Posted on 12/29/2021 5:57:37 AM PST by Red Badger
A summary of decades of research on a rather 'out-there' idea involving viruses from space raises questions on just how scientific we can be when it comes to speculating on the history of life on Earth.
It's easy to throw around words like crackpot, rogue, and maverick in describing the scientific fringe, but then papers like this one, from 2018, come along and leave us blinking owlishly, unsure of where to even begin.
A total of 33 names were listed as authors on this review, which was published by Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology back in August 2018. The journal is peer reviewed and fairly well cited. So it's not exactly small, or a niche pay-for-publish source.
Science writer Stephen Fleischfresser goes into depth on the background of two of the better known scientists involved: Edward Steele and Chandra Wickramasinghe. It's well worth a read.
For a tl;dr version, Steele is an immunologist who has a fringe reputation for his views on evolution that relies on acquiring gene changes determined by the influence of the environment rather than random mutations, in what he calls meta-Lamarckism.
Wickramasinghe, on the other hand, has had a somewhat less controversial career, recognized for empirically confirming Sir Fred Hoyle's hypothesis describing the production of complex carbon molecules on interstellar dust.
Wickramasinghe and Hoyle also happened to be responsible for another space biology thesis. Only this one is based on more than just the origins of organic chemistry.
The Hoyle Wickramasinghe (H-W) thesis of Cometary (Cosmic) Biology makes the rather simple claim that the direction of evolution has been significantly affected by biochemistry that didn't start on our planet.
In Wickramasinghe's own words, "Comets are the carriers and distributors of life in the cosmos, and life on Earth arose and developed as a result of cometary inputs."
Those inputs, Wickramasinghe argued, aren't limited to a generous sprinkling of space-baked amino acids, either.
Rather, they include viruses that insert themselves into organisms, pushing their evolution into whole new directions.
The report, titled "Cause of Cambrian Explosion – Terrestrial or Cosmic?", pulls on existing research to conclude that a rain of extra-terrestrial retroviruses played a key role in the diversification of life in our oceans roughly half a billion years ago.
"Thus retroviruses and other viruses hypothesized to be liberated in cometary debris trails both can potentially add new DNA sequences to terrestrial genomes and drive further mutagenic change within somatic and germline genomes," the authors wrote.
Let that sink in for a moment. And take a deep breath before continuing, because that was the tame part.
It was during this period that a group of mollusks known as cephalopods first stretched out their tentacles from beneath their shells, branching into a stunning array of sizes and shapes in what seemed like a remarkably short time frame.
The genetics of these organisms, which today include octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish, are as weird as the animals themselves, due in part to their ability to edit their DNA on the fly.
The authors of the paper make the rather audacious claim that these genetic oddities might be a sign of life from space.
Not of space viruses this time, but the arrival of whole genomes frozen in stasis before thawing out in our tepid waters.
"Thus the possibility that cryopreserved squid and/or octopus eggs, arrived in icy bolides several hundred million years ago should not be discounted," they wrote.
In his review of the paper, medical researcher Keith Baverstock from the University of Eastern Finland conceded that there's a lot of evidence that plausibly aligns with the H-W thesis, such as the curious timeline of the appearance of viruses.
But that's just not how science advances.
"I believe this paper justifies skepticism of the scientific value of stand alone theories of the origin of life," Baverstock argued at the time.
"The weight of plausible, but non-definitive, evidence, great though that might be, is not the point."
While the idea is as novel and exciting as it is provocative, nothing in the summary helps us better understand the history of life on Earth any better than existing conjectures, adding little of value to our model of evolution.
Still, with solid caveats in place, maybe science can cope with a generous dose of crazy every now and then.
Journal editor Denis Noble concedes that 'further research is needed', which is a bit of an understatement.
But given the developments regarding space-based organic chemistry in recent years, there's room for discussion.
"As space chemistry and biology grows in importance it is appropriate for a journal devoted to the interface between physics and biology to encourage the debates," said Noble.
"In the future, the ideas will surely become testable."
Just in case those tests confirm speculations, we recommend being well prepared for the return of our cephalopod overlords. Who knows when they'll want those eggs back?
This research was published in Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology.
A version of this article was first published in August 2018.
Mom got up at 4:40.
Tyson who-is-not-allowed-on-the-furniture is sacked out on my bed, head on my pillow and snoring with his floppy jowls going pt pt pt pt on every exhale.
Mom sounds related to me... Poor Mom.
Tyson who-is-not-allowed-on-the-furniture, works very hard at being a dog. It wears him out. Keeping the dog-shape alone is exhausting.
And then there are the dog noises. In a category (or dogegory) of their own.
*tagline*
Walmart on a Saturday. Now that’s brave.
My weekly housecleaning chores are all done, including a fresh litter box for Himself.
Today’s mission is a car wash. The Poop and Swoop barn swallows are back, making carwashing a regular chore throughout the spring and summer months.
Good luck at Walmart. I hope it’s not too much of a zoo.
as long as the pt pt pt is from that end of the alimentary canal...
Mom went back to bed with a Tylenol and a coulpe heavily jammed pieces of toast on board and a hot pad for her shoulder (three falls in a week).
She’s often scolding someone in her sleep at 4:30ish. This time she merely woke up disoriented.
Thanks! Since I have no car, yet, I’m stuck going to Walmart when the Other Folks go. They went early enough this morning, that the place wasn’t too bad, but some days, I’m worn out before I even get out of the store.
I miss being able to get there at 0601 on Tuesday or Thursday and get my shopping done without having to avoid Walmartians. I really wish I hadn’t sold my Tracker, but the cost of a car hauler more than doubled overnight. No lie. One day, it was $249 and two days later it was $749.
Agreed. If their food is too rich, the wrong end of the alimentary canal could issue forth with gas-mask worthy fumes.
Good Saturday Morning!
(A homonym prevented a two row solution!)
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Progress...
Small, manageable steps get to the destination!
😎
Sweet! Me too.
Starter word was a champ again.
Wordle 293 3/6
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You’ll be able to again. Hang in there! :)
I always did my Thanksgiving grocery shopping that way when it was my turn to host it. I’d get to the supermarket around 6:30 a.m. the Sunday before Thanksgiving, armed with a list comprising every single thing I needed. There were usually only a couple of other people there and I’d get my stuff and get right out. No waiting in line or dealing with crowds.
I don’t like crowds, so early morning is always the way I shop. Before I came here, anyway. My car is actually sitting in my Favorite Son’s front yard, waiting to be worked on for the last leg of the repairs. *sigh* Long story, that.
Today’s was easy! Tomorrow will be a bear.
Wordle 294 3/6
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Thanks!
It’s hard to accept the slowing down, even after years of dealing with it. As long as I live within the parameters of the disease, I can lean an almost normal life. Almost.
Back from church where various things were done.
You remain in my prayers regularly.
Dang it. I posted yesterday’s.
Today’s starter word didn’t give me much, so i used a second one with completely different vowels.
Between the two, I got all of today’s letters and just had to rearrange them.
Wordle 294 3/6
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Ditto, you! Ever since Iraq! Not gonna quit now! <3
Good showing!
Your ability at this thing is amazing!
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