On the Mars rover sample return mission the rover vehicle will collect and select samples from different locations on the Martial surface to be brought back to Earth for laboratory studies. It is anticipated that an in situ energy-dispersive X ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer will be on board the rover. On such a mission, sample selection is of higher priority than in situ quantitative chemical analysis. With this in mind we propose pattern recognition as a simple, direct, and speedy alternative to detailed chemical analysis of the XRF spectra. The validity and efficacy of the pattern recognition technique are demonstrated by the analyses of laboratory XRF spectra obtained from a series of geological samples, in the form both of standardized pressed pellets and as unprepared rocks. It is found that pattern recognition techniques applied to the raw XRF spectra can provide for the same discrimination among samples as knowledge of their actual chemical composition.