Skeleton-like Mars rock formation sparks internet excitement

Fishbone-like rock formations photographed by NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars have sparked excitement on the internet, with some internet users playfully calling them "dragon bones."

The rocks were photographed in recent weeks by the rover in the Gale Crater on Mars. The structures look like a series of rods, lined up in horizontal rows along the sides of some rocks in the area.

In 20 years of studying Mars, that's the most bizarre rock I have ever seen. I cannot wait to have a microscopic image of this one...It is part of a Gigapan of Gale crater that you can see here: https://t.co/LxljtDHyIl pic.twitter.com/wHhn1ckqjL

— Nathalie A. Cabrol (@shasta721) April 10, 2023

Astrobiologist Nathalie Cabrol noted on Twitter that "in 20 years of studying Mars, that's the most bizarre rock I have ever seen."

Andrew Good with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California told Fox News that "Often, the odd-shaped rocks have their origin in the ancient past, when liquid water seeped through cracks in the rock, bringing minerals along with them. These minerals were harder than the rock around them, so the wind eroded everything away except the minerals."

'Shark tooth' rocks found on Mars

Additional photos taken by the rover in recent days captured formations that look like fins or shark's teeth, with the team of researchers working with Curiosity saying that they were going to use the sensors on the rover to study the bedrock in the area.