For decades, scientists have scoured Mars for even the faintest trace of life—and now, an intriguing, speckled rock may have delivered the most compelling clue yet. A freshly analyzed sample collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover reveals unusual markings and minerals that could point to ancient microbes once thriving on the Red Planet.

In July 2024, NASA’s Perseverance rover extracted a rock core from the edge of Neretva Vallis, a river valley cut into the Martian surface by water rushing into the Jezero Crater billions of years ago. This mysterious rock caught the attention of scientists on Earth, as its features may reveal clues about possible ancient life on the Red Planet.

Since landing on Mars in February 2021, the Perseverance rover has been on a quest to explore the Jezero Crater, a site believed to have once contained water. The rover has successfully collected 30 samples to date,