The molecules may be remnants of fatty acids, which form cell membranes in Earth’s organisms, though they might have formed ...

While the presence of these molecules is not proof of ancient life on Mars, scientists say it shows we could detect chemical signatures of past life, if it ever existed.

The molecules, while not a direct sign of life, still signal the existence of complex chemistry on the Red Planet.

Researchers caution that the molecules could be of abiotic or biological origin, and do not represent definitive proof of ...

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. The NASA Curiosity ...

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has detected the largest organic (carbon-containing) molecules ever found on the red planet. The ...

A stunning discovery on Mars has revealed the longest organic molecules ever found on the planet—carbon chains that could ...

Curiosity has previously discovered small organic molecules on Mars, but these recently found compounds are larger and would have require chemistry to reach a more advanced state to be produced. The ...

While ascending Mount Sharp, NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has had to swing around a small ridgeline dubbed "Devil’s Gate." ...

The NASA Curiosity rover has detected the largest organic molecules found to date on Mars, opening a window into the red ...

the largest organic molecules discovered on Mars to date (left), and a selfie taken by NASA's Curiosity rover. | Credit: NASA/Dan Gallagher It's possible that the large Martian alkanes have a ...