CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) physicists, through the LHCb experiment, have unveiled a groundbreaking deuteron-like particle known as Ξcc⁺. This remarkable particle, composed of two charm quarks and one down quark, offers scientists a novel means to explore the formidable forces binding the fundamental constituents of matter.
Artist’s impression of the double charm baryon Ξcc⁺ containing two charm quarks and one down quark. Image credit: CERN.
Quarks, the fundamental building blocks of matter, exist in six distinct flavors: up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom.
Typically, quarks combine in pairs or groups of three to form mesons and baryons. While protons are stable, most hadrons (mesons and baryons) are fleeting, vanishing almost immediately upon creation, making detection a challenge.
To facilitate their production, high-energy particles are collided within machines like the LHC.
These unstable hadrons decay rapidly, yet the resultant more stable particles can be detected, enabling scientists to infer the properties of the original particles.
With this discovery, the total count of hadrons identified in LHC experiments has risen to 80.
“This marks the first new particle identified following the LHCb detector upgrades completed in 2023, and it is the second baryon discovered that features two heavy quarks, echoing the initial observation made nearly a decade ago,” stated LHCb spokesperson Dr. Vincenzo Vagnoni.
“The implications of this result will aid theorists in testing quantum chromodynamics models, enhancing our understanding of strong forces that unify quarks to form conventional baryons and mesons, as well as more exotic structures like tetraquarks and pentaquarks.”
In 2017, the LHCb team reported a similar particle containing two charm quarks and an up quark, which differs from the newly discovered particle solely by having a down quark.
Despite their similarities, the predicted lifetimes for the new particles are up to six times shorter than their counterparts due to intricate quantum effects, complicating their observation.
By scrutinizing data from proton-proton collisions captured by the LHCb detector during the LHC’s third operation phase, physicists confirmed a new baryon with a statistical significance of 7 sigma, surpassing the 5 sigma threshold needed for a discovery claim.
“This significant milestone exemplifies how LHCb’s unique capabilities contribute to its success,” remarked CERN Director-General Mark Thomson.
“This highlights the direct link between experimental upgrades at CERN and the new discoveries, paving the way for the pioneering science anticipated from the High-Luminosity LHC.”
“These accomplishments were made possible due to the extraordinary performance of CERN’s accelerator complex and the unwavering commitment of the scientists involved in the LHCb experiment.”
A groundbreaking discovery in paleontology has unveiled a new genus and species of Permian archaic tetrapods, identified from fossilized jawbones found in Brazil. Named Tanika amnicola, this intriguing amphibian relative showcases unique horizontal teeth and abrasive, file-like surfaces. This suggests that ancient tetrapod vertebrates may have begun experimenting with plant consumption much earlier than previously thought.
Tanika amnicola. Image credit: Vitor Silva.
Tanika amnicola thrived in the southern regions of the Gondwana supercontinent during the early Permian period, approximately 275 million years ago.
“Tanika amnicola has captivated researchers,” says Dr. Jason Pardo, a paleontologist at the Field Museum.
“We were intrigued by an unusual twist in its jaw that we were determined to understand.”
“For years, we speculated whether this was a variant, but with nine jaw samples now extracted, all exhibiting this distinctive twist—some exceptionally well preserved—it’s clear this was characteristic of the species, not a deformity,” he added.
Tanika amnicola represents a pedunculated tetrapod lineage, the oldest subset of tetrapods that eventually diversified into two major groups: those laying eggs outside of aquatic environments and those that lay eggs in water.
Modern reptiles, birds, and mammals descend from the branches that evolved to lay watertight eggs on land, while contemporary amphibians, like frogs and salamanders, represent tetrapod relatives that require moist environments for their eggs.
Nonetheless, some pedunculated tetrapods persisted even after more modern variations evolved, with Tanika amnicola being a notable example.
“In essence, Tanika amnicola survived as a remnant of the pedunculated tetrapod lineage long after newer tetrapods emerged. Its appearance is somewhat akin to that of a platypus—a true living fossil,” remarked Dr. Pardo.
Many aspects of Tanika amnicola‘s anatomy still puzzle scientists.
“The isolated jawbones we’ve discovered are remarkably unique and distinctive,” stated Dr. Ken Angielczyk, curator of paleomammalogy at the Field Museum.
“However, until we find a skull or additional bones definitively connected to these jaw samples, we cannot conclusively ascribe other nearby bone fragments to Tanika amnicola.”
Yet, the jawbone alone is revealing, demonstrating the rarity of this creature.
“Run your tongue across your lower teeth. Do you feel the tops pointing towards the roof of your mouth?” they explained.
“In Tanika amnicola, the lower jaw twists, with teeth projected sideways rather than upwards.”
“Conversely, the portion of the jaw facing the tongue in Tanika amnicola angles upward, towards the roof of the mouth.”
“The jawbone is adorned with numerous small teeth, known as denticles, creating a grinding surface akin to a cheese grater.”
Scientists hypothesize that the teeth and dental arrangements in the upper jaw harmonized with those in the lower jaw.
“We theorize that the lower jaw’s teeth would rub against similar teeth in the upper mouth,” Pardo explained.
“This grinding action suggests a distinctive feeding method predominantly aimed at plant material.”
“Based on dental morphology, we believe Tanika amnicola was likely an herbivore, consuming plants at least occasionally,” remarked Dr. Juan Carlos Cisneros from the Federal University of Piauí.
“It’s astonishing that a quadrupedal creature like Tanika amnicola existed, especially considering most of its tetrapod relatives primarily consumed meat, indicating an evolved adaptation to a plant-based diet.”
The peer-reviewed findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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Jason D. Pardo et al.. 2026. A quadrupedal organism with an anomalous jaw structure living during the early Permian period in Brazil. Proc Biol Sci 293 (2066): 20252106; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2025.2106
Newly Discovered Tiny Fossil: Purgatorius
This shrew-sized mammal is recognized as the oldest known ancestor of all primates, including humans. Initially believed to be confined to northern North America, its range now extends hundreds of kilometers to the south. This week’s article in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, detailed in a recent paper, challenges conventional theories about the biogeography of early primates and suggests that their diversification occurred rapidly following the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
Shortly after the Cretaceous mass extinction, the earliest known primates like Purgatorius McKivevelli adapted quickly, specializing in an omnivorous diet that included tree fruits and archaic ungulate mammals. Image credit: Andrei Atutin.
The origins and early biogeographical history of primates is a fascinating yet contentious subject. The oldest primates, Purgatorius, are small tree-dwelling mammals that first emerged in North America around 65.9 million years ago.
Previously, Purgatorius fossils were only found in northern regions such as Montana and Saskatchewan, creating an incomplete understanding of their evolutionary history.
Paleontologist Stephen Chester from the City University of New York and his colleagues describe the southernmost fossil of Purgatorius in their new paper.
The specimens were meticulously recovered from ancient sediments in the Coral Bluffs area of the Denver Basin in Colorado.
“This discovery fills a critical gap in our understanding of the geographic distribution and evolution of our earliest primate ancestors after the dinosaur extinction,” Dr. Chester stated.
The fossils analyzed by the team consist of small teeth that display a distinctive combination of features, indicating they may belong to an earlier, previously unidentified species of Purgatorius.
“The presence of these fossils in Colorado reveals that ancient primates likely originated in the north before expanding southward, rapidly diversifying post-end-Cretaceous mass extinction,” Chester explained.
While scientists previously believed Purgatorius was absent from southern regions during this period, new findings suggest that this assumption was primarily due to limited fossil sampling.
“Our results demonstrate that small fossils can easily be overlooked,” Dr. Chester remarked.
“More intensive searches, especially utilizing screen-cleaning techniques, will likely uncover numerous significant specimens.”
The study further questions long-held assumptions about the habitats of early primates.
“The ankle bone of Purgatorius suggested tree-dwelling characteristics, and we initially suspected its absence from southern Montana was due to extensive forest destruction following an asteroid impact 66 million years ago,” Chester noted.
“Yet, our paleobotanical colleagues indicate that plant recovery in North America was rapid, leading us to believe that Purgatorius likely existed further south—we just haven’t looked hard enough.”
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Stephen GB Chester et al. “Southernmost Origin of Purgatorius: Insights into the Biogeographic History and Diversification of the Oldest Primates.” Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, published online March 2, 2026. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2026.2614024
In a recent breakthrough regarding human evolution, researchers have unveiled that a peculiar foot unearthed in Ethiopia is from a yet-to-be-identified ancient relative.
The findings, released on Wednesday in the journal Nature, indicate the foot dates back approximately 3.4 million years and likely bears similarities to Lucy, another ancient human relative who inhabited the region around the same period.
However, scientists have revealed that Burtele’s foot, named after the site in northeastern Ethiopia where it was discovered in 2009, is distinctly different.
The fossil of Bartel’s foot has an opposable thumb akin to that of humans, suggesting its owner was a proficient climber, likely spending more time in trees compared to Lucy, according to the study.
Elements of Brutere’s foot discovered in Ethiopia in 2009. Johannes Haile Selassie/Arizona Institute of Human Origins (via AFP)
For many years, Lucy’s species was believed to be the common ancestor of all subsequent hominids, serving as a more ancient relative to humans, including Homo sapiens, in contrast to chimpanzees.
Researchers were unable to confirm that the foot belonged to a novel species until they examined additional fossils found in the same vicinity, including a jawbone with twelve teeth.
After identifying these remains as Australopithecus deiremeda, they determined that Bartele’s feet were from the same species.
John Rowan, an assistant professor of human evolution at the University of Cambridge, expressed that their conclusions were “very reasonable.”
“We now have stronger evidence that closely related, yet adaptively distinct species coexisted,” Rowan, who was not part of the study, communicated in an email to NBC News on Thursday.
The research also examined how these species interacted within the same environment. The team, led by Johannes Haile Selassie of Arizona State University, suggested that the newly identified species spent considerable time in wooded areas.
The study proposed that Lucy, or Australopithecus afarensis, was likely traversing the open land, positing that the two species probably had divergent diets and utilized their habitats in distinct ways.
Various analyses of the newly found tooth revealed that A. deiremeda was more primitive than Lucy and likely fed on leaves, fruits, and nuts, the study indicated.
“These distinctions suggest they are less likely to directly compete for identical resources,” remarked Ashley Los Angeles-Wiseman, an assistant professor at the Macdonald Institute of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge.
In an email on Thursday, Wiseman highlighted the significant implications of this discovery for our understanding of evolution, stating that it “reminds us that human evolution is not a linear progression of one species evolving into the next.”
Instead, she asserted, it should be viewed as a branching family tree with numerous so-called “cousins” existing simultaneously, each adopting various survival strategies. “Did they interact? We may never know the answer to that,” she concluded.
Rowan also noted that as the number of well-documented species related to humans increases, so do the inquiries concerning our ancestry. “Which species were our direct ancestors? Which species were our close relatives? That’s the challenge,” he remarked. “As species diversity ascends, so too do the avenues for plausible reconstructions of how human evolution unfolded.”
Wiseman cautioned that definitive species classifications should rely on well-preserved skulls and fossil fragments belonging to multiple related individuals. While the new study bolsters the case for A. deiremeda, it “does not dismiss all other alternative interpretations,” she stated.
Ancient footprints discovered in Kenya belong to two different species of human relatives who walked on the same ground at the same time, a study has found.
This coat of arms is thought to belong to the species Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei.
This discovery raised questions about what kind of relationship and interaction the two species had.
A newly discovered set of footprints in Kenya provides the first evidence that two different species of ancient human relatives walked on the same ground at the same time 1.5 million years ago.
Researchers involved in the discovery say the footprints belong to the species Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei, and were left within hours to days of each other, meaning that when the two crossed paths, reveals new mysteries about what happened.
According to research on this discovery, Published in Science on Thursdaythe footprints were buried in dry mud near a lake in northern Kenya, and were buried in deposits of prominent fossil sites. By analyzing the print shapes and strike patterns, the researchers found that the two sets were different. They concluded that the best explanation was that two different species left the footprints.
This research advances anthropologists and paleontologists’ understanding that ancient human relatives likely interacted and coexisted. This also raises the question of what kind of relationship these species had.
“We think these individuals, the two species that were there, were probably aware that there were members of another species nearby. They saw each other and thought each other was a member of another species. “This raises the question of what that interaction was,” said Kevin Hatala, an associate professor of biology at Chatham University and lead author of the study. “Were they competitors? Were they totally okay with each other there?”
Previously discovered fossil skeletons of Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei indicated that both species lived in the area at some point, but the new discovery provides evidence of a direct duplication.
Research team members excavate to reveal footprints. Neil T. Roach / Harvard University
It also shows that the two species walked on two legs in very different ways.
Although both Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei are related to humans, they have very different characteristics and their fates in the human evolutionary tree took very different paths.
Homo erectus had an anatomy similar to humans from the neck down. This species may have used stone tools and cooked over fire. Its members probably had a varied diet that included meat.
The species eventually spread to Asia, Indonesia, and other regions, and survived for more than a million years after the newly discovered footprints were made.It last appeared in the fossil record just over 100,000 years ago..
“Many have considered themselves to be as good candidates as our direct ancestors,” Hatala said. “They seem to be a very successful species.”
Paranthropus boisei, on the other hand, featured a smaller brain, huge masticatory muscles, and large molar teeth. William Harcourt Smith, an associate professor of anthropology at Lehman College who was not involved in the study, said the species eats difficult-to-eat foods like hard nuts or grinds hard, poor-quality foods like shrubs. It is highly likely that they evolved in this way.
This species did not persist on Earth as long as Homo erectus.
“They probably went extinct not very long after that, within the next few hundred thousand years,” Hatala said, referring to the time of the footprints. He added that no one knows exactly what happened, but it’s possible that environmental changes may have restricted the animal’s specialized diet.
The footprints were first discovered in 2021 at a site called Koobi Fora while researchers were excavating other fossils. This location has become a fossil hotspot. The uplifted rocks expose older sedimentary layers on the surface, giving researchers access to the bones of ancient humans and other animals.
The following year, researchers unearthed about a dozen footprints that appeared to be walking in a line, and later discovered other footprints running at right angles.
“We think these footprints were created in the mud of this lakeshore environment. Something happened that brought sediment on top of it. It could have been deposited by a small flood or by rising water levels. “It’s possible that something was brought in and the footprints were formed and quickly buried,” Hatala said.
The muddy footprints were not trampled by other animals and showed no signs of cracking before being buried in the sand. Researchers said that means they were separated from each other within hours or days.
“The sediment protected them, prevented them from cracking, and allowed them to remain in the geological record,” Hatala said.
He and his co-authors believe that the two species may have been able to coexist in this region because their diets were very different. It is possible that they competed for resources and were in a hostile relationship. This species appears to have lived in the same area for hundreds of thousands of years.
Harcourt Smith, a research paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History, said the researchers’ analysis was sound and the site was unique.
“I want to emphasize how unusual it is that a site like this exists, how special it is, and the great opportunity we have to find out more,” he said.
Broadly speaking, over the past seven million years of evolution, it has become increasingly clear that different ancient human species interacted in different habitats, Harcourt-Smith added. The evolutionary path to modern humans is full of side branches and species, such as Paranthropus boisei, which represent evolutionary dead ends.
“Human evolution is complex and messy, and there are many experiments being done. It’s not a straight line,” he said.
Over the past few decades, scientists have developed genetic and archaeological evidence showing that: Humans, Denisovans, and Neanderthals overlapped and sometimes interbred. Although the new study does not mention interbreeding, it does provide a clearer picture that even older species overlapped and had more interactions than previously understood.
The researchers completed their work at the Koobi Fora site, photographing and recording the footprints in a variety of ways before concealing them for future generations, said Craig, another author of the research paper.・Mr. Feibel said.
“The footprints need to be carefully refilled with non-damaging sediment to prevent erosion,” he says.
Silesauridae An extinct group of Triassic reptiles related to dinosaurs.
These creatures had fairly long necks and legs and probably had a quadrupedal habit.
Most commonly, they are a group of non-dinosaur dinosaurs and are considered to be the sister group of dinosaurs.
Early silesaurids were carnivorous, and later species occupied a variety of ecological niches, with specialized herbivorous adaptations.
“Most authors agree that silesaurids are a sister group to dinosaurs, forming the clade silesauridae.” Dr. Rodrigo Temp Mullera paleontologist at the Federal University of Santa Maria.
“On the other hand, some authors suggest that silesaurids form a clade within ornithischians, nesting as a sister group to typical ornithischians.”
“A more recent hypothesis is that members of the Silesauridae were recovered as ornithischians in a paraphyletic sequence leading to typical ornithischians.”
“Irrespective of their phylogenetic status, sirsaurids inhabited Triassic landscapes for more than 30 million years,” the researchers added.
“Therefore, to investigate the succession of Triassic faunas, it is important to understand their anatomy, biology, and evolution.”
“There are several aspects of sirosaurid anatomy that are unclear or poorly studied.”
“Part of this problem is a result of the lack of more complete fossils, which are usually limited to hindlimb elements.”
The newly discovered species of Cirsaurid lived in what is now Brazil during the middle to upper Triassic period, about 237 million years ago.
named Gondwanax paracensisit represents one of the oldest dinosaurs of South America and one of the oldest silesaurids in the world.
Animal skeletons were recovered from the ruins. santa maria formation Located in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
“Gondwanax paracensis “It is the oldest silesaurid with three sacral vertebrae, a feature commonly observed in more derived forms,” the paleontologist said.
“Furthermore, unlike other Triassic panbirds, this new species has an early fourth trochanter of the femur.”
“This unique combination of features indicates a high diversity of locomotor strategies in early panbirds.”
“Also, what co-occurs is Gondwanax paracensis and Gamatavus antiquus These animals, located in the same aggregation zone, represent the earliest evidence of South American silesaurid sibling. ”
“Indeed, the unique combination of sacral and hindlimb characteristics suggests different behaviors for these species, which may lead to niche differentiation within the same ecosystem.”
of study Published in the Journal on September 30, 2024 Gondwana research.
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Rodrigo Temp Muller. A new silesaurid found in South America's oldest dinomorph habitat provides insight into the early evolution of avian archosaurs. Gondwana researchpublished online on September 30, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2024.09.007
A team of paleontologists from Kasetsart University, Mahasarakham University and Sirindhorn Museum have unearthed three fossilized teeth from a previously unknown non-tyrannosaurid tyrannosauroid dinosaur in northeastern Thailand.
Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Late Jurassic Phu Kradung Formation, northeastern Thailand. Image courtesy of Chacharin Somboon.
“Tyrannosauroidea is a lineage of theropods, which includes some of the best-known carnivorous dinosaurs. Tyrannosaurus Rex “From the Late Cretaceous of North America.” Dr. Chacharam Ketwetulya Kasetsart University and colleagues.
“They lived primarily on the supercontinent of Laurasia from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous.”
“The oldest known species of tyrannosauroids are found in the Middle Jurassic of Europe and Asia, suggesting that this group of theropods originated within Eurasia.”
“Tyrannosauroidea ranged across Asia from the Late Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous, with most Asian tyrannosaurids found in China and Mongolia.”
The three tyrannosauroid teeth examined by the research team were discovered in the Phu Noi area of Khammuang district, Kalasin province, northeastern Thailand.
The specimen dates back to the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period, approximately 145 million years ago.
A basal tyrannosauroid tooth from the Phu Noi region of Thailand. Image courtesy of Chowchuvech others.
“The Phu Noi area is known to be one of the richest sources of Mesozoic vertebrate fossils in Southeast Asia,” the paleontologists said.
“Many species have been unearthed from the site, including freshwater sharks, ray-finned fish, lungfish, amphibians, turtles, crocodylomorphs, pterosaurs and dinosaurs.”
“Three species of dinosaurs have been identified in the Phu Noi area: a metriacanthosaurid theropod, a mamenchisaurid sauropod and a basal neoornithischian. Minimo Cursor.”
“Three of the theropod teeth from the Phu Noi area display unique dental features that distinguish them from previously discovered metriacanthosaurid theropods, including lateral teeth with twisted mesial ridges on the proximal lingual side that extend above the cervical line and interwoven enamel surface textures,” the researchers added.
“Morphological examination and systematic and morphometric analyses reveal that these isolated teeth indicate basal tyrannosauroid relationships, Five colors of the dragon and Proceratosaurus bradleyi From the Jurassic Period.”
“This discovery marks the first report of a tyrannosauroid from the Jurassic of Southeast Asia and contributes to our knowledge of the paleoecology of the lower continent.” Phu Kradung Formation“Our results shed light on the morphological and morphological distribution of tyrannosauroids during the Late Jurassic, and on the paleobiogeographic distribution of tyrannosauroids during the Late Jurassic,” the researchers concluded.
“Furthermore, this study sheds light on the possibility that future excavations and research may uncover new species of dinosaurs in Thailand.”
of study Published in the journal Tropical Natural History.
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W. Chochubek others2024. First discovery of a basal tyrannosauroid in Southeast Asia: dental evidence from the Late Jurassic of northeastern Thailand. Tropical Natural History 24（1） : 84-95
Sweden’s most listened to artist on Spotify is a “secret” composer who has released music under hundreds of different names, surpassing Britney Spears and Abba in plays.
Stockholm-based musician Johan Rohr has been identified as the mastermind behind over 650 artists, accumulating 15 billion plays on the streaming platform, making him the most played artist in Sweden.
Under aliases like “Maya Åström”, “Minik Knudsen”, “Mingmei Hsueh”, and “Csizmazia”, Lehr has released more than 2,700 songs on Spotify, including a song titled “Ether”.
His success has placed him in the top 100 most streamed artists globally on Spotify, ahead of music legends like Michael Jackson, Metallica, and Mariah Carey.
Rohr owes much of his success to being featured on over 100 official instrumental playlists curated by Spotify, such as “Peaceful Piano” and “Stress Relief”, which are popular among users for background music.
Spotify celebrated paying a record SEK 90 billion (£6.7 billion) to the music industry last year, supporting new artists to make a living from their music.
Swedish group Abba has strong competition with Rohr, supporting over 650 artists on Spotify. Photo: Ole Lindeborg/TT News Agency/AFP/Getty Images
Critics argue that the success of anonymous artists like Rohr goes against Spotify’s promise to support small, independent musicians, record companies, and composers.
Rohr, who has worked as a conductor for pop stars, has kept quiet about his earnings from Spotify, but his private company reportedly earned a record 32.7 million kronor (about 240 million yen) in 2022.
Overtone Studios, the record company behind Rohr’s music, acknowledged his use of multiple names and described him as a “pioneer of the mood music genre”.
Niklas Brantberg of Overtone Studios emphasized the importance of artists being able to publish music under different names to reach their full creative potential.
Spotify allows artists to use pseudonyms, catering to the growing demand for functional music like relaxation and concentration playlists.
The platform licenses music from rights holders and pays royalties as per agreements with distributors, without restrictions on artist names or pseudonyms.
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