ALIENS.ASC
SOURCE:   Darkside BBS
SUBJECT:  Alien Morphology Theory


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         SOURCE: Journal of the British Interplanetary Society
                        Vol 32, pp.99-102,1978

         TITLE: THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF INTELLIGENT ALIENS

                          AUTHOR: N.J. SPALL
                Bearsted, Nr. Maidstone, Kent, England

ABSTRACT

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There can be little doubt that one of the most important factors that
will determine the manner in which our society reacts should contact
ever be established with intelligent extraterrestrial (ET) life forms
will be the physical appearance, or morphology, of the alien. All the
prejudices, the fears, the mistrust and the bigotry that exists
amongst the races that make up mankind will be focused into this
reaction. Thus, speculating on the morphology of an intelligent alien
is important for the future of space exploration. Serious efforts are
now being made around the world in the field known as Search for
Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and the manner in which our
society reacts to contact will depend to a great extent on the
appearance of the alien. Anticipation of the possibilities now may
reveal whether a shock for the world is likely. It is also useful to
consider alien morphology in terms of gauging how likely the chances
of intelligent aliens evolving really are.
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1. AN APPROACH TO THE SUBJECT

The problem of trying to anticipate the physical appearance of the ET
is at first sight ludicrously impossible. To start with, we don't even
know if intelligent ETs exist, let alone what their planet of origin
is like or what their morphology may be.

Our task is therefore limited to using what knowledge we have of the
evolution of intelligent life on Earth, considering possible
extraterrestrial planetary environments and making a series of
reasonable assumptions. A combination of biology, zoology, and
anthropology is required as well as the newer science of exobiology.
Most important, the overriding thought when considering the subject
should be "how would this imagined alien become intelligent?"


2. THE TWO VIEWS

Conveniently, disagreement over the likely appearance of intelligent
ETs divides itself into two opposing camps. On one side are those who
take a rather anthropomorphic view of the ET and believe that it would
basically be humanoid in shape with two arms, two legs, a head at the
top of the body and the main sense organs located on the head.
Opposing this view are those exobiologists who believe that the
intelligent ET is bound to appear exotic because the creature would
inevitably have taken a totally different evolutionary path from man
and would have arisen in a very un-earthlike planetary environment.

This article will show, however, that the case put forward by the non-
humanoid ET protagonists will not stand up to the example of the
evolution of intelligent life on Earth, nor the necessities of
morphology that a creature requires to become intelligent. It is
therefore suggested here that any intelligent life across the galaxy
will have evolved into a basically humanoid form.


3. EXOTIC BIOLOGY

A possibility often suggested by more radical exobiologists is that
extraterrestrial life might depend on a chemistry that does not
require the carbon atom. Bracewell [1] has proposed that life could
make use of the chemistry of the silicon atom rather than the carbon
atom. Silicon based organisms would, for example, breathe out silicon
dioxide (sand) instead of carbon dioxide. The rock eating creature has
often been suggested as a product of this biological system. [An
example of this can be seen in the ST AR TREK episode about the horta.
AB]

The problem is that silicon polymers of the protein type are unlikely
to from the compounds essential for chemical evolution. Bieri [2]
points out that the energy requirements for duplicating a living
system are fulfilled only by carbon and the high energy phosphate
bond.

It is very difficult to envisage any life other than that based on the
carbon compounds forming in water. Unfortunately this limits the
planetary considerations necessary for the evolution of larger sized
organisms somewhat severely -- in fact it restricts planets that may
have intelligent to those with broadly Earth-like surface temperatures
and pressures. (It also restricts the type of star that may shine on
life producing planets -- the DNA molecule is sensitive to high levels
of radiation, particularly  the ultraviolet.

What of possible creatures that could get by without requiring the
availability of an Earth-like oxygen rich atmosphere? The conjectured
'balloon' creatures floating in the gas belts of Jupiter and using,
instead of oxygen, a metabolism of hydrogen -- could they ever become
intelligent ETs? And what is wrong with Fred Hoyle's "Black Cloud," an
intelligent gas cloud thousands of kilometers across? The answer lies
in our prime question, "how could this creature become intelligent?"
Intelligence, it is argued later, will probably only arise from
assimilating predatory existence in a harsh but survivable physical
environment.

Conceding defeat to the necessity for life to be based on carbon in a
water medium, the exotic morphology ET supporters suggest that there
are enormous variations open to chance evolution even under Earth-like
conditions. Slight differences in surface pressure, temperature,
gravity or solar radiation, they argue, will produce widely divergent
evolutionary trends [3]. Steen[4] suggests that intelligent ETs might
be insect like, bird like, fish like or even plant like. They may be
spherical in shape, glutinous, jelly-like creatures, such as
"Quatermass" might meet, or possibly even a planet sized oceanic
intelligence such as that in Stanislaw Lem's novel "Solaris."

For less bizarre (but still very exotic) alien creatures proposed for
extraterrestrial life bearing planets, the exhibits on display at the
National Air and Space Museum's "Life in the Universe" section in
Washington, DC provides some good examples of exotic aliens [5].
Biologist Bonnie Dalzell has designed for a dry Earth-like world the
"hexalope," a six legged antelope. For a high gravity planet, we are
presented with the "bandersnatch," a monstrous herbivore with eight
legs, a large mouth in its chest, two eyes on stalks and ears along
the side of its body -- the creature weighs 30,000 lbs. on its 3-G
world! The intelligent ET that Dalzell presents us with is a six
legged toad like creature.

Life on Earth shows us just how strange creatures can become in the
chain of evolution. The giraffe is a good example of this. But it is
highly unlikely that these creatures could ever become intelligent.


4. THE ANTHROPOMORPHIC VIEW

The problem ignored by exotic ET protagonists is that speculation on
the morphology of the ET must take account of the lessons taught us by
evolutionary development on Earth.

(The argument for humanoid ETs given here is based on the works of
Robert Bieri [2], N.J. Berrill [6] and Robert Puccetti [7])

In the early period of the development of life on Earth, organic
matter based on carbon compounds began in a water medium before the
invasion of the land. The early sea bound creatures developed a
critical characteristic that would decide the future form of land
dwellers -- that of bilateral symmetry in the shape of the body. This
shape reduced water resistance and turbulence to a minimum and became
the characteristic of all the higher creatures of the sea. It can be
seen that adoption of a predatory way of marine life has developed has
developed bilaterally symmetrical creatures as diverse as the squid,
the penguin, the seal, the otter and the large fish. Radially
symmetric ocean dwelling creatures all adopt a relatively stationary
way of life, jelly fish, sea anenomae etc., having a loss of
sensitivity and degeneration of the nervous system when compared to
the more active predators.

Bieri points out that predatory animals with complex nervous systems
and bilateral symmetry possess the largest and most important sensing
and grasping organs close to the mouth. Also, digestion and excretion
is most convenient with an anterior mouth and posterior anus for an
active hunting animal. In order to reduce time for nerve impulses to
travel from the sensing organs, the brain is at the head.


5. CONCEPTUALISM AND INTELLIGENCE

Conceptualization, it would seem, can arise only in a land animal.
Birds cannot possess brains large enough for this due to the fact that
they must be light in weight and have hollow bones to fly. A large
intelligent brain requires a considerable amount of blood and
therefore a heavy cardiovascular system -- both these factors would
lead to an impossible power to weight ratio for an intelligent
airborne creature. It is also difficult to imagine an intelligent ET
evolving from gliding winged creatures such  as the flying squirrel
(which glides from trees with the use of membranes under its front
legs) -- it is too small to evolve intelligence. It is doubtful that
even a gliding creature as large as the extinct Pterodactyl could ever
develop a large enough brain.

The question of intelligence arising in sea animals is somewhat more
complex due to the fact that the whale family happens to possess large
brain capacity, a very advanced system of communication and displays
remarkable feats of intelligence. However, conceptualization, as
Puccetti attempts to define it, seems to arise in conjunction with a
social existence, speech and the use of tools. The development of tool
usage undersea is extremely difficult due to the density and viscosity
of water. Predatory sea animals rely on their natural hunting
equipment -- teeth, streamlining, speed, etc. -- rather than weapons
and tools. Only semi-land creatures, such as beavers a nd otters (both
mammals) possess any sort of manipulating appending and these they use
on the surface.

How the whale family came to develop such a large cerebral capacity
tends to cast some doubt on the whole question of conceptualization
development. Here it is assumed that whales are clever, but do not
conceptualize on their existence.

An encounter, therefore, with a race of intelligent aliens who are
either aquatic, reptilian or are creatures capable of flight and who
developed conceptualization characteristics with a high level of
technology, seems highly unlikely. Our intelligent ETs would have to
be land dwellers.


6. THE PREDATORY SUPREMACY

It should be emphasized that it seems most likely that all intelligent
conceptualizing creatures in the galaxy will have their own origins in
predatory animals. Man's origins appear to stem from herbivore apes
that, faced with climatic and vegetation changes, left the trees,
became omnivorous and adapted to running on the savannah, hunting
other animals in groups and using their ability to grasp and
manipulate to develop weapons, tools and eventually a basic
technology. It is difficult to imagine an animal bothering to use
weapons and tools, firstly if it was a fully adapted herbivore and
secondly if it was already a competent predator, such as the lion or
tiger. Arthur C.  Clarke describes this critical path that the early
hunting apes had to take extremely well in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
(although of course he did not let his apes develop their technology
purely on their own initiative.)

Man has remained the only creature with a technology on this planet
because of his predatory hunting nature, despite the basic ingenuity
of creatures such as the ant with its ingenious city like hills,
chimpanzees which can fish out termites with sticks, and birds that
can break shells with heavy stones and the sea otter that can break
open shells by floating on its back and beating them  against stones
on its chest. These creatures have stretched their manipulative
abilities to the limits.


7. MOVING AROUND

The development of legs, arms and grasping appendages is critical to
our conceptual ET's road to intelligence. A primitive technology will
require the ability to hold and manipulate, with some degree of
sensitivity, basic tools and weapons such as clubs, spears, knives and
twine. The intelligent ET must have this manipulative capability
combined with speed of movement, otherwise it will remain in its
comfortable environment (as did the dolphin) and we would certainly
never meet it stepping out of a star ship.

As a method of movement, sliding, wriggling and rolling are all much
too slow for the land predator. As Puccetti points out, walking is the
only viable means of moving at high speeds and for long distances. The
wheel was never used as a means of locomotion by nature except in some
tiny bacteria. Although the reciprocating knee joint in the human leg
can put up with large shock loads and the shoulder and hip joints can
rotate through a considerable arc, it is difficult to imagine an
organic bearing that could rotate through 360 degrees.

Insect like appendages are unlikely. Insects possess legs that are
basically hollow cylinders with muscles and tendons inside the
skeletal tube. The problem with this arrangement is that if the
creature grows in size the tube will constrain the inner muscle size -
- hence the Tarantula being the largest land insect left since
prehistoric times. Hard levers and struts surrounded by muscles and
tendons, as in land walking vertebrates, is a much more likely
arrangement in the predator land dwelling alien.

The question of the number of legs is one of the most contentious when
discussed by those speculating on the morphology of the intelligent
ET. The four legs that we have are the product of genetic inheritance
from our earliest mammal ancestors; but this inheritance allowed us
great speed of movement and thus played a major factor in the
development of intelligence. One leg is out of the question -- the
creature could never get up if it ever fell over. Odd numbers are
unlikely because of balance problems. More than four can only be found
in insects. Galloping after prey with six legs is too complex for land
predators (and herbivores, as we have established, are unlikely to
become intelligent). Each leg has to swing through a wide arc for
speed and with more than four this becomes very difficult.

Monkeys and apes can use their two legs for manipulation but have to
run on both arms and legs together. Indeed the ape cannot use weapons
to hunt whilst running on all fours. It is difficult to imagine the
development of an intelligent hunting animal such as man running on
two sensitive grasping appendages. Thus we have the evolutionary step
of the conversion of one pair of legs to manipulating, pushing and
pulling devices and the other pair to movement. In this way the
creature optimizes between high speed movement and delicate
manipulation.


8. SENSORY ORGANS

So far we have formulated the picture of an intelligent ET with a body
much like our own. Its sensory organs, however, show characteristics
that are somewhat different, though not greatly.

Sense organs would largely depend on the characteristics of the aliens
planetary environment and the illumination provided by the local sun.

More than two eyes is rare in land creatures -- the spider possesses
multiple eyes, but they are of doubtful sensitivity, and would confuse
a large hunting creature. Stereoscopic vision near to the brain and
high on the body is the most suitable. Binaural hearing would seem the
most logical. This is required for location bearing -- and thus the ET
requires just two ears. Again these would be on the head. Only one
mouth is needed with the smell sensor close to it and taste sensors
inside it. The smell sensor can be used for breathing, whilst the
mouth is occupied with eating and drinking.

Additional sensory devices such as bat like acoustic ranging systems
or infra red sensors similar to those possessed by the rattlesnake,
are possible. But as Bieri points out, the imply a corresponding
reduction of vision in the normal sun illuminated spectrum. As we have
established above that carbon life probably only develops on planets
with suns much like our own we can assume that the visual spectrum
would be similar to that on Earth for the alien ET.

Although, therefore, the sensors of the ET are similar to our own, the
placement on the head and their form might be quite different. Odd
shaped heads are likely, different ear shapes and sizes most probable
and eye size and color would be different.


9. THE LIKELY ET APPEARANCE

The argument presented above gives backing to the anthropomorphic view
of the intelligent ET -- that is that the creature would be basically
humanoid. But this only a starting point. What would the intelligent
ET look like in detail?

This question is, of course, even more difficult to contemplate than
speculating on the ET's likely basic form. However, here are a number
of possible variables to consider:

1. SIZE AND BUILD -- The height and build of the alien has often been
   suggested as being related to the gravity on the creature's planet
   of origin. A planet slightly larger than Earth, with a subsequently
   higher gravity would result in the alien being squatter, with heavy
   bones and a powerful physique -- in other words, something like a
   gorilla. On the other hand, a lower gravity planet would result in
   taller, more spindly aliens. This argument is a little simplistic
   in its conclusion and does not explain the wide range in the sizes
   of Earth creatures -- for example, why is there such a large
   variation in the size and build of the apes, all of which are
   fairly clever animals?

   It seems probable that one can draw parameters about the ET's size,
   the likely range being between the smallest of the human races (the
   pygmy) at about  4 1/2 feet tall and the upper limit being around 7
   1/2 feet tall. If the alien is very much heavier than man, he would
   have problems with running for long distances in pursuit of prey in
   his early development as a land predator and would require a very
   large supply of readily available food to maintain himself.

   One interesting point about man is that we appear to be getting
   taller due to our evolution, our bodies are losing their broader
   muscles and our heads changing shape. It is more than likely that
   the humanoid intelligent alien also experiences this form of slow
   morphological evolution due to changes in dietary nutrition and
   life style. There is, of course, no guarantee that the alien will
   meet man as we appear now. An intelligent alien basing his
   conception of what man looks like from previously discovered
   spacecraft message devices (such as those carried by Pioneers 10
   and 11), or picked up TV images in, say, 50,000 years time, may be
   in for a surprise when he meets a hairless, chinless, towering
   egghead from Earth!

   Equally interesting is the question of the differences between the
   male and the female of the intelligent aliens' species. Would the
   two be quite different morphologically as in the case of homo
   sapiens, or would the two be virtually indistinguishable as with
   some creatures on Earth?

2. SKIN COLOR -- The wide variation in skin color and tone with
   creatures on the Earth is enough to indicate the extreme range that
   could occur with the intelligent ET. Indeed, why would the ET have
   a smooth skin? It is possible that fur may cover the alien having
   been left behind after an evolution stemming from a bear like
   creature, for example. (indeed, it is interesting to wonder whether
   whiskers, or some sort of delicate sensory feelers may remain with
   an intelligent creature after it has begun to rely on its hands).

3. FACIAL ARRANGEMENT -- This, as already stated, is mainly
   constrained by the smell and taste sensors being close to the mouth
   and by the need for stereo vision and binaural hearing. Beyond this
   the facial arrangement possibilities would be reasonably wide.

4. NUMBER OF FINGERS/TOES -- Again, variations could be wide although
   beyond ten fingers or toes on each hand or leg would seem excessive
   and difficult for the brain to coordinate. Less than four fingers
   on the hand would make basic technology difficult to manipulate.

5. INTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS -- The internal digestive, cardiovascular
   and pulmonary systems inside the intelligent ET would most likely
   be quite different and it is not possible to list all the
   variations within the confines of this article.


10. THE LIKELY REACTION

Our immediate impressions of the intelligent ET will be critical to
how society later reacts to the contact. The theme of this article is
that, because of the evolutionary demands to become intelligent and
the probable similarity between Earth and the alien planet, the
intelligent ET will be basically humanoid in form. Therefore, our
reaction will most likely not be too extreme.

Various questions, however, remain. For example, how far will the ET
have evolved beyond the humanoid morphology?

It is unlikely that prosthetics will change the basic form of the ET.
In general, artificial limbs (and bionics) are intended to resemble
those currently possessed. The aliens' view of good looks will be
determined by the most perfect and healthy of its species.
Consequently any artificial aids will be designed to blend with the
pure form of the alien -- contact lenses replacing glasses is a good
example of this.

It is difficult to imagine the advanced alien ever giving up its basic
body appearance. Some writers have suggested that semi-immortality
might be achieved by removing the brain from the failing body and
installing it in a machine, thus creating the cyborg. If this is ever
done it is likely that man would want the new machine body to resemble
the original organic body shape. An even more radical idea is that
once the alien has developed very high levels of knowledge and
consciousness, the mind may even be liberated from the body.  If this
occurred we might never discover its original appearance.

A final question is to what degree will alien clothing and cosmetics
mask the basic morphology? Fashions can enhance and emphasize body
shapes in certain cases with our own current civilization -- possibly
the same will occur in the intelligent ET's society. Hair styling,
however, is an example of how sometimes fashion can seriously alter
the shape of the body. Also, any spacesuit or breathing apparatus
might appear unusual.

Unfortunately, only through the discovery of artifacts or through
contact itself will we ever learn what the actual morphology of the
alien may be. Indeed, the chances are that the first close encounter
with an alien civilization will be via the radio telescope. Video
pictures will in this situation have to suffice for many years in the
place of face to face contact.

It is the conclusion of this paper that these images of the
intelligent ET will not shock us; they may surprise and intrigue us,
but it is unlikely that mankind will find the alien fearful in
physical appearance.

Hopefully, the ET will feel the same way about us.


REFERENCES

1. R.N. Bracewell, "Life in the galaxy," reprinted in INTERSTELLAR
   COMMUNICATION, ed. A. Cameron (Benjamin, NY 1963).

2. Robert Bieri, "Humanoids on other planets?" AMERICAN SCIENTIST, LII
   December, 1964

3. P.M. Molton, "Is anyone out there?" SPACEFLIGHT, 15,p.250, July,
   1973

4. S.W.P. Steen in the review of Freudenthals "Lincos" language,
   BRITISH JOURNAL OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE, 336, (1962)

5. D. Dooling, "Speculating on man's neighbours," SPACEFLIGHT, 17,
   p232, (Juen, 1975)

6. N.J. Berrill, "Worlds without end," Chapters 9 and 10

7. Roland Puccetti, "Persons: a study of possible moral agents in the
   universe," Macmillan, 1968

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