NASA's Perseverance rover has discovered unusual rock formations on Mars that represent the clearest potential evidence of ancient microbial life ever found on the Red Planet. The mudstone rocks, dotted with intriguing markings nicknamed "leopard spots" and "poppy seeds," were found in a dusty riverbed within Jezero Crater.
Scientists believe these distinctive features contain minerals produced by chemical reactions that could be associated with ancient Martian microbes. The findings are significant enough to meet NASA's criteria for "potential biosignatures," warranting further investigation to determine their biological origin.
Professor Sanjeev Gupta from Imperial College London said: "We've not had something like this before, so I think that's the big deal. We have found features in the rocks that if you saw them on Earth could be explained by biology - by microbial process. So we're not saying that we found life, but we're saying that it really gives us something to chase."
Groundbreaking discovery details
The rover collected the samples on July 21, 2024, with one specimen nicknamed "Sapphire Canyon" according to the Daily Mail. Chemical analysis detected iron and phosphorus in the formations, minerals that typically form when microbes break down organic material.
Dr. Nicola Fox, NASA's Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, said: "It's like seeing a leftover fossil. Maybe it was a leftover meal, maybe that meal's been excreted and that's what we're seeing here."
The 3.5 billion-year-old rocks were discovered at the bottom of a canyon in an area called the Bright Angel Formation. Joel Hurowitz from Stony Brook University explained: "We think what we've found is evidence for a set of chemical reactions that took place in the mud that was deposited at the bottom of a lake."
Scientific analysis and significance
Perseverance used its onboard laboratory instruments to analyse the mineral composition before beaming the data back to Earth. The rover has been collecting samples in specially designed canisters as part of its mission since landing in 2021.
According to the Mirror, the mission uses 43 tubes total: 38 for samples and 5 witness tubes for contamination monitoring. The discovery represents the culmination of 30 years of Mars research efforts.
While microbial activity offers one explanation for the mineral formations, scientists have also examined non-biological possibilities. Natural geological processes could potentially create similar chemical reactions, though these would require high temperatures that don't match the rocks' appearance.
Future analysis challenges
Definitive confirmation requires bringing the rock samples back to Earth for detailed laboratory analysis. However, NASA's proposed Mars sample return mission faces uncertainty due to potential budget cuts in President Trump's 2026 budget proposal.
China is also pursuing a sample return mission that could launch in 2028, offering an alternative path for analysis. Professor Gupta said: "We need to see these samples back on Earth. I think for true confidence, most scientists would want to see and examine these rocks on Earth."
Hurowitz said: "This feels like the most compelling potential biosignature detection that we've had to date. We found some difficulties for the non-biological pathways - but we can't rule them out completely."
Sources used: "Nature", "BBC", "Daily Mail", "Mirror"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
