What is the proof that life exists on Mars?

Answer 1

There is no proof life ever existed on mars.

There is evidence of microfossils from martian meteorites. The mariner lander dug up no evidence of life.

We are launching another martian lander in August, 2007, to conduct further experiments. It may find good evidence.

Answer 2

IF life existed on Mars, the proof would be finding a living thing on Mars.

Answer 3

There is evidence that life COULD HAVE existed. Some frozen lakes have been detected, there's evidence gathered by the 2001 Mars Oddysey supporting the existence of ground water, and there is also the matter of the thousands of "blueberries" -- hematite balls that litter the surface. (Hematite usually forms in the presence of water.)

Because of water's importance in sustaining life (its abilities as a solvent and its water tension, particularly), these findings support the idea that there could have been life on Mars in the distant past. However, there are things going against this conclusion that cannot be ignored. Mars has only about a tenth of Earth's mass. It does not have the gravitational pull to prevent the solar wind from ripping away much of its atmosphere. And what atmosphere it does have does not get the benefit of some recycling, like ours does. Here on Earth, activity in the mantle helps cycle the atmosphere, but on Mars the plate tectonics are largely dead.

However, even on Earth there are cyanobacteria that will thrive in extreme conditions, so it is possible that similar life could have lived on Mars. Researchers at Glasgow University have pinpointed a rock formation in a crater on Mars’s Sabea Terra region. To them, it looks like this rock formation COULD BE a fossilized stromatolite structure. Stromatolites on Earth are mounds left over from colonies of cyanobacteria. But it could also just be a natural deposit that resembles a stromatolite -- we also get those on Earth.

So it could have existed -- but maybe not. As to whether it still exists today...well...I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Answer 4

There is none. We have yet to find any life on Mars. That doesn't stop people from constantly speculating that there used to be life or that there is life now and we have just not found it yet.

Answer 5

I'm not sure if there's proof that life exists, but there is that life existed because they found dried up river beds. If there was water, it proves that there was life. At least life as we know it.

Answer 6

Then Mars will be quarantined to protect it from Earth bacteria and viruses. Ironic...

Answer 7

There is none yet but the possibility that water is there increases the chance.