Methane in meteorites shows Mars soil could support life, study indicates

Analysis of meteorite samples has led scientists to believe that the subsurface of Mars could support microbes which thrive in methane-rich environments

Direct evidence for life on Mars may remain as elusive as ever, but if something is living there, it is probably lurking beneath the surface, according to scientists.

A study has found that martian meteorites contain pockets of methane gas, hinting that methane-eating microbes might be able to thrive in the planet's soil in a "deep biosphere similar to that on Earth".