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Evolving Rocks

Posted by kdawson on from the survival-of-the-firmest dept.

SpaceAdmiral notes a new study making the claim that rocks have been evolving throughout Earth's history. "'Mineral evolution is obviously different from Darwinian evolution — minerals don't mutate, reproduce or compete like living organisms,' said Hazen in a statement announcing the study's findings. 'But we found both the variety and relative abundances of minerals have changed dramatically over more than 4.5 billion years of Earth's history. For at least 2.5 billion years, and possibly since the emergence of life, Earth's mineralogy has evolved in parallel with biology,' Hazen added. 'One implication of this finding is that remote observations of the mineralogy of other moons and planets may provide crucial evidence for biological influences beyond Earth.'"

12 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. its life Jim by ionix5891 · · Score: 4, Funny

    but not as we know it?

  2. Re:But where did it go? by Goffee71 · · Score: 1, Funny

    I think Lemmy ate them all! He is Rock!

    --
    If he's the Walrus then can I be a penguin please?
  3. Re:But where did it go? by Mushdot · · Score: 4, Funny

    They turned into Dwayne Johnson

  4. evolution-shmevolution by j_166 · · Score: 5, Funny

    There ain't no monkeys in MY pet rock's family tree!

  5. One Scientist trying to convince the other... by geekmux · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Dr. Smith, we want you to study this rock."

    "OK, what am I looking for?"

    "Well, we believe that it's changing."

    "Ahhhhh....Right. OK, would you mind passing me some of that good stuff you're smoking? Rather obvious at this point I'm gonna need some too."

    1. Re:One Scientist trying to convince the other... by vjmurphy · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Dr. Smith, we want you to study this rock."

      "Silence, you blundering, bubble-headed boobie!"

      --
      Vincent J. Murphy
      Spandex Justice
  6. Re:But where did it go? by Muad'Dave · · Score: 2, Funny

    One word: Horta.

    --
    Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
  7. Re:Misuse of words by ErikZ · · Score: 3, Funny

    Give 'em a break, they study ROCKS for pete's sake.

    This is as exciting as it gets for them.

    --
    Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
  8. Rock Lobster!! by lessthanpi · · Score: 3, Funny

    The sensational band the B-52's already discovered that rocks were evolving back in '78. Just look what they said...

    We were at the beach
    Everybody had matching towels
    Somebody went under a dock
    And there they saw a rock
    It wasn't a rock
    It was a rock lobster

    Along the lines of evolution and rock, man didn't evolve from The Monkeys, he evolved from The Beatles!!!

    --
    One man with a gun can control 100 without one
  9. ObNoxious by XLawyer · · Score: 2, Funny

    I, for one, welcome our new igneous overlords.

  10. And In Other News .... by Compulawyer · · Score: 2, Funny
    ... coconuts have been found to migrate with the aid of African Swallows. Apparently the coconut grows long tendrils that resemble a line that the sparrows can use to carry the coconut during flights along newly-discovered coconut migration paths.

    *

    Scientists are still unsure whether the common European Swallow has a sufficient airspeed velocity to assist in coconut migration.

    --

    Laws affecting technology will always be bad until enough techies become lawyers.

  11. Re:But where did it go? by Nazlfrag · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why should we redefine-ed-ing English words just to please-ed-ure the creationism-ist-tites?