The Cambrian Explosion

I recently read that over 50 phyla of animals have been found in early Cambrian fossils. This includes all existing phyla except one, which appears shortly thereafter, and includes a number of phyla which no longer exist. It includes the chordates, for example. According to the theory of evolution, these phyla evolved gradually from a common ancestor, but little or none of this is seen in the fossil record; instead, they all appear suddenly and highly developed. The number of phyla does not increase with time, either, as one would expect according to the theory of evolution, but instead decreases. Few fossils are found in strata earlier than the Cambrian period. It is also interesting that many of these Cambrian fossils have very detailed body parts preserved, such as nerves and soft internal organs. This seems to cast doubt on the theory that precambrian organisms were not fossilized because they had not yet developed hard body parts, such as shells. All in all, the Cambrian explosion is a puzzle for evolution, but consistent with a creationist view.

Many Cambrian fossils are found in the Burgess Shale, from western Canada. One of these is 50 centimeters (1.5 feet) long!! This shows that these early fossils were not all small and simple, as is often suggested in geological charts. Even a jellyfish which has been classified as pre-Cambrian is about 2 - 3 inches in diameter and looks very well developed.

Back to home page.