If we colonize Mars, such life would be destroyed. Oxygen is very toxic to organisms not adapted to it.
-
Nyx say: For surface probes, they have looked at a tiny bit of Mars. And most of those probes were not designed to look for life in particular - but local geology, and chemistry. Even the Curiosity rover hasn't seen fossilized evidence yet in the rock layers that were set down through water deposition.
For the orbiters, they simply don't have that level of resolution. At best, they might get around 1 meter per pixel resolution. Which is fine for geological features, and processes, but still terrible for finding something moving around on the surface ( they can barely spot the rovers).
Also, there is a hazard factor. These rover aren't cheap, and sending them into likely places to find fossilized evidence may place an undo risk of causing harm to an otherwise useful piece of equipment.
I do agree that further exploration is needed in those areas where life may of existed (lakes, slower moving rivers, and seas), but that may take a craft that is either more rugged, or having a human there look at those places up close and personal.
-
Ronald 7 say: We have only scratched the surface. literally.
Wouldn't it be fun if we found a Fossil??
-
Satan Claws say: Let me ask you something, since you're convinced that Mars must have life:
What would planet Mars look like if it didn't have, now or at any point in its story, any form of life, on the surface or underground?
-
CarolOklaNola say: It probably IS un derground if there is still life on Mars today. Tehre's PLENTY of life underground on Earth, so there are no reasons WHY it could NOT have happened on Mars.. Whther or not something gets perserved as fossil or not depends on a variety of factors. Even on Earth, the peices of dinosaur or birds or ape or human being can be scattered across wide area. Just because we still have not discovered unambiguous signs of life on Mars YET, does NOT mean Mars NEVER had life at all. The rovers have only covered a very SMALL part of mars.. This is point area problem.. can rain on one specific location on Earth and not rain at all on location only kilometer or mile from that location, Same thing for looking for indications of life on Mars..