Searching for fossil microbial biofilms on Mars: a case study using a 3.46 billion-year old example from the Pilbara in Australia

Details Searching for fossil microbial biofilms on Mars: a case study using a 3.46 billion-year old example from the Pilbara in Australia Searching for fossil microbial biofilms on Mars: a case study using a 3.46 billion-year old example from the Pilbara in Australia

Mar 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004esasp.545...37w&link_type=abstract

In: Proceedings of the Third European Workshop on Exo-Astrobiology, 18 - 20 November 2003, Madrid, Spain. Ed.: R. A. Harris & L.

Biology

Earth: Astrobiology

Scientific paper

With the immanent arrival of three Mars landers, one of which (Beagle 2) is dedicated to the search for life on Mars, analogue studies that are of general relevance to the search for past life on Mars are timely. We are using a 3.46 Ga, fossiliferous, sedimentary rock as a reference sample. The rock consists of laminated sediments, whose components were derived from volcanic rocks (volcaniclastic) that were deposited in a shallow water basin. Microbial mats occur at the surfaces of the sediments. This rock formed in an environment and from materials that would have existed on early Mars. Preliminary observation with the Beagle 2 camera shows that it should be possible to identify sedimentary structures, such as ripple marks and laminations, in fine detail. A 2 mm high ministromatolite/thrombolite layer was also readily visible. Further analysis using the microscope and the spectrometers would provide additional information that would lead to the choice of suitable samples, such as the ministromatolite/thrombolite layer, for chemical study with the gas analysis package. In this way details concerning the nature (and biogenicity) of the carbonaceous matter.

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