Overview

• Peer‑reviewed results in Nature describe organic carbon alongside vivianite and greigite arranged in distinctive textures that on Earth often reflect microbially driven reactions.
• Scientists emphasize that abiotic processes could produce similar minerals and patterns, and rover measurements alone cannot confirm a biological origin.
• The core, dubbed Sapphire Canyon, was drilled in July 2024 from the Cheyava Falls outcrop within the Bright Angel formation at the edge of Neretva Vallis, a relatively younger unit that may point to later‑than‑expected habitable conditions.
• Perseverance identified the features with instruments including SHERLOC and PIXL and has now tallied 30 cached samples, with Sapphire Canyon being the 25th collected and six tubes remaining.
• NASA leaders called the finding the clearest sign yet of possible ancient life while noting that confirmation requires returning the sample to Earth as the agency reevaluates cost and schedule for the sample‑return plan.