[Pharmboy]

Eukaryocytes of the world--unite--we have nothing to lose but our nuclear membranes!

So there IS something new under the sun (or sludge, anyway).

[Pharmboy]

So, SC, is this old enough for ya, huh? It’s-all-in-the flagella, ping...

[uncommonsense]

"researchers say that it probably evolved hundreds of millions of years ago, and has been living the same way since."

Does anyone else find that statement a bit odd? This basic, single cell life form evolved from a random collision of molecules, picked up a couple of adaptations or copied them from other early life forms, then it was just so perfect there were no other improvements needed for the next billion years. Sounds like classic soft science to me.

When I took archeology back in undergrad, fossils were dated by the depth they were buried. I always wondered how you could bury everything on earth at the same rate given the closed system we live in. I guess there could have been billions of space objects of compatible materials adding to earth's mass, but there's scant evidence of such a phenomenon.

[UCANSEE2]

“In examining Collodictyon’s genes, the researchers say that it probably evolved hundreds of millions of years ago, and has been living the same way since.”

Well, at least one creature has found the key to happiness.

[reegs]

[mcshot]

Doesn't sound very appetizing given the sludge thing.

[Straight Vermonter]

"It is not a fungus, alga, parasite, plant, or animal..."

Is "parasite" now a kingdom? Perhaps she meant protist?

[wildbill]

Damn. I thought this was gonna be another salacious ‘inside scoop’ (pardon the Spoonerism) on the Secret Service/Hooker story.

[bert]

Perhaps not....... Think Burgess Shale.

The creature may be residual