Urban coyotes are thriving in cities, but not for the reasons one might expect. A recent study reveals that human-related factors, rather than access to natural habitats, have a stronger impact on their survival.&nbsp;



Researchers tracking coyotes in Chicago discovered that densely populated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/city-living-causes-chronic-stress-for-some-coyotes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">human areas</a> are linked to longer coyote lifespans, overturning the conventional belief that wildlife fares better in more natural settings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-presence-plays-a-surprising-role">Human presence plays a surprising role</h2>



“What we found was really interesting, in that the societal characteristics seem to play a much more important role in predicting coyote survival time than the environmental characteristics,” said Emily Zepeda, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral scholar at <a href="https://www.osu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Ohio State University</a>.&nbsp;



“And then we found this positive effect of human population density on survival time. Both of those things are unexpected because we usually associate human activity with detrimental effects on wildlife.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-urban-coyote-research-project">The Urban Coyote Research Project</h2>



The study, recently published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11252-024-01643-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Urban Ecosystems</a>, stems from the Urban Coyote Research Project, a long-term study of coyote ecology in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.&nbsp;



This research, led by wildlife ecologist Stan Gehrt, has monitored the behavior and ecology of Chicago’s estimated 4,000 coyotes, offering rare insights into how they adapt to urban life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-coyote-survival">Tracking coyote survival</h2>



For this study, researchers analyzed movement data from 214 coyotes tracked between 2013 and 2021. Using the length of time each coyote was monitored as a proxy for survival, they evaluated societal and environmental factors such as neighborhood income, human density, road density, and proximity to parks.



The findings revealed that human population density positively influenced coyote survival. Coyotes in areas with low human density tended to have shorter lifespans, while those in densely populated areas lived longer. Interestingly, the interaction between income and density also played a role.&nbsp;



In low-density areas, income had little effect on survival, likely due to the lack of human presence. However, in moderate- to high-density neighborhoods, coyotes in lower-income areas were 1.5 times more likely to survive to age two than those in wealthier areas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-resources-and-competition-in-urban-settings">Resources and competition in urban settings</h2>



The researchers theorize that higher human population density provides urban coyotes with essential resources like food and shelter, helping them endure harsh conditions such as Chicago winters.&nbsp;



“We’ve hypothesized that population density may have a positive effect because it’s actually providing resources like human-related structures or food that allow coyotes to weather the harsh conditions of the winter, which is a major mortality factor for Chicago coyotes,” Zepeda explained.



However, these benefits may come at a cost in higher-income areas, where vegetation and better waste management can attract more coyotes, leading to increased competition and disease transmission.&nbsp;



“There might be more individuals in those areas, but survival time may be shorter there,” Zepeda said. “You might die younger in an area where there are a lot of competitors.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adaptability-of-coyotes">Adaptability of coyotes</h2>



Surprisingly, the study found no significant link between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-species-are-shifting-their-habitats-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">natural habitats</a> and coyote survival. Parks and nature preserves, often assumed to be ideal environments for coyotes, did not seem to offer a survival advantage.&nbsp;



“Anecdotally, we see really high densities of coyotes in nature preserves and urban parks. That’s often where you see coyotes in the city if you see them at all,” Zepeda said.



The researchers speculate that this finding could result from a variety of factors, including limitations in how habitat types are classified on city maps or more frequent hunting and trapping in natural areas.&nbsp;



Alternatively, it may highlight the adaptability of coyotes, which seem capable of thriving in urbanized environments despite their preference for natural habitats.&nbsp;



“It could speak to how adaptable they are that they might prefer natural habitat, but at least in terms of survival, they can do just as well in more urbanized areas,” Zepeda added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-societal-factors-and-urban-ecosystems">Societal factors and urban ecosystems</h2>



This study adds to growing evidence that societal factors affecting human populations also influence <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-biodiversity-is-not-a-luxury-it-is-attainable-for-everyone/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urban ecosystems</a>. The presence or absence of humans, combined with the conditions in which they live, may overshadow natural influences on wildlife survival.&nbsp;



Gehrt’s long-term research emphasizes the importance of understanding these dynamics as urban areas expand.



As urban ecosystems continue to evolve, studies like this provide critical insights into how wildlife interacts with human populations.&nbsp;



Further research could explore specific societal factors - such as waste management practices or public attitudes toward coyotes - and their influence on urban <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/un-report-disturbing-details-about-the-state-of-earths-wildlife/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife</a>.



By better understanding these relationships, cities can develop strategies to foster coexistence between humans and animals, creating urban environments where both can thrive.



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Coyotes live longer in densely populated human areas

Urban coyotes are thriving in cities, but not for the reasons one might expect. A recent study reveals that human-related factors, rather than access to natural habitats, have a stronger impact on their survival.&nbsp; Researchers tracking coyotes in Chicago discovered that densely populated human areas are linked to longer coyote lifespans, overturning the conventional belief that wildlife fares better in more natural settings. Human presence plays a surprising role “What we found was really interesting, in that the societal characteristics seem to play a much more important...

A,Happy,Gray,And,White,Pit,Bull,Terrier,Mixed,Breed

A new brain imaging study from researchers at the <a href="https://www.elte.hu/en/">Eötvös Loránd University</a> in Hungary has found that dogs can distinguish between speech and non-speech, and their brains can detect an unfamiliar language. Published today in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118811">NeuroImage</a>, the research is the first to show that a non-human brain can differentiate between two different languages.



“Some years ago, I moved from Mexico to Hungary to join the Neuroethology of Communication Lab at the Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, for my postdoctoral research,” explains Laura Cuaya, first author of the study.&nbsp; “My dog, Kun-kun, came with me. Before, I had only talked to him in Spanish. So I was wondering whether Kun-kun noticed that people in Budapest spoke a different language – Hungarian.”&nbsp;



Kun-kun, along with 17 other adult dogs of various types, was trained to lie still in a brain scanner while being exposed to excerpts of spoken Spanish, spoken Hungarian or to scrambled fragments of either language that sounded completely unnatural and constituted non-speech.&nbsp;



All the dogs were family pets that had previously heard only one of these languages spoken by its owner. Hungarian was the language spoken in the environment of 16 dogs, Spanish of 2 dogs (familiar language), and the other language was unfamiliar to all dogs.



While listening to these speech and non-speech sounds, the dogs’ brain activity was monitored using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The researchers hypothesized that speech detection by the dogs would be reflected by differential brain activity patterns for speech vs. scrambled speech (non-speech). In addition, they expected that language representation (i.e., sensitivity to language-specific regularities in the speech signal) would be reflected in differential brain activity patterns when exposed to speech in a familiar vs. an unfamiliar language.



The results showed that differential activity occurred in the near-primary auditory cortical regions of the brain when dogs heard natural speech or scrambled, unnatural speech. This indicated that speech naturalness was detected by the dogs.&nbsp;



“Dog brains, like human brains, can distinguish between speech and non-speech,” said Raúl&nbsp;Hernández-Pérez, co-author of the study. “But the mechanism underlying this speech detection ability may be different from speech sensitivity in humans: whereas human brains are specially tuned to speech, dog brains may simply detect the naturalness of the sound,” he explains.&nbsp;



Furthermore, dog brains could also distinguish between Spanish and Hungarian. Different brain activity was recorded in the ventral parts of the auditory cortex in response to whether the language detected was familiar or unfamiliar. The study therefore provides the first evidence of distinct brain activity patterns for two languages in a non-human species. It is not known, however, whether dogs could also discriminate between two unfamiliar languages.



Interestingly, the older the dog was, the better their brain distinguished between the familiar and the unfamiliar language. “Each language is characterized by a variety of auditory regularities. Our findings suggest that during their lives with humans, dogs pick up on the auditory regularities of the language they are exposed to,” said&nbsp;Hernández-Pérez.&nbsp;



“This study showed for the first time that a non-human brain can distinguish between two languages,” explained Attila Andics, co-author of the study.&nbsp;



“It is exciting because it reveals that the capacity to learn about the regularities of a language is not uniquely human. Still, we do not know whether this capacity is dogs’ specialty, or general among non-human species. Indeed, it is possible that the brain changes from the tens of thousands of years that dogs have been living with humans have made them better language listeners, but this is not necessarily the case. Future studies will have to find this out,” concludes&nbsp;Andics. &nbsp;



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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&nbsp;

Dogs can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar languages

A new brain imaging study from researchers at the Eötvös...

Climate change is often associated with the endangerment of species, so it’s natural that a recently discovered expansion of trout species in streams has been assumed to be positive. However, a new study from the <a href="https://www.umt.edu/">University of Montana</a> has discovered that this expansion is the result of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-led-ancient-lions-and-bears-to-extinction/">climate</a> change and is actually reducing stream habitat sizes of native trout.



“This study had three main questions: How have the distributions of native and invasive trout shifted in Montana over the last 30 years, how will they change in the future, and what factors are causing those changes?” outlined Donovan Bell, lead author of the study.



The research analyzed the impacts of climate change associated with a massive long-term dataset concerning the distributions of five trout species in the Rocky Mountains: native westslope cutthroat, bull, brown, rainbow, and invasive brook trout.



It was discovered that between 1993 and 2018, distributions of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout declined by 18 percent and six percent respectively, with predictive analysis suggesting further decreases of 39 percent and 16 percent by 2080. On the other hand, invasive brown and rainbow trout show potential to prosper due to the increased climate size.



The problematic situation for bull trout arises from the warmer water temperatures and lower summer water levels, as the species require cold streams and adequate flow to survive. Westslope cutthroat trout populations instead struggled due to the invasive competition from rainbow trout.



“Our two native trout species in Montana will decline in the future unless appropriate conservation action is taken,” Bell stated. “Our results suggest that tailoring conservation strategies to specific species and specific climate-change threats is important for native fish conservation.”



For example, suppression of invasive species will be more beneficial for the conservation of westslope cutthroat trout, whereas conserving bull trouts in streams will be more successful if their critical cold-water habitat is protected.



“Globally, climate-induced changes to aquatic habitats are predicted to threaten at least one-third of freshwater fishes, and some invasive species could take advantage of such changes,” explained co-author Clint Muhlfeld. “These scenarios seem to be playing out in our backyard with native and invasive trout.”



The study also highlights the importance of using and maintaining long-term datasets covering large regions to shed light on the relationships between changing climates and their species.&nbsp;



“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to use data meticulously collected over decades in Montana to convincingly answer complex questions like these,” added David Schmetterling, fisheries research coordinator for Montana FWP.



However, study co-author Andrew Whiteley emphasized the consequences of this particular issue, explaining that if these trout species are not conserved, there will be an annual cost of around $650 million to the local economy. However, he remained positive, assuming that conservation efforts will continue to be put in place and researched further.



The study has been published in <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Shrinking habitats, alien species threaten native trout

Climate change is often associated with the endangerment of species,...

Antibiotics have been mass produced since the 1940s and have been used widely to treat infections caused by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-can-help-sustainably-extract-rare-earth-elements/">bacteria</a>. Although their use has resulted in vastly improved health outcomes for millions of people, antibiotic resistance in bacteria has become a serious public health problem. The accepted understanding is that resistance in human pathogens is a modern phenomenon that is driven by the clinical use (or over prescription) of antibiotics.&nbsp;



Bacteria may become resistant to antibiotic treatments when the medication is used unnecessarily (for example, to treat a viral infection – antibiotics do not kill viruses), or when patients do not complete a course of antibiotics. This has the effect of leaving the most resistant of bacterial cells behind, able to divide and form new cells that are also resistant. Once resistant to a common antibiotic, treatment with a new, more powerful antibiotic must commence if the infection is to be stopped.



In a study published today in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>, an international team of scientists has found that antibiotic resistant bacteria exist on hedgehogs and that this resistance first developed around 200 years ago, long before the use of antibiotics commenced.&nbsp;



The scientific team, including researchers from the University of Cambridge, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Denmark’s Serum Statens Institut and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, present evidence that a type of antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus is found commonly on hedgehog skins and that it arose in nature long before the use of antibiotics in humans and livestock.



In many healthy hedgehogs, the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is found on the skin between the quills. In addition, hedgehog skin is home to a species of fungus, Trichophyton&nbsp;erinaceid, and the two types of organisms compete for space. The fungus secretes a type of antibiotic that controls the presence of the bacterium and, over time, this has led to the development of antibiotic resistant S. aureus on the skins of many hedgehogs. This pathogen is now known as methicillin-resistant S. aureus, or MRSA.



Unfortunately, MRSA infects people as well. Up to 60 percent of hedgehogs examined in the study carried a type of MRSA called mecC-MRSA, which causes 1 in 200 of all MRSA infections in humans. Analysis of the genetic changes that occurred in the genome of mecC-MRSA show that this pathogen emerged around 200 years ago and therefore natural, biological processes drove its evolution, not antibiotic use.&nbsp;



“Using sequencing technology we have traced the genes that give&nbsp;mecC-MRSA its antibiotic resistance all the way back to their first appearance, and found they were around in the nineteenth century,” said Dr. Ewan Harrison, a researcher at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and University of Cambridge.



“Our study suggests that it wasn’t the use of penicillin that drove the initial emergence of MRSA, it was a natural biological process. We think MRSA evolved in a battle for survival on the skin of hedgehogs, and subsequently spread to livestock and humans through direct contact.”



Antibiotic resistance in pathogens that cause human infections has commonly been thought of as a modern phenomenon, caused by clinical use of antibiotics. However, misuse of antibiotics is now accelerating the process, and antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world.&nbsp;



MRSA was first identified in patients in 1960, but today the World Health Organization considers MRSA to be one of the world’s greatest threats to human health. It is also a major challenge in livestock farming. Because of its resistance to antibiotics, MRSA is more difficult to treat and has gained the reputation of being a ‘superbug’ that colonizes hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities.&nbsp;



Since almost all the antibiotics we use today arose in nature, the researchers say it is likely that resistance to them already exists in nature too. Overuse of any antibiotic in humans or livestock will favor resistant strains of the pathogen, so it is only a matter of time before the antibiotic starts to lose its effectiveness.



“This study is a stark warning that when we use antibiotics, we have to use them with care. There’s a very big wildlife ‘reservoir’ where antibiotic-resistant bacteria can survive – and from there it’s a short step for them to be picked up by livestock, and then to infect humans,” said Professor Mark Holmes, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Veterinary Medicine.



“It isn’t just hedgehogs that harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria – all wildlife carries many different types of bacteria, as well as parasites, fungi and viruses,” said Professor Holmes.



“Wild animals, livestock and humans are all interconnected: we all share one ecosystem. It isn’t possible to understand the evolution of antibiotic resistance unless you look at the whole system.”



The researchers stress that the findings should not make people fear hedgehogs: humans rarely get infections with&nbsp;mecC-MRSA, even though it has been present in hedgehogs for more than 200 years.



---



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

"Superbug" arose in hedgehogs long before antibiotics

Antibiotics have been mass produced since the 1940s and have...

Climate change is causing increasingly more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-heatwaves-reduce-the-oceans-ability-to-absorb-carbon/">heatwaves</a> all over the globe, affecting humans, as well as wildlife and various ecosystems. A new study led by the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> (UW) has investigated the unprecedented heat mortality of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) during the severe heatwave of January 19, 2019 at Punta Tombo, Argentina, when temperatures rose to an all-time record of 44°C.



According to the researchers, this massive heatwave killed at least 354 penguins in a single day, out of which nearly three quarters (264) were adults. Most of them died of dehydration. “This extreme event fell near the tail end of the breeding season for Magellanic penguins, so it killed a large number of adults, as well as chicks,” said study lead author&nbsp;Katie Holt, a doctoral student in Biology at UW. “It’s the first time we’ve recorded a mass mortality event at Punta Tombo connected to extreme temperatures.”



Holt and her colleagues found 27 percent of adult penguin corpses lying along paths leading from the breeding colony to the ocean. Since penguins have glands that can filter salt out of water, the researchers believe that the victims were desperately trying to reach the ocean to quench their thirst. Travelling from the colony to the ocean can take an adult penguin up to 40 minutes to complete – a task which proved impossible during that heatwave.



“Any mass die-off like this is a concern,” said Holt. “But what is most concerning about heat-death mortality is that it has the potential to kill a lot of adults. The population viability of long-lived seabirds — like Magellanic penguins — relies on long lifespans. Adult Magellanic penguins can live more than 30 years, so they typically have many opportunities to successfully raise chicks. If we’re losing large numbers of adults from a single event like this, that’s a major concern.”



At least eight out of ten adults that died were male. However, this likely reflects the high prevalence of male Magellanic penguins at Punta Tombo (about three males for each female), rather than a gender differential survivability in extreme heat.



Global warming is expected to produce increasingly more extreme weather events all around the Earth, endangering many species. And while animals are often surprisingly adaptable, the severity of such events may impede their struggles to survive.



“Penguins could have the ability to cope, like moving breeding sites,” said Holt. “But it will take time to investigate whether those adaptations are effective.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/condor/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ornithapp/duab052/6497508?redirectedFrom=fulltext">Ornithological Applications</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

Magellanic penguins were decimated by an extreme heatwave

Climate change is causing increasingly more heatwaves all over the...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/mec.16267">Marine Ecology</a> has found that a change in climate is the most likely cause of the mysterious disappearance of ancient brown <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-bears-that-eat-human-food-lack-gut-diversity/">bears</a> and lions from North America about a millennium before the last Ice Age.



By sequencing DNA from fossils of cave lions and bears from North American and Eurasia, a research team from the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a> discovered that the timing of these ancient animals’ extinction from parts of North America (especially the Yukon Territory and Alaska) coincided with widespread vegetation change in these regions.



According to the scientists, the warm temperatures before the last Ice Age might have caused significant changes in the abundance of different kind of plants, which initially led to the extinction of several species of herbivores and then also of their predators, including lions and bears. A few centuries later, the colder temperatures that led up to the Ice Age might have reversed the changes and made these regions once more hospitable for both the herbivores and their predators.



These findings suggest that past ecosystems have been extremely changeable and that the abundance of various species has always been highly sensitive to changes in climate.



“There's a common perception that outside of mass extinctions or direct human interference, ecosystems tend to remain stable over thousands or even millions of years,” said study co-author Dr. Kieren Mitchell, an evolutionary biologist and expert in Bioinformatics at the <a href="https://www.otago.ac.nz/">University of Otago</a>, New Zealand.



“As illustrated by our study of the fossil record, that's not necessarily the case. Previous research has shown that brown bears (or grizzly bears) disappeared from some parts of North America for thousands of years prior to the last Ice Age. They later reappeared, walking from Russia to Alaska across the Bering Land Bridge – possibly at the same time as people moved across the Bridge into North America too.”



“While many might think that species arrive in a region and stay put, we show that the past was much more dynamic, involving multiple waves of dispersal and local extinctions in this case,” Dr. Mitchell concluded.



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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

Climate change led ancient lions and bears to extinction

A new study published in the journal Marine Ecology has...

Unrelenting swarms of Azteca <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ants-swap-spit-to-share-food-and-special-fluids/">ants</a> fiercely guard the Cecropia trees they live in throughout neotropical forests. Recently, a bored teenager found that there’s something more to the ant’s relationship with the tree than the fearsome stinging and biting of herbivores and clumsy humans.&nbsp;



Wandering through the forest in Panama, a high school student shot a hole through a Cecropia tree with a clay ball fired from a slingshot. Returning to the scene of the crime the next day, he noticed that the ants living inside the Cecropia had neatly patched up the slingshot hole.&nbsp;



This intriguing discovery inspired five high school students to participate in the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s (STRI) volunteer program.&nbsp;



"Some species of Azteca ants live in a permanent symbiosis with Cecropia plants: these mutualistic ants aggressively defend their host plants against herbivores, and in exchange the plants provide them with food and shelter," wrote the researchers.&nbsp;



"The ants prevent damage to their hosts’ leaves, because the ants’ food is produced at the base of the petioles and the undersides of the leaves. Worker ants also open and maintain small entrance holes in each internode that they occupy."



The teens set out to determine what happens when damage to the Cecropia tree compromises the ant's shelter instead of its food production. Working with STRI staff scientist William T. Wcislo, the students drilled holes into Cecropia trees and documented repair by the ants.&nbsp;



The research revealed that as soon as holes were completed, ants were on the job repairing them. Within two and a half hours, significant progress was made and the work was often finished within twenty four hours.&nbsp;



“I was totally surprised by the results," said Wcislo. "And I was impressed by how they developed a simple way to test the idea that ants repair damage to their home.”



Anteaters often visit Cecropia trees and sometimes punch holes in branches with their sharp claws. The research group speculates that this is how the ants evolved their repairing behavior.&nbsp;



The research leaves some questions remaining though. Some of the ants did not repair holes in their homes. The factors of why or why not the repairs were made remain unclear and a good topic for future research.



The study is published in the <a href="https://jhr.pensoft.net/">Journal of Hymenoptera Research</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

Ants living in Cecropia trees quickly repair wounds to their host

Unrelenting swarms of Azteca ants fiercely guard the Cecropia trees...

Thanks to an unwitting intervention by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, 60 years ago, Gilbert’s potoroo – the world’s rarest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-unique-island-ecosystem/">marsupial</a> – was brought back from the brink of extinction. This nocturnal, fungi-loving rat-kangaroo living in Australia has been thought extinct in the 1870s due to invasive predators and extensive hunting by Aboriginal people.&nbsp;



However, a small population of potoroos remained undetected at Two Peoples Bay until 1994. This area remained unspoiled thanks to Prince Philip, who had lobbied for its protection in 1962.



The Two Peoples Bay, a pristine area located 22 miles east of the Western Australian city of Albany, had been selected for housing developments at the beginning of the 1960s. During a visit to Perth in 1962, Prince Philip lobbied Western Australian authorities against the destruction of the bushland surrounding Two Peoples Bay, hoping to save the elusive “noisy scrubbird,” a species of bird also thought to be extinct until the discovery of a small population in 1961.



Following the royal intervention, Western Australian authorities luckily capitulated, calling off construction plans and eventually designating Two Peoples Bay a nature reserve (in 1967). However, nearly three more decades passed until evolutionary biologist Elizabeth Sinclair came across a Gilbert’s potoroo in this area.



At first, she could not quite believe what she had found. “I was going, "nah, surely not." This is the most researched nature reserve in Western Australia,” she said. “Surely they hadn't been sitting here under someone's nose for, you know, 120 years!” However, soon after she stumbled upon two more specimens. And up to date, over 100 potoroos had been spotted in this area.



“Prince Philip, in helping to save Two Peoples Bay, enabled Gilbert's Potoroo to survive undetected - and thought extinct - until its rediscovery in 1994,” said conservation biologist Jackie Courtenay of the<a href="https://www.potoroo.org/">&nbsp;Gilbert's Potoroo Action Group</a>.



Dr. Courtenay and her colleagues hope that more areas can be found where the potoroo can live free from the threat of predators such as snakes and foxes, and with enough of the truffle-like fungi that are their primary food source.



“It really is a beautiful animal. And it would be, for that reason alone, just such a loss if that animal can no longer be in the world,” she added.



--



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

World’s rarest marsupial was unwittingly saved by Prince Philip

Thanks to an unwitting intervention by Prince Philip, the Duke...

Research has shown that changing the diet of humans, mice and other creatures can alter their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-orangutans-learn-survival-skills-from-their-mom/">gut</a> microbiomes and thus their health. A new study carried out by researchers at <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> and Northern Michigan University looks into this effect among wild bears that eat human food.&nbsp;



“We know a ‘western’ diet can reduce microbial diversity in the guts of humans, mice and other species, which can have an adverse effect on their health," said study co-author Professor Erin McKenney.



"We want to know if the same is true for wildlife, particularly given the increasing overlap between where people live and where wildlife lives. One possibility our work here raises is that if wildlife begin consuming human foods, it may affect their ability to derive as much nutrition from their traditional, wild diet if they stop eating human foods.”



The scientists focused the research efforts on bears being hunted in Michigan. It’s legal to bait bears with sugary human foods in the state.&nbsp;



For weeks or even months, hunters will leave out foods for wild bears to get them accustomed to a specific location for a snack. Thus, by the time the bears are killed, they’ve been eating human food for a prolonged period.&nbsp;



The scientists also recruited hunting guides to collect hair and gut samples from slain bears eating a more "wild" diet.&nbsp;



“Essentially, we found that the more human food black bears eat, and the longer they eat it, the less diverse their gut microbiomes,” explained study first author Sierra Gillman.



The scientists worry that once the process of a wild bear eating human food begins that it may have long term consequences on the gut microbiome and health of the animals.&nbsp;



“Sugar is very easy to digest. Lots of bacteria can consume it. In practical terms, that means processed human foods actually have less food available for bacteria that specialize in breaking down fiber or other microaccessible carbohydrates," said Professor McKenney.



"Those bacterial specialists have trouble competing with the other bacteria for sugar, and their niche in the food web isn’t sustainable if bears don’t eat enough of their traditional diet. We think that’s one of the mechanisms for reducing gut microdiversity."



"And if the gut biodiversity suffers when bears begin consuming more human food, that raises the possibility that it would be more difficult for bears to derive as much nutritional value from non-human foods if they return to a ‘wild’ diet. Basically, it’s not clear how quickly microbial species that break down fiber, etc., would return.”



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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

Wild bears that eat human food lack gut diversity

Research has shown that changing the diet of humans, mice...

In a recent study from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a>, researchers found that domestic cats are driving the spread of a potentially deadly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/debilitating-human-parasite-is-spread-to-dogs-through-fish/">parasite</a> to wildlife in urban areas.&nbsp;



The Toxoplasma gondii parasite is found worldwide. The disease caused by the parasite, toxoplasmosis, has been linked to cancer, nervous system disorders, and other debilitating conditions.



The parasite infects basically all warm-blooded animals, but domestic cats and other felids are the only hosts that can facilitate sexual reproduction.



The UBC study is the first to investigate the spread of Toxoplasma among many wildlife species on a global scale. According to the researchers, their results demonstrate how healthy ecosystems can protect against these types of pathogens.



Led by Dr. Amy Wilson, the team investigated 45,079 cases of toxoplasmosis in wild mammals using data from 202 global studies. The analysis revealed that wildlife living near dense urban areas were more likely to be infected.



"As increasing human densities are associated with increased densities of domestic cats, our study suggests that free-roaming domestic cats - whether pets or feral cats - are the most likely cause of these infections," said Dr. Wilson.



"This finding is significant because by simply limiting free roaming of cats, we can reduce the impact of Toxoplasma on wildlife."



The experts report that one infected cat can excrete as many as 500 million Toxoplasma eggs in just two weeks. These eggs can persist for years in water and soil, maintaining the ability to infect humans and other mammals.&nbsp;&nbsp;



While the parasite usually remains dormant and harmless, it can cause serious illness and even death in an animal with a compromised immune system.



Dr. Wilson said the study highlights the way healthy forests, streams and other ecosystems can filter out dangerous pathogens like Toxoplasma.



"We know that when wetlands are destroyed or streams are restricted, we are more likely to experience runoff that carries more pathogens into the waters where wild animals drink or live,"said Dr. Wilson. And when their habitats are healthy, wildlife thrives and tends to be more disease-resistant."



"There is a growing recognition among forest science professionals and other groups that protecting biodiversity and the ecosystems it supports is an efficient and economical approach to reducing disease transfer between wildlife, domestic animals and humans. Conservation is really preventative medicine in action."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.



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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

Cats are spreading the Toxoplasma parasite in urban areas

In a recent study from the University of British Columbia,...

A catastrophic mass <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-hunted-the-largest-animals-to-extinction-for-1-5-million-years/">extinction</a> event could wipe out hundreds of thousands of species within the next decade, according to an alarming new report, the "<a href="https://www.wwf.de/2021/dezember/gewinner-und-verlierer-2021">Winners and Losers of 2021</a>." 



Scientists at <a href="https://www.wwf.de/">WWF Germany</a> warn that many species which are already pushed to the brink of extinction - including polar bears, African forest elephants, and sharks - may soon vanish forever. 



“Around one million species could go extinct within the next decade, which would be the largest mass extinction event since the end of the dinosaur age," the experts said in a statement.



The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List currently classifies 142,500 species as being endangered. Overall, about 40,000 of these species are threatened with extinction, which is the largest number on record.&nbsp;



Among the species that may be losing their battle, African forest elephants are now classified as "critically endangered." Their population has declined by more than 86 percent in the last 31 years.&nbsp;



As a result of human development and subsequent habitat loss, more than half of all frog and toad species may vanish across Germany. Worldwide, more than 40 percent of all amphibians are threatened with extinction.



The IUCN Red List also shows that about one-third of all shark and ray species have already disappeared due to climate change, habitat loss, and overfishing. Polar bears are severely threatened with habitat loss, in particular, as sea ice continues to decline in the rapidly warming Arctic.&nbsp;



The "winners" of 2021 include the largest bird of the Alps, the bearded vulture. According to the WWF report, an international resettlement program that was initiated over thirty years ago has boosted the bearded vulture population to over 300 birds throughout the Alpine region.



In Cambodia, the discovery of young Siamese crocodiles was a "real surprise," said the scientists. "In a protected area, young animals of the extremely rare freshwater crocodiles were spotted for the first time in over ten years."



One of the rarest cats in the world, the the Iberian lynx, has also made a comeback. A recent census shows that the population of the Iberian lynx, which is found exclusively in Spain and Portugal, has increased more than ten-fold in the last 18 years to more than 1,000 animals.



"Species protection is no longer just about eliminating an environmental problem, but about the question of whether mankind will someday end up on the red list in a hazard category and become the loser of their own way of life," said Eberhard Brandes, managing director at WWF Germany.&nbsp;



Brandes warns that if the Earth is sick, humans will be sick as well. "Because we depend on vital ecosystems and biodiversity for our own safe and healthy life - for example in the fight against the climate crisis."&nbsp;



"At the same time, the winners of the list show that there are still opportunities for species protection: If we implement effective nature conservation measures, we can protect plants, animals and, ultimately, the climate. "



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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

More than one million species could vanish over the next decade

A catastrophic mass extinction event could wipe out hundreds of...

The non-profit <a href="https://chinarescuedogs.org/">China Rescue Dogs</a> has worked for years saving and rehabilitating dogs from Chinese meat markets. The dogs are relocated to families in the U.S. and Canada. Jill Stewart is the president and founder of the organization, which attempts to rescue every possible dog - regardless of age or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-have-a-high-risk-of-disease-due-to-inbreeding/">breed</a>.&nbsp;



“Working with trusted rescues and shelters in China, our mission is to remove the dogs from imminent harm, treat the physical and psychological injuries from severe abuse and neglect, and socialize the dogs so that they can be integrated into loving family environments," said Stewart.&nbsp;



"We also shine a light on the dog meat trade in China and other countries and, thereby, encourage others to advocate for the end of the dog meat trade and speak up for those who have no voice.”



Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the dynamics of this system. A recent ban from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has effectively banned importation of dogs from China to the US. Now, all of the dogs bound for the US have been rerouted to Canada instead. The effect has delayed the imports of tens of thousands of dogs.



“Since the import ban, our rescue is among many others that have had to find a new normal," said Stewart. "Our choices were limited and grim, but China Rescue Dogs has remained committed to saving dogs from China regardless of how we got it done. While rerouting dogs to Canada is the logical choice, costs have been exuberant,”



Besides CDC restrictions, the cost of cargo airplanes has skyrocketed to triple their previous rates. All of this increases costs for China Rescue Dogs and forces the organization to make hard decisions.&nbsp;



"Our shelters in China are reaching their maximum capacity, which means we will not be able to move the dogs out of China which will lead to the brutal slaughter of helpless dogs," said Stewart. "Moreover, with the Yulin Dog Meat Festival beginning June 21st and CDC ban still in place, tens of thousands of dogs will be slaughtered. Thinking about this is gut-wrenching.”



Luckily, Canada has opened its borders to China Dog Rescue and other such organizations while the CDC ban has halted import into the US. For now, Canada has provided some hope for dogs that were once destined to be slaughtered for food.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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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

Tens of thousands of rescue dogs impacted by CDC ban

The non-profit China Rescue Dogs has worked for years saving...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ab.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior</a> in Konstanz, Germany has analyzed the interaction between orangutan mothers and their infants in Sumatra, Indonesia. The researchers found that when orangutan mothers are foraging, they tailor their behavior to match the age and capacities of their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbirds-abandon-their-offspring-early-but-its-for-their-own-good/">offspring</a>, thereby helping them to learn.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, this study uncovered the first evidence yet of active involvement by orangutan mothers in their offspring’s learning of new skills.



“Immature orangutans acquire their feeding skills over several years, via social and independent learning,” wrote the study authors. “So far, it has remained uninvestigated to what extent orangutan mothers are actively involved in this learning process. We conclude that orangutan mothers have a more active role in the skill acquisition of their offspring than previously thought.”



During their infancy, orangutans must learn to recognize and process over 200 food items, many of which require several steps before they can be eaten. For instance, while most flowers and leaves require no previous processing, bark must be loosened from the trees and scraped with the teeth in order to access its nutritive parts. The most difficult foods, such as honey from bee hives, require even the use of tools such as sticks in order to consume it.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, immature orangutans learn such complex skills by observing their mothers while they are eating.&nbsp;



“It was puzzling that mothers always seemed so passive during these feeding interactions,” said study lead author Dr. Caroline Schuppli, an evolutionary biologist at the Max Plank Institute. “Mothers have so much time with their offspring, and maintain such a close connection, but they never appeared to be actively involved in the skill acquisition of their young.”&nbsp;



However, by analyzing over 1,300 instances of immature orangutan’s food solicitation – asking or trying to obtain food from their mother – Dr. Schuppli and her colleagues have found that orangutan mothers do in fact respond to their offspring during feeding, and therefore facilitate learning opportunities.&nbsp;



When their offspring solicit food, mothers usually adjust their “tolerance” according to their offspring's age and how difficult the food item is to process.



“Our findings suggest that orangutan mothers are actively involved in their offspring's skill learning,” Dr Schuppli said. “However, they do this in a reactive, rather than proactive way.&nbsp;Interestingly, there were very few incidents of active food sharing only.&nbsp;This means that orangutan immatures need to take the initiative during learning.&nbsp;This is very different from humans, where active teaching plays an important role and role models are much more proactive.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-02901-z">Nature Scientific Reports.&nbsp;</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

Young orangutans learn survival skills from their mom

A new study led by the Max Planck Institute of...

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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

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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?

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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

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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"

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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

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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

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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"

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

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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...