Evolution May Go Wild on Violent Exoplanets

November 18, 2010

In the coming decades we will begin to characterize planets in the habitable zones around nearby stars. The problem is that just because they are habitable we will still be hard pressed to understand if the chemistry of their atmospheres comes only from microorganisms, or six-legged giraffes, or even sentient beings.

A huge influence on a planet's ability to evolve complex life is not just location, location, location, but rather environment, environment environment. The difference? Some planetary systems may have gas giant planets that accelerate the rate of comet or asteroid impacts on the surface of their terrestrial siblings.

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Searching for other earth like planets which may harbor life much like our own is the ultimate goal. I don’t think we are anywhere near finding them but if we don’t look how are we going to know.

They are speculating that other Earth-like worlds might orbit petulant young red dwarf stars that spit searing flares that pound the planets, if that is the case what would be the point, if they are that violent how could they harbor life like ours, planet earth does not spit out searing flares, we are not close enough to other planets in our solar system that effects us in that way, our biggest threats are asteroids and our own sun. Our newest threat is from space debris that is orbiting around our planet.

There is evidence that we have been hit with a huge asteroid in the past that devastated earth approximately 65 million years ago and evolution started over.

The Trojans that surround Neptune and Saturn are particuarlly interesting. Some think they are evolving planets.

I hope so, I think we need a new one to start colonizing!

Interesting article, star and flag.

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
I hope so, I think we need a new one to start colonizing!

The way things are going on planet earth you may be right, but Proto you know as well I that if and when they do colonize we are not going to be invited, it will only be TBTB who can screw things up there also, the difference is they will be able to do it from the very beginning.

Thanks for posting.

That was a really interesting article. I'd like to see the six legged giraffe, personally.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler



I had never head of them as "evolving planets" before. What do you mean by that? I know that Neptune may have more larger sized objects than Jupiter, but that's about it. Likewise, I understand that Saturn has some smaller moons at it's L4/5 points, but nothing very substantial.

Originally posted by cmdrkeenkid
That was a really interesting article. I'd like to see the six legged giraffe, personally.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler

 

I had never head of them as "evolving planets" before. What do you mean by that? I know that Neptune may have more larger sized objects than Jupiter, but that's about it. Likewise, I understand that Saturn has some smaller moons at it's L4/5 points, but nothing very substantial.

A huge influence on a planet's ability to evolve complex life is not just location, location, location, but rather environment, environment environment. The difference? Some planetary systems may have gas giant planets that accelerate the rate of comet or asteroid impacts on the surface of their terrestrial siblings.

The above external quote is from my opening post, this what this article is about, "evolving planets" you may want to read the whole article at the link I provided.

I guess I misunderstood what ProtoplasmicTraveler was saying... I thought the poster was alluding to the planets themselves evolving, a not the potential life on it. Just misunderstood their post within context to the article. Thanks for the clarification.

reply to post by Aquarius1
It's just amazing to consider the wide and wild variety shapes and forms that life might take out there. One of the recently discovered exoplanets faces its star so that one side of the planet is too hot for life and the opposite side too cold. Imagine what kind of lifeforms might exist in the twilight band of the terminator? For some reason, it calls to mind a dark sci-fi movie with ravenous creatures skulking in the dark like our deep sea predators hunting with luminous lures...

In a way, the possibility of life leaves a lingering sense of anguish in my soul. It's the sad knowledge that we're unlikely to be exploring such worlds in my lifetime. The National Geographic (ET Life! colour images inside!) that future generations will marvel at, won't be read by me. The documentaries using footage beamed back by exotic probes are for succeeding generations and not ours. The whole concept of never knowing bums me out more than these words can express.

reply to post by Kandinsky


You never know,maybe if the hindus are correct about reincarnation we could come back not as an earth dweller,but as a sentient gas being on some far off planet.
Or a 6 legged giraffe.

reply to post by Silcone Synapse

Or a 6 legged giraffe.

I'm even more depressed about it now!

Just joking. That was a nice reply, thanks.

reply to post by Kandinsky

It's just amazing to consider the wide and wild variety shapes and forms that life might take out there. One of the recently discovered exoplanets faces its star so that one side of the planet is too hot for life and the opposite side too cold. Imagine what kind of lifeforms might exist in the twilight band of the terminator?

I cannot imagine what kind of lifeforms exist on these planets but bet that life does exist on them, we cannot look at them from an earth based point of view.

You mention about seeing and knowing for sure in your lifetime, I would like to be twenty again with the same passion I have now for these questions and answers, just think of all I would have to look forward to.

Thanks for posting.

It is very exciting to think about all those lifeforms out there, and like the earlier poster said so very disappointing we are unlikely to get to learn about them. In the mean time though, science fiction authors have used their great imaginations to come up with some really wild and interesting ideas for aliens - I'm not talking Star Trek stupid makeup jobs, either.

There's an old but classic book called Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials that has illustrations of many of these great aliens from science fiction - and which are far more original and "alien" then these pathetic descriptions of humanoids you get in UFO folklore.