PASADENA, Calif. The layers upon layers of rock formations seen in newly unveiled images of Mars may contain beds of fossilized Martian life ripe for the picking by future missions to the Red Planet, scientists said.

The beds of rock may have formed as sediments settled to the bottom of primordial seas or lakes bodies of water that once may have teemed with Martian life in the planets ancient past.

As such, the bands of rock may contain evidence that life is not unique to Earth.

Sedimentary rock outcrops in the Grand Canyon record a rich, detailed history of events that occurred in a given place. The same might be true of Mars.

Malin and fellow scientist Ken Edgett, both of Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, presented their findings on Monday during a hastily arranged press conference held at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

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On Earth, life exists wherever there is water. And if water persisted on the surface of Mars even 3.5 billion or more years ago, there is no reason why it would not have represented an attractive abode for life as well, scientists say.

"If you want to look for evidence of past life on Mars, go where the water is," said Wes Huntress, NASA's former space science chief and current director of the Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington. "And if, in fact, it is confirmed that this is where water once was, then this is the right haystack to be looking in to see if you can find that needle."

Scientists have seen evidence of layering on Mars since Mariner 9 first began returning data after arriving in orbit around the planet in late 1971. And they have long theorized that early in Martian history, the planet was a warm, wet place.