Looking through some of Raup's work it appears that this quote probably came from the 1970's. For example he made a similar quote that is often taken out of context in 1971:
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Quote #4.3
[The lack of transitional fossils contradicts evolution]
"Unfortunately, the origins of most higher categories are shrouded in mystery: commonly new higher categories appear abruptly in the fossil record without evidence of transitional forms." - D. M. Raup and S. M. Stanley Principles of Paleontology, W. H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, 1971, page 306.
Representative miners:
The Bible Probe: Objections to the Doctrine of Evolution and
Ankerberg Theological Research Institute: What Has the Fossil Record Revealed About Darwin’s Missing Link Between All the Plants and Animals?
Starting at the last paragraph on page 305 we find this:
In general, it is much easier to establish phylogenies for major vertebrate groups than for major invertebrate and plant groups because all recognized classes and orders of the Vertebrata have originated since the Cambrian. Although all higher vascular plant taxa have apparently originated since the early Paleozoic, the fossil record of plants is less complete. Furthermore, fossil plant remains usually reveal less about whole-organism morphology than do vertebrate remains. Invertebrate animals fall into several phyla whose late Precambrian and Cambrian are almost universally undocumented by the known fossil record. In some instances, however, we have a moderately good knowledge of the post-Paleozoic phylogenies within invertebrate phyla.
Note that the discussion centers around the fossil record of the late Precambrian and Cambrian. Immediately following, at the top of page 306 is the section quoted:
Unfortunately, the origins of most higher categories are shrouded in mystery; commonly new higher categories appear abruptly in the fossil record without evidence of transitional ancestral
[1] forms. Simpson has listed several reasons for this situation. Among them are the following:
- Appearance of a new higher category has usually marked a major adaptive breakthrough, often accompanying inhabitation of previously unoccupied niches; evolution under such conditions has tended to be very rapid.
- Any lineages of the ancestral group that were similar enough to enter into competition with the new group are likely to have been rapidly displaced.
- Often, times of higher category appearance are represented by gaps in the geological record. (in some instances, rapid evolutionary turnover and unconformities may have resulted from the same widespread environmental change.)
- Change in habitat during the adaptive breakthrough has made discovery of certain transitional forms unlikely.
- Major adaptive breakthroughs have commonly occurred in relatively small populations or taxonomic groups.
- Transitions have commonly been made in taxa whose members were small relative to average size in both the ancestral and descendent higher categories.
- Transitions have commonly taken place in restricted geographic areas, and possibly the same transitions occurred at different times in different areas.
[1]
Most creationist sites leave "ancestral" out of the quote. - Ed.
Seven possible reasons are given as to why the fossil record is currently incomplete, and while creationists may dispute the validity of these reasons, that doesn't change the fact that possible reasons were given. But remember that the quoted section stated that "the origins of
most higher categories are shrouded in mystery...". Does this mean that Raup and Stanley believe that
all origins are "shrouded in mystery"? Not at all, because immediately following the list of possible reasons for the incompleteness of the fossil record is this gem:
The fossil record does occasionally provide what might be termed as a "missing link," a species that appears to represent a transitional stage between higher taxa. One such form is the reptile-like bird
Archaeopteryx, of the Middle Jurassic,...
Archaeopteryxpossessed both reptilian and avian characters. Its possession of feathers suggests that it was warm-blooded, like modern birds, but it also had large teeth, solid bones, and other reptilian skeletal features.
Raup and Stanley then go on to outline the transition from bactritid nautiloids to ammonoids (two invertebrate groups).
In conclusion, while Raup and Stanley acknowledge
some gaps in the fossil record, this doesn't mean that they believe that such gaps are because transitional forms never existed, as can be seen by a more complete reading of the their text.
- Jon (Augray) Barber"
Quote Mine Project: Assorted Quotes
