OR Nasa announced that the PERSEVENCE Robotic Vehicle found in a sample of rock, named ‘Sapphire Canyon’the most convincing items so far for possible ancient life in Mars.

The sample was collected in July 2024 by rock rock Cheyava Falls, in the valley Neretva valliswhich in the distant past was hosting a river or lake, that is, environments that create scientific interest in searching for life.

According to scientists, the sample contains minerals such as Vivianite and Greigite, which on Earth are often associated with microbial activity. In addition, the characteristic “leopard spots” and dark dots on the surface of the rock show that there were chemical reactions between minerals and organic matter.

Of particular interest is the presence of organic carbon, which was found along with the above minerals. Scientists believe that it could have been formed through redox reactions, in conditions that did not destroy the sample micrograms. This reinforces the assumption that there were once the appropriate conditions for the development of microbial life.

However, experts point out that the findings are not proof. Similar minerals and organic compounds can also be formed through geochemical processes, without biological intervention. Final conclusions will need the sample to be returned to Earth, where much more detailed analyzes can be made.

Despite the reservations, the discovery is considered a milestone in Persevence. If the indications are confirmed, they will be the most powerful presumption that Mars was not only habitable, but perhaps inhabited in his distant past.