2006.08 Michigan Mastodons
1
AUGUST 2006 8 The Woodside News The Woodside News Section A Section A Michigan Mastodons A pile of mastodon bones- found not in a dusty museum basement but 6-9 feet underground-astonished road construction crews in Rochester Hills. Workers unearthed mastodon vertebrae, ribs, shoulders, long bones, enameled teeth, and tusks. The July 11 Detroit Free Press fea- tured them on its front page. Similar to woolly mam- moths, mastodons looked like large furry elephants with long up-curving tusks growing from the upper jaw. Mastodons stood 7-10 feet tall, were 15-20 feet long, and weighed 4-7 tons. Some fossil tusks are over 16 feet long. A mastodon molar fills a man’s hand. Now called the Adams Mastodon, the bones were found five miles from Woodside in a peat bog near Adams and M-59. Cranbrook Institute of Science Director and archaeologist Dr. Michael Stafford told me they recovered 30% of the skeleton. This is a large fossil find; often mastodon sites yield few bones. WHERE DID MASTODONS COME FROM? God created mastodons 6,000 years ago. Mastodons, mammoths, and ele- phants are probably variations within the same original created kind. Taxonomists use primarily molar structure to classify these animals. Scientists believe North American mammoths inhabited grasslands while mastodons preferred forests. Evolutionists claim mastodons roamed North America from 11,000- 3,750,000 years ago. Cranbrook scien- tists estimate the Adams Mastodon to be 12,000-14,000 years old. Not! ARE MASTODONS PREHISTORIC? No. Mastodons are not prehistoric because recorded history begins with Genesis 1:1, five days before God cre- ated mastodons on Day 6. Man hunted mastodons for food. Spear points have been found with some mastodon fossils. Some bones have flint marks from butchering, and fire remnants accompany others. Mastodon meat was stored in ponds for winter food. An Egyptian tomb painting featuring the ivory trade from around 1500 BC portrays either a mastodon or a mammoth. WHY DON’ T MASTODONS STILL ROAM ROCHESTER HILLS? They died out (duh!), probably from climatic and possibly human factors. Fossil bones prove mastodons once existed, but Noah’s Flood profoundly changed the world. The resulting new environment was apparently inhospitable for mastodons, and they eventually became extinct. HOW WAS THE ADAMS MASTODON FOSSILIZED? WHEN? Cranbrook speculates a mastodon strayed into the peat bog, was trapped, and died. Yet elephants—and likely the similar mastodons—have no trouble withdrawing from deep mud, for their legs shrink as they are lifted and thicken when planted. Moreover, for preservation, fossils require rapid burial. Otherwise the unfossilized remains would not survive scavengers and natural forces of ero- sion and decay. For example, buffalo once covered the western plains. From these millions of animals almost no fossils formed, because no water-borne sediments quickly buried and pre- served them. Worldwide, most fossils occur in sedimentary rock layers in vast “fossil graveyards” where myriad different plants and animals are buried together. Many appear in distressed or distorted positions. This unmistakably indicates sudden death and rapid burial by mas- sive worldwide flooding. Most fossils are remnants of the global year-long Genesis Flood. Flood waters probably swept away a mastodon and large vegetation mass and simultaneously deposited them to eventually form the Adams peat bog. The Adams Mastodon is likely a relic of Noah’s Flood 4,500 years ago. WHY IS CRANBROOK’S AGE ESTI- MATE DIFFERENT? Fossils have no dated death certifi- cates. Estimating age requires assump- tions about conditions at the time of burial and thereafter. For example, to estimate how long a candle burned, one must make assumptions about the candle’s initial height and shape (tapered, straight, fluted, etc.) and assumptions about the burn rate. Worldview strongly impacts dat- ing method assumptions. Evolutionists use radiometric dating methods which lead to contradictions with Scripture. These methods rely on unverifiable assumptions. How can one know the original ratio of parent element to daughter element? How can one be sure the sample was preserved from contamination by addition or loss of parent or daughter elements? How does one know the decay rate has remained constant? The greater the supposed age, the more likely the assumptions fail. ARE MASTODON FOSSILS PROOF OF EVOLUTION? No. Fossils—mastodon or otherwise— provide no evidence for evolution. They show only that a mastodon died and was rapidly buried. Fossils con- tribute nothing to an argument that one kind of animal changed into another. One cannot even know whether the fossil produced offspring for a conjectured evolutionary process. Fossils actually support creation and contradict evolution. The fossil record is characterized by abrupt appearance, constancy, and gaps. Life forms appear abruptly in the earth’s sedimentary layers with no pro- gressive ancestral development. This coincides with Scripture’s instanta- neous creation, but it contradicts evo- lution. Fossils exhibit constant form throughout rock layers with no signif- icant changes. Most fossils are either extinct or identical with living descendants. There are no lineages of gradual change from one organism into another. The fossil record is full of gaps between distinct life forms. There are no clearly recognized intermediate forms, although a few disputed cases exist. Why aren’t the sedimentary rock layers full of intermediate forms link- ing distinct life forms? Why aren’t museums overflowing with intermedi- ates? Why is there no fossil trace of “descent from common ancestors?” The fossil record displays repro- duction “after their kind,” but it defies evolution. If life evolved, the vast majority of fossils should be transition- al, exhibiting gradual changes. Googols of “missing links” are missing. Finding a few supposed missing links will not res- cue evolution. Trillions need to be found. ARE MASTODON FOSSILS BURIED AT WOODSIDE? Mastodon fossils occur throughout Oakland County. Near Pontiac, I- 75 construction uncov- ered many in 1965. The mastodon is the official state fossil of Michigan, found at over 250 sites statewide. When I visited the peat bog where the fossils were found a week earlier, it had been filled with sand to support a new road. A worker told me several nearby peat bogs remain to be excavat- ed. Additional fossil finds are possible. Could Woodside wetlands, although not peat bogs, contain mastodons buried by Noah’s Flood? Digs deep enough to check are unlike- ly. Though intriguing to speculate about Flood artifacts on church prop- erty, God alone knows. Dr. Pelletier may be contacted by email THE BIBLE AND SCIENCE BY WILLIAM T. PELLETIER, PH.D [WOODSIDE NEWS COLUMNIST] WILLIAM T. PELLETIER PH.D. CARTOON BY JO PELLETIER [SPECIAL TO WOODSIDE NEWS] PHOTO BY JO PELLETIER William Pelletier and Cranbrook staffer Stephen Pagnani hold mastodon molar Are huge bones found near Woodside relics of Noah’s Flood? at [email protected] ©2006 William T. Pelletier
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Mastodon bones—found not in a dusty museum basement but 6-9 feet underground—astonished road construction crews in July. Workers unearthed mastodon vertebrae, ribs, shoulders, long bones, tusks, and enameled teeth. Are these huge bones relics of Noah’s Flood? Bible and Science - William T. Pelletier, Ph.D. http://biblescienceguy.wordpress.com/articles/2006-articles/2006-08-michigan-mastodons/
Transcript of 2006.08 Michigan Mastodons
AUGUST 20068 The Woodside NewsThe Woodside NewsSection ASection A
MichiganMastodons
Apile of mastodon bones-found not in a dusty
museum basement but 6-9 feetunderground-astonished roadconstruction crews inRochester Hills. Workersunearthed mastodon vertebrae,ribs, shoulders, long bones,enameled teeth, and tusks. TheJuly 11 Detroit Free Press fea-tured them on its front page.
Similar to woolly mam-moths, mastodons looked like largefurry elephants with long up-curvingtusks growing from the upper jaw.Mastodons stood 7-10 feet tall, were15-20 feet long, and weighed 4-7 tons.Some fossil tusks are over 16 feet long.
A mastodon molar fills a man’s hand.Now called the Adams Mastodon,
the bones were found five miles fromWoodside in a peat bog near Adams andM-59. Cranbrook Institute of ScienceDirector and archaeologist Dr. MichaelStafford told me they recovered 30% ofthe skeleton. This is a large fossil find;often mastodon sites yield few bones.
WHERE DID MASTODONS
COME FROM?God created mastodons 6,000 yearsago. Mastodons, mammoths, and ele-phants are probably variations withinthe same original created kind.Taxonomists use primarily molarstructure to classify these animals.Scientists believe North Americanmammoths inhabited grasslands whilemastodons preferred forests.
Evolutionists claim mastodonsroamed North America from 11,000-3,750,000 years ago. Cranbrook scien-tists estimate the Adams Mastodon tobe 12,000-14,000 years old. Not!
ARE MASTODONS PREHISTORIC?No. Mastodons are not prehistoricbecause recorded history begins withGenesis 1:1, five days before God cre-ated mastodons on Day 6.
Man hunted mastodons for food.Spear points have been found withsome mastodon fossils. Some boneshave flint marks from butchering, andfire remnants accompany others.Mastodon meat was stored in pondsfor winter food. An Egyptian tombpainting featuring the ivory trade fromaround 1500 BC portrays either amastodon or a mammoth.
WHY DON’T MASTODONS STILL
ROAM ROCHESTER HILLS?They died out (duh!), probably fromclimatic and possibly human factors.
Fossil bones prove mastodonsonce existed, but Noah’sFlood profoundly changedthe world. The resulting newenvironment was apparentlyinhospitable for mastodons,and they eventually becameextinct.
HOW WAS THE ADAMS
MASTODON FOSSILIZED?WHEN?Cranbrook speculates amastodon strayed into thepeat bog, was trapped, anddied. Yet elephants—and
likely the similar mastodons—have notrouble withdrawing from deep mud,for their legs shrink as they are liftedand thicken when planted.
Moreover, for preservation, fossilsrequire rapid burial. Otherwise the
unfossilized remains would not survivescavengers and natural forces of ero-sion and decay. For example, buffaloonce covered the western plains. Fromthese millions of animals almost nofossils formed, because no water-bornesediments quickly buried and pre-served them.
Worldwide, most fossils occur insedimentary rock layers in vast “fossilgraveyards” where myriad differentplants and animals are buried together.Many appear in distressed or distortedpositions. This unmistakably indicatessudden death and rapid burial by mas-sive worldwide flooding. Most fossilsare remnants of the global year-longGenesis Flood.
Flood waters probably swept awaya mastodon and large vegetation massand simultaneously deposited them toeventually form the Adams peat bog.The Adams Mastodon is likely a relicof Noah’s Flood 4,500 years ago.
WHY IS CRANBROOK’S AGE ESTI-MATE DIFFERENT?Fossils have no dated death certifi-cates. Estimating age requires assump-tions about conditions at the time ofburial and thereafter. For example, toestimate how long a candle burned,one must make assumptions about thecandle’s initial height and shape(tapered, straight, fluted, etc.) andassumptions about the burn rate.
Worldview strongly impacts dat-ing method assumptions. Evolutionistsuse radiometric dating methods whichlead to contradictions with Scripture.These methods rely on unverifiableassumptions. How can one know theoriginal ratio of parent element todaughter element? How can one besure the sample was preserved fromcontamination by addition or loss ofparent or daughter elements? How
does one know the decay rate hasremained constant? The greater thesupposed age, the more likely theassumptions fail.
ARE MASTODON FOSSILS
PROOF OF EVOLUTION?No. Fossils—mastodon or otherwise—provide no evidence for evolution.They show only that a mastodon diedand was rapidly buried. Fossils con-tribute nothing to an argument thatone kind of animal changed intoanother. One cannot even knowwhether the fossil produced offspringfor a conjectured evolutionary process.
Fossils actually support creation
and contradict evolution. The fossilrecord is characterized by abruptappearance, constancy, and gaps.
Life forms appear abruptly in theearth’s sedimentary layers with no pro-gressive ancestral development. Thiscoincides with Scripture’s instanta-neous creation, but it contradicts evo-lution.
Fossils exhibit constant formthroughout rock layers with no signif-icant changes. Most fossils are eitherextinct or identical with livingdescendants. There are no lineages of
gradual change from one organisminto another.
The fossil record is full of gapsbetween distinct life forms. There areno clearly recognized intermediateforms, although a few disputed casesexist. Why aren’t the sedimentary rocklayers full of intermediate forms link-ing distinct life forms? Why aren’tmuseums overflowing with intermedi-ates? Why is there no fossil trace of“descent from common ancestors?”
The fossil record displays repro-duction “after their kind,” but it defiesevolution. If life evolved, the vastmajority of fossils should be transition-al, exhibiting gradual changes.
Googols of “missinglinks” are missing.Finding a few supposedmissing links will not res-cue evolution. Trillionsneed to be found.
ARE MASTODON
FOSSILS BURIED
AT WOODSIDE?Mastodon fossils occurthroughout OaklandCounty. Near Pontiac, I-75 construction uncov-ered many in 1965. Themastodon is the officialstate fossil of Michigan,found at over 250 sitesstatewide.
When I visited thepeat bog where the fossilswere found a week earlier, it
had been filled with sand to support anew road. A worker told me severalnearby peat bogs remain to be excavat-ed. Additional fossil finds are possible.
Could Woodside wetlands,although not peat bogs, containmastodons buried by Noah’s Flood?Digs deep enough to check are unlike-ly. Though intriguing to speculateabout Flood artifacts on church prop-erty, God alone knows.
Dr. Pelletier may be contacted by email
THE BIBLE AND SCIENCE BY WILLIAM T. PELLETIER, PH.D [WOODSIDE NEWS COLUMNIST]
WILLIAM T. PELLETIERPH.D.
CARTOON BY JO PELLETIER [SPECIAL TO WOODSIDE NEWS]
PHO
TO B
Y JO PELLETIER
William Pelletier and Cranbrook staffer StephenPagnani hold mastodon molar
Are huge bones foundnear Woodside relics
of Noah’s Flood?
at [email protected]©2006 William T. Pelletier
