Mars Bacteria ???

This meteorite:

Found in Antarctica 1984 by meteorite hunters
Ejected from Mars by meteoritic impact and fell to earth ~13000 years ago
Comes from Mars proven by gas composition of inclusions
There are 14 mars meteorites known (out of 20000)

Indications of life 3.6 billion years ago:

  1. Globules of carbonate minerals (require water and CO2 gas)
  2. Contains chemicals that are typical decay products of living organisms
    (PAH's - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)
  3. Small magnetite and iron sulfide crystals found that are also produced by
    bacteria on earth
  4. Elongated, eggshaped structures of 0.1 micrometer size look like fossil bacteria

The discussion:

Each item itself not convincing - can easily be produced by non-living chemical
     processes (as partially has been shown later)
As a sum ??? very controversial .... - contamination from earth, some features indicate
     high temperatures not compatible with life
1998 "killer": shown that minimum size for something living (with DNA) is 0.2 micrometer
2000: french scientists find traces of earth bacteria in meteoritic fragments, that are of same
         size than mars "bacteria"
         maybe bacteria fragments or "shrunk" bacteria

Summary: meteoritic findings most likely not connected to life on Mars