Mars rocks reveal complex organics, fueling questions about ancient life
NASA’s Perseverance rover has detected complex organic matter, specifically macromolecular carbon, in rocks within the Bright Angel mudstone sequence in Jezero crater on Mars. The finding strengthens evidence for ancient organics on the planet, but MMC can form through both biological and non-biological processes, so scientists say more analysis is needed to determine if life-related origins are likely. The discovery, part of ongoing work to identify rocks worth returning to Earth for closer study, adds to the broader search for past life on Mars.