‘Signs of life’ in Mars rock

POSSIBLE signs of alien life have been found in a second Martian meteorite.

Scientists have discovered tiny tunnels in the rock that may have been bored by micro-organisms on Mars.

But researchers are being cautious after the embarrassment over another Martian meteorite once alleged to contain signs of life.

Ten years ago, scientists from Nasa said they found small rod-like structures in the meteorite, believed to be fossil bacteria. The announcement was made in the journal Science. But after numerous tests, experts now believe there is no evidence of life in the 1.9-kilogram rock, ALH 84001.

The new meteorite, called Nakhla, fell to Earth on June 28, 1911, exploding into fragments over Egypt.

The pieces, one of which reportedly killed a dog, together weigh about 10kg.

Nakhla was one of the first meteorites confirmed to have come from Mars by its chemical composition.

The meteorite is estimated to be 1.3 billion years old and shows signs of being altered by water once thought to have flowed on Mars. It spent 11 million years drifting through space before entering Earth’s atmosphere.

Scientists are now quietly taking seriously the possibility Nakhla contains signs of Martian life, according to a US biology professor writing in the New Scientist.

Professor Peter Ward of University of Washington wrote: “Those involved have been careful not to get carried away by this new evidence.”