Researchers digitally reconstructed the face of a 1.5-million-year-old Homo erectus fossil, DAN5, from Ethiopia's Gona. Homo erectus was earliest human ancestor to migrate out of Africa. While DAN5 has a small brain like African Homo erectus, its face and teeth seem more primitive, challenging notions about evolution and suggesting early humans migrated a lot and mixed with different groups.

Breathing polluted air could disrupt gut health, trigger liver stress and increase the risk of heart disease, a UCLA Health study found. The research exposed mice to ultrafine air particles over a 10-week period. Scientists noted major shifts in their gut microbiome, and these changes were strongly linked to greater atherosclerotic plaque buildup in major arteries.

Thousands of 210-million-year-old dinosaur footprints have been discovered in Italy’s Stelvio National Park, offering rare insights into Triassic wildlife. Believed to belong to prosauropods, the remarkably preserved tracks suggest group movement and social behavior. Found on a near-vertical mountain wall, the site is among the largest and best-preserved in Europe.

NASA's IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) mission solved a decades-old mystery on black hole jets. After more than 600 hours of observations over 60 days, IXPE identified the source of X-rays from galaxy 3C 84 at the centre of the Perseus galaxy cluster. Combining IXPE data with other observations, researchers found that the X-rays originate from inverse Compton scattering.

DataLane, a New York City based company specialising in identity graph services for local businesses, has raised $22.5 million in a Series A round led by Amplify Partners. With total funding now at $27 million, the company will invest in product development, AI and engineering talent, and go-to-market expansion to strengthen accurate, real-time business identity data solutions.

A newly discovered orange toad species in Brazil is so tiny it can fit on the tip of a pencil. Found deep in the cloud forests of the Serra do Quiriri range in the southern Atlantic Forest, the toad measures less than 14 mm. Researchers have named it Brachycephalus lulai in honour of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Japan on Wednesday cancelled the launch of H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki 5 navigation satellite due to an abnormality in the equipment system, JAXA said. The launch from Tanegashima Space Centre had earlier been delayed from December 7 due to an issue with the rocket's inertial measurement unit. Michibiki 5 is planned to be part of a seven-orbiter geolocation system.

Dr Nicole Negbenebor, a dermatologist, warn that long, hot showers can strip the skin of its natural oils, leading to dryness and irritation. He recommends shorter showers using lukewarm water, gentle soaps and minimal exfoliation to protect the skin barrier. Small changes to daily shower habits can help keep skin healthy year-round.

Russia's space agency Roscosmos said that repair work is underway at full speed at the damaged launch pad in Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome. Over 130 workers are operating in two shifts to fix the pad, Roscosmos added. The facility should return to service by February 2026. The pad was damaged in November during the Soyuz MS-28 launch.

NASA has released new images of Arp 142, a rare interacting galaxy pair nicknamed the 'Penguin and the Egg', captured during an active gravitational encounter. The penguin, a spiral galaxy, is being strongly distorted by its neighbour's gravity, with stretched arms and gas streams. The egg galaxy appears smooth and nearly featureless, dominated by older stars.