IN A FEW WORDS

Origins 15(1):3 (1988).

Brief summaries of the main conclusions of the leading presentations are given below for those who may find the complete articles too long or technical.

FORAMINIFERS IN THE FOSSIL RECORD: IMPLICATIONS FOR AN ECOLOGICAL ZONATION MODEL

    Foraminifers — shelled protozoans — are found fossilized in marine sedimentary rocks through most of the geologic column. They exemplify many of the problems of fitting the fossil record into a short chronology. These problems include the existence of large numbers of specimens and thousands of named species, and apparent evolutionary sequences of simple to more complex forms. Any short-time creationist model must be able to explain these features.
    Foraminifers are able to reproduce rapidly and are quite variable morphologically, depending on environmental conditions. These factors make it seem plausible that the numbers of species and individuals in the geologic column could have lived in the time since creation week. In addition, the general distribution of foraminifers in the fossil record resembles their depth profile in the ocean today, with benthic forms distributed through a greater variety of environments than planktonic species. Although not a comprehensive study, the results suggest that the distribution of foraminifers in the geologic column may be consistent with an explanation based on burial by a world-wide flood.

IMPLICATIONS OF C-14 AGE VS DEPTH PROFILE CHARACTERISTICS

    Intensive analytical treatment of C-14 age profile data indicates that during prehistoric time either the biosphere C-14/C-12 ratio has increased, or the world average sedimentation rate has increased, while peat accumulation rates have decreased. A model based on biosphere C-14/C-12 ratio increase is suggested by the biblical chronologic data in the book of Genesis, and is favored by paleoclimate considerations against a model based on sedimentation rate increase. The currently accepted dendrochronologic framework requires a biosphere C-14/C-12 ratio decrease, and therefore supports a model based on sedimentation rate increase. Aside from dendrochronologic considerations, there is a basis for proposing that sediment, soil, and peat accumulation rates have generally decreased during the prehistoric period following glaciation. Biblical chronologic data taken together with recent Accelerator Mass Spectrometry C-14 data provide a basis for postulating that the biosphere C-14/C-12 ratio has increased more than 70-fold, but less than 500-fold since the global catastrophe described in the 7th and 8th chapters of Genesis. This increase could be due to an increase in the rate of C-14 production and a decrease in the carbon inventory in the carbon exchange system.