posted on Feb, 5 2009 @ 02:22 PM
As usual, 'the scientists' have been thinking out of the box and working out solutions to problems that provide answers to our questions. An eternal
question of the enquiring mind is, "When did Life begin?" Scientists personify the enquiring mind compelled to action.
The fossil record requires some substance; a measure of solidity that leaves it's mark within the rocks and earth. The further back in time we look,
the harder it is to find evidence of that life. The remnants of ancient microbial life can be found in 'junk' DNA...arguably.
They've started looking for the breakdown products of lipids (fat-soluble, molecular parts of structural membranes) in rocks. This has resulted, in
this instance, with the evidence that life was here on Earth millions of years earlier than was shown. Future studies should extend these estimates.
These sponges existed 600 million years ago. The evolution that led up to them would have taken a *few* more years.
My 'Big Question' is when did the inanimate become animate? At a point in Earth's history...something moved by itself. Imagine being witness to that
moment?! As we extend life on this planet and science keeps occupying ever-distant periods of time, we come closer to identifying that moment. The
first cell twitched...
news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)