Mars Rocks Hint at Ancient Life, But Proof Remains Elusive
NASA’s Perseverance rover detected macromolecular carbon on Bright Angel mudstones in Jezero crater, a potential sign of ancient microbial life but non-biological processes could also produce such carbon; the rover’s measurements cannot confirm biogenicity, and Earth-based analyses of returned samples are needed for a definitive answer. This finding, together with Curiosity’s prior organics detections, suggests Mars may have been broadly habitable with widespread organics billions of years ago, though a dedicated sample-return mission is planned for the 2030s.