The Curiosity rover has discovered fossils similar to those that form earth microbes in shallow rivers and lakes. This new data, sent by the rover, suggests that life existed on Mars.
Recently, in the pages of the scientific journal Astrobiology, a detailed comparison of objects in photographs taken by the Curiosity rover with terrestrial geological structures was published.
The author of the work, geobiologist Nora Noffke, made an educated assumption that the structure of rock formations captured by the rover surprisingly resembles various terrestrial sedimentary rocks of biological origin.
The oldest microorganisms discovered to date are the ancestors of modern cyanobacteria. These microorganisms form colonies ranging in size from a few millimeters to a kilometer, which are located on rocks under a small layer of water. Throughout the life of such a community, there is a gradual mineralization of the dead layers.
As a result of mineralization processes, specific patterns are formed on stones. It is these fossilized layers with their characteristic structure that serve as evidence of the existence of life in those distant geological eras.
In 2008, Nora Noffke discovered in the western region of Australia, fossilized structures of biological origin 3.5 billion years old.
When Nora caught her eye with photographs of the Martian soil, her attention was drawn to the extreme similarity of the rock formations to the earthly fossils of ancient colonies of microorganisms, which she studied for 20 years. The fact is that each type of such bacterial colonies has its own characteristic imprint, which can say a lot about the colony itself, about the climate and about the surrounding conditions.
For example, you can distinguish a colony that lived on the banks of a river from colonies that were in seasonally flooded areas. Therefore, the view of an experienced geobiologist noticed precisely the features in the structure of the rocky Martian landscape, which were similar to landscapes formed by living organisms.
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However, according to the researcher, it cannot be completely ruled out, for example, erosion of rocks by wind or water, which could theoretically form a similar relief. The exact answer to this question can be given by the analysis of samples of the Martian soil, if they are ever delivered to Earth.
Exploring the surface of the red planet, including through the Curiosity mission, reveals more and more facts about Martian history. There was water on Mars, as evidenced by the dry beds of rivers and lakes. Methane and some other organic molecules have been found in the atmosphere and rocks.
All this indirectly indicates a similarity in the development of Mars and Earth, and, possibly, life originated on two planets at about the same time. Whether this is so - further research will show.