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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Science
Ian Sample Science editor and Richard Luscombe

Unusual compounds in rocks on Mars may be sign of ancient microbial life

Image of the rock and red dust on the ground of Mars taken by the rover
Nasa’s Perseverance rover first touched down in Jezero crater in 2021. Photograph: Nasa/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock

Unusual features found in rocks on Mars may be the handiwork of ancient microbial life that eked out an existence on the red planet billions of years ago.

The rocks were spotted by Nasa’s Perseverance rover as it trundled along Neretva Vallis, an ancient river valley that was carved into the landscape by water flowing into the Jezero crater in the planet’s distant past.

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