Skeleton on Mars?

While browsing the NASA pics taken by the rover Spirit on Mars I came across this one:

marsrovers.nasa.gov...

The picture is from Sol 592, taken by the rover's navigation camera. Let's focus on the bottom right of center:



I choose a feature that seems suspect out of the marked area so I blow up the picture to 300 dpi, rotate 90 degrees and stretch to compensate for the feature's angle towards the camera in order to create a mock overhead view of the feature:



I then go to image 2N178923428EFFAEDNP0630L0M1.jpg on jpl's website, same sol, it's basically the same image but taken from a slightly different position. I take the same feature, skew it slightly to match the first picture and superimpose it over it, this way i merge the different data on the two pictures and do away with some of the jpeg artifacts:



What we have bears a certain resemblance to a crushed skull with some very distinct features, here's an image with notes on where i see what:



The sharp looking teeth is one of the most interesting details. There also might be some object or a piece of stone over the upper left part of the skull or it might just be the crushed pieces jutting out in different angles.

Let's now go a little below, what we see bears a certain resemblance to the jumbled skeletal remains of a body, here's where i see what:





The bone of the right upper extremity is clear enough, the lower hollow feature of the right side of the pelvis can also be seen. A cluster of what seem to be ribs are resting on the pelvis. Two distinct elongated bones are sticking out from under the rest of the body.

If it is what it appears to be then we are looking at the skeleton of a small animal, in the approximate size of a small feline. The rover might be one of the reasons why its skull is crushed. This is pure speculation of course, this could just as well be your random pile of Martian rocks or dirt marks made by the rover while NASA's jpeg artifacts are definitely misleading when you get down to discerning details. The proximity however of what seems to be a skull to what seem to be bones is a bit suspect, no other features like these are recognizable in the area. Have a look and see whether you can enhance more the source images or find anything more.

Looks like a rock to my eyes.

Originally posted by Turiddu
Looks like a rock to my eyes.

+1 from me too. The only thing I can add is that the area you've identified as possibly being the pelvis kinda looks like a cartoony skull to me

Interesting... I'm not really sure there is a convincing case for a scull, but I don't think it looks much like a rock either. To me it looks a lot like mud with other objects in it. (Rocks, ice) The tracks also looks like they are made in mud.
Now mud on Mars would be a pretty big deal, of course, since it's supposedly way too cold, but there are a lot of images that that seem to show it.

I believe we can rightly deny the ignorance of this thread with the term Pareidolia I am so sick of typing that, I have it copied to notepad because there are so many useless threads like this that keep getting posted.


People see what they want to see, plain and simple. I swear, we need to have a separate forum for those that see things in clouds and rocks.

Originally posted by IgnoreTheFacts
I believe we can rightly deny the ignorance of this thread with the term Pareidolia I am so sick of typing that, I have it copied to notepad because there are so many useless threads like this that keep getting posted.


People see what they want to see, plain and simple. I swear, we need to have a separate forum for those that see things in clouds and rocks.

I have to admit I kind of share your sentiment on this. I like to give people a chance, but I see so many threads about images from mars or some people seeing ghostly faces or figures in photo's but I have yet to really see anything which is anymore substantial than seeing images in clouds. It just feels really like grasping at straws to me with these sorts of threads.

Also, look at it this way. I know there are people on either side of the fence when it comes to cover ups, especially with NASA, but if they were covering things up then don't you think they'd simply not publish images like this if there was something to it?

I know there's the possibility of them simply 'missing it', but I just find it hard to subscribe to the belief that they're capable and professional enough to successfully cover up all these things and at the same time be incompetent enough to let things like this slip through the net.

Equally, if they're not covering anything up then don't you think they'd investigate it further and release any findings if there wassomething to it?

So no, sorry, I know we're all looking for the next 'face on mars' or 'humanoid on mars', but in the end neither of those were able to convince anyone for long that they were more than just rocks and admittedly they were far more startling. Gonna need something a lot better I'm afraid.

I don't know about you guys, but I see Big Foot.

As here in Portugal is already 01:30 I will do some work on this in the morning.

For now I will just say that it looks like a common piece of Martian ground, nothing more.

I dunno about the skeleton pics... But damn, those rover tracks look like footprints!

Or am I just tired...?

I definately agree that it looks like nothing out of the ordinary - rock. But, I really can't say. Maybe it's some kind of martian skeleton. But more than likely it's just a rock.

Sorry. I am not seeing it. Let me get a bit more vodka from my personal pipeline and I'll get back to ya. Just kidding. Nice stab anyway.

rocks are rocks period