Why Martian “Marquette Island” cannot be a rock.

The main reason lies in the size and shape of its 18-micron material running like branching/circular threads (Figure 2). No crystal structures of any mineral in natural rocks can get so small (except cracks, clays and silts) and extends like branching/circular threads at the same time. Cracks, clays and silts can be so small, but they rarely form circles, especially circles smaller than 100 microns across. “Marquette Island” is a fossil because it contains numerous vertical capillaries (Figure 1) within Haversian canals of fossil bone, as well as horizontal branching blood vessel remains and partial osteon remains mentioned in my earlier posts.

Figure 1: marked with 17 vertical capillaries within Haversian canals

http://www.wretch.cc/album/show.php?i=lin440315&b=20&f=1556198229&p=130

(Note: these 17 capillaries could be still soft, as they protruded from the Haversian canals without being cut off sharply by NASA’s rock abrasion tool. Many blood vessel remains found in meteorites are still soft, too.)

Figure 2: marked with 18-micron “threads” running in circles/branches

http://www.wretch.cc/album/show.php?i=lin440315&b=20&f=1556198230&p=131

Photo source and credit for Figure 1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hortonheardawho/4260521997/

Photo source and credit for Figure 2

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hortonheardawho/4262245475/