Taxonomy question

Zero · Post by **Zero** » 2006-01-16 08:53pm

If we were to discover another life-sustaining planet that was already inhabited, how would we go about classifying the organisms there? Would we classify them into the same categories that we use for organisms from earth? Would we develope a different category for all creatures from this foreign biosystem, since they evolved completely seperate from us? How would we taxonomically classify extra-terrestrial life, basically?

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2006-01-16 09:35pm

Zero132132 wrote:If we were to discover another life-sustaining planet that was already inhabited, how would we go about classifying the organisms there? Would we classify them into the same categories that we use for organisms from earth? Would we develope a different category for all creatures from this foreign biosystem, since they evolved completely seperate from us? How would we taxonomically classify extra-terrestrial life, basically?

I could easily see us inventing separate categories for each planet, so that homo sapiens now would be known as homo sapiens terrestrialis, or something like that (my latin, sadly, isn't what it should be).

Zero · Post by **Zero** » 2006-01-16 09:56pm

So you believe that they would add another level of classification (taxon?) above a kingdom?

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2006-01-16 10:33pm

Zero132132 wrote:So you believe that they would add another level of classification (taxon?) above a kingdom?

I can't speculate as to what they would do, just what I would do.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2006-01-17 12:34am

Would we develope a different category for all creatures from this foreign biosystem, since they evolved completely seperate from us?

Absolutely. It's organized by the splitting of lineages. What we'd have is a totally different lineage, not related in any known fashion to Earth's.

That's how taxonomy works. Any ET cannot be in ANY existing group.

dworkin · Post by **dworkin** » 2006-01-17 04:46am

Zero132132 wrote:So you believe that they would add another level of classification (taxon?) above a kingdom?

Taxon Domain is already above Kingdom.
A Planetary taxon is bound to be inserted. This will indicate the origin of the organisms DNA code/amino acid set.

Parallel Domains is also likely. A Bacteria will be recogniably such no matter which planet you find it on. Of course since it will use a slightly different genetic code and amino acid set this will demand separate but essentially parallel domains.

Winston Blake · Post by **Winston Blake** » 2006-01-17 05:22am

For the new taxon that would be created above Domain, I suggest 'Empire'. It was once a synonym for Domain, it fits nicely with 'Kingdom', and of course, it means there will be a bona fide 'Terran Empire'.

Doctor Doom · Post by **Doctor Doom** » 2006-01-17 10:02pm

Hasn't there been bacteria found on a meteorite that wasn't of terrestrial origin? Or at least the fossils of bacteria? Forgive me, but I don't pay attention to astronomical news very often, but I seem to vaguely recall an incident such as this occuring a number of years ago. If so, and I am not deluding myself, does anybody know how these were classified?

Elheru Aran · Post by **Elheru Aran** » 2006-01-17 10:07pm

Blackjack Simmons wrote:Hasn't there been bacteria found on a meteorite that wasn't of terrestrial origin? Or at least the fossils of bacteria? Forgive me, but I don't pay attention to astronomical news very often, but I seem to vaguely recall an incident such as this occuring a number of years ago. If so, and I am not deluding myself, does anybody know how these were classified?

The noted Antartic meteorite, yes. Jury's still out on that IIRC; it may be bacteria that developed on Mars, it may have gotten into the rock after it landed in Antartica, it may simply be a bit of dirt. I wouldn't put too much credence into that just yet...

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » 2006-01-18 06:20pm

I think it should depend on what the life turns out to be. What if the space rock bacteria is the same as Earth bacteria?

Zero · Post by **Zero** » 2006-01-19 08:49am

Elfdart wrote:I think it should depend on what the life turns out to be. What if the space rock bacteria is the same as Earth bacteria?

If a rock from space contained earth or earth-like bacteria, I imagine we would assume, rightly or wrongly, that the bacteria had gotten into the rock after it hit the earth. That would, after all, be a lot more probable.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2006-01-19 09:30pm

How similar are we talking? If it's just like modern bacteria, then obviously it was contaminated after its landing. However, if it only shares a base genetic similarity, it may be seeded from the same source or something.

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