February 27, 2004

proteinaceous spongin fibers - collagen

http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/molecules/pdb4_1.html

"If this phylogenetic hypothesis is accurate, it strengthens the notion
that the ancestor of all metazoans was sponge-like."

The Opportunity soils appear to be structured with minute threads and
threadlike structures. If they were collagen, the UV would degrade them
fairly quickly. They must be something else. Fossilized threads?

http://www.okc.cc.ok.us/biologylabs/...Answer_4_P.htm

http://elearn.mtsac.edu/mcooper/Bio_...ab8_photos.htm

http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/biomed...pongin_jpg.htm

http://cas.bellarmine.edu/tietjen/images/sponges.htm

http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/fguide/porifera1.html

http://www.tarleton.edu/~biology/InvLab2.html

Notice the gemmule structure at the bottom.

Feel free to knock this hypothesis down. It's just a hypothesis.

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