Scientists find unusual features on Mars that point to signs of ancient life

Are we alone in the universe? This question has fascinated humanity for centuries. Now, a new discovery on Mars has brought us a step closer to answering it.

Nasa's Perseverance rover has found unusual compounds in rocks within an ancient river valley called Neretva Vallis. The valley once carried water into Jezero crater, where the rover landed in 2021. 

While exploring a rocky outcrop known as the Bright Angel formation, the rover detected surface spots and nodules, along with carbon-based compounds. On Earth, these features are often linked to microbial activity.

The findings, published recently in Nature, describe the textures, chemical signatures and minerals as "potential biosignatures." Scientists are careful to stress that they are not proof of life, but they could be remnants of microbial processes that took place billions of years ago.

Among the discoveries were the minerals vivianite and greigite. These minerals may have formed when mud in the valley interacted with organic matter. On Earth, microbes often drive such reactions, leaving minerals as a byproduct. Yet the same features can also form through non-biological chemical processes. This is why researchers remain cautious, calling them "potential" rather than definitive signs of life.

If confirmed, these findings would represent the strongest evidence yet of ancient life beyond Earth. But certainty may only come when samples collected by Perseverance are brought back for study in laboratories on Earth. That mission, however, faces delays and funding doubts.

For now, the unusual Martian rocks keep the mystery alive. As Dr Nicky Fox of Nasa said, "We are one step closer to answering one of humanity's most profound questions."