NASA’s Perseverance rover has found rocks pointing to signs of past life on Mars, according to a new study. The claim is that he discovery marks the clearest signs yet of life, although researchers stress further analysis is needed.
Since landing on Mars in February 2021, Perseverance has been exploring the Jezero Crater (see path), which billions of years ago was believed to be a lake bed. Last July, the rover discovered a rock formation nearby speckled with dots resembling poppy seeds and leopard spots. The colorful patterns indicate the presence of vivianite and greigite: two minerals rich in iron, phosphate, and sulfide that, on Earth, have been produced through biological activity. Researchers found no evidence that the minerals were produced through heat, an alternative theory.
NASA’s effort to retrieve and further study the samples is stalled until at least the 2040s due to cost, now estimated at $11B.
Doug and Rich dispute that finding these minerals are evidence for life in the past. No life-giving organic molecules have been found and the possibility of life being formed in such a hostile environment where temperatures dip below -80 degrees is beyond reasonable belief.
