An ancient civilisation on Mars may have been wiped out by a nuclear attack from another alien race, according to controversial physicist Dr John Brandenburg. He claims evidence of the genocide can still be seen today, includingdamage to the planet's atmosphere and loss of plant life.
Brandenburg, who is based at the Australian National University, made his claims in a paper published last year which suggests that the Cydonians and Utopians – two of the most advanced societies on Mars – were exterminated by an unknown force sometime in the distant past. He bases his theory on evidence that does not fit with other explanations such as natural disasters or climate change.
According to Brandenburg, evidence of the attack includes damage to the atmosphere caused by fallout from a nuclear explosion, as well as changes to plant life due to lack of sunlight. He argues that although it is possible that other reasons could have led to these changes, they are more consistent with an attack from another species.