• 
  READ MORE: Rover uncovers signs of ‘getaway-style’ beaches on Mars
  

Molecules of ‘unprecedented size’ organic nature have been found.
Mars
, providing more proof that life might have once been present on Mars.

Specialists discovered lengthy carbon chains with up to 12 linked atoms in pieces of Martian rocks that are billions of years old.

These carbon-based compounds – the most extensive ones detected up until now – might stem from fatty acids, which serve as foundational components for fats and oils and are produced on Earth 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 the ‘Sample Analysis at Mars’ (SAM), which is one of the instruments onboard.
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 the organic compounds decane, undercane, and dodecane.

The absence of geological activity along with Mars’ cold, dry environment has aided in preserving this crucial organic material over the last 3.7 billion years.

The experts stated that it thus originates from the time when life first appeared on our planet.

Although fatty acids are a crucial part of living cell structures on our planet, these compounds can also originate from non-biological – specifically physical – processes, they noted.

In the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the research team stated that their achievement opens up new possibilities for upcoming missions aimed at discovering indications of intricate, life-like chemical processes.

‘They noted that organic molecules retained within old Martian rocks offer essential 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 [fatty acids].

‘Athough non-biological processes can create these acids, they are seen as common outcomes of biochemical reactions—both earthly and possibly Martian.’

‘Hence, the origin and spread of these molecules are of great interest in the quest for possible biosignatures on Mars.’

Exploring more lifelike chemical processes on Mars will be among the objectives of the European Space Agency’s forthcoming ExoMars mission, scheduled for launch in 2028.

The group behind this research will develop an apparatus akin to SAM for Dragonfly—the unmanned aerial vehicle scheduled to investigate Titan’s surface, Saturn’s biggest moon, starting in 2034.

A different research study has recently determined that Mars previously had sunny shores with tranquil, rippling waters.

Scientists found signs of a ‘getaway-like’ setting on the Red Planet, even though no obvious liquid exists on Mars’s 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 strong indications of a long-vanished ancient sea in what is now the planet’s north.

The latest study provides the strongest proof so far that the planet previously had a substantial amount of water and conditions more conducive to supporting life, according to the researchers.

Read more