1. “Early Man” Gerald Lenner, Ph.D. November 17, 2010
Tonight I would like to present a talk on the Early Man, that is our supposed evolutionary ancestors.
Gerald Lenner, Ph.D.
November 17, 2010

2. Talk Outline Review The Short Story - A Tale of Two Buckets
False Ancestors of Man
Candidate Ancestors
- Neanderthals
- Australopithecines
- Homo erectus
No Ancestral Tree for Humans
Biblical / Secular Anthropology
As above.

3. Three Strikes and You’re Out !
How did we get irreducible complexity ?
ape-men
Cambrian
Explosion
The Theory of Evolution
4.5 Billion Bya Bya present
Earth “Organic Soup” Photosynthetic Animals Man
Formed Plants
Mya
This is a key diagram and captivates the essence of this course. This is the popular theory of evolution. And to emphasize that this is a theory, I put it in a silhouette of a man’s head. As the story goes, 4.5 billion years ago the earth is formed billion years ago there was organic soup. Life springs forth, first as plants 2 billion years ago. Then 600 million years ago there was a massive “explosion” of life – the Cambrian explosion. Sponges, worms, trilobites come on the scene, and through a process of mutation and Natural Selection evolve into animals. Finally, about 4 million years ago, man comes into being. This is the topic for tonight.
Now to this diagram I added the “Three Strikes” against evolution 1) the failure to explain the Origin of life. 2) the failure of the fossil record to display a history of gradualism, and 3) the failure of the theory to explain “Irreducible Complexity”.
Now, if the concept of evolution is to be compelling science, it should rest on some sort of evidence or experimental proof. To evolve from chemicals to people, we have to address the issues of How did life begin? and How do you go from simple life to more complex forms? Or put another way, how did life evolve, and here’s where fossils come in. They may provide evidence to prove or disprove the concept of evolution.
How did life begin ?
How did life evolve ? 3 3

4. Theoretical Evolution of Man
You are here
Theoretical Evolution of Man
Now just to review, here’s the hypothetical steps to change from single cell organisms to man under the current evolutionary model, as depicted in these two diagrams. You can identify several key stages – First life, fish to amphibians, amphibians to reptiles, reptiles to birds, birds to mammals, and finally to apes to man. 4 4

5. Cambrian Explosion Example
Trilobites
Let’s take the trilobite for example. They were very complicated creatures possessing the ability to locomote, and see underwater. Their eyes are engineered using Fermat’s principle for seeing underwater.
The Cambrian explosion can be viewed as the first big “gap” in the fossil record.
Trilobite eye reference: D. Gish, The Amazing Story of Creation 5 5

6. Gap Example: Fish to Amphibian
Recall that for evolution to be plausible, it must take place slowly. A chicken egg just does not give birth to a snake.
This shows the structurally closest fossilized fish and amphibian. Notice the dramatic jump in the structure. The emergence of a pelvis and jointed back legs. A casual study of these skeletons reveals numerous differences. Consider too that only 10 % of the biology of an organism is found in the skeleton. Even skeletons that look similar may have very different soft tissue anatomy.
Reference: M. Denton, Evolution: A Theory In Crisis, pg.167
10%of biology...estimate: M. Denton, Evolution: A Theory In Crisis, pg.177
Fish 6 6

7. Terrestrial Vertebrates
Evolution
Creation
Time
That’s right … the creation model.
And further, you can make an association to the Flood; larger and more mobile animals were able to mover to higher ground and thus tend to be found rock formations closer to the surface. Smaller animals get entombed would be found at lower levels. Sea creatures are more likely to get entombed. Remember, the majority (95%) of fossils are marine.
Morphology
Morphology 7 7

8. A Tale of Buckets – Apes and Men
The Short Story
A Tale of Buckets – Apes and Men
As above. 8 8

9. Both apes and man have distinctive anatomy
Apes & Man
Both apes and man have distinctive anatomy
Just to review this slides shows the difference between man and ape.
Reference: J. Gowlett, Ascent to Civilization, The Archaeology of Early Man, (1984), pg.15 9

10. The Short Story 10 APES HUMANS 10 Homo habilis Skull KNM-ER 1813
Australopithecus africanus Skull Sts 5 "Mrs. Ples”
Cro-Magnon Skull
Australopithecus robustus Skull SK-48
Just in passing, there is a gap found in human origins, that is to say, the preverbal “missing link”. We can divide early human find into two types… apes and humans. But this is a story for another night.
Just a note on fossils designations; SK stands for Swartkrans, South Africa, KNM-ER stands for Kenya National Museum – East Randolf
Fine reproduction models from;
Bone Clones, Inc Chase Street #1 Canoga Park, CA 91304
Australopithecus boisei
Skull KNM-ER 406
Homo neanderthalensis Skull La Chapelle -aux-Saints
Australopithecus afarensis
Homo neanderthalensis Skull La Ferrassie 1 10
Models from Bone Clones Inc., Canoga park, CA 10

11. False Ancestors of Man
As above. 11 11

12. Eoanthropus dawsoni (Piltdown man)
Discovered in Sussex England. Consisted of an orangutan jaw with filed teeth and a human skull cap. It was an intentional hoax and accepted until 1953.
BOGUS ANCESTOR
Piltdown Man
(Eoanthropus dawsoni)
In 1908 a workman at a gravel pit in Piltdown, England found a portion of a human skull and give it to an amateur geologist by the name of Charles Dawson. Subsequent digging by Arthur Smith Woodward of the British Museum and Catholic paleontologist-priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin revealed more skull fragments and the lower jaw of Piltdown man. The Piltdown pit also produced fossil bones of elephant, mastodon, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, beaver and dear.
The only problem was that this was a total hoax. Someone(s) had taken a human skull cap and a jaw of an orangutan, filled the teeth and planted the evidence. Most scientists accepted this find as a genuine subhuman ancestor of man. For forty five years, until 1953 this find was considered to be a missing link between man and ape. This fossil may still be considered legitimate today, had it not been for the popularity of australopithecines as early ancestors which caused more detailed investigation in the 1950's.
This raises some interesting questions. Why was the fraud so successful? Evolutionary theory demanded the missing links so scientists found them. It is often claimed that science is objective and self-correcting, however in retrospect we see that the evidence to reject this find as legitimate was there all along. The file marks on the teeth of the lower jaw were clearly visible, the molars were misaligned and filed at two different angles. The canine teeth had been filed so far down that the pulp cavity had been exposed and plugged [Lubenow 1992, 43].
Much literature was written on Piltdown and it is estimated that more than 500 doctoral dissertations were based on this find.
References:
[Lubenow 1992, 39-44]
[Gish 1984T]
Reference: 12

13. BOGUS ANCESTOR Nebraska man (Hesperopithecus haroldcookii)
Based on a single tooth found in 1922 by Harold Cook in western Nebraska. Later it turned out to be from an extinct pig !
BOGUS ANCESTOR
Nebraska Man
(Hesperopithecus haroldcookii)
In 1922 in single tooth was found in Pliocine (Cenozoic era, Tertiary period, Pliocine era) deposits
in western Nebraska. Dr. Henry Fairfeild Osborn of (Columbia University), head of American Museum of Natural History, determined that this tooth had characteristics of chimpanzee, Pithecanthropus (Java man), and man. From this he concluded that this was a missing link. In England Sir Grafton Elliot Smith, F.R.S., Professor of Anatomy of Manchester, fully supported Osborn [Bowden 1977, 46].
At the time a politician of Nebraska, W. J. Bryan was campaigning in the courts against man being descended from the apes. Osborn stated;
...the Earth spoke to Byran from his own state of Nebraska. The Hesperopithecus tooth is like the still, small voice. Its sound is by no means easy to hear...This little tooth speaks volumes of truth, in that it affords evidence of man's descent from apes. [Bowden 1977, 46]
In 1922 the Illustrated London Times ran an artist's interpretation of Hesperopithecus and his wife, all from the remains of one tooth. A few years later more evidence was found and the tooth was determined to be from an extinct pig ! Little publicity was given to the error.
In this case you see some of the ingredients of the pre-man game. A discovery is made, a prominent scientist(s) interprets the data in the framework of current scientific thinking. The popular press bridges the gap between the scientist and the lay person, and in the process "fills in" a few details. The man on the street is present an image that will be retained the man arose from apes.
In this case how many people read the Illustrated London Times and were influenced by it ?
References:
[Bowden 1977, 46]
[Gish 1985, 187,188]
[Gish 1990, 80]
Reference: 13

14. BOGUS ANCESTOR Ramapithecus
Discovered 1932 in India, Consisted of teeth and jaw fragments, Now accepted as an extinct orangutan
BOGUS ANCESTOR
Reference:
Photo Credit: teeth 14

15. Candidate Ape Men: Neanderthals Australopithecines Homo erectus
As above. 15 15

16. Neanderthals
As above. 16 16

17. Neanderthals
First discovered in1856. Evidence of tool use, ritualistic burial of their dead, and jewelry. Now regarded as human.
Neanderthal Men
(Homo neanderthalensis)
In 1856 workers quarrying for limestone in the Neander Valley near Duesseldorf, Germany came across a skull and bones. In the succeeding years many other specimens were found, not only in the Neander Valley, but in countries such as France, England, Italy, Iraq and as far south as Israel.
Controversy surrounded the interpretation of these fossils. German Anatomist Rudolf Virchow examined the first discovery and concluded that it was a Homo sapien with rickets, caused by a Vitamin D deficiency. He also theorized that his flattened head was due to powerful blows. As more finds were made, also with the appearance of rickets, this was considered too coincidental and the were considered sub-human.
In the early 1900s, after many skeletons were found, the French paleontologist Marcellin Boule, determined that Neanderthals could not fully extend their legs, walked stooped over, and had his head thrust forward. this notion would be the popular image for about fifty years.
In 1957 researchers re-examined the skeleton Boule had examined and concluded that Neanderthals walked upright and that the stooped posture suggested by Boule's specimen was due to a case of arthritis.
More evidence from various digs have shown that Neanderthals "wielded simple tools, wore body ornaments, had religious rites and ceremoniously buried their dead" [Time, 3/14/94, pg87]. Today he is classified as totally human - Homo sapien. If he were to be given a shave and haircut and rode a subway in New York, none would give him a second look.
References:
[Time, 3/14/94, 86-87]
[Gish 1985, ] 17

18. Neanderthals Tools Jewelry 18 See previous slide 18

19. Australopithecines
As above. 19 19

20. EXTINCT APES Australopithecines 20
Australopithecus africanus Skull Sts 5 "Mrs. Ples”
Australopithecus robustus Skull SK-48
Australopithecines
(southern apes)
In 1924 Raymond Dart discovered the first is a series of ape like creatures that have become one of the most popularized "ape-men". Dart examined the creature and placed in the lineage of man, creating a controversy. Others such as Robert Broom, John T, Robinson and Mary and Louis Leakey have made similar discoveries.
Australopithecines have been discovered in two types the A. robustus which has massive teeth and boney ridges (sagittal and supramastoid crests) and the A. africanus which is a gracile form with smaller jaws and teeth. Their weight is estimated at lbs. Both types are characterized by an ape like cranium with a brain capacity of about 500 cc which is about the size of a gorilla and about one third that of a human.
The dental arcade is more parabolic than "U" shaped and the front teeth (incisors and canines) are relatively small however their premolars and molars are massive, and the case of A. africanus are as large as those found in 400 lb. gorillas.
From some fragments of pelvis and limbs it is the consensus of most evolutionists that these creatures walked upright habitually.
This view is disputed by Solly Lord Zukerman, distinguished British anatomist, and by Dr. Charles Oxnard, Director of Graduate studies and Professor of Anatomy at the University of Southern California Medical School. For 15 years, Zuckerman lead of team that examined Australopithecine fossils, monkeys, apes and man. His conclusion was that Australopithecines were not ancestral to man, nor habitually walked upright. Oxnard's conclusion is that Australopithecines are not related to man or ape, but are unique [Gish 1985, ].
To date, this creature plays a key role in the evolutionary explanation of origins. It makes one wonder if the scientific community feels compelled to say that it walked upright (not that that makes it human) and deem it as a human ancestor considering that there are no other candidates on the horizon.
References:
[Gish 1985, ]
Just in passing, there is a gap found in human origins, that is to say, the preverbal “missing link”. We can divide early human find into two types… apes and humans. But this is a story for another night.
Fine reproduction models from;
Bone Clones, Inc Chase Street #1 Canoga Park, CA 91304
Australopithecus aethiopicus Skull KNM-WT 17000
Australopithecus boisei Skull KNM-ER 406
Australopithecus afarensis Skull "Lucy" 20
Models from Bone Clones Inc., Canoga park, CA 20

21. A Famous Australopithecine
Australopithecus afarensis - “Lucy”
as in “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”
AL (Lucy) The first A. afarensis skeleton was discovered on November 24, 1974 near Hadar in Ethiopia by Tom Gray in the company of Donald Johanson, et.al. in the Middle Awash of Ethiopia’s Afar Deression.
Reference :
Photo Credits: 21

22. Laetoli Footprints
Discovered in 1976 by Mary Leakey, dated to be 3.5 million years old – the time of the australopithecines but are fully human in appearance !
Discoveries such as this undermine the theory of evolution. Here footprints that are indistinguishable from modern man, are found to be around older than our ancestors (to use evolutionary dating assumptions). 22

23. Homo erectus
As above. 23 23

24. 280 individual fossils Homo erectus morphologically similar to humans
Another contender for the ancestor of man are the “Homo erectus” type. Below the neck they are virtually identical to modern humans, used fire and made tools.
M. Lubenow, Bones of Contention, A Creationist Assessment of Human Fossils, (2004 revised edition), pgs. 115, 130
morphologically similar to humans
40 out 83 sites have stone tools, 8 controlled fire
1 burial, 1 cremation, human carving, shelters, etc. 24

25. Similar to modern humans below the neck
Homo erectus
Homo erectus
Modern man
Similar to modern humans below the neck
Photo Credits: 25

26. (Pithecanthropus erectus)
Homo erectus - Java man
(Pithecanthropus erectus)
Found by laborers for Eugene Dubois in 1891 near Trinil, Java. Based on a skull cap and femur found 50 ft. away. At the time of the discovery, he also found two human skulls nearby that he did not reveal.
Note: Similar to Australian Bushman
Java Man
(Pithecanthropus erectus)
In the late 1800 a Dutch anatomist, Eugene Dubois joined the Dutch army as means to bring him to Asia where he thought man had evolved. He received an assignment in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). He was given support for digging for fossils by two engineers and fifty forced laborers.
In 1891 Dubois' laborers found a skull cap along the Solo river near the village Trinil, Java. A year later and 50 ft. away from the skull cap he found a femur. Later three teeth would be added to this collection. The dating of the fossils, at 1/2 million years is dubious due to Dubois lack of geological training and the consideration that the geology of Java was unknown at the time.
The authorities at the time were of divided opinion; they regarded the find as from a man, ape, or ape-man. Dubois promoted the find as a the missing link and allowed others to examine the fossils until about 1900 when he withdrew the fossils and refused to allow anyone to see them.
At the time of the discovery, he also found two human skulls at nearby Wadjak (the Wadjak skulls) at the same level that he did not reveal. This throws the red flags, for if the human skulls were presented at the same time of the "missing link" evidence there credibility would be severely diminished.
A modern interpretation by Boule and Vallois is that the skull cap is from an exceptionally large ape and that the femur is human. It is hard to justify that the two samples came from the same creature. Questions still remain, and in the opinion of one author, Lubenow the skull cap is from a Neanderthal.
References:
[Lubenow 1992, ]
[Gish 1985, ]
Drawing: P. Saint, Fossils That Speak Out, (1993), pg. 80 26

27. Homo erectus 27 Java man Homo erectus Skull Sangiran 17 BH-018
Note Java man ape-like reconstruction. Is this valid ?
Homo erectus Skull - Tattersall / Sawyer Recreation 27

28. Homo erectus tools
When “Hand Axe” is thrown like a discuss it lands knife edge side 93% of the time
These “Hand axes” were probably hunting weapons. The lande point first 70% of the time.
Reference: M. Lubenow, Bones of Contention, A Creationist Assessment of Human Fossils, (2004 revised edition), pg. 133 28

29. Homo erectus and Neanderthals may be the same
Cranial Sizes
Homo erectus and Neanderthals may be the same
Homo erectus
Neanderthals
In the opinion of Marvin Lubenow the Neanderthals and Homo erectus are the same type.
Reference: M. Bowden, Ape-Men, Fact of Fallacy ?, (1977), pg. 48
M. Lubenow, Bones of Contention, A Creationist Assessment of Human Fossils, (2004 revised edition), pg. 128 29

30. Putting It All Together
As above. 30 30

31. Pre-men Fossil Catalogs ?
The question is why is there not more work done in pre-men Systematics ? The last catalog of fossil was made in At that time the following fossilized individuals were found – roughly 4000;
Africa
1,390
(1976)
Europe and USSR
1,516
(1969,1970)
Americas, Asia, Australia
1,092
(1974)
Most fields have reference books where systematics are tallied for studying trends or themes. For example in Chemistry there is the periodic table, in Physics, there is the table of Isotopes, in Stamp Collecting there are the Scotts cataloges.
Reference: M. Lubenow, Bones of Contention, A Creationist Assessment of Human Fossils, (2004 revised edition), pgs. 45,48
Marvin Lubenow estimates the current total to be 7000 in (2004); 31

32. Can the lineage of man be found in the scientific literature?
A Class Exercise
Can the lineage of man be found in the scientific literature?
Each of the 30 college students were given 5 “pre-men” fossils
Rules:
Minimum 8 hours of research
At 5 evolutionist sources / no creationist material
Find the date
Find the category (Homo sapiens, Homo erectus, Homo habilis, Neanderthal, australopithecine)
To demonstrate the lack of a coherence family tree for man, Professor Lubenow gives a research exercise. The theory of evolution fails, and this method leaves an impression on his students.
Reference: M. Lubenow, Bones of Contention, A Creationist Assessment of Human Fossils, (2004 revised edition), pgs. 17,18
When the students put the evolutionists’ results together the theory of evolution was falsified ! 32

33. No clear ancestor path Human Family Tree ? Homo sapiens Homo erectus
In short, there is no ancestral path to humans.
Reference: M. Lubenow, Bones of Contention, A Creationist Assessment of Human Fossils, (2004 revised edition), pg. 336
Australopithecines 33

34. Evolutionary Show-Stopper (In detail)
Homo sapiens
Homo erectus
Australo- pithecines
Evolutionary Show-Stopper (In detail)
Humans,
Homo erectus, and
Australopithecines
lived at the same time !
As above. This has the details of the finds.
Reference: M. Lubenow, Bones of Contention, A Creationist Assessment of Human Fossils, (1992 edition), pg. 171 34

35. Evolutionary Show-Stopper (Simplified)
Homo sapiens
Neander.
Homo erectus
Australo- pithecines
Evolutionary Show-Stopper (Simplified)
Humans,
Neanderthals, Homo erectus,
Homo Habilis, and
Australopithecines
lived at the same time !
Reference: M. Lubenow, Bones of Contention, A Creationist Assessment of Human Fossils, (2004 revised edition), pg. 337 35

36. Secular Pattern Secular Anthropology Intelligent and capable Evolution
This is the pattern of secular anthropology - grunting cave men to intelligent and suave modern man. But how much of this is subjective? Air brush renderings?
Cave man 36

37. Biblical Anthropology
Intelligent and capable creation
Gen 4:17 Cain builds city named after son Enoch
Gen 4:19 Jabel invents harp & flute
Gen 4:22 Tubal-cain foundry with bronze and iron
Turn away from God
Biblical Pattern
The Biblical view is an intelligent and capable creation following by a downhill slide when severed from God, i.e. “going stupid”.
Turn “stupid” 37

38. Summary
As above. 38 38

39. The Missing Link ? 39 HUMANS APES 39 Homo habilis Skull KNM-ER 1813
Australopithecus africanus Skull Sts 5 "Mrs. Ples”
Cro-Magnon Skull
Australopithecus robustus Skull SK-48
There is still the preverbal “missing link”.
Fine reproduction models from;
Bone Clones, Inc Chase Street #1 Canoga Park, CA 91304
Australopithecus boisei
Skull KNM-ER 406
Homo neanderthalensis Skull La Chapelle -aux-Saints
Australopithecus afarensis
Homo neanderthalensis Skull La Ferrassie 1 39
Models from Bone Clones Inc., Canoga park, CA 39