by Bill Nugent
Article #139
The CAT scan has not only revolutionized diagnostic medicine but in a way has also revolutionized the study of fossil skulls. Dr. Fred Spoor, Anatomist at University College, London and joint editor of the Journal of Human Evolution has done CAT scans of many fossil skulls put forward by paleoanthropologists as potential human ancestors.
In addition to Dr. Spoor’s CAT scans much other evidence has also been gathered. This has resulted in the downgrading of many famous skulls as fully ape and the upgrading of other fossil skulls as fully human.
Australopithecus (meaning “southern ape”) is the classification of a number of fossils of alleged human ancestors found in Africa. Among them is the famous fossil named “Lucy” discovered by Donald Johanson in Ethiopia in 1974. Casts of Lucy’s bones were made and shipped all over the world to be displayed in museums as an ape-woman. Lucy was depicted as the perfect transition between ape and human with ape-like facial features yet an upright human body.
One can only imagine the momentum this gave to the acceptance of the theory of evolution as millions of people viewed the Lucy displays. The displays served to undermine the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, that teaches that human beings are unique, distinct creatures created in God’s image.
It is now abundantly apparent that the museum displays of Lucy were not at all accurate because, among other things, the original Lucy skeleton was only 40% complete and did not include the upper jaw, most of the skull, nor hand or foot bones. The museum displays were therefore largely based on speculation and educated guesses. It was, as we so often see in paleoanthropology, educated men making educated guesses. It was poor science.
In time other parts of Australopithecus (same species as Lucy) skeletons were found which “have the long curved fingers and toes of tree dwellers, as well as the restricted wrist anatomy of knuckle walking chimpanzees and gorillas” (quoted from the article: Are There Ape-Men in Your Ancestry? by Russell Grigg M. Sc., Creation Magazine Vol. 25 No. 1 Dec. 2002-2003 p. 16-19.)
This discovery of more skeleton parts of the same species as Lucy served to prove that Lucy and all Australopithenes are fully ape and are not part human.
Dr. Fred Spoor did CAT scans of the inner ear regions of fossilAustralopithecus skulls. The inner ear determines balance and posture. The CAT scans of the inner ear bone structure revealed that Australopithecus did not walk upright. According to Spoor, the inner ear structures resemble those of apes that are alive today. CAT scans were not available in 1974 and if they were theAustralopithecus as human ancestor hoax would likely have never happened. Lucy is fully ape and not ape-human.
This brings us to the classification Homo habilus (means “handy man”). In this group is Richard Leakey’s famous skull: KNM-ER 1470 which he discovered in Kenya in 1972. I recommend an article titled The Rise and Fall of Skull KNM-ER 1470 Creation Ex Nihilo Journal 13(2):96-100 1999 which describes skull 1470’s downgrade to ape status. The article (available online atanswersingenesis.org) quotes many evolutionists to make the case for skull 1470’s downgrade.
Dr. Spoor did a CAT scan of a Homo habilus skull called Stw 53 and found that the inner ear structure indicated that it walked similar to a baboon. “Today most researchers, including Spoor regard Homo habilus as ‘a wastebin of various species’, including bits and pieces from Australopithecus and Homo erectus. and not as a valid category” (quoted from: Are There Ape-Men in Your Ancestry).
Now to the classification Homo erectus. Dr. Spoor’s CAT scans ofHomo erectus skulls show that they did walk upright. This and other features of Homo erectus reveal they were fully human. Through Spoor’s CAT scans and other evidence we have seen that the fossil skulls are either fully ape or fully human. None are transitional forms. None are ape-human. None confirm evolution. This outcome serves to confirm the truth of the book of Genesis.
It is gratifying yet ironic that it is largely the work of evolutionists doing basic research in paleoanthropology that has downgraded many famous fossil skulls and confirmed the creationist position. Basic researchers generally have the integrity to debunk a famous fossil because they work very close to the raw scientific evidence. It is sad that many textbook writers who are a step or two removed from the basic research still include famous fossils in textbooks as ape-men and ignore the fact that they were downgraded to fully ape status.
The missing links are still missing. The best evidence points to the fact that humans are distinct beings. The Bible teaches that God created human beings in His own image and we each possess a spirit and a soul that will, like God, live forever. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1: 27).