Comments on: Recovering from a Mass Extinction is Slow Going http://www.universetoday.com/2008/01/30/recovering-from-a-mass-extinction-is-slow-going/ Space and astronomy news Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:56:59 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Kevin M. http://www.universetoday.com/2008/01/30/recovering-from-a-mass-extinction-is-slow-going/comment-page-1/#comment-10275 Kevin M. Fri, 01 Feb 2008 05:46:38 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/2008/01/30/recovering-from-a-mass-extinction-is-slow-going/#comment-10275 What is significant is that life did not come back the same as it was before, which would only be logical to expect. However, it came back and evolved very differently. It seems like the thriving layer of life before the disaster was in the way of further development, so therefore calamitous extinction actually becomes a necessary part of the evolution process. Which follows the most amazing phenomena of all - that the volcanic or asteroidal calamities were not chance-based, but completely subservient to the biologic progression on the planet. In other words, the needs of bio-evolution and now psycho-evolution drive the material world, not the other way around. Matter is merely a limiting form factor to the bio-psych driver. The universe is here to produce and serve transcendant human consciousness. So what characterized the dinosaur era? It seems to have been the era of "how big can a warm-blooded organism get"? Size truly was the sole dominating and determining factor of life for an eon. Intellect was repressed and stifled. There was no way for biologic life to evolve past this layer without a geologic force of destruction to intervene. After the disaster, size suddenly was no longer the determining factor - the "opportunistic" life forms thrived and pure size was never again able to reassert itself. Some other driver took over and repressed size development - what? Some critical opportunism of smallness, which contained the potential for bipedalism, tools, symbolic language and reflective consciousness. What is significant is that life did not come back the same as it was before, which would only be logical to expect. However, it came back and evolved very differently. It seems like the thriving layer of life before the disaster was in the way of further development, so therefore calamitous extinction actually becomes a necessary part of the evolution process. Which follows the most amazing phenomena of all – that the volcanic or asteroidal calamities were not chance-based, but completely subservient to the biologic progression on the planet. In other words, the needs of bio-evolution and now psycho-evolution drive the material world, not the other way around. Matter is merely a limiting form factor to the bio-psych driver. The universe is here to produce and serve transcendant human consciousness.

So what characterized the dinosaur era? It seems to have been the era of "how big can a warm-blooded organism get"? Size truly was the sole dominating and determining factor of life for an eon. Intellect was repressed and stifled. There was no way for biologic life to evolve past this layer without a geologic force of destruction to intervene. After the disaster, size suddenly was no longer the determining factor – the "opportunistic" life forms thrived and pure size was never again able to reassert itself. Some other driver took over and repressed size development – what? Some critical opportunism of smallness, which contained the potential for bipedalism, tools, symbolic language and reflective consciousness.

]]> By: Edward Oleen http://www.universetoday.com/2008/01/30/recovering-from-a-mass-extinction-is-slow-going/comment-page-1/#comment-10260 Edward Oleen Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:25:44 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/2008/01/30/recovering-from-a-mass-extinction-is-slow-going/#comment-10260 Yes, that has always puzzeled me: why is it that it is assumed to be meteor impace OR vulcanism? It seems to me that a large impact would cause the Earth to ring like a bell - pressure waves traveling and bouncing throughout the bulk of the Earth. Any weak spots - lines, etc. in the brittle crust should experience severe stresses - quite possibly sufficient to cause extensive volcanic action, and/or massive earth-quakes. Yes, that has always puzzeled me: why is it that it is assumed to be meteor impace OR vulcanism? It seems to me that a large impact would cause the Earth to ring like a bell – pressure waves traveling and bouncing throughout the bulk of the Earth. Any weak spots – lines, etc. in the brittle crust should experience severe stresses – quite possibly sufficient to cause extensive volcanic action, and/or massive earth-quakes.

]]> By: NeoGuru http://www.universetoday.com/2008/01/30/recovering-from-a-mass-extinction-is-slow-going/comment-page-1/#comment-10248 NeoGuru Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:48:29 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/2008/01/30/recovering-from-a-mass-extinction-is-slow-going/#comment-10248 Another candidate for the Permian Extinction is an extraterrestrial event. A 200km crater has recently been found in Antarctica. The impact may have been the cause of the Siberian Traps. Another candidate for the Permian Extinction is an extraterrestrial event. A 200km crater has recently been found in Antarctica. The impact may have been the cause of the Siberian Traps.

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