A new study reveals that rat infestations in many cities worldwide are on the rise, with Washington, D.C. emerging as the biggest hotspot. 



The study, which was focused on rat sighting reports from 16 global cities, attributes the increasing rat populations to warming temperatures, urbanization, and other human activities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rat-sightings-on-the-rise">Rat sightings on the rise</h2>



The researchers conducted a first-of-its-kind analysis using publicly submitted rat complaint data. They discovered that in 11 of the 16 cities analyzed, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rats-have-a-very-complex-social-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rat</a> sightings have increased in recent years. 



Based on individual city trends, Washington D.C. led the pack, followed by San Francisco, Toronto, New York City, and Amsterdam. According to the study, the rat reporting trend in Washington D.C. was three times greater than that of Boston. 



Only three cities - New Orleans, Louisville, and Tokyo - experienced significant decreases in rat reports, with New Orleans showing the largest drop. The experts suggest that New Orleans’ strategies could serve as a model for other cities seeking to control rat populations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-drivers-of-rat-population-growth">Key drivers of rat population growth </h2>



The research team performed statistical analyses of rat sighting reports and concluded that a little over 40% of the rising trend is due to warming temperatures. 



This <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rapid-surge-in-global-warming-may-have-an-unexpected-source/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warming</a> is primarily a result of burning coal, oil, and natural gas, which leads to milder winters and longer foraging periods for rats. 



Study lead author Jonathan Richardson, a biologist at the <a href="https://www.richmond.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Richmond</a>, explained the mechanism.



“We're seeing these increasing trends in rats in cities that are warming the fastest, probably because this is a small mammal that has physiological challenges in the cold weather months,” said Richardson.&nbsp;



“If we're warming the climate and winter starts a week or two later and spring arrives a week or two earlier, that's one, two, maybe even three or four weeks across the entire year where those rats can be above ground foraging, acquiring more food and maybe squeezing out one or two more reproductive cycles.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urbanization-and-higher-population-density">Urbanization and higher population density </h2>



Even a few extra weeks of activity can have a dramatic effect, given that female rats can produce a litter every month. With each litter consisting of eight to 16 pups, this additional time significantly accelerates population growth.



In addition to the effects of warming, the study identified increased <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urbanization-is-a-threat-to-78-of-the-worlds-bird-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urbanization</a> and higher population densities as major factors. Rats thrive in built environments where food waste is abundant and human activity creates numerous shelters.&nbsp;



The experts note that these conditions allow rats to flourish in areas where people and their refuse provide a constant source of sustenance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rats-nature-s-ultimate-urban-survivors">Rats: Nature’s ultimate urban survivors</h2>



Rats have evolved to be remarkably adaptive in urban settings. New York City rat czar Kathleen Corradi stated during a conference that the rat is the third most successful mammal behind humans and house mice. So it evolved and engineered to live alongside us.&nbsp;



“They followed humans, Homo sapiens, across the continents and are in every single continent except Antarctica. So it's considered a wicked problem.”



Their ability to adapt and survive in close proximity to humans explains why rat populations are expanding even as cities implement various control measures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consequences-of-rising-rat-populations">Consequences of rising rat populations</h2>



While rats are undeniably adaptable, their increasing numbers pose serious risks. When rodent populations soar, public health and urban infrastructure can suffer. 



"When rodent populations are high, people get sick, motor vehicles become disabled, mental health declines, fires are started and foods fouled," said Houston rat expert Michael Parsons, who was not involved in the study.



This statement captures the multifaceted impact of rat infestations. High rat populations can lead to increased transmission of diseases, disruption of transportation systems, and other societal challenges. 



People are understandably disturbed by rats, primarily due to an instinctive fear of creatures that can transmit disease.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantifying-city-rats">Quantifying city rats</h2>



Rats are notoriously difficult to count accurately due to their secretive and elusive nature. The study did not count rats directly; instead, it analyzed rat sighting complaints submitted by city residents. 



Although these reports may not reflect the actual number of rats, they provide valuable insight into trends over time. Richardson emphasized that the long-term consistency of the reporting methods used in the study lends credibility to the observed trends.



Even though Washington D.C. exhibited the highest rate of increase, Richardson clarified that this does not necessarily mean the city has the most rats overall - it simply indicates that the number of rat complaints is rising faster than in other cities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prevention-over-poison">Prevention over poison</h2>



The study's findings suggest that traditional methods of rat control, such as poisoning and trapping, may not be sufficient to combat the escalating problem. 



Instead, prevention measures appear to be more effective. In cities like New Orleans, public authorities are taking proactive steps. 



For instance, educational workshops and community campaigns focus on reducing conditions that attract rats, such as improper waste management and excess food availability.



“In New Orleans they make a big effort to get out into neighborhoods and do educational workshops and campaigns to talk to residents about what makes a property less likely to have rats,” Richardson said.



Similarly, New York City has initiated innovative strategies, including replacing street garbage bags with rat-resistant containers and forming an elite volunteer group known as the “NYC rat pack.” 



Early results from these initiatives are promising, although comprehensive data have yet to fully reflect their impact.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-complex-urban-challenge">A complex urban challenge</h2>



While it is possible to better manage rat populations through improved urban planning and public education, complete eradication is unrealistic. 



As <a href="https://umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Michigan</a> conservation scientist Neil Carter pointed out, we can fight them better, but in the end “people need to coexist with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-addresses-the-global-need-for-human-wildlife-coexistence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife</a> in urban environments, even with rats.”



“Zero rats is impossible," noted Richardson. “But I think an expectation that we need to live with the number of rats that we're seeing in many of these cities is also an unhealthy perspective on this problem.”



In conclusion, this study offers a critical, data-driven look at the complex factors driving rat population growth in urban environments. 



As cities continue to warm, expand, and densify, the challenge of managing rat populations will require innovative and sustainable approaches that focus on prevention and public awareness.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads6782" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



Image Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer



-----



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.linkedin.com/in/eric-ralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Rat populations are increasing in cities as temperatures rise

A new study reveals that rat infestations in many cities worldwide are on the rise, with Washington, D.C. emerging as the biggest hotspot. The study, which was focused on rat sighting reports from 16 global cities, attributes the increasing rat populations to warming temperatures, urbanization, and other human activities. Rat sightings on the rise The researchers conducted a first-of-its-kind analysis using publicly submitted rat complaint data. They discovered that in 11 of the 16 cities analyzed, rat sightings have increased in recent years.  Based on individual city...

Wandering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/albatrosses-with-bolder-personalities-have-lower-divorce-rates/">albatrosses</a> are the bird species with the largest wingspan (three meters on average) and can live up to 50 years of age. They usually mate for life, breeding with the same partner every two years. After the female lays a single egg, the prospective parents spend the next 78 days – one of the longest incubation periods among birds – taking turns to incubate the egg, while their mate goes to sea to search for food. Such foraging trips take about 12 days on average, during which the nest-bound parent must stay without food. This can have a negative impact on their body condition, which usually gets worse the longer their partner is away.



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a> has found that wandering albatrosses with older partners tend to spend less time on foraging trips than those with younger partners, so that their mates spend less time without food. The experts believe this might be because the birds are able to assess how long their partner can go without food. Since older birds may struggle more to withstand the pressures of prolonged fasting, their partners may choose to return faster – a behavior which ultimately benefits both parents, who rely on each other to rear their offspring.



“On paper, this behavior looks very caring: one parent gives up feeding time to help protect the other. In reality, this behavior benefits both parents. Albatrosses cannot be single parents; the conditions are too harsh. If one parent runs the other one ragged by making them do too much work, they will lose the chick which is disastrous for both partners,” explained study lead author Finn McCully, a PhD student in Environmental Sciences at Liverpool.



“Our findings suggest that the birds have a way of telling how much pressure their partner is able to take. This familiarity may develop over the years they spend breeding together, as they get to know each other’s limits, but more research is required to test this theory. So if you are a wandering albatross and your partner is that little bit older and less able to recover from a long fast, it’s in your best interests to take extra steps to help keep them fighting fit.”



While previous research has suggested that wandering albatrosses adjust their own foraging behavior as they get older, this is the first study to show that their partner’s age may also play a major role in these behavioral changes.



“We thought that birds would care more about their own age than that of their partner when making decisions, so these results were truly unexpected. Our results just go to show how complicated the lives of animals can be and how nature is full of surprises!”&nbsp;McCully concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.9621">Ecology and Evolution</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Albatrosses put their partners' needs before their own

Wandering albatrosses are the bird species with the largest wingspan...

In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/">University of Vienna</a>, researchers have revealed the first detailed description of the neuroanatomy of Europasaurus. This herbivorous, long-necked dinosaur lived in the Late Jurassic on a small island in modern-day Germany.&nbsp;



"Macronaria, a group of mostly colossal sauropod dinosaurs, comprised the largest terrestrial vertebrates of Earth’s history," wrote the study authors. "However, some of the smallest sauropods belong to this group as well. The Late Jurassic macronarian island dwarf Europasaurus holgeri is one of the most peculiar and best-studied sauropods worldwide."



While some of these sauropods could reach up to 40 meters in length, Europasaurus had a much smaller body length of up to three meters.&nbsp;



Europasaurus, which lived about 154 million years ago, is the earliest known example of insular dwarfism. This is an evolutionary process in which large island-dwelling animals become smaller over time.&nbsp;



The experts used micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to analyze braincase material of Europasaurus. By digitally reconstructing the inner ear, the team was able to learn more about the dinosaur's hearing ability and behavior.



The fossil remains that were examined for the study belonged to specimens ranging from very young to fully grown. The experts found that the part of the inner ear responsible for hearing was relatively long. This indicates that Europasaurus had a good sense of hearing, and was likely very sociable and relied on intraspecific communication.



A different part of the inner ear that is associated with equilibrium was found to contain three tiny arches. The scientists noted that the inner ear cavities of very small specimens resembled the cavities of adults in form and size.&nbsp;



"This supposes that very young individuals of Europasaurus strongly relied on the ability to equilibrate already. Some considered skull remains were so tiny (~2 cm) that they may belong to hatchlings, which renders the species precocial," explained study co-author Sebastian Stumpf.&nbsp;



The researchers explained that some sauropods weighed several tens of tons more than their newly-hatched offspring, which could be deadly for the young dinosaurs. Still yet, they said the hatchlings of Europasaurus may have immediately followed the herd.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.82190">eLife</a>.



Image Credit: Commissioned artwork by Davide Bonadonna.



---



By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Fossil analysis reveals new details about Europasaurus

In a new study led by the University of Vienna,...

Although many different animal species can communicate by making sounds and gestures, humans are the only ones that can speak. The origin of this ability has always fascinated people, and previous research has identified that, in order to speak, humans needed to develop large brains, a tongue with a particular shape and position in the larynx, closed rows of teeth and a smooth palate. And then they needed fine motor control over their speech organs.&nbsp;



Fully functional speech anatomy first appears in fossil humans only from around 50,000 years ago, and is absent from all great apes and earlier hominins, including Neanderthals. There are many different theories about how human speech originated, and non-human primates have been studied for decades in search of clues to cast light on this question. However, the calls of non-human primates are composed primarily or exclusively of voiced vowel-like sounds, while humans mix up vowels and consonants.&nbsp;



New research from scientists at the <a href="https://warwick.ac.uk/">University of Warwick</a> has now revealed that orangutans, the most arboreal of the great apes, produce consonant-like calls more often and of greater variety than their African, ground-dwelling cousins (gorillas, bonobos and chimpanzees).&nbsp;This runs contrary to expectations since the African apes are most closely related to humans and could be expected to have calls that reflect this.&nbsp;



In this study, Professor Adriano Lameira, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Warwick, investigated the origins of human spoken language, which is universally composed of vowels that take the form of voiced sounds, along with voiceless sounds in the form of consonants.&nbsp;



“Existing theories of speech evolution have thus far, focused exclusively on the connection between primate laryngeal anatomy and human use of vowels,” explained Professor Lameira. “This doesn’t explain though, how voiceless, consonant-like sounds became a fundamental component of every language spoken around the globe. This raises questions about where all the consonants, that compose all the world’s languages, originally come from."



In order to understand the origin of consonant sounds in the human lineage, Professor Lameira compared patterns of consonant-like vocal production in the vocal repertoire of three major great ape lineages that survive today from a once-diverse family – orangutans, gorillas, bonobos and chimpanzees.&nbsp;These great apes have call repertoires that consist of both consonant-like and vowel-like sounds, but there is great variation in the way the apes use these sounds in nature.&nbsp;



“Wild gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos don’t use a huge variety of consonant-like calls,” explained Lameira.&nbsp;“Gorillas, for example, have been found to use a single, particular consonant-like call, but this is only prevalent in some gorilla populations and not others. Some chimpanzee populations produce one or two consonant-like calls associated with a single behavior, for example while they are grooming, but these same grooming calls are uncommon in other chimpanzee populations.”&nbsp;



“Wild orangutans, however, use consonant-like calls universally and consistently across different populations and for multiple behaviors, much like humans do with speech. Their vocal repertoire is a rich display of smacking, clicks, kiss-sounds, splutters and raspberries."



Professor Lameira has observed orangutans in their natural habitat throughout the last 18 years and thinks their arboreal lifestyle and feeding habits could help to explain the complexity and sophistication of their consonant-like calls.&nbsp;



“All apes are accomplished extractive foragers. They have developed complex mechanisms to access protected or hidden foods like nuts or plant piths, which often requires either meticulous use of hands or tools. Apes, such as gorillas and chimpanzees, need the stability of the ground in order to successfully handle these foods and use tools, however orangutans are largely tree-dwelling, and access their food up in the canopy, where at least one of their limbs is constantly used to provide stability among the trees," said Professor Lameira.



“It is because of this limitation, that orangutans have developed greater control over their lips, tongue and jaw and can use their mouths as a fifth hand to hold food and maneuver tools. Orangutans are known for peeling an orange with just their lips so their fine oral neuro-motoric control is far superior to that of African apes, and it has evolved to be an integral part of their biology."



The findings of this study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/home">Trends in Cognitive Sciences</a>, suggest that despite being more closely related to humans, African apes may not have evolved the prerequisites for using consonant-like sounds because they spent more time on the ground.&nbsp;



Arboreal, rather than terrestrial, lifestyles appear to have driven great apes to develop different vocal repertoires with large and varied inventories of consonant-like calls. If the habit of living in trees did indeed provided the stimulus to develop and use consonant-like sounds, then this also suggests that our own evolutionary ancestors might have lived a more tree-dwelling lifestyle than previously thought.



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Orangutan communication uses consonants, like human speech

Although many different animal species can communicate by making sounds...

A recent study led by <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> (OSU) has compared the genetics and relocation patterns among two populations of threatened rattlesnakes in order to guide <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephant-tweets-often-misrepresent-conservation-issues/">conservation</a> planning that would give these endangered creatures a better chance of survival. 



According to the experts, a collection of six closely situated but isolated populations of Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes in northeast Ohio could increase their numbers if strategic alterations were made to stretches of land between their home ranges. Reconnecting these genetically disparate populations could not only help Eastern massasaugas escape extinction, but also establish a thriving habitat for other endangered prey and predator species.



Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes live in isolated spaces in midwestern and eastern North America and were listed as&nbsp;threatened under the Endangered Species Act&nbsp;in 2016 due to loss and fragmentation of their habitat. The scientists examined two groups of Eastern massasaugas in Ohio – a large, genetically diverse population inhabiting the Kildeer Plains Wildlife Area in north central Ohio, and six small, separate populations clustered near each other in Ashtabula County.



By genetically analyzing blood samples of 109 snakes cohabitating in the Kildeer Plains area, the researchers found that the snakes living in fragmented sites in northeast Ohio were very distantly related, and stopped mingling three generations ago. “Once we knew that they didn’t seem to be moving around, the real question is why aren’t they moving? It’s not that big of a distance – so we focused on finding out what was stopping them from being connected,” said study lead author Scott Martin, a PhD student in Conservation Genetics at OSU.



“It seemed to be about specific features of the habitat. If the snakes in northeast Ohio were moving as far as we would expect them to, based on how the Killdeer snakes move and data on the species’ range, they should be able to move between these little sites. And yet when we look at the genetics and use pedigrees to see if there is any breeding between the sites, there’s just not.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



According to the scientists, wooded areas, cropland, roads, and housing developments – known as “impervious surfaces” – were the main obstacles to snake relocation. By contrast, wet prairies were an ideal habitat for these snakes, offering them more possibilities to move and intermingle.



“You can imagine two snakes in the same habitat that are probably very genetically similar because they can move easily. And then in this other region you have two snakes near each other, but on either side of a four-lane highway, and they will be genetically different because snakes don’t move across that highway, and over time they’ve diverged,” Martin explained. “That means a highway would have a high resistance value and an open field would have a very low resistance value.”



These findings helped the states of Ohio and Michigan to obtain a $2.3 million grant from the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> to acquire land that could benefit Eastern massasaugas in both states.&nbsp;



“To me, this is a clear example of where Ohio State basic research has produced practical results that have then been directly used to help conserve wildlife in Ohio – in other words, achieving one of the goals of a land-grant institution, which is to provide useful, practical knowledge of value to the citizens of the state,” concluded senior author H. Lisle Gibbs, a professor of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at OSU.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.2793">Ecological Applications</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

How can we save Ohio’s endangered rattlesnakes?

A recent study led by Ohio State University (OSU) has...

By using a scientific model created by one of Europe’s most advanced computers, a research team led by <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a> in Australia has found that over a quarter of the world’s animals may go extinct by the end of the 21st century. According to the experts, ten percent of plants and animals will disappear by 2050 – a number rising up to 27 percent by 2100. Thus, the world could be facing a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-sixth-mass-extinction-is-currently-in-progress/">sixth mass extinction</a> event much earlier and more dramatically than previously thought.



While earlier models of extinction trajectories have largely focused on different aspects, such as the direct impact of climate change or habitat loss on the fate of various species, this is the first study to interconnect species on a global scale in order to clarify how much additional loss may take place through “co-extinctions.”



“Think of a predatory species that loses its prey to&nbsp;climate change. The loss of the prey species is a ‘primary extinction’ because it succumbed directly to a disturbance. But with nothing to eat, its predator will also go extinct, a co-extinction. Or, imagine a parasite losing its host to deforestation, or a flowering plant losing its pollinators because it has become too warm,” explained study senior author Corey Bradshaw, a professor of Global Ecology at Flinders.



By using a cutting-edge computer, the scientists created “synthetic Earths” complete with virtual species and over 15,000 food webs. Then, climate and land use change scenarios were applied to the system to inform future projections.



“Essentially, we have populated a virtual world from the ground up and mapped the resulting fate of thousands of species across the globe to determine the likelihood of real-world tipping points,” said study lead author Giovanni Strona, an expert in Macroecology at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a>.



“We can then assess adaptation to different climate scenarios and interlink with other factors to predict a pattern of coextinctions. By running many simulations over three main scenarios of climate until 2050 and 2100 — the so-called Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we show that there will be up to 34 percent more co-extinctions overall by 2100 than are predicted from direct effects alone.”



The analysis revealed an even more frightening possible outcome: co-extinctions may raise the overall extinction rate of the most vulnerable species by up to 184 percent by the end of the century.&nbsp;



“This study is unique, because it accounts also for the secondary effect on biodiversity, estimating the effect of species going extinct in local food webs beyond direct effects. The results demonstrate that interlinkages within food webs&nbsp;worsen biodiversity loss, to a predicted rate of up to 184 percent for the most susceptible species over the next 75 years,” Bradshaw explained.



“Children born today who live into their 70s can expect to witness the disappearance of literally thousands of plant and animal species, from the tiny orchids and the smallest insects, to iconic animals such as the elephant and the koala … all in one human lifetime.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abn4345">Science Advances</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

One quarter of Earth’s species may be extinct by 2100

By using a scientific model created by one of Europe’s...

A recent study published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLoS ONE</a> provides new evidence that social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-isolation-damages-our-brains/">isolation</a> is detrimental to the health of horses. According to the researchers, horses that are housed alone exhibit stress-related behavior and weakened immune systems just days after being relocated to individual stabling.&nbsp;



"Domestic horses are currently often subject to management practices that can entail social stressors, which in turn can negatively influence immunocompetence and disease susceptibility," wrote the researchers.&nbsp;



Study lead author Sonja Schmucker is an expert in the Institute of Animal Science at the University of Hohenheim. The team set out to analyze the number of various types of immune cells in horses under two potentially stressful housing conditions - horses that were relocated to individual stabling or those who had experienced changes in group composition.



Immune cell measurements were taken before the changes, and then were taken again one and eight days after the changes. The researchers also monitored the cortisol levels and behavior of the horses.&nbsp;



The results showed signs of stress-induced immune modulation after horses were relocated to single housing, but not after changes in group composition. Furthermore, the isolated horses exhibited behavior patterns that are indicative of stress and poor welfare as early as one week after relocation.&nbsp;



"The changes in leukocyte numbers after relocation to single housing were accompanied by a transient increase in cortisol concentrations after one day and the occurrence of disturbed behavior patterns one week after change in housing condition. In contrast, changes in group composition did not result in an increase of cortisol concentrations or in an increase of aggressive interactions," wrote the researchers.



"The results strongly indicate that individual stabling is an intense stressor leading to acute and lasting alterations in blood counts of various leukocyte types. The study highlights a probable negative impact of single housing on welfare and health of horses and an advantage of group housing systems in view of immunocompetence."



"Nevertheless, future studies should examine the effects of particular housing conditions on the immune system and resulting immunocompetence of horses. The results could help making improvements to management practices in order to increase health and welfare of domestic horses."



---



By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;

Isolated horses become stressed with weakened immunity

A recent study published in the journal PLoS ONE provides...

The Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park (BISP) is well known for its remarkable fossil beds. Located in Nevada’s Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the Park is famous for the many ichthyosaurs that have been unearthed there. In fact, the Park contains the largest number of fossil <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ichthyosaurs-had-specialized-diets-to-peacefully-coexist/">ichthyosaurs</a> in the world, including the longest one ever discovered, at around 50 feet in length. Paleontologists have always pondered why so many (37) of the giant marine reptiles all ended up being fossilized in the same area – a new study has now proposed a possible reason.&nbsp;



“We present evidence that these ichthyosaurs died here in large numbers because they were migrating to this area to give birth for many generations across hundreds of thousands of years,” said co-author and Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History curator Nicholas Pyenson. “That means this type of behavior we observe today in whales has been around for more than 200 million years.”



Ichthyosaurs are dolphin-shaped, predatory reptiles that inhabited the world’s oceans for a large part of the Mesozoic Era, between 250 million and 90 million years ago. They ate fish and other marine prey, and had a long snout with many small, conical teeth for catching their food. Ichthyosaurs had unusually large eyes that enabled them to see in the dark depths of the ocean, and their limbs were modified to form flippers. They varied in size from a diminutive 3 feet to an impressive 50 feeet, breathed air, were warm blooded and gave birth to live young.&nbsp;



Over the years, some paleontologists have proposed that BISP’s ichthyosaurs died in a mass stranding event such as those that sometimes afflict modern whales, or that the creatures were poisoned by toxins such as from a nearby harmful algal bloom. The problem is that these hypotheses lack strong lines of scientific evidence to support them.&nbsp;



The new research, from a team of scientists – including researchers from the University of Utah, the Smithsonian Institution, the Vanderbilt University, the University of Nevada, Reno, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Texas at Austin, the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, and Oxford University, involved using newer technology to analyze the ancient fossils of an ichthyosaur called Shonisaurus popularis.&nbsp;



The researchers combined 3D scanning and analytical geochemistry with traditional paleontological methods, such as poring over archival materials, photographs, maps, field notes and drawer after drawer of museum specimens for shreds of evidence that could be reanalyzed. They focused first on a particular site in the Park where a large barn-like building houses what is known as Quarry 2. This is one of the main attractions for visitors because it displays the partial skeletons of seven Shonisaurus ichthyosaurs that all appear to have died around the same time.&nbsp;



Unlike most other fossil displays, these individuals have not been fully excavated from the rock but remain embedded, with only enough of each fossil exposed to enable paleontologists to identify the type of bone. So visitors can see a part of a skull in one location, some flipper bones in another, and a tail in a third. The individuals lie precisely as they did, millions and millions of years ago, when they died, became covered in sediment, and slowly turned into rock.&nbsp;



In order to try and understand why the ichthyosaurs had all died together, the research team collaborated with Jon Blundell, a member of the Smithsonian Digitization Program Office’s 3D Program team, and Holly Little, informatics manager in the museum’s Department of Paleobiology. While the paleontologists were physically measuring bones and studying the site using traditional paleontological techniques, Little and Blundell used digital cameras and a spherical laser scanner to take hundreds of photographs and millions of point measurements that were then stitched together using specialized software to create a 3D model of the fossil bed.



“When I first visited the site in 2014, my first thought was that the best way to study it would be to create a full-color, high-resolution 3D model,” said lead author Neil Kelley, an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University. “A 3D model would allow us to study the way these large fossils were arranged in relation to one another without losing the ability to go bone by bone.”



In addition, the researchers collected tiny samples of the rock surrounding the fossils both at the Quarry 2 site, and in nearby areas, and performed a series of geochemical tests on them. One test measured mercury levels, which often indicate that large-scale volcanic activity has taken place, and found no significantly increased levels. Other tests examined different types of carbon and determined that there was no evidence of sudden increases in organic matter in the marine sediments that would result in a shortage of oxygen in the surrounding waters (though, like whales, the ichthyosaurs breathed air).



The results of these geochemical tests, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.005">Current Biology</a>, indicated that the ichthyosaurs had not all perished because of some apocalyptic event that had caused havoc with their environment. Furthermore, they had not died in shallow waters as would have happened if they had stranded as a group. When the researchers analyzed the geology surrounding the other fossil remains found beyond Quarry 2, they identified an unusual pattern.&nbsp;



Not only did the geologic evidence indicate that the bones of the dead ichthyosaurs had sunk down into the deep ocean at the time, but also it revealed that there were very few other marine vertebrates, such as fish, that had been fossilized in the same location. It appeared that there was not much food for the ichthyosaurs in this location. Although there are a lot of 50-foot adult Shonisaurus specimens present, the only other fossils at the BISP are those of small invertebrates, such as clams and ammonites, which would not have been food items for the ichthyosaurs.&nbsp;



“There are so many large, adult skeletons from this one species at this site and almost nothing else,” said Pyenson. “There are virtually no remains of things like fish or other marine reptiles for these ichthyosaurs to feed on, and there are also no juvenile&nbsp;Shonisaurus&nbsp;skeletons.”



One final piece of evidence led the researchers to propose their new hypothesis. The team eventually found tiny ichthyosaur remains among the new fossils collected at the BISP, as well as hiding within the older museum collections. Careful comparison of the tiny bones and teeth, using micro-CT X-ray scans at Vanderbilt University, revealed that these small bones were in fact from embryonic and newborn Shonisaurus individuals.



“Once it became clear that there was nothing for them to eat here, and there were large adult&nbsp;Shonisaurus along with embryos and newborns, but no juveniles, we started to seriously consider whether this might have been a birthing ground,” said Kelley.



Today’s marine giants – such as blue and humpback whales – also group together for various purposes, including breeding, birthing and socialization. They routinely travel across oceans on regular migratory paths, feeding in certain oceanic regions and giving birth and mating in others. They often give birth when aggregated together, so that there is some safety in numbers, and also select waters in which predators are less common. Large groups of individuals migrate and congregate, year after year, in the same locations. This is what the researchers think may have been the story behind the large collection of ichthyosaur fossils at the BISP.



The detailed analysis of the various strata in BISP where clusters of ichthyosaur bones occur, showed that the fossils were not actually all deposited at the same time. Instead, the ages of the many fossil beds in the park differed by hundreds of thousands of years. This supports the idea that ichthyosaurs returned again and again to the same area and, each year some of them died and sank to the ocean floor.&nbsp;



“Finding these different spots with the same species spread across geologic time with the same demographic pattern tells us that this was a preferred habitat that these large oceangoing predators returned to for generations,” said Pyenson. “This is a clear ecological signal, we argue, that this was a place that&nbsp;Shonisaurus used to give birth, very similar to today’s whales. Now we have evidence that this sort of behavior is 230 million years old.”



“One of the exciting things about this new work is that we discovered new specimens of&nbsp;Shonisaurus popularis&nbsp;that have really well-preserved skull material,” said Randall Irmis, NHMU chief curator and curator of paleontology, associate professor and co-author on the study. “Combined with some of the skeletons that were collected back in the 1950s and 1960s and that are at the Nevada State Museum in Las Vegas, it’s likely we’ll eventually have enough fossil material to finally accurately reconstruct what a&nbsp;Shonisaurus&nbsp;skeleton looked like.”



Image Credit: Gabriel Ugueto



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Ichthyosaur graveyard may be an ancient birthing ground

The Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park (BISP) is well known for its...

Scientists have long known that female bees and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wasps-are-undervalued-as-predators-and-pollinators/">wasps</a> use modified ovipositors – formerly used in egg laying – to sting their attackers. Now, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/en/index.html">Kobe University</a> in Japan has found that male mason wasps use their sharp genital spines to attack and sting predatory tree frogs in order to avoid being swallowed.



“The genitalia of male animals have frequently been studied in terms of conspecific interactions between males and females but rarely in terms of prey-predator interactions,” said study lead author Shinji Sugiura, an entomologist at Kobe University in Japan. “This study highlights the significance of male genitalia as an anti-predator defense and opens a new perspective for understanding the ecological role of male genitalia in animals.”



The scientists discovered this surprising ability of male wasps by accident. While studying the life history of the mason wasp (Anterhynchium gibbifrons), study co-author Misaki Tsujii, a professor at the same university, got stung. “Surprisingly, the male ‘sting’ caused a pricking pain,” Sugiura explained. “Based on her experience and observations, I hypothesized that the male genitalia of&nbsp;A. gibbifrons&nbsp;function as an anti-predator defense.”



Although wasps and bees are well known to use venomous stings to defend themselves and their colonies against predators, scientists have long thought that, because they evolved their venomous stings from ovipositors, males lacking these organs were harmless. Thus, feeling the pain after a male wasp sting was highly surprising.



To solve this mystery, the researchers placed male wasps in an enclosure with a potential tree frog predator. While all of the frogs attacked the male wasps, just over a third of them spit the insects back out – more specifically, precisely the male wasps that still had their genitalia. Thus, the scientists managed to witness the wasps stinging the frogs with their genitalia while being attacked.&nbsp;



These findings suggest the male wasps use their genitalia to sting predators and avoid being eaten. Since male genital spines (called “pseudo-stings”) are found in a variety of wasp families, this newly discovered defense mechanism is likely to characterize many wasp species.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.030">Current Biology</a>.&nbsp;



Image Credit: Current Biology/Sugiura et al.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Male wasps use their genitalia to attack predators

Scientists have long known that female bees and wasps use...

According to new data obtained within the&nbsp;<a href="https://etendering.ted.europa.eu/cft/cft-display.html?cftId=6669">European Red List of Insect Taxonomists</a> - a recent study&nbsp;commissioned&nbsp;by the European Union (EU) – while insect populations continue to decline globally, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-classify-life-taxonomy/">taxonomic expertise</a> in Europe is at significant risk, with scientists specializing in the identification and discovery of insect species declining across the continent.



By extracting information from thousands of scientific articles published in the last decade, querying the most important scientific databases, reaching out to over fifty natural science institutions and their networks, and surveying more than 1,500 taxonomists, the researchers discovered that Europe has been losing taxonomic expertise&nbsp;at such a rate that nearly half of the insect orders (41.4 percent) are currently not covered by a sufficient number of scientists. Even the four largest insect orders - beetles (Coleoptera), moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera), flies (Diptera), and wasps, bees, ants and sawflies (Hymenoptera) - are only properly covered in a fraction of the countries.



The analysis revealed that, while countries such as the Czech Republic, Germany, or Russia showed the most adequate coverage of insect groups, Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Luxembourg, Latvia, Ireland and Malta lacked a sufficient number of taxonomists. Overall, the wealthiest countries tended to invest more in their scientific institutions and thus have more taxonomic experts. However, the poorer countries tend to be richest in insect biodiversity, which is a significant problem if they have insufficient experts to study and classify them.



Moreover, other concerning trends revealed that the community of taxonomists is also aging and male-dominated (82 percent). “One reason to have fewer young taxonomists could be due to limited opportunities for professional training [...] and the fact that not all professional taxonomists provide it, as a significant number of taxonomists are employed by museums and their opportunities for interaction with university students is probably not optimal,” said&nbsp;Ana Casino,&nbsp;the Executive Director of the <a href="https://cetaf.org/">Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities</a> (CETAF).



“Gender bias is very likely caused by multiple factors, including fewer opportunities for women to be exposed to taxonomic research and gain an interest, unequal offer of career opportunities and hiring decisions,” added the report authors. “A fair-playing field for all genders will be crucial to address these shortcomings and close the gap.”



In order to solve these problems, the authors advise the development of targeted and sustainable funding mechanisms to support taxonomy, the establishment of natural history museums or entomological research institutes in countries where they are lacking, and the worldwide recognition of taxonomic work at a multidisciplinary level.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Experts in insect taxonomy “threatened by extinction”

According to new data obtained within the&nbsp;European Red List of...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/playfulness-is-a-key-personality-trait-of-gifted-dogs/">Dogs</a> are very different from one another – they can be reserved or friendly, fearful or bold, calm or playful, or prone to bark or not. Although previous research has shown that many of these differences are genetically determined, even within dog breeds – where artificial selection has led to the loss of much of the original genetic variation – the behavior of individual dogs can vary substantially.



Now, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a> (UCLA) has found that part of the differences in dogs’ temperament – especially their energy levels and fear-related behaviors – actually depend less on genetics than on acquired differences in their epigenome, which can depend on age, diet, exercise, training, socialization, and other environmental factors.



“Here we show that the behavior of dogs is associated with their epigenome, in particular DNA methylation. Our results open the door to using epigenetics to screen and select for desired behavioral traits in companion or service dogs,” said study senior author Matteo Pellegrini, an expert in Epigenomics and Computational Biology at UCLA.



The scientists quantified the genetic, epigenetic, and behavioral differences between 46 female and male dogs from 31 different breeds, with ages ranging from one to 16. While dog owners had to complete a survey to help researchers identify dogs’ behavioral traits, the pets’ epigenome was reconstructed from epithelial and immune cells obtained from swabs inside the dogs’ cheeks.



The analysis revealed that the epigenome was a better predictor of behavior than the genotype. For instance, differences in DNA methylation between dogs explained a far greater proportion of variation in energy, attention seeking, nonsocial fear, or stranger-directed fear than genetic differences did.



“These associations between the DNA methylation of cells in the mouth and dog behaviors were surprising, and suggest that future studies that examine DNA methylation in nerve tissues may identify similar patterns,” said Pellegrini. “We plan to conduct much larger studies in the future, with the goal of developing biomarkers that allow us to better identify dogs with specific behavioral predispositions.”



“Ultimately, we would be very interested in examining the epigenomes of highly specialized dogs such as guide dogs or sled dogs, to be able to assist in the selection of dogs that might be more likely to successfully complete their training,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1025494">Frontiers in Psychology</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Epigenetic variation predicts behavior in dogs

Dogs are very different from one another – they can...

Despite the crucial role earthworms and other soil invertebrates play for healthy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-ecosystems-are-in-urgent-need-of-protection/">ecosystems</a> and fertile soils, there has historically been a lack of monitoring of their populations. Now, by collecting nearly 100 years of scientific studies on soil invertebrate abundance, a team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.bto.org/">British Trust for Ornithology</a> (BTO) has found evidence that earthworm populations have significantly declined over the past decades.



&nbsp;“Changes in the UK countryside over the last century, such as extensive drainage, pesticide use, and inorganic fertilizer application, are likely to have negatively affected earthworm populations,” reported study lead author Ailidh Barnes, a research ecologist at BTO.



“Any large-scale decline in soil biodiversity - particularly the loss of earthworms - would sit alongside&nbsp;concerns about&nbsp;‘insectaggedon’ and the wider biodiversity crisis,” added James Pearce-Higgins, the Director of Science at the same organization. “We need to be concerned about what is happening to biodiversity below the ground in order to protect the biodiversity that we see above ground. We need to look after earthworms.”



According to the scientists, thrushes, starlings, and waders which rely on soil invertebrates are experiencing long-term declines, partly due to changes in the availability of their food sources. These declines appear to be greatest in southeast England, where hotter and drier summers are also likely to reduce the availability of earthworms to foraging birds.



&nbsp;“Whilst these data do not come from a proper monitoring scheme, our hope is that publishing this work will stimulate others to investigate what is happening to our soil invertebrates and establish proper monitoring. Given their importance, we need to monitor changes in the status of our soil invertebrates better than we have in the past,” Pearce-Higgins concluded.



The findings of this study will be presented by Professor Pearce-Higgins at the <a href="https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/">British Ecological Society</a>’s annual meeting in Edinburgh on Monday 19th&nbsp;December.&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Scientists identify long-term declines in UK earthworms

Despite the crucial role earthworms and other soil invertebrates play...

Taxonomists all over the world are working to discover and classify new species before they disappear, in order to help protecting our planet’s dwindling biodiversity. Now, a large international team of specialists has made a major stride forward in clarifying the taxonomy of Madagascar’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dozens-of-frog-species-rediscovered-in-ecuador/">frogs</a>, naming and describing 20 new species.



The newly identified frogs belong to the genus&nbsp;Mantidactylus&nbsp;and subgenus&nbsp;Brygoomantis, which contained only 14 species until now. These tiny, brown frogs – with males emitting subtle calls to attract females - are ubiquitous along streams in Madagascar’s humid forests.&nbsp;



“The calls typically sound like a creaking door, or a gurgling stomach,” said study lead author, Mark D. Scherz, the Curator of Herpetology at the <a href="https://snm.ku.dk/english/">Natural History Museum of Denmark</a>. “Finding, recording, and catching calling individuals of these frogs is a real challenge, but has proven critically important for the discovery and description of these many new species. That means a lot of time on hands and knees in the mud.”



&nbsp;“This is the culmination of intensive fieldwork across Madagascar over more than 30 years,” added Frank Glaw, the Curator of Herpetology at the <a href="https://zsm.snsb.de/?lang=en">Bavarian State Collection of Zoology</a>. “Our dataset contains genetic data from over 1,300 frogs, and measurements of several hundred specimens.”



The scientists used a cutting-edge tool called “museomics,” where DNA is sequenced from old museum material. Although this process is often difficult (since DNA degrades over time), by using a method called “DNA Barcode Fishing,” the experts succeeding in obtaining DNA sequences from most of the relevant museum materials.



“Museomics gave definitive identifications of sometimes very ambiguous-looking specimens,” explained study senior author Miguel Vences, a professor of Evolutionary Biology at the <a href="https://www.tu-braunschweig.de/en/">Technical University of Braunschweig</a>. “This gives us a level of confidence in our species descriptions that was not previously possible based on morphology alone.”



However, there are still several Brygoomantis lineages which are most likely separate species, but scientists did not have enough data or material to identify them. “Even for those species for which we have names, we know almost nothing about their biology or ecology. We need a lot more field research on these frogs, and more specimens in museum collections, to really gain a good understanding of them,” concluded co-author Andolalao Rakotoarison, the co-chair of the <a href="https://www.iucn-amphibians.org/">Amphibian Specialist Group</a> for Madagascar.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/megataxa.7.2.1">Megataxa</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Twenty new species of frogs identified in Madagascar

Taxonomists all over the world are working to discover and...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



---



By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...