| It was mentioned on a biology blog that | | | | composition because they know life evolved |
| archaeological engravings from the Tiwanaku | | | | here, so it is logical to assume that life |
| civilization in Bolivia are unlikely to be | | | | might also evolve on other similar planets. |
| depicting an ancient astronaut for the reason | | | | Likewise, with similar planetary history, we |
| that, even with an aquatic tail, the creature | | | | might expect the evolutionary process on |
| still looks too much like a human. The | | | | those other planets to progress similarly to |
| underlying argument was that the evolution of | | | | how it progressed here. |
| life forms is so diverse that it is highly | | | | |
| unlikely an alien would come out looking even | | | | Question: Was the evolution of animal life |
| remotely like us. In essence, this is the | | | | with two eyes on Earth a random event, so |
| opposite side of the pendulum to Hollywood's | | | | much so that we should expect |
| consistent imaging of aliens as humanoids. | | | | extraterrestrial life to have a different |
| | | | number of eyes? I think not. Why? It is |
| The biologist ignored the decorative and | | | | called natural selection or survival of the |
| symbolic imagery added by the Tiwanaku | | | | fittest. Two eyes are the minimum required to |
| artists and did not consider the given | | | | give depth perception and concentrated focus. |
| premise of an aquatic alien inside helmeted | | | | Perhaps early on Earth there were animals |
| spacesuit. I have to assume, therefore, the | | | | with five or ten eyes, but with a brain too |
| biologist noted that the creature had two | | | | small to orientate five directions, such |
| arms and two eyes, and since humans have two | | | | species quickly became extinct. Only two eyes |
| arms and two eyes, the biologist concluded | | | | survived. Should we expect something |
| that this cannot be an alien. | | | | radically different on another Earth-like |
| | | | planet? No. It is reasonable to expect |
| What should intelligent aliens look like? Or, | | | | intelligent aliens to have two eyes, just |
| to phrase it another way, what should we | | | | like humans. |
| expect interstellar travelers who come here | | | | |
| to look like? This is not a complete unknown. | | | | It is also reasonable to expect alien life |
| If the aliens are capable of interstellar | | | | forms to be imaginable from the diversity of |
| travel, they obviously achieved higher | | | | life forms we see on Earth, past and present. |
| technology. What is necessary to achieve | | | | The Tiwanaku alien has features similar to a |
| technology? My opinion on this is that to | | | | fish (fish mouth that seems to be breathing |
| achieve technology, a life form would need a | | | | inside a water-filled helmet), features |
| complex brain and the ability to see and | | | | similar to a lobster (sea creature with two |
| manipulate objects. This implies eyes, | | | | forward appendages for manipulating objects), |
| fingered appendages, and perhaps a head | | | | and features similar to humans (large head |
| relatively large compared to overall body | | | | and fingered upper appendages). Only four |
| size. The Tiwanaku alien has all these | | | | fingers are depicted in the Tiwanaku |
| features. | | | | drawings, versus our five, but this easily |
| | | | falls within evolutionary feasibility. The |
| The biologist might counter that the issue is | | | | alien's three-pod aquatic tail is also an |
| not that aliens have eyes, but the number of | | | | imaginable evolutionary development. |
| eyes. Here on Earth, higher animal forms | | | | |
| evolved with two eyes. For example, mammals, | | | | I think the biologist's appreciation for the |
| birds, fish, reptiles, and insects all have | | | | potentially enormous diversity of life forms |
| two eyes, but on another planet the number of | | | | in the universe is admirable. For those life |
| eyes would be different. There, perhaps, the | | | | forms that develop higher technology, |
| life forms would randomly have one, three, | | | | however, it is likely, not unlikely, that |
| four, or even ten eyes. Is that true? Is the | | | | they will have something in common with |
| number of eyes a random event in the | | | | humans. |
| evolutionary process? | | | | |
| | | | This article referred to Bella Online Biology |
| Astronomers searching for extraterrestrial | | | | comments on the Tiwanaku Alien pages of the |
| intelligence are looking for planets similar | | | | website. |
| to Earth regarding temperature and chemical | | | | |