February 26, 2004

"jonathan" wrote in message :

Proof is mathematical, science is demonstrative.

Besides, Jonathan has already clearly identified the spherules as the gemmules of a microbial sponge colony : 'porifera jonathanii'.

Has a ring to it~

If this pic doesn't show imprints of skeletal spicules, I don't know what else can!

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...P2933M2M1.HTML

Jonathan, if you want an entire phyla named after you, then you have
to do a little more research. Sponges may be soft and spicule free,
and although they can get quite large, what you are seeing do not
appear to be spicules. Start here :

http://www.cox-internet.com/coop/porifera.html

http://darter.ocps.net/classroom/klenk/Sponge.htm

http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Porifera&contgroup=Animals

Organisms have to work with what they have, and there is little
evidence for a lot of free carbon and silicon. What they do have is a
lot of sulfur and iron and salts, and a limited amount of phosphorus
and nitrogen which would have been grabbed up by the biosphere. If
these were indeed porifera, they would most likely be soft tissue
colonies of evolved extremophiles and cyanobacteria, basically feeding
on themselves and exploiting biomineralization for reproduction.

Thomas Lee Elifritz
http://elifritz.members.atlantic.net