Do Mars Organics Prove Life on Mars? No, Mars organics do not by themselves prove life on Mars. Mars organics are carbon‑containing molecules that can be produced by biology or by nonbiological chemistry. A recent study of Curiosity rover samples from Gale Crater, published in Astrobiology, argues that known nonbiological sources fall short of explaining certain ancient alkanes, which keeps a biological origin possible but unproven (

Finding organics on Mars doesn’t equal finding life. Here’s what those molecules can and can’t tell us—and how rovers are testing them. What do you think matters most as we hunt for biosignatures? #AbioticSynthesis #CuriosityRover #GaleCrater #MarsOrganics #PerseveranceRover