New images of the surface of Mars have revealed numerous layered outcrops similar to sedimentary rocks on Earth, strongly suggesting that liquid water was present on Mars at an early stage in its history. Michael Malin and Kenneth Edgett of Malin Science Systems, CA, believe that their discovery provides evidence that the Martian environment was much more dynamic in the past, and may also shed light on the early evolution of the Earth. Terrestrial sedimentary rocks commonly contain fossils, leading Malin and Edgett to speculate that if life ever existed on Mars, it may be preserved in the layered rocks. (M C Malin and S Edgett 2000 Science 290 1927).
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