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EXPLORE FURTHER: Rover uncovers signs of ‘getaway-like’ shores on Mars
Unprecedentedly large organic molecules have been found.
Mars
, providing additional proof that life might have once thrived on Mars.
Specialists have discovered lengthy carbon chains with up to 12 linked atoms in specimens of ancient Martian rocks that are several billion years old.
These carbon-based compounds — the most extensive ones detected up until now — might stem from fatty acids, which serve as fundamental components of fats and oils and are produced on our planet via biological processes.
Scientists stated that the finding is of ‘significant interest’ in the quest for possible indications of life.
The samples were gathered using SAM, which stands for Sample Analysis at Mars – an instrument onboard the spacecraft.
NASA
The Curiosity Rover, which has been exploring the Gale Crater since 2012.
It features both a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer, enabling it to analyze and pinpoint molecules within samples.
The analysis showed that the gathered mudstone includes organic compounds such as decane, undercane, and dodecane.
The absence of geological activity along with Mars’ frigid and dry environment has aided in maintaining this precious organic material over the last 3.7 billion years.
The experts stated that this artifact originates from the era when life first appeared on our planet.
Although fatty acids are a crucial part of living cells on our planet, these compounds can also originate from abiotic sources—processes driven by non-biological factors—as they further explained.
In the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the research team reported that their achievements open up new possibilities for upcoming missions aimed at discovering evidence of intricate, life-related chemical processes.
‘They noted that organic molecules preserved in old Martian rocks offer crucial evidence for the Red Planet’s potential to support life in the past and might serve as indicators of biological activity.’
The origin of the long-chain alkanes is still unclear; nonetheless, lab tests suggest they come from the saturated version of straight-chain, primary carboxylic acids—also known as fatty acids.
Even though these acids can be formed through non-biological processes, they are regarded as common outcomes of biochemical reactions—both earthly and possibly Martian.
‘Hence, the origin and spread of these molecules are highly relevant to the quest for possible biosignatures on Mars.’
Exploring more lifelike chemistry on Mars will be among the objectives of the European Space Agency’s forthcoming ExoMars mission, scheduled for launch in 2028.
The researchers behind this project will develop an apparatus akin to SAM for Dragonfly—the drone scheduled to investigate Titan’s surface, which is Saturn’s biggest moon, starting in 2034.
A recent study suggested that Mars previously had sun-drenched, sandy shores with tranquil, wave-lapped waters.
Scientists found indications of a ‘getaway-like’ setting on the Red Planet, even though no evident liquid exists on Mars’ surface nowadays.
A global group of researchers leveraged information gathered by China’s Zhurong Mars rover to uncover concealed strata beneath the Martian terrain, providing robust evidence for the existence of a vast prehistoric ocean in what is now the planet’s north.
The latest study provides the most compelling proof to date that the planet previously had a substantial amount of water and a more hospitable setting for life, according to the scientists involved.
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