The Curiosity rover
spotted the sinewy rocks on May 15, according to raw images the mission sends down to Earth
The images were obtained
on Sol (Martian day) 3474 of the mission, as Curiosity speeds towards completing its first decade of work on Mars on Aug. 6.
The spikes are most likely
the cemented fillings of ancient fractures in a sedimentary rock which is formed by layers of sand and water
The rest of the rock feature
was made of softer material and was eroded away. The delicate features may also have been shaped by the planet's lighter gravity
Curiosity is seeking
habitable conditions at Gale Crater, and is now climbing Mount Sharp to look at environmental depositions
A newer NASA rover,
Perseverance, landed Feb. 18, 2021, to seek potential ancient microbes in an ancient river delta inside Jezero Crater.