NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance has uncovered rocks in a dry river channel that may hold potential signs of ancient microscopic life, scientists reported Wednesday.

They stressed that in-depth analysis is needed of the sample gathered there by Perseverance — ideally in labs on Earth — before reaching any conclusions.

Stream Los Angeles News for free, 24/7, wherever you are. WATCH HERE

Roaming Mars since 2021 , the rover cannot directly detect life. Instead, it carries a drill to penetrate rocks and tubes to hold the samples gathered from places judged most suitable for hosting life billions of years ago. The samples are awaiting retrieval to Earth — an ambitious plan that's on hold as NASA seeks cheaper, quicker options .

Calling it an “exciting discovery,” a pair of

See Full Page