Fossil Hominids: Feedback

I have received many letters thanking me for the Fossil Hominids pages, some of which are printed below. They are much appreciated; it is a pleasure to know that the FAQ is being used, particularly by teachers in both universities and schools. (Follow this link to send feedback.)

And, of course, I also get some negative feedback, which I have included near the bottom of this page.

From Time magazine's online edition, July 23 2001: "One of the single best web resources on human evolution"

From the Netwatch column in the Nov. 20, 1998 issue of Science, one of the world's most prestigious scientific journals:

Part of a site that counters creationist claims, Fossil Hominids reviews the evidence on questions such as whether Peking Man was an ape and the significance of human brain size. The wealth of information here includes background on key fossils, drawings and photos, scientists' biographies, references, and lots of paleoanthropology links.

Just a quick note from a fan in Africa. You have a great site - very interesting, and packed with info. Perfect for people with more than just a passing interest in Hominid evolution. Your efforts are much appreciated.
Ingrid

Dear Mr. Jim Foley,
I am a student at Rutherford B. Hayes High School. I cannot thank you enough for the up to date information you have provided me with. I am doing a project on the evolution of man, and your website has become the core resource I have used. This is because of the depth of new information. I cannot thank you enough. I prefer to use books, except none of them can keep up with the changings of science at the pace you have. I thank you again. I have recommended your website to my teacher as one of the best on the web.
Nick S.

Great pages. Like the fossil summary and timeline.You are wasting your time with those creationists though. They have a limited narrow view of a little God. The fossil record allows us a peek of the work of a God as big as the universe. good luck.
David B.

Great page and keep up the good work.. I graduated with a degree in Anthropology from the University of Illinois in 1988 (also in Economics where I am currently working)and have been debating friends and relatives ever since about Evolution vs Creationism... It is nice to finally have some current and up to date info so I can stay informed.
Ken DeMarco

Just a brief note to tell you that I greatly appreciate your webpages on Human Evolution. Having taught physical anthropology as a major portion of an Earth Science class for 30 years (I am now retired) I like to keep updated on what is going on. Your pages allow me to do this.
Olin Shotwell

Please add my humble name to the list of far more illustrious persons who thank you for your Origins website. Neither paleoanthropologist nor professor, researcher nor university student, I am merely a "retired" housewife new to the Web and grateful to find something on it of such quality. I've casually followed hominid fossil discoveries, classification debates, creationist arguments and scientific rebuttals most of my adult life but have never before found such a clear, concise and readable summation as yours. Thank you so much!

Thank you for an oasis of sanity in a sea of stupidity. It's sites like these that make the internet a less hostile environment for the human brain. This site is a finer source of information than 90% of texts on the subject and I have sent many students in tutorials off to see what your hard work has wrought. Cheers thanx again.
tony

Thank-you for providing a brief yet concise argument for the evolution of humans and apes from a common ancestor. This will enable me to present to my friends of religious persuasion who shout down conflicting views. I often find with such people either a terrible worry that previously held religious convictions will be shattered; or a self-righteous belief of their own infallibility,
Andrew H. (soon to be student of Archaeology and Anthropology)

Thanks for a terrific site!! I've never seen so much great information in one place! I read through many of the "negative" responses to your site. I am always amazed that "intelligent" people can be so blind. My own faith is in no way comprimised by evolution. Particularly since many christians believe in the idea of "free will", the idea that a supreme being created us in its image and then gave us free rein to go our way and make the most of it, without devine intervention. So why does that idea not hold any weight for evolution? A supreme being creating the world or universe, and letting it go its own way, come what may? And here we are! I see no conflict between science and religion. Keep up the great work! Thanks! p.s. when do you have the time??
Dan Wiederkehr, high school science teacher,Topsham, ME.

Thank you so much for the excellent site on the recent developments in paleoanthropology. I found everything I needed for my biology class in one area!

Just wanted to urge you to keep on fighting the good fight. It seems that many of our fellow 'anatomically moderns' are still quite terrified of that darkness beyond the campfire light. Is it really such a wholly repugnant thing to consider ourselves a part of the animal kingdom? Is it so difficult to let go of that medieval kind of sensibility and see ourselves as regular members of the biological community; not as some elite, card-carrying, blessed ones who got to pass go when the heirarchy was handed out.
Forgive me, I rant. Just wanted to let you know that I'm on the team. To all the creationists out there who might at this moment be scheming behind your circled wagons: Humans are animals, subject to the selective whims of the environment just like any other beast. I know it's hard, but don't be afraid. Come on out. We won't bite.
Matthew Hilbert

I just want to say, this has got to be the best internet page I've ever visited. Thanks for making revision and essay writing so interesting.Now could you encourage the Biochemistry department to do the same???
Laura Menez

Great page!! I teach a large section of undergraduate majors here at UF and I used your page as a ref for the class.
Mike Moulton

I am writing a paper for an evolution class in which I am currently enrolled. Your website has helped me a lot. I have learned more from your site than I have from the textbook I purchased for class. I will get a great grade on my paper, and it's all thanks to you!
Kara Zylstra

I would like to take a moment to express my thanks. I am a middle school science teacher tackling the teaching of evolution. I find my students often know more than I do, or at least they try to ask the most obscure questions. Your website has helped me more than I can say.
Thank you again,
Carrie Arnett

Many thanks for this terrific site. Human origins is a lifelong interest of mine, and I have been interested in "creation science" (so-called) for years as well. I particularly enjoyed your information about recent discoveries and taxonomic theories. Interesting links also. Again, thanks very much.

John B.

I would like to thank you for this website. It has enabled me to allow my students to see the "larger" picture of human evolution. Continue the good work

THANK YOU!!!!!! I've needed someplace to point people who ask about the creationists' ridiculous claims and I don't always have the time to go into detail with each of them. I'm still waiting for the moment when they begin to demand that we teach Magic 101 as a counter for Electromagnetic Theory. Scary thing is, they're really, really good at making their idiocies sound like something democratic -- well, at least, until someone suggests also teaching the creation myths of the Hopi or the !Kung.
Frank Mosca

Thank you for this great article! I'm a freshman in high school and in my Biology class we are studying evolution. I needed to do a project on how Physical Anthropology supports Evolution. After surfing the web for an hour and a half, I was about to give up, but then I stumbled on your site and it saved the day! It provided me with the appropriate info I needed. Thank you soooo much!

Jacki

From the October 97 issue of Natural History, the magazine of the American Museum of Natural History: Two related sites worth looking at are: ...; and Paleoanthropology Fiction (www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/fiction.html) which has reviews of books that bring our most ancient ancestors to life with varying degrees of scientific accuracy.

I'm not one to usually send "fan mail", being a News lurker.
However, I'd like to express my admiration for the work you've done in this page.
I imagine a great deal of effort had to go into the collating of the responses to creationist errors of fact or omission.
The web does have its high points, and your page is one of them.

Keith Cohen

brilliant! Give this person a knighthood. Or money. Or both.

Laurie

Thanks for taking the trouble to develop the Talk.origins archive site. My daughter's biology teacher is trying to impose creationism as an acceptable alternative to evolution. Now we have some ammunition to counter her arguments.

David Forbes

this is a fantastic web site for the begining anthropologist. it was a great help to me. i learned more from browsing your site than i learned in more than half of a semister in my anthropology class in college. thanks again for having such a great site. keep up the good work.

What a great site. I'm sure I will make it a resource in the future. It's great to have real information to refer to when the need arises. Please accept my personal thanks for this great work.

Odin Maxwell

Dear Jim,

Your FAQ is really useful. Students have been using it; I pointed some in that direction, others have discovered it for themselves. It's as good as your average textbook, and much more succinct of course. I recommended it at a recent science teachers' meeting that I addressed, and so did Richard Allan (author of the schools text, "Human Origins").

I haven't been speaking to any creationists lately, but rest assured I will recommend it to them as well. It will at any rate force them to admit that their views are based on thin air alone...

Colin Groves
Reader in Biological Anthropology
Department of Archeology and Anthropology
Australian National University

Hi Jim!

Now that classes are over for the summer I finally got a chance to look over your Fossil Hominids FAQ. You've done an extraordinary job of organizing and simplifying the mass of data and theory on the subject. My hat's off to you - I could not have done it so well myself.

I wonder, had you known how much work this would be at the beginning, whether you would have undertaken such a vast project. It's a tribute to your character and intellect that you persevered. I will definitely point my Human Evolution students toward it as an excellent study resource, and probably refer to it often myself.

Thanks! Your efforts are deeply appreciated.

Randy Skelton
(Randy is a physical anthropologist at the University of Montana, with some major published papers on hominid taxonomy)

Dr. Foley:
This page has provided me with the most lucid discussion of the current thinking in human evolution I have ever seen. Thanks!
I have been trained as a mammalian physiologist and, like so many others I also teach general education biology in order to have a teaching schedule. Since evolution is the unifying concept in Biology, I teach evolution, saying the word frequently throughout the course. Debating creationists (ie closed minds) is a singularly unrewarding pastime. In any event I would like your permission to distribute portions of your material to my students. [etc.]

Tom Miller
Assistant Professor
Miami-Dade Community College - North Campus

Mr. Foley,
I'm writing to express my appreciation for your fossil Hominids FAQ. I'm a cultural anthropologist in a small department in the US and have been teaching a one semester course on Human Evolution: Cultural and Biological for many years. In addition to suggesting your FAQ to my students and to a colleague in Biology who teaches a course on evolution and creationism, I've used your list and description of the individual fossils as the basis for a data base on hominid fossils. I had been planning the daunting task of developing one on my own this summer, but finding your excellent descriptions (complete with citations) was a real help.

Best wishes,

James Stuart
Professor of Anthropology
University of Illinois at Springfield

Many, many thanks for putting up this page. I use this material extensively in Human Ecology and always get questions regarding recent finds. You have made life much more easy! Your refutation of the creationist arguments is superb.

Regards,

Stephen Ervin, Ph.D.
Department of Biology
California State University, Fresno

Wow! This is a wonderful page! You have done a marvelous job abstracting the information available, and your reference list is really wonderful. With your permission, I would like to provide a link from my Historical Geology class Web page to your page-my students would greatly benefit from your work. Thanks for both your time and your efforts.

Larry McKenna (LMcKenna@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu)
Asst. Prof. Geology
University of Kansas

From a later message:

BTW, the kids really enjoyed your site. The anthropologists in particular were bonkers over it.

Hello:
I am a third semester student of Geology in EAFIT University here in Medellin(Colombia).
This semester I studied Paleontology, and for the final work of the course I had to make an investigation related to anthropology, specifically the origins of man.
I looked in every bibliography here in different universities, and also on the INTERNET, and here is where I found your excellent and complete page. I used many of the information that you have on your page and it worked pretty well on my final written work.
So this mail is just for saying
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
And I hope to be visiting your page again, because the theme interested me a lot.

Good Luck!
Pablo Antonio Castro Lopez
Geologia EAFIT

Thank you for your FAQs covering the fossil hominids. I have been cursed with a professor for my introductory anthropology and archeology course who is unable to deliver a decent lecture. Not only will your material help me finish my degree on time, but it will also clear up a number of problems that I have encountered as a result of my professor's many digressions. Once again, thanks for the FAQs; they have been a real life saver.

[Name omitted, for obvious reasons]

Thanks for the great web page! I have to give a presentation on hominid skulls and cranial capacity next week and you've just provided me w/ some of the most up-to-date info available.

[Anonymous]

Dear Jim

My 7th form Biology class (ages 17-18) have been sponsored by the NZ Ministry of Education to access the internet for research.

Your information on fossil hominids is an oustanding resource. Approximately 20% of our course is based on a detailed study of human evolution.

Thank you for making this up to date, relevant material available.

Kind regards

David J. Day (david@piopio.school.nz)
Deputy Principal (and Biology teacher)
Piopio College, New Zealand

Jim,
As a "net novice" I am not at all qualified to adequately thank you for your Origins Archive. As a high school Anthro teacher I can't thank you enough. The up to date nature of your info and the wonderfully useful graphics will surely find their way into my classroom. Keep up the great work.

Richard Secare <rsecare@njlink.pppl.gov>
Dumont High School
Dumont NJ USA

Nice job on the site. It is much appreciated. I have recommended it my classes at the University of Great Falls, Great Falls, Montana. I teach an introductory class in Human Origins.

Al Johnson Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Hi Mr. Foley,

This is a quick note of thanks to you for the web pages on the fossil record. Until recently I was a creationist, believing the earth to be 10,000 years old.

Since subcribing to the internet and finding the talk.origins FAQ pages I am becoming convinced that I am wrong, firstly with the age of the earth and now with the subject of evolution. It's difficult to come to these kind of conclusions quickly, as there is so much information from so many different fields to take in, but one of the factors persuading me is how poor the creationists are at presenting a case. I can only conclude that there isn't one.

Thanks again.
Steve.

From a later message:

... I'm fully convinced now of the common descent of species, and of the 4.54bn year age of the earth. Certainly, your web pages were a big help in showing me how strong the evidence is for the common descent of apes and Homo sapiens.

Jim,
I just want to tell you how much I appreciate the TalkOrigins Archive on the web. My training is in classical archaeology, but I teach a general introduction to archaeology which covers the long haul of human history. The information and links provided in the Archive have been invaluable -- both to me in developing presentation and discussions on human origins and to students who are increasingly using the web to do research.

... I am using the materials on the creationists' criticisms of evolution in my class right now. They are a terrific help.

Mary Lewis
Professor of History and Archaeology
Kean College of N.J.

I'd just like to say that your site is really great!! I'm in 7th grade and we're studying Java Man, Peking Man, and Homo erectus in general, and I wanted some extra credit points. So, I checked on Webcrawler and found just what I was looking for: your site!!!! I printed out some great illustrations of skulls, and a picture of Lucy's bones (we looked into her background a little). So, keep up the good work!

Kim

To Mr Foley
I am a grade 7 student and for school I have to do a report on Homo Habilis, H. erectus, Neandrathal and Cro-magnon man your page helped a lot so I thought I would say thanks.....Thanks Julia C.

Jim,
Thanks for the fossil hominid information in these pages. I teach intro at [name deleted] Community College, and the book ordered by the college has zero information on the subject

While I am teaching from Nelson&Jurmain, my students have only copied handouts as supplementary material. I will have them all go to your web site for further information.

It is very well done and appreciated. I especially like the creationism sections, as I am here in the belly of the beast where they hand out Bibles in middle school.

Don

I found your web site looking for some information about A. ramidus. I really like what you have done here -- taking the trouble to read through and comment on the Creationist arguments. I don't have the patience for this myself, and am glad that you have. I will refer my students to your site.

M. A. Clark
Professor of Biology
Texas Wesleyan University

Dear Mr. Foley

Thank-you for the obvious effort you have put into this site. I teach biology at a secondary school in Illinois. Thank-you for so clearly presenting the human fossil evidence. As our students have just received internet access at school, I will be including your site as a web site they should visit during our study of evolution.

Well done!

Pamela S. Duncan
Mundelein High School
Mundelein Illinois

I've accessed your web page several times, and I think you've done a great job. I'm currently doing work on some trophy heads at Chicago's Field Museum, and I've often been asked questions with regard to topics that you have listed. Great job!

Kathleen F.

Mr. Foley,
I am a first year University of Kentucky student assigned to do a paper on the evolution of humans. I did not have enough information to even start a paper on this because all of the articles I looked up, I could not understand because of their complexity. I just wanted to say thank you so much for having such a great website with easy to read and understand information. You have been a great help and I appreciate it very much!! Thanks again!

Dear Mr. Foley,
I wanted to express my deep appreciation and admiration for your wonderful hominid article that I found in "infoseek" on the web. My only suggestion would be to castigate the creationists more severely than you did.
Thanks again, sir -- R. C. Jones

I have also received a few responses from creationists, some of which follow.

jim i am going to zoo soon to see your relatives,do you want me to tell the apes you said hey.do u have pics so i will know which ones are your family.could you also tell me where the walking whale section is or the flying elephants or the flying dino birds sections are.the zoo keepers where at a lost when i asked them.imagine them not knowing this,oh well good help is hard to find anymore.i publicly humilated an evolutionist at a zoo. i was telling people the truth about evolution theory being false when he steps up to defend evolution theory. so i asked him where the walking whale section was when someone in the crowd asked whats that got to do with evolution, i answered evolutionists claim whales evolved from a four legged land mammal such as a wolf because of some similar ear bone structure.the laughter probably could be heard a mile away.thomas huxley employed this method of humilating people in public who opposed darwins theory.i would have loved to met that moron in a public arena.
i have learned to be arrogant, sarcastic,ill mannered,rude,condescending toward evolutionists because this is the way bottom feeders are to be treated.
Carl M.

Jim - Can you really honestly say that you and I as human beings descended from apes? That's just very hard for me to believe. Think about it for you personally - no science rhetoric here - it seems to be more rational to believe that an all-knowing, all-powerful creator created us in his image and that we're not just random creatures...
Chris C.

As I went through your site I noticed that on your drawings , you state This is a reconstrution of similiar parts , you have NO fact's face it . All you have is picture and putty and a good imagination .Why don't you debait Ken Ham or Kent Hovind . If you have proff of macro evilution , Mr Hovind will give you 250.000 dollers ! The reason you won't is because you can't and never will be able to prove evolution in your sense of the word . Micro evolution is science but macro is your religion . Thank you for your time.
Thomas the believer

Fossil Hominids...very interesting... I have noticed that all fossil components ultimately end up being classified as "human" or "ape" dashing the hopes of another evolutionist zealot trying desperately to affirm their religion. Maybe you should look at other ancient artifacts like those at Glenrose or maybe the London, Tx. hammer might help you find some truth. You have seen the London hammer haven't you? I see that you have put an admirable effort into debunking creationism, and I do not fault you for trying. If you would put some effort into taking a look at all the evidence discarded by evolutionist zealots as "anomalies," you might find truth there that you don't expect, or maybe you do...
Rick L.

I wanted to let you know that I appreciate your website. I teach an Adult Sunday School class and have been discussing the creation of man. Some questions have come up on how to refute evolution and its so called facts. Your sight gives me great insight as a Bible teacher into your heretical thinking and teaching. Genesis 1:26 tells us that man was created in God's image. God is not made up of a cell and He is not an Ape. He is a Spirit and He demands our worship and our obedience. Man is not getting better and the world is not getting better. Man is a sinner and because of that our world is falling apart. Christ is coming back some day. It could be tonight! I pray that you might read God's Word and seek His wisdom. Human reason falls far short of God's Wisdom. I speak as a fool, but by God's grace one day I will be in Heaven. Thanks again for your work! May the Lord Jesus Christ be exalted by your foolishness!

Yes, perhaps creationism does make for "dreadful science". But could it be as bad as the dreadful religion evolutionists have made? Not to mention their own "dreadful science". Still, I liked your site and I wish you good luck.
Chris F.

Mr. Foley,
I was browsing through your webpage, and I stumbled upon the feedback page. As I was reading through some of the comments by obviously Christian (and angry) respondents, I couldn't help but cringe at some of the things they were saying.
I am also a very conservative Reformed Christian, and have a great deal of interest in the creation/evolution controversy, enough so to have devoted one of my majors to it as an undergrad at UofM, Anthropology-Zoology, with an emphasis on hominid origins (taking classwork from none other than Wolpoff and Caspari themselves). I do not agree with many things contained within Talk.Origins, but I am greatly appreciative that someone has taken the time to catalogue such a vast array of arguments, counterarguments, and evidence for the evolutionary perspective. I have visited the site many, many times (especially to find material for some of my classes), and have referred many of my more skeptical brethren to it.
It does shame me and Christianity in general that these people are so PRIDEFUL, so vehement and so full of what they believe is righteous anger when they write these comments. I do not know what your impression of Christians is in general, but I hope that whoever has read the comments does not conclude that all Christians are so narrow-minded.

Thanks for reading,
Wei.

Jim, I first must say I enjoy your site. It is professionally made and unlike other so-called "skeptic" sites trying to show the strengths of evolution, you take your evidence to science investigation and what you believe the data says on the subject. Even though I am a CREATIONIST, I found your site very thought provoking and enjoyable. Even though it can be difficult, it seemed to me you tried to stay away from attacks to creationist as people and their faith. I will visit your site often. However, I want to challenge you to not attack creationist (Gish, others on fossil debates) as to disagreements on fossils. After all, many macro-evolutionist disagree on fossil evidence all the time. Thank you, Ken

This site must havve taken a long time to build. I suppose you don't realize how much nonsense is contained in this page and how much wasted time it must have taken. You can try to back up your theories and stuff with what you call "proven evidence." You do not have one true piece of evidence for evolutionism, while I have the Bible to back up every word of creationism. I am a 14 year old boy, and I have been assured that I am going to heaven. When you die, God won't be laughing in your face because you didn't believe in him. He'll be sorry that you missed it.

Andrew

You have certainly devoted a significant amount of time and energy to your attempts at rationalization. I always find it humorous when evolutionists, when they find themselves without foundation, resort to such scientific statements as "creationism is crap". Some try to explain their faulty reasoning by changing the definition of evolution and others say we didn't understand what they meant. You appear to have amassed almost every attempt at refuting what is becoming more clearly the only possible answer. It's too bad you have a forum with which to make false statements purporting that the scientific community believes as you do. The fact will regardless, remain that we do not. I trust you will be willing to work to communicate the truth with the same zeal when you finally realize your errors.

Ric E.

The leaps in logic amaze me with the evolutionist therories. How can you say one fossil is "ape" one is "human" and the other is somewhere in between? There is no irrefutable proof that man evolved fron ape. A person can not even tell the difference between a skinned rabbit minus its head and feet and a skinned cat minus its head and feet. Here in the Northwest when a body was found near the Green River, skinned and missing its head, hands and feet, it was assumed to be another victim of the "Green River Killer." After extensive examination by the coroner it was found to be the body of a small black bear. If it is so difficult to tell the difference between a rabbit and a cat and a human and a bear, something that we all are familiar with, how can you take that giant step to except evolution as fact? How can you even be sure if evolution is true that it took millions of years to acomplish when mice that have been exposed to the radiation of Chernobyl have mutated to the extent that the are more genetically different to unexposed mice than rats are to mice? An evolutionary split that allegedly took place millions of years ago. The Bible has been ahead of science through out history. Science is the one that is always playing catch up not religion. If you would spend half the time even a tenth of the time you spend chasing the evolutionary theory studing the Bible you would see the truth. I know because I was where you were at one time.

Dale

I can respect your diligence to constantly try to prove the origins of man. You have, though, job security. As long as man does not want to beleive in God he will try to prove there is no God. And there are those who will try to prove God. It basically comes down to faith. Faith of Evolution or Creation. I was once told "Without controversy there would be no growth." We have controversy but this one is like playing with fire. Eventually someone will get burned. Enough of that.
I am currently studying creationism. After all evolution has been crammed in my head for years by secondary teachers and college professors. I would just like to know how something that can not be scientifically proven is being taught to people as fact.
I have seen scientists prove that the world can not be more than 10,000 years old. They have not proven it's any younger but have definitely proven how oil, mountains, canyons and other geograghical locations were formed or made in possibly days, weeks or months. They have also proven coal and fossils may have developed in just a few thousand years or less. Your job is still interesting and I beleive there is a future for professionals like you. Except you will have to just shorten your dates a little and realize that it really is skulls and bones of the monkey-ape species you are digging up. With proof the world is at most 10,000 years old there is no way man came from monkey, like there ever was a chance in 4 million years.
I'll send some names of the scientists and thier information soon.

Thanks, Chris B.

Before you can say that creation doesn't make any sense, take a closer look at the thousands of contradicting theories of evolution. Not one iota of evidence exists which proves evolution. In fact, I have honestly found more scientific evidence that supports a theory of creation than the theory of evolution.

Heidi A.

ANYONE WHO BELIEVES EVOLUTION NEEDS MORE FAITH THAN A CHRISTIAN DOES TO BELIEVE CREATION. I SAY THIS BECAUSE THERE HAS YET TO BE ONE SOLID PIECE OF EVIIDENCE TO SUPPORT EVOLUTION. DIRECT OBSERVATION OF THINGS LIKE-THE MAGNETIC FIELD EROSION RATES, POLYSTRATE FOSSILS, SOLAR DIAMETER, CHANGES IN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND CONTENT EXTINCTION RATES VS NEW SPECIES APPEARING YOU WOULD SEE YOUR FOLLY. ALL OBSERVABLE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS A UNIVERSE NO MRE THAT 10,000 YEARS OLD.

I note the following not to argue, but to observe that there is a wealth of comment among evolutionists replete with concern over the paucity of evidence lacking in support of the philosophy of evolution.

It is of interest that such a scientist as Dr. Fred Hoyle, a Nobel prize laureate, says that there is as much likelihood of evolution happening as there is of a tornado producing a Boeing 747 in a junkyard... ("Hoyle on Evolution", Nature, vol. 294, Nov.1981, p.105.)

...or Dr. Lyall Watson ("The Water People", Science Digest, vol. 90, May 1982, p.44) saying "The fossils that decorate our family tree are so scarce that there are still more scientists than specimens. The remarkable fact is that all the physical evidence we have for human evolution can still be placed, with room to spare, inside a single coffin!"

...or Lord Dr. Solly Zuckerman (anatomy, and forensics I believe) who said in "Beyond the Ivory Tower" p.64, "As I have already implied, students of fossil primates have not been distinguished for caution when working within the logical constraints of their subject. The record is so astonishing that it is legitimate to ask whether much science is yet to be found in this field at all."

I used to believe the whole evolution thing completely, until I started, as thousands of scientists have done, to examine it all according to true scientific method.

Craig

TIM FOLEY,

WHEN WILL EVOLUTIONIST EVER PRODUCE A SINGLE TRANSITIONAL FORM? THERE HAVE BEEN MILLIONS OF FOSSILS DISCOVERED BUT NEVER A SINGLE TRANSITIONAL FORM. TO PUSH SUCH A THEORY AS EVOLUTION DOWN THE THROATS OF THE PEOPLE, YOU WOULD THINK THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ONE SHREAD OF EVIDENCE SUCH AS A TRANSITIONAL FORM. ONE LIFE TO LIVE SO YOU HAD BETTER BE RIGHT!!

Your arguments remind me of the famous quote, "Don't bother me with the facts, my mind is already made up". If you discount the existence of God, I purposely don't use the terms "Higher" or "Intelligent Being", you are left with no choice but to explain man's existence purely by chance. Something that leaves one with many unanswered questions. Such as: Did the males of a given species evolve into the males of the next species, and likewise for the females? Or did the male and female of the species evolve into a uni sex hybrid then evolve into the next higher level only then to branch into male and female again? Thus far I have yet to find even the most intelligent of evolutionist provide anything resembling an intelligent answer to the question. Maybe you are the exception?

I will pray for you.

I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU INSIST THAT THERE ARE FACTS TO PROVE EVOLUTION. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVE SCIENTIFICALLY ANY THEORY OF ORIGINS BECAUSE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONDUCT EXPERIMENTS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE. BOTH EVOLUTIN AND CREATION ARE RELIGONS WHICH REQUIRE FAITH. MORE SO FOR EVOULTIONISTS BECAUSE OF ALL THE EVIDENCE THERE IS THAT GOES ALONG WITH CREATIONISM.
IF PROBABILITY CALCULATIONS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS PROVE CHRISTIAN CREATIONISM TRUE - AND HEAVON OR HELL HANG IN THE BALANCE - ONE MIGHT ASSUME PEOPLE WOULD BE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE RISKS THEY TAKE, BUT APPARENTLY NOT.

ANYONE WHO BELIEVES EVOLUTION NEEDS MORE FAITH THAN A CHRISTIAN DOES TO BELIEVE CREATION. I SAY THIS BECAUSE THERE HAS YET TO BE ONE SOLID PIECE OF EVIIDENCE TO SUPPORT EVOLUTION. DIRECT OBSERVATION OF THINGS LIKE-THE MAGNETIC FIELD EROSION RATES, POLYSTRATE FOSSILS, SOLAR DIAMETER, CHANGES IN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND CONTENT EXTINCTION RATES VS NEW SPECIES APPEARING YOU WOULD SEE YOUR FOLLY. ALL OBSERVABLE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS A UNIVERSE NO MRE THAT 10,000 YEARS OLD.

And, although it doesn't come from a creationist, this last little gem is so priceless that I thought it deserved a reply:

As I was browsing through sites directed towards homo erectus, I stumbled upon yours. I was looking for information regarding the lifestyles of early homo erectus. To my surprise, all I could find was a few general ideas backed up by two very stupid Far Side comics. Very informative (Sarcasm) !!!! Try putting more useful items in next time.
Thanks

DNGG (Mike Fetting)

Reply: This has to be one of the most utterly cretinous statements I have ever seen.

No matter how much information I tried to include, I would have to stop somewhere. My site is not intended to be a repository of the world's knowledge of paleoanthropology, even if I had the time and space to do so. My aim is to provide a brief summary of the subject, not to do the homework of every moron who is too lazy to go to the library.

If you think that the world desperately needs a web site about the lifestyles of early Homo erectus, I suggest you create one and see how many people visit it.

Mike apparently felt he hadn't made a big enough fool of himself and responded:

I really wanted to thank you for the response you gave to my feed back on your very uninformative Homo Erectus work ( if that is what you will call it). The reason I thank you is because through your childish name calling and foolish use of your site, you have shown me that your work is in fact just what I thought it was: a waste of space. I also wanted to thank you for letting me know that I got under your skin and made you so angry. You really must be confident in your work to let an "idiot" college student make you so upset (sarcasm). Thanks again and remember, It is arrogant and supposedly scholarly people like you that give academics a poor reputation. Please post this in your site with a reply, because I really do want to hear how you justify acting like you are five and yet calling me an idiot. I feel the people should know as well. Thanks again.
Mike (DNGG)

Mike, let me spell it out for you since you don't seem to be able to work it out. If you look up the page, you will observe that you started the insults, out of the blue and for no reason other than that my page didn't have the information you wanted. Why the hell should it? What do you think this is, the Mike Fetting Homework Help Site? Most five year olds have realized that if you dish out insults, you'll get some in return. Keep working on those social skills.
(And, by the way, I'm not an academic)

Finally, the most unusual piece of feedback I have yet received:

Dear Dr. Foley,
I am the brain damaged child who could not spell and spent two years in grade 5 in 1960-61. As I sat and stared at the map of the world it occured to me that all the contenents where once one land mass since they seemed to fit so well together. This fact is now common knowledge.
To the point, there is no missing link. At least not on this planet.
Since it is very possible to walk out in your back yard and trip over dinasaur bones millions of years old, and we have as yet not found the link, I believe there is non to be found.
My theary is that we are aliens genetically altered to be less than our ansestors.
I have done extensive research on the U.F.O channels, There is a lot of red herring out there but I myself was abducted and my eggs removed. I am geneticly very sound.
If you would like to contact me and discuss more of my thearys please email
Diane N.

This page is part of the Fossil Hominids FAQ at the talk.origins Archive.