“CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A NASA Mars rover uncovered rocks in a dry river channel that might hold signs of ancient microscopic life, scientists reported.
Lead researcher Joel Hurowitz of Stony Brook University and his team analyzed a sample collected last summer from reddish, clay-rich mudstones in Neretva Vallis.
In it they found organic carbon, a building block of life, and minuscule specks enriched with iron phosphate and iron sulfide. On Earth, these compounds are byproducts of microbes' metabolization of organic matter.
Acknowledging the analysis "certainly is not the final answer," NASA science mission chief Nicky Fox said it is "the closest we've actually come to discovering ancient life on Mars."
Two scientists not involved in the study said that non-biological processes could be responsible for the trace chemical compounds found.
Hurowitz said "it would be amazing to be able to demonstrate conclusively that these features were formed by something that was alive on another planet billions of years ago."” [1]
1. U.S. News: Chemical Traces Offer Tantalizing Hint of Possible Ancient Life on Mars. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 11 Sep 2025: A3.
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