Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 03:25am on 11 Sep 2025,Thursday Science
NASA's Mars rover Perseverance discovered rocks in Neretva Vallis, a dry river channel flowing into Jezero Crater, containing potential signs of ancient microscopic life. The sample, collected last summer from reddish clay-rich mudstones, contains organic carbon alongside minuscule "poppy seeds" and "leopard spots" enriched with iron phosphate and iron sulfide. These compounds are commonly produced by microorganisms consuming organic matter on Earth. Lead researcher Joel Hurowitz from Stony Brook University emphasizes that while microbial life is one explanation, non-biological processes could also create these features. Published in Nature journal, this represents the strongest evidence yet for ancient Martian life, though definitive conclusions require sample analysis in Earth laboratories through NASA's delayed Mars sample return mission. (PC: CNET)
