For many years, scientists believed that prehistoric kangaroos in Australia had specialized diets, relying specifically on certain types of plants or vegetation for their survival. This idea suggested that they were unable to adapt to changes in their environment, such as shifts in climate or vegetation patterns. 



When the kangaroos' preferred food sources became scarce, it was assumed that their dietary inflexibility contributed to their extinction. This theory placed dietary specialization as a key reason for the disappearance of some kangaroo species during the Pleistocene epoch.



However, recent research challenges these assumptions, suggesting that these marsupials were more resilient than we initially realized.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diverse-diets-of-prehistoric-kangaroos"> Diverse diets of prehistoric kangaroos</h2>



The study was carried out by experts from <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flinders University</a> and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (<a href="https://www.magnt.net.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAGNT</a>). 



The researchers used cutting-edge techniques to analyze the microscopic patterns of wear on fossilized kangaroo teeth. These patterns revealed the types of food the kangaroos ate.



The results showed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-kangaroos-of-the-past-didnt-hop-they-walked-on-all-fours/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prehistoric kangaroos</a> were not limited to specific types of food. Instead, they were generalists, capable of eating a wide variety of plants. This flexibility in diet helped them survive environmental changes over time.



Focusing on fossils from the Victoria Fossil Cave at the Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area in South Australia, the experts analyzed kangaroo diets across 12 extinct species and compared them with 17 modern species.



The Naracoorte region contains the richest and most diverse fossil deposits of kangaroos from the Pleistocene epoch, making it an ideal location for this research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flexible-diets-helped-kangaroos-survive">Flexible diets helped kangaroos survive</h2>



“Our study shows that most prehistoric kangaroos at Naracoorte had broad diets. This dietary flexibility likely played a key role in their resilience during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protemnodon-kangaroo-fossils-may-explain-their-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">past changes</a> in climate,” explained lead researcher Dr. Sam Arman.



Contrary to previous assumptions, the study revealed that most species were mixed feeders, capable of consuming both shrubs and grasses.



“The distinctive short-faced kangaroo anatomy led to a widespread view that sthenurines were unable to adapt their diets when climate change altered vegetation patterns, leading to their extinction,” said study co-author Professor Gavin Prideaux.



However, the findings suggest that their ability to consume a wide range of foods provided a survival advantage during periods of scarcity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-extinction-dynamics">Complex extinction dynamics </h2>



While the ability to adapt their diets likely helped prehistoric kangaroos survive for a time, it wasn’t the only factor influencing their fate. 



The extinction of these megafaunal kangaroos also involved other challenges, such as their large body size, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/not-all-kangaroo-ancestors-hopped-as-a-means-of-locomotion/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how they moved</a> (locomotion), and their interactions with early humans, who may have hunted them or altered their habitats. 



To better understand these complex extinction dynamics, the researchers plan to study fossils from other Pleistocene sites. They will focus on the critical period between 60,000 and 40,000 years ago - a time when many large animal species disappeared.



This broader investigation could reveal how different factors worked together to drive kangaroo extinctions.



"Identifying what drove the late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions on the continents remains one of the most contested topics in historical science," noted the study authors. 



"This is especially so in Australia, which lost 90% of its large species by 40,000 years ago, more than half of them kangaroos."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insights-into-ecosystem-vulnerabilities">Insights into ecosystem vulnerabilities</h2>



The study highlights the ecological roles of prehistoric marsupials, offering valuable insights into the evolution of Australia’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ecosystem-attack-predicting-the-success-of-species-invasions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a>. 



“Understanding the resilience of ancient species helps contextualize why Australia has been so vulnerable to introduced large mammals like pigs, camels, and deer,” noted Professor Prideaux.



Dr. Arman uses a relatable analogy to describe dietary flexibility: “Most of the time, I don’t need to engage four-wheel drive, but this capability becomes crucial when I do need it.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extinction-of-australia-s-megafauna">Extinction of Australia’s megafauna </h2>



The research, funded by the <a href="https://www.arc.gov.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Australian Research Council</a>, reflects a long-standing partnership between Flinders University and MAGNT.



The research also honors the traditional custodians of the Naracoorte region, the Meintangk, Marditjali, and Potaruwutj peoples, and acknowledges the contributions of volunteers and students in collecting and preparing specimens.



The study marks an essential step in understanding the resilience of prehistoric kangaroos, their adaptable diet and the complex interplay of factors that led to the extinction of Australia’s megafauna.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq4340" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



-----



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



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



-----

Prehistoric kangaroos changed their diets to survive climate change

For many years, scientists believed that prehistoric kangaroos in Australia had specialized diets, relying specifically on certain types of plants or vegetation for their survival. This idea suggested that they were unable to adapt to changes in their environment, such as shifts in climate or vegetation patterns. When the kangaroos' preferred food sources became scarce, it was assumed that their dietary inflexibility contributed to their extinction. This theory placed dietary specialization as a key reason for the disappearance of some kangaroo species during the Pleistocene epoch. However,...

Woolly,Mammoth,,Prehistoric,Animal,In,Frozen,Ice,Age,Landscape,(3d

An international team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a> and the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> have found that humans had a significant role in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/over-half-of-indian-crop-varieties-are-close-to-extinction/">extinction</a> of woolly mammoths in Eurasia. Moreover, the study also shows that the extinction of mammoths occurred thousands of years later than previously thought.



“Our analyses strengthen and better resolves the case for human impacts as a driver of population declines and range collapses of megafauna in Eurasia during the late Pleistocene,” said study co-author David Nogues-Bravo, a professor of Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate Sciences at the University of Copenhagen.



“It also refutes a prevalent theory that climate change alone decimated woolly mammoth populations and that the role of humans was limited to hunters delivering the&nbsp;coup de grâce. And shows that species extinctions are usually the result of complex interactions between threatening processes.”



By using computer models, fossils, and ancient DNA, the scientists identified signatures of past changes in the distribution and demography of woolly mammoths, which provided clear evidence that humans hastened the extinction of mammoths by up to 4,000 years in some regions in Eurasia.&nbsp;



“We know that humans exploited woolly mammoths for meat, skins, bones, and ivory. However, until now it has been difficult to disentangle the exact roles that climate warming and human hunting had on its extinction,” said study lead author Damien Fordham, an associate professor of Global Ecology at the University of Adelaide.



“Our research shows that humans were a crucial and chronic driver of population declines of woolly mammoths, having an essential role in the timing and location of their extinction.”



Furthermore, the researchers discovered that mammoths are likely to have survived in Arctic regions with suitable climates and low densities of humans for thousands of years longer than initially thought.&nbsp;



“Our finding of long-term persistence in Eurasia independently confirms recently published environmental DNA evidence that shows that woolly mammoths were roaming around Siberia 5,000 years ago,” said study co-author Jeremy Austin, an associate professor at the University of Adelaide’s <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/acad/">Australian Centre for Ancient DNA</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ele.13911">Ecology Letters</a>.



---



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

Humans drove woolly mammoths to extinction

An international team of scientists led by the University of...

Scientists have discovered a new species of beaked whale that is 17 feet long, weighs over 2,000 pounds, and lives 6,000 feet below the sea surface. Ramari’s beaked whale - named after Māori whale specialist Ramari Stewart, who helped discover the first member of the species in November 2011 in New Zealand - appears to have a distinctly different bodily and genetic structure than other beaked whales.



“Beaked whales (ziphiids) are among the most visible inhabitants of the deep sea, due to their large size and worldwide distribution, and their taxonomic diversity and much about their natural history remain poorly understood,” explained the study authors.&nbsp;



Until now, only a few species of beaked whales have been discovered. Some of these species are only known by a handful of incomplete skeletons, and, since they tend to spend very brief periods of time at the sea surface, they are difficult to distinguish.&nbsp;



In this new study though, the scientists used genomic tools to analyze genetic information from museum and archival specimens of various ages in order to distinguish between different whale species. These investigations revealed that Ramari’s beaked whale was genetically different from other beaked whales and should be thus classified as a new species.&nbsp;



According to the scientists, discovering a new animal species requires important decisions around the naming of the new taxon. In order to honor the significant role indigenous Māori population has in studying the local ecosystems, the researchers decided to name this beaked whale after one of the indigenous whale experts who participated in the discovery of the first specimen. 



“We sought to recognize Indigenous peoples’ deep connection with, and knowledge of, the natural environment by consulting with them on potential species and common names,” explained the study authors. 



"This is part of a critical shift in the global science community, which strives to collaborate with Indigenous knowledge holders in ecology and conservation biology. Here, this has resulted in one of the first cetaceans named after an Indigenous woman.”



“It is not only rare to discover new whale species but even more rare to name them after women and honor the indigenous peoples whose coastlines are visited by these amazing creatures,” added Regina Asmutis-Silvia, the Executive Director of the <a href="https://uk.whales.org/">Whale and Dolphin Conservation</a> initiative.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2021.1213#d1e1428">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.&nbsp;



---



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

New beaked whale discovered in New Zealand

Scientists have discovered a new species of beaked whale that...

Cheetah,In,The,African,Bush,And,Game,Reserves

Every year about 300 cheetah cubs are snatched from their mothers and trafficked through Somaliland to wealthy buyers in the Middle East who seek exotic pets and are willing to pay up to $15,000 for a cub. Although it is a less known business than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephants-can-be-very-cooperative-until-the-food-gets-scarce/">elephant</a> ivory or rhino horn trafficking, the illegal cheetah trade is equally devastating for Africa’s most endangered large cat species.



A century ago, there were an estimated 100,000 cheetahs worldwide. Today, barely 7,000 remain, and this number is dangerously diminishing due to human encroachment and habitat destruction. The cub trade significantly contributed to this decline. During the past decade, over 3,600 live cheetahs were illegally traded. 



Moreover, the smuggled cubs suffer terrible mistreatment along the trafficking routes, being fed improperly and confined to small cages, often with their legs tied up.



"If this keeps going... that kind of offtake causes the population to go extinct in a very short time," said Laurie Marker, founder of the <a href="https://cheetah.org/">Cheetah Conservation Fund</a> (CCF). "The next generation may never see a cheetah if this illicit trade continues," added Edna Adan Ismail, Somaliland's former foreign minister.



Combating this criminal trade is challenging since it revolves around Somaliland, a self-proclaimed republic with no international recognition and one of the world’s poorest regions. Although a small coast guard unit is continuously patrolling for cheetahs, they also need to contend with other pressing issues such as human trafficking or gun runners.



In recent years, however, organizations such as Marker’s CCF have helped to rescue an increasingly large number of cheetahs. The organization is now sheltering 67 cubs across three safe houses in Somaliland’s capital Hargeisa. 



Additionally, laws criminalizing the trade of cheetahs have been enforced. A high-profile trafficker was prosecuted in October 2020, and his smuggling ring was shattered.



Yet, such measures might not be enough to safeguard this endangered species. Urgent local and global efforts are needed to completely halt illegal cheetah trafficking, and to mitigate other factors that threaten cheetah populations, such as human industrial expansion through habitat destruction.



---



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

Illegal trade pushes cheetahs to the brink of extinction

Every year about 300 cheetah cubs are snatched from their...

Chickadees are active, social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazonian-birds-are-changing-shape-in-response-to-global-warming/">birds</a> that live in flocks and inhabit deciduous and mixed forests, open woods and parks. They feed on insects and seeds but prefer to cache their food away and eat it later, rather than consume it on the spot. In fact, chickadees hide thousands of food items every fall and rely on these hidden stores to get through the harsh winter times in the mountains of the western U.S. 



For a chickadee, a highly developed spatial memory is clearly essential for survival. This fact led researchers to wonder whether spatial memory has a genetic basis in chickadees. If so, the ability to memorize the location of cached food would be under the influence of natural selection. The genetic basis for spatial memory has been demonstrated for humans and other mammals, but has not been identified in birds.



In a new study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>, researchers investigated the genetic basis of individual variation in spatial cognition used by chickadees to recover food stores.&nbsp;The research involved a collaboration between scientists from the <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of Oklahoma.



"We all use spatial memory to navigate our environment,"&nbsp;said study lead author Carrie Branch. "Without memory there’s no learning and an organism would have to start from scratch for every task. So, it really is life and death for these birds to be able to remember where they stashed their food. We've been able to show that natural selection is shaping their ability to remember locations."



In order to quantify spatial memory ability in a population of wild Mountain Chickadees in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, senior author Vladimir Pravosudov and his team at the University of Nevada, Reno, designed clusters of "smart"&nbsp;feeders that the birds could visit. Each feeder was equipped with a radio frequency identification sensor, and each of the 42 birds in the study was fitted with a leg tag, the size of a grain of rice, that gave off a unique identifying signal.



Birds were assigned to different feeders in the clusters. When a bird visited a feeder, the feedes sensor read the bird's ID tag and, if it matched the feeder for that individual, a mechanism would open the door, and the bird could access a seed. The scientists recorded the number of attempts each bird made before it consistently went to the correct feeder.&nbsp;



"This is an effective system to test spatial learning and memory in hundreds of wild chickadees in their natural environment,"&nbsp;said Pravosudov. "We have previously shown that even very small variations in performance are associated with differences in survival."



The researchers found that some chickadees took fewer attempts than others to learn the location of the feeder that delivered food to them. In other words, there was natural variation in the spatial memories of the birds. If natural selection is shaping chickadee memory, then one would expect to find variation in the trait: some chickadees are certainly better than others at remembering where their food is.&nbsp;



Furthermore, if there is a genetic basis to spatial memory then birds that perform the task better would have a survival advantage and would be more likely to produce offspring. This certainly appeared to be the case, with very small variations in performance being associated with differences in survival.



"Environment does still matter a lot in terms of shaping behavior, but our work here suggests that genes may create the brain structures, and then experience and learning can build on top of that,"&nbsp;explained Branch.



The study confirms that spatial memory in chickadees has a genetic basis and is selected for during the process of natural selection.



---



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

Chickadees are genetically inclined to have a remarkable memory

Chickadees are active, social birds that live in flocks and...

Sea urchins look like spikey outgrowths of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-whales-make-a-major-contribution-to-ocean-health/">ocean</a> floor, but they are in fact living organisms, part of a group of animals called echinoderms (the same family that sea stars and sand dollars belong to). While to a casual observer they may seem sedentary, movement is an important part of this animal’s ecology, and thus an important part of nearshore ecosystems.&nbsp;



A new study from the <a href="https://www.ub.edu/web/portal/en/">University of Barcelona</a> quantifies just how important the predator-prey relationships of these spiny sea-creatures are.&nbsp;



Study lead author Dr. Jordi Pagès and colleagues subjected captive sea urchins to the smell of one of their chief predators, the sea snail Hexaplex trunculus, and then observed their reactions for up to several hours.&nbsp;



When they caught the scent of danger, the sea urchins took off at a speed of 15 centimeters per minute (nearly twice their typical leisurely pace of 8 centimeters a minute). Rather than meandering and wandering, the sea urchins also moved in a straight line.



“In short, sea urchins can perceive the chemistry of their predators and react instantly by changing their movement patterns. That is, they fear the predators and react accordingly. This response, coherent and consistent in all individuals, has an adaptive sense," explained Dr. Pagès.



"This makes us think that, just like there are optimal movement patterns for finding food, there are optimized movements for escaping the predators.” This isn’t a new phenomenon, Dr. Pagès notes, as “there are fossil traces of echinoids in marine sediments that suggest that these urchins’ complex movements took place more than 50 million years ago.”&nbsp;



Even in the slow lane, the complex dance of predator and prey is important to understand for ecologists as they attempt to gain a better understanding of how ocean ecosystems function.&nbsp;



“Our study shows that if such a simple species like the sea urchin is able to react in such a clear way in front of a predator, it is worth to add this complexity to the predator-prey models," concluded Dr. Pagès.



"Only by doing so will we be able to predict the coexistence capacity of predator and prey populations and understand the populational dynamics in nature.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://movementecologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/">Movement Ecology</a>.&nbsp;



---



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

Sluggish sea urchins double their pace when they smell danger

Sea urchins look like spikey outgrowths of the ocean floor,...

In the deepest, most pristine areas of the Amazon Forest, birds are isolated from almost any direct contact with humans. Yet, data collected over 40 years in this,&nbsp; the largest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/african-rainforests-are-surprisingly-resilient-to-heat-and-drought/">rainforest</a> in the world, shows that even here, birds are being impacted by the effects of global warming.



The study, conducted by scientists from the <a href="https://www.lsu.edu/">Louisiana State University</a>, found that the number of sensitive resident birds has declined throughout the Amazon rainforest&nbsp;during the past four decades. In addition, the body sizes and wing lengths of birds have changed. According to the researchers, these physical changes are associated with increasingly hot and dry conditions in the dry season, between June and November each year.



“Even in the middle of this pristine Amazon rainforest, we are seeing the global effects of climate change caused by people, including us,” said study lead author Vitek Jirinec, associate ecologist at the Integral Ecology Research Center and lead author of this study.&nbsp;



More than 15,000 individual birds were captured, measured, weighed, marked with a leg band and released, over the 40-year study period. Analysis of the data set reveals that, in nearly all of the 77 different species recorded, body size has decreased since the 1980s.&nbsp;



On average, birds have lost about two percent of their body weight every decade. For an average bird species that weighed about 30 grams in the 1980s, the population now averages about 27.6 grams.&nbsp;



“These birds don’t vary that much in size. They are fairly fine-tuned, so when everyone in the population is a couple of grams smaller, it’s significant,” said study co-author Philip Stouffer, who is the Lee F. Mason Professor in the LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources.



The birds were collected over a large range of the rainforest, and therefore the changes recorded are not related to any specific locality. This indicates that the phenomena of lighter bodies and longer wings are most likely happening in all regions of the rainforest.



“This is undoubtedly happening all over and probably not just with birds,” said Professor Stouffer. “If you look out your window, and consider what you’re seeing out there, the conditions are not what they were 40 years ago and it’s very likely plants and animals are responding to those changes as well. We have this idea that the things we see are fixed in time, but if these birds aren’t fixed in time, that may not be true.”



The 77 different species recorded represent inhabitants at all forest levels, from the cool, dark forest floor to the warmer, sunlit midstory.&nbsp;The results showed that the species living in the higher sections of the forest midstory had the most dramatic changes in body weight and wing length. These are the birds most exposed to the hotter and drier environmental conditions. They also tend to do more flying as they travel from tree to tree.



The researchers hypothesize that these Amazonian bird species have adapted to hotter, drier conditions by reducing the energy required to fly around and find food. A lighter body with longer wings will result in reduced wing loading and this will make flight more efficient. If a bird has a higher wing loading, it needs to flap its wings faster to stay aloft, which requires more energy and produces more metabolic heat. Reducing body weight and increasing wing length leads to more efficient resource use while also keeping cooler in a warming climate.



LSU alumnus Ryan Burner (Ph.D. ’19) conducted much of the analysis that revealed the variation among the groups of birds over the years. Burner, who is now a research wildlife biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, is the second author on this study.



As the rainforest environment becomes increasingly hotter and drier, the capacity of these Amazonian birds to deal with the conditions will be tested further. The limit of changes in body weight and wing length is not currently known, but at some stage this strategy may fail to deliver the necessary adaptation to changing climate. The same situation no doubt also exists in a lot of other places and for other species that are experiencing the pressures of environmental extremes.



“There may be other researchers in other places who have relevant data from the 1970s and 1980s that could be compared to modern data, because the bird banding protocol we used is pretty standard. So, if you measure mass and wing, maybe there will be more datasets that will emerge and we’ll be able to get more of an idea of the variation across space and how it might be changing in different systems,” said Professor Stouffer.



The results of the study are published today in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



---



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

Amazonian birds are changing shape in response to global warming

In the deepest, most pristine areas of the Amazon Forest,...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Nature Scientific Reports</a> has found the earliest evidence of herd living among <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-behavior-helped-early-dinosaurs-thrive/">dinosaurs</a> through the discovery of fossilized remains of sauropodomorphs, a species of large, long-necked herbivores living in the Mesozoic Era.



“Sauropodomorph dinosaurs dominated the herbivorous niches during the first 40 million years of dinosaur history (Late Triassic–Early Jurassic), yet palaeobiological factors that influenced their evolutionary success are not fully understood,” the study authors wrote. “For instance, knowledge of their behavior is limited, although herding in sauropodomorphs has been well documented in derived sauropods from the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous.”



A research team led by paleontologist Diego Pol from the <a href="https://mef.org.ar/home/">Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio</a> discovered the fossilized skeletal remains of 80 individuals and over 100 eggs of the early sauropodomorph Mussaurus patagonicus in the Laguna Colorada Formation in Patagonia, Argentina.



By analyzing the size and type of bone tissue of the skeletal remains, the scientists identified a cluster of 11 juveniles of less than a year of age, nine specimens aged between a year old and adult, and two adults that were found closely together. These findings suggest that the presence of age-specific clusters of individuals in the same location could indicate that these dinosaurs lived in herds and primarily associated with others of their own age.



Since the rocks surrounding the remains appeared to be approximately 193 million years old, this is the earliest evidence of complex social behavior in dinosaurs, predating previous records by at least 40 million years.



According to the researchers, the evolution of complex social behavior among sauropodomorphs might have coincided with increases in body size that occurred between 227 and 208 million years ago. In order to meet the increased energy demands associated with larger body sizes, these dinosaurs might have needed to coordinate their behaviors by forming herds, and thus manage to forage over longer distances.



“The presence of sociality in different sauropodomorph lineages suggests a possible Triassic origin of this behavior, which may have influenced their early success as large terrestrial herbivores,” the authors concluded.



---



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

Dinosaurs engaged in herd living much earlier than expected

A new study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports...

A research team from the <a href="https://www.newcastle.edu.au/">University of Newcastle</a> and the <a href="https://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/">South Australian Museum</a> has recently identified a new frog species in the Wollumbin National Park from northern New South Wales, Australia. This <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quickly-evolving-species-face-greater-threat-of-extinction/">species</a>, named Assa wollumbin sp.nov., is the second type of “hip-pocket” or “pouched” frog in the world.&nbsp;



These frogs are very peculiar, due to the fact that they have a highly derived and unusual reproductive mode, involving a unique form of male parental care. Male frogs hatch the eggs for six days until the tadpoles are born. Next, the males carry the tadpoles in small pouches located on their legs until the young frogs develop their own legs.



"The hip-pocket frog is not only unique for its amazing breeding biology among Australian frogs, but it is also unique among frogs of the world, since there are only four of the 4,000 species worldwide that have male parental care where the male carries its developing tadpoles,"&nbsp;explained University of Newcastle’s Dr. Michael Mahony, one of the biologists who described this new species.



"This incredible discovery shows just how much we don't know about the world around us, with this tiny 16mm frog found on just one isolated mountain in the Wollumbin National Park," added Australian Minister for Environment Matt Kean. &nbsp;



Due to its specific habitat needs and restricted distribution, this species will likely meet the criteria for joining the list of critically endangered species.&nbsp;



"The small population size makes this frog more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which is why the New South Wales Government moved quickly to protect its habitat within days of being formally described,” said Mr. Kean.



"A conservation action plan will be developed to ensure the survival of this fascinating frog species, which has been living undiscovered high in the cool forest."



The research is published in the scientific journal <a href="https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5057.4.1">Zootaxa</a>.



---



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

Male frogs carry tadpoles in their legs

A research team from the University of Newcastle and the...

The name "rockfish" is applied to a wide variety of different groups of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-loss-leads-to-changes-in-fish-populations/">fish</a> that typically live amongst rocks on the ocean floor. Rockfish from one particular genus (Sebastes) have recently been studied by scientists from <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">UC Berkley</a>, to investigate the genetic basis of their unusual longevity.



Tissue samples from 88 of the 137 species of rockfish in this genus, all known to inhabit coastal waters around the Pacific Ocean, were used to obtain DNA for analysis.&nbsp;



The Sebastes group of fishes has undergone a very rapid evolutionary radiation in the past 10 million years, and has adapted to a wide range of different conditions and habitats. As a consequence, their phenotypes (i.e., their observable characteristics) differ widely in terms of their sizes, lifestyles, ecological niches, and longevity.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Some species, such as the colorful calico rockfish (Sebastes dallii), live for little more than a decade. The most long-lived of the genus&nbsp;Sebastes – the rougheye rockfish (Sebastes aleutianus), which occurs from Japan to the Aleutian Islands – can survive in cold, deep coastal waters for more than 200 years. Some of the most long-lived vertebrate species on Earth are found in this genus.&nbsp;



The researchers sequenced the complete genomes of the 88 rockfish species using a state-of-the-art technique known as Pacbio, or SMRT, sequencing. In particular, they were looking for DNA variations that were more common in fish with longer lives.&nbsp;



The results show that a variety of genes are associated with a longer lifespan; they found a total of 137 longevity-associated gene variations. Although the researchers were aware that factors such as body size and habitat depth influence lifespan, they also identified several new genes that are involved with the process of ageing.&nbsp;



Approximately 60 percent of variation in longevity was explained by variations in body size and the depth at which the species occur. Vertebrates with larger bodies usually live for longer (think of an elephant and a mouse, for example) and the fish that habitually live in deep, cold waters have a lower metabolic rate which is also associated with living for longer.&nbsp;



"We can explain 60% of the variation in lifespan just by looking at the size at maturity and the depth at which a fish lives," said senior author Professor <a href="https://www.sudmantlab.org/">Peter Sudmant</a>.&nbsp;"So, you can predict lifespan with pretty high accuracy just from these factors. This allowed us to identify the genes that allow them to do those things."



The remainder of the longevity-associated variation was explained mostly by differences in three types of genes: an enrichment in the number of genes for repairing DNA; variations in many genes that regulate insulin, which has long been known to influence lifespan; and an enrichment in genes that modulate the immune system. More DNA repair genes could help protect against cancer, while more immune genes could help ward off infections, as well as cancer.



"Six different members of the insulin signaling pathway are under selection in these fish," said Professor Sudmant. "If you look at the textbooks, there are about nine or 10 core members of the pathway, so the majority of them are under selection in rockfish." Professor Sudamant explained that some rockfish species extended their lifespan simply by adapting to live in deeper, colder waters and increasing their size, but the longest-lived species boosted their lifespans even further by tweaking their DNA repair, insulin signaling and immune-modulation genes.



The scientists were also able to identify some consequences of a long lifespan in these rockfish. Species that live longer tend to have smaller populations (again, think of elephants and mice) and may survive today in small numbers that rely on very old, but very fertile, females to breed and restock the population.&nbsp;



"In these rockfish, we can actually watch this evolution happening over this 10-million-year time period, and we observe that when some species evolve a short lifespan, their population sizes expand, and when they evolve a long lifespan, their population sizes contract," said Professor Sudmant. "We can see a signature of that in their genomes, in the genetic variation that exists in these species. So, there is a consequence to adapting to long and short life."



A fascinating finding from the study is that long-lived species have an excess of certain kinds of DNA mutations – specifically, the conversion of the nucleotide pair CG (cytosine-guanine) to TG (thymine-guanine) – that are known to accumulate in tumors with aging. Because it is the oldest females that produce most of the offspring in these long-lived species, these unusual genetic alterations are passed along to the rest of the long-lived population.



"In this study, we identified both the genetic causes and consequences of adaptation to extreme lifespan," said Professor Sudmant. "It's very exciting to be able to look at a group of species and see how their phenotype has been shaped through time and the genetic changes that drive that phenotype, and simultaneously, how that phenotype then feeds back and influences the genetic diversity of that population."



The study may also help scientists understand human lifespan better. Sudmant and his colleagues found that longer-lived species had more immune modulating genes –&nbsp; in particular, a group called butyrophilins – than shorter-lived species. The immune system is involved in regulating inflammation, and increased inflammation has been implicated in human aging. This implies that the findings of this study identify genes that could be used therapeutically to slow age-related damage in the body. "There is an opportunity here to look in nature and see how natural adaptations have shaped lifespan and to think about how those same sorts of genes are acting in our own bodies," explained Professor Sudamant.



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



---



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

Pacific rockfish give clues about the genetic basis of longevity

The name "rockfish" is applied to a wide variety of...

Bumblebees are major pollinators for many human food crops and without them, our diets would greatly suffer. Unfortunately, it looks as if human-induced climate change is hurting the diets of the bumblebees themselves.&nbsp;



Bacteria and yeast are impacted by temperature. At just the right temperature, nectar contains a good balance of yeast and bacteria for bees. When the temperature rises too high, this balance is upset, endangering bee health and hurting our food crops.&nbsp;



A small amount of microbes is a good thing for the bees but when temperatures rise, the metabolism of the microbes increases as well. With faster metabolisms, the microbes consume more of the sugars - one of the things the bees are after. In a new study from UC Riverside, researchers investigated how these microbial changes affect bumblebees.&nbsp;



“Micro changes in floral nectar may alter the way bees forage and look for food, affecting their health and in turn, potentially affecting human health, by reducing the availability of fresh foods," said study lead author Kaleigh Russell.



"We could see shifts in the locations of bee communities, since they leave when they can’t find the food they like or need,” Russell said. “We might also see a decline in overall pollinator populations.”



To look at the bees' preference for nectar, Russell cooked up different nectar recipes in her lab. Some of the nectar was sterilized and so contained no living microbes. Other nectar contained live microbes.&nbsp;



Both of the nectars were grown at different temperatures. The lower temperature was 80.6 F, which is the springtime high for Riverside in 2017. The higher temperature was 89.6 F, representing the predicted temperature for the end of the century.&nbsp;



The research showed that the bees clearly preferred nectars with some microbes, even if it meant a little less sugar. The bees also seemed to dislike the nectar grown at higher temperatures with too many microbes and less sugar as well as the nectar with no microbes at all.&nbsp;



The researchers are not yet sure why this preference exists, but what is obvious is that rising temperatures are likely to have a negative effect on bees.&nbsp;



“We could see shifts in the locations of bee communities, since they leave when they can’t find the food they like or need. We might also see a decline in overall pollinator populations.”



The best thing people can do for bees, Russel said, is to plant gardens of native flowers not treated with pesticides.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/248">Microbial Ecology</a>.



---



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

Rising temperatures are harming bumblebee diet

Bumblebees are major pollinators for many human food crops and...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a> has examined how whale watching boats with louder engines impact short finned pilot <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-whales-make-a-major-contribution-to-ocean-health/">whales</a>. Previous research suggests that boats can change whale behavior. The impact of boat noise on toothed whales remains uncertain, however, and there are no regulations on the noise levels of whale watching boats.&nbsp;



"Commercial whale-watching is a growing, multi-billion-dollar tourism industry globally," wrote the study authors. "In 2009, 13 million people participated in whale-watching tours across 119 countries and overseas territories, spending more than USD $2.1 billion."



"The growth of whale-watching globally brings a subsequent rise in the number and/or size of vessels used to watch cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises). Whale-watching has been viewed as a non-invasive activity, and an economic alternative to whaling."&nbsp;



"Whale-watch vessels, however, spend large amounts of time within close proximities of cetaceans, and consequently, can have adverse fitness consequences on targeted individuals or populations."



Patricia Arranz led the research project, which utilized drones to watch mother-calf pairs of short finned pilot whales off the coast of Spain. Thirteen of these pairs were observed without the presence of a boat and twenty three pairs were observed in the presence of boats with either loud petrol (gasoline) engines or quiet electric engines.&nbsp;



The boats slowly passed the whales at a distance of approximately 60 meters, complying with the laws of the Canary Islands.&nbsp;



The scientists discovered that whales who were not approached by a boat with a louder petrol motor spent more time resting and nursing than those near louder engines. The mother whales approached by the loud engines spent an average of 29 percent less time resting and, even more disturbingly, 81 percent less time nursing their calves.&nbsp;



With the quieter electric engines, there was no significant change in whale behavior when approached. This suggests that quieter motors can be beneficial to ethical whale watching.&nbsp;



The researchers point out that the less time the whale calves spend nursing and resting, the more energy they consume. This reduces the likelihood calves will survive to adulthood.&nbsp;



The research shows that even when current guidelines are met, whales can be disrupted from their normal behavior. The scientists suggest that their findings call for a change in the whale-watching guidelines, and that engine noises should be reduced for the long-term survival of the whales.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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

Loud tourist boats endanger the long-term survival of whales

A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports has...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.760845/full">Frontiers in Veterinary Science</a> has found that even common household <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traffic-noises-robins/">noises</a> can trigger intense feelings of anxiety in dogs. Particularly higher frequency intermittent sounds, such as the battery warning on a smoke detector, can cause the most anxiety in canines.



While previous research focused almost exclusively on dramatic infrequent sounds including thunderstorms or fireworks, a research team led by <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a> (UC Davis) explored how the most common and frequent household noises can also trigger strong feelings of anxiety in canine companions.&nbsp;



By examining video recordings of 62 dogs and the reactions of their owners, the scientists found numerous signs of fear and anxiety among canines, and often miscomprehension combined with amusement in the case of the human owners.



“There is a mismatch between owners' perceptions of the fearfulness and the amount of fearful behavior actually present – some react with amusement rather than concern,” said study lead author Emma Grigg, a researcher in the <a href="https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine</a>.



“We know that there are a lot of dogs that have noise sensitivities, but we underestimate their fearfulness to noise we consider normal because many dog owners can't read body language.&nbsp;We hope this study gets people to think about the sources of sound that might be causing their dog stress, so they can take steps to minimize their dog's exposure to it.”



According to Grigg and her colleagues, dogs’ responses were stronger to higher frequency, intermittent, and unpredictable sounds such as fire alarms than to low frequency continuous sounds like the drone of a vacuum cleaner. Dogs exposed to such sounds often started panting, pacing nervously, drooling, barking, or even howling.&nbsp;



Since the dogs have a wider range of hearing than humans, some noises could be potentially painful for them, causing high levels of distress. Instead of acting with amusement, owners should empathize with the dogs’ plight and make sure their pets are less frequently exposed to such sounds.



“Dogs use body language much more than vocalizing and we need to be aware of that,” Griggs said.&nbsp;“We feed them, house them, love them and we have a caretaker obligation to respond better to their anxiety.”



“Better education is required for dog owners to accurately interpret canine body language, to both safeguard dogs' welfare and minimize development of anxiety-related behavior problems,” the study authors concluded.&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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

Common household sounds trigger anxiety in dogs

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



---



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



---



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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