There are no elephants in the Bible.
This news often comes as a shock to creationists brought up with fanciful drawings of pairs of animals walking up the gangplank onto a wooden boat in the childish tale of Noah and his Ark. Why? Weren't there a pair of elephants, as large as life, along with zebras, rhinos, hippos and penguins, according to the Bible?
Hmmm... LOL!
And of course, although creationists will insist that the Bible records dinosaurs roaming the countryside at the time the tale was set, if you change the meanings of a few words, not only are elephants not mentioned, but nor are their ancient ancestors, the mammoths. And nor are continents like North and South America, Australia, Antarctica and of course islands like Vancouver, Greenland, Madagascar, Great Britain and Ireland were entirely unknown and unsuspected by the Bible's imaginative authors.
Which is why they imagined setting the beginnings of it all just a few thousand years earlier, made perfect sense. The entire history of Earth and life on it was as unknown to them as its geography and geology. These were simple people who lived on a flat, magical planet with a dome over it and who didn't know where the sun went at night, or that rain formed in clouds.
So how could they possibly have known about mammoths living on Vancouver Island in North America? It wasn't their fault that they were so poorly educated; they were probably about as well educated as any other Middle Eastern pastoralist of the Bronze Age - i.e., not very well at all, being illiterate and innumerate. The people who've let them down are the later cult leaders who collected their tales, bound them up in a book and decreed it to be the inerrant word of an omniscient god.
Weirdly, there are people alive today, in modern, technologically advanced countries, who believe what those ignorant goat-herders wrote has never been equaled, let alone bettered, by modern science, for its completeness, reliability and accuracy.
But there were mammoths living on Vancouver Island between 13,000 years and at least 35,000 years before the Bronze Age authors of the Bible set their creation myth to try to fill the gaps in their knowledge and understanding with narratives that made sense within their narrow framework of understanding, and this is how any rational person can tell the claims that the Bible was written of inspired by an omniscient creator god is nonsense - a dishonest fiction intended to deceive - false witnessing on a grand scale.
The evidence of these mammoths has just been published in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences and explained in a press release from Simon Fraser University. The authors examined 32 suspected mammoth samples from Vancouver Island, of which 16 proved suitable for carbon dating. One of the samples proved to be beyond the age at which \(\small \ce{^14C}\) dating gives accurate results (45,000 years) so we only know that there were mammoths on Vancouver Island before 47,500 years ago.
Can you explain the basic principles behind carbon dating and the steps taken to ensure accuracy, please? Basic Principles of Carbon Dating
Carbon dating (or radiocarbon dating) is a method used to determine the age of an object containing organic material by measuring the amount of carbon-14 (\(\small \ce{^14C}\)) it contains. The technique is based on the following principles:
Steps to Ensure Accuracy in Carbon Dating
- Carbon Isotopes: Carbon exists in the atmosphere primarily as two stable isotopes, carbon-12 (\(\small \ce{^12C}\)) and carbon-13 (\(\small \ce{^13C}\)), and a radioactive isotope, carbon-14 (\(\small \ce{^14C}\)). \(\small \ce{^14C}\) is produced in the atmosphere through the interaction of nitrogen-14 (\(\small \ce{^14N}\)) with cosmic rays.
- Carbon Cycle: \(\small \ce{^14C}\) is incorporated into carbon dioxide (\(\small \ce{CO2})\), which is absorbed by plants during photosynthesis. Animals then consume plants, integrating \(\small \ce{^14C}\) into their bodies. Thus, all living organisms maintain a constant level of \(\small \ce{^14C}\) while alive.
- Radioactive Decay: When an organism dies, it stops absorbing carbon, and the \(\small \ce{^14C}\) in its body begins to decay into nitrogen-14 (\(\small \ce{^14N}\)) at a known rate, with a half-life of about 5,730 years. By measuring the remaining amount of \(\small \ce{^14C}\) in a sample, scientists can estimate the time elapsed since the organism's death.
Summary
- Sample Selection and Preparation:
- Avoid Contamination: Scientists select samples carefully to avoid contamination from modern carbon, which can skew the results. They often choose materials like wood, charcoal, bone, or shell.
- Cleaning: The sample is cleaned to remove any contaminants, such as soil or modern carbon residues. Chemical treatments may be used to remove potential contaminants.
- Measurement of Carbon-14:
- Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS): This is the most common method used today. It directly counts the \(\small \ce{^14C}\) atoms in a sample, allowing for precise measurements even with small samples.
- Conventional Radiocarbon Dating: This method measures the beta particles emitted by decaying \(\small \ce{^14C}\) atoms. It's less sensitive than AMS and requires larger samples.
- Calibration:
- Calibration Curve: Raw radiocarbon dates are calibrated against a curve developed from samples of known age, like tree rings (dendrochronology) or marine corals. This corrects for variations in atmospheric \(\small \ce{^14C}\) over time.
- Database Cross-Referencing: Researchers compare the results with established databases (e.g., IntCal) that provide calibration curves based on global data.
- Replicates and Cross-Checking:
- Multiple Samples: Scientists often test multiple samples from the same context to verify results.
- Cross-Validation: Results are cross-checked against other dating methods or samples from the same period or region to confirm consistency.
- Consideration of Context:
- Archaeological Context: The context in which the sample was found is considered, as mixing of older or newer materials could affect the dating.
- Environmental Factors: Factors like reservoir effects (e.g., in marine organisms) or local variations in \(\small \ce{^14C}\) levels are considered in the interpretation of results.
Carbon dating relies on the predictable decay of \(\small \ce{^14C}\) in once-living organisms to estimate their age. To ensure accuracy, meticulous sample selection and preparation, precise measurement techniques, calibration against known standards, and cross-checking with other methods are all essential steps. This careful approach helps to mitigate potential errors and produce reliable chronological data for archaeological and geological studies.
What is the formula for calculating the age from the about of \(\small \ce{^14C}\) in a sample?
The age of a sample using carbon-14 (\(\small \ce{^14C}\)) can be calculated using the following formula: \[\small \text{Age} = \frac{t_{1/2}}{\ln(2)} \times \ln\left(\frac{N_0}{N_t}\right) \] Where:
- \(\small t_{1/2} \) is the half-life of carbon-14, approximately 5,730 years.
- \(\small N_0 \) is the initial amount of carbon-14 in the sample (at the time of the organism's death).
- \(\small N_t \) is the amount of carbon-14 remaining in the sample at the time of measurement.
- \(\small \ln \) is the natural logarithm.
Simplified Formula:
Given that \( \small t_{1/2} \) is constant and equal to 5,730 years, the formula can be simplified as: \[\small \text{Age} = 8033 \times \ln\left(\frac{N_0}{N_t}\right) \] Explanation:
Example:
- Natural Logarithm: The formula uses the natural logarithm (ln) because the decay of \(\small \ce{^14C}\) follows an exponential pattern.
- Ratio \(\small \frac{N_0}{N_t} \): This ratio represents the proportion of \(\small \ce{^14C}\) that has decayed. \(\small N_0 \) is the original quantity of \(\small \ce{^14C}\), and \(\small N_t \) is the remaining amount.
- 8033: This factor is derived from the relationship between the half-life of \(\small \ce{^14C}\) and the natural logarithm of 2, which is approximately 0.693.
If a sample originally had 1 unit of \(\small \ce{^14C}\) (\(\small N_0 = 1 \)) and now has 0.25 units (\(\small N_t = 0.25 \)):
\[ \small \begin{aligned} \text{Age} &= 8033 \times \ln\left(\frac{1}{0.25}\right) = 8033 \times \ln(4) \\ &\approx 8033 \times 1.386 \\ &\approx 11,133 \text{ years} \end{aligned} \] So, the sample would be approximately 11,133 years old.
When mammoths roamed Vancouver Island: SFU and Royal BC Museum delve into beasts' history in our regionSadly the team's paper in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is behind an expensive paywall so I only have the short abstract, but it's enough to show that the dates of mammoth survival on Vancouver coincide with other evidence that the island was ice-free at the time, showing how different strands of evidence can be mutually confirmatory:
Mammoths, the massive pre-historic ice age cousins of the modern-day elephant, have always been understood to have inhabited parts of British Columbia, but the question of when has always been a bit woolly.
Now, a new study from Simon Fraser University has given scientists the clearest picture yet when the giant mammals roamed Vancouver Island.
As part of SFU researcher Laura Termes' PhD and published earlier this month in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences; the study examined 32 suspected mammoth samples collected on Vancouver Island. Of those samples, just 16 were deemed suitable for radiocarbon dating.
The youngest sample was found to be around 23;000 years old and the oldest turned out to be beyond the range radiocarbon dating could measure, meaning it was older than 45,000 years.
Prior to the study, only two mammoth remains found on Vancouver Island had ever been dated before. Both lived around 21 ;000 years ago, so the Termes' study provides a greater understanding of when the massive mammals lived in the area.
This is really exciting because it shows that mammoths have lived on Vancouver Island for a long time. We were expecting similar results [to the two samples previously dated] but what we found were mammoths that were much older. It is fantastic that they could be preserved for that long.
Laura Termes, first author
PhD candidate
Department of Archaeology
Simon Fraser University, Bumaby, BC, Canada.
Termes says having the curatorial support at the Royal BC Museum and the Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre allowing access to their collection was invaluable to the study.
This research highlights the important role of museum collections for understanding how life has evolved and changed in British Columbia's deep history. It's great to see Woolly's relatives in the Royal BC Museum's collections in the spotlight through this research study.
Victoria Arbour, co-author
Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, BC, Canada
And School of Earth and Ocean Sciences
University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
The UBC ADaPT Facility (which was instrumental in helping determine if samples were indeed mammoths and not whales or other animals) also played an important role in the research, Termes says.
And archaeologists need all the help they can get because while mammoths were enormous finding intact samples in British Columbia is actually quite rare.
When we imagine great big giant animals of the last ice age being found, we might have imagined fully articulated and complete skeletons being systematically excavated. But in southern B.C., that simply does not happen. Instead, we may get an isolated molar that's been tumbled around in the water for a long time, or maybe a piece of a tusk. And these are what everyday people are encountering.
So maybe it's a dog owner, taking their puppy for a walk on a rainy day, or a gravel pit operator at work. I really like how these magnificent animals are finding their way into people's lives in routine and everyday ways.
Laura Termes.
Termes says the study is part of a larger look at megafauna in B.C. and she plans on radiocarbon dating mammoth samples from other parts of the province.
Mammoth fossil collection at the Royal British Columbia Museum
AbstractLike so much else about creationism, cult members seem unable to make the logical leap from the fact that almost all of Earth's history occurred before 'Creation Week' to the conclusion that there might be something wrong with the idea of magic creation, 10,000 years ago or that a book which runs counter to the evidence might not be the inerrant word of an omniscient god.
As part of a larger project identifying and directly radiocarbon dating Late Pleistocene megafaunal remains in British Columbia (B.C.), Canada, we have confirmed the identity of many newly identified mammoth (Mammuthus sp.) specimens (n = 32) from Vancouver Island in Southwestern B.C. We undertook radiocarbon dating on all specimens and were able to obtain dates (due to preservation) on 16 of these remains, including redating a previously dated mammoth using newer radiocarbon extraction methods. The mammoth dates span a wide range, from >47 500 to 18 000 radiocarbon years B.P. (uncalibrated). These later new dates support other lines of evidence for portions of Vancouver Island remaining ice-free until well into the Fraser Glaciation.
L. Termes, G. Keddie, R. Hebda, P. Trask, V. Arbour, C. Speller, L. Paskulin, C. Ramsey, and M.P. Richards. 2024.
Survival of mammoths (Mammuthus sp.) into the Late Pleistocene in Southwestern British Columbia (Vancouver Island), Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 61(8): 843-854. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2023-0102
© 2024 Canadian Science Publishing.
Reprinted under the terms of s60 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Where would cult leaders like Ken Ham and Kent Hovind, et al, do for a living if ever their dupes developed the ability to join the dots and think logically?
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