Claim CC213:

No unambiguous transitional fossils have been found between amphibians and reptiles. Distinguishing transitionals between these two groups is problematic because their bone structures are similar. Just because it is hard to tell whether a fossil is reptile or amphibian does not mean it is transitional between the two.

Source:

Morris, Henry M., 1974. Scientific Creationism, Green Forest, AR: Master Books, p. 83.
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1985. Life--How Did It Get Here? Brooklyn, NY, p. 73.

Response:

  1. The main character that separates amphibians (primitive tetrapods) from reptiles (amniotes) is possession of an amnion, which does not fossilize. We have a lot of Permian creatures; some are early amniotes and some likely are not. There are no unambiguous intermediates between the two groups like Acanthostega between fish and tetrapods, or Morganucodon between reptiles and mammals. However, the same uncertainty means there is no clear gap between the amphibians and reptiles, either.
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created 2003-6-13