The dogs we love to cuddle, play fetch with and spoil rotten may be continuously evolving. Nestled comfortably in our modern living rooms, dogs are no longer mere hunting aids or guards of our homes but cherished companions that are integral to our lives.



This change has not only transformed their nature but is also fueling a new wave of dog domestication, a novel concept shedding light on the complex dynamics of dog-human relationships.



A few decades ago, dogs were purpose-oriented animals charged with hunting, herding livestock, and offering protection. Today, the dynamics have shifted as their primary role has morphed into companionship.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-living-and-dog-evolution">Modern living and dog evolution</h2>



Our fast-paced, contemporary lifestyle is largely sedentary, trading large, open spaces for urbanized environments. 



This shift in human lifestyle has extended to our pets, changing their nature and behavior. This societal evolution and our enduring desire for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-dog-day-honoring-mans-best-friend/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">friendly, tranquil pets</a> is driving what experts are calling a dramatic third wave of dog domestication.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolving-relationships-with-dogs">Evolving relationships with dogs</h2>



This shift mirrors an uprising in oxytocin levels within dogs. Oxytocin, often referred to as the "love hormone," is a key player in social bonding. This hormone is credited for dogs' innate desire to interact with their human counterparts.



A research team from Sweden's <a href="https://liu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Linköping University</a>, led by canine experts Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods, delved deeply into understanding how our modern lifestyle has affected dogs' genetic traits.



Hare, an evolutionary-anthropology professor at Duke University, and Woods, manager of the Duke Canine Cognition Center's Puppy Kindergarten program, provide new insight into the evolving man-dog relationship.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-behavior-of-dogs">Social behavior of dogs</h2>



The study involved a detailed observation of 60 golden retrievers attempting to open a treat jar. The dogs were subjected to this task twice - once after receiving oxytocin nasal spray and once after receiving a neutral saline nasal spray.



The findings suggested that dogs with a specific genetic variant of the oxytocin receptor responded stronger to the oxytocin spray. This genetic variant made them more likely to seek help from their owners.



The experiment reaffirmed that oxytocin levels influence a dog's social skills and its ability to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-and-human-brains-sync-up-during-eye-contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">communicate with humans</a>. 



The research emphasizes that dogs' social skills are partially genetic. Their sensitivity to oxytocin and social behavior stem from their genes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changes-in-evolving-dogs">Changes in evolving dogs</h2>



The concept of a third wave of domestication is further backed by the behavioral differences noticed in service dogs. These dogs are a far cry from the active hunters or alert guard dogs. They are trained professionals, suited to their owners' 21st-century lives due to their uniquely friendly dispositions.



Dogs previously held roles as working animals – hunting, herding, and guarding. Unlike their modern counterparts, they were conditioned to be active and alert.



However, the recent rise in urbanization and the shift to indoor living has sparked a stark contrast in canine behavior, rendering some historical traits maladaptive.



"Unlike most pet dogs, service dogs are attracted to&nbsp;strangers, even as puppies," noted the researchers. "And increasing friendliness seems to have changed these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-learn-better-with-praise-and-petting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dogs</a>’ biology, just as it did thousands of years ago."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-domestication-of-evolving-dogs">Domestication of evolving dogs</h2>



The journey of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/interacting-with-dogs-can-ease-physical-pain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">canine domestication</a> is traced back between 40,000 and 14,000 years, starting with the first wave when humans were foragers. 



Stray wolves adapted to human settlements for a predictable food source, gradually replacing fear and aggression with fascination and attraction to humans.



The second wave of domestication began post the industrial revolution. With an increase in disposable income, the bourgeoise bred dogs for specific physical traits, reflective of their status. 



This era gave birth to most of the 200 dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-third-wave-of-dog-domestication">Third wave of dog domestication</h2>



The key difference of the third wave of domestication is its main focus - tailoring dogs' personalities to our modern world. 



"For the happiness of dogs and their owners, humans need to breed and train more dogs like service animals, embarking on a new wave of dog domestication to help them fit into the new world we have created," noted the researchers.



To meet the needs of this evolving paradigm, breeding and training dogs akin to service animals will become increasingly important. 



It's not just about wagging tails, but forging a path that ensures we have dogs suited to the new world we have created, bringing happiness to both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/talking-slower-helps-dogs-understand-what-humans-are-saying/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dogs and their human caretakers</a>.



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Dogs are evolving to fit the modern lives of humans

The dogs we love to cuddle, play fetch with and spoil rotten may be continuously evolving. Nestled comfortably in our modern living rooms, dogs are no longer mere hunting aids or guards of our homes but cherished companions that are integral to our lives. This change has not only transformed their nature but is also fueling a new wave of dog domestication, a novel concept shedding light on the complex dynamics of dog-human relationships. A few decades ago, dogs were purpose-oriented animals charged with hunting, herding livestock,...

Successful conservation measures that restore declining populations of species should be a cause for celebration right? 

But what if a species’ growing population in an ecosystem leads to more food competition and inadvertently causes population declines in another species? This was a major concern raised about the growing populations of seals in the Baltic Sea. It was thought that having more seals in the area would decrease fish populations as seals prey on fish. 

However, researchers from <a href="https://www.su.se/english/">Stockholm University</a> have now put an end to the argument showing that seals aren’t the problem. Instead, their new study shows that climate change, nutrient levels in the ocean, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overfishing-history-conservation/">fisheries</a> have a far greater impact on fish stocks than seals do. 

The study factored in human activities like fishing and agriculture and their impact on the environment to see if seals feeding on fish were the main driver of herring, Baltic cod, and sprat declines in the Baltic Sea.

“We currently have 30,000 grey seals in the Baltic Proper, but we can even have more than 100 000 seals and it will still not affect the amount of cod negatively as much as climate change, nutrient load and fisheries. The Baltic is very sensitive to human impact,” said David Costalago, the lead author of the study. 

The research was published in the journal Ambio, and the team created computer simulations to project how climate change and nutrient load will impact commercial fish stocks in the Baltic Sea. 

The simulations projected future fish populations up to the year 2098. High temperatures and high levels of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus were found to be more damaging to cod than herring or sprat.

Overall, the researchers found that climate change, nutrient load, and fishing decreased fish stocks far more than any amount of seals eating the fish. 

The team says that debates surrounding predator-prey relations miss the mark, and in reality, the ecosystem as a whole has to be considered to prevent future damage to marine food webs. 

“We need to start to focus on the main problem that the Baltic is facing for its fish populations - which is for example climate change and eutrophication,” said Monika Winder, an author of the study. “We need to find ways to both secure the revenues of the fishers and guarantee the conservation of the fish stock and good status of the grey seal population.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Jan Kansanen

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com </a>

Climate change, overfishing are the real threat to Baltic Sea fish

Successful conservation measures that restore declining populations of species should...

Researchers have analyzed and described the full life cycle of a dragonfly for the very first time. The paper details the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-bird-migrations/">migration patterns</a> of the common green darner, which is a large, abundant dragonfly found across North America.

The research team found that it takes the green darner three generations to complete its annual cycle. One generation migrates north in spring, the second generation migrates south in fall, and the third generation remains in the southern part of the species' range over winter. 

With a wingspan of just three inches, the insects manage to migrate an average of 373 miles, with some individuals covering more than 1,553 miles.

Study senior author Colin Studds is an assistant professor of Geography and Environmental Systems at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Maryland,_Baltimore_County">University of Maryland, Baltimore County</a> (UMBC).

“We know that a lot of insects migrate, but we have full life history and full migration data for only a couple,” said Professor Studds. “This is the first dragonfly in the Western Hemisphere for which we know this. We've solved the first piece of a big mystery.”

Even though the common green darner is abundant and is not a threatened species, understanding their life cycle is important in a global context. 

“There are massive insect declines going on around the world, so understanding these complex biological patterns is essential to determine why different populations might be declining,” explained study co-author Peter Marra. 

The investigation was focused on 21 years of citizen science data, over 800 dragonfly wing specimens from museums, and specimens caught in the wild.

The team took a creative approach to their analysis by looking at the prevalence of different forms of hydrogen in the dragonflies. In the atmosphere, the concentration of three forms of hydrogen shifts with latitude. The hydrogen ratio in a tiny portion of the dragonfly's wing reveals where it was born, and this information enabled the researchers to identify the three-generation migration system.

The team also discovered specific cues that determine whether dragonflies choose to migrate or to emerge as flying adults after their aquatic juvenile stage. Temperature was found to be the biggest cue, and the experts noted that dragonflies both emerged and initiated migration at around 48 degrees Fahrenheit.

Professor Studds explained that the research is the beginning of a long path toward better understanding insect migrations. The discovery of the three-generation process, with two migratory generations and one resident was “remarkable” in itself, he said. “How it actually happens is a tremendous new mystery that brings together ecology and evolution, and there's a lot more to understand.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/">Biology Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Migratory journey of the dragonfly is completed by three generations

Researchers have analyzed and described the full life cycle of...

Predatory <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-nasal-passages-cool/">dinosaurs</a> from the Early Jurassic are very rare and usually quite small in size. But now, Italian paleontologists are describing a previously unknown type of ceratosaurus known as Saltriovenator zanellai, which weighed about one ton. The specimen, which represents largest predatory dinosaur of its time, was uncovered in the Italian Alps. 

The fossil remains of S. zanellai were found by an amateur archaeologist in 1996 in a quarry near Saltrio, just northeast of Milan. This marks the first time that a Jurassic dinosaur was recovered from Italy. 

An analysis of the fossil revealed that many of the bones had feeding marks by marine invertebrates, which indicates that the dinosaur carcass floated in a marine basin and then sank, remaining on the bottom of the sea for a long time before burial.

Study first author Cristiano Dal Sasso of the <a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/">Natural History Museum</a> in Milan reassembled and studied the fossil for several years.

“Saltriovenator shows a mosaic of ancestral and advanced anatomical features, respectively seen in the four-fingered dilophosaurids and ceratosaurians, and the three-fingered tetanuran theropods, such as allosaurids,” said Dal Sasso.

Study co-author Simone Maganuco added, “Paleohistological analysis indicates that Saltriovenator was a still growing subadult individual, therefore its estimated size is all the more remarkable, in the context of the Early Jurassic period.”

“The evolutionary ‘arms race’ between stockier predatory and giant herbivorous dinosaurs, involving progressively larger species, had already begun 200 million of years ago.”


Scientists have long debated how the hand of birds evolved from their dinosaur ancestors, and the answer remains unclear.

Study co-author Andrea Cau explained, “The grasping hand of Saltriovenator fills a key gap in the theropod evolutionary tree: predatory dinosaurs progressively lost the pinky and ring fingers, and acquired the three-fingered hand which is the precursor of the avian wing.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://peerj.com/">PeerJ</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

Largest predatory Jurassic dinosaur recovered from Italy

Predatory dinosaurs from the Early Jurassic are very rare and...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drones-elevate-ecological-research/">Drones</a> could soon be used to help locate nocturnal nightjar birds, thanks to new research from <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/">Cardiff University</a>. 

The European nightjar is nocturnal, and because of their brown feathers, nightjars blend in seamlessly with their natural habitat.

Nightjars are practically invisible during the day and tend to freeze up when approached by an intruder, making them even more elusive.

“Nightjars are camouflaged to look just like a fallen log or dead wood. They nest on the ground and ‘sit tight’ when approached to avoid detection, which makes it nearly impossible to spot them during the day when they are inactive,” said Mike Shewring, a member of the study team.

The fact that nightjars are difficult to spot is a problem for loggers and forest managers as these operations can disturb nightjar nests and pose a risk to the already declining populations. 

“The current methods of searching for nightjar nests on foot are expensive and can pose a health and safety risk for people, particularly when accessing clearfell worksites,” said Shewring.

Researchers from Cardiff University conducted a study testing drones attached with thermal sensing cameras in the hopes of finding a safer and more effective method for spotting nightjars.

The study was presented at the <a href="https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/">British Ecological Society's</a> annual meeting in Birmingham, England. 

The researchers flew drones attached with thermal sensing cameras in areas where nightjars had previously been recorded. The researchers used the drones to take images at 10, 20 and 50 meters above the ground at dawn, noon, and dusk during the birds’ breeding season (May through August). 

By using drones, the researchers could take images without getting too close to the birds or disturbing their nests, and because the cameras were thermal, the photographs easily showed where the nightjar was located. 

Dawn and dusk, the coolest parts of the day, offered the best opportunities to see the birds and take a clear picture.

The researchers also found that drones flying ten meters above the ground took better pictures than when the camera was 20 or 50 meters in the air. 

“Our preliminary findings demonstrate the potential of drones for surveying nightjars during their breeding season, allowing forestry managers to locate nests more accurately and plan their works adequately,” said Robert Thomas, a supervisor on the project. “This methodology could also have wider applications, since it could technically be adapted to detect any warm-blooded species.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Drones can help find elusive, camouflaged nightjar nests

Drones could soon be used to help locate nocturnal nightjar...

Three new species of beetle will forever share their names with the dragons from the HBO series “Game of Thrones.” Discovered by Professor Brett Ratcliffe at the <a href="https://www.unl.edu/">University of Nebraska-Lincoln</a>, the beetles are now known as Drogoni, Rhaegali and Viserioni.

The dragons in the popular series, which is based on a book by George R.R. Martin, are owned by the character Daenerys Targaryen. While Professor Ratcliffe is a fan of the HBO show, he chose the names in an effort to draw attention to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/biodiversity-suffer-bioenergy-crops/">biodiversity loss</a> and to undiscovered species.

Out of the eight new beetles that Professor Ratcliffe has recently found, Drogoni and Viserioni were discovered in Colombia and Ecuador, while Rhaegali was found in the French Guiana.

[caption id="attachment_1864528" align="aligncenter" width="587"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-2.35.19-PM.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-1864528" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-2.35.19-PM.png" alt="" width="587" height="694" /></a> Gymnetis rhaegali beetle, Image Credit: Associated Press[/caption]

“When you create names like these, you do it to gain a little bit of notoriety and bring public attention to it,” said Professor Ratcliffe. “We're still discovering life on Earth. One of every four living things on Earth is a beetle. We haven't discovered them all. We're not even close.”

Professor Ratcliffe said that he has named hundreds of species, and coming up with new names can be difficult. He said that the rules of naming recommend against using humor or insults, and are specifically designed to avoid the use of duplicate names.

According to Professor Ratcliffe, he went with the pop culture reference for fun. “I've often thought that scientists take themselves too seriously, and this is a way to circumvent that.”

Scientists estimate that more than 80 percent of the world's species have yet to be discovered. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Associated Press Photo

These new beetle species named after the dragons in Game of Thrones

Three new species of beetle will forever share their names...

A team of researchers at the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a> has discovered that compassion for animals may actually be part of our DNA. The experts found that study participants who cared the most for animals also shared a variation in the gene that produces oxytocin, which is associated with love and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dogs-comfort-owners-upset/">bonding</a>. 

The investigation was focused on the DNA of 161 students, which was analyzed by experts at the Roslin Institute and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC). The students also completed a survey that was designed to measure their levels of empathy toward animals. 

The study revealed that individuals with the highest compassion scores shared a specific version of the oxytocin gene. In addition,  women were found to have the greatest feelings of empathy for animals compared to men.


According to the researchers, there are many social factors that influence a person's attitude toward animals, including early life experiences, personality traits, and religious beliefs. This research has demonstrated, for the very the first time, that genetics may also have an influence on how we feel toward animals. 

“We already knew that oxytocin was important for empathy between people but now we know it helps us bond with animals too,” said study co-author Dr. Sarah Brown.

Oxytocin has been previously linked to a variety of human behaviors, such as the social bonding between a mother and child or between romantic partners. The study findings suggest that oxytocin is also associated with the bond between people and their animals. 


Study co-author Professor Alistair Lawrence said, “This research is only the beginning but we hope that these findings could help us to devise strategies to help improve animal welfare across the UK.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/animals">Animals</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Compassion for animals may be part of our DNA

A team of researchers at the University of Edinburgh has...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> are warning that up to 93 percent of green turtle hatchlings could be born female by the end of this century, as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/island-nations-global-warming/">global warming</a> continues to accelerate the feminization of the species. 

After sea turtles eggs are buried in the sand, the external temperatures they are exposed to while developing determine whether the turtles will be born male or female. Currently, 52 percent of the green turtles are female when they hatch.

The new study, which also involved experts from the <a href="http://www.mare-centre.pt/en">Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre</a>, has found that the warmer temperatures predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will cause 76-93 percent of green turtle hatchlings to be born as females.

The investigation was focused on a site in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, but the researchers expect that this shift will occur on a global scale.

According to the experts, the changing gender ratio will initially lead to more females nesting and increase the population. However, this boost will be followed by a dramatic decline “as incubation temperatures approach lethal levels.”

The researchers also predict that rising sea levels will submerge 33-43 percent of the nesting areas that are currently used by green turtles on the beaches of Guinea-Bissau.

“Green turtles are facing trouble in the future due to loss of habitats and increasing temperatures,” said Dr. Rita Patricio. “Our results suggest the nesting population of green turtles the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau, will cope with the effects of climate change until 2100.”

“Cooler temperatures, both at the end of the nesting season and in shaded areas, will guarantee some hatchlings are male. Although rising temperatures will lead to more female hatchlings - and 32-64% more nesting females by 2120 - mortality in eggs will also be higher in these warmer conditions.”

"As temperatures continue to rise, it may become impossible for unhatched turtles to survive."


Experts at the Institute of Biodiversity and Protected Areas of Guinea-Bissau also contributed to the research. The team explained that nesting sites submerged by rising seas may not simply “move” inland.

“Beach retreat may be OK in some areas, but the turtles we studied were nesting on a small island (Poilão Island) so there is a limit to how far the beach can go,” said Dr. Patricio.

“In other places there may be natural barriers or human constructions that stop beaches moving inland."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: University of Exeter

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Green turtles to become up to 93 percent female as temperatures rise

Researchers at the University of Exeter are warning that up...

World’s rarest birds thought to be extinct introduced to new home. A team of agencies including the <a href="https://www.wwt.org.uk/">Wildfowl &amp; Wetlands Trust (WWT)</a> has given Madagascar pochards a new home. Around 100 of the rare ducks have been bred over the last seven years, and the WWT has now introduced 21 of them into the wild on Lake Sofia. 

Madagascar pochards were believed to be extinct for 15 years, and are now likely to be the rarest birds in the world - with a wild population of just 25 individuals. 

The birds spent their first week of freedom in floating aviaries made from Scottish salmon farming cages. The goal was to familiarize the birds with the lake so that they may remain at the site after their release. 

According to experts at the WWT, the ducks are not likely to survive if they leave the lake because the state of the wetlands in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-colonized-madagascar-later/">Madagascar</a> is so poor.World’s rarest birds thought to be extinct introduced to new home

Once the birds were granted freedom from the aviaries earlier this month, they adapted to life on the lake quickly. They were observed diving, flying, and associating with other wild ducks. The pochards returned to the floating aviaries for feeding and roosting.

Nigel Jarrett, the head of conservation breeding at the WWT, said: “It takes a village to raise a child, so the old African proverb goes, but in this case it has taken a village to raise a duck. We have been preparing for this moment for over a decade.”

“The logistics of working in a remote part of Madagascar - where access to the lakes by vehicle is only possible for three months a year - have been an enormous challenge, requiring us to come up with novel approaches.”

“Working with local communities to solve the issues which were driving this bird to extinction has been essential to giving the pochard a chance of survival.”

“If we can make this work, it will provide a powerful example not just for of how save the planet's most threatened species but how communities can manage an ecosystem to benefit people and wildlife, especially in areas of significant poverty.”

Feeding stations and other floating equipment have been strategically placed around the lake, and conservationists have been taking further measures to improve the conditions of Lake Sofia.

Dr Glyn Young of the <a href="https://www.durrell.org/wildlife/">Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust</a> said: “The idea that we could be releasing pochards into the wild only 12 years after rediscovery pays remarkable testament to the dreams and hard work of many people from Madagascar, Jersey and the UK, who have worked tirelessly to see this remarkable bird get a chance of survival in a changing world.”

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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 

Image Credit: Wiki Commons

World’s rarest birds thought to be extinct introduced to new home

World’s rarest birds thought to be extinct introduced to new...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University</a> have found that trace elements in fish ear bones can be used to track down <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/trumps-epa-coal-plants/">coal ash contamination</a> in the waters where the fish lived.

“Calcified structures - or otoliths - found in a fish's inner ear are known to store a lot of life history information, including chemical and physical records of the fish's age, natal habitat and migration patterns,” said study lead author Jessica Brandt, who is currently a postdoctoral researcher with the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a>. “We've shown that otoliths also capture the signatures of contaminants that have affected the fish's ecosystems.”

The team discovered that strontium isotope ratios in the otoliths of fish from two North Carolina lakes matched the strontium isotope ratios in sediment samples from the lake bed. Both of the lakes had received waste water from coal ash ponds at nearby power plants.

“This shows otoliths can be used as biogenic tracers to assess the potential for ecological impacts of coal ash waste streams in affected waters,” said Brandt. “While strontium behaves differently than the toxic elements in coal ash effluents, it helps us connect high levels of those elements back to the contamination source.”

Even after coal is burned and the ash comes into contact with water, the naturally occurring trace element strontium retains its isotopic ratios. According to study co-author Professor Avner Vengosh, this is the first time that strontium isotope ratios have been used to measure the impacts of coal ash on living organisms. 

“This definitely shows the strontium in the fish must be from coal ash contamination,” said Professor Vengosh.

Study co-author Richard Di Giulio is the Sally Kleberg Professor of Environmental Toxicology at Duke. He explained that while strontium isotope ratios in surface water samples from the lakes did not always match those in the fish otoliths, this could be because surface water ratios are more variable over time.

“This study's finding demonstrates that otolith studies can add to our existing research efforts,” said Brandt. “Water-based strontium isotope tracers only give us information about coal ash impacts at a particular point in time, but because otoliths continuously grow over a fish's lifetime, we could use time-series analyses of otoliths to determine the timing of waste stream discharges or spills going back several years. This represents an emerging and important new direction in environmental toxicology and water-quality research.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/estlcu">Environmental Science &amp; Technology Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Jessica Brandt, Duke University

Coal ash contamination in water can be tracked using fish bones

Researchers at Duke University have found that trace elements in...

A team of researchers has identified ways that human interactions with nonhuman primates may be putting people at risk of infection with new diseases. Zoonotic diseases, which originate in other animal species before infecting humans, are a major threat to human health.  

Zoonotic diseases account for more than 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases, and 70 percent of them are believed to come from wild animals. The similarity between humans and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/small-babies-laugh-primates/">nonhuman primates</a> makes monkeys and apes ideal carriers for pathogens that threaten human populations.

A team led by Tamara Giles-Vernick of the <a href="https://www.pasteur.fr/en">Institut Pasteur</a> and Victor Narat of the <a href="http://www.cnrs.fr/index.html">French Center for National Scientific Research</a> used surveys, real-time data collection, and oral history interviews to investigate the physical exposure of people in southeastern Cameroon to nonhuman primate species. The researchers collected data in 2016 and 2017 that involved multiple villages and hundreds of people.

The investigation revealed that Cameroonian adults have frequent physical contact with primates, particularly with monkeys. This contact is most often through hunting, butchering, preparing, and consuming meat, but also includes injuries sustained from gorillas. 

Of the survey respondents, 85 percent had eaten primate meat in their lifetimes. Overall, the risk of exposure to disease in any given village was found to be directly linked to the relative density of nonhuman primates and their proximity to human settlements.

“National and international authorities should support improved surveillance of humans and abundant monkey species, as well as popular messages to promote safe meat handling practices,” wrote the researchers. “Multidisciplinary social science and ecological approaches should be used to improve surveillance and communications with forest populations about neglected tropical diseases.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/">PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: S. Rupp, 2018 (CC BY 4.0)

Human contact with primates is promoting the spread of disease

A team of researchers has identified ways that human interactions...

A research team led by scientists from <a href="https://www.uu.se/en">Uppsala University</a> has sequenced the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/decoded-genomes-shark-evolution/">genomes</a> of 11 eastern gorillas using specimens that date back as far as 100 years for comparison to the genomes of present-day gorillas. The study revealed that the Grauer's gorilla, which is classified as critically endangered, has recently lost genetic diversity and has accumulated harmful mutations.

“We found that the genetic diversity in Grauer's gorilla has declined significantly in just a few generations,” said PhD student Tom van der Valk.

Habitat destruction and poaching in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has led to an 80 percent decline of Grauer's gorillas in recent decades. The genetic analysis showed that this dramatic population decline increased the frequency of inbreeding, leading to a loss of genetic variation. 

Animal species with low genetic variation are at a higher risk of extinction because they are less equipped to handle environmental changes or to fight off disease. In the Grauer's gorillas, the researchers also identified several potentially harmful mutations that have become more prevalent over the last four or five generations. 

“This recent increase in harmful mutations really emphasises the need to reverse the ongoing population decline in Grauer's gorillas,” said study co-author Love Dalén at the <a href="http://www.nrm.se/en/16.html">Swedish Museum of Natural History</a>.

Some of the mutations identified in the study were found in genes that affect disease resistance and male fertility. Other mutations are associated with genes that regulate the development of fingers and toes, which could explain why some present-day gorillas have fused digits.

Study co-author Katerina Guschanski concluded, “Our study highlights that historical museum specimens constitute a unique resource for monitoring recent changes in the genetic status of endangered species.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</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 

Image Credit: Amy Porter, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

Eastern gorillas have lost genetic diversity and gained mutations

A research team led by scientists from Uppsala University has...

A new study by scientists at <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a> has revealed that the noise from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wind-turbines-harm-birds-100-miles-away/">wind turbines</a> interferes with a strategy used by robins to protect their territory. In an article written for <a href="http://theconversation.com/au">The Conversation</a>, Professor Mark Whittingham details the study findings. 

“Much of the evidence for how wind turbines affect birds concerns their distribution patterns around turbines, but we know little about why birds choose to avoid them,” writes Professor Whittingham. “The robin, a widespread small bird which lives in rural areas where turbines are common, seemed a perfect candidate to investigate.”

The researchers subjected male robins to one of three conditions: another robin’s song, a robin’s song with wind turbine noise, and wind turbine noise alone.

“Robins defending their territory typically respond to an intruder by increasing the proportion of low frequency sounds in their songs,” writes Professor Whittingham. “We found that the robins subjected to robin song and wind turbine noise simultaneously had significantly fewer low frequency elements in their songs and so their songs sounded higher pitched. We interpreted this as interference from the wind turbine noise which occurs at low frequencies.”

The experts speculate that lower frequency noises are used by the robins to make them sound bigger and more intimidating in an effort to defend their territory. 

“But with the low frequency sound emitted by wind turbines drowning them out, there was a suggestion that robins were having to rely more on puffing out their red chest to deter aggressors,” says Professor Whittingham. 

“That may be why breeding songbirds, such as the skylark, avoid turbines. Recent work has found breeding bird populations such as the Dupont’s lark, a near-threatened species of songbird found in North Africa and Spain, declined in areas with wind turbines.”

The research suggests that there are reasons,  beyond the risk of fatal collision, that birds are avoiding wind turbines. 

“Noise emitted from turbines could disrupt their communication and leave them vulnerable. This is particularly troubling when we consider that wind turbines are often located in remote areas, some with high densities of songbirds, such as meadow pipits and skylarks in upland areas of the UK.”

“Of course, it is important to remember the bigger picture. While wind turbines may harm birds nearby, renewable energy is a vital solution to climate change - perhaps the most pressing threat to biodiversity globally.”

Nevertheless, says Professor Whittingham, noise pollution from wind turbines should be measured during assessments of wind energy projects to minimize the impacts to surrounding wildlife. 

The full article, “Robin hushed: wind turbines are making songbirds change their tune,” can be found <a href="https://theconversation.com/robin-hushed-wind-turbines-are-making-songbirds-change-their-tune-109136">here</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

Wind turbines hurt the robin’s ability to defend its territory

A new study by scientists at Newcastle University has revealed...

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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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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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



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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



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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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" 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> 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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" 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.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

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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

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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...