Celebrated each year on November 19th, World Anteater Day was established to raise awareness about the unique lives of anteaters and the conservation challenges they face.&nbsp;



This day highlights the importance of protecting anteaters and their habitats, particularly as their survival is threatened by habitat destruction, illegal wildlife trade, and road collisions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ecological-role-of-anteaters">Ecological role of anteaters</h2>



When it comes to the health and balance of the <a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.earth.com%2Fnews%2Fhow-can-earths-ecosystems-adapt-to-climate-change%2F&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a> they inhabit, anteaters play a crucial role through their specialized diet and behavior.&nbsp;



By consuming large quantities of ants and termites, they regulate the populations of these insects, preventing them from becoming overly abundant and causing ecological imbalances.&nbsp;



This natural pest control helps protect vegetation and soil from the damage that excessive insect activity can cause, such as defoliation and soil degradation.



In their search for food, anteaters often disturb the ground, aerating the soil and promoting nutrient cycling. This activity creates microhabitats that benefit other organisms, including plants and smaller animals, by improving soil quality and fostering biodiversity.&nbsp;



Anteaters also serve as prey for larger predators, making them an integral part of the food web. Their presence is a sign of a healthy ecosystem, highlighting their importance in conserving <a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.earth.com%2Fnews%2Fanimal-tracking-is-crucial-for-preserving-biodiversity%2F&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a> and maintaining environmental stability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fascinating-facts-about-anteaters">Fascinating facts about anteaters</h2>



Anteaters are fascinating creatures with a variety of traits that make them stand out as unique members of the animal kingdom.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-distinct-anatomy">Distinct anatomy</h3>



Their long, tubular snouts house tongues that can extend up to two feet, allowing them to probe deep into ant and termite mounds.&nbsp;



These tongues are covered in sticky saliva and can flick up to 150 times per minute, enabling anteaters to consume thousands of insects daily.&nbsp;



Interestingly, anteaters lack teeth and rely on the muscular walls of their stomachs to grind food, which is aided by the sand and dirt they ingest.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-foraging-style">Foraging style</h3>



Anteaters are highly specialized for their diet, with powerful claws to break open hard termite mounds and thick fur to protect them from insect bites.&nbsp;



These animals have poor vision but excellent senses of smell and hearing, which help them navigate and locate prey.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lifestyle">Lifestyle</h3>



Despite their solitary nature, they communicate through huffs, snorts, and body language.



Anteaters are also known for their peculiar gait, as they walk on their knuckles to protect their claws.



The giant anteater, the largest species, can grow up to seven feet long, including its bushy tail. The silky anteater, which is the smallest species, is about the size of a squirrel. 



Anteaters are native to Central and South America, where they play an essential role in ecosystems by controlling insect populations and aerating the soil.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-anteaters-face-a-range-of-threats">Anteaters face a range of threats</h2>



Despite their ecological importance, many anteater species are threatened by habitat loss and other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-activity-has-a-strong-effect-on-wildlife-in-remote-areas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">human activities</a>, making their conservation a global priority.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-habitat-loss">Habitat loss</h3>



Habitat loss is one of the most critical challenges, as deforestation and agricultural expansion reduce the <a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.earth.com%2Fnews%2Fsingle-degree-temperature-warming-boreal-forests-wreak-havoc%2F&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forests</a>, savannas, and grasslands they depend on.&nbsp;



Urban development fragments their habitats, isolating populations and limiting access to food and mating opportunities.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-activities-nbsp">Human activities&nbsp;</h3>



Road collisions are another major threat, especially for giant anteaters, which often wander across highways in search of food or territory.&nbsp;



The expansion of road networks in their native ranges increases the risk of these deadly encounters.&nbsp;



Furthermore, anteaters are occasionally targeted by hunters for their meat or as trophies - despite their low economic value.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-change">Climate change</h3>



Wildfires are particularly devastating for anteaters, destroying their habitats and leaving them vulnerable to starvation or predation.&nbsp;



<a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.earth.com%2Fnews%2Fanimal-extinction-risk-is-heavily-influenced-by-climate-change%2F&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Climate change</a> exacerbates these issues by altering their ecosystems, making it harder for them to find sufficient food and shelter.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-illegal-wildlife-trade-nbsp">Illegal wildlife trade&nbsp;</h3>



Illegal wildlife trade also poses a threat, as some species are captured and sold as exotic pets. Due to their specific care requirements, anteaters should not be kept as pets. 



Combined, these threats significantly endanger anteater populations, highlighting the need for focused conservation efforts to protect them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-world-anteater-day">World Anteater Day</h2>



World Anteater Day emphasizes education about the ecological value of these creatures, inspiring conservation efforts worldwide.&nbsp;



Activities on World Anteater Day often include educational campaigns, fundraising events, and efforts to support <a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect.worldwildlife.org%2Fpage%2F53256%2Fdonate%2F1%3Fen_og_source%3DSearchAd_Donation%26ea.tracking.id%3DPaidAd_Google_Membership%26supporter.appealCode%3DAWE2305OQ18492A06630RX%26utm_source%3Dgooglepaid%26utm_medium%3Dcpc%26utm_campaign%3Dwildlife-charities%26gad_source%3D1%26gclid%3DCj0KCQiAi_G5BhDXARIsAN5SX7oTjn7ZmwbhTgSG1LPcKDfdfjLFPsXaiUhN_2QrutNr4Fw35XZUoQYaAk2iEALw_wcB&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife organizations</a> dedicated to the preservation of anteaters and their natural environments.&nbsp;



By educating the public and supporting conservation initiatives, World Anteater Day aims to promote appreciation for these unique animals and encourage collective responsibility for safeguarding their future.&nbsp;



Today is a reminder that every species, no matter how unusual, plays a vital role in the delicate balance of nature.



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World Anteater Day: A tribute to nature's unique foragers

Celebrated each year on November 19th, World Anteater Day was established to raise awareness about the unique lives of anteaters and the conservation challenges they face.&nbsp; This day highlights the importance of protecting anteaters and their habitats, particularly as their survival is threatened by habitat destruction, illegal wildlife trade, and road collisions. Ecological role of anteaters When it comes to the health and balance of the ecosystems they inhabit, anteaters play a crucial role through their specialized diet and behavior.&nbsp; By consuming large quantities of ants and...

Off the northeastern coast of Japan, marine scientists have been monitoring the diets of sea turtles for the past 15 years. Live turtles caught as by-catch (mainly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loggerhead-turtles-migrate-using-a-secret-thermal-corridor/">loggerhead</a> and green turtles) are brought to the International Coastal Research Center of the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, where they are kept in individual tanks for up to 3&nbsp;months to collect their feces. Sadly, many of the turtles have ingested marine debris, as evidenced by the undigested remains in their feces.&nbsp;



Although the scientists are used to recording plastics in the feces of living turtles, or in the guts of dead turtles, they were shocked by the fecal contents of a young green turtle, caught in their study region on 10 August, 2021. This turtle should have been feeding on a diet of jelly fish, seaweed and seagrass but, instead, its feces contained barnacles, wood chips and plastic – in the form of a disposable face mask.&nbsp; This is the first time that the researchers have direct evidence of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the marine turtles of the area.&nbsp;



The scientists have published their findings on the fecal and gut contents of 76 sea turtles caught in the region over the past 15 years, including the individual that had consumed a face mask. Their report is available online and also in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/marine-pollution-bulletin">Marine Pollution Bulletin</a>.



“Face masks had never been found in this survey before the pandemic, and, unfortunately, this is the first detection,” said paper author Takuya Fukuoka, a post-doctoral researcher in the Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry (LOG) at <a href="https://www.tuat.ac.jp/en/">Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology</a>. “The turtle, in this case, excreted the mask; however, the physical consequences of debris ingestion in many marine species are under discussion.”



And it is not only the physical consequences of eating marine debris that are of concern. Many plastics contain chemicals that can disrupt the normal endocrine (hormone) cycles in the body, thus having far-reaching impacts on individual animals.&nbsp;



The researchers conducted a chemical analysis of the mask, as well as of five other common brands of masks that are readily available in stores. All the masks were made of polypropylene, a plastic with a low density that floats in the water column. This plastic can contain additives that leach into the digestive fluid of marine organisms that ingest it, according to Hideshige Takada, professor in the LOG.



“We detected UV stabilizers in four out of five brands of face masks we tested, ranging from 1.4 to 848 nanograms per gram of material,” Takada said. “This concentration range is similar to those detected in plastic bottle caps, shopping bags and food packaging.” Three of the detected UV stabilizers are known to interfere with the molecules involved with hormone regulation, according to Takada.



“Exposure of marine organisms that ingest PPE waste to the chemicals and the consequential endocrine-disruption are of further concern,” Takada said. “We urgently need to study the ecotoxicological consequences of the ingestion of waste PPE by marine organisms and potential endocrine disruption. As a precautionary action, it is necessary to establish appropriate waste management systems to stop the entry of PPE into the environment and the use of safer additives to PPE.”



Not long ago, sea turtles that had plastic drinking straws stuck in their nostrils became the champions of the movement to reduce single-use plastics and promote the production of non-plastic food containers. It seems that they are again sending humanity a warning that the irresponsible disposal of PPE into the oceans has the potential to harm innocent marine organisms.&nbsp;



Although personal protective equipment (PPE) has been crucial in protecting people from the spread of coronavirus in the past two years, these items need to be disposed of in such a way that they do not enter the marine environment. The researchers plan to continue studying how COVID-19-derived plastic debris enters the environment, as well as how organic pollutants and additives from plastic waste transfer into marine organisms, in efforts to mitigate further harm.



“As the pandemic continues, the usage of disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) continues,” Takada said. “The COVID-19 pandemic affects not only human life, but also marine life through waste management issues. Unless appropriate waste management is instituted, the ingestion of PPE, associated chemicals and microplastics will increase in a variety of marine life very soon.”



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

Sea turtles are now ingesting disposable face masks

Off the northeastern coast of Japan, marine scientists have been...

The heartland virus was discovered in 2009, when two men were hospitalized in Missouri. The men suffered from fever, diarrhea, low blood cell counts, muscle aches and other symptoms consistent with tick borne <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-identify-100-cases-of-humans-passing-disease-to-animals/">diseases</a>. It was discovered upon further research that the men were infected with a previously unknown virus, which was named “heartland virus” and traced back to lone star ticks.



Since its discovery, over 50 cases of the heartland virus have shown up in people in 11 states in the south and midwestern US. Some of these cases were bad enough to require hospitalization. It is believed that the actual cases of the disease may be higher, as the condition is relatively unknown and tests for the disease are rare. A postmortem test even confirmed that someone in Georgia died of the disease in 2005. Furthermore, research shows that deer in the area have been exposed since at least 2001.&nbsp;



"Heartland is an emerging infectious disease that is not well understood," said study senior author Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec, an associate professor at <a href="https://www.emory.edu/home/index.html">Emory University</a>. "We're trying to get ahead of this virus by learning everything that we can about it before it potentially becomes a bigger problem."



Dr. Yomila Romer, formerly a part of the Vazquez-Prokopec lab, led research to look into the connections between the lone star tick and heartland virus. The researchers collected specimens of the lone star tick, both as an adult and as a nymph in different locations and times. Genetic analysis was carried out to detect the heartland virus. Three samples found the virus and the genetics between the samples were very similar. The samples showed very different genetics from the heartland virus outside of state.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



"These results suggest that the virus may be evolving very rapidly in different geographic locations, or that it may be circulating primarily in isolated areas and not dispersing quickly between those areas," explained Vazquez-Prokopec.



Further sample collecting in Georgia suggests that only one in every 2,000 ticks carries the heartland virus. The team plans on carrying out more research on ticks and tick borne illness in the future as diseases and tick health may change with climate change and growth of human populations.&nbsp;



"We will be gathering data to help support tick surveillance efforts by public health officials in Georgia," Vazquez-Prokopec says. "Tick-borne diseases are a real and growing threat and the best way to deal with them is not to panic, but to do the science needed to learn everything we can about them."



The journal is published in the journal <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/">Emerging Infectious Diseases</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

"Heartland virus" found in lone star ticks in Georgia

The heartland virus was discovered in 2009, when two men...

People in many cultures around the world do not consider <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-identify-100-cases-of-humans-passing-disease-to-animals/">animals</a> to be aware of their feelings and emotions. Animal rights groups have fought to change this perception as it has bearing on society’s ability to give legal protection to animals in need. Although progress has been made, to some extent, in changing people’s understanding that mammals have emotions and can feel pain, the legislation in most countries does not recognize other vertebrates, or invertebrates, as having this level of consciousness.&nbsp;



In a recent development in the United Kingdom, however, amendments to the animal welfare legislation are proposed that include invertebrates, such as octopuses, crabs, crayfish and lobsters, in the category of organisms capable of feeling pain and emotion.&nbsp;



“A London School of Economics (LSE) report commissioned by the U.K. government found there is strong enough evidence to conclude that decapod crustaceans and cephalopod mollusks are sentient,” said York University Professor and philosopher Kristin Andrews, the York Research Chair in Animal Minds, who is working with the LSE team.



The declaration follows recent research studies on mammals, fish, octopuses and crabs, showing that these creatures avoid pain and dangerous locations when they can. This indicates that they recognize pain and danger as unpleasant experiences and react in a conscious way to avoid them. In addition, research has shown signs of empathy in some animals, such as cows that become distressed when they see their calf in pain.



“It’s been a real struggle even to get fish and mammals recognized under welfare law as sentient. So, it’s pretty cutting-edge what seems to be happening in the U.K. with invertebrates," said Andrews.



An article written by Andrews and colleague Professor Frans de Waal, director of the Living Links Center at Emory University, discusses the ethical and policy issues that arise once governments consider animals to be sentient. The article, titled "The question of animal emotions," is published today in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>.



Once invertebrates are recognized as having feelings this opens a moral and ethical dilemma, since they cannot say what they feel. It becomes society’s duty to protect them and not allow them to be persecuted or treated cruelly. There will be many people who do not accept that invertebrates have emotions, even though “the research so far strongly suggests their existence,” according to Andrews, who is working on a research project called Animals and Moral Practice.



“If they can no longer be considered immune to felt pain, invertebrate experiences will need to become part of our species’ moral landscape,” explained Andrews. “But pain is just one morally relevant emotion. Invertebrates such as octopuses may experience other emotions such as curiosity in exploration, affection for individuals, or excitement in anticipation of a future reward.”



People will need to view invertebrates differently, should the U.K. animal welfare legislation be amended. Humans will no longer be able to assume that crayfish, shrimps, squids and octopuses don’t feel pain or other emotions. In fact, this may apply to many other vertebrate and invertebrate species as well, which would necessitate our viewing the world rather differently.&nbsp;



“When we’re going about our normal lives, we try not to do harm to other beings. So, it’s really about retraining the way we see the world. How exactly to treat other animals remains an open research question,” said Andrews. “We don’t have sufficient science right now to know exactly what the proper treatment of certain species should be. To determine that, we need greater co-operation between scientists and ethicists.”



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

Do crabs and lobsters have emotions and feelings?

People in many cultures around the world do not consider...

According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a>, repetitive behaviors such as tail-chasing or nervous pacing are more common among <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-exhibit-behaviors-similar-to-human-adhd/">dogs</a> that belong to first-time owners. Moreover, dogs living with larger families or exercising less than an hour per day have also been found to engage in behaviors resembling psychiatric conditions such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).



Researchers from the University of Helsinki led by Hannes Lohi, a professor of Veterinary Biosciences and Genetics, surveyed the owners of 4,436 dogs belonging to 22 different breeds, from February 2015 to September 2018. The owners had to describe how often their canine companions engaged in repetitive behaviors such as tail-chasing, surface licking, nervous pacing, staring into space, self-biting, or snapping at their own reflection in the window.



The results showed that 1,315 (approximately 30 percent) of the dogs engaged in such actions, and that the incidence of canine repetitive behavior was strongly associated with the pets’ home environment and lifestyle. Such behaviors were 58 percent more likely among dogs that were their owners’ first pet, compared to those whose owner has previously had other dogs, suggesting that owners’ “expertise” in dealing with dogs may significantly influence their pets’ mental health.



Moreover, dogs that lived with a single person were 33 percent less likely to engage in repetitive behaviors than dogs that lived in larger families. Similarly, those that did not live together with other dogs were 64 percent more likely to exhibit such behaviors.&nbsp;



The amount of daily exercise dogs engaged in also appeared to influence to a large degree the nature of their actions. For instance, exercising for less than one hour per day was associated with a 53 percent increase in the likelihood of developing repetitive types of behaviors.



The scientists found that age and breed were also important factors structuring dogs’ behaviors. Thus, younger (less than two years of age) or older (over eight years) dogs were less likely to behave repetitively. In terms of breeds, repetitive behaviors were most common in German Shepherd Dogs, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, and Chinese Crested Dogs, and least common in Smooth Collies, Lagotto Romagnolos, and Miniature Schnauzers.



These results suggest that canine repetitive behavior is a highly complex issue, associated with a&nbsp; variety of environmental, genetic, and lifestyle factors. Clearly understanding how these factors structure canine behavior could help improve these animals’ welfare.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07443-6">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.



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

Repetitive behaviors in dogs are influenced by many factors

According to a recent study led by the University of...

Due to global warming, many plant and animal species migrate from their native habitats, increasing the likelihood or local and global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-fertilization-led-to-severe-mass-extinction-event/">extinctions</a>. A series of studies on endangered species living on the border of Vietnam and China highlights the increasing importance of transboundary conservation efforts in the face of climate change.&nbsp;



According to a team of scientists from the <a href="https://www.amnh.org/">American Museum of National History</a>, the <a href="https://vnu.edu.vn/eng/">Vietnam National University</a> (VNU), and the <a href="https://www.henu.edu.cn/">Henan University</a> in China, strategic, coordinated approaches towards managing transboundary species and landscapes are essential to prevent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predators-help-prevent-biodiversity-loss/">biodiversity loss</a>.



“Biodiversity is undergoing dramatic loss on the global level, and we know that it is essential to human health and wellbeing - and that one of the most complex and challenging threats to biodiversity is climate change,” said Mary Blair, an expert in biodiversity at the American Museum of National History.



“There’s an urgent need for more information about how climate change is already affecting the distributions of key endangered species and habitats to inform conservation action planning, especially in areas where there may be limited capacity or resources for management, such as Southeast Asia.”



Recent estimates suggest that more than half of all terrestrial mammals, birds, and amphibians have distributions that cross national borders. Besides being threatened by hunting or deforestation, these animals may also be harmed by the construction of border infrastructure and the insufficient coordination of conservation activities on either side of the border. Additionally, these threats are likely to be exacerbated by climate change.



Professor Blair and her colleagues from Vietnam and China began a project focused on several endangered species inhabiting the border between Vietnam and China. These include highly threatened animals and plants, such as the Cao Vit gibbon, the Francois’ langur, and the Magnolia grandis tree. With a total population of fewer than 120 adult trees, Magnolia grandis is one of the world’s most threatened trees.



“Our analyses show that suitable habitat for species like the Cao Vit gibbon and the Owston’s civet will significantly shrink and become highly fragmented, whereas habitat for the endangered crocodile lizard will substantially shift under future climate scenarios. The results of the study will play a crucial role in formulating appropriate transboundary conservation measures,” said Minh Le, an environmental ecology at VNU.



“Borders often exemplify complex sociopolitical contexts and histories between countries. So conservation scientists, practitioners, and managers have an obligation to understand those contexts and know how they relate to our work and the goals of conservation. As global changes, including climate change, continue, we will have to increasingly work across borders to achieve biodiversity conservation goals and to do better science,” concluded Professor Blair.



The articles are published in a special issue of the journal Frontiers of Biogeography entitled “<a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/fb/14/1">Transboundary Conservation Under Climate Change.</a>”



Image Credit: Photo courtesy of Chu Xuan Canh, Fauna and Flora International, Vietnam



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

Conservation efforts must cross borders to save endangered species

Due to global warming, many plant and animal species migrate...

Dolphins are intriguing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-mammals-play-a-role-in-combating-climate-change/">mammals</a> with complex social behaviors and relationships. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> have found that male bottlenose dolphins maintain social relationships through whistle exchanges.&nbsp;



Previously, male dolphins have been known to use physical contact like petting to connect with strongly bonded allies. This new research shows that male dolphins can also use different tactics to connect with weaker allies through vocal exchanges.&nbsp;



“Many animals, including humans, use tactile contact, touch, to strengthen and reaffirm important relationships. But as the number of close social relationships increases, so too do the demands on the time and space available for relationship maintenance through physical contact," said study lead author Emma Chereskin, from Bristol’s <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/biology/">School of Biological Sciences</a>.



"Male bottlenose dolphins form strategic, multi-level alliances, and we wanted to know how they maintained multiple alliance relationships in large groups.”



To better understand how male dolphins maintain relationships, the scientists relied on nine years of acoustic and behavioral data from <a href="https://www.sharkbay.org/">Shark Bay</a>, a dolphin population in Western Australia.



Groups of males were followed so that researchers could observe their physical and acoustic behavior. By doing so, the research team was able to identify the different approaches to bonding. For example, within dolphin alliances, bonded dolphins engage through physical contact, whereas those that are weakly bonded engage through whistle exchanges.&nbsp;



“This illustrates that these weaker but still key social relationships can be maintained with vocal exchanges," said study senior author Dr. Stephanie King.



The social bonding hypothesis proposes that vocalizations and language have evolved as a form of ‘vocal grooming’ to replace physical grooming as larger groups make physical contact more demanding and can take up more time. This hypothesis does differ when applied to primates, as studies suggest that vocal exchanges among primates happen between bonded individuals and don’t necessarily replace physical bonding.



The study provides new evidence that vocal exchanges can serve as a method of bonding - “but more importantly, and in line with the social bonding hypothesis, that vocal exchanges can function as a replacement of physical bonding, allowing allied male dolphins to ‘bond-at-a-distance’. This evidence in support of the social bonding hypothesis outside of the primate lineage raises exciting new questions on the origins and evolution of language across taxa,” said Chereskin,



The research was funded by The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science and the National Geographic Society.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Male dolphins whistle to maintain social relationships

Dolphins are intriguing mammals with complex social behaviors and relationships....

Scientists have already studied in great depth the venom of cone snails – predatory marine animals that prowl on the ocean floor, hunting and feeding upon <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-killer-whales-ate-fish-not-other-mammals/">fish</a> – and found that it contains chemical compounds that can be adapted to treat chronic pain, diabetes, and other human diseases. In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> and the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a>, an international team of scientists discovered that a particular group of cone snails (Conus rolani) produces a venom compound similar to the hormone somatostatin.



Somatostatin is a hormone that, in humans and many other vertebrates, acts as a multipurpose inhibitor. For instance, it is the main inhibitor of growth hormone, and can be used to treat acromegaly, an excessive growth disorder. Moreover, it also inhibits hormones in the pancreas, as well as signals of inflammation and pain.



“So it’s this hormone that has many, many different functions in the human body,” said study senior author Helena Safavi-Hemami, an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Utah and associate professor at the University of Copenhagen. “But it’s always blocking something. And because of that, it had been an interesting hormone for drug development for some time.”



While studying C.rolani - a species of cone snail that injects venom into fish to leave them sensory-deprived and disoriented and thus an easy prey - Professor Safavi-Hemami and her colleagues discovered that their venom contained a small peptide (chain of amino acids) called Consomatin Ro1 that had a few similarities with somatostatin. This peptide is short, stable, and efficient in the receptors it targets, appearing to activate two of the five human receptors for somatostatin with unique selectivity.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Laboratory studies have shown that Consomatin Ro1 can block pain in mice with an efficiency similar to that of morphine, and thus may be used by cone snails to block pain so their prey does not know it has been struck.



Further research is needed to understand the origin of Consomatin Ro1 in snails, and to assess the potential of the compound to act as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever in humans. “This gives insight to the development of next-generation therapeutics,” said Christopher Hill, a distinguished professor of Biochemistry at the University of Utah.&nbsp;“More generally, this is a great example of how evolution in the natural world has already developed drug-like natural products that have great potential to improve human health.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abk1410">Science Advances</a>.



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

Cone snail venom could be used to produce painkillers

Scientists have already studied in great depth the venom of...

New research published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/">PLoS Pathogens</a> shows that white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can transmit COVID up to five days after infection. Moreover, like humans, the virus reproduces in the upper respiratory tract of deer, especially in the nose.&nbsp;



Study co-author Dr. Diego Diel is an associate professor and director of the <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> Virology Laboratory in the College of Veterinary Medicine's Animal Health Diagnostic Center.



"It's a relatively short window of time in which the infected animals are shedding and are able to transmit the virus," said Dr. Diel.



For the investigation, the researchers infected six captive white-tailed female fawns, who were less than eight months old, along with six adults, who were three to four years of age. Six fawns were used as contact animals, and three were used as controls. For the adult portion of the study, two animals were used as controls.



Over approximately 20 days, the researchers introduced the contact fawns to the virus. They monitored the animals and took biological samples to determine which animals were infected and to learn more about how they carried the virus. Although there is no evidence that humans have caught COVID from deer (evidence points rather to transmissions from humans to deer), the researchers feel this study is important because they believe white-tailed deer could become a reservoir species for the virus. The study authors are particularly concerned about transmission through the hunting of deer in the United States.



"Given the broad practice of deer hunting in the U.S., knowing the sites of virus replication is important to minimize the risks of exposure and transmission from these wild animals that could potentially transmit the virus back to humans," said Dr. Diel.



The researchers hope that by learning more about where the virus replicates, they can educate hunters on the best practices to avoid infection. For example, the study shows that the virus replicates in deer tonsils, lymphoid tissues, and the central nervous system. Hunters might want to take extra precautions when handling these areas.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study shows deer can transmit COVID for up to five days

New research published in PLoS Pathogens shows that white-tailed deer...

A new study led by the <a href="https://iisc.ac.in/">Indian Institute of Science</a> (IISc) has revealed that large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-herbivores-must-be-restored-to-balance-ecosystems/">herbivores</a> like yak play a very important role in the stability of soil carbon in grazing ecosystems. By studying soil composition in the Spiti region of the Himalayas, the researchers found that soil carbon levels are less stable in the absence of grazing animals.&nbsp;



According to the experts, this phenomenon could have unintended negative consequences for the global carbon cycle, especially considering that soil contains more carbon than all plants and the atmosphere combined. Maintaining the stability of soil carbon is critical in helping to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, including global warming.&nbsp;



Study senior author Sumanta Bagchi is a professor at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES) who began studying the impact of grazing animals on Himalayan ecosystems back in 2005. Bagchi led a long-term research project that was made possible with support from the Himachal Pradesh state government, local authorities, and the people of the Kibber village in Spiti.



The researchers created fenced plots without animals, as well as plots with grazing animals like yak and ibex. Over the following decade, Bagchi and his students collected soil samples from the plots. Each year, the team analyzed the chemical composition of the soil, tracking and comparing the levels of carbon and nitrogen in each plot.



The study revealed that soil carbon fluctuated 30 to 40 percent more in the fenced plots without grazing animals. In the grazed plots, soil carbon remained more stable.&nbsp;



Study first author Dilip GT Naidu explained that many previous studies have focused on measuring carbon and nitrogen levels at long time intervals, assuming that the accumulation or loss of carbon is a slow process. However, he said the interannual fluctuations the team noticed in their data paint a very different picture.



According to the researchers, since grazing ecosystems make up about 40 percent of Earth’s land surface, protecting the herbivores that keep the soil carbon stable should remain a key priority for mitigating climate change.



“Both domestic and wild herbivores influence climate via their effects on soil carbon,” explained study co-author Shamik Roy. The CES team is also investigating how the ecosystem impacts of domestic herbivores, such as goats and sheep, differ from the effects of wild grazing animals.&nbsp;



“Domestic and wild herbivores are very similar in many respects, but they differ in how they influence plants and soil," said Roy. "Understanding why they are not alike can lead us toward more effective stewardship of soil carbon."



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2211317119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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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.

Grazing animals play a key role in stabilizing soil carbon

A new study led by the Indian Institute of Science...

Urban areas are often hotter than surrounding countryside. Cities both produce heat as well as trap it with man-made materials like concrete and asphalt, creating “heat islands.” There’s a well known record of people dying during extreme heat events pushed to greater highs due to urban heat islands.&nbsp;



Researchers wondered what impact urban heat has on wildlife, specifically <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lead-poisoning-from-hunting-is-killing-europes-most-charismatic-birds/">birds</a>. In a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>, experts have investigated the impact of extreme heat events on urban and forest dwelling great tits (a common songbird).&nbsp;



“Our results suggest that natural populations may be more vulnerable to more frequent extreme heat," said study lead author Dr. Ivett Pipoly of the University of Pannonia.



"We already know several environmental changes that urban populations have adapted, or are adapting, to in cities. It is interesting that urban individuals might adapt better to the climate crisis as well, maybe because they have more experience with heat as they live inside the urban heat island.”



The scientists installed hundreds of nest boxes throughout two Hungarian cities and adjoining forests. From 2013 to 2018, the scientists watched 760 broods, measuring chicks at two weeks old and then recording their survival.&nbsp;



Counterintuitively, chicks in the hotter cities survived the extreme heat events better than their forest dwelling counterparts. Urban birds even showed a small benefit from the heat, while forest birds were smaller and less likely to survive.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The mechanism behind this surprising increased survival of city birds isn’t yet known, and raises more questions than answers. The research also points to the fragility of birds as well as other animals in the face of human caused destruction.&nbsp;



“We could hear about more frequent mass mortality events of wild desert birds, bats and even large herbivores nowadays, which could be a consequence of the vulnerability of natural populations to high temperatures," said Dr. Pipoly.



"It will be extremely important to get more knowledge about the less conspicuous effects of extreme weather events, like the ones we found in great tits, and from several populations with different local environments. Then we can see a more detailed picture of the interactive effects of climate change and urbanization on wildlife and biodiversity.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Extreme heat is harder on birds in the forest than in the city

Urban areas are often hotter than surrounding countryside. Cities both...

Spinosaurus was among the largest terrestrial dinosaurs ever to exist, possibly even larger than the other two contenders for this crown, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/were-there-three-distinct-species-of-tyrannosaurus-rex/">Tyrannosaurus</a> and&nbsp;Giganotosaurus. Its length has been estimated at 15 to 16 meters (49 to 52&nbsp;ft), while its weight was somewhere between 6 and 7 metric tons. This formidable dinosaur had a skull that measured 1.5 meters in length and a massive “sail” structure on its back, supported by enormous bony spines that originated on its vertebrae.



The dinosaur is known from only six partial skeletons, all excavated in North Africa, and its anatomy has led to intense debate about the kind of lifestyle this creature had.&nbsp;



Since fossilized fish scales were present with some of the Spinosaurus bones, it would appear that it was a piscivore (preyed on fish). However, some scientists proposed that, although it had some features of modern crocodiles, its enormous body, bony spines and large sail would have made it unstable and slow while swimming in the water. They thought, instead, that it was probably a terrestrial predator like T. rex.



Others proposed that its excessive length, rather short back legs and unusually small pelvis would have made it an ineffective hunter on land, and that its great mass would have made walking in muddy lagoon or estuarine environments impossible.&nbsp;



A new study, published today in <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>, has taken a different approach to the problem, since anatomical clues left in the fossilized bones have given no obvious answers. Scientists from the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a> decided to examine the density of the fossilized bones instead. Bone density is a function of several different factors but, by comparing Spinosaurus bones with the bones of other animals, such as penguins, hippos and alligators, the team hoped to gain new understanding.&nbsp;



“The fossil record is tricky - among spinosaurids, there are only a handful of partial skeletons, and we don’t have any complete skeletons for these dinosaurs,” said study lead author Matteo Fabbri. “Other studies have focused on interpretation of anatomy, but clearly if there are such opposite interpretations regarding the same bones, this is already a clear signal that maybe those are not the best proxies for us to infer the ecology of extinct animals.”



Fabbri and his colleagues put together a dataset of femur and rib bone cross-sections from 250 species of extinct and living animal species, both land-dwellers and water-dwellers. The researchers then compared these cross-sections to cross-sections of bone from&nbsp;Spinosaurus&nbsp;and its relatives Baryonyx and&nbsp;Suchomimus.



“We had to divide this study into successive steps,” said Fabbri. “The first one was to understand if there is actually a universal correlation between bone density and ecology. And the second one was to infer ecological adaptations in extinct taxa.”&nbsp;



Essentially, the researchers had first to show that a relationship exists, in living species, between bone density and choice of aquatic or terrestrial habitat. After that, they could apply this criterion to extinct animals for which habitat choices can no longer be observed.&nbsp;



When selecting animals to include in the study, the researchers had to consider as wide a selection of different species as possible.&nbsp;



“We were looking for extreme diversity,” said Fabbri. “We included seals, whales, elephants, mice, hummingbirds. We have dinosaurs of different sizes, extinct marine reptiles like mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. We have animals that weigh several tons, and animals that are just a few grams. The spread is very big.”



This wide array of different species showed a clear link between bone density and underwater foraging behavior. All the animals that forage underwater have bones that are almost completely solid. This suggests that dense bones have a buoyancy function and help the animal to stay submerged while moving around and hunting. In contrast, the bones of species that spend their lives on land are less dense and contain spongy tissue and a hollow center.&nbsp;



“There is a very strong correlation, and the best explanatory model that we found was in the correlation between bone density and sub-aqueous foraging. This means that all the animals that have the behavior where they are fully submerged have these dense bones, and that was the great news,” explained Fabbri.



When the bones of Spinosaurus&nbsp;and&nbsp;Baryonyx&nbsp;were tested for density, they both had the dense bone structure associated with being able to submerge underwater and hunt for prey. The closely related&nbsp;Suchomimus, however,&nbsp;had bones that were more hollow. It still lived by water and ate fish, as evidenced by its crocodile-like snout and conical teeth, but based on its bone density, it wasn’t actually swimming, stated the authors.&nbsp;



Animals that are heavy also have dense bones, even when they spend their lives on land. “Very heavy animals like elephants and rhinos, and like the sauropod dinosaurs, have very dense limb bones, because there’s so much stress on the limbs,” explained Fabbri. “That being said, the other bones are pretty lightweight. That’s why it was important for us to look at a variety of bones from each of the animals in the study.” Fabbri is excited by the potential for this new approach to reveal more about how dinosaurs lived.



“One of the big surprises from this study was how rare underwater foraging was for dinosaurs, and that even among spinosaurids, their behavior was much more diverse that we’d thought."



Jingmai O’Connor, a curator at the Field Museum and co-author of this study, says that collaborative studies like this one that draw from hundreds of specimens, are the future of paleontology. "They're very time-consuming to do, but they let scientists shed light onto big patterns, rather than making qualitative observations based on one fossil. It’s really awesome that Matteo was able to pull this together, as it requires a lot of patience.”



Fabbri also notes that the study shows how much information can be gleaned from incomplete specimens. “The good news with this study is that now we can move on from the paradigm where you need to know as much as you can about the anatomy of a dinosaur to know about its ecology, because we show that there are other reliable proxies that you can use. If you have a new species of dinosaur and you just have only a few bones of it, you can create a dataset to calculate bone density, and at least you can infer if it was aquatic or not.”



Image Credit: Davide Bonadonna



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

Spinosaurus reveals a link between bone density and hunting underwater

Spinosaurus was among the largest terrestrial dinosaurs ever to exist,...

The pandemic has created interest among the scientific community to better understand human-to-wild animal disease transmission. An international research team led by scientists at <a href="https://www.georgetown.edu/">Georgetown University</a> has found that humans give viruses back to animals more often than expected.



The study describes nearly 100 different cases where diseases have undergone “spillback” from humans back into wild animals. This has been seen most recently with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) spreading in mink farms, zoo lions and tigers, and among white-tailed deer in the wild.



The researchers found that almost half of these cases took place in captive settings like zoos, where veterinarians keep a close eye on animals and are more likely to notice changes in health. Interestingly, more than half of the overall cases were human-to-primate transmission. This is likely because it is easier for pathogens to jump between closely-related hosts, and because endangered great ape populations are carefully monitored.



“This supports the idea that we’re more likely to detect pathogens in the places we spend a lot of time and effort looking, with a disproportionate number of studies focusing on charismatic animals at zoos or in close proximity to humans,” said study lead author Dr. Anna Fagre. “It brings into question which cross-species transmission events we may be missing, and what this might mean not only for public health, but for the health and conservation of the species being infected.”



In Canada and the United States, disease spillback has attracted attention due to the spread of COVID-19 in white tailed deer. <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.22.481551v1">Some data</a> suggests that deer have given the virus back to humans in at least one case. This has raised concern amongst scientists and suggests that animal reservoirs might create opportunities for the virus to evolve into new variants.



The study also sheds light on some good news, as it found that artificial intelligence can be used to help anticipate the species at risk of contracting the virus. ”The pandemic gave scientists a chance to test out some predictive tools, and it turns out we’re more prepared than we thought.”&nbsp; said study co-author Dr. Colin Carlson.



The research is part of a National Science Foundation-funded project called the Viral Emergence Research Initiative, or <a href="http://viralemergence.org/">Verena</a>. The Verena team uses machine learning to study the science of the host-virus network. This is a new field that provides critical insights for scientists to understand how and why humans share diseases with animals.



While new technology can help predict spillover, there is still so little we understand about wildlife disease, creating opportunity for continuous research.&nbsp;



“Long-term monitoring helps us establish baselines for wildlife health and disease prevalence, laying important groundwork for future studies,” said Dr. Fagre. “If we’re watching closely, we can spot these cross-species transmission events much faster, and act accordingly.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14610248">Ecology Letters</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts identify 100 cases of humans passing disease to animals

The pandemic has created interest among the scientific community to...

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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



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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

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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;



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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...

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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;



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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

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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;



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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...

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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



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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...

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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



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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

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

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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;



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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...

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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;



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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...

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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;



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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...

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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



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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

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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



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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

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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



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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

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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)



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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"

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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;



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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

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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



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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...

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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;



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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

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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



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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

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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



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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

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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;



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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

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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;



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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...