Hey, stigweard...not to worry! There is no reason for you to go. I'm actually enjoying this whole discussion thoroughly. I may sound rather zealous and very serious when you read the words I've typed on a computer screen, but I'm actually having fun here. I cracked up when Jack wrote that stuff about how often the monkeys might come up with the words to "Louie, Louie".

I don't know what the odds are for or against humanoid life occurring more than once here or in the Universe. I don't think anyone else does either. I don't think there's any sure way of calculating such odds or even guessing at them. I think it's all just conjecture. People are always talking about "what the odds are" of this or that thing happening, but I don't think they usually have a clue what the odds really are...and in the end, "the odds" may have nothing to do with it.

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Paul Burke, I'm glad you said that "there's nothing "primitive" about marsupials".

Right on! Marsupials have been getting grossly unfair treatment in the press for years (specially from insensitive people like Jack the Sailor who marginalize anyone who can't meet proper form at a tea party) and it's time they were allowed the full dignity and respect they deserve! ;-) Chongo Chimp's campaign for president of the USA has put equal rights for Marsupials front and center. (He'll do anything to scrounge up a few thousand more votes. Well, almost anything...)

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Carol said... "And people are also not considering the possibility that our genetics have been interfered with by intelligent humanoid beings somewhere along the way. It's entirely possible that the first humanoid form arose in another part of the universe, and has been traveling around the cosmos "spreading their seed" so to speak."

Right. The same possibilities have occurred to me. I think it is quite possible that human genes have some off-planet sources mixed in by this time...and that homo sapiens was in fact a migrant to this world in very ancient times. The primitive ape-like skeletal and fossil remains that have been found may be our ancestors....or they may not be...or they may have been a part of our ancient genetic line, but not the only part of it. There may be off-world genetic lines included as well.

We may all be the sons and daughters of ancient immigrants to this planet. If so.... (grin) ...you can throw most of your present conventional ideas about human evolution on planet Earth out the window.

The aliens who I think are visiting us may be our own very distant relatives. And that could be why they're interested in how we're handling things here.