Perseverance found the minerals in an ancient river channel, but researchers say geology may still beat biology

A team of scientists in the US have discovered nickel compounds in Martian rocks, in an arrangement similar to organic carbon compounds understood to be formed by living organisms on Earth.

The researchers stress that there may be other explanations for the finding. The group led by Purdue University's Henry Manelski used data from NASA's Perseverance rover collected in 2024 when it explored Neretva Vallis, an ancient river channel that once transported water into Jezero crater.

Using the space robot's infrared and X-ray spectrometers to examine 3-billion-year-old sedimentary rocks and rock surfaces, the researchers found nickel in some samples at concentrations up to 1.1 percent, the highest yet detected in Martian bedrock.

The reason for the interest in this particular metal element is its relationship to the creation of organic compounds on Earth, where research has suggested that iron sulfides in sedimentary rocks could be made ...