Article content

Scientists believe they may have found the ‘strongest evidence yet’ that Mars may have supported life, but it’s unlikely in the form most people would recognize.

New research published today in the journal Nature Geoscience suggests a team of scientists could have discovered the ingredients of life in a huge crater up to 5km below the planet’s surface.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Mars scientists find 'strongest evidence yet' that planet may have supported life Back to video

The McLaughlin crater, which was made by a meteorite which smashed into Mars, is described as an area of interest for the team, led by London’s Natural History Museum and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

The impact of the meteorite forced up rocks from kilometres below the surface around the crater – one of the deepest on Mars – which scientists believe are made of clays and minerals that have been altered by water – a key ingredient for life.

The research suggest those deposits formed as a result of groundwater upwelling on Mars and could preserve critical evidence of a deep biosphere on Mars. The scientists say their findings could confirm theories that tiny organisms could have existed under the surface of the Red Planet.