Ancient Fossils Found in Meteorite Fragments
- 11 years ago
Ancient fossils are found in meteorite fragments.
Scientists may have discovered ancient fossils inside of a meteorite that burned through the sky in Sri Lanka.
Local authorities gathered some samples of rock fragments that they believe came from the meteorite.
The rock samples ended up in the hands of researchers at Cardiff University to be studied.
The researchers found that the meteorite pieces contain fossil structures that some astrobiologists say are similar to a type of mostly extinct algae found on Earth.
The fossils may be evidence that life exists outside of our own biosphere.
One of the researchers who worked on the study of the meteorites is Chandra Wickramasinghe, director of the Buckingham Center for Astrobiology.
He is a proponent of the theory of panspermia, which is the idea that asteroids and other cosmic bodies spread life as they hurtle through space.
Some are skeptical of the fossils, saying that the rock itself could have originated from Earth and might have been blasted into space by an asteroid impact.
Other scientists do not agree with the findings at all.
They say that the diatoms found on the rock are actually known species on Earth and indicate freshwater contamination.
Scientists may have discovered ancient fossils inside of a meteorite that burned through the sky in Sri Lanka.
Local authorities gathered some samples of rock fragments that they believe came from the meteorite.
The rock samples ended up in the hands of researchers at Cardiff University to be studied.
The researchers found that the meteorite pieces contain fossil structures that some astrobiologists say are similar to a type of mostly extinct algae found on Earth.
The fossils may be evidence that life exists outside of our own biosphere.
One of the researchers who worked on the study of the meteorites is Chandra Wickramasinghe, director of the Buckingham Center for Astrobiology.
He is a proponent of the theory of panspermia, which is the idea that asteroids and other cosmic bodies spread life as they hurtle through space.
Some are skeptical of the fossils, saying that the rock itself could have originated from Earth and might have been blasted into space by an asteroid impact.
Other scientists do not agree with the findings at all.
They say that the diatoms found on the rock are actually known species on Earth and indicate freshwater contamination.