Volume 28: Evidence for Life on Mars





Experts in fungi, have identified "mushrooms" and "basidiomycota" (puffballs) growing on the surface of Mars.



Commentary We are asking you to write a scholarly, scientific, speculative, theoretical 2,500 word report (4 to 5 double spaced pages) about your impressions, pro or con.

Are fungi living on Mars? How do they survive? Is there evidence of biodeterioration of the Rover wheels? Where did these fungi come from? Sterilization failure? How many different types of fungi can you identify? How do they differ? What do a they eat on Mars? Do they pose a danger to or could they be a food for astronauts? Would it be safe to bring samples to Earth? Speculate. Theorize. Review the literature (genetics, evolution, radiation, etc.)

The Evidence

(A) In May of 2016, it was reported that 40 biologists, identified by their universities as experts in fungi, formed a statistically significant consensus, that there is life on Mars, and identified specimens in six photographs and identified, by name, two distinct species of fungi which are growing on the Red Planet: mushrooms, Basidiomycota, puffballs (Joseph 2016; Dass, 2017).

(B) On May 1 of 2017, it was reported that 30 Geologists, identified by their universities as experts in geomorphology and mineralogy, formed a statistically significant consensus on 7 specimens, that there is life on Mars. Specifically, Dr. Y.A. (of UCLA) performed some of the initial analyses in May of 2016. Likewise, in May of 2016, Dr. Y.A. performed additional analyses, using the Fisher's Exact Test and emailed Dr. Joseph the results, which, became lost and embedded within 30+ other gmails with the same subject header. Dr. Joseph did not discover this "lost" email, until April 30, 2017.

(C) Martian atmospheric methane levels wax and wane, and photos from space show what appear to be huge black colonies growing larger on the surface of Mars, only to grow smaller months later (Joseph 2017).

(D) What appears to be black and white fungal colonies were identified growing in the Mars Rover wheel wells, and on the decks of the Rovers Curiosity and Opportunity (Joseph & Rabb, 2016; Joseph 2017; Dass, 2017). There is evidence of severe damage and bio-deterioration of the rovers aluminum wheels. What do you think?

(E) The Rovers were never sterilized, as over 500 colonies per square meter survived sterilization; and two of the surviving species can also survive in space. Could they have been transported to Mars?

References All the peer reviewed evidence is detailed in the following articles:

1. The High Probability of Life on Mars: A Brief Review of the Evidence"

2. Mars, Methane, Methanogenesis: Evidence of Life and Death on the Red Planet

3. Martians Attack, Damage Curiosity's Rover Wheels After Only 10 Miles

4. Origins of Life on Mars: NASA's Rovers Were Never Sterilized

5. Damage to the Mars Rover by Martian Fungi & Bacteria

6. A High Probability of Life on Mars





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Your Commentary/Article should be based primarily on your review of the "Photographic Evidence of Life on Mars" and which includes 30 photos taken of specimens on Mars and on the Rovers by NASA.

All reports will be peer reviewed and edited.

Once the reviews and revisions are complete, the report will be published online, open access, and free to the public.

Over 60,000 scientists a month read Cosmology.com.

Editors of Previous Editions have Included: Dr. Rudolf Schild of the Harvard-Smithsonian; Sir Roger Penrose of Oxford; Joel Levine of NASA.

We would like to receive your report/commentary by May 21, 2017. Please send as a PDF.





Over 60,000 Scientists Read Cosmology.com Each Month.





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"Photographic Evidence of Life on Mars"

R. Gabriel Joseph

Cosmology.com





I(a). Forty Experts in Fungi Identify Six Martian Specimens, Five by Name: "Puffballs" "Basidiomycota" "Mushrooms"

In May of 2016, it was reported that 40 biologists, identified by their universities as experts in fungi, formed a statistically significant consensus, that there is life on Mars, and identified specimens in six photos, and identified by name, two distinct species of fungi which are growing on the Red Planet: mushrooms, Basidiomycota, puffballs.







Figure 1: Sol 182--Martian fungi sporing. A majority of Biologists report that these are are Martian specimens are living organisms, and are similar to "puffballs" "Basidiomycota" (Joseph 2016).







Figure 2: Sol 257--Martian fungi shedding out skins with white spores littering the Martian surface. A majority of Biologists report that these are Martian specimens are living organisms, and are similar to "puffballs" (Basidiomycota) (Joseph 2016).







Figure 3: Sol 88. A majority of Biologists and Geologists agree that these Martian mushrooms are living organisms (Joseph 2016).







Figure 4: Sol 1145-(left) and Sol 1148-(right). Dramatic growth of Martian fungi over just three Martian days. Could the rovers be stimulating the growth of Martian organisms? Photos taken three days apart showing Martian fungi growing out of the ground and sporing. A majority of Biologists and Geologists agree that these are Martian specimens are living organisms, and are similar to "puffballs" (Basidiomycota) (Joseph 2016).







Figure 5: Sol 37--A majority of Biologists and Geologists agree that these Martian mushrooms are living organisms; i.e. fungi (Joseph 2016).







Figure 6: Sol 1162--A majority of Biologists and Geologists agree that these Martian specimens are living organisms, fungi (Joseph 2016)





I(b). Thirty Experts in Geomorphology and Mineralogy Formed a Statistically Significant Consensus and Identify Seven Martian Specimens as Alive

The Following 2 photographs were ranked 6 and 7 by Geologists



Figure 30: A majority of Geologists agree that these Martian mushrooms are living organisms







Figure 6: Sol 1162--A majority of Geologists agree that these Martian specimens are living organisms.









***** II Fungi / Bacteria Growing on the Rover Decks



Figure 7: Mars Sol-51-(Before/Top) A portion of the Chem Cam deck of the Rover Curiosity. Photographed on Sol 51.(After/Below) Contamination of the Rover, Curiosity's Chem Cam deck, by Martian bacteria and Martian mold/fungi 1038 Martian days later (Sol 1089).







Figure 8: A portion of the Chem Cam deck of the Rover Curiosity by Martian bacteria and Martian mold/fungi (Sol 1089).







Figure 9: Mars Sol 840-Contamination of the Rover, Curiosity's Chem Cam deck, by Martian bacteria and Martian mold/fungi.







Figure 10: Mars Sol 1374--Contamination and bio-deterioration of the Rover, Curiosity's Chem Cam deck, by Martian bacteria and Martian mold/fungi.







Figure 11: Mars Sol 2813--Close up: contamination of the Rover, Opportunity, by Martian bacteria and mold/fungi.







Figure 12: Mars Sol 2813--Contamination of the Rover, Opportunity, by Martian bacteria and mold/fungi.







Figure 13: Mars Sol 2718 (left) vs Sol 2813 (right)--Growth of bacteria and fungi on the Rover, Opportunity, after 95 (Martian) days on Mars--











Figure 14: Fungal/Bacterial contamination of the interior of the rover Curiosity's chem cam deck.





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III. Fungi and Corrosion of the Rover Wheels After Just 10 Miles While Sitting Mostly Idle For Five Years

The solid aluminum rover wheels were tested under brutal conditions, here on Earth, which has nearly three times (62%) more gravity than Mars, which means there was nearly three times as much pressure against these wheels when tested on Earth. It was established that these metal tires could easily survive destructive touchdown scenarios as well as extensive driving over rough terrain consisting of hard pointed and spiked-shaped rocks, and suffering only scratches on the surface.



When these solid aluminum wheels began falling apart after driving only few miles on Mars and although primarily sitting idle, NASA at first expressed shock and puzzlement (David 2015; Lakdawalla, 2014): "When we saw these images, we saw a lot of holes. This did not match anything we had seen in our tests. We didn't know what was causing the damage"--and this was the official response as mouthed by Matt Heverly who is responsible for "driving" the rover; and Jim Erickson and Ashwin Vasavada, the rover project managers.

Nevertheless, and after just a few months on Mars and before they had even driven 3 miles, the wheels became brittle, developed tears, then rips, and small holes which became gaping holes surrounded by thick white elongated clumps and huge colonies of what appears to be anaerobic Martian fungi and bacteria. After sitting mostly idle for 5 years and driving only 10 miles the wheels are now severely damaged.







Figure 15. Biological corrosion of Rover Curiosity Wheels



Figure 16. Fungi/bacteria: Biological corrosion of Rover Curiosity Wheels



Figure 17. Fungi/bacteria: Biological corrosion of Rover Curiosity Wheels



Figure 18: White fungal contamination and severe bio-deterioration and damage to the Rover Curiosity's Aluminum wheels despite having been driven less than 10 miles across the surface of the red planet and mostly sitting idle for five years.



Figure 19:



Figure 20: White ice-fungi-bacteria surrounding a huge hole with a metal flap protruding within the interior of the wheel well; and more holes, tears as well as mud and specks of white material on the exterior of the wheel



Figure 21:







Figure 22: Small tears, holes and mud on the outside of the wheel well, and within the interior, white substances which are either ice or fungi. On Earth, a single handful of mud may contain over 10,000 organisms and billions of bacteria and viruses which accompany bacteria on a ratio of 10 to 100 per bacterial cell.







Figure 23: Sol 1162--Fungi growing within the shelter of the rover chem cam deck (Left); fungi growing in the shelter of a Martian rock (Joseph 2017)



Figure 24: Colonies and clumps of Martian fungi and bacteria within the rover Curiosity's wheel wells.





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IV. Fungi Contaminate the Space Stations







Figure 1: Fungi/bacteria and microbiological damage to aluminum in the Space Station. Note the many holes



Figure 2: Fungi and microbiological damage to a fire suppression gauge in the Space Station:



Figure 3: Fungi and microbiological damage in the Space Station:



Figure 4: Fungi/bacteria and microbiological damage to the Space Station.





***** V. Waxing and Waning of Martian Fungi and Martian Methane

On Earth, methane is primarily produced via microbial methanogenesis; a form of anaerobic respiration. Mars has negligible levels of free oxygen; and on Earth, oxygen inhibits the growth of methanogens whereas carbon dioxide stimulates methane production. Therefore, Mars is an ideal habitat for the growth of methanogens as the the atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide (Mahaffy, et al. 2013), and the electron acceptor in methanogenesis is carbon and carbon dioxide.

It is well established that methane levels in the Martian atmosphere varies over time and is punctuated by transient and major spikes in concentration, followed by declines; only to increase again. The evidence for the waxing and waning of methane levels is as follows: In July of 2013, NASA reported "an upper limit of 2.7 parts per billion of methane" in the general vicinity of the Gale Crater. Subsequently, on September of 2013, NASA reported that methane levels had significantly declined and fluctuated between a value of 0.18 ppbv to 1.3 ppbv (Webster et al. 2013). On December 16, 2014, NASA reported a "tenfold spike" in levels of methane in the Martian atmosphere with increases in late 2013 and early 2014, averaging "7 parts of methane per billion in the atmosphere" (Webster et al. 2014).

Vast fields of what appears to be fungi, and/or fungi and bacteria and vast forests and trees of fungal mycelia, have been photographed on Mars from space (Figures 1-8. 10). Moreover, these forests and trees wax and wane in size, growing quite large only to nearly disappear. Hence, the fact that methane continues to be detected and levels continue to wax and wane, indicates a probable biological source which may correspond with the waxing, waning, and death and decomposition of what appears to be black-forests of fungi and bacteria that have been observed on Mars, from space.





Figure 1: Mars Gusev Crater (ESA): Growth of what may be fungi and sulfide-reducing bacteria.









Figure 2: Mars ESP_007962_2635: River beds and bacterial/fungal growth.









Figure 3: Mars ESP_033698_2605: Waning of bacterial/fungal growth.









Figure 4: Mars: bacterial/fungal growth









Figure 5: Mars: bacterial/fungal growth









Figure 6: Mars: bacterial/fungal growth?









Figure 7: Mars: Waning of bacterial/fungal growth?









Figure 8: Mars: bacterial/fungal growth?









Figure 10: Mars Gusev Crater (ESA): Growth of what may be fungi and sulfide-reducing bacteria









Figure 11. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Super colonies of fungi, methanogens? NASA claims this image depicts "radial channels branching out from a central depression [which] are formed when the seasonal layer of dry ice turns to gas in the spring and erodes the surface." NASA is only guessing.















