by Bill Nugent
Article #182
National Geographic Magazine is a major bastion of evolution and so their frank admission of being duped by a fabricated fossil is noteworthy. The idea that dinosaurs evolved into birds has long been promoted by National Geographic and also by NatureMagazine, another institution of establishment evolutionism.
The evidence for their highly speculative ‘dino-to-birds’ theory has largely consisted of fossils illegally exported from China. China restricts the export of fossils discovered within its borders. Nevertheless a flourishing black market trade in fossils has provided fossils that appear to be dinosaur bones with the remains of feathers. There is now abundant evidence that the famous Archaeoraptor fossil and others were not only exported from China but also MANUFACTURED in China!
National Geographic admitted that the much publicized Archaeoraptor dinosaur-bird fossil is a composite of fossilized remains of different animals. It published this admission in the ‘Forum’ section of the March, 2000 issue. You can read quotes from National Geographic’s retraction in the article titled Archaeoraptor Hoax Update — National Geographic Recantswhich is available at answersingenesis.org (just type ‘fake Chinese fossils’ in the search box at answersingenesis.org).
National Geographic’s admission came just a couple of months after Storrs Olsen, Curator of Birds, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. wrote a scathing open letter deploring the sloppy science employed byNational Geographic and Nature. Regarding feathered dinosaurs, Olsen wrote, “Truth and careful scientific weighing of scientific evidence have been among the first casualties of their program, which is fast becoming one of the grander scientific hoaxes of our age — the paleontological equivalent of cold fusion.”
A February 19, 2000 New Scientist article describes the degree of fakery in the illegal Chinese fossil trade. Paleontologist Craig Derstler of Univ. of New Orleans is quoted as saying “Almost every one I’ve seen on the commercial market has some reconstruction to make it look prettier.” Dr. Larry Martin of the University of Kansas is another scientist concerned about the fact that Chinese farmers have been enticed into fabricating marketable fossils. Martin said “The farmers do not believe this is wrong, they look at it as restoring an art object to make it more marketable. The whole commercial market for fossils has gotten riddled with fakery.” (Jeff Hecht, article ‘F is for fake’ New Scientist 165 (2226): 12, Feb. 19, 2000). X-rays and CT scans of the fossils reveal adhesives and fake rock.
You’ll notice that every source cited above is over five years old. Yet the press continues to churn out articles supporting dino to bird evolution based on these and other fabricated fossils!
I have long pointed out that if paleontologists have sincerely wanted to test evolution by the fossil record they need look no further than the many millions of fossil marine invertebrates such as clams, snails and crabs. These mollusks and crustaceans have mostly hard body parts that fossilize very well and provide fossil evidence of complete specimens. Their short life spans and prolific reproduction make them an ideal natural laboratory for viewing the possibility of evolution and for testing the validity of the theory.
About 95% of all fossils ever discovered are marine invertebrates and it is undoubtedly the most complete record of any animal type. These fossils are almost never discussed front and center because there are no transitional forms in this voluminous record! Philip Johnson has said “Where the fossil record is most complete is where it is most anti-Darwinian.” The marine invertebrate fossil record and the insect fossil record (which I’ve also discussed from time to time) falsifies the theory of evolution in a dramatic and conclusive way.
Evolution is deeply ingrained in the scientific education establishment. Scientists who openly oppose evolution are routinely denied career advancement or denied publication of their papers in peer reviewed journals. This has resulted in the tenacious staying power of evolution. Hoaxes, when they confirm cherished theories, have staying power. There have been many hoaxes such as Nebraska Man, Piltdown Man and Haeckel’s embryonic recapitulation drawings that were used to buttress evolution. Feathered dinosaurs is just one more hoax used to support the biggest hoax of all — evolution itself.