NASA Reports Possible Traces of Ancient Life on Mars

NASA scientists have presented a report with the most convincing evidence yet of ancient microbial life on Mars. The Perseverance rover found unusually shaped mineral deposits on a rock — dark dots called “poppy seeds” and light spots with dark edges that the researchers dubbed “leopard spots.” On Earth, such structures are often associated with microbial activity.

Such formations can arise not only as a result of biological processes, but also as a result of inorganic crystallization of rocks, for example, at high temperatures typical of volcanic activity. A report by NASA specialists, presented at the Conference on Lunar and Planetary Sciences in Texas, is devoted to explaining that the discovered mineral deposits were most likely formed under conditions of low-temperature reactions. In other words, this may be evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars.

This can only be proven with 100% certainty on Earth using modern scientific equipment. To do this, samples must be delivered from Mars. The mission of the Perseverance rover is precisely to select the most promising samples of rocks from the Red Planet for this purpose.

If the U.S. Congress approves additional spending, samples could be returned to Earth in the late 2030s.