Possible Sign of Life Found on Mars

What does it mean that the Curiosity Rover found manganese oxide on Mars? On Earth, the mineral manganese only oxidizes under specific conditions, one of which is with the help of microbes. While this doesn’t mean these same microbes are present on Mars, the location where the manganese oxide was found is suspected to have been a former Martian lake, a location where microbes may have thrived. Curiosity’s discovery is another clue towards potentially finding past life on the red planet!