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Fungi on Mars? Evidence of Growth and Behavior from Sequential Images

Rudolph Schild, Richard Armstrong, Xinli Wei, Carl Gibson, Olivier Planchon, David Duvall, Ashraf M. T. Elewa, N. S. Duxbury, H. Rabb, Khalid Latif10, R.G.Joseph

Fungi thrive in radiation intense environments. Sequential photos document that fungus-like Martianspecimens emerge from the soil and increase in size, including those resembling puffballs (Basidiomycota). After obliteration of spherical specimens by the rover wheels, new sphericals—some with stalks--appeared atop the crests of old tracks. Sequences document that thousands of black arctic “araneiforms” grow up to 300 meters in the Spring and disappear by Winter; a pattern repeated each Spring and which may represent massive colonies of black fungi, mould, lichens, algae, methanogens and sulfur reducing species. Black fungi-bacteria-like specimens also appeared atop therovers. In a series of photographs over three days (Sols) white amorphous specimens within acrevice changed shape and location then disappeared. White protoplasmic-mycelium-like-tendrilswith fruiting-body-like appendages form networks upon and above the surface; or increase inmass as documented by sequential photographs. Hundreds of dimpled donutshaped “mushroomlike” formations approximately 1mm in size are adjacent or attached to these mycelium-like complexes. Additional sequences document that white amorphous masses beneath rock-shelters increase in mass, number, or disappear and that similar white-fungus-like specimens appeared inside an open rover compartment. Comparative statistical analysis of a sample of 9 sphericalspecimens believed to be fungal “puffballs” photographed on Sol 1145 and 12 specimens thatemerged from beneath the soil on Sol 1148 confirmed the nine grew significantly closer togetheras their diameters expanded and some showed evidence of movement.