The Perseverance rover (Mars 2020) is equipped with an instrumental and analytical payload capable of identifying a broad range of organic molecules in geological samples. To determine the efficacy of these analytical techniques in recognizing important ecological and environmental signals in the rock record, this study utilized analogous equipment, including gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, along with macroscopic and petrographic observations, to examine early-middle Cambrian microbialites from the Arrowie Basin, South Australia. Morphological and petrographic observations of these carbonate successions reveal evidence of hypersaline-restricted environments. Microbialites have undergone moderate diagenesis, as supported by XRF data that show mineral assemblages, including celestine and the illitization of smectite. Raman spectral data, carbon preference indices of ∼1, and the methylphenanthrene index place the samples in the prehnite/pumpellyite metamorphic facies. Pristane and phytane are the only biomarkers that were detected in the least thermally mature samples. This research demonstrates a multitechnique approach that can yield significant geological, depositional, paleobiological, and diagenetic information that has important implications for planning future astrobiological exploration.

中文翻译：

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来自南澳大利亚的火星探测器技术和下/中寒武纪微生物岩：构造，生物相和生物地球化学。

恒心漫游者（2020年3月）配备了仪器和分析有效载荷，能够识别地质样品中的多种有机分子。为了确定这些分析技术在识别岩石记录中重要的生态和环境信号方面的功效，本研究使用了类似的设备，包括气相色谱/质谱，拉曼光谱，X射线荧光（XRF），傅里叶变换红外光谱等。结合宏观和岩石学观测资料，对来自南澳大利亚阿罗伊盆地的中早寒武纪微岩岩进行了研究。这些碳酸盐演替的形态学和岩石学观察揭示了高盐度受限环境的证据。微生物分子已经历中等程度的成岩作用，XRF数据支持，这些数据显示了矿物组合，包括天青石和蒙脱石的非法化。拉曼光谱数据，碳优先指数约为1以及甲基菲指数将样品置于黑锂/铅锌矿变质相中。rist烷和植烷是在热最不成熟的样品中检测到的唯一生物标记。这项研究证明了一种多技术方法，可以产生重要的地质，沉积，古生物学和成岩信息，这对规划未来的天体生物学探索具有重要意义。rist烷和植烷是在热最不成熟的样品中检测到的唯一生物标记。这项研究证明了一种多技术方法，可以产生重要的地质，沉积，古生物学和成岩信息，这对规划未来的天体生物学探索具有重要意义。rist烷和植烷是在热最不成熟的样品中检测到的唯一生物标记。这项研究证明了一种多技术方法，可以产生重要的地质，沉积，古生物学和成岩信息，这对规划未来的天体生物学探索具有重要意义。