Why are extra-terrestrials depicted as looking very different from modern humans?

Question

my theories are:

the primary elements that they evolved from differ from ours (carbon-based).

this could also apply to differing temperatures on their home planet.

or

their planet came into existence a few billion years before ours, giving them much more time to evolve, as well as develop the ability for space travel.


what do you think?

Answer 1

your first theory could be correct somewhere in the universe. there could be life based on elements that we have not discovered.
your third theory could also explain why.

even if their planet is the same age as ours, it wouldve been impossible for life to evolve in the exact same way as it has on ours because conditions will most likely differ from conditions on Earth.

for instance if there sun becomes brighter, some life forms may devolop bizzare ways to stay cool, such as large leaf shaped appendages (same reason why elephants have big ears), or become light colored or semi reflective.

Its also likey that the compounds that life on that far away planet uses are different from life on Earth. Thereby allowing living things there to have certain features that are not known to man.
the amount of gravity on their planet will also effect evolution. if there planet has less gravity than earth there will be larger life forms. if there is more gravity there will be smaller or stronger life forms.
climate also effects evolution. if their planets climate is very dry and hot, reptilian life forms may develop. if its a very moist climate amphibian life forms may develop. what ever the climate, life will adapt to that climate over time.

Life is very adaptable, thats the reason for evolution. if evolution did not occurr life will not adapt to changing conditions and lots of things will become extinct.
When it comes to evolution, anything is possible.


BTW skymaster, you should seriously be more openminded. thats why you have 3 thumbs down

Answer 2

i agree with you, but just want to add a few things:
there are hardly any other planets that would have "similar" atmospheres and temperatures, so that would be one point
also, because of this, different species would have thrived, so what they evolved from would have been different.
the conditions (like mostly water, swamp, extremly high temp, ect.) would affect their bodies and limbs.
time (like you said) could have been a big point, because humans now are using, like 2-4% of our brains, so if we learn to use it more (over time) we will differ, whether because we use some parts less or something different.
also, as a race gets smarter, or "evolves" they change. i mean, look at homo erectus skulls, and modern human skulls. Waay different

as for primary elements, there are (as our scientists know so far) two "bases" for organic matter, and those are carbon and silicone, so there's a big chance that primary elements are the same.

i mean, look at reptiles, they have the same primary elements as us, but they're way different, so that's not really a factor.

Answer 3

If you are talking about the "Grays" then I would have to say that they are actually ridiculously similar to humans. I wonder about all the similarities, not the differences.

Since an extra-terrestrial race would probably have evolved completely separately from humanity, there would be no real reason to assume that they would be anything like us at all. I would think the aliens would be just as likely to shaped like octopuses or lemurs than to be similar to us.

In fact, it would even be possible that they would have different nucleic acids making up their DNA, (if they even had DNA). It seems like odds would be very poor of them looking anything like us.

However, these aliens have a head, a mouth, a neck, two arms, and two legs - and all of these parts are put together in the same shape as us!

This similarity could be due to parallel evolution, (the independent evolution of similar traits). There are some examples of parallel evolution that have been found amongst animals on Earth. However, its not known if we would be likely too see parallel evolution taking place between entities that evolved on completely separate planets.

I would think that overall similarities between "Grays" and humans might tend to indicate that the "Grays" are actually related to humans. Perhaps, the seed stock of the "Gray" race was taken from Earth a million years or so ago and brought to another world where it evolved separately and developed the differences seen between the two races.

If this is the case, then they probably lived in an environment where things such as hair, large ears, large noses, large mouths, and powerful jaws were completely unnecessary for them to survive. Interestingly enough, those traits are fairly unnecessary for modern humans living in a technologically advanced society. This may indicate that, starting from the point they split from humanity, they were immersed in and supported by an advanced society.

Perhaps the original "Grays" were taken as "pet humans" by another race that visited Earth a million years ago. Now, they are either being sent back by their masters to watch us, or they managed to "free" themselves, take the technology for their own use, and have returned for reasons of their own.

Answer 4

Have you considered the distances out there? Nobody is coming, has come or ever will come to earth in a spaceship or any sort. Too far. Just too bloomin' far! I am much more apt to believe in inter-dimensional travel then intergalactic travel (as in Lewis' Narnia Chronicles). He does, however, address this matter in his Space Trilogy, something about aliens considering earthlings especially honored because the Creator, Sustainer and Sovereign Lord of the Universe once humbled Himself to become one of us! That being the case, those from other planets might be a little bit in awe of the human race. But they are not coming here. The distances are just too great. Worm holes and warps are interesting to think about, but even if they do exist, it doesn't necessarily follow that they can be used for travel. Repeat a lie or half truth often enough and people will believe it.

Answer 5

Their planet came into existence a few billion years before ours, giving them more time to evolve as well as develop the ability for space travel. I believe creational process was over billions of years and we may have or probalbly was before us is a distinct possibility.

Answer 6

I'd have to agree with your second statement about them not finishing their evolution cycle. Also i believe that in the the extra terrestrial life that is depicted in that certain way is becuase most humans have an strong feeling of trepidation towards space because it's potentially limitless and unknown in many ways. The human race fears what it does not understand and know in many cases, thus creating the negative impression that all extra-terrestrial life is dangerous and capable of harm.

Films such as War of the Worlds, ET, Men In Black etc show extra terrestrials in that fashion to intrigue viewers and to make profit.

Answer 7

Since nobody has ever seen a real extrsaterrestrial being, all depictions are just creations of the artisrts' imaginations.

Answer 8

Our bodies evolved to fill a particular niche in our environment. ET, by definition, evolved in a different environment. So why should ET's body resemble ours?

Answer 9

Do they? In movies they all have two arms, two legs a head with two eyes a mouth and a nose. And they all speak english...

Answer 10

This one doesn't look much different from me.