Nasa rover discovers largest organic compounds yet found on Mars
Curiosity rover detected the largest organic compounds ever seen on Mars in a 3.7 billion-year-old rock sample from Yellowknife Bay, an ancient Martian lakebed.
The compounds, long-chain alkanes, were found in the rock and are organic molecules thought to be remnants of fatty acids, crucial constituents of cell membranes in all living organisms on Earth.
While the discovery does not provide definitive evidence of past life on Mars, it represents the best chance scientists have had to identify remains of life on the red planet.