Russian biologists examining returned samples of lunar
regolith have noticed that some particles are fossilized
microorganisms. Stanislav Zhmur and Lyudmila Gerasimenko
made the discovery when they took a careful new look at Moon
material returned in the 1970s by missions of the Soviet
Union's unmanned Luna program. The analysis was first
published in December 1999, in the preceedings of an
astrobiology conference (1).
At the same conference, these biologists reported fossilized
microorganisms in carbonaceous meteorites, and on 27
January, we publicized that finding (3). Today, no one
doubts that the meteoritic fossils are biological. But it
turns out that meteorites can easily become contaminated
after contact with the ground, so mainstream science now
suspects that all fossilized microorganisms in meteorites
are the remains of recent contaminants. The fossilized
microorganisms from the Moon, however, were delivered to
Earth in sealed containers that were opened only in
laboratories. They can hardly be contaminants.
One striking circular fossil collected by Luna 16 bears an
unmistakable resemblance to modern spiral filamentous
microorganisms like Phormidium frigidum. Other particles
returned by Luna 20 plainly resemble fossils of modern
coccoidal species like Siderococcus or Sulfolobus. These
fossils are solid evidence for ancient life beyond planet
Earth.
* For the full story with three photos and links to
references, see "Microorganisms from the Moon," at
http://www.panspermia.org/zhmur2.htm
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