Re: Aquatic ape theory
David Froehlich (eohippus@moe.cc.utexas.edu)
Fri, 20 Oct 1995 10:55:59 -0500
On 20 Oct 1995 jamesb@hgu.mrc.ac.uk wrote:
> r3dlb1@dax.cc.uakron.edu (David L Burkhead ) wrote:
>
> >
> > Also, since fossils are found almost exclusively in aquatic
> >sediments this sounds to me like an entirely untestable supposition.
> >A "hypothesis" that fits all possible data is worthless
> >scientifically.
> >
>
> So a hypothesis that fits all possible data must necessarily be wrong?
>
No, my making a prediction that all fossils are going to be found in
fluvial or marine settings is useless since those are the environments in
which fossils get preserved. Likewise, the reverse (the AAS challange)
that fossils in completely terrestrial environments would refute the AAS
is so much bullshit. Fossils do not usually preserve in those sorts of
environments so no wonder they have not been found (and probably cannot
be found). So a scenario or hypothesis that cannot be falsified by the
available information is in my book unfalsifiable.
David J. Froehlich Phone: 512-471-6088
Vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory Fax: 512-471-5973
J.J. Pickle Research Campus
The University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712
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