Modern humans, Homo sapiens, are currently the only surviving member of the genus Homo. However, in the past, other human species coexisted alongside us. Over time, advances in archaeology have revealed that the genus Homo was once full of varied species, each playing a role in our evolution.

Since 1859, when Charles Darwin published his famous work The Origin of Species, interest in reconstructing the human family tree has grown significantly. Important discoveries, such as the skeletons of Australopithecus afarensis (known as Lucy) or Homo erectus (Java Man), provided the first clues to our ancestors. However, as more and more extinct human species are being discovered, it is becoming clear that our evolutionary history is much more complicated than originally thought.

• EXPLORATION & TECHNOLOGY

NASA is appealing to the public to find innovative solutions to help Artemis astronauts navigate on and around the Moon's south pole.

Project Artemis aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo missions more than 50 years ago. Astronauts will land near the moon's south pole, an area where permanently shadowed regions could contain ice - a key resource for future space missions, including those to Mars.

Officially launched on September 4, the Lunar Navigation Challenge is soliciting ideas for a simple, back-up navigation device that astronauts can use to find their way around the moon, moving between the lander and various points of interest. Another part of the challenge is to find solutions for mapping and exploring Shackleton Crater, a 21km-wide, 4.2km-deep formation in permanent shadow.

• SCIENCE & RESEARCH

In September 2023, the melting of a glacier in Greenland triggered a massive landslide that caused a 200-meter mega-tsunami. But what followed was anything but unusual: a mysterious vibration that lasted for nine days and was felt around the world. After a year of intense research, a 68-strong international team of scientists has managed to decipher the phenomenon, according to a new study published in the journal Science. Their discovery underlines once again that the Arctic region is entering a period of radical change as global temperatures continue to rise.

Seismologists were initially confused, thinking their equipment was faulty when they detected strange vibrations in the ground. Unlike normal earthquakes, this 'hum' lasted much longer and was completely unprecedented. The source of the signal was located in eastern Greenland near Dickson Fjord, where a tsunami had already been reported. The international collaboration of researchers has concluded that these phenomena are linked to what experts call 'cascading hazards', all rooted in climate change caused by human activities.