NASA’s Perseverance rover has identified complex organic molecules in two areas of ancient shale rock formations at the bottom of Jezero Crater. The findings of the study were published in the journal Science Advances, as reported by TASS.
“Our analysis of hundreds of samples collected from two shale deposits at the bottom of what is believed to be an ancient Martian river confirmed the widespread presence of complex organic matter within them. At this point, we cannot determine with certainty whether it originated through abiotic or biotic processes, yet its presence even in exposed rock suggests that complex organic molecules can endure on Mars for extended periods,” the scientists stated.
The research was carried out in the western sector of Jezero Crater—the Neretva region—where a prehistoric lake and river delta existed billions of years ago. Using the SHERLOC spectrometer, the researchers examined hundreds of spots on the rock surfaces and detected complex organic compounds, large carbon-based macromolecules, as well as organic matter both in well-preserved layers and in rocks that had been subjected to open environmental conditions for a long time.
For now, the researchers are unable to ascertain the origin of the detected organic material. It could have emerged from non-biological chemical reactions or may be linked to ancient life.
What makes this particularly intriguing is that earlier in 2025, Perseverance had already uncovered unusual minerals and potential organic biosignatures in this same area, prompting a more thorough investigation.
The new findings also align with data from the Curiosity rover, which previously identified organic substances in a different region of Mars over 3,000 kilometers away from Jezero Crater.
According to the scientists, this indicates that complex organic matter may have been extensively distributed across the Red Planet, suggesting that traces of any potential ancient life, if it existed, could have survived to the present day.
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