Perseverance Discovers New Evidence: Potential Signs of Life in Martian Rocks | WPN World People News

Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that the Perseverance rover has collected rock samples at a site on Mars believed to be an ancient lakebed. One of the samples, named “Sapphire Canyon”, shows evidence suggesting that ancient life may once have existed on the planet. The findings, published in Nature, are considered some of the strongest evidence to date and have generated great excitement.

Since landing on Mars in 2021, Perseverance has been exploring Jezero Crater, located in the planet’s northern hemisphere. This ancient basin was once filled with water, making it an ideal location to search for signs of life. Nicky Fox, head of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, noted that the rocks contained red, “leopard-print” cores, which may have been created by microbial activity—similar to food waste left behind by living organisms. This “potential biosignature” suggests that ancient life could have existed on Mars.

Joel Hurowitz, lead author of the study, further explained that on Earth, sedimentary materials with such minerals and textures are often considered “biosignatures”, or indicators of life. Specifically, Perseverance identified the minerals vivianite and greigite in the rock samples. On Earth, certain microorganisms are capable of producing greigite. These minerals appear to have formed through chemical reactions between clay-like materials and organic matter. However, Hurowitz emphasized that their formation could also have occurred without biological processes. Over the past year, scientists have worked hard to explore non-biological explanations as well.

Perseverance’s mission on Mars is not to directly search for life, but to collect and preserve rock samples most likely to hold signs of it. The research team stated that these samples provide a new example of a potential biosignature for the scientific community. Nevertheless, more definitive conclusions require deeper analysis. The Martian rock samples are expected to be returned to Earth in the 2030s, where advanced laboratory instruments will allow for more detailed studies.