Research casts doubt on Mars life evidence

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Evidence that crystals in a Martian meteorite were formed by a biological process is shaky, researchers say. In a paper published Tuesday, they said a new analysis of supposedly identical bacteria on Earth casts doubt on conclusions drawn by a team of NASA researchers, who in 1996 came up with the startling finding that ancient bacteria may have once arisen on the red planet.