Overview
- NASA said Curiosity’s lab identified 21 carbon-bearing molecules in a drilled rock, with seven detected on Mars for the first time.
- One discovery was a nitrogen heterocycle, a ring-shaped molecule considered a precursor to the genetic polymers RNA and DNA.
- The sample came from a clay-rich Mount Sharp rock nicknamed Mary Anning 3, where past water activity helped minerals lock in organics.
- Researchers report the organic matter may have been preserved for more than 3.4 billion years, indicating long-term protection in those sediments.
- Scientists cannot yet tell if the molecules formed by biology, Martian geology, or meteorite delivery, and say further targeted tests and returned samples are needed to determine their origin.