Primitive life may have been existing in Mars—well, this might be a common misconception after meteorites from the Red Planet showed traces of methane, a gas present in the Earth's atmosphere all thanks to living creatures. However, experts claim that the discovery is not enough proof that life exists or has ever existed on Mars.

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While the discovery of methane sparked the idea of a potential sign of primitive life on Mars, researchers said that there are ways to produce this colorless, odorless and flammable gas without life, citing volcanic activity as an example.

In 2003, the Mars Express spacecraft of the European Space Agency first discovered the simplest organic molecule of methane in Mars' atmosphere. And last year, NASA's Curiosity rover also found an ephemeral spike of methane at its landing site.

According to The Guardian, the wafts of methane came from beneath the Gale Crater of Mars, suggesting that the gas is still being produced on the planet today.

In order to give a better understanding of the nature of methane on Mars, lead study author Nigel Blamey and his colleagues analyzed rocks that crash landed on Earth as meteorites after cosmic impacts blasted off Mars. Space.com revealed that about 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of meteorites have landed on Earth thus far.

The samples—six meteorites from the Red Planet that serve as examples of volcanic rocks there—were about one-quarter of a gram each. The researchers found that all six samples, taken from the interior of the meteorites to avoid terrestrial contamination, released methane and other gases like hydrogen when crushed.

Scientists believe that the gases were probably from small pockets inside. And both methane and hydrogen gases could be produced by water mixing with the minerals olivine and pyroxene in the rocks, Science News has learned.

The study, published in the Nature Communications journal, also suggests that chemical reactions between volcanic rocks on Mars and the Martian environment could result to the release of methane. However, the dry thin air of Mars makes its surface inimical to life.

Researchers additionally suggested that the Red Planet is probably more habitable under its surface since microbial communities lurking underground can utilize methane as a source of carbon and energy.

"The biggest surprise was how large the methane signals were," Blamey said. "We have not found life, but we have found methane that could potentially support microbes in the subsurface."

Nevertheless, though the recent study suggests similar environments on Earth also exist on Mars, the discovery of methane is not enough evidence that life exists on the Red Planet today, not even in the past.

TagsMars, Methane, Hydrogen, meteorites, Science, outer space, Martian, discovery, New Discovery