Curiosity Rover Spots Weird Tube-Like Structures on Mars
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity captured this image on Jan. 2, 2018.
Scientists are now trying to determine whether the image shows traces of fossils or the remains of crystal structures.
It has been suggested that the angular structures look remarkably similar to Ordovician trace fossils found on Earth. Alternatively, they could be related to crystals in the rock, perhaps "crystal molds" that are also found here on Earth. Crystals in rock that are dissolved or eroded away leave crystal molds.
Another possibility is bioturbation. A common example of bioturbation is the formation of worm burrows. The burrows, once refilled with sediments, fossilized and then exposed by erosion, can end up looking very similar to structures depicted in the photograph.
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