[Rockhounds] Survival of the firmest - Scientists say rocks evolve too

[Pmodreski at aol.com]

Yes, this is a very interesting concept and way of looking  at things, thanks 
for posting this, Kreigh.
 
This has appeared in several online science news sources lately; the full  
article is in the latest (Nov-Dec) issue of the American Mineralogist, and it  
includes an unique version of a geologic time chart of earth history,  
emphasizing the various major events in the evolution of the planet and of both  
inorganic and life-related processes.  Not everything it deals with is  connected 
with life; the article begins with the various stages of mineral  formation in 
the solar and pre-solar nebula.
 
A bit amusing that this story link you gave here is from a Canadian news  
source and emphasizes the Canadian contribution to this paper; the first two  
authors are from the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution (Wash.  
D.C) and the others are from the U. of AZ, Johns Hopkins, the Smithsonian, and  
yes, one from the Canada Geological Survey.
 
Actually, I'm not getting the link you posted to work (seems to get that  
Vancouver newspaper website but not the specific story), but here is another  
that works for me, from the C.I.W. (I got this via _www.geology.com_ 
(http://www.geology.com) ):
 
_http://www.ciw.edu/news/mineral_kingdom_has_co_evolved_life_ 
(http://www.ciw.edu/news/mineral_kingdom_has_co_evolved_life) 
 
Pete
 
 
In a message dated 11/26/2008 5:17:33 P.M. Mountain Standard Time,  
Kreigh at tomaszewski.net writes:

A  landmark scientific study co-authored by a Canadian geologist has   
identified a sudden explosion of mineral diversity after the  emergence  
of life on Earth, and advanced a "revolutionary" theory  that rocks have  
been evolving - much like plants and animals -  throughout the planet's  
history.

Wouter Bleeker, an  Ottawa-based researcher with the Geological Survey  
of Canada, is one  of eight members of an international team whose  
theory of "mineral  evolution" - the idea that many of the Earth's rocks  
are dynamic  "species" which emerged and transformed over time, largely  
in  concert with living things - is generating a major buzz in the   
global scientific community since its publication last week in a  U.S.   
journal.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=839b3ae1-264a-4e61-  
a6f5-d464d5f0f923


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