Marcus R. Ross
Encyclopedia
Marcus R. Ross is an American vertebrate paleontologist
and young earth creationist
. Ross was featured in a February 2007 New York Times
article about the conflict between his young Earth creationist beliefs (which hold the Earth to be only thousands of years old) and his doctoral dissertation (which involved animals extinct for millions of years). His dissertation was on tracking the diversity
, biostratigraphy
, and extinction
of mosasaurs, an extinct group of marine
reptiles whose remains are found in Late Cretaceous
period (100–65 Ma) deposits around the world.
from Pennsylvania State University
, his M.S. in Paleontology from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
and his Ph.D. in Geosciences from the University of Rhode Island
. He is presently an Assistant Professor of Geology
in the Biology
/Chemistry
Department at Liberty University
, where he is also the Assistant Director of the Center for Creation Studies.
As a graduate student, Ross was a fellow of the Discovery Institute
's Center for Science and Culture
. Ross, along with Fred Heeren (an old Earth creationist), attended the Kunming
conference in China with grants from the Institute. The conference was notable for being secretly funded by the Discovery Institute in an attempt to gain scientific legitimacy for intelligent design. He has also spoken at a young Earth creationist conference by Answers in Genesis
at Thomas Road Baptist Church
.
In 2011, Steven Newton's cover story in Earth discussed Ross using minor appearances at academic conferences, where he uses standard science, as a way to bolster claims that creationists challenge mainstream geological consensus when they are not presenting young Earth creationism
at the conferences. Newton wrote, that Ross said that "he thought in a 'framework' of standard science; but for a creationist audience, he said, he used a creationist framework.
Liberty professor Marcus R. Ross
was featured in a report on creationism. Ross "believes that the Bible is a literally true account of the creation of the universe and that the earth is at most 10,000 years old." This is in contrast to his previous position as reflected when he earned his Ph.D. in geosciences from University of Rhode Island
with a dissertation about "the abundance and spread of mosasaurs, marine reptiles that, as he wrote, vanished at the end of the Cretaceous
era about 65 million years ago." Ross explains in his Creation Science classes that it was necessary for him to "follow the rules" of secular science while earning his degrees for the sake of recognition of the validity of his scientific research and methods among the secular scientific community. He explains that he has held a young earth creationist view since he was very young, but few secular scientists are willing to listen to the arguments of anyone who has not gained academic recognition within the world of secular science. Ross has been criticized by some for taking this academic route, but Ross claims that it only firmed his belief in young earth creationism and has enabled him to find academic ground upon which to base the argument for his scientific credentials.
stations, and was featured in DVD
lectures arguing why intelligent design
is a "better explanation" than evolution
for the Cambrian explosion
, a 70 million to 80 million year diversification of invertebrate
animal life about 530 MYA.
Vertebrate paleontology
Vertebrate paleontology is a large subfield to paleontology seeking to discover the behavior, reproduction and appearance of extinct animals with vertebrae or a notochord, through the study of their fossilized remains...
and young earth creationist
Young Earth creationism
Young Earth creationism is the religious belief that Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth were created by direct acts of the Abrahamic God during a relatively short period, sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago...
. Ross was featured in a February 2007 New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
article about the conflict between his young Earth creationist beliefs (which hold the Earth to be only thousands of years old) and his doctoral dissertation (which involved animals extinct for millions of years). His dissertation was on tracking the diversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
, biostratigraphy
Biostratigraphy
Biostratigraphy is the branch of stratigraphy which focuses on correlating and assigning relative ages of rock strata by using the fossil assemblages contained within them. Usually the aim is correlation, demonstrating that a particular horizon in one geological section represents the same period...
, and extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
of mosasaurs, an extinct group of marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
reptiles whose remains are found in Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
period (100–65 Ma) deposits around the world.
Biography
Ross received his B.S. in Earth ScienceEarth science
Earth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
from Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, his M.S. in Paleontology from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a public institution of higher learning in Rapid City, South Dakota governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents. Founded in 1885 as the Dakota School of Mines, Tech offers degree programs in engineering and science fields. 2,354 students were...
and his Ph.D. in Geosciences from the University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
. He is presently an Assistant Professor of Geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
in the Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
/Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
Department at Liberty University
Liberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
, where he is also the Assistant Director of the Center for Creation Studies.
As a graduate student, Ross was a fellow of the Discovery Institute
Discovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
's Center for Science and Culture
Center for Science and Culture
The Center for Science and Culture , formerly known as the Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture , is part of the Discovery Institute, a conservative Christian think tank in the United States...
. Ross, along with Fred Heeren (an old Earth creationist), attended the Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
conference in China with grants from the Institute. The conference was notable for being secretly funded by the Discovery Institute in an attempt to gain scientific legitimacy for intelligent design. He has also spoken at a young Earth creationist conference by Answers in Genesis
Answers in Genesis
Answers in Genesis is a non-profit Christian apologetics ministry with a particular focus on supporting Young Earth creationism and a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis. The organization has offices in the United Kingdom and the United States...
at Thomas Road Baptist Church
Thomas Road Baptist Church
Thomas Road Baptist Church is a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia. It currently claims 24,000 members and is headed by Jonathan Falwell.-History:Started in 1956 by a group of 35, including Jerry Falwell, Thomas Road now claims over 24,200 members...
.
In 2011, Steven Newton's cover story in Earth discussed Ross using minor appearances at academic conferences, where he uses standard science, as a way to bolster claims that creationists challenge mainstream geological consensus when they are not presenting young Earth creationism
Young Earth creationism
Young Earth creationism is the religious belief that Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth were created by direct acts of the Abrahamic God during a relatively short period, sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago...
at the conferences. Newton wrote, that Ross said that "he thought in a 'framework' of standard science; but for a creationist audience, he said, he used a creationist framework.
Liberty professor Marcus R. Ross
Marcus R. Ross
Marcus R. Ross is an American vertebrate paleontologist and young earth creationist. Ross was featured in a February 2007 New York Times article about the conflict between his young Earth creationist beliefs and his doctoral dissertation...
was featured in a report on creationism. Ross "believes that the Bible is a literally true account of the creation of the universe and that the earth is at most 10,000 years old." This is in contrast to his previous position as reflected when he earned his Ph.D. in geosciences from University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
with a dissertation about "the abundance and spread of mosasaurs, marine reptiles that, as he wrote, vanished at the end of the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
era about 65 million years ago." Ross explains in his Creation Science classes that it was necessary for him to "follow the rules" of secular science while earning his degrees for the sake of recognition of the validity of his scientific research and methods among the secular scientific community. He explains that he has held a young earth creationist view since he was very young, but few secular scientists are willing to listen to the arguments of anyone who has not gained academic recognition within the world of secular science. Ross has been criticized by some for taking this academic route, but Ross claims that it only firmed his belief in young earth creationism and has enabled him to find academic ground upon which to base the argument for his scientific credentials.
Media
He has also been interviewed by Christian radioChristian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
stations, and was featured in DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
lectures arguing why intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
is a "better explanation" than evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
for the Cambrian explosion
Cambrian explosion
The Cambrian explosion or Cambrian radiation was the relatively rapid appearance, around , of most major phyla, as demonstrated in the fossil record, accompanied by major diversification of other organisms, including animals, phytoplankton, and calcimicrobes...
, a 70 million to 80 million year diversification of invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
animal life about 530 MYA.
Selected bibliography
- Ross, Marcus R., Stephen C. MeyerStephen C. MeyerStephen C. Meyer is an American scholar, philosopher and advocate for intelligent design. He helped found the Center for Science and Culture of the Discovery Institute , which is the main organisation behind the intelligent design movement. Before joining the DI, Meyer was a professor at...
, Paul NelsonPaul Nelson (creationist)Paul A. Nelson is an American philosopher of science, young earth creationist and intelligent design advocate.- Biography :Nelson is the grandson of the creationist author and Lutheran minister Byron Christopher Nelson and edited a book of his grandfather's writings...
, and Paul ChienPaul ChienPaul Kwan Chien is a Chinese-American biologist known for his research on the physiology and ecology of intertidal organisms and his support for intelligent design and creationism.-Biography:...
. 2004. "The Cambrian Explosion: Biology's Big Bang". In Darwinism, Design and Public EducationDarwinism, Design and Public EducationDarwinism, Design and Public Education is a 2003 anthology, consisting largely of rewritten versions of essays from a 1998 issue of Michigan State University Press's journal, Rhetoric and Public Affairs, edited by intelligent design activists John Angus Campbell and Stephen C. Meyer, neither of...
(Michigan State University Press), pp. 323–402. ISBN 0-87013-675-5
- Ross, Marcus R., and David E. Fastovsky, "Resolving Mosasaur (Diapsida, Squamata) Extinction Across The Atlantic", Paper No. 165-7, at the 2006 Philadelphia Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America (22–25 October 2006).
- Ross, Marcus R., and Roger J. Cuffey, "Chondrichthyan And Reptilian Fossils From The Upper Cretaceous Peedee Formation At Elizabethtown, Southeastern North Carolina, And Comparison To New Jersey Faunas", Paper No. 24-2, at the Geological Society of America Joint Annual Meeting (March 12–14, 2003).