Life On Mars..?

[M Holmes]

Le Monsieur writes:

> On Wed, 7 Aug 1996, Chris Bates wrote:
> > The meteorite hits Antarctica N years ago. The fossils of the primitive
> > lifeforms are greater than N years old so they must've been in the
> > meteorite when it landed. It probably didn't stop off on the way so the
> > lifeforms come from Mars.
>
> Well, that's assuming they were using dating techniques that work.
> [Hmmm, maybe *I* should start using dating techniques that work... :) ]
>
> Seriously, though, C-14 dating is only accurate to something in 5
> digits.  (20 or 30,000, is it?)  And even if they did try and
> isotopically date it with something more accurate, they are making a
> HUGE-ass umption:  that the isotopic ratio in Mars' atmosphere is
> comparable to Earth's.

Couldn't they have dated it by the layer of the pack ice they found it in?

FoFP