Evolution Misconception #7: Fossil Record Gaps Disprove Evolution

Here is the seventh in a continuing series of evolution misconceptions.  Evolution deniers often argue the gap in fossil records disproves evolution.  Not so.  It is true there are gaps in the fossil records.  Some of these gaps are the result of not yet finding transitional fossils (fossils that show traits of two ancestral groups), while others are the result of fossils that do not preserve well, making it very difficult to find these transitional fossils.  However, this does not disprove evolution.  There is still a great deal of information supporting evolution.  A gap in the fossil records does not change any of this evidence.  A gap provides no new explanation to explain the fossil evidence we do have.

Very common evolution diagram. Image Link

It is important to note that the gap in the fossil record is closing with new studies and new fossil evidence.  Transitional fossils are in fact not rare.  Here's a link to a great website discussing what we know about transitional fossils.

Transitional Fossils

If you haven't, read the book "Your Inner Fish" by Neil Shubin, an evolutionary biologist.  You can also find more information, including options to watch the "Your Inner Fish" documentary, here:

Your Inner Fish

I watched this documentary with my 10 year old a couple of years ago and it was fantastic!  One of the episodes focuses on transitional fossils and explains they are quite common.  Yes, there are still gaps in the fossil records, but those gaps are quickly closing as more studies are done and more evidence is discovered.  

To conclude, no, the gap in the fossil records does NOT disprove evolution.