Question

Living fossils are creatures that are alive today and that bear a striking resemblance to extinct creatures found in the fossil record. How do you think a creationist explains living fossils? How do you think an evolutionist explains them?

Answer 1

I am not thinking of a creature but of a tree which is the gingko tree which was in existence back 200 million years ago and there is one on a street where we lived   in Vancouver BC and they grow in various parts of the world still. The coelocanth is a prehistoric fish which still lives in the sea also. I think that evolutionists would view such living 'fossils' as proof that these organisms were so well adapted to a wide range of environments or were able to find environments that they originally thrived in that they could survive so long. Also, probably the longer they survived changed conditions the tougher they would get. A creationist would say aha that shows that species don't change and evolve which of course would deny the overwhelming evidence of the change in species through time such as amongst man's ancestors.