"And as he suggests, any evidence that throws the evolutionary story into disarray will just mean yet another adjustment of the storyline and timeline"

So you're saying we should look at the available evidence, then formulate hypothesis and never attempt to disprove that but assume we got it right first time and stick to it regardless of further evidence coming to light as technology and understanding advances? That's an insight into your mindset to be sure Pete.

The research discussed in Lighter's link does not challenge evolution at all; it's talking about the emergence of multicelluar life. This is an important question and is part of a far wider field of research that looks into the rate of evolution and speciation; a question palaeontologists tend to be very interested as our work has bearing on the rate of evolution and our research specimens were subject too.


"but the Cambrian explosion strongly suggests no evolution prior to this supposed era"

How the heck did you come to that conclusion? Where is your evidence to support such a claim? What do you think was actually going on before the Cambrian explosion?

That said Pete, you appear to have accepted the Cambrian explosion was an actual evolutionary event so that's a start. This means you acceptant the conclusions of palaeontologists and geologists and molecular biologists etc. Nice one! I do believe you're beginning to see reason.