last I read, stu. a virus is not strictly life, but as you are the scientist, what do you think ? you ask me to narrow it down, and I did......you did not answer or refer to those points.   your allusion to the fossil grading is probably your strongest argument. however, creationists have addressed this issue, and I earlier mentioned that under such biblically based model, it would be expected that seafloor life would be buried first, but also be found on high ground and mountains as dramatic uplift occurred. the more intelligent and mobile would be expected to be consumed last as they found higher ground. the intervening levels are , I understand, not so finely graded as you might have been led to believe. evolutionists have had to move fossils around the column to preserve the idea. btw, stu, do you know anywhere there is a complete column ?. mammal fossils have been found in dino strata, but being of less interest are rarely displayed with dinos. and aren't mammels supposed to have evolved after dinos ?........just like the birds found in dino stomachs !.