A method for generating chondrocytes and/or cartilage optionally articular like non hypertrophic chondrocyte cells and/or cartilage like tissue and/or hypertrophic chondrocyte like cells and/or cartilage like tissue the method comprising: a. culturing a primitive streak like mesoderm population optionally a CD56+ PDGFRalpha+ KDR primitive streak like mesoderm population with a paraxial mesoderm specifying cocktail comprising: i. a FGF agonist ii. a BMP inhibitor optionally Noggin LDN 193189 Dorsomorphin and iii. optionally one or more of a TGFbeta inhibitor optionally SB431524 and a Wnt inhibitor optionally DKK1 IWP2 or XAV939 to specify a paraxial mesoderm population expressing cell surface CD73 CD105 and/or PDGFR beta b. generating a chondrocyte precursor population comprising: i. culturing the paraxial mesoderm population expressing CD73 CD105 and/or PDGFR beta at a high cell density optionally in serum free or serum containing media ii. culturing the high cell density CD73+ CD105+ and/or PDGFRbeta+ paraxial mesoderm population with a TGFbeta3 agonist in serum free media to produce a high cell density Sox9+ collagen 2+ chondrocyte precursor population and c. either i. culturing the high cell density Sox9+ collagen 2+ chondrocyte precursor population with the TGFbeta3 agonist for an extended period of time to produce an articular like non hypertrophic chondrocyte cells and/or cartilage like tissue or ii. culturing the high cell density Sox9+ collagen2+ chondrocyte precursor population with a BMP4 agonist for an extended period of time to produce a hypertrophic chondrocyte like cells and/or cartilage like tissue.
