Trilobites on mars

[ianzxcvb]

I don't for a minute believe there’s any life on mars, though some of the rocks at the summit of Columbia hills look a little like the shells of horse shoe crabs and trilobites. As the atmosphere of mars changed; if there was animal life on mars it would have scrambled for the highest points.<br /><br /><br />http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040813a/2N145017053FFL8500P1742L0M1-A210R1_br.jpg<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

That's an interesting point. Then again, as things became less hospitable, might life on Mars have instead scrambled for the *lower* points, where there would still have been water and where the atmosphere was thicker? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[ianzxcvb]

Though oxygen is lighter that CO2 - so higher up might have been safer.<br /><br />The problem with all this is that the rovers have found cack all - if there had ever been life on mars the evidence would be all around. Roll on the Europa mission. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Oh, good point. I hadn't thought of that.<br /><br />The rovers aren't really meant to find life. They're more built as prospectors. I've heard really exciting things about what's planned for the next rover, though. They're looking into the idea of a big mobile laboratory that could do some really serious searches for life signs! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[ianzxcvb]

I think if mobile labs find microbial life on mars it'll probably be just extreamophilies that were carried by meteorites from earth - so not answering the question - are we alone. Mars was probably always sterile because even tiny life would have left obvious marks on the landscape.<br /><br />Europa is more exciting - because of the big band of dark orange that engulfs it, perhaps bacteria?<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[ianzxcvb]

and ziggy stardust <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>