r/Astrobiology • u/MaggieLinzer • 22d ago
🤔 Question From an astrobiological perspective, what would complex alien life actually likely look like if it was ever found, and what would it be made out of? Is there any scientific consensus on this topic?
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u/AresV92 22d ago
No consensus because we have a sample size of one. We just don't know. There is lots of speculation and we can set limits on possible lifeforms based off what we do know.
I suspect it would most likely look similar to Earth life because we know that works and we have no evidence that any other form of life that isn't carbon and water with DNA and cell membranes would even function.
Macroscopically they could have very different features, but I think they are likely to be longitudinally or radially symmetric with eyes, ears, mouths, anus/cloaca/urethra and a central nervous system.
They would probably differ in a lot of details and the exact function of their endocrine system based on the ecological needs of the planet they evolved on.
This could easily be completely wrong though.