Munir Humayun of FSU identified a mineral in a diamond that was recovered from a Botswana mine. The mineral, davemaoite, has been hypothesized to exist but has never before been seen in nature. Humayun used laser ablation to conduct chemical analysis of the mineral.

“This work showed that davemaoite hosts all three of the heat-producing radioactive elements in the lower mantle. The discovery of the natural davemaoite grains enabled direct chemical measurements of a mineral that is the main host of many important trace elements in the deep Earth,” said Humayun.

• Munir Humayun