Posted by rpcman on January 12, 1999 at 21:49:12:
In Reply to: Question regarding intermediate forms. posted by blue on January 12, 1999 at 20:51:06:
We have intermediate forms. We have transitional fossils. They are abundent.
Is the fossil record perfect?
No.
Would we expect it to be?
No.
If the fossil record was perfect then something would be wrong. It would mean that the conditions that exist today (erosion, decay, natural disasters, adverse and changing climates, micro-organisms that consume the deceased, etc.) didn't exist in the past. For the fossil record to be perfect--especially with regard to ancient forms of life that didn't have 'hard parts'--cronic suspension would have had to have been invented a billion+ years ago.
I highly recommend that book length treatments of the subject be explored. But since this is the internet, and people tend to be too lazy to get to the library, the following file is a good place to start.