By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A sample obtained by NASA’s Perseverance rover of rock formed billions of years ago from sediment on the bottom of a lake contains potential signs of ancient microbial life on Mars, according to scientists, though the minerals spotted in the sample also can form through nonbiological processes.

The discovery, detailed in research published on Wednesday, represents one of the best pieces of evidence to date about the possibility that Earth’s planetary neighbor once harbored life.

Since landing on the Martian surface in 2021, the six-wheeled rover has been exploring Jezero Crater, an area in the planet’s northern hemisphere that once was flooded with water and home to an ancient lake basin, as it seeks signs of ancient life. Perseverance has been colle

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