The fossils which are found around the world give scien-
        tists an accurate picture of species which existed in the past.
        Fossils are generally found in sedimentary rocks. Most scientists
        believe that these rock deposits were formed over many millions
        of years.

        A classification system has been devised which dates
        rocks by the type of fossils in them. Specific fossil remains are
        used to classify and date each layer of rock. The less complex
        early forms of life would be found in the oldest rocks. Inverti-
        brates would be in rocks older than those containing vertebrates.
        The fossils used for this dating method are called index fossils.
        The resulting layers of rock and their corresponding dates are
        called the Geologic Column.

                The Geologic Column is generally represented vertically
        with the oldest rocks appearing at the bottom. Each layer repres-
        ents a time period in the earth's history. Scientists generally
        feel that it has taken hundreds of millions of years for these
        layers of fossils to have accumulated. It should be mentioned at
        this point that the Geologic Column is not found in its entirety
        throughout the world. In many places there are large gaps and dis-
        continuities in the column. At other locations the oldest rock
        strata appear on the surface and the younger layers are in an
        inverted order below the surface. (Morris-Parker 198)

                The oldest sedimentary rocks known to contain any preserved
        remains are the Cambrian Rocks. These rocks are considered to be
        as old as six hundred million years. These rocks contain life forms
        such as corals, jellyfish, crustaceans, trilobites, and brachiopods.
        In fact, scientists have found every one of the major invertibrate
        life forms in the Cambrian Rocks. Many of these fossils are highly
        complex.

        Researchers have also found trilobites with their eyes in
        excellent fossilized condition (Levi-Setti 24). Trilobites are remark-
        able creatures which are now extinct. They are marine invertebrates
        which varied in size from several inches to over one foot. Scien-
        tists have used the electron microscope to study the remains of
        these prehistoric animals. The geometric precision of their eyes
        is starling (Levi-Setti 33).

        Some authorities believe that the
        trilobite had vision which was as good as we have today (Gish WFSI).
        What an amazingly intricate organism to find in the Cambrian Rock
        layer! Darwin believed that one of the major obstacles to his
        theory was "organs of extreme perfection and complication "(Darwin
        223). He marveled at the eye's ability to focus and adjust for various
        levels of light, as well as its corrections for sperical and
        chromatic aberration (Darwin 224).

                The discovery of the complexity of trilobites is remarkable
        when it is considered that Cambrian Rocks are the oldest sediment-
        ary rocks and should therefore have the simplest forms of life.
        Based on the evolution model the oldest rocks will have fossils
        of primitive life forms. This does not appear to follow the evolu-
        tion model. Scientists are hard pressed to explain the appearance
        of such a complex species in such extremely old rocks. How does
        this discovery fit in with the requirements of the creation model?
        The creationist believes that highly intricate forms of life
        appeared abruptly. This finding is favorable to the position of
        the creationist.

                If the Cambrian Rocks contain the oldest known fossil
        remains, what can we expect to find in Precambrian Rocks? Before
        answering that question, let's consider what might be possible
        based on our two model approach to origins. Evolution requires long
        time periods and slow gradual change. Therefore, based on the evolu-
        tion model we would expect to find simple forms of life which lived
        prior to Cambrian times. The older rocks should contain evidence
        of the ancestors of trilobites and brachiopods. The continuity of
        slow and gradual change should be maintained in the evidence found
        in the sedimentary rocks.

        On the other hand, the creation model
        would suggest a sudden appearance of complicated forms of life.
        Considering the creation model further , the Precambrian Rocks
        might contain other complex life forms or possibly no life forms
        at all. In fact scientists have not found any fossils in Precambian
        Rock (Gish 45). This supports the creation model and leaves evolution
        with a lack of data.