The use of mineral crystals as bio-markers in the search for life on Mars

Abstract

Photographs that depict presumed fluvial features on the martian surface have led geologists to hypothesize that water flowed across the early martian terrain. From this, it has been further hypothesized that the surface and atmospheric conditions on early Mars were similar to those on early Earth. Because the oldest fossil evidence of life on Earth dates back to this early period, at least 3.5 billion years ago /1/, the possibility exists that the early Martian environment could have also been conducive to the origin of life. To investigate this possibility, universal signatures or bio-markers indicative of past (or present) biological activity must be identified for use in the search for life on Mars. Several potentially applicable biomarkers have been identified and include: organics (e.g., specific classes of lipids and hopanes), suites of specific inorganic and organic compounds, as well as the isotopic ratios of C, N, and S /2/. Unfortunately, all of these biomarkers may be biologic or abiotic origin; these origins are often difficult to distinguish. Thus, the discovery of any one of these compounds alone is not a bio-marker. Because minerals produced under biologic control have distinctive crystallographies, morphologies, and isotopic ratios that are distinguishable from abiotically produced minerals with the same chemical composition, and are stable through geologic time, we propose the use of minerals resulting from biologically controlled mineralization processes as bio-markers.