Sanjana Gajbhiye is an experienced science writer and researcher. She holds a Master of Technology degree in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur.

Read more about Sanjana Gajbhiye <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/sanjana-gajbhiye/">here</a>.

Sanjana Gajbhiye

Rory Arnold is the Editor of Earth.com and contributes a wide variety of content for the site. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Media, Culture, &amp; Communication. He loves dogs and giraffes.

Rory Arnold

Rodielon Putol is a seasoned technology enthusiast and writer with a fervent interest in exploring the intersection of innovation and society.

Read more about Rodielon Putol <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/rodielonputol/">here</a>.

Rodielon Putol

Kyla is based out of California and serves as the Earth.com weekend editor. Kyla has written for numerous news outlets and has been a key contributor to the growth and development of Earth.com.

Kyla Cathey

Kay Vandette is a freelance writer and has written everything from film and food reviews to travel and lifestyle articles.
She has been featured in national publications and blogs and runs a website dedicated to providing tips for beginner freelance writers.
Kay is passionate about living a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle and loves writing for Earth.com.

Kay Vandette

Katherine has a background in environmental policy and believes in information sharing and education to address the challenge of climate change. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her cat and husband and enjoys nature, yoga and cooking.

Katherine Bucko

At Earth.com, Jordan explores the latest scientific findings and shares stories that illuminate the beauty and intricacies of our planet. Covering topics ranging from environmental science to sustainable practices, Jordan’s articles aim to spark curiosity and foster a deeper connection to the natural world.

Learn more about Jordan Joseph <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/jordan-joseph/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Jordan Joseph

As a serial entrepreneur, Eric Ralls has long aspired to merge technology with a love for nature and our planet. Founder at Earth.com, EarthSnap, PlantSnap, redOrbit.  "My goal has always been to bring people back to nature, to help them realize that humanity is a part of nature, not 'apart' from nature," says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-ralls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Ralls</a>, Founder and CEO of EarthSnap. "Homosapiens are only one species out of over 8 million species of life with whom we share this planet. Yet humanity treats the earth like it is ours alone to do with as we please, even though we've only been here for a few hundred thousand years out of the 3.5 billion years that this beautiful blue marble has been zipping through the universe."
Read more about Eric Ralls <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/">here</a>.

Eric Ralls

Connor Ertz lives in Boston and works as the Marketing Writer for Boston Children's Hospital's Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center. He holds degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Gettysburg College, and has been writing for science and news outlets for the last three years. 
&nbsp;

Connor Ertz

In my role as Chief News Editor, I strive to publish studies that are not only fascinating, but also informative. I am grateful for the opportunity to share urgent climate news with Earth.com readers all over the world. 

In order to address the greatest environmental challenge of our lifetime, we must first understand what we are up against. 

Read more about Chrissy Sexton <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/chrissy-sexton/">here</a>.

Chrissy Sexton

Andrei Ionescu is a Staff Writer at Earth.com, covering the latest scientific discoveries in fields including health &amp; medicine, climate science, biology &amp; evolution, paleontology, astrophysics, chemistry, and geology. He holds a PhD from the University of Padua, Italy, and conducted extensive interdisciplinary research at the intersection of the sciences and the humanities at universities in various countries, which resulted in publications at Bloomsbury, Johns Hopkins University Press, and Taylor &amp; Francis.
Read more about Andrei Ionescu <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/aionescu/">here</a>.

Andrei Ionescu

I am a biologist at heart, and interested in all aspects of the natural world. I studied a BSc in Zoology and Botany at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and then received my PhD in Zoology at the same institution. I have subsequently spent much of my life teaching others about the fascinating natural world we have inherited. I am lucky enough to live in South Africa, where wildlife and wild places still abound. 

Writing for Earth.com is a privilege as it enables me to keep in touch with the latest research trends while also being able to inform others about the amazing science currently being done in the various fields of biology.

Alison Bosman

With a career rooted in digital marketing, programmatic advertising, and tech entrepreneurship, Adrian brings a unique perspective to the evolving relationship between technology and innovation.

&nbsp;

Read more about Adrián Villellas <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/adrian-villellas">here</a>.

Adrián Villellas

Gorillas, often thought of as ground dwellers, spend much more time in the trees than previously assumed. This finding from the Max Planck Institute challenges long-standing ideas about the anatomy and evolution of gorillas.



Western and Bwindi mountain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gorillas-are-digging-for-a-surprising-food-in-the-jungle-soil/">gorillas</a>, studied across Gabon and Uganda, were observed over many years. Even the largest males, weighing up to 170 kg, showed substantial tree use. 



Adult females in Loango spent 34% of their time in trees, while Bwindi females clocked 21%. That is a huge jump from the 7% figure for Virunga gorillas.



Study lead author Dr. Martha M. Robbins is a zoologist in the Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution at the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/index/">Max Planck Institute</a> for Evolutionary Anthropology.



“Adult females spent 20% to 30% of their time in the trees, while silverbacks spent 18% to 20% of their time being arboreal, which is much more than 2 to 7% found previously in the Virunga mountain gorillas,” said Dr. Robbins.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-different-gorillas-different-tree-habits">Different gorillas, different tree habits</h2>



The Virunga population shaped our early understanding of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-gorillas-get-sick-from-being-too-social/">gorilla</a> habits. These highland gorillas live in fruit-scarce zones and rarely climb. But the new study included data from five groups in Bwindi and one in Loango, totaling nearly 5,200 observation days.



The findings are clear: tree use varies widely between populations. Even juveniles and subadults in Bwindi and Loango spent 32% to 43% of their time in trees - double the rate seen in Virunga’s younger gorillas.



The researchers also found that body size plays a role but does not prevent tree climbing. 



“This demonstrates that the large body size of gorillas is not necessarily a limiting factor to tree climbing and that gorillas can be just as arboreal as some chimpanzee populations,” said co-author Rhianna Drummond-Clarke.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climbing-is-not-just-about-fruit">Climbing is not just about fruit</h2>



The researchers expected fruit to be the main driver behind climbing. While gorillas did climb more while eating fruit, the full story is more complex. In Loango, adult females were more arboreal when eating leaves than fruit. In Bwindi, the reverse was true.



Even silverbacks, the heaviest individuals, climbed trees to eat fruit. At Bwindi, silverbacks were arboreal 82% of the time they ate fruit. But fruit formed just 14% of their diet, meaning most of their tree time involved eating leaves.



At Loango, gorillas often ate fallen fruit from the ground. This shows fruit-eating can be a terrestrial act too. Meanwhile, western gorillas also ate lots of tree leaves, about 30% of their diet, driving folivorous tree use, similar to some monkeys.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-feeding-is-the-main-reason-to-climb">Feeding is the main reason to climb</h2>



What were the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/male-infertility-humans-linked-same-genes-gorilla-small-penises/">gorillas</a> doing in trees? Mostly feeding. Adult female gorillas were far more likely to climb while feeding than when resting or traveling.



Even when eating nonfruit, Loango females climbed more than Bwindi ones. This likely reflects differences in diet and foraging strategy. The energy payoff from fruit seems to outweigh the climbing cost, especially for massive silverbacks.



Also, Loango females were heavier climbers than their Bwindi peers when not eating fruit. This surprising reversal shows that even leaf-seeking gorillas may spend considerable time off the ground.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-means-for-ape-evolution">What this means for ape evolution</h2>



These results have big implications. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-endangered-primate-species-identified-in-new-report/">Gorillas</a> have long been labeled as terrestrial because of their bulk and plant-heavy diets. But that view no longer holds. The study shows gorilla arboreality spans all life stages, from infants to adults.



That shift affects how we interpret the fossil record. Gorilla-like bones have been taken to suggest ground-based life. But frequent tree climbing changes the picture. 



“We demonstrate that large body size and a largely folivorous diet in apes are also consistent with frequent arboreality,” noted the study authors.



Studies of limb proportions and bone strength now suggest a range, from more tree-based western gorillas to more ground-based Virunga ones. 



This means our models of ancient human relatives may need adjustment. Gorilla-like features may not imply they lived solely on the ground.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gorillas-are-tree-climbers-not-just-walkers">Gorillas are tree climbers, not just walkers</h2>



Gorillas are not just forest-floor giants. They climb often and for various reasons. From feeding on leaves to exploring the canopy, these behaviors offer key insights into how apes, including humans, evolved.



Future research may look into how such large animals navigate trees. They might distribute their weight across branches or use special movement strategies, similar to orangutans or chimpanzees. 



This research opens new doors in our understanding of ape mobility and evolutionary history.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00590-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Gorillas spend much more time in trees than we previously thought

Gorillas, often thought of as ground dwellers, spend much more...

In the 1920s, the yellow-spored mold Aspergillus flavus gained infamy after members of Howard Carter’s team died not long after opening Tutankhamun’s tomb.



Decades later, a similar fate befell scientists who entered the crypt of Poland’s King Casimir IV. Within weeks, 10 of the 12 researchers succumbed to respiratory illness, and investigators traced the deadly outbreak to dormant A. flavus spores. 



Long dismissed as a toxic mold, Aspergillus flavus has revealed a new role: producing compounds that match some of the most trusted cancer therapies for acute myeloid leukemia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-aspergillus-flavus-the-basics">Understanding Aspergillus flavus - the basics</h2>



This fungus is commonly found in soil, decaying vegetation, and grains. It thrives in warm, humid environments, which makes it a persistent problem in agricultural settings - especially in crops like corn, peanuts, and tree nuts. 



What makes it particularly concerning is its ability to produce aflatoxins, which are highly toxic and carcinogenic compounds. 



Aflatoxin contamination in food can pose serious health risks to both humans and livestock, prompting strict regulations and regular testing in the food industry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mold-s-molecular-treasure-map">Mold’s molecular treasure map</h2>



The breakthrough came from Sherry Gao’s laboratory at the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a>, where researchers hunt for drugs hidden in microbial genomes.



The team focused on ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides, or RiPPs - small, ring-shaped molecules known for complex bioactivity. Scientists have cataloged thousands of RiPPs in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-think-they-found-two-key-bacteria-that-cause-multiple-sclerosis/">bacteria</a>, but they've found only a handful in fungi.



“Purifying these chemicals is difficult,” explained lead author Qiuyue Nie, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Moreover, scientists can easily overlook the genes that direct their synthesis.



Using a two-pronged strategy, the team first compared the chemical fingerprints of a dozen Aspergillus strains, then zeroed in on gene clusters likely to encode RiPP machinery. 



Turning those genes off caused the mysterious chemical peaks to vanish. This confirmed the researchers had found an active RiPP factory inside the tomb-dwelling mold.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-tomb-mold-to-cancer-medicine">From tomb mold to cancer medicine</h2>



Isolation and structural analysis revealed four previously unknown molecules sporting an intricate lattice of interlocking rings. The scientists named them asperigimycins in honor of their fungal source.



Two of the four showed notable activity against leukemia cells straight out of the flask, but a chemical tweak proved transformative.



By adding a fatty tail identical to one found in royal jelly - the nutrient-rich substance that turns ordinary bee larvae into queens - the team produced a lipid-capped asperigimycin. It matched cytarabine and daunorubicin, drugs that have anchored leukemia care since the 1970s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-drug-gets-inside">How the drug gets inside </h2>



Why did that extra lipid unleash such power? Gao’s group deployed a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crispr-gene-editing-gets-a-revolutionary-upgrade-with-new-tool/">CRISPR</a>-based screen, knocking out genes in leukemia cells and tracking changes in drug uptake. 



One transporter, SLC46A3, emerged as essential. It normally shuttles nutrients out of lysosomes, the cell’s recycling compartments. The researchers learned that the fatty tag let the mold-derived asperigimycins hitch a ride through this portal.



“This gene acts like a gateway,” Nie said. “Knowing that lipids can affect how this gene transports chemicals into cells gives us another tool for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oral-peptides-pave-the-way-for-new-drug-development/">drug development</a>.” 



The insight may rescue other cyclic peptides that falter in trials because they cannot cross cellular barriers efficiently.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disarming-cancer-s-dividing-machinery"><a></a>Disarming cancer’s dividing machinery</h2>



Microscopy and biochemical assays showed that the modified asperigimycins halt tumor growth by sabotaging microtubules, the protein scaffolds that haul chromosomes apart during mitosis.



Intriguingly, the mold-derived molecules left breast, liver, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honeybees-can-sniff-out-lung-cancer/">lung cancer</a> lines largely untouched, as well as an array of bacteria and yeast. 



That selectivity hints at fewer side effects for patients, a perennial challenge for chemotherapy agents that indiscriminately target all fast-dividing cells.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-mold-modern-answers">Ancient mold, modern answers</h2>



For decades, scientists debated how fungi construct RiPPs, often mistaking them for non-ribosomal peptides. The current study resolves that puzzle by linking chemical signatures to the responsible genes.



“The synthesis of these compounds is complicated, but that’s also what gives them this remarkable bioactivity," said Nie.



Comparative genomic scans have already flagged similar RiPP gene clusters in dozens of other molds, suggesting a trove of undiscovered molecules with antibiotic, antiviral, or immunomodulatory potential. According to Nie, this is an unexplored region with tremendous potential.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-tomb-to-trial">From tomb to trial</h2>



The next step is to test asperigimycins in mice to gauge toxicity, dosage, and efficacy in living organisms. Success there could pave the way for human clinical trials. Gao, reflecting on the journey from tomb lore to lab bench, recalls one guiding principle.



“Fungi gave us penicillin. These results show that many more medicines derived from natural products remain to be found,” Gao said.



Nature’s pantry still holds untold remedies waiting to be unlocked. With each advance in genomic mining and synthetic tailoring, the line between microbial menace and medical marvel grows ever thinner.



It’s a testament to evolution’s vast chemical imagination - and to scientists bold enough to mine mold and other microbes for the next life-saving drug.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41589-025-01946-9">Nature Chemical Biology</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Toxic mold found in ancient tombs has been engineered into a promising cancer drug

In the 1920s, the yellow-spored mold Aspergillus flavus gained infamy...

Smiling,Mature,Mother,And,Adult,Daughter,On,Sofa,In,Living

Imagine chatting over coffee with your grandmother when she pauses mid-sentence and mutters, “Oh, what’s the word I’m looking for?” That familiar snag - scientists call it word-finding difficulty (WFD) - often arrives long before gray hair or reading glasses. It can feel trivial, yet it quietly hints at how the brain ages.



Those hesitations pop up everywhere, from grocery aisles to family reunions. They even slip into laboratory tasks designed to stress-test language. 



Far from mere annoyance, a faltering word can help clinicians spot trouble brewing in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pupil-size-during-sleep-decides-if-new-or-old-memories-are-replayed/">memory networks</a> years before other symptoms emerge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-word-finding-difficulty-wfd">Word-finding difficulty (WFD)</h2>



Early work at the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Toronto</a> and <a href="https://www.baycrest.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Baycrest Health Sciences</a> ties WFD to the same neural highways that falter in Alzheimer’s disease. 



Researchers note that slower speech, rather than the odd lapse, tracks most closely with overall cognitive health. 



Beyond disease, fresh evidence links verbal fluency to longevity; adults who keep words flowing live longer than peers whose speech grows hesitant.



Because everyday talk is complex, scientists break the puzzle into manageable pieces. 



Clues come from spontaneous pauses like “um,” “uh,” and from those frustrating “tip-of-the-tongue” moments when meaning is clear but the sound won’t surface. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-three-wfd-theories">Three WFD theories</h2>



One camp blames a global slowdown. The processing speed theory says an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aging-hotspot-found-in-the-brain-may-hold-the-key-to-longevity/">aging brain</a> resembles an old laptop that needs a beat to open each file. 



Neural transmissions still fire, just more leisurely, leading to extra silence before the right syllable appears.



Another view, the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33934024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inhibition deficit</a> hypothesis, argues that older adults struggle to hush irrelevant notions. Competing names or ideas intrude, and mental traffic control can’t wave them aside quickly. 



Yet real-world conversations rarely show a flood of wrong guesses, casting doubt on inhibition as the chief culprit.



A third explanation zooms straight into language. The <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319777924_Research_into_Tip_of_the_Tongue_State_Transmission_Deficit_Model_vs_Blocking_Hypothesis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transmission deficit</a> hypothesis pictures vocabulary as a layered web: concept at the top, word form in the middle, and sound at the bottom. 



Age loosens the link between the middle and bottom tiers, so the speaker knows the concept but can’t launch its sound. That fragile connection makes spoken naming harder than listening or reading, which rely on sturdier routes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-picture-word-game">Picture-word game</h2>



To probe these ideas, scientists use <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35389697/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">picture-word interference</a> tasks. Volunteers see a picture - say, a dog - while a word flashes or plays. If that word is “cat,” its meaning overlaps and slows the answer. 



If it is “fog,” the shared consonant kick-starts articulation. This setup teases apart semantic and phonological forces without the messiness of free conversation.



Moving experiments online has boosted participation. Researchers turned the task into a fast-paced game, keeping attention high across all ages. 



Reaction times shrink into the millisecond range, revealing hiccups long before a listener hears any stumble.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-125-volunteers-revealed">What 125 volunteers revealed</h2>



In one study, 125 adults aged 18 to 85 tackled the game, logged executive-function scores, and recorded natural chat for later analysis. 



Older participants slowed markedly when “cat” accompanied a dog image and enjoyed less help from a “fog” cue. Those patterns matched the weakened pathway predicted by the transmission deficit hypothesis.



Yet when daily speech samples were scored, neither semantic slowdown nor <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/speech-planning-how-our-brains-prepare-to-speak/">phonological</a> boost predicted real-life WFD. 



Instead, overall reaction time - the raw speed of pulling any word - stood out as the best indicator. The finding nudged attention back toward general <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-the-speed-at-which-the-brain-processes-information/">processing speed</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speed-outpaces-distraction">Speed outpaces distraction</h2>



Follow-up work confirmed that the cadence of ordinary talk mirrors cognitive vitality. The University of Toronto team found that people who spoke more slowly also scored lower on tasks requiring planning and focus, even when word-finding errors were rare. 



Crucially, pauses to chase a lost word did not track with decline; what mattered was how briskly sentences rolled once the right words appeared.



This distinction eases common worries. A brief hunt for a noun may simply reflect normal aging, whereas a gradual slowdown in fluent speech could wave a red flag earlier than memory tests. 



Clinicians now argue that talking speed belongs in standard cognitive checkups, alongside <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-you-position-your-arm-can-alter-blood-pressure-readings-according-to-scientists/">blood pressure</a> and reflex taps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-ahead-to-early-detection">Looking ahead to early detection</h2>



The picture-word game offers a quick, engaging way to capture subtle shifts before they tip into impairment. Because it measures speed and accuracy together, it may outshine traditional naming lists for spotting risk early. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-baby-talk-reveals-about-infant-learning/">Speech-analysis</a> software, already parsing recordings for millisecond pauses, could soon alert physicians when a patient’s verbal tempo drifts.



Meanwhile, everyday habits still matter. Conversational practice, storytelling, word games, and even learning new languages keep those neural pathways exercised. 



Just as daily walks support the heart, lively chatter supports the mind. And when a loved one stalls on a name, patience helps more than finishing the thought for them. 



Sometimes the right word arrives on its own schedule - one more reminder that brains, like conversations, thrive when given a little time to breathe.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13825585.2024.2315774" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Scientists identify a speech pattern that is a clear indication of a person in cognitive decline

Imagine chatting over coffee with your grandmother when she pauses...

When you look at a forest, the variety of trees you see above ground is only part of the story. Beneath the soil, vast networks of fungi influence which trees thrive, which coexist, and how forests respond to the challenges of climate and geography.



A new study led by researchers from <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/">Purdue University</a> and <a href="https://english.pku.edu.cn/">Peking University</a> has revealed how these underground fungal allies shape tree diversity across the globe. Their influence varies depending on latitude, moisture, and environmental stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fungi-hidden-beneath-forests">Fungi hidden beneath forests</h2>



Jingjing Liang, an associate professor of quantitative forest ecology at Purdue, co-led the study with Zhiheng Wang from Peking University.



“What we can see above ground is governed to a large extent by what is happening belowground,” said Liang.



The experts analyzed data from over 442,000 forest plots worldwide and focused on two main groups of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-distribute-enormous-amounts-of-co2-to-mycorrhizal-fungi/">mycorrhizal fungi</a>: ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. 



Both form partnerships with tree roots, trading nutrients for carbohydrates, but they do so in different ways that profoundly influence <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-rich-tree-diversity-adapt-better-changing-climate/">forest diversity</a>.



“The loss in tree species diversity may damage the ecosystem services provided by forests," Wang said. "Understanding the mechanisms driving the maintenance of tree species forest diversity is fundamental for the conservation of tree species diversity.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solving-a-forest-diversity-puzzle">Solving a forest diversity puzzle</h2>



For years, scientists have debated how fungal partnerships impact tree species diversity, proposing three competing hypotheses. This comprehensive global study found that all three are valid, depending on environmental context.



“Our findings reconcile inconsistencies regarding how mycorrhizal symbiosis influences tree species diversity,” Wang said.



Using precise forest inventory data collected worldwide, the team applied advanced statistical methods to filter noise from complex ecological data, revealing hidden patterns.



“With this data, we were able to very accurately capture this relationship between different types of mycorrhizal fungi and forest tree species diversity,” Liang explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fungal-effects-shift-with-climate">Fungal effects shift with climate</h2>



<a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> ecologist Peter Reich, a senior co-author, highlighted the value of the study’s comprehensive approach. 



“This insight would have been impossible to detect without the comprehensiveness of this dataset, which allows us to test across large gradients of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-altering-the-temperature-in-66-of-tropical-forests/">temperature</a>, moisture, and latitude,” he said.



Reich explained that ectomycorrhizal fungi often dominate in cold, nutrient-poor regions that naturally have fewer tree species. Without a broad dataset, this dominance could obscure the fungi’s more nuanced effects.



“But by being able to tease apart temperature and moisture, we can see that when conditions are generally good," he said. "The more abundant the ectomycorrhizal are, the more they do to reduce tree richness.”



The process is complex. While dominant tree species naturally suppress less competitive species, root <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-pandemic-looms-as-pathogens-move-from-wild-plants-to-crops/">pathogens</a> usually check the dominance, allowing diversity. 



Ectomycorrhizal fungi suppress these pathogens, enabling dominant trees to thrive unchecked, which can reduce species diversity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-harder-climates-stronger-alliances">Harder climates, stronger alliances</h2>



The study also found that under stressful conditions - such as low moisture or cold climates - the combination of both fungal types fosters greater diversity.



In these environments, resource-sharing partnerships help more tree species survive, while pathogen suppression plays a smaller role.



“Both ways of influencing tree diversity are real, but their relative balance and magnitude of impacts vary with environmental context,” Reich said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-healing-forests-from-below">Healing forests from below</h2>



Liang emphasized that understanding the hidden fungal networks in forests is akin to treating a patient holistically. 



“We should not just look at the surface symptoms. We should look deep down, literally to the roots of the problems, and that is belowground mutualism,” he said.



This work, supported by the <a href="https://www.gfbinitiative.org/">Global Forest Biodiversity Initiative</a> and its Science-i platform, demonstrates how global collaborations can untangle complex ecological questions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forest-conservation-and-fungal-networks">Forest conservation and fungal networks</h2>



The findings open pathways for further research: How do these underground alliances affect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-forests-with-many-tree-species-are-more-effective-at-carbon-storage/">carbon storage</a> in forests? Can fostering specific fungal partnerships enhance forest resilience in a changing climate?



&nbsp;“And what can we do to enhance the health of our forest ecosystem by not just seeing what is on the surface, but what is belowground?” Liang asked.



By revealing the profound influence of underground fungal networks on forest diversity, this research underscores that the key to healthier forests - and perhaps a healthier planet - may lie hidden beneath our feet.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt5743">Science Advances</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

How an invisible fungal alliance helps forests thrive

When you look at a forest, the variety of trees...

When humans burst into laughter together, moods lift almost automatically. New research shows that a similar boost happens in our closest cousins.



An international team led by <a href="https://bloomington.iu.edu/">Indiana University</a> scientists has discovered that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bonobos-group-cohesion-common-enemy-effect-do-not-kill-inside-their-species/">bonobos</a> become more upbeat after hearing the giggles of their companions. This finding pushes the evolutionary history of positive emotions back millions of years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-laughter-changed-ape-choices">Laughter changed ape choices</h2>



To explore laughter’s influence, the researchers designed a cognitive-bias test often used in animal psychology to gauge optimism or pessimism.



First, they trained bonobos at the <a href="https://www.apeinitiative.org/">Ape Initiative</a> in Des Moines, Iowa, to recognize two kinds of boxes: black ones that always contained a delicious snack and white ones that were always empty.



Once the apes consistently chose black and ignored white, the experimenters introduced a third, ambiguous gray box. They then played one of two sounds: recorded bonobo laughter or a neutral control noise.



“We know that other apes, like chimpanzees, have contagious laughter during play," said lead author Sasha Winkler, a primatologist at <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a>. "We were wondering if that behavior could be explained by positive emotions produced from the sound itself.” 



If the bonobos felt a surge of good feeling after hearing laughter, the team expected them to treat the uncertain gray box as if it were the rewarding black one.



That is exactly what happened. “Think of it like the rose-colored glasses effect,” Winkler said. “The bonobos were much more likely to approach the gray boxes after hearing laughter, treating them like the rewarded boxes, and indicating a more optimistic expectation of finding a treat.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-optimism-to-our-ancestors">Tracing optimism to our ancestors</h2>



This study is the first experimental proof that great-ape laughter can shift mood and cognition the way human laughter does.



“The tendency to behave more optimistically after hearing laughter suggests that the sound alone induced a positive emotional state in bonobos,” said senior author Erica Cartmill, the director of Indiana University’s Cognitive Science Program.



“This is the first study of which we're aware to measure a positive affect shift in nonhuman primates from a brief experimental intervention.”



Great apes -&nbsp; bonobos, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-wild-chimpanzees-can-teach-us-about-parenting/">chimpanzees</a>, gorillas, orangutans - all emit play calls that acoustically resemble human chuckles. Earlier work tied those sounds to a common evolutionary origin. The new findings add a cognitive twist.



“Our results suggest that laughter in other apes shares not only phylogenetic and behavioral similarities with human laughter but also perhaps some of the same cognitive-emotional underpinnings,” Winkler noted.



“This emotional contagion appears to have been present in the primate lineage long before the evolution of language.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-laughter-empathy-and-apes">Laughter, empathy, and apes</h2>



Emotional contagion is often described as a foundational element of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/little-benjamina-the-oldest-evidence-of-social-empathy-in-humans/">empathy</a> - the capacity to share another’s feelings. As Winkler put it, “studies like ours can help to untangle the evolutionary building blocks of empathy, communication, and cooperation in humans.”



By revealing that a simple vocal cue can brighten outlooks in bonobos, the research suggests that the mechanisms linking social sound to positive mood were already in place in a common ancestor millions of years ago.



Cartmill added that the work answers a long-standing bias in emotion research. “Our emotions influence many aspects of cognition, including memory, attention, and decision-making, but research has historically focused on negative emotions with clear behavioral correlates, like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-pathway-discovered-that-suppresses-fear/">fear</a> and aggression.”



“We wanted to better understand the relationship between positive affect and cognition in our closest living relatives.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kanzi-and-the-future-of-empathy">Kanzi and the future of empathy</h2>



The experiments involved four bonobos, including the celebrated language-using ape Kanzi, who recently passed away.



“I feel incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Kanzi while he was still alive,” Winkler said. 



“We hope this brings greater public awareness of the remarkable similarities between us and bonobos, who are an endangered species. We have so much to learn from these incredible animals.”



Future studies will test whether laughter exerts similar cognitive effects in chimpanzees and other primates. They will also explore how social context - for example, hearing laughs from friends versus strangers - modulates optimism.



For now, the discovery that bonobo giggles brighten expectations highlights a shared emotional heritage and hints that a simple laugh has been boosting group spirits since long before humans walked the Earth.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-02594-8">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Laughter lifts bonobo moods, offering clues to human emotion

When humans burst into laughter together, moods lift almost automatically....

News coming your way