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Martian Microbes Bored Holes in Ooids.
Sunday, February 7, 2016 22:35
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Microbes on Earth often bore holes in ooids (Notes 1, 2). Microbes on Mars also did the same thing. One Martian example is seen in the green circle below:
At upper right is a green circle marking a Martian ooid with a dark hole bored by Martian microbes. Such holes have been seen in many Martian ooids. NASA’s Mars Rover Curiosity acquired the above microscopic image on Feb. 3, 2016 (Mission Sol 1242) at Namib Dune in Bagnold Dunes, Gale Crater, Mars. Most of the particles in the image are ooids. Red arrows point to well-preserved ooids. Image enlarged 200% from
Note 1: “Examination of such micritic ooids by scanning electron microscopy often shows evidence of microbial borings later filled by fine cement.” Quoted from the last sentence in
Note 2: Examples of holes bored by microbes on Earth are visible at center of this figure:
