One question has bothered people on earth, and that is whether there is life on Mars now or billions of years before. In the face of that enquiry is a report that might have controversy, called "Mars: Algae, Lichens, Fossils, Minerals, Microbial Mats, and Stromatolites in Gale Crater." This claims to have beaten NASA to the gun, that there is indeed green algae on Mars.
Even though the red planet is smaller in diameter to earth (6,794 km), there is much territory to explore, and roam about to find if there is life on it.
The search was centered on the Gale Crater for signs and evidence that life existed on Mars, with a probability that the crater had moisture as an ancient Martian Lake.
A majority of scientists with those are NASA, speculate that the Gale Crater should have water, or it might be conducive to the existence and fossilized remains of many organisms on the planet's surface.
One way to find out whether this conclusion holds and provides evidence on the Martian planetary surface, more than 3,000 photos taken by NASA's rover Curiosity Gale Crater image bank was scrutinized by 14 specialists in several disciplines like astrobiology, astrophysics, biophysics, geobiology, microbiology, algae, lichens, fungi, and fossils. They arrive with an analysis that will be useful for scientists to further study.
According to this month's edition of the Journal of Astrobiology, the unusual collection of examiners presented their conclusions that may have bordered on the uncanny and bizarre about life on Mars.
Dr. Rudolf Schild, a Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist commented that the investigation and analysis of pictures were most surprising. Here is what the mixed team of specialists presented from the visual evidence.
An unexpected discovery in the Martian rocks were interesting, to say the least. Evidence of metazoan fossils and numerous specimens that looked similar to algae and lichens connected to mudstone was found unexpectedly.
These blue and green algae, also called cyanobacteria were close to what are calcium biosignatures and open-apertures which is same as oxygen-gas vents produced by cyanobacteria, whenever oxygen is respired, with the process of photosynthesis.
They found evidence of Calcium that makes up shell and bones in Earth which is oxygen made. Oxygen is for respiration for both humans and animals.
Finding this evidence on Mars implied that evolution is not limited to earth, and evolution on other planets is not a provocative idea.
Cyanobacteria whose other name is blue-green algae, produce oxygen into Mars atmosphere, with calcium made via mucous secretions.
Without calcium, there will be no way to cement stromatolites, microbial mats, ooids, and Nostoc balls, effectively.
All these details were outlined in the report that these Martian features were seen in the Gale Crater, an environment that could support and eco-system that is 3.7 billion years.
Gale Crater is located near the Martian equator that had a thriving habitat in large lake whereabouts is 3.7 billion years in the past, as Gale Lake.
Uncannily, above the Gale Crater are layers of clouds that are the same on earth have 100% water saturation.
During daytime, all the air temperature is 43 F, the joint 14-man group claims that Gale Crater might have some rains too. This help keeps the organism alive in mixed conditions.
Scientists suspect Gale Lake because it is like Lake Thetis of Western Australian which can support marine organism and signs of life on Mars.
Related article: Curiosity Rover Finds Possible Proof of Life in Mars
