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system that controls limb development in a frog was also present in worms, was exactly what would be expected if the Urantia Book statement was correct--which is that the life plasm introduced by the Life Carriers already had the full potential for all subsequent development.
This period of changing opinion among geologists was also accompanied by re-assessment of concepts about the first appearance of multicellular organisms. Previously, many believed this to have been in excess of one or even two billion years ago. It is now placed in the region immediately preceding the Cambrian explosion, somewhere between 540 and 560 million years before the present--and consistent with the book's statement about the qualities of the introduced life plasm.
However, the outstanding problem is the strong evidence for primitive life being present on this planet billions of years ago It remains in need of explanation.
Part of the evidence for the presence of life on Earth so long ago is those unique structures called "stromatolites" that are preserved in fossilized limestone, 3.5 billion years old, at several locations. These structures can still be seen forming in favorable shallow inter-tidal zones and are invariably associated with the activities of photosynthetic cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae). Hence it is assumed that the ancient stromatolites were also the result of activities of photosynthetic bacteria. (see Figures 1 and 2)
More evidence for the occurrence of ancient life forms comes from the deposition of certain kinds of sedimentary red sandstone deposits, the red coloration being due to a coating of the sand grains with fully oxidized iron. This process is thought to have been due to the water soluble ferrous form of iron in the seas being used as a recipient for the oxygen formed during photosynthesis by various life forms. The product, the red ferric iron, was insoluble and was deposited on the sand grains. This kind of deposit dates as far back as 2.5 billion years ago.
In later years the deposition of red sedimentary rocks in which the color is due to the ferric form of iron occurred when the oxygen content of the atmosphere rose to levels sufficiently high to trigger oxidation of soluble ferrous iron and the deposition of the insoluble ferric form
The only known process to bring about such high levels of atmospheric oxygen is photosynthesis by living organisms. Many, possibly all, of these deposits date from times prior to 550 million years ago, and again present evidence for the occurrence of life forms that pre-date the introduction of life plasm by the Life Carriers. Further evidence comes from the occurrence of several kinds of microfossils thought to be evidence for bacterial or algal cells.
The Urantia Papers state, "Life does not originate spontaneously but is constructed...it appears on the inhabited worlds either by direct importation or as a result of the operation of the Life Carriers." (396)
That statement rules out the possibility that some primitive life forms, originating from other inhabited planets, are able to survive in outer space, and, after floating around among the galaxies, they seed new planets when conditions become favorable.
Taken together, the evidence is strong that primitive life forms were present on our planet prior to the introductions made by the Life Carriers 550 million years ago. A possible explanation is that the revelators define what constitutes "life" differently from ourselves. That this maybe so is evidenced by their statement that:
"The material self, the ego entity of human identity, is dependent during the physical life on the continuing function of the material life vehicle, on the continued existence of the unbalanced equilibrium of energies and intellect which, on Urantia, has been given the name life." (1229)
This statement may imply that the inherent potential to attain "intellect" is definitive of what, for them, constitutes "life." By this definition, the forms of organism that preceded the Life Carriers' introductions, can be thought of as "pre-life" forms that were introduced to help prepare the environment, and particularly the atmosphere of our planet, for the implantations that came later. Such a view is consistent with the following statements:
"Life Carriers often carry actual life plasm to a new world, but not always. They sometimes organize the life patterns after arriving...in accordance with formulas previously approved...Such was the origin of the planetary life of Urantia." (399) And "We brought no life to Urantia. Urantia life is unique, original with the planet. This sphere is a life-modification world; all life appearing hereon was formulated right here on the planet." (667)
Components of these "pre-life forms" may also have been used by the Life Carriers for their in situ synthesis of the life plasm that had the "full potential for all future developmental variations."
Other hypotheses are possible. The one presented is consistent with most of the current concepts in science and also with most of the statements in the Papers. However, it would be premature to attempt too much, as there is still an enormous amount to be learned about the genetics and structure of the lower life forms. Some of the required information is now
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