Name the baby Tapir!

[_TAK]

William Schryver:
I prefer this relative of the elephant, of which western-hemisphere specimens survived until at least 400 C.E...
Wiki Article he links ..
but the last South American species did not finally become extinct until possibly as recently as 400 CE.

There you go Mormon apologetics at its best.: At least 400 CE vs possibly as recently as 400 CE..

[_William Schryver]

The article Schryver linked to says that gomphotheres didn't go extinct in South America until, "possibly", 400 CE.

That's quite right. It might have been earlier or later. But the study cited settled upon 400 C.E. as the most likely date for the last specimens of gomphothere in South America.

You're certainly welcome to find fault, if you can, with the study authors. Here's the reference:

Palmer, D., ed (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. pp. 239–242. ISBN 1-84028-152-9

Or, if you'd prefer, perhaps this species of elephant would be more to your liking: Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

[_JohnStuartMill]

So you're not going to admit that your "at least 400 CE" formulation was simply and obviously incorrect?

[_The Dude]

An illustrated encyclopedia becomes a "study". LOL

Yep, apologetics at its best.

[The Stig]

An illustrated encyclopedia becomes a "study". LOL

Yep, apologetics at its best.

Of course, the "illustrated encyclopedia" cites the study--but when propaganda is called for, intellectual honesty can be easily dispensed with.

Critics at their best.

If you'd like to dispute the extinction date of 400 C.E., feel free to do so. But do it with something other than the arrogant wave of your hand.

[_Mercury]

An illustrated encyclopedia becomes a "study". LOL

Yep, apologetics at its best.

Could be worse. Next they will cite fake Gnostic texts and claim it proves the Book of Abraham to be authentic. Oh, wait...

[_William Schryver]

An illustrated encyclopedia becomes a "study". LOL

Yep, apologetics at its best.

Could be worse. Next they will cite fake Gnostic texts and claim it proves the Book of Abraham to be authentic. Oh, wait...

Again:

If you'd like to dispute the extinction date of 400 C.E., feel free to do so. But do it with something other than the arrogant wave of your hand.

[_Daniel Peterson]

The arrogant wave of the hand is the most substantive response certain people here have available to them. They're doing the best they can. Be charitable.

[_The Dude]

Yep, somebody has to go to the library and find the book, look up the study, pay a fee to get a reprint, wait a few weeks, and then look to see if what kind of statistics were used and whether it supports the claim of "400 C.E. as the most likely date for the last specimens of gomphothere in South America."

Will has never actually seen the study, and has invented the statistical language ("most likely") he's using, but he thinks he is right until somebody does all that work and proves him wrong.

Intellectual honesty at its best.

[_JohnStuartMill]

Schryver still can't tell the difference between "gomphotheres went extinct in 400 CE" and "gomphotheres possibly went extinct in 400 CE". Unbelievable.