Re: Extraterrestrial life

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     I don't think I made myself understood. Here's what I wrote to Norm 
     after he'd made the same point (apologies, Norm, for airing this 
     publicly):
     
     'The point I was making about conodonts and calcichordates was not 
     that they might be so weird that their status as fossils was in 
     question, but just weird enough not to have an extant form 
     sufficiently similar for reconstructions to stick. 
     
     The martian problem is something else again, as there are no 
     life-forms on Mars that we know about with which we can make a valid 
     comparison -- and we cannot formally make such valid comparisons with 
     terrestrial life forms, by definition.'
     
     I hope that's now clear.
     
     Henry
     


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Extraterrestrial life
Author:  c583scb@semovm.semo.edu at Internet
Date:    20/08/96 09:20


With respect to conodonts, calcichordates, etc., we're not talking about very 
complex Martian "fossils". Nanobacteria-like things at best. And, in many 
expectations, nanobacteria-like is a pretty good beginning for life. No 
necessarily complex structures, no necessarily complex ecology (by our 
standards Today). We're looking at complexity thresholds, isolation from the 
external environment, acquisition of resources (whatever those may be!) and 
some form of chemical reproduction and information transmission. Gee, sounds 
like life. And in its simplest form, anywhere in the Universe, it will 
probably look like a little membrane bound bag.
     
Dr. Peter D. Roopnarine
Department of Biology
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau MO 63701
email:proopnar@biology.semo.edu
web:http://biology.semo.edu
Dr. Peter D. Roopnarine
Department of Biology
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau MO 63701
email:proopnar@biology.semo.edu
web:http://biology.semo.edu
     
     
Dr. Kim Driver
Dept. of Biology
Southeast Missouri State University
One University Plaza
M/S 6200
Cape Girardeau   MO   63701
e-mail kdriver@biology.semo.edu
web http://biology.semo.edu