Likelihood of confirming past life on Mars

In summary, confirming the existence of past microbial life on Mars would require conclusive evidence such as indisputable fossils or hydrocarbon-rich deposits. The current mission on Mars is primarily focused on geological features, but future missions may have more advanced capabilities for detecting chemical signatures of life. However, our limited knowledge of exobiology makes it difficult to determine if Martian life would be significantly different from terrestrial life. The presence of non-sterile NASA rovers on Mars also poses a challenge for identifying potential Martian life, as it would be difficult to determine if any evidence found is not from Earth. Human explorers would likely have better equipment for testing samples and could potentially return them to Earth for further investigation.
  • #1
dilletante
98
4
If there was microbial life on Mars in the distant past, would there be any way to conclusively confirm it? Or would any such attempt be reduced to speculation, like the Martian meteor which "possibly" contained evidence?
 
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  • #2
We can conclusively show that microbial life has existed on Earth about 3 billion years ago (paper). Therefore: yes, it has to be possible.
 
  • #3
I believe the rover planned as a followup to 'Curiosity' will have some experiments aboard which would be more capable of detecting chemical signatures of life, Including biological activity in the past.
The current mission is primarily looking at geological features, which is a good place to start for getting an overall picture of the planet's history.
Absolutely conclusive evidence of life is going to require something like an indisputable fossil of some sort, or at least a hydrocarbon rich deposit.
It may be that we will have to wait for the rovers and orbiters to gather sufficient clues for an ideal site that future human explorers can investigate, and these would surely include experts in biology and related sciences.
 
  • #4
If martian life was significantly different from terrestrial life, it could be difficult to deduce it was living. Our knowledge of exobiology is extremely limited [as in nonexistent] at present. Knowledge in any new field of science is only reliable after extensive and intensive scrutiny. The truth is only that which remains after all reasonable alternatives have been eliminated.
 
  • #5
The NASA rovers are not sterile - which also means they stay away from the most likely places to find life today. That makes every possible discovery of cell-like structures and chemical evidence problematic, as we would need additional evidence that it does not come from Earth.
 
  • #6
Which when considered this leads to an even more difficult problem.
While robots can in principle be sterilized, human explorers can't be.
 
  • #7
Human explorers would probably use better equipment to test the samples, and return some of them to Earth for an even more thorough investigation.
 

Related to Likelihood of confirming past life on Mars

1. What evidence supports the existence of past life on Mars?

There are several pieces of evidence that suggest the possibility of past life on Mars, including the presence of organic molecules, the presence of water, and geological features that resemble those formed by microbial life on Earth.

2. How likely is it that we will find evidence of past life on Mars?

The likelihood of confirming past life on Mars is difficult to determine, as it depends on several factors such as the type of life that may have existed on Mars and the condition of any potential fossils or remnants of past life. However, recent discoveries have increased the likelihood of finding evidence of past life on Mars.

3. What methods are being used to search for past life on Mars?

Scientists are using a variety of methods to search for evidence of past life on Mars, including rover missions that analyze the Martian surface, studying meteorites that originated from Mars, and analyzing data collected from orbiters that study the planet's geology and atmosphere.

4. Can we determine the specific species of past life on Mars?

It is highly unlikely that we will be able to determine the specific species of past life on Mars, as any potential fossils or remnants would likely be degraded over time. However, we may be able to determine the general types of life that may have existed on the planet.

5. What impact would the confirmation of past life on Mars have on our understanding of the universe?

The confirmation of past life on Mars would have a significant impact on our understanding of the universe, as it would suggest that life may be more common in the universe than previously thought. It would also provide insights into the origins and evolution of life, as well as the potential for habitable environments on other planets.

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