>>>SEJones: ...
[quote]... The ... samples were almost completely melted about 3.9 billion
years ago. ... 750 million years after the Solar System was formed ... by
four billion years ago it had started to decline. So the new data suggests
that there was a brief period of resurgence. ... because the Earth is a
bigger target than the Moon our planet would have sustained at least 10 times
the number of punishing impacts. These would have melted the surface,
vaporised any oceans that were trying to form and filled the atmosphere with
superhot clouds of rock vapour. Any life that may have got started would have
been destroyed. ..."
**********************************
DNAunion: Thanks SEJones. I have gone to the BBC site you listed and saved
a copy of the report, and plan to add it to my "anti-OOL" material sometime.
Oh yeah, and thanks for the other reference for the early signs of life (
http://www.uta.edu/geology/geol1425earth_system/images/gaia_chapter_10/Early_L
ife.htm ). I will have to look at it. I know that Schopf has identified
photosynthetic organisms (cyanobacteria) in 3.5 billion year old strata, and
that isotopic signatures of carbon-fixing enzymes have been found in 3.85
billion-year-old rocks, so it would be VERY interesting if in fact the
article states that there is evidence of photosynthetic organisms existing as
early as 3.85 billion years ago.
Again, thanks much for the two references.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Dec 05 2000 - 22:26:41 EST