high res (0.6 M) low res (137 K)
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2154e --- This image shows a series of partly embedded bumps in clay minerals in the Nakhla meteorite. Our interpretation is that these bumps are individual fossilized Martian microbes. That interpretation must be checked by further data on chemistry and structure of the bumps. Note the three bumps lined up near the center. These bumps bear a striking resemblance to earth microbes which are in the process of reproduction. If the bumps are truly Martian microbes, they are about 700 million years old, the age of the surrounding clay minerals as dated by radioactive isotope techniques.
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