posted on Feb, 10 2008 @ 05:18 PM
I'm a firm believer in panspermia on a bacterial level or the transfer of biochemical compounds across great distances of space, but without further
proof I'll reserve comments on aliens.
We know for a fact that bacteria can survive the harsh environment of space so it's a real possibility that life has moved amongst the stars,
transplanted and evolved on other worlds. Perhaps life on this world even started elsewhere and drifted here over thousands or millions of years.
As far as complete plants though, my experience in agriculture and greenhouses tells me that plants require very specific growing conditions. It would
be difficult to take a cactus from one eco-system on our own world and expect it to survive even in another latitude or under different conditions.
Just slight variations in moisture, nutrients, or temperature, could mean the end of said plant. Though I won't deny that there are some very
tenacious plant such as mosses and lichen that could make the transition with ease.
Perhaps lichen or bacteria will be the first things our species uses to start terraforming a planet like Mars.