Methane in Mars Meteorites Suggests Possibility of Life

Methane in Mars Meteorites Suggests Possibility of Life

Methane, a potential sign of primitive life, has been found in meteorites from Mars, adding weight to the idea that life could live off methane on the Red Planet, researchers say.

This discovery is not evidence that life exists, or has ever existed, on Mars, the researchers cautioned. Still, methane "is an ingredient that could potentially support microbial activity in the Red Planet," study lead author Nigel Blamey, a geochemist at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, told Space.com.

To be clear, they are not saying the methane is necessarily caused by life processes, but rather more likely through geologic processes. However, they are saying that this methane could possibly be an energy source that could help support underground microbial life on Mars.

This may help answer the question "If there is underground microbial life on Mars, what is there for them to eat?"

a reply to: soylent green is people

hmmm could a potential extremophile live on the surface? , may it also be potentially possible to pass methane after eating too many rocks?

pardon me ,,,,..



night time cycles it into hibernation, come sun rise it feeds...

funbox

a reply to: soylent green is people

Researchers have discovered a possible new species of bacteria that survives by producing and 'breathing' its own oxygen. The finding suggests that some microbes could have thrived without oxygen-producing plants on the early Earth and on other planets by using their own oxygen to garner energy from methane

If it's bacterial lifeforms that have the same profile like those methane eating bacteria those researchers talk about then
maybe thats why Mars has this small amount of oxygen ?

a reply to: soylent green is people

It is the methane on Mars that destroyed life there as it is destroying life here on Earth as we speak. On Mars, the planet experienced global warming in an ancient time, the methane released and the planet burned. Our planet is now experiencing global warming, the methane is releasing beyond the tipping point....

a reply to: soylent green is people

Interesting. I'm relatively certain that there was some type of life on Mars at some point. Hopefully they find some proof soon, no matter how diminutive that life may be.

a reply to: soylent green is people

sure farting cows on mars! bridge in brooklyn for sale, again!

This is another roll of the dice coming up a "7" indicating that some form of life may have emerged and evolved on Mars. Roll 'em again, all in.

I wonder how far we can stretch this "suggests possibility of life" tagline. Methane has some relation to life, but it could equally be absolutely unconnected with life.

One could say that the existence of a planet, by itself, suggests possibility of life.

originally posted by: wildespace
I wonder how far we can stretch this "suggests possibility of life" tagline. Methane has some relation to life, but it could equally be absolutely unconnected with life.

One could say that the existence of a planet, by itself, suggests possibility of life.

In this case, the methane is only being discussed as a possible food/energy source for microbes that may be living beneath the surface. The availability of food sources is a consideration when discussing the possibilities of life.

Some people may ask "If there are microbes living under the surface of Mars, what kind of food sources could they possibly have?" This research attempts to give one possible answer: i.e., Mars crust rocks may be relatively rich in methane, which could be used as food energy by Martian microbes.

a reply to: soylent green is people

i wonder if these potential microbes have been sitting there in gradually declining environmental circumstances without adhering to the theory of evolution for *billions of years*.. the begginings of a food chain perhaps ?

funbox

what i don't understand is why every one needs so much convincing .
wile methane can be a sign of life there is on better thing that shows not only a sing on life but that life MUST still excise on mars .
Oxygen Its well known oxygen combines with darn near everything iron hydrogen carbon the list is endless.
In order for there to be free oxygen it must be broke back down from other molecules.
and wile i wont say it cant be done chemically there is very very little chemical reactions accruing on mars .
and mars does just have a small amount of oxygen . something has to be putting it back into the air .
By now millions of years later all free oxygen should be tied up in the iron alone (which is why mars is red to begin with its rusted lol .
to me the only evidence of life left we don't have from mars is a living cell . we send up stuff to dig in the dirt looking for water we have known all along is there and yet send nothing to the north and south poles were it gets GREEN in mars spring??

a reply to: soylent green is people

This may help answer the question "If there is underground microbial life on Mars, what is there for them to eat?"

Rust?