Mars rover finds spotted rock with possible ancient life signs

NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered a rock in Mars’ Jezero Crater, named Sapphire Canyon, that exhibits minerals and features potentially indicative of ancient microbial life. Drilled in July 2024 from the Cheyava Falls rock within the Bright Angel formation, this reddish mudstone contains ring-shaped and dark speckled patterns. Scientists detected minerals such as vivianite (iron and phosphorus) and greigite (iron and sulfur), which on Earth often form through microbial activity. The presence of organic carbon, sulfur, phosphorus, and oxidized iron in the sample further suggests conditions that could have supported microbial metabolisms approximately 3.2 to 3.8 billion years ago when the crater was a lake. Despite the promising findings, researchers emphasize caution, noting that similar mineral formations can arise through non-biological chemical processes. Joel Hurowitz, lead author of the study, described the discovery as a “potential biosignature” but acknowledged that rover data alone cannot definit