NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered a potentially crucial clue on Mars that might indicate ancient life.

On July 18, the rover found a vein-filled red rock with leopard-like spots, which could suggest past microbial activity due to ancient chemical reactions.

David Flannery, a member of the Perseverance science team, noted that similar features on Earth are often linked to fossilized microbes.

Although the rock’s origin and its implications for past life on Mars are still under investigation, this sample is highly anticipated, CNN has reported.

Briony Horgan from Purdue University emphasized that this rock could be key to understanding Mars’ habitability and is exactly what the Mars 2020 mission aimed to find.

The sample will be analyzed further on Earth.

Written by B.C. Begley