Wow! ;-)
Here are a few more I found for ya... NASA finally started releasing more images.
Aqueous environment? Yes, too much evidence of historical volcanism. Most of our terrestrial water was created during volcanic events.
Water or carbon dioxide? Again, probably a lot of juvenile water created by ancient volcanism, and this water was likely loaded with all sorts of goodies (like sulfur) that would be essential for life.
Clams? Sadly, Don Joe, I doubt it. I don't think there was time enough for higher animals to have evolved before Mars lost it's water.
Critters? I'm inclined to think we are looking at forams and bryozoa-like creatures (there, now I'm committed), which would make sense if Mars had shallow saline bodies of water.
As to what the NASA folks are thinking....yeesh......I imagine the staff paleontologists and geologists are engaged in rather "spirited" discussion, with geophysicists stacked against the pro-Martian life folks. We probably won't hear anything definitive for a while, and without seeing the data they have, all we can do is speculate.
Wow! ;-)
Here are a few more I found for ya... NASA finally started releasing more images.