By CNRS April 6, 2025
Collected at: https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-just-found-3-7-billion-year-old-organic-chains-on-mars-that-may-point-to-life/
A stunning discovery on Mars has revealed the longest organic molecules ever found on the planet—carbon chains that could resemble building blocks of life as we know it.
Preserved for billions of years in ancient Martian clay, these molecules were uncovered by NASA’s Curiosity rover and could point to a more chemically complex past on the Red Planet.
Longest Organic Molecules Found on Mars
Scientists from CNRS,[1] along with collaborators in France, the United States, Mexico, and Spain, have detected the longest organic molecules ever identified on Mars. These molecules, carbon chains with up to 12 consecutive carbon atoms, resemble fatty acids, which on Earth are often associated with biological processes.[2]
Ancient Martian Clues to Possible Life
Thanks to Mars’ stable geology and cold, dry climate, this organic matter has been preserved in a clay-rich sample for approximately 3.7 billion years, dating back to the era when life first appeared on Earth. The findings were published on March 24, 2025, in the journal PNAS.
How Curiosity Rover Made the Discovery
The discovery was made using the SAM[3] (Sample Analysis at Mars) instrument, co-funded by the French space agency CNES.[4] SAM is part of NASA’s Curiosity rover, which has been exploring Gale Crater since 2012. This breakthrough highlights the potential for future missions to uncover complex, life-like chemistry beyond Earth.
Looking Ahead: Missions to Titan and Beyond
Such missions include ESA’s ExoMars rover, set to launch in 2028, and the joint NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return mission planned for the 2030s. Looking even further, the same international team is developing a SAM-like instrument for Dragonfly, a drone that will explore Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, starting in 2034.
Explore Further: Life on Mars? NASA’s Curiosity Rover Finds Prebiotic Clues in a 3.7-Billion-Year-Old Rock
Notes
- From the Atmosphères et observations spatiales laboratory (CNRS/Sorbonne Université/Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines/Université Paris Saclay).
- They’re present within animals fats, as well as vegetable fats and oils.
- Built by a French-American team of scientists, Sample Analysis at Mars is a small laboratory within Curiosity. Its gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer allow it to identify molecules in collected samples.
- Centre national d’études spatiales – National Centre for Space Studies.
Reference: “Long-chain alkanes preserved in a Martian mudstone” by Caroline Freissinet, Daniel P. Glavin, P. Douglas Archer, Samuel Teinturier, Arnaud Buch, Cyril Szopa, James M. T. Lewis, Amy J. Williams, Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez, Jason P. Dworkin, Heather. B. Franz, Maëva Millan, Jennifer L. Eigenbrode, R. E. Summons, Christopher H. House, Ross H. Williams, Andrew Steele, Ophélie McIntosh, Felipe Gómez, Benito Prats, Charles A. Malespin and Paul R. Mahaffy, 24 March 2025, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2420580122
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