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A comment on Why extraterrestrial life may not seem alien. Parent comment

Re:Why extraterrestrial life may not seem alien by spywaregorilla on Monday August 02, 2021 @04:04PM (#28041905)
> DNA is extremely flexible, there's no macroscopic form or shape it can't take, as various insects camouflaging themselves as sticks and leaves and what not shows.

That feels like a really bold claim given the evidence.

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Re:Why extraterrestrial life may not seem alien by ncmncm on Monday August 02, 2021 @04:30PM (#28042225)
Let me know when you spot an animal that drives around on wheels.
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Re:Why extraterrestrial life may not seem alien by dtech on Monday August 02, 2021 @04:39PM (#28042321)
Physically you could have wheeled animals, but wheels just won't evolve. They are perfect for somewhat smooth surfaces where you want to travel in a somewhat straight line. Organisms just cannot confine themselves to that and survive.

Unless we find a planet composed entirely of solid smooth rock we won't find wheeled animals.

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Re:Why extraterrestrial life may not seem alien by jhgb on Monday August 02, 2021 @05:18PM (#28042794)
How would wheels get fed with nutrition? Would they have tiny mouths?
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Re:Why extraterrestrial life may not seem alien by mod on Monday August 02, 2021 @11:08PM (#28045317)
Gears have evolved, though, which is equally cool IMO.
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Re:Why extraterrestrial life may not seem alien by ncmncm on Tuesday August 03, 2021 @01:41PM (#28051955)
Half-gears.
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Re:Why extraterrestrial life may not seem alien by pvaldes on Monday August 02, 2021 @05:44PM (#28043084)
rotifers
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Re:Why extraterrestrial life may not seem alien by ncmncm on Monday August 02, 2021 @09:40PM (#28044834)
Rotifers do not, in fact, have wheels.
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