Science news this week: an enigmatic human relative, dark-matter discovery and mysterious lights in the sky

This week’s science headlines take us on a journey from prehistoric human relatives to the deep mysteries of our galaxy — and even the eerie skies of the early Cold War.

An unexpected branch in humanity’s family tree

Researchers reexamining a 3.4-million-year-old fossil known as the “Burtele foot” from Ethiopia — discovered near the hominid “Lucy” — suggest it may belong to a previously unknown human relative.
What makes this noteworthy is how different the foot seems: it appears adapted for climbing in trees rather than for long-distance walking on the ground.
If this interpretation is correct, it challenges long-held assumptions about how our ancestors moved around and lived — hinting that there may have been a wider diversity of hominids roaming Earth at the time.

At the same time, paleontologists revisited evidence of brutal behavior among ancient humans: there are new reflections on prehistoric cannibalism, as well as cases of interbreeding between modern humans and archaic hominins (the so-called “hobbits,” among others).
Beyond that, researchers uncovered ancient rock art along the U.S.–Mexico border that spans nearly 175 generations; the drawings depict creation myths, human-like figures, and even long-snouted animals reminiscent of giant dachshunds.
Meanwhile in Egypt, archaeologists found signs that a pharaoh may have relocated another ruler’s tomb — stealing both the body and the burial chamber.
And in medieval Spain, a skull with an unusually elongated head — likely caused by a bone-fusing condition — turned up in the remains of a knight.

Together, these findings suggest our understanding of early human relatives — and of how they lived — remains far from complete.

Could this be the first real detection of dark matter?

In one of the most audacious claims to hit astrophysics in years, scientists working with Fermi Gamma‑ray Space Telescope say they may have detected signals that match those expected from theoretical dark matter particles.

The research, led by Tomonori Totani of the University of Tokyo, identified unusual gamma-ray emissions emanating from the center of our galaxy — a “halo-like” glow that aligns strikingly well with predictions for the behavior of hypothetical particles called Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs).

If this signal truly originates from dark matter annihilations, it would mark the first time humanity has “seen” dark matter — a milestone with potentially profound implications for cosmology and particle physics.
Still, scientists are urging caution. Background effects like cosmic rays, pulsars, or other astrophysical processes might produce similar emissions, so independent verification is essential before the claim can be considered definitive.

Cold War skies and a long-standing mystery revisited

In a surprising twist, astronomers have turned over old photographic sky surveys from the 1950s and rediscovered a record of five strange, star-like flashes — which appeared briefly in the night sky before vanishing within an hour.

The new analysis links these “transient events” with atmospheric disturbances associated with nuclear weapons testing during the early Cold War.
While the idea that they might reflect UFO sightings grabs attention, researchers emphasize that the data remain ambiguous — there’s “no easy explanation,” as the title of the new report puts it.

Why this matters

This week’s discoveries underscore a simple but powerful truth: science rarely offers neat answers.

• The fossil record — even from creatures millions of years old — still harbors secrets about who we are, and where we came from.
• The vast, invisible structures that shape our cosmos — like dark matter — may finally be giving up their secrets, but only if findings survive rigorous scrutiny.
• Historical records from bygone eras — even old photographs — can surprise us at the fringes of memory, offering new puzzles about human history and our relationship with the planet.