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In a groundbreaking revelation, scientists say they have uncovered the strongest evidence yet that life may once have existed on Mars, following the discovery of a unique rock sample on the Red Planet.
The rock, collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover in the Jezero Crater, contains a combination of organic molecules and chemical patterns that researchers say are consistent with the remnants of ancient microbial activity.
According to scientists, the composition of the rock strongly suggests that Mars once had the conditions necessary to support life.
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“This is the most compelling case we’ve seen so far,” said Dr. Jennifer Stern, an astrobiologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “While it’s not direct proof of life, the chemical fingerprints we’ve detected are exactly what we’d expect if microbes once thrived in Mars’ watery past.”
The Jezero Crater, believed to be a dried-up river delta, has long been a prime target for exploration because of its potential to preserve traces of ancient organisms. The rover’s instruments detected carbonate and clay minerals in the rock—key signs that water played a role in shaping the environment billions of years ago.
The samples from Mars are currently being cached on Mars, awaiting a future mission that will bring them back to Earth for detailed laboratory analysis.
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