NASA’s Perseverance rover has uncovered complex organic carbon in Martian rocks, giving scientists another clue in the search for evidence of ancient life on Mars. Researchers identified large carbon-bearing molecules inside two mudstone samples collected in Jezero Crater, an area believed to have hosted a lake billions of years ago.

The findings rank among the strongest detections of organic material yet reported from the crater, a site NASA selected because it could preserve signs of past habitability. Scientists caution that the discovery does not prove life once existed on Mars. However, the presence of complex carbon compounds in ancient sediments strengthens the case for further investigation.

Carbon-rich Martian rocks

A research team led by Ashley Murphy of the Planetary Science Institute analyzed data from Perseverance’s SHERLOC instrument, which uses laser spectroscopy to identify chemicals and minerals in rocks. The instrument mapped organic material across the mudstones and revealed hundreds of carbon-rich signatures.

According to the study, the detections represent the most robust evidence of organic material found in Jezero Crater so far. Speaking to Space.com, Murphy said scientists are particularly interested in macromolecular carbon because similar compounds on Earth often appear in extremely old rocks and can preserve traces of ancient microbial activity. She added that researchers expect to find comparable organic compounds in ancient Martian rocks if early Mars shared environmental conditions with early Earth.

Detecting those compounds helps scientists determine whether the ingredients and conditions necessary for life ever existed beyond our planet. The team found the carbon-bearing material in mudstones located within Bright Angel, a rocky region connected to Neretva Vallis, an ancient river channel that once carried water into Jezero Crater.

Link to earlier discovery

The new findings come less than a year after Perseverance examined a rock called Cheyava Falls, which scientists described as one of the most intriguing samples collected on Mars. Researchers identified unusual markings inside the sedimentary rock, often referred to as “leopard spots.” Several geological processes can create such features.

Some require extreme heat or highly acidic conditions. Scientists do not believe those environments existed where the rock formed. The markings can also result from biological activity, making the sample a compelling target for further study.

Although researchers have not determined their origin, many consider Cheyava Falls one of the strongest potential biosignature candidates discovered on Mars. Finding abundant organic carbon in nearby rocks adds another layer of evidence to an already scientifically rich location.

Clues beyond Jezero

The discovery may also point to a broader distribution of organic material across ancient Mars. According to the researchers, Perseverance recorded the first detection of macromolecular carbon on a natural Martian rock surface. The finding also marks the first identification of this type of carbon in Martian mudstones outside Gale Crater, where NASA’s Curiosity rover continues to explore.

Kyle Uckert, SHERLOC’s deputy principal investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, mentioned that the discovery suggests organic compounds may have been widespread across Mars billions of years ago. Scientists ultimately hope to bring Martian samples back to Earth for detailed laboratory analysis.

Those investigations could reveal whether the newly discovered carbon formed through ordinary geological processes or whether it preserves evidence of a more intriguing chapter in Mars’ history.

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