# The Current Status of Ewert's Dependency Graph of Life

**URL:** <https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/the-current-status-of-ewerts-dependency-graph-of-life/3735>\
**Category:** Side Conversation\
**Tags:** Science, Design\
**Created:** [January 3, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/the-current-status-of-ewerts-dependency-graph-of-life/3735 "2019-01-03T22:28:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 205

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**Author:** ![John\_Harshman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/john_harshman/32/1121_2.png) [@John\_Harshman](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/John_Harshman)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2021, 4:33am UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/the-current-status-of-ewerts-dependency-graph-of-life/3735/205 "2021-09-12T04:33:14Z")

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> [@Meerkat\_SK5](#):
>
> But, I insist that the fossil record and human exceptionalism make the two aspects mutually exclusive as I explain further.

Your explanations tend to be gibberish, and that’s also true in the present case. You are of course free to try again.

> [@Meerkat\_SK5](#):
>
> No, I did read it

Then what did it say that makes any sort of point for you?

> [@Meerkat\_SK5](#):
>
> Are you just going to assert this or are you actually going to explain and support these claims?

You first. Support a claim.

> [@Meerkat\_SK5](#):
>
> How so?

I’m willing to defer to theologians on that point. Not my field, really.

> [@Meerkat\_SK5](#):
>
> Alright John, you are going to need to provide studies showing that the fossil record is just incomplete in regards to those sudden appearances.

First, you will have to show that the studies you have cited say anything relevant to your claims.

> [@Meerkat\_SK5](#):
>
> Since there are a remarkable number of fossils that have been revealed over the years, there is no reason why this line of reasoning would not apply to the fossil record.as well.

Sorry, but no. We can explore the current world a lot better than we can explore the past. Here’s a factoid for you: 50% of all dinosaur genera (not species, note) are known from a single specimen only. Think about what that implies for the number of genera for which we haven’t yet found that specimen. The fossils we have access to are a tiny proportion of the fossils that were preserved. Consider all the cubic miles of fossiliferous strata that have eroded away and have been lost. Consider all the cubic miles of fossiliferous strata that are not exposed on the surface and are therefore unavailable to be examined. And consider that depositional environments are only a small proportion of the earth’s surface at any time, and anything that dies elsewhere will be lost. Finally, consider that many species have low intrinsic preservation potential; in fact there are entire phyla with no fossil record at all.

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