well as a lightly built and wide skull similar to that of a frog. It also gives us a good indication of when the split between salamanders and frogs occurred - about 240 and 275 million years ago.
If you are a creationist or IDer, you're probably going 'la la la' and pretending this doesn't mean anything. Inside though... inside, your stomach must be knotting, even as you decry evolution and tell your lies; 'If evolution is true, why are there no transitional fossils..?'
Every time scientists find one of these things, that knot must be getting tighter and tighter. One of these days it might kill their adherence to their discredited belief in the palpably untrue.
Fuck 'em and their lies.
In fact, stitch Job 13:7-12:
7 Are you defending God with lies? Do you make your dishonest arguments for his sake?
8 Will you slant your testimony in his favor? Will you argue God’s case for him?
9 What will happen when he finds out what you are doing? Can you fool him as easily as you fool people?
10 No, you will be in trouble with him if you secretly slant your testimony in his favor.
11 Doesn’t his majesty terrify you? Doesn’t your fear of him overwhelm you?
12 Your platitudes are as valuable as ashes. Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot.
They've made the claim that God is available to be seen in the science. Trouble is, we keep finding the science that proves God wasn't anywhere near the things the creationists and IDers would insist God had a personal hand in. There's fewer and fewer gaps where God can be hiding and they're getting closed all the time, so they've just forced themselves into a place where they cannot possibly win.
The more time that passes, the more discoveries scientists make, the stupider they look and the more obvious it is they're liars.
Still, as much as they annoy the piss out of me, I must give them their due, and thank them profusely. As a direct consequence of their bullshit, my interest in, and knowledge of science, and particularly evolution, has gone through the roof. Before I was quite happy that evolution was the explanation for what we see. Now I can explain why it is.
So thank you Creationists. Thank you IDers. Thank you Ben Stein. Fuckwits one and all, but praise where it's due: I probably wouldn't have come this far without you.
