Another creationist icon crumbles: Kachina Bridge "sauropod"

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Another creationist icon crumbles: Kachina Bridge "sauropod"

Post by Faithfree » Sat Apr 16, 2011 7:05 am

Creationists love the coexistence of dinosaurs and people theme, but one by one the putative evidence has been debunked. Now the Kachina Bridge (Utah) petroglyph allegedly showing a sauropod dinosaur has come under scientific scrutiny. It won't be too much of a surprise that it isn't quite what it seemed. It is interpreted below as composite of several real petroglyphs, but the body and legs that are critical to the sauropod illusion are a natural mineral stain; a case of pareidolia. The results have just been published in the peer-reviewed on-line journal Palaeontologia Electronica.

Creationists will, of course, ignore the evidence as usual. :roll:

http://www.palaeo-electronica.org/2011_1/236/index.html
"Dinosaur" petroglyphs at Kachina Bridge site, Natural Bridges National Monument, southeastern Utah: not dinosaurs after all

Phil Senter and Sally J. Cole

ABSTRACT: Among the many images made by prehistoric people on the walls of Kachina Bridge is what appears to be an unambiguous depiction of a sauropod dinosaur, herein called Dinosaur 1. Because mainstream science has produced no alternate explanation for Dinosaur 1, it has become an important weapon in the arsenal of the anti-evolution movement. The movement's proponents claim that it demonstrates the coexistence of humans and dinosaurs, thus casting doubt on the geological time scale of millions of years. Until now that claim has gone unchallenged. The hypothesis that a given petroglyph depicts a dinosaur predicts that the image is not a composite; depicts an animal; has features that cannot be reconciled with non-dinosaurian local fauna; has features of a specific, identifiable dinosaur; and is entirely human-made. These predictions were tested for Dinosaur 1 and three other alleged dinosaur petroglyphs at Kachina Bridge by on-site visual examination under varying light conditions. Examination reveals that the "neck" and "back" of Dinosaur 1 are a composite of two separate petroglyphs, and its "legs" are a natural mud or mineral stain. A second alleged sauropod petroglyph is a mere mud stain. The other two alleged dinosaur petroglyphs are human-made, but neither depicts an animal. The four Kachina Bridge "dinosaurs" are illusions produced by pareidolia. None of them satisfy the predictions of the hypothesis that a dinosaur is depicted. Dinosaur 1—heretofore a creationist poster child—and its counterparts now join the plethora of discredited "evidence" for the ancient coexistence of humans and dinosaurs.

....more
Here's the whole paper as PDF: http://www.palaeo-electronica.org/2011_1/236/236.pdf
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Re: Another creationist icon crumbles: Kachina Bridge "sauro

Post by Feck » Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:27 am

Another one bites the dust, HeyHey
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Re: Another creationist icon crumbles: Kachina Bridge "sauro

Post by Faithfree » Sat Apr 16, 2011 5:23 pm

Wondering how the creationist camp have received the Senter and Cole paper, I did a little Googling. In seems one creationist, Paul Garner, who has actually visited and photographed the site, accepts the papers findings.
http://thenewcreationism.wordpress.com/ ... kes-again/

But AiG have come out swinging with an article that could be best summarised as - la la la, I can't hear you, and it's still a dinosaur.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/article ... r-and-cole

Garner found the Aig rebutal "superficial and unconvincing".
http://thenewcreationism.wordpress.com/ ... -sauropod/

Seems not all creationists are towing the party line. :hehe:
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Re: Another creationist icon crumbles: Kachina Bridge "sauro

Post by Thumpalumpacus » Sat Apr 16, 2011 5:26 pm

I thought at first you wrote it was a case of pedophilia, which seemed odd, but rather credible.
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Re: Another creationist icon crumbles: Kachina Bridge "sauro

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Sat Apr 16, 2011 5:30 pm

Why don't creationists crow about pictures of people walking with unicorns?
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Re: Another creationist icon crumbles: Kachina Bridge "sauro

Post by laklak » Sat Apr 16, 2011 6:47 pm

Here's a 15th century tapestry showing maidens and unicorns:

Image

Another medieval tapestry:=, this one from the British Museum. Even you eviloonionists should accept the British Museum's credentials.

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We have multiple sources, claiming to be eyewitnesses, all saying unicorns exist. Why wuld they lie?
Yeah well that's just, like, your opinion, man.

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