A mineral that scientists had assumed must exist based on laboratory experiments has been found inside a diamond in Botswana.
The mineral – davemaoite – should help researchers understand what the earth’s lower mantle looks like.
It was identified inside a tiny bit of rock trapped inside a diamond that formed at depths of more than 660km (410 miles).
Scientists assume that between 5% and 7% of the lower mantle must be made of davemaoite.
