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Finding an answer to Darwin’s Dilemma
Press Relief Queen's University ^ | 7 December 2006 | Staff

Posted on 12/10/2006 5:29:49 PM PST by shrinkermd

Oxygen may be the clue to first appearance of large animals, says Queen’s prof

The sudden appearance of large animal fossils more than 500 million years ago – a problem that perplexed even Charles Darwin and is commonly known as “Darwin’s Dilemma” – may be due to a huge increase of oxygen in the world’s oceans, says Queen’s paleontologist Guy Narbonne, an expert in the early evolution of animals and their ecosystems.

In 2002, Dr. Narbonne and his research team found the world’s oldest complex life forms between layers of sandstone on the southeastern coast of Newfoundland. This pushed back the age of Earth’s earliest known complex life to more than 575 million years ago, soon after the melting of the massive “snowball” glaciers. New findings reported today shed light on why, after three billion years of mostly single-celled evolution, these large animals suddenly appeared in the fossil record.

In a paper published on-line in Science Express, Dr. Narbonne’s team argues that a huge increase in oxygen following the Gaskiers Glaciation 580 million years ago corresponds with the first appearance of large animal fossils on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland.

Now for the first time, geochemical studies have determined the oxygen levels in the world’s oceans at the time these sediments accumulated in Avalon. “Our studies show that the oldest sediments on the Avalon Peninsula, which completely lack animal fossils, were deposited during a time when there was little or no free oxygen in the world’s oceans,” says Dr. Narbonne. “Immediately after this ice age there is evidence for a huge increase in atmospheric oxygento at least 15 per cent of modern levels, and these sediments also contain evidence of the oldest large animal fossils.”

Also on the research team are Don Canfield (University of Southern Denmark) and Simon Poulton (Newcastle University, U.K.). Geochemical studies by Drs. Canfield and Poulton included measurements of iron speciation and sulphur isotopes to determine the oxygen levels in the world’s oceans at the time these sediments accumulated in Avalon.

The close connection between the first appearance of oxygenated conditions in the world’s oceans and the first appearance of large animal fossils confirms the importance of oxygen as a trigger for the early evolution of animals, the researchers say. They hypothesize that melting glaciers increased the amount of nutrients in the ocean and led to a proliferation of single-celled organisms that liberated oxygen through photosynthesis. This began an evolutionary radiation that led to complex communities of filter-feeding animals, then mobile bilateral animals, and ultimately to the Cambrian “explosion” of skeletal animals 542 million years ago.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Unclassified
KEYWORDS: crevolist; darwins; dilema; evolution; goddoodit; junk; speculation; tiresome
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To: Coyoteman
You are confusing science and religion.

The confusion lies with you. You are confusing religion and God. There are lots of religions out there BUT there is only ONE God. And that ONE God is composed of three - The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Try figuring that out while you are chasing your tail understanding how The Universe and every living thing came into being. There is a Book out there - but let it collect dust - until you are serious about The Truth.

to the findings of science, which deals with the natural,perceivable, world.

Who made the natural world? It's God universe. His Words contained in His Book ARE perceivable but His Book has to be opened first and then studied with a will to know. Evolution is not science, only claims to be to 'try' to obtain some credibility. It is totally in opposition to God's Word, therefore, it is deception.

God's way of doing things are supernatural - because that is who HE is. Thus, the natural man cannot understand - 'speak things into existance' 'breath life into a human' are beyond man's understanding, as they should be, we aren't supernatural. But man and his ego come up w/an alternative solution to creation - something they can understand and theorize about. It's a pride thing and we know where that comes from and where it leads.

Your religious belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge.

Sorry, when it comes to evolution - it most certainly does - but leave out the 'scientific' because that doesn't apply to evolution. Also, leave out the 'religious'. God's Word is evidence. If our Supernatural God has spoken about His Creation - and His Word about His Creation - isn't good enough for you, then believe one of His creations with a finite mind, evo's pride themselves on 'knowing'. Yet, deception stares them in the face and they can't see it. Pride does have it's pitfalls.

The evolution theory has created careers for some and they will defend it - less they loose things of value to them. Their soul not being one of them.
101 posted on 12/11/2006 10:29:27 PM PST by presently no screen name
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To: Central Scrutiniser
Not true.

I can use various sciences to accomplish things, while also understanding that the conclusions some people make from them may ultimately be wrong. This applies even more to the more theoretical sciences such as the dynamics of a pulsar to dissecting a quark, or somehow seeing the origin of man in a yet unfound common animal ancestor to the ape when not even a solid leap from one class to another can be shown in the lower forms.

Also you seem to mis-categorize as science things that are not or, rather not new. And also as a supposedly learned person, you gave a terrible grasp of history.
102 posted on 12/11/2006 10:39:22 PM PST by RunningWolf (2-1 Cav 1975)
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To: Central Scrutiniser
You are so threatened by knowledge.

'ya think? God says my people suffer for a lack of knowledge. Since I choose not to suffer, I obtained knowledge.

You are threatened by knowledge, you choose the 'head in the sand' approach to Truth. "I can't be held accountable for something I don't believe in or don't know" syndrome. But you are, anyway.

You ignore the science and embrace what you want.

Evolution is not science, it's deception. I do embrace what I want - The Truth.
103 posted on 12/11/2006 10:50:13 PM PST by presently no screen name
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To: FFIGHTER

WOW!!!!

A giant's graveyard!



104 posted on 12/12/2006 6:21:16 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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To: Central Scrutiniser; RunningWolf

Wolf = DOGma

Cool!

I like it!


105 posted on 12/12/2006 6:30:43 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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To: Central Scrutiniser
Its a book written to be understood by illiterate herdsman ...

Huh?

How can someone ILLITERATE understand a BOOK???

106 posted on 12/12/2006 6:32:10 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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To: Elsie

You're right, Elsie, they can't. Where truth doesn't exist, out comes non-truth. Garbage in, garbage out.


107 posted on 12/12/2006 8:37:03 AM PST by presently no screen name
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To: Central Scrutiniser
Oh, the bible really teaches us so much about science?

Yes, but obviously you haven't read too much since you didn't know.

Where does it talk about all the planets and the moons? Plate tectonics? How to make medicine? Trigonometry? Fluid dynamics and modelling? Meterology? Metallurgy? Biology, DNA, xray technology, aeronautics, weather forecasting, electronics, gravity, etc.

Some of that is in there, you'd find it if you read it yourself. So,.. what? Isn't the Bible long enough for you? You think more should have been added to make it a more commplete science text? Why? And what if it was more complete? If it disagreed with the current state of scientific knowledge, scientists would STILL say it's wrong when it could very well be the science that's wrong. It's happened before you know. That's why science constantly changes as new data comes in; because the stuff before was wrong. So how can you use something that's wrong to disprove something else? That doesn't work.

I want you to completely and totally live literally from the bible and abandon all science that is not expressly explained in detail within. Electronics and the internet aren't in the bible, so you should just sign off now.

ROTFLMBO!!! And just who are you to make demands to others about how they should live? Why does it have to be according to your interpretation? Show me some verses that indicate that the Bible must be taken literally in all circumstances. Show me some verses that say we are not to avail ourselves of current technology for use in our everyday lives. Where is this wrong? Show me some verses that we are not to do anything not mentioned in the Bible. Why should your arbitrary non-Biblical standards be adhered to?

108 posted on 12/12/2006 9:32:54 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Central Scrutiniser
Starting out by thinking that the world is only 5-10 thousand years old, not based on any evidence, just what the bible says...

Please provide the Scripture reference to demonstrate that the Bible itself says the world is 5,000 - 10,000 years old. I've read a good deal of it many times and never came across that verse. Perhaps it's in YOUR version?

109 posted on 12/12/2006 9:35:28 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: metmom
If you listened to him you would be forced to abandon much of what was contemporary back then like math engineering and navigation.

Thats whats odd here, they seem to want to separate things and declare that science (meaning they) 'owns' math and such because 'its science' which is false of course, because you had math engineering astronomy agriculture navigation etc., before the evolutionists were around to proclaim discovery and that science had ownership of .

I guess we should be thankful though that they 'invented gravity' for us, otherwise everything would have flown apart by now LOL
110 posted on 12/12/2006 9:48:05 AM PST by RunningWolf (2-1 Cav 1975)
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To: metmom
Well, metmom, I think that what happened is that he assumed you were of the same opinion as most creationists that the earth is some 6000 years old. This date is reached by adding up the given ages of biblical figures and then matching known dates to events described in the rest of the bible.

If you do not believe that earth is only 6000 years old, why then do you not accept evolution? One could easily interpret the passages of Genesis to be a description of God laying the foundations of life. With evolution taking place thereafter.
Genesis 1:20, And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

Sounds like a decent enough description of the beginning of life to me (except that there's about 400 million years between the first land animals and "fowl", and some 3.5 billion years between the first life and the first land creatures, but we'll let that slide). But you seem to be certain there is just no way that this is the case. Why is that? Why are these passages meant to be taken literally, viz., they are not open to interpretation or allegorical reading, but the words of Jesus are?

I don't understand how you make the distinction between the two.
111 posted on 12/12/2006 10:47:21 AM PST by 49th (Freedom is the distance between Church and State)
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To: kittycatonline.com

If I divide my age by the sum of my granddaughters' age + e, I get pi.


112 posted on 12/12/2006 11:19:42 AM PST by UpAllNight
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To: 49th
Sounds like a decent enough description of the beginning of life to me (except that there's about 400 million years between the first land animals and "fowl", and some 3.5 billion years between the first life and the first land creatures, but we'll let that slide).
 
Let's see if there are OTHER verses that muight shed light on how fast GOD works.....
 

Isa 48:3 ... I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of My mouth, and I shewed them; I did [them] SUDDENLY, and they came to pass.

Indeed!!

Genesis 1
1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3. And God
said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

This is a GOD who creates by speaking; but; how LONG did it take?


Now Jesus was a man who had God-like powers. Was HE God? The Book says so.......

NIV Colossians 1:13-17
13. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
14. in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

NIV Revelation 4:11
"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

NIV Revelation 10:6
And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay!

 

Notice that when this man speaks, things happen RIGHT NOW! Not after some times passes and Nature takes it's course.

NIV Matthew 8:2-3
2. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he

said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.

NIV Matthew 21:19
Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he
said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

NIV Mark 1:41-42
41. Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he
said. "Be clean!"
42. Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

NIV Mark 5:41-42
41. He took her by the hand and
said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!").
42. Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.

NIV Mark 10:51-52
51. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
52. "Go,"
said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

NIV Luke 5:13
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he
said. "Be clean!" And Immediately the leprosy left him.

NIV Luke 5:24-25
24. But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." He
said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."
25. Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.

NIV Luke 8:44
She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and Immediately her bleeding stopped.

NIV Luke 13:12-13
12. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and
said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity."
13. Then he put his hands on her, and Immediately she straightened up and praised God.

NIV Luke 18:42-43
42. Jesus
said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."
43. Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

NIV Acts 9:33-35
33. There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years.
34. "Aeneas," Peter
said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up.
35. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

NIV Matthew 8:13
 Then Jesus
said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.

NIV Matthew 15:28
 Then Jesus
answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

 

Now if this same personage, who does things in an instant; how LONG would it take Him to CREATE all that we find around us???



113 posted on 12/12/2006 11:36:20 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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To: UpAllNight

If I'm real quick to the dessert table on Thanksgiving; I, too, get pie!


114 posted on 12/12/2006 11:37:18 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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To: Elsie
Your command of scripture is impressive, no doubt you have spent many hours pouring over the bible and it gives comfort to you and provides you with structure in your life. Kudos.

I, however, do not feel that way. I OWN a bible, yes, and from time to time I pick it up and read the odd passage and think to myself; "wow, that Jesus fellow really had some wonderful things to say, it's a pity no one listened."

I have spent enough time reading, thinking, and talking about the bible and the fables of Christianity to come to the following conclusion:

If, someday, somehow, it is conclusively proven that the Earth and the Universe as a whole are less than ten thousand years old, and that a global flood covered the whole planet, and that the kangaroos somehow made it to Australia from central asia, and the Natives of America colonized two whole continents and entirely lost all trappings of literary society in the short span of time they had to spread out from Mount Sinai, and that we are all descended from two people, one made of mud, and the other from the first one's rib, I will be very surprised, but I will say, "Gosh, I guess it's all true then." And then can you guess what I'll say?

I will say, "I'm sure glad Eve ate that apple, 'cause I'd rather be a thinking person than a thoughtless, worshiping, naked puppet. To heck with God if he's so petty." And I'll take my eternal damnation like a man.

Until such time, I will continue to think of the Bible as an excellent archaeological tool with some good advice on how to be a decent, happy person. And I will accept the evidence I find, and that other people find with their eyes, ears, and hands as being accurate.
115 posted on 12/12/2006 12:25:52 PM PST by 49th (Freedom is the distance between Church and State)
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To: 49th
And I will accept the evidence I find...

Ok then, but just remember; it's not just the evidence, but the interpretation thereof that makes a difference.

I'll tell you up front that you will probably NOT find any 'evidence' for the things you spoke of.


 

NIV John 20:24-31
 24.  Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
 25.  So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"   But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
 26.  A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"
 27.  Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
 28.  Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
 29.  Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
 30.  Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
 31.  But these are written that you may  believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

116 posted on 12/12/2006 1:13:06 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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To: 49th
I will continue to think of the Bible as an excellent archaeological tool with some good advice on how to be a decent, happy person.

Seems funny; but this isn't the message that most think the Book is about.

117 posted on 12/12/2006 1:14:40 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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To: 49th
 I OWN a bible, yes, and from time to time I pick it up and read the odd passage and think to myself; "wow, that Jesus fellow really had some wonderful things to say, it's a pity no one listened."

I have spent enough time reading, thinking, and talking about the bible and the fables of Christianity to come to the following conclusion:
 
 
 
 
You didn't learn History, or English or Algebra this way....

118 posted on 12/12/2006 1:16:42 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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To: shrinkermd
They hypothesize that melting glaciers increased the amount of nutrients in the ocean and led to a proliferation of single-celled organisms that liberated oxygen through photosynthesis.

It seems just as likely that the temperature increase that melted the glaciers allowed for an extended range of ocean-going, oxygen producing microorganisms.  

Or there was a combination of both.

119 posted on 12/12/2006 1:30:03 PM PST by Psycho_Bunny
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To: Psycho_Bunny

Isn't that why you're supposed to refrigerate food, to slow down bacterial growth? Of course the warmer water would encourage bacterial growth. Nutrient content also wouldn't be quite so critical if the single celled organisms were able to perform photosyntehsis.


120 posted on 12/12/2006 3:00:54 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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