Possible Traces of Ancient Life Found on Mars

A sample from the bed of a dried-up river in Jezero Crater, collected by the Perseverance rover, showed potential biosignatures — substances that could be products of microbial metabolism.

Reactions with iron, phosphorus, sulfur, and organics were found in clay and silt. Such a combination often indicates microbial activity.

But: similar minerals can form without life — but on Earth, that requires acidic environments and high temperatures, and such conditions were not found in the samples on Mars.