Extraterrestrial Biology

I'm very into biology, and the possibility of intelligent extraterrestrial life. Therefore, I've decided to do a quick overview of the evolutionary biology of some of the more commonly reported alien species.

I'll start with the most familiar. The Greys. Often reported in conjunction with abductions, the general physical description of the Greys is as follows: roughly 3-4 feet tall, pale grey to white skin, very large pupil-less eyes, slender build with abnormally long fingers and an extremely large cranium. The general build to me suggests evolution on a world with significantly lower gravity than Terra. The size of the eyes and pale skin point towards either a home planet on the outer edge of of it's star's habitable zone, or a primarily subterranean existence. Alternatively, these adaptations could indicate a spacefairing species. The skin colour and head size are reminiscent of terrestrial cetaceans, specifically the beluga. It seems quite possible that the Greys evolved from a cetaceanoid progenitor species. Some support for this is that the Grey have never been heard speaking, but communicate with each other by unknown means, often specified as telepathy. Cetacean or subterranean ancestry could explain this, with directed UHF or VLF sounds in place of speech.

Next up are the infamous Reptilians, also know as Dracos. Usually put at roughly 7 feet tall, the Reptilians (or Reptoids as David Icke calls them. And no, I do not believe in his theories) have scaly skin, clawed hands and feet, and occasionally vestigial wings. Often reported to be in contact with the US military. Clearly derived from reptiles, there are far too many different subraces for me to cover here. My personal theory is that they may be evolved from dinosaurs, possibly engineered by another species.

Next up, the Nordics, or Aryans. Described as being near-human in all respects, the Aryans are described as being blond humans, apparently of Scandinavian descent. Reports put their height at 6-8ft. May very well be the gods of old. Possible progenitor species of humanity. Very likely the Aryans identified in Nazi myth.

Finally, the Annunaki. The other candidate for the elder gods, and for the creation of mankind. Supposedly appeared in Sumer 450 000 years ago. Again, far too much material to cover in a single post, but they may be the biblical Nephilim, the Judeo-Christian God or the creators of Homo sapiens.

Originally posted by ShadeWolf
I'm very into biology, and the possibility of intelligent extraterrestrial life. Therefore, I've decided to do a quick overview of the evolutionary biology of some of the more commonly reported alien species.

I'll start with the most familiar. The Greys...

If we're talking about The Greys, then we're most likely talking about a race that has been genetically manipulated to the extreme. Basically, every single feature could have "evolved" in a lab doing gene splicing. Who knows what their race looked like before that time, which is the baseline you'd want to work off of to find features that have evolved on their home planet.

Every single feature could have been the bi-product of gene splicing, leaving the original design a complete unknown.

I appreciate the effort you put into this thread though, it's nice to hear educated guesses. I'd give you a star and flag if I didn't take a vow of S&F celibacy.

[edit on 14-7-2010 by NASA is ASAN]

I've been working on an evolution of the grey's in my thread

www.abovetopsecret.com...

You might enjoy reading it. I hope that you will see the meaning of the thread and keep with the spirit of my analysis. I would enjoy reading other views of the Grey's evolution and biology. I'm looking forward to reading what you post.

Stars and flag because I what to know what you think.

Anyone ever have the idea that the Greys have been spliced with plant DNA, more specifically the photosynthesis genes? They spend a lot of time in space, it'd be nice to be able to create your own sugars from star light and a very simple nutrient scheme. You also hear of them absorbing nutrients through their skin through a liquid nutrient solution, which is also a plant-like feature.

I'm not too good with the genetics stuff, so I stuck to pure biology for this.

Originally posted by ShadeWolf
I'm not too good with the genetics stuff,

For the sake of argument, if we're dealing with a civilization 500K+ more advanced than us, then genetic engineering for them would be like creating a creature on Spore for us; that is to say any and all features would be pre-programmed into a computer and an advanced AI controlled lab would put the pieces together.

With that in mind, you can take features from any animal/plant/living creature and splice those genes in anyway you like, to suit whatever purpose required... so, you ever play with Legos?

so I stuck to pure biology for this.

Of course, it's your thread, and it's without a doubt interesting. Not trying to derail the thread, just throwing my 2 cents into the pot*. I can tell you that for me biology has just been a passing interest so I can offer amateur advice at best on the subject, so I enjoy educated analysis on the subject for sure.

The problem with them being genetically created is that it would end all scientific exploration of their biology. Even if you had the creature on a slab in a lab you could tell nothing about it's biology or evolution from the corpse. If the creature had a beak would that mean it has bird DNA? No it wouldn't. The beak could be related to a squid. A genetically manipulated being is of no use to anyone attempting to understand their anatomy.
Trying to figure out the biology of a genetically manipulated being would be equal to looking at a bowl of vegetable soup and trying to find out the name of the farmer who grew the tomatoes.

Originally posted by ChicUFO
Trying to figure out the biology of a genetically manipulated being would be equal to looking at a bowl of vegetable soup and trying to find out the name of the farmer who grew the tomatoes.

Yeah, sorry, this could very well possibly be what we're trying to do with a thread like this, in my opinion. These beings seem created to perform a task; to live in space for long periods of time, to perform scientific research, to be extremely telepathic, to see in expanded spectra, to etc... etc...

We're already beginning to sniff the tip of the iceberg here on Earth of genetic engineering and nano-engineering; go forward thousands of years from now and use a little imagination. The Greys could have been developed from nothing more than someone's imagination and a whole bunch of preserved genes in the freezer.

EDIT:

If we can take the abduction experiences of women carrying babies, then they're abducted at around the 3 month mark and the babies finish their development in a tightly controlled nutrient jar. These guys leave nothing to chance, think about how perfect each birth would be; they even control birth to the letter. Everything is a formula, so genetic engineering would be at the top of these guy's lists, without a doubt. It's control over life itself, and all it is, is technology.

[edit on 15-7-2010 by NASA is ASAN]

Just speculating....

Greys are described as short, lacking colour and having large dark eyes. They are small and have almost no ear, nose, mouth canal. If hair is ever mentioned, it's to say they have no hair. Their bodies are lacking muscle tone. They are usually described as cold and emotionless. Once in a while, one of them is felt to be a leader and this one shows some compassion, empathy or simply communicates with the human.

They're assumed to have come from somewhere out of the Solar System, although some prefer Moon, Mars, Hollow Earth lol or other planets nearby. If they've travelled through space to get here, speculation can become interesting.

Based on Earth models of physical traits, their lack of pigmentation would result from a lack of sunlight/UV. The big eyes an evolutionary necessity for living in the dark for extremely extended periods of time. Nocturnal creatures on Earth use greater dilation to see in the dark, so maybe that's why?? The lack of muscle tone is demonstrated by any long term astronaut since Titov. It's still an obstacle to Man's exploration of Space.

If the Greys are designed for, or evolved in, Space they would have less muscle mass. The smaller mass and therefore smaller need for food and water would make longer periods of travel practical. Respiration and the recycling of waste would be less.

IV supplies of food and water would be a possible way of supplying the essential nutrients when in space. Smell and taste would cease to be a factor in sustaining life. Smell would also become redundant in a closed habitat. Mouth and nose would be less necessary and become vestigial. If the grey is designed for travelling great distances of space, nose and mouth would be an artifact of the creators like the faces we design our robots with.

An advanced Race might have the science to predict where life is likely to arise. We've found hundreds of planets in the past 15 years, we've worked out the Goldilocks Zone and can hypothesize which might sustain life. Unfortunately, we're held back from doing anything at this time. Technology is not up to it. We can't afford it. Bickering with neighbours and fighting is where we spend are money. Einstein has put a curfew on the fastest we can travel. Nevertheless, we KNOW where the best chances of life are.

An Advanced Race, curtailed by their own Einstein's Theory decide to send manned probes to explore the Cosmos. They know that Physics precludes any journey by themselves. Generations would live and die on any ships they sent etc. They design a creature that can take to the stars and be programmed to carry out exploration of any life-sustaining Planets they find. They would be given just enough intelligence to carry out the task. They'd be programmed to gain as much information as possible and avoid interaction.

The Race would then send them out to the Stars.

Originally posted by Kandinsky
Just speculating....

They're assumed to have come from somewhere out of the Solar System, although some prefer Moon, Mars, Hollow Earth lol

Based on Earth models of physical traits, their lack of pigmentation would result from a lack of sunlight/UV.

It could simply be a lack of melanin, because the skin cells of greys (I'd think) would perform a very different function than human skin cells would. Melanin is after all a very human feature, even on Earth.

The big eyes an evolutionary necessity for living in the dark for extremely extended periods of time. Nocturnal creatures on Earth use greater dilation to see in the dark, so maybe that's why??

I believe the eyes have been designed as such to capture and process a larger spectra than us. We might even be looking at creatures who can see down into infrared and all the way up into the X-Ray spectrum.

I quite enjoyed your whole post though, you have a great imagination and have produced some great insight. I'm pretty interested in this subject myself, it's like a rubix cube.

reply to post by Kandinsky


A star for an excellent, well thought out post.

Everything that we post about a Grey's biology/anatomy can only be speculation. If someone wants to discuss their biology/anatomy they need to presume that the Grey's evolved. By doing this we can make comparisons to animals here of Earth as to why they would have certain features.

If we make our assumptions on the Grey being a genetically engineered species then we can basically say anything. We would need no examples to make our point if they are not natural. For example, I could say that the Grey's are genetically altered and created from Tobacco and coffee with human and avian DNA. How could anyone dispute my claim? You could say that that is just stupid but how do we know what an advanced being knows about genetics and biology?

Any attempt to understand the grey's physiological make up would first need a starting point. Saying that they are genetically engineered would mean that you can say anything. Assuming that they evolved give you a starting point to make assumptions from.

To me the OP has made that assumption and started from that point. Someone who believes that the Grey's are genetically engineered beings should start a thread about that. I doubt the thread would last long because the ATS crowd would post all kinds of crazy imaginings since they would not need to back it up. I am not disagreeing with anyone, I simply see this thread as the best way to gain a decent perspective.

reply to post by NASA is ASAN
It can idle away a few minutes while eating breakfast or parked in traffic. Sure beats wondering where the next bill is coming from.

Originally posted by ChicUFO
Saying that they are genetically engineered would mean that you can say anything. Assuming that they evolved give you a starting point to make assumptions from.

Not really, we can use eye-witness accounts to try and piece together the puzzle, and when something arises that doesn't fit, that's where genetic engineering comes in.

To me the OP has made that assumption and started from that point. Someone who believes that the Grey's are genetically engineered beings should start a thread about that.

Why? Last time I checked, genes are biological in nature, and the title of the thread is entitled "Extraterrestrial Biology". Tell me where I'm off-base. We're already inserting spider silk genes into goats, genetically engineering sheep with the human gene responsible for the production of enzymes and the list goes on and on.

You can't be so naive to believe that it has no place in a thread entitled "Extraterrestrial Biology".

I doubt the thread would last long because the ATS crowd would post all kinds of crazy imaginings since they would not need to back it up. I am not disagreeing with anyone, I simply see this thread as the best way to gain a decent perspective.

If we are dealing with a GE race, then any speculation using Earthly examples to determine traits would be pointless. This is what we call discussion, brainstorming. We put our heads together and look at all the possibilities, if what I'm adding to the pot offends you - in no less than another guy's thread - for no other reason than you disagree with me, then it's clear you have some maturity issues.

That's real talk, no BS; you're being unfair.

reply to post by NASA is ASAN


I don't know why you seem to be so upset with me and my posts. I am not disagreeing with anything that you have said. I am simply saying that the OP chose to look at the Grey's from one side and you are looking at them from another. I apologize if you took my posts as being anything other than a debate of the view that the OP chose.

Even though it is a great subject, I think ufology is beyond talking about the biology of Greys.

With the OP's description of a Grey's biology and what type of planet they would have to live on to evolve such a way;

Can we not discuss what type of planet they would need to be on to engineer elements, minerals, and gases into space ships?

Originally posted by ChicUFO
I don't know why you seem to be so upset with me and my posts. I am not disagreeing with anything that you have said. I am simply saying that the OP chose to look at the Grey's from one side and you are looking at them from another. I apologize if you took my posts as being anything other than a debate of the view that the OP chose.

No, I didn't take it the wrong way, I'm just an extremely forward person. I enjoy lively debate and sometimes I forget that a lot of people don't, so sorry.

EDIT: Basically I'm a "hit me with your best shot" kind of guy. It makes things more interesting and brings out a lot facts that would otherwise be left out for fear of offending the other party. When we're unable to be offended by others, we can tell and listen to the truth more readily.

[edit on 15-7-2010 by NASA is ASAN]

reply to post by game over man

I would think that the laws of physics are the same throughout our universe and that the planet that the Grey's evolved on would be much the same as any other. The environment of that planet might vary tremendously from our own world though. We have had catastrophes on Earth that they may have never experienced and vise versa.

Here on Earth an asteroid crashed into the planet and killed off the dinosaurs. This event left the mammals to evolve into us. The Grey's would could have evolved along the same lines except that maybe an event killed their dinosaurs ten million years earlier. They could be ten million years more evolved than we are even if their world is the same age as our own.

reply to post by NASA is ASAN


I enjoy debating as well but I didn't say that you need to mature or that you are being unfair. You took offense at my posts and I assure you that they were not meant to offend.

Originally posted by ChicUFO
reply to post by NASA is ASAN

 

I enjoy debating as well but I didn't say that you need to mature or that you are being unfair. You took offense at my posts and I assure you that they were not meant to offend.

Not offended in the least, of that I can assure you.

So what makes you believe the Greys evolved on a "terrestrial" environment. Using the term loosely, of course.

reply to post by NASA is ASAN


Actually I do not believe in Grey's at all. I do not believe that they exist. I am simply trying to understand how such a species could have evolved and I believe that the OP is trying to do the same. If I say the Grey's are genetically engineered then, case closed, they didn't evolve and trying to understand their evolution is a wast of time. That's why we don't attempt to understand the evolution of a bicycle, it is a creation with no evolutionary history. If we say the Grey's are GE then they have no evolutionary history, the case is closed and this thread can be locked, we would need no more discussion.