The theory of evolution had a slow start when Charles Darwin first proposed it. Acceptance had been slow, though now it is widely accepted in the scientific community in general. That theory might be threatened, though, as a critical flaw in fossil research has been revealed. This has made some to ask, is the theory of evolution false?
Much of research on evolution is now under question as there is said to be a flaw in how data has been analyzed. A study from the University of Reading has shown that much of the biodiversity of the Earth is actually dynamic. New species constantly appear, and there have been more stable periods than previously known.
It has been accepted prior to the study that the Earth's plant and animal life are close to capacity. It has also been said that it has been stable. Any indication of species becoming extinct rapidly is said to be caused by the poor fossil record. The new study though aims to challenge those assumptions.
Dr. Manabu Sakomoto and Dr. Chris Venditti are from Reading while Dr. Michael Benton is from Bristol. In their study, they said that a technique that is being used to correct fossil records might actually be giving misleading results, according to Phys Org.
The method that has come into question states that there are variations in the number of fossils at any time. This reflects on how much rock is available for it. Yet the researchers have run simulations to test this method, and they have come up with no correct result in any of the tests they have run, as the University of Bristol reports.
Professor Benton said that fossil diversity has been explained through variations in the rock volume. He went on to say that there are many cases where there were to time periods that could be found in the same rock. Fossil diversity however still varied greatly.
Is Theory Of Evolution False?
With the study questioning the present method of how explaining how life evolved, is the theory of evolution false? The critical flaw in fossil research might reveal something, though there would still be much analysis to be made. Earlier DNA analysis hints that chimpanzees and bonobos might have interbred in the past.
