Evidence of Fossilized Wood Cell Structures in a Martian Meteorite: A Rebuttal to Abiotic Explanations

All articles by Wretch Fossil are here: http://www.wretch.cc/blog/lin440315&category_id=0

Abstract

Recent high-resolution imaging of a Martian olivine phenocryst, as seen in the NWA 16788 meteorite, reveals a central pattern of polygonal cells whose morphology strongly resembles that of vascular plant wood tissue. These microstructures challenge purely abiotic interpretations such as magmatic cracking, contraction textures, or shock-induced alteration. This article argues that the geometric regularity, hierarchical organization, and presence of radial microfractures strongly favor a biogenic origin.

Introduction

Abiotic pathways for organic or cellular-like structures in meteorites have gained prominence, especially following the publication of chemical analyses indicating organomagnesium species in Martian samples (Benoit et al., 2023). However, some microtextures—especially those found in olivine phenocrysts—exhibit characteristics that are not easily explained by inorganic processes alone. The image shown in Figure 1 presents such a case.

Observations

The image (Figure 1) shows:
– A large polygonal structure (approximately 100 µm across) occupying the center of the olivine phenocryst.
– Numerous branching cracks that do not follow mineral cleavage planes.
– Substructures within the polygon that resemble bordered pits or wall thickenings seen in fossil wood.
– Apparent radial symmetry and boundary definition not typical of melt-related inclusions or contraction cracks.

Argument Against Abiotic Origins

While cracking and zoning can occur due to thermal contraction or shock, several aspects contradict those explanations:

1. Regular Cell-like Geometry:
   – The compartmentalized features are unusually uniform and polygonal.
   – Typical abiotic patterns lack the nested and repeating internal divisions seen here.

2. Centralized Tissue-like Core:
   – A dense cluster in the center of the image resembles a vascular core or junction, with branches extending outward.
   – This mirrors secondary xylem architecture in gymnosperms and early woody plants.

3. Lack of Mineralogical Context:
   – These structures cross-cut mineral boundaries and do not correspond to known olivine fracture or zoning patterns.
   – Melt inclusions usually appear amorphous or flow-oriented, not polygonally segmented.

Relevance of Scale

The field of view is marked as 3.20 x 2.40 mm with 100 µm scale shown. The central pattern thus spans ~1000 µm, matching the size of fossil wood bundles or vascular tissues rather than crystalline phenomena.

Conclusion

This figure provides compelling evidence of biogenic patterns—possibly fossilized wood cell clusters—within a Martian olivine phenocryst. These observations call for reexamination of the purely abiotic narrative, particularly in light of complementary chemical findings and the broader context of Martian sedimentary and volcanic history.

Reference

Benoit, M. et al. (2023). “Magmatic and late-stage organomagnesium species in a Martian meteorite.” Science Advances, 9(19), eadd6439. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.add6439

Wretch Fossil’s website:http://wretchfossil.blogspot.com/

Source: https://wretchfossil.blogspot.com/2025/07/evidence-of-fossilized-wood-cell.html