Panthera pardus burgtonnae, a newly discovered leopard subspecies, once inhabited Europe during the Eemian interglacial period. This ancient leopard had a much more robust structure compared to the modern leopard.
Panthera pardus burgtonnae had similar body length to the modern African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) but exhibited a stockier build. Image credit: Thomas Fuhrmann / CC BY-SA 4.0.
The species Panthera pardus burgtonnae thrived in what is now Germany during the Eemian Interglacial, a warm period lasting from approximately 130,000 to 115,000 years ago that preceded the last ice age.
The description of this subspecies is derived from fossil fragments, including parts of the lower jaw, upper cartilage teeth, and limb bones.
The original specimen was unearthed in 1993 by a private collector from the Burgtonna travertine deposits, a historically rich fossil site.
“The discovery of large mammal fossils from the Burgtonna Travertine in Thuringia, Germany, initiates our Quaternary paleontological research in Europe,” stated German paleontologists Helmut Hemmer of Mainz and Ralph Dietrich Kaalke of the Senckenberg Institute for Quaternary Paleontology.
“In 1696, Wilhelm Ernst Tenzel published one of the earliest scientific interpretations of Pleistocene elephant remains, establishing Pleistocene research as a key scientific focus.”
“Numerous fossils have been recovered from the Burgtonna limestone, with significant studies and comprehensive presentations devoted to these findings until felid species such as Panthera leo subspecies (see Spelea) and Felis sylvestris came into focus.”
“The explosion in travertine quarrying in Burgtonna during the early 1990s led to the discovery of new large fossil outcrops, allowing private collector Andreas Lindner to recover approximately 2,500 vertebrate fossils over the years.”
In 1993, Lindner discovered fossils of the new leopard subspecies in the southernmost area of the Bergtonna South Pits.
Paleontologists identified the Bergtonna specimen as a slender-jawed, well-built female leopard with minimal tooth wear, indicating it was relatively young.
This leopard weighed approximately 35-40 kg, with a head height around 107-112 cm.
The authors propose that this leopard is part of a fossil group previously identified in Mosbach and Taubach, Germany, showcasing unique dental features that differentiate it from the more widely recognized leopards of the Last Ice Age in Europe.
The research team has reclassified these later leopards under the name Panthera pardus antiqua.
The findings reveal that Panthera pardus burgtonnae was first documented in central Europe during the late Middle Pleistocene cooling period, becoming widespread from central Europe to the Apennine Peninsula during the early Late Pleistocene, prior to the last Ice Age (MIS 2).
“The Weichselian glaciers, particularly in central and southern Europe, resulted in a landscape dominated by ice, marking the era of Panthera pardus antiqua,” researchers elaborated.
European leopards from both the Late Middle Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene were considerably large, boasting a high body mass index and robust physiques akin to jaguars, contrasting sharply with today’s representatives from Africa and Asia.
The comprehensive research findings have been published in the journal Paleobiodiversity and Paleoenvironment.
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H. Hemmer & R.-D. Kaalke. Panthera pardus burgtonnae Subspecies November (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae) From Eemian of Burgtonna (Thuringia, Germany) – A new perspective on the late Pleistocene European leopard. Paleobio Paleoembu, published online June 13, 2026. doi: 10.1007/s12549-026-00702-8
If NASA successfully executes its bold vision, the entire fleet of lunar landers and rovers will soon be on the moon’s surface within just a few years.
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NASA announced on Tuesday that it has entered yet another contract with a private space company for upcoming moon missions. This time, the lunar lander will transport scientific equipment to the moon’s surface by late 2028.
This announcement marks another step in NASA’s aggressive lunar flight program as it prepares to establish a permanent base on the moon. The various missions set to launch over the next two years aim to test technologies and explore key locations that will shape NASA’s moon construction initiative. Recently, NASA announced nearly $1 billion in funding for its initial unmanned missions aimed at building a moon base.
Recent updates indicate a clear commitment from NASA to establish a sustained presence on the moon, adhering to a tight timeline and heavily leveraging commercial partnerships.
Artist’s rendering of proposed lunar base development near the moon’s south pole. NASA
“Our recent grants to commercial partners total nearly $600 million for additional lunar missions carrying scientific payloads, accelerating our efforts to build a sustainable presence on the moon, and enhancing our capabilities for future missions,” stated Rory Glaze, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate in a statement.
Isaacman mentioned on Tuesday that a test version of NASA’s Mars rover could potentially be repurposed for the moon’s surface.
“If you’re familiar with our Mars rovers Curiosity and Perseverance, there is another model,” he said, noting that the test unit is named Promise. “We are seriously considering sending Promise to the moon.”
The three companies newly contracted for lunar modules include Pennsylvania-based Astrobotic, already collaborating with NASA to develop a lander capable of transporting over 1,000 pounds of cargo and a lunar rover to the moon’s surface later this year, along with Texas-based Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines.
NASA reported that the winning bids were $144.2 million for Firefly and $148.3 million for Intuitive Machines.
Astrobotic has received a fresh contract valued at $297.9 million to construct two additional landers for the 2028 mission, meaning NASA has invested over $600 million in lunar hardware research over the last six years.
Firefly has also been awarded $75 million from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to create four drones to scout locations of interest at the moon’s south pole.
No company is creating a lander from scratch. Instead, NASA indicates that modifications are being made to a spacecraft already flown into space.
Conceptual illustration of astronauts, habitats, rovers, and power systems supporting sustained operations at a lunar base. NASA
Regarding the Promise rover at California’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Isaacman indicated that discussions are underway to dispatch a probe aimed at exploring the resources available at the moon’s south pole.
“We’ve made several modifications and equipped it with different instruments, making it a very capable vehicle for the lunar south pole,” Isaacman explained. “This will enable us to rapidly develop new projects.”
Isaacman also updated reports on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin’s expected involvement. NASA had selected Blue Origin and Astrobotic for an unmanned mission to the moon this year; however, an explosion occurred during a recent engine test, damaging the launch pad and raising concerns about meeting NASA’s schedule.
As a result of Blue Origin’s setback, the Moon mission may be postponed until next year.
Astrobotic’s lander is expected to launch as early as this year, according to Carlos García-Galan, NASA’s lunar base program manager.
Isaacman noted that NASA plans to provide monthly updates on lunar missions and will soon solicit proposals for scientific and technological payloads for upcoming lunar expeditions. Potential experiments might focus on the Moon’s energy infrastructure and improve communication systems between the Earth and the Moon.
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Black holes are colossal entities in the universe, even the smallest among them boasting a mass many times that of our Sun. However, one particular black hole is capturing considerable attention: the Supermassive Large Astrophysical Black hole (SLAB). These enigmatic objects can rival entire galaxies in size, or even exceed them.
The concept of SLAB originated from astronomers striving to unlock the mysteries of dark matter, a substance that constitutes approximately 85 percent of the universe’s mass. Researchers are testing various methods to find SLAB, including attempts to detect the light they emit, or observe their effects on spacetime. Recently, astronomer Brian Lackey proposed a new approach through the Breakthrough Listen project at the University of Oxford: seeking the shadow SLAB casts on the cosmic microwave background (CMB)—the residual light from the Big Bang.
We engaged in an enlightening conversation with Brian Lackey to discuss his pioneering ideas around these immense black holes, their potential discovery, and the implications for cosmology. Interestingly, Lackey’s journey into this field began through his main work focused on the search for extraterrestrial intelligent life.
<p><strong>Matt von Hippel: Your primary focus is not on black holes, but on the search for aliens through the Breakthrough Listen initiative. Let's start from there.</strong></p>
<p>
Brian Lackey: Breakthrough Listen represents the most extensive effort to conduct SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), exploring technosignatures or signs of alien technology. Our primary approach involves analyzing radio waves; for instance, we search for unique radio transmissions within narrow frequency ranges, which we believe are challenging to create naturally. If detected and not attributed to human interference, these signals could indicate extraterrestrial technological activity.
</p>
<p>
Aside from radio waves, we also look for ultra-short laser pulses. Few cosmic phenomena produce flash events lasting mere nanoseconds. Our collaborations with global observatories enable us to survey various technosignatures. We are among the leading groups involved in this search.
</p>
<p><strong>How does the quest for extraterrestrial intelligence intertwine with the fascinating concept of SLAB?</strong></p>
<p>
As a theorist, I ponder what exists beyond our understanding, shaping our search for life. It is theorized that extraterrestrial intelligence may not only reside on Earth; they could construct vast structures greater than our solar system. One such concept, known as a Dyson swarm, comprises an array of light-absorbing elements encircling a star to harness its energy for their needs, whether for living spaces or computational power.
</p>
<p>
A decade ago, speculation escalated regarding how advanced societies might operate at a galactic level. I proposed that instead of surrounding stars, these civilizations could deploy engineered dust particles in the interstellar medium, each containing a miniature computer. These dust particles would still capture starlight but remain cooler due to their distance, potentially around 3 or 4 Kelvin. The efficiency of colder environments increases computational performance.
</p>
<p>
I further contended that, hypothetically, if one were to utilize a massive black hole—one exceeding 1000 trillion solar masses—they could effectively cool a vast array of small computers clustered nearby. This notion is speculative, yet it suggests that should such a colossal black hole exist, it might be detectable.
</p>
<p>
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alt="Festival participants dressed as aliens"
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src="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/17111110/SEI_301636489.jpg"
srcset="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/17111110/SEI_301636489.jpg?width=300 300w, https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/17111110/SEI_301636489.jpg?width=400 400w"
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data-caption="Brian Lackey's research involves discovering signs of advanced alien civilizations."
data-credit="Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty" />
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<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Title">Brian Lackey investigates methods to unveil traces of advanced alien civilizations.</p>
<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Credit">Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty</p>
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</figure>
</p>
<p><strong>It's astounding to consider alien societies employing immense black holes as energy sinks, akin to cooling systems in vehicles.</strong></p>
<p>
Yes, that is indeed one possible application. Another hypothesis suggests that heat could flow into a black hole from surrounding cosmic microwave background radiation, functioning as a cosmic heat engine. This energy could harness heat flows to generate electricity on a galactic scale.
</p>
<p><strong>But doesn't the existence of SLAB conflict with our established understanding of the cosmos?</strong></p>
<p>
Currently, we recognize two main types of black holes: stellar black holes, generally up to about 100 solar masses, and supermassive black holes found at galaxy centers, said to range from 1 million to tens of billions of solar masses.
</p>
<p>
The prevailing belief is that supermassive black holes are indeed the universe's largest. As matter approaches a black hole, it generates significant radiation, potentially producing jets or winds that could counteract further growth. Consequently, it was assumed that a black hole exceeding 100 billion solar masses couldn't exist. However, this remains an open question.
</p>
<p><strong>You weren't the first to theorize about SLAB. Who initially considered their existence, and how could they grow so large?</strong></p>
<p>
The idea was systematically developed by Bernard Carr, an astronomer from Queen Mary University of London, and his collaborators in 2020. They speculated that SLABs may have formed shortly after the Big Bang, occurring from fluctuations in the universe's density that could collapse into black holes. These hypothesized primordial black holes could manifest if such fluctuations spanned extensive cosmic regions.
</p>
<p>
Carr pondered whether a population of black holes exceeding a trillion solar masses could ever be detected, suggesting it was feasible under the laws of physics—an avenue previously unexplored.
</p>
<p><strong>Primordial black holes also intrigue physicists as potential candidates for dark matter.</strong></p>
<p>
The search for various dark matter types, such as weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), continues, as they have yet to be found in particle experiments. As researchers consider other alternatives, primordial black holes emerge as a compelling option.
</p>
<p><strong>Could SLAB itself constitute a significant portion of dark matter?</strong></p>
<p>
Not within our galaxy, as they are intergalactic. However, diffuse dark matter may exist in the cosmos, potentially playing a role in the broader cosmic web that links galaxies, even if they don't influence individual galaxy rotations.
</p>
<p><strong>Is there any hope of discovering SLAB?</strong></p>
<p>
Carr and his team have proposed methodologies to search for them. One potential indication of their presence might be their gravitational influence on nearby galaxies, drawing them together. If such black holes exist within intergalactic space, matter falling into them would heat up and emit radiation. So far, however, no signatures confirming this hypothesis have been found.
</p>
<p>
<figure class="ArticleImage">
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alt="The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration's polarized view of the M87 black hole."
width="1350"
height="900"
src="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/17111117/SEI_301636696.jpg"
srcset="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/17111117/SEI_301636696.jpg?width=300 300w, https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/17111117/SEI_301636696.jpg?width=400 400w"
sizes="(min-width: 1288px) 837px, (min-width: 1024px) calc(57.5vw + 55px), (min-width: 415px) calc(100vw - 40px), calc(70vw + 74px)"
loading="lazy"
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data-caption="The black hole M87*, imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration in 2019."
data-credit="EHT collaboration" />
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<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Title">M87*: The black hole at the core of a neighboring galaxy, captured by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration in 2019.</p>
<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Credit">EHT collaboration</p>
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</figcaption>
</figure>
</p>
<p><strong>Your recent research seeks different forms of evidence for SLAB within the cosmic microwave background. How do you pursue this?</strong></p>
<p>
I aim to identify the shadow SLAB may cast. Images of Sagittarius A* and M87* reveal black holes appearing as "holes" surrounded by glowing halos. In principle, if a black hole were to possess the mass of a thousand suns, it could manifest as a sunspot against the cosmic microwave background.
</p>
<p><strong>So, did you uncover anything significant?</strong></p>
<p>
We utilized existing CMB surveys with highly sensitive telescopes to search for subtle temperature variations. Although no such phenomena have been observed, it does not rule out the existence of SLAB, suggesting they are extremely rare or possibly nonexistent in our observable universe.
</p>
<p><strong>What implications would arise from discovering evidence of SLAB?</strong></p>
<p>
Finding them would yield insights into events shortly after the Big Bang, possibly revealing unknown physical processes responsible for the formation of these gigantic black holes. This could herald exciting new physics previously unconsidered in our explorations.
</p>
<p><strong>Considering SETI and SLAB, what intrigues you most in current astronomical research?</strong></p>
<p>
The oldest galaxies observable today date back approximately 13.5 billion years. However, there remains a gap leading to the cosmic microwave background, the earliest detectable radiation emitted shortly after the Big Bang, around 300 million years before the formation of the oldest galaxies. This period, known as the "Dark Age of the Universe," is crucial, yet largely unexplored. While we use tools like the James Webb Space Telescope to observe ancient galaxies, this crucial era remains elusive to us.
</p>
<p>
It’s thrilling to ponder what treasures might lie within this unexplored era of cosmic history. SLAB is one possibility, but many other remnants of the Big Bang could await discovery.
</p>
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