Dry-Desert Crystals Could Contain Mars-Life Clues
Researchers studying 4,000–6,000-year-old gypsum crusts and stromatolites in Chile’s Atacama Desert found living and fossilized microbial signatures. Gypsum’s light-transmitting, protective properties can shield biosignatures, making these crystals a potential time capsule for past life and a model for what to look for on Mars in future missions.