As global warming continues to rise, desert lizards are experiencing an energy crisis. These reptiles rely on external temperatures to regulate their body functions, including how much energy they need and when they can forage for food. 



A recent study published in the journal Science&nbsp;reveals that climate change is severely disrupting this balance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warming-deserts-put-lizards-at-risk">Warming deserts put lizards at risk</h2>



Cold-blooded animals, like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-lizard-day-2024-celebrating-our-scaly-companions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lizards</a>, rely on external temperatures to regulate their body heat. Their body temperature directly affects how much energy they need and when they can be active. 



In hot desert environments, food is already scarce, and extreme heat can make it too dangerous for lizards to go out and forage.



Climate change is making this problem worse. As temperatures rise, lizards need more energy just to survive because their metabolism speeds up. 



However, they also have less time to find food because the heat forces them to stay in shaded or underground areas for longer periods. This creates a difficult situation where their food needs increase, but the lizards' ability to meet those needs decreases, putting their survival at risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-energy-budget-squeeze">Energy budget squeeze</h2>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
“Cost-of-living is a concept humans are all too aware of, but the same concept applies to ectotherms - or cold-blooded animals - such as lizards," noted study lead author Dr. Kristoffer Wild from the <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Melbourne</a>.



"We just need to switch the currency from money to energy and realize that for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sandy-soil-reptiles-face-extinction-threat-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lizards</a> these costs and their ability to meet them depend on temperature." 
</blockquote>



The researchers found that diurnal (day-active) lizards are especially vulnerable to rising global warming. These lizards depend on daylight hours to hunt for food and sustain their energy levels.



However, as temperatures increase, extreme heat makes it unsafe for the lizards to remain active for long periods. To avoid overheating, they are forced to retreat into shaded areas, burrows, or underground shelters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-desert-lizards-struggle-to-meet-their-needs">Desert lizards struggle to meet their needs</h2>



The reduction in active hours significantly limits their ability to search for and consume food. Since desert lizards require a certain amount of energy to survive, the loss of foraging time creates a major challenge. 



They must find enough food in a shorter window while their energy demands continue to rise due to higher body temperatures.



As a result, diurnal lizards are struggling more than ever in desert environments that are becoming even hotter. With less time to find food and increasing energy needs, their survival is at risk. 



If temperatures continue to rise, these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/anoles-are-the-scuba-diving-champions-of-the-lizard-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lizards</a> may face population declines as they fail to meet their basic nutritional requirements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-lizards-may-benefit-from-warming">Some lizards may benefit from warming</h2>



In contrast, nocturnal (night-active) lizards may actually benefit from warmer temperatures. Since they are active after sunset, higher nighttime temperatures could extend their hunting periods, giving them more opportunities to find food. 



This could help them compensate for the increased energy demands caused by climate change, putting them in a better position to adapt compared to their diurnal counterparts.



Dr. Wild likens this imbalance to a financial crisis. “It’s like diurnal lizards paying higher bills with fewer work hours, while nocturnal lizards can counter high bills by gaining extra work hours during the warmer nights.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predicting-climate-impacts-on-desert-lizards">Predicting climate impacts on desert lizards</h2>



To measure these impacts, the researchers developed a model combining physics and biology.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
“We were able to reconstruct, within two or three degrees, what a field biologist observed in the middle of the Australian and African deserts more than 50 years ago. This gives us confidence to predict the direct effects of climate warming on these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-lizards-have-evolved-to-resist-deadly-snake-venom/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animals</a> in the future,” explained co-author Professor Michael Kearney.
</blockquote>



The findings suggest that desert lizards in historically warmer regions will face greater challenges. Africa’s desert lizards, for instance, will need more food but have less time to find it compared to their Australian counterparts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conservation-and-future-research">Conservation and future research</h2>



The researchers emphasize that conservation strategies must be customized based on each species' unique foraging habits. Climate change does not affect all animals in the same way - some species will struggle more than others.



This means that a one-size-fits-all approach to conservation is not effective. Instead, targeted efforts are needed to address the specific challenges faced by different lizard species.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
“If we can better understand the ecological processes underpinning these cost-of-living pressures, we can better anticipate the species most at risk and act accordingly,” said Professor Kearney.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-survival-of-desert-lizards-in-a-warming-climate">Survival of desert lizards in a warming climate </h2>
</blockquote>



However, rising temperatures are not the only threat. Other climate-related issues, such as food shortages and increasing water needs, add to the stress on desert reptiles. 



These challenges become even more severe in the warmer months - spring and summer - which are also the critical breeding seasons for many species.



If lizards cannot find enough food and water during this time, their ability to reproduce and maintain stable populations will be threatened. Addressing these combined pressures is essential for ensuring the survival of desert lizard species in a rapidly changing climate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
“Our next steps will be to bring food and water resources into our calculations and translate the results into growth and reproduction, which will help us predict whether populations will survive further change under warming,” Dr. Wild said.
</blockquote>



The study highlights the urgent need to understand and address the effects of climate change on desert <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snake-evolution-legless-lizards-into-slithering-snakes-100-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a>. As temperatures continue to rise, species that rely on delicate energy balances are at increasing risk. 



By predicting how different species will respond to these environmental shifts, scientists can develop better conservation strategies. This research is essential for protecting vulnerable desert lizard populations and ensuring their survival in a rapidly warming world.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq4372" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



-----



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Desert lizards struggle as global warming raises their energy needs

As global warming continues to rise, desert lizards are experiencing an energy crisis. These reptiles rely on external temperatures to regulate their body functions, including how much energy they need and when they can forage for food. A recent study published in the journal Science&nbsp;reveals that climate change is severely disrupting this balance. Warming deserts put lizards at risk Cold-blooded animals, like lizards, rely on external temperatures to regulate their body heat. Their body temperature directly affects how much energy they need and when they can be...

Animals in the Arctic are shifting their behavior to keep pace with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-officially-arrived-in-the-black-forest/">climate</a> change. The research is based on data collected from more than 200 studies which tracked the movements of thousands of Arctic animals over the last three decades. 

The database combines the work of ecologists from all over the world. Study co-lead author Gil Bohrer is a professor of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering at <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">The Ohio State University</a>.

"What we ended up with is this massive dataset that can tell us how the behavior of animals is evolving in the face of climate change," said Professor Bohrer.

In the Arctic, the average temperatures have increased about 2.3 degrees Celsius since the 1970s. The researchers found that the cumulative effects of earlier springs, warmer winters, melting sea ice, and human development have transformed the behavior of native Arctic animals. 

Professor Bohrer said that collecting the data in one place was important. Without the database, it would be difficult for scientists to quantify the long-term effects of climate change and human activities on Arctic animals.

"Ecologists are doing the best they can, but often, movement track data would be lost - researchers retire or move to other positions, the hard drive ends up getting lost, the research notebook is misplaced or thrown away, and then that data is gone," said Professor Bohrer. "And animal tracking is very hard to do, so a research project might cover a handful of animals, maybe 10s at the most. Each animal-movement tag costs hundreds -- and sometimes thousands - of dollars, and you need to catch the animal and follow it. It's a lot of work and a lot of money."

Three separate analyses of the data show large-scale shifts in the movement of golden eagles, bears, caribou, moose, and wolves. The behavioral changes could impact the ability for these species to eat, mate, and survive.

The first study compared the movements of more than 100 golden eagles from 1993 to 2017. The experts found that immature birds migrating north in the spring arrived to the region earlier after a mild winter, which suggests that warmer temperatures are prompting the eagles to migrate sooner. On the other hand, adult golden eagles did not change their migration patterns. According to the study authors, this could have consequences for nesting and chick survival.

The second analysis tracked more than 900 female caribou from 2000 to 2017. The study revealed that northern herds are giving birth earlier in the spring, while the calving dates of southern populations have not changed. The early spring is associated with more extreme variation in weather patterns, posing some serious risks. For example, heavy snowfall events in the late spring snow could be fatal for calves born earlier in the season.

The third study monitored the speed of bear, caribou, moose, and wolf movement from 1998 to 2019. These species were found to move at different speeds depending on seasonal temperatures and precipitation. The investigation revealed that moose and caribou moved more in days with higher temperatures, while their predators moved less. The findings suggest that it will be more difficult for herbivores to avoid predators as temperatures continue to rise.

"I'm really excited about how this work shows what you can learn from comparing data across populations on a very large scale," said study co-author Elie Gurarie of the University of Maryland. "I would say this is an early example of what we might call global animal movement ecology. We're increasing our ability to monitor the pulse of animal populations across the Earth and ask big picture questions about what it means."

"This work has given us a baseline to understand the large-scale picture so we can get a sense of how animals and environments are really interacting across species and across space as the environment changes."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Arctic animals are changing their behavior in a warming climate

Animals in the Arctic are shifting their behavior to keep...

In a new study, researchers have observed that crown-of-thorns starfish can actually find their way home after a long night of feasting on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-great-barrier-reef-has-lost-half-its-corals-in-two-decades/">corals</a>. The research suggests that healthy tropical reefs with an abundance of Acropora corals encourage the overindulgent behavior of crown-of-thorns starfish. 

The study is the first of its kind to show that  crown-of-thorns starfish have the ability to find their way home, but only when their surrounding community is well-stocked with corals. 

The experts documented this behavior on the Great Barrier Reef, where the starfish were seen emerging from their shelters in the afternoon, feeding on coral throughout the night, and returning home at dawn.

Study lead author Dr. Scott Ling is a senior lecturer at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania.

"The crown-of-thorns starfish often partied all night, slept-in and only those with a well-stocked larder found their way home - so it's very much a teenager model of behavior," said Dr. Ling.

"Their preferred prey is Acropora corals," said study co-author Professor Morgan Pratchett from the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a>. "When populations of Acropora dropped, the starfish didn't return home. Their behavior is directly linked to the local abundance of Acropora."

Acropora corals have served as an important reef-building species for the past two million years. These fast-growing corals are the building blocks of reefs across the world.

The study findings indicate that healthy reefs with a high cover of Acropora corals are the target of crown-of-thorns aggregations and outbreaks. The starfish are known for preying on large swaths of coral reefs, and these outbreaks have caused widespread and sustained coral loss throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

Using time-lapse photography, the researchers tracked the movements of 58 starfish in the northern and southern Great Barrier Reef during an outbreak in 2015. When Acropora corals were unavailable, the starfish were typically homeless and roamed up to 20 meters per day.

"Unlike sea urchins that can switch diet once they overgraze kelp forests, results of the time-lapse monitoring indicate that the starfish will consume available Acropora and ultimately eat themselves out of house and home before dispersing in search of new feeding grounds," said Dr. Ling.

Previous crown-of-thorns outbreaks were documented on the Great Barrier Reef in 1962, 1979, 1993, and 2009. The combined threat of mass-bleaching and crown-of-thorns outbreaks could have catastrophic consequences for coral reefs.

"By better understanding the behavior of these starfish we can help prevent and control their outbreaks, which will help alleviate the pressures on coral reefs," said Professor Pratchett.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Crown-of-thorns starfish stay up all night to overindulge

In a new study, researchers have observed that crown-of-thorns starfish...

Arthropods are invertebrates that have a segmented body, an exoskeleton, and paired jointed appendages. Bees, spiders, crustaceans, and other arthropods have been among the most abundant and successful <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wild-animals-are-moving-to-the-suburbs/">animals</a> on Earth since the Cambrian Period more than 500 million years ago. 

Arthropoda is the largest phylum in the animal kingdom, making up more than 80 percent of all species. Despite the fact that arthropods are so ubiquitous, however, there is still much that is not known about how they evolved and what their ancestors looked like. The answers to these questions have puzzled scientists for more than a century.

In a new study from the <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>, researchers have discovered a shrimp-like fossil with five eyes. The new species, which is now known as Kylinxia, was discovered in Yunnan Province in southwest China. The specimen has provided experts with critical insight into the early evolutionary history of arthropods. 

"Kylinxia is a very rare chimeric species. It combines morphological features from different animals, which is analogous to 'kylin,' a chimeric creature in traditional Chinese mythology," said study co-author Professor Diying Huang.

"Owing to very special taphonomic conditions, the Kylinxia fossils exhibit exquisite anatomical structures. For example, nervous tissue, eyes and digestive system - these are soft body parts we usually cannot see in conventional fossils," said study co-author Professor Fangchen Zhao.

Kylinxia shares distinctive features with true arthropods, such as a segmented trunk and jointed legs. However, the species also shares the morphological characteristics present in very ancestral forms, such as the bizarre five eyes of Opabinia and the iconic raptorial appendages of Anomalocaris - a giant ancestral form of arthropod.

Anomalocaris reached up to two meters in body length and was a top predator in the Cambrian ocean. Huge differences between Anomalocaris and true arthropods have indicated that there is a large evolutionary gap between the two types of this phylum. According to the researchers, this gap has become a crucial "missing link" in the history of arthropods.

After conducting detailed anatomical studies of the Kylinxia fossils, the experts found that the species had small predatory appendages in front like those in the mouth of spiders, as well as the antennae of Mandibulata - a subdivision of arthropods including bees. This led the team to the conclusion that the first appendages in Anomalocaris and true arthropods had the same structure. 

"Our results indicate that the evolutionary placement of Kylinxia is right between Anomalocaris and the true arthropods. Therefore, our finding reached the evolutionary root of the true arthropods," said study co-author Professor Maoyan Zhu.

"Kylinxia represents a crucial transitional fossil predicted by Darwin's evolutionary theory. It bridges the evolutionary gap from Anomalocaris to true arthropods and forms a key 'missing link' in the origin of arthropods, contributing strong fossil evidence for the evolutionary theory of life," concluded study first author Dr. Han Zeng.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study reveals the origin of spiders, bees, and other true arthropods

Arthropods are invertebrates that have a segmented body, an exoskeleton,...

In a new study from the <a href="https://gorillafund.org/">Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund</a>, scientists have used five decades of data to investigate how <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/how-you-use-social-media-affects-your-sense-of-happiness/">social</a> behavior may be affecting the population growth rate of mountain gorillas. The study revealed that violent encounters between groups with overlapping home ranges dramatically slowed the growth rate of a Virunga gorilla population. 

"This is one of the few studies to demonstrate the considerable impact that social behavior can have on whether or not a population grows," said study co-lead author Dr. Winnie Eckardt.

Around 600 of the estimated 1,063 remaining mountain gorillas live in the countries of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Virunga Mountains. Across a 430-square-kilometer area of forest, conservation measures have more than doubled the Virunga gorilla population since the 1980s.

By 2006, the Virunga study population was composed of three large groups that each had multiple silverbacks. These groups were much larger than average, ranging from 25 to 65 gorillas with up to eight silverbacks, but were very stable.

However, when young silverbacks started challenging the older group leaders, things became unstable. The three groups separated off into 11 groups that now occupied a relatively small region. Movement and expansion into new areas was limited by surrounding agricultural fields, as well as by the presence of other gorillas.

The eleven groups now faced higher overlap in their home ranges and more violent encounters. While trying to impress females, male mountain gorillas often target the males and infants of other groups. As a result of this type of conflict, infant mortality increased by 57 percent and the annual population growth rate dropped from 5.05 percent to 2.37 percent among the Virunga subpopulation.

"Before 2007, we would talk about intergroup encounters for months because they were so rare," said Dr. Eckardt. "After that, they began to happen with such frequency that we could hardly keep up with documenting them."

The findings suggest that it is the density of groups rather than the density of individuals that plays a bigger role in regulating population growth. 

"Scientists often talk about how many individuals an environment can hold, also known as carrying capacity," said study co-author Jean Paul Hirwa. "But what these data clearly show is that for social species, this number can depend on how the animals chose to organize themselves. For example, 100 gorillas living in three groups, as we saw in the 2000s, likely require less space than 100 gorillas living in 10 groups."

"The Virunga gorilla population has been increasing for almost 40 years, but its habitat has not. As the gorilla density reaches unusually high value, scientists fear that between-group aggression and stress will significantly affect the welfare of the animals," said study co-author Dr. Damien Caillaud.

The research also highlights the challenges for the broader Virunga mountain gorilla population. There are currently other mountain gorilla subpopulations in the region that look similar to the study group when it had high growth rates, large sizes, and multiple males.

"This study highlights the value of long-term data in understanding the ever-changing population dynamics of a species, which is ultimately linked to its conservation," said study co-author Dr. Tara Stoinski, CEO of the Fossey Fund. 

"Mountain gorillas are an incredible conservation success story, but their population is very small - just over 1,000 individuals. Our hope is that improving our understanding of what factors are influencing the population's growth will aid in developing effective conservation strategies."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Violent clashes have lowered the Virunga gorilla population

In a new study from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund,...

Human development has impacted the genetic diversity of lions. Human activities have notably damaged the genetic diversity of lions in the last century. Experts at the <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University</a> College of Veterinary Medicine &amp; Biomedical Sciences have found clear genetic changes in lion populations that are tied to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/top-predators-face-the-most-imminent-threat-from-habitat-loss/">habitat</a> fragmentation. 

When groups of the same species are isolated from each other, there is a lack of genetic flow that can have long-term consequences for the overall health of the species. 

"I was surprised at what we found - surprised and disappointed, because it's not what I wanted to see," said study co-author Dr. James Derr. "I really wanted to be able to tell everyone that the management we've been doing for the last 100 years is perfect and to keep doing what we've been doing and everything will be fine. But that's not the take-home lesson; unfortunately, that's not the story we can tell."

The researchers set out to examine whether the genetic structure of lion populations has changed over the last 100 years.

The study was focused on existing DNA data from modern lions that lived between 1990 and 2012. To obtain genetic data from historical populations, study co-author Dr. Caitlin Curry used DNA extracted from the preserved remains of 143 lions that lived between 1880 and 1949.

Both the modern and historical DNA datasets represent the same geographical range from India to Southern Africa. This type of analysis, which compares data from the same region at different times, is called a spatiotemporal study.

Female lions tend to stay close to where they were born, while male lions travel great distances to find new prides. This means that males are responsible for the movement of genes in the population, which promotes a high level of genetic diversity within the species.

The rapid growth of human development across Africa has increasingly limited the movement of lions through barriers such as cities, fences, and farms. These barriers prevent male lions from traveling over the great distances they once freely roamed. 

According to study co-author Dr. Curry, while lions are still genetically diverse right now, the results in the DNA were more pronounced than she expected.

"In the historical population, you couldn't easily identify where a lion was from based on its nuclear DNA. This is due to high historical levels of gene flow across the population," said Dr. Curry. "But in the modern population, you can determine the general area, or sub-population, for most of the lions. But, even with sub-populations being more isolated, the overall level of genetic diversity is still considered high across all lion populations."

However, the restricted movement of lions could gradually lead to much lower levels of genetic diversity, which comes along with health consequences.

"Over the last 100 years or so, we have restricted the natural movements of many species," said Dr. Derr. "This isolation leads to reduced gene flow and ultimately may result in reducing genetic diversity to a level that threatens the survival of local populations."

The African cheetah serves as an example of what happens with a lack of genetic diversity. Based on DNA evidence, scientists believe that cheetahs have suffered two large bottleneck events that have rapidly shrunk the gene pool. Today's cheetah population has difficulty breeding, faces serious health issues, and struggles to fight off new diseases. 

For lions, however, this fate can still be avoided in lions. The study findings provide clear evidence of the genetic consequences of habitat fragmentation and isolation, and this evidence can be used to protect lions. 

"This should not be a disheartening story but rather one of hope," said Dr. Curry. "Yes, we see a decrease in genetic diversity across lion populations over the past century. But, currently, compared with other mammalian species, lion genetic diversity is still considered high across all lion populations."

"With responsible management focused on giving prides enough space to breed and allowing males to move more freely between isolated pockets, it is possible to increase the genetic diversity and reduce population subdivision across lion populations."

Multiple projects have begun reintroducing lions back to areas they once roamed, and wildlife conservation programs are increasingly focused on coexistence strategies.

"The positive take-home message is now that we've documented this and we understand it, policies can be tailored to manage these populations differently," said Dr. Derr. "We know now that you can't treat all lions the same. Now we have the responsibility to manage these animals, and many other managed wildlife species, in ways that better reflects their current biology."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mbe">Molecular Biology and Evolution</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Human development has impacted the genetic diversity of lions

Human development has impacted the genetic diversity of lions. Human...

Ants swallow acid that is secreted by their poison glands to improve their gut microbial communities and prevent <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cats-can-fight-off-sars-cov-2-with-no-symptoms-of-infection/">infection</a>. According to a new study from <a href="https://www.uni-halle.de/?lang=en">Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg</a> (MLU), the acidic environment that ants create in their stomach can kill harmful bacteria that is ingested with food, which reduces their risk of getting sick.  

"Animals continuously encounter microorganisms that are essential for health or cause disease. They are thus challenged to control harmful microbes while allowing the acquisition of beneficial microbes. This challenge is likely especially important for social insects with respect to microbes in food, as they often store food and exchange food among colony members," explained the study authors.

Numerous species of ants have a special gland in their abdomen that produces formic acid. Dr. Simon Tragust said that scientists have long assumed that the acid was used for the sole purpose of warding off predators like insects and birds. In a previous study, however, Dr. Tragust showed that ants can also use formic acid to disinfect their brood and prevent the spread of harmful fungi. 

The current investigation was based on the observation of some puzzling behavior. "Whenever ants swallow food or water, they start cleaning their hindquarters afterwards," said Dr. Tragust. He explained that this behavior did not seem to be linked to digestion, considering that they cleaned their hindquarters even after they had only consumed water. 

After conducting several experiments, the team discovered that the ants were disinfecting themselves on the inside. "When the ants were able to access the acid, their chances of survival increased significantly after eating food enriched with pathogenic bacteria," said Dr. Tragust. 

Given that ants pass food from their mouth to the mouths of their nest mates, the benefits of cleaning were found to extend beyond the individuals. If the ant passing food around had previously ingested the acid, the recipients had a lower risk of getting sick. According to Dr. Tragust, this behavior may reduce the spread of infection within the ant colony.

"In addition to improving their own survival, the ability of donor ants to access their poison also improved the survival of receiver ants without access to their poison following trophallactic exchange of pathogen-contaminated food," wrote the study authors.

"Acidic crop lumens might therefore act as a barrier to disease spread in formicine ant societies, alleviating the cost of sharing pathogen contaminated food and counteracting the generally increased risk of pathogen exposure and transmission associated with group living."

The findings also provide new insight into why some ants have very few bacteria in their digestive tracts. "Acid swallowing acts as a filter mechanism, structuring the ant's microbiome," explained Dr. Tragust. He said that acidic stomachs are only known to occur in humans and a few other vertebrates. Humans produce acid directly in the stomach, but the results are the same - the stomach acid kills germs in food and influences the gut microbiome.

The researchers conclude that the ability of formicine ants to access their own poison and filter out the harmful microbes they ingest may help to explain the ecological and evolutionary success of this group of insects.

The study is published in the <a href="https://elifesciences.org/">eLife</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ants swallow their own acid to avoid getting sick

Ants swallow acid that is secreted by their poison glands...

The earliest evidence for mammal social behavior dates back to the Age of Dinosaurs, according to a new study led by paleontologists at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> Burke Museum of Natural History &amp; Culture. This evidence is tied to the discovery of a small mammal that lived during the Late Cretaceous period.

The previously unknown species was part of an <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plankton-began-hunting-their-own-food-to-survive-a-mass-extinction-event/">extinct</a> group of rodent-like mammals known as multituberculates. The new mammal has been named Filikomys primaevus, which translates to "youthful, friendly mouse." 

The fossils examined for the study are the most complete mammal fossils ever found from the Mesozoic era in North America. The analysis suggests that F. primaevus engaged in group nesting and burrowing behavior, and possibly lived in colonies. 

Dating back about 75 million years, the fossils were recovered from a dinosaur nesting site called Egg Mountain in modern-day western Montana.

The excavation produced skulls and skeletons of at least 22 F. primaevus individuals that were typically clustered together in groups of two to five. About 13 individuals were found in the same rock layer within a 30 square-meter area. 

The researchers noted that the ancient mammal had powerful shoulders and elbows that are similar to those of burrowing animals that exist today. The experts theorize that the ancient animals also lived in burrows and nested together. 

The combination of F. primaevus individuals found clustered together included multiple mature adults and young adults, which indicates that these were truly social groups as opposed to just parents raising their young.

"It was crazy finishing up this paper right as the stay-at-home orders were going into effect - here we all are trying our best to socially distance and isolate, and I'm writing about how mammals were socially interacting way back when dinosaurs were still roaming the Earth!" said study lead author Luke Weaver. 

"It is really powerful, I think, to see just how deeply rooted social interactions are in mammals. Because humans are such social animals, we tend to think that sociality is somehow unique to us, or at least to our close evolutionary relatives, but now we can see that social behavior goes way further back in the mammalian family tree." "Multituberculates are one of the most ancient mammal groups, and they've been extinct for 35 million years, yet in the Late Cretaceous they were apparently interacting in groups similar to what you would see in modern-day ground squirrels."

It was previously assumed that social behavior first emerged in mammals after the mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs. 

Social behavior was also thought to have initially appeared in the group Placentalia - mammals that carry the fetus in the mother's uterus until a late stage of development, including humans. However, the new fossils show that an entirely different group of mammals was socializing during the Age of Dinosaurs.

"These fossils are game changers," said study senior author Gregory Wilson Mantilla. "As paleontologists working to reconstruct the biology of mammals from this time period, we're usually stuck staring at individual teeth and maybe a jaw that rolled down a river, but here we have multiple, near complete skulls and skeletons preserved in the exact place where the animals lived. We can now credibly look at how mammals really interacted with dinosaurs and other animals that lived at this time."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</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

Mammal social behavior dates back to the Age of Dinosaurs

The earliest evidence for mammal social behavior dates back to...

Artificial night lighting is causing widespread impacts to wildlife, according to researchers at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. The team analyzed more than 100 relevant studies and found consistent evidence of physical and behavioral changes in animals, particularly related to their hormone levels and sleep-wake cycles.

In every animal species studied, levels of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin were reduced by exposure to artificial lights.

The researchers said that artificial night lighting has a diverse range of effects across the natural world, and should be limited whenever possible.

"Lots of studies have examined the impacts of artificial night-time lighting on particular species or communities of species," said study co-author Professor Kevin Gaston. "Our research brings those studies together - and we find the effects are very diverse and very pervasive."

"Particularly strong responses are seen in hormone levels, the timing of daily activity in diurnal (daytime) species, and 'life-history' traits such as number of offspring."

"People may imagine this is all about powerful light, but in fact we are seeing a lot of responses at quite low levels of artificial light."

Dr. Dirk Sanders said the differences were found in both animals that are active during the day and those that are active at night. 

"For rodents, which are mostly nocturnal, the duration of activity tended to be reduced by night-time lighting," said Dr. Sanders. "In contrast, for birds - with all of those included strictly diurnal - artificial light led to an extension of the duration of their activity, with singing and foraging starting earlier."

Previous studies have shown that artificial night lighting has a broad scope of impacts, ranging from reducing pollination to tricking trees into budding earlier in spring.

Just like climate change, night-time lighting appears to benefit some species in certain locations, but Professor Gaston said the clear message of the study is to reduce lighting where possible.

"Both climate change and night-time lighting are human-driven and enormously disruptive to the natural world. Historically, we have not really worried about the impact of night-time lighting. Only now are we discovering its wide-ranging effects," said Professor Gaston.

"Our study shows that we should, as a matter of principle, only use night-time lighting where we need it and no further, and at intensities that we need and no more. In effect, we need to view light like any other pollutant."

"Obviously it would be ridiculous to say 'switch the world's lights off' - but we could reduce our use of light immensely with absolutely no impact on ourselves."

Professor Gaston is the scientific advisor on an upcoming natural history series called Earth at Night in Colour, which will be released on Apple TV+ on December 4th.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</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

Artificial night lighting is disrupting the natural world

Artificial night lighting is causing widespread impacts to wildlife, according...

A new study from <a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS</a> has investigated the main stressors that impact koala populations in the Australian state of New South Wales. The iconic species is declining across Australia as a result of bushfires and human development, and has become vulnerable to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plankton-began-hunting-their-own-food-to-survive-a-mass-extinction-event/">extinction</a>. 

"In theory, Australia should have relatively few conservation concerns; its national population density is lo by global standards, most of the continent remains sparsely settled and little modified, and the nation is relatively affluent," noted the study authors. 

"However, since European Settlement in 1788, 30 mammal species endemic to Australia have become extinct, with 55 others experiencing a worsened conservation status. This statistic is primarily attributed to the fact that humans alter areas of pristine habitat that is rich with biodiversity, so as to accommodate rapid population growth."

To gain a better understanding of the patterns of decline among koala populations, the scientists analyzed three decades of koala rescue data from three wildlife rescue groups in New South Wales. The data include more than 12,500 koala sightings, as well as cases where a koala was admitted for clinical care, between 1989 and 2018.

The researchers determined that the most common reason that a koala was documented or admitted for clinical care was due to disease, especially chlamydia. Over the course of the study period, the incidents of disease among koalas increased. As a result, they were released less often and euthanized more often. 

According to the experts, the data indicates that increasing human development has the biggest impact on koala populations through a variety of stressors, including habitat disturbance, vehicle collisions, and dog attacks. The prevalence of disease may be linked to the effect of bushfires on the koalas' immune systems. 

The findings could help inform efforts to protect koala populations through actions such as bushfire control, sustainable agricultural practices, environmental planning, and governmental policy.

"Australia's national wildlife icon, the Koala currently faces the brink of extinction crisis due to environmental trauma and diseases," wrote the researchers. "We present decadal periods of evidence of significant stress and mortality risks of wild koala populations across the major hotspots in South-eastern Australia."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</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

Human development has the biggest impact on dwindling koala populations

A new study from PLOS has investigated the main stressors...

Wild animals are flocking to backyards for food and shelter, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">NC State University</a>. The research explains why animals are sometimes more abundant and diverse in the suburbs than they are in the wilderness. 

Study co-author Roland Kays is an associate professor at NC State and the director of the Biodiversity &amp; Earth Observation Lab at the NC Museum of Natural Resources.

"They're using the gardens a little bit, they're using the brush piles a little bit, and they're using the water features, but feeding has the most dramatic influence on animal activity in the backyard," said Professor Kays.

The researchers set out to investigate what is known as the "urban wildlife paradox." Even though human development is generally associated with biodiversity loss, scientists have found that moderately developed areas frequently host a variety of mammals compared with wild areas.

"There's this idea that nature and humans don't coexist well," said Professor Kays. "But what we've been finding is that when it comes to mammals, especially in North America, they actually do pretty well around people. You end up with high abundance. You expect there to be fewer animals, and there's actually more."

To examine whether food and shelter attract animals in suburban areas, the researchers set up cameras in the backyards of 58 homes near Raleigh, Durham, and outside of Chapel Hill. For comparison, the team set cameras up in nearby forests, rural, and urban areas. 

In collaboration with experts at the University of Montana, the researchers analyzed the images. They identified seven species - squirrels, gray and red foxes, Virginia opossums, eastern cottontail rabbits, woodchucks, and eastern chipmunks - that were more frequently seen in yards compared to forests. In addition, animals such as white-tailed deer, squirrels, and raccoons were found to be more common in suburban forests compared to rural ones.

"This basically confirmed the urban-wildlife paradox, showing that some species are more abundant in yards," said Professor Kays. "It's not a big surprise if you live in the suburbs - you see the animals. It's the squirrels, raccoons, deer and opossum."

Feeding animals, particularly with birdfeeders, had the strongest influence on the abundance of animals in a yard. For example, eastern gray squirrels were more common at feeders than in suburban or rural forests. Cottontail rabbits, raccoons, and opossums were also frequently spotted at birdfeeders.

"This supports the idea that direct human subsidies are a big part of the explanation for the urban-wildlife paradox," said Professor Kays. "It shows that individual decisions by homeowners and private property owners can have a big impact on the wildlife in the backyard and living in the area."

According to Professor Kays, the findings raise questions about what homeowners should do, and whether attracting wildlife is good or bad.

"You see widespread recommendations: Don't feed the bears. Where do you draw the line from small birds to squirrels, rabbits and raccoons? When does it become bad to feed the animals, even if you're doing it accidentally?" 

"On one hand many people enjoy having wildlife around and they can help support a healthy local ecosystem; however, they could cause conflict with people."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wild animals are moving to the suburbs

Wild animals are flocking to backyards for food and shelter,...

Ecology researchers at <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a> have discovered two Australian bee species that forage in the dark. This is the first time that bees have been found to adapt their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-can-reduce-or-prevent-vision-loss/">vision</a> to become active at night and during twilight hours.  

The experts observed night-time foraging by nomiine bees and masked bees. Both species developed enlarged compound eyes and simple eyes that allow more light to be gathered.

The image processing ability of bees can be observed using close-up images with a high resolution. According to the researchers, improved low-light ability may exist in other Australian bee species that are secretly active at night. 

Study lead author James Dorey said the nomiine and masked bees are mostly found in Australia's tropical north, but there could potentially be more in subtropical or even temperate conditions across the continent.

"We have confirmed the existence of at least two crepuscular bee species in Australia and there are likely to be many more that can forage both during the day and into the early morning or evening under low light conditions. It's true that bees aren't generally known to be very capable when it comes to using their eyes at night, but it turns out that low-light foraging is more common than currently thought," said Dorey.

"Before this study, the only way to show that a bee had adapted to low-light was by using difficult-to-obtain behavioural observations, but we have found that you should be able to figure this out by using high-quality images of a specific bee."

Dorey pointed out that bees which forage during dim-light conditions are understudied, so there are no reliable published records for any such Australian species.

"Our study provides a framework to help identify low-light-adapted bees and the data that is needed to determine the behavioural traits of other species. This is important as we need to increase efforts to collect bee species outside of normal hours and publish new observations to better understand the role that they play in maintaining ecosystems."

The researchers emphasized that understanding more about the behavior of bee species will help inform strategies to protect them from the impacts of climate change.

"Global weather patterns are changing and temperatures in many parts of Australia are rising along with the risk of prolonged droughts and fires. So, we have to improve our understanding about insects pollinating at night or in milder parts of the day to avoid potential extinction risks or to mitigate loss of pollination services."

"This also means we have to highlight the species that operate in a narrow window of time and could be sensitive to climatic changes, so conservation becomes an important concern. Because quite frankly, we have ignored these species up until now."

The study is published in the <a href="https://jhr.pensoft.net/">Journal of Hymenoptera Research</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

Australian bees adapted their vision to forage at night

Ecology researchers at Flinders University have discovered two Australian bee...

Two groups of Chinook salmon in northern California that have distinctly different migratory patterns are often considered to be separate species. But now, a new study from <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">UC Santa Cruz</a> reveals that seemingly complex differences in these salmon can be traced to one simple region of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/frogs-thought-to-be-extinct-have-been-detected-using-environmental-dna/">DNA</a>.

Chinook salmon within a drainage basin like the Klamath River are characterized as separate ecotypes depending on whether they migrate during spring runs or fall runs. Scientists expected that these groups had diverged from one another due to a lack of interbreeding, resulting in complex genetic differences. 

The new study shows that the salmon do not have complex genetic differences after all, and are all part of a single diverse population. The only DNA that they do not share is a small genomic region that was found to be strongly associated with run timing, but not with other traits like development.

"It's like blue and brown eye color in humans - it just depends on what genotype you inherit from your parents," said study co-author Professor John Carlos Garza. He noted that the outcome of the research is very good news. 

The findings provide scientists with a new way to understand salmon ecotypes and will ultimately help in the management and conservation of Chinook salmon, the largest species of salmon. 

For the investigation, the experts sequenced the complete genomes of 160 Chinook salmon from the Klamath River and Sacramento River drainages. The only consistent differences between spring-run and fall-run fish were found within a single region on chromosome 28. Here, they identified a shorter "Region of Strongest Association" (RoSA) that occurs in two versions, "E" for early migration and "L" for late migration.

Next, the researchers sampled 502 Chinook salmon harvested by the Yurok Tribe in the Klamath River Estuary. There was no overlap in the timing of migration for fish with the "homozygous" EE and LL genotypes. EE fish migrate in the spring, and LL fish migrate in the fall. Fish with the "heterozygous" EL genotype had intermediate migration times, overlapping with those of the homozygous genotypes. 

According to Professor Garza, these results show that seasonal differences in migration are completely attributable to the RoSA genetic variants. "That was an extraordinary finding. I know of no other gene region that so completely determines a complex migratory behavior in the wild in a vertebrate."

The discovery is particularly surprising because of the differences among spring-run and fall-run salmon in their fat content and other features. But in fact, said Professor Garza, all those differences are tied to the timing of migration as determined by the RoSA genotype.

"Spring-run and fall-run fish all start maturing at the same time in the ocean, but during that period after the spring run enters freshwater, they experience different environmental conditions, leading to differences in where and when they spawn," said Professor Garza. "Also, people notice differences in fat content and body condition because they are encountering spring-run fish earlier in the maturation process than fall-run fish."

The analysis of carcasses from the Salmon River, a major tributary of the Klamath, revealed that the spring-run and fall-run salmon were freely interbreeding. 

"It's hard to come up with any scenario where you could classify individuals from the same nest as belonging to different populations," said Professor Garza. "For me, one of the underlying messages is that, in our attempt to categorize things, we've overlooked the fact that these are fundamentally the same animal."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</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

&nbsp;

Distinctly different Chinook salmon are part of the same population

Two groups of Chinook salmon in northern California that have...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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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...