(Oh, biochem isn't boring, but it should be called chembio!)

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Not only is it unlikely, imho, that even the very mechcanism of evolution to work the same elsewhere (eg, dna, sex), its also highly unlikely conditions will be simerla to earth.

Higher gravity, less light, more like, more foggy atmosphere, a heck of a lot more water...a heck of a lot less water.

The potential combinations are endless, and it took a very specific set of combinations for form us.

The fact that simerla things evolved simerla traits on this planet isnt that astonishing when you think that we arnt a species in isolation.

Theres millions of species of earth, each one effects others.

If the majority of the enviroment is the same both chemicaly, atmosphericaly, and biologicaly...then yes, simerla things probably would evolve.

But thats a far flung thing from saying a completely different world where *everything* starts independantly from us would end up even remotely simerla.

Limited imagination I put it down too.

Personaly, I'm kinda sceptical we would even recognise alien life. For all we know it might have lifespans of a ten thousand years and move in such a slow way as to be unnoticable to us.

Or maybe the "life" exists as merely an arrangement of slow forming crystals in a cave, it can reflect light about to communicate, and forus light to help alter its enviroment and help grow itself....but it cant "move" at all.

Those are just off the top of my head.

Life...at least, self-replicating things with the potential to evolve...could be absolutely beyond what we have thought about. Maybe what we can think about.

We have a sample range of just 1 planet.

Not enough to make good conclusions.

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We evolved the upright stance when the forests of East Africa turned into savannas allowing us to see over the tall grasses and freeing our forelimbs with those kicky opposable thumbs to do more than grasp tree limbs and manipulate our genitalia. We started picking up rocks to throw at leopards and poking things with sticks.

After some very messy R&D with wildfire we learned to carry enough fuel to feed and keep our new glowy friend happy and useful. The next thing you know it's Superbowl Sunday and we're microwaving nachos to eat with our giant fyborg foam hands.

It may be a specious and speciest argument but the whole bilateral, two arms, two legs, with a sensory cluster/nutrition intake port on top seems the most reliable plan. But there's a lot of wiggle-room for the appearance of those structures. A dolphin and an icthyosaur may fit the same basic model but they still are very different looking creatures.

I always appreciated Babylon 5 for going the extra light-second to make all the different humanoid species more varied. I think LiC is right about Star Trek's make-up policy. Make 'em a bit different but preserve the T&A, pandering to sweaty fanboys.

Nose ridges blow.

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As for intelligent life? The only conditions are tool building, ability to make fire (sadly no aquatic squid people), and an environment suitable to both farming and shelter building.

Fire isn't a big one, but it does remove the upper limit. Sea based life could become incredibly advanced and complex, but they'd never make computers.

It is entirely conceivable that life on other planets would evolve from their versions of dinosaurs. Many people forget that if not for that one cataclysmic event the history of our planet would be very different.

Oh, and no insect life. Gravity places pretty strict limitations on that.

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