Re: Re - filaments on "bounce" rock.

From: Robert Clark (rgregoryclark_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 07/07/04 

Date: 7 Jul 2004 11:46:57 -0700

Jo Schaper <joschapern4ospam@2socketdot.no5net> wrote in message news:<10emu64i79dko7a@corp.supernews.com>...
> > Dear All,
> >
> > Please have a look at this picture from the Rover Opportunity on Mars.
> > http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/m/069/1M134320496EFF08AYP2956M2M1.JPG
> >
> > Can you see filamentous structures running on the surface of the rock
> > ? Located mainly on the center/lower right?
> > Well... that stuff on earth would look pretty biogenic to me.
> >
> > Somebody out there has a more "reasonable" explanation for those...?
> >
> > Greg Ruo
>
> Don't know how 'reasonable' any of this is. Filaments are not restricted
> to overt biogenic origins. OTOH, very few, if any natural earth locales
> are abiotic, so what do we compare these things to? Numerous minerals
> (rutile, wavellite, asbestos minerals just off the top of my head) form
> filaments or 'hair', As does 'Pele's hair' spun volcanics. Much of
> biogeochemistry is still in the 'chicken or egg' stage--does biotic
> activity precede mineralization, mineralization cause biotic activity
> due to microenvironmental change, or is it symbiotic, like lichen needs
> rocks to grow, but it breaks down rock in the process.

 I like your example of 'Pele's hair'. I wonder if Knoll was aware of
that when he suggested filamentous structures are indicative of life.

 Image of 'Pele's hair' :

USGS Photo Glossary: Pele's hair
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/Pglossary/PeleHair.html

   Bob Clark

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