Echinoderms, “spiny-skinned” invertebrates, are first found in the Cambrian sedimentary rock layers as 100% echinoderms. The first brittle stars (Echinoderm, class Ophiuroidea) were found in the Early Ordovician sediments and don’t show any evolution. One of the more interesting of the Ophiuroidea is the brittle star (Ophiocoma wendtii).

“Moreover the LORD spoke again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.” (Isaiah 7:10-11)

Scientists have reported the presence of methane-producing microbes living deep beneath the Siljan impact crater in Sweden.¹ Although the researchers stopped short of claiming the impact somehow brought the microbes to Earth, they do assert that impacts can create favorable habitats for colonization.

It’s exciting when research with medical implications also provides insight into the mechanisms of biological adaptation. Two new studies contribute to a large body of research that not only contradicts the textbook account for the evolution of life on Earth, but also supports the explanation of engineered adaptability.