'A weird result from an already weird hominin': Archaeologists discover all Homo naledi skeletons found in South African cave are female - Live Science

Archaeologists from La Trobe University have described 18 newly published hominin fossils from South Africa, including a second skull fragment belonging to Homo erectus. The discovery adds stronger evidence that the species was present in southern Africa 2.0 million years ago, about 200,000 years earlier than traditionally believed. The fossil collection also includes remains of P. robustus. Those specimens suggest the species was undergoing gradual evolutionary changes as it adapted to shifting environmental and climatic conditions.

If successful, bits of dust, soil and rocks from Phobos will arrive on Earth in 2031. “There’s a lot of adrenaline and a lot of excitement and a lot of wow,” said NASA astrophysicist Tom Statler, who’s involved with the project. Japan has an edge going in, with two asteroid sample returns already under its cosmic belt. Phobos is a lumpy, potato-shaped rock just 14 miles (22 kilometers) or so across. Examining pieces of it can explain how Mars’ moons — and possibly moons elsewhere — came to be. Dubbed MMX for Martian Moons Exploration, the $578 million mission features a hefty 5-ton spacecraft that should reach Mars by late next summer. It will sync up with Phobos’ tight orbit around the red planet, before ejecting the French-German rover that’s named Idefix after the white terrier in the Asterix comics. No bigger than a microwave oven, Idefix will plop onto Phobos by itself, bouncing for several minutes before coming to a halt in the moon’s extraordinarily low gravity. The four-wheeled rover is designed to right itself if it lands upside down. All bets are off, though, if it sinks into soft soil or gets wedged between rocks, said the French Space Agency’s Julien Baroukh.

The latest chemistry news, including important research advances, business and policy trends, chemical safety practices, career guidance, and more. In 2025 scientists put the methane-sensing capabilities of 12 spectral-imaging satellites to the test. Some were designed specifically to measure atmospheric methane; others were repurposed for the task. Now the researchers have shared their results: each of the satellites can be used to detect methane, but some are better than their counterparts for quantifying the potent greenhouse gas (Nature 2026, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-11115-0).