With the assistance of China's Zhurong rover, scientists have gathered fresh evidence that Mars was home to an ocean billions of years ago - a far cry from the dry and desolate world it is today.

A Chinese rover has found new evidence to support the theory that Mars was once home to a vast ocean, including tracing some ancient coastline where water may once have lapped, a study said Thursday.

Recent findings from China’s Zhurong rover suggest that Mars once hosted an ocean, significantly altering our understanding of the planet’s ancient environment. Data gathered from the rover, along with information from orbiting spacecraft,

China's Zhurong rover has found evidence that suggests Mars once had an ocean. Scientific data from both the rover and orbiting spacecraft show geological features consistent with an ancient shoreline on Mars' northern lowlands.

China’s Zhurong Mars rover has found evidence of an ancient coastline on the red planet. The coastline in the southern Utopia region, detailed in the journal Scientific Reports, was likely left by a sea that briefly existed in the planet’s early history over 3.

By James WoodfordA possible ancient shoreline has been found in the region of Mars explored by the Chinese rover Zhurong, providing further evidence that an ocean may once have covered a vast area of the lowlands in the planet’s northern hemisphere.

A Chinese rover has found new evidence to support the theory that Mars was once home to a vast ocean, including tracing some ancient coastline where water may once have