h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey Farlander,

Did you read my opening question when I first joined the forum? It was this. I'm sure I once read that if the entire substance of the Earth COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED, WE WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO MAKE OUT ALL IT'S FEATURES FROM THE PRESENCE OF MICRO-ORGANISMS, WHICH INHABIT ECOSYSTEMS FROM THE TOP OF MOUNTAINS TO THE VERY DEPTHS OF OCEANS. (sorry about change to capitals, my keyboard is very old and getting quite sticky keys). I was womndering where it was I might have read this, as I frequently have desire to refer to this in my teaching.
Where would be the best place of posting a Q such as this so that plenty of people would see it?

BigAl

Hello there BigAl,

I'm sorry, but I have no idea where you might have read that! Theoretically speaking, I suppose it would be possible to tell what the 'stripped-away' surfaces on Earth (indirectly) by studying the microbes that still inhabit it. (That's if the microbes don't die if their food sources and habitats mysteriously vanish, or if they're fossilised and the fossils can be studied in a lab) For example, you'd probably be able to tell that a certain microbe lived in a freshwater environment because it would probably have vacuoles or similar organelles to expel excess water from its 'body'. Microbes harvested from high-temperature environments, if tested in the laboratory, would display stress mechanisms like the synthesis of proteins that prevent DNA degradation or facilitate DNA repair if grown at high temps. Ditto, microbes that live in the sea have adaptation systems that would enable them to tolerate salt concentrations for up to 7-8% if tested. Mammoth masses of fungi in the ground (especially if there were more than two species) would indicate a huge network of plant-fungi partnership, and would probably suggest woodlands of some sort, or someplace where there's plenty of plants. And so on and so forth.

I hope this has been of help

You could try posting it at 'Ask H2G2' -- lots of people are subscribed to it, and chances are that one of them may have read this book or article.

Cheers,
Far.

. Just had an idea it might have been in one of John Postgate books, perhaps 'Microbes and Man'.

BigAl