In the dense rainforests of the Republic of Congo, western lowland gorillas are often seen foraging through the soil. They were long assumed to be foraging for insects, but recent research has turned this assumption on its head. 



The real prize hidden in the dirt is not insects at all, but deer truffles - specifically, a species known as Elaphomyces labyrinthinus.



This revelation not only reshapes our understanding of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/male-infertility-humans-linked-same-genes-gorilla-small-penises/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gorilla</a> behavior, but also highlights the deep value of traditional ecological knowledge. The research, from the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, reveals how primates are deeply connected to their forest environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discovery-of-truffle-eating-gorillas">Discovery of truffle-eating gorillas</h2>



The study was led by Gaston Abea, a member of the semi-nomadic Bangombe people and the first Indigenous person in Ndoki to become the lead author of a peer-reviewed scientific paper. 



Born in the village of Bomassa, Abea brought together deep cultural understanding, sharp observational skills, and modern scientific methods to uncover the truth behind soil-scratching <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/are-gorillas-self-aware-new-research-challenges-old-assumptions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gorillas</a>.



Abea spent over a decade working at the Mondika and Goualougo field stations, tracking gorilla behavior. His local tracker background gave him a unique perspective, helping him spot patterns others might miss.



"My people's traditional knowledge of these forests is endangered by modern lifestyles but is proving invaluable in continuing to study and preserve these ecosystems," said Abea.



His work strengthens the growing recognition of Indigenous perspectives in conservation, though academic research still often overlooks them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-truffle-digging-is-a-regular-behavior">Truffle digging is a regular behavior </h2>



To understand this behavior, the researchers conducted daily observations of four different gorilla <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/primate-bonds-are-not-just-about-love-theyre-strategic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">groups</a> across two sites: the Goualougo Triangle and the Djéké Triangle. They observed these groups nearly every day for almost ten years, documenting each instance of soil scratching.



The team also used molecular classification tools to identify the truffles being foraged. They conducted group scans to determine how much time gorillas spent searching for truffles. 



Then, the researchers used video observations to measure how efficient the animals were during these foraging bouts. Over time, the pattern became clear: soil scratching was a consistent strategy to find deer truffles, not an aimless search or an insect hunt.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-gorillas-dig-more-than-others">Some gorillas dig more than others</h2>



Interestingly, not all gorilla groups embraced this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/primate-bonds-are-not-just-about-love-theyre-strategic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behavior</a> equally. Soil scratching was most frequent in Buka’s group, followed by Kingo’s and Mététélé’s groups. 



In contrast, the Loya-Makassa group rarely engaged in truffle foraging. The behavior’s distribution seems tied partly to the availability of truffles, but not entirely.



Social factors appear to influence the practice as well. In one striking example, an adult female gorilla moved from a group that rarely scratched soil to one that did so almost daily. She soon began to mirror the habits of her new group, suggesting that cultural transmission may shape how gorillas forage.



"This is an exciting finding for our understanding of gorilla foraging behavior," said David Morgan of the <a href="https://www.lpzoo.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lincoln Park Zoo</a>, who worked on the study and has spent years researching in Ndoki.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gorillas-carefully-select-truffles">Gorillas carefully select truffles</h2>



One of the most vivid pieces of evidence came from a gorilla named Jeanne. Photographed in the Goualougo Triangle, Jeanne was seen scraping away forest leaf litter with her hands. 



Once the gorilla exposed the soil, she pinched her fingers together and brought a small round object - presumably a truffle - to her mouth. This precise motion defined a successful foraging attempt and offered a glimpse into just how deliberate the behavior is.



The study's inclusion in a special issue of the journal Primates marked a milestone. The issue celebrated 25 years of research in the Ndoki forest and brought attention to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-early-primates-lived-in-pairs-and-were-not-solitary-creatures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behaviors</a> that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-truffle-foraging-traditions">Protecting truffle-foraging traditions</h2>



Abea’s findings were incorporated into an ecological impact assessment for the Djéké Triangle.



As a result, conservation managers decided to adjust planned locations for tourism-related infrastructure. The aim was to protect areas where truffle foraging occurs regularly, ensuring this unique behavior could continue undisturbed.



"This is Gaston's first article as lead author - a milestone for his career and for our capacity-building efforts," said Morgan. "He is the first research assistant of Indigenous People's origin to become first author, in the Ndoki landscape." 



The decision to shift construction plans also highlights a growing understanding of cultural behavior in wildlife. These are not just instinctive acts but socially-influenced practices that may vary by group and change with experience.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-gorilla-hunters-to-guardians">From gorilla hunters to guardians</h2>



Abea’s story represents more than scientific achievement. It also reflects a cultural shift within his own community. He is one of over 100 Congolese research assistants trained since 2005 at Ndoki, many of whom come from nearby villages and Indigenous Ba’Aka communities.



"Our ancestors used to hunt gorillas, now we protect them, and I hope to inspire other Ba'Akas to do the same," said Abea.



His journey, from a boy in Bomassa to lead author of a major scientific article, mirrors the broader transformation in conservation thinking - one that values the voices and wisdom of local communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-local-insights-shape-global-research">Local insights shape global research</h2>



While the knowledge about gorillas and foraging for truffles is slowly gaining recognition in the sciences, it still appears too rarely in published research. This study shows how blending local knowledge with science can reveal key insights into animal behavior and ecosystem health.



"This paper shows how much traditional ecological knowledge, scientific research, and conservation can benefit from each other," said Dr. Sydney Ndolo, second author of the paper and now professor of Botany at Université Marien Ngouabi in Brazzaville.



"Local cultures will only survive if they are properly valued, and research is an important means of achieving this."



Through Abea’s work and this study, a hidden part of gorilla life now comes into view - one shaped by truffles, food, forest, and social bonds. And alongside it, the role of Indigenous knowledge in science gains new ground.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10329-024-01151-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Primates</a>.



-----



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Gorillas are digging for a surprising food in the jungle soil

In the dense rainforests of the Republic of Congo, western lowland gorillas are often seen foraging through the soil. They were long assumed to be foraging for insects, but recent research has turned this assumption on its head. The real prize hidden in the dirt is not insects at all, but deer truffles - specifically, a species known as Elaphomyces labyrinthinus. This revelation not only reshapes our understanding of gorilla behavior, but also highlights the deep value of traditional ecological knowledge. The research, from the Nouabalé-Ndoki National...

A new study from an international team of researchers is the first global assessment of how current trends in farming practices may be affecting pollinators and the crops that depend on them. The research suggests that a lack of crop diversity is sabotaging <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pollinators-existed-long-before-flowers/">pollinators</a> and subsequently impacting agricultural productivity.

An international team of researchers has identified countries, particularly in regions of Asia and South America, where an increasing dependence on pollination and a lack of crop diversity could ultimately threaten food security and economic stability. 

Based on data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization recorded between 1961 and 2016, the researchers found that the total area of crops which requires pollination expanded by 137 percent. In the same time frame, crop diversity increased by only 20.5 percent. 

According to the researchers, this imbalance is an issue because agriculture dominated by just one or two types of crops only provides nutrition for pollinators during a limited time when the crops are blooming. When there is a variety of crops that bloom at different times, however, pollinators have a more stable source of food and habitat.

"This work should sound an alarm for policymakers who need to think about how they are going to protect and foster pollinator populations that can support the growing need for the services they provide to crops that require pollination," said study co-author Professor David Inouye from the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a>.

During the study period, the large-scale farming of soybean, canola, and palm oil crops made the largest contribution to the agricultural expansion and also to the increase in pollinator dependence. The researchers explained that the spread of these crops is concerning because they represent a rapid expansion of industrial farming, which is known for pesticide use and other practices that threaten both pollinators and the environment.

"Farmers are growing more crops that require pollination, such as fruits, nuts and oil seeds, because there's an increasing demand for them and they have a higher market value," said Professor Inouye. "This study points out that these current trends are not great for pollinators, and countries that diversify their agricultural crops are going to benefit more than those that expand with only a limited subset of crops."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780124202184/climate-change-biology">Climate 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: Martin Husemann

Farming trends threatening pollinators and the crops that depend on them

A new study from an international team of researchers is...

The moth caterpillar (Theroa zethus) has evolved an anti-predator defense when feeding on sticky and toxic plants.

Researchers from the <a href="https://uca.edu/">University of Central Arkansas</a> discovered that the caterpillar secretes an acid from special glands which prevents plants like the poinsettia from secreting latex stored in special canals in their leaves.

This latex poisons herbivores that feed on the plant like the caterpillar. 

In a new study, published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0218994">PLOS ONE</a>, the researchers detail how the caterpillar can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wheat-plants-chemical-defenses/">disarm the plant</a>. 

The caterpillar bathes the leaf stem in an acidic secretion made up of formic and butyric acids which deform the plant’s cell walls. 

The caterpillar first scrapes at the stem with its mandibles and compresses the leaf stem while it works. 

[caption id="attachment_1875031" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/caterpillar.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875031" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/caterpillar.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" /></a> Theroa zethus spraying acid. Image Credit: Dussourd et al, 2019[/caption]

The researchers filmed these different behaviors and defenses and then simulated them in a lab setting to see if just the acid or the scraping prevented latex flow. 

Using sandpaper and binder clips, the researchers were able to replicate these behaviors and successfully prevent latex flow in the plant, which means that it’s not just the acid that helps disarm the plant. 

Out of six other moth species included in the study, only Theora zethus doused the plant leaf stem in acid. 

“To understand if a plant is vulnerable to insect feeding, one needs to consider not just the defenses of the plant, but also the capabilities of the insect,” said David Dussourd, the lead author of the study. “The combination of behavioral manipulation and acid secretion allows the caterpillar to disarm the plant often without contacting any latex exudate.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Dussourd et al, 2019

Caterpillars use an anti-predator defense when feeding on sticky plants

The moth caterpillar (Theroa zethus) has evolved an anti-predator defense...

There are many species in the animal kingdom where sex is not fixed at birth. 

Nearly 500 species of can completely <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-can-change-sex/">change their sex</a>, including clownfish and the Caribbean bluehead wrasse, but how these biological changes occur at the genetic level is not well understood. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.otago.ac.nz/">University of Otago</a> in New Zealand conducted a thorough genetic analysis of bluehead wrasse to identify the underlying mechanisms that trigger sex changes in females. 

A female wrasse can change their sex and become male in 10 to 21 days. 

“When a dominant male is lost from a social group, the largest female transforms into a fertile male in 10 days flat,” said Dr. Erica Todd, the lead author of the study. “Females begin this transformation within minutes, first changing colour and displaying male-like behaviours. Her ovaries then start to regress, and fully functional testes grow in their place.” 

The researchers used high-throughput RNA-sequencing and epigenetic analyses (inheritable genes) to study the sex change process in females and found that specific genes turning off and on in the brain prompts the gonads into action. 

A gene called aromatase is turned off, which starts a chain reaction. Aromatase is the gene responsible for estrogen production. 

“Our study reveals that sex change involves a complete genetic rewiring of the gonad,” said Dr. Todd. “We find that genes needed to maintain the ovary are first turned off, and then a new genetic pathway is steadily turned on to promote testis formation.” 

What triggers the aromatase gene to switch off is still not known, but the researchers theorize that the stress of losing a dominant male could signal the change. 

The study sheds light on the underlying genetic and chemical markers that make sex change possible in blue wrasse fish, and the research could have important implications in studying sexual development in other vertebrates, including humans. 

“In fish and other vertebrates, including humans, cells use chemical markers on DNA that control gene expression and remember their specific function in the body,” said Oscar Ortega-Recalde, the co-lead author of the study. “Our study is important because it shows that sex change involves profound changes in these chemical marks, for example, at the aromatase gene, thus reprogramming cell memory in the gonad towards a male fate.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Kevin Bryant

Bluehead wrasse help reveal how some fish can change their sex

There are many species in the animal kingdom where sex...

For most of us, the greatest benefit marine <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/noise-ships-changes-mussels/">mussels</a> can provide is their usefulness in a dish combined with white wine, garlic, and butter sauce. Other than their culinary utility, mussels are mainly just a nuisance for the sailors whose boats they colonize.

But a recent review published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/matter/home">Matter</a> details how the same adhesive properties that allow mussels to aggressively attach themselves to boats also have widespread engineering applications.

Scientists from China and the United States combined in this research on the use of an amino acid group called dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) in various industries. DOPA is part of the surprisingly strong byssus threads mussels use to attach themselves to rocks and ships.

Researchers around the world have found that DOPA can adhere to many types of solid substrates through molecular interactions. Previous research suggesting that dopamine, a molecule with similar structure to DOPA, can form a universal coating on a range of substrates resulted in the boom of mussel-inspired chemistry in material surface engineering and environmental science.

“Mussels are broadly regarded as a nuisance in marine industries because they will colonize submerged surfaces,” says Hao-Cheng Yang a researcher at the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology at Sun Yat-sen University in China. “But from another point of view, the robust attachment of mussels on substrates under water has inspired a biomimetic strategy to realize strong adhesion between materials in water.”

Already getting ahead of mussel technology, a group of researchers in China have developed a universal red blood cell, which can be transfused into individuals of every blood type. This is done by using mussel-inspired coatings to shield the cell from detection by the body’s immune system, thereby preventing the cell from being destroyed.

Another research project has developed superior materials for separating oil and water, which may one day help reduce environmental damage to marine environments after oil spills. Additionally, mussel-inspired tech has been used in water purification, creating materials for removing heavy metals, organic pollutants, and pathogens from wastewater – as DOPA easily binds to these contaminants.

While all of these advancements are exciting, there is still a lot to learn about these mussel-inspired chemicals. 

“Despite simplicity and effectiveness, there are still some inherent limitations,” explains Yang. “Alkaline conditions are usually needed to realize the polymerization of dopamine, so it cannot be applied to materials that are unstable under alkaline conditions. Moreover, the deposition of [polydopamine] is a time-consuming process – it takes tens of hours to form a uniform coating on most material surfaces.”

Moving forward, researchers are hoping to overcome these challenges by finding low-cost, stable, and safe substitutes to polydopamine.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Nigel Wallace

Mussels are helping to create technology that could clean up after oil spills

For most of us, the greatest benefit marine mussels can...

Since the first case of feline hyperthyroidism was diagnosed in 1979, it has become the most common endocrine-related disease found in older cats. A new study published by the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> has finally revealed how this hormonal disorder may have grown to be so widespread among <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/outdoor-cats-carry-infections/">cats</a>. 

Scientists previously suspected this phenomenon could be linked to household flame retardants that were introduced in the mid-1970s. At this time, manufacturers began to put polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) into textiles, polyurethane foam, plastics, and electronics.

In 2004, however, U.S. manufacturers started voluntarily phasing out PBDEs due to increasing environmental and health concerns. The substitutes included organophosphate esters (OPEs) such as tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP), which is commonly used as a fire retardant in polyurethane foam made for upholstered furniture and automobile cushions.

Experts have recently begun to suspect that TDCIPPs can act as endocrine disruptors, just like PBDEs. With this in mind, a team of experts led by Kim Anderson set out to investigate a potential link between TDCIPPs and feline hyperthyroidism.

The study was focused on 78 older house cats, half with hyperthyroidism and half without, who were equipped with silicone tags. Silicone picks up volatile organic compounds, and silicone wristbands have been used in previous studies to monitor human exposure to environmental chemicals.

After the cats had worn the tags for seven days, the researchers analyzed the silicone. Higher levels of TDCIPP were detected in the tags worn by cats with hyperthyroidism. In addition, frequent TDCIPP exposure was associated with air fresheners, houses built after 2005, and upholstered furniture.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</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: Shutterstock/Esin Deniz

Flame retardants have been linked to widespread hyperthyroidism in cats

Since the first case of feline hyperthyroidism was diagnosed in...

Most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/personalities-animal-owners-pets/">pet owners</a> don’t know that their furry friend could be a candidate for donating blood or that blood banks for small animals even exist.

A new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.rvc.ac.uk/">Royal Veterinary College</a> found that even though many pet owners surveyed said they would be willing to let their pets be blood donors, they weren’t aware of small animal blood donations. 

The study, published in the journal Vet Record, shows that campaigns to raise awareness about animal blood banks could help meet the growing demand for blood donations. 

It is not known how many pets donate blood, although the researchers say that there is likely much more demand than supply. 

For the study, the researchers surveyed 158 dog and cat owners over 18 years old who had a vet appointment scheduled in a ten-day period. 

During their visit to the vet, pet owners were given an anonymous questionnaire to fill out about pet blood donation and whether or not they would consider allowing their pet to be a donor. 

70 percent of the pet owners surveyed did not realize that pets could give blood, and 75 percent were not aware that special animal blood banks even existed. 

A large majority of the survey participants said they would let their pets give blood if they were a suitable candidate, but eleven percent said they would not. 

Cat owners, people who worked full-time, and owners older than 71 were less willing to let their pet give blood.

“Not all cats and dogs will be suitable for blood donation and the risk of complications is far higher in cats than in dogs,” said Daniella Dos Santos, the Junior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association, while commenting on the study findings. “Any potential donors should meet strict criteria - including a physical examination by a vet- before they can donate blood.”

Some of the biggest motivations for agreeing to let their pet give blood were a desire to help or save lives and recognizing the need for blood banks. 

There were concerns and reservations listed by many of the pet owners surveyed, including how the procedure would impact their animal and if would be too anxiety-inducing. 

The survey sample size was relatively small, so the study is limited in its findings. However, the results could help raise awareness for animal blood banks and increase donors. 

 “This paper throws up interesting findings about awareness levels about pet blood donation and factors motivating owners to let their pets donate,” said Dos Santos, “While donor blood can be vital in saving lives of critically ill or injured pets, using animals for blood donation raises certain ethical questions, as highlighted in the study. Although the practice is legally permissible, it is very important that pet owners are aware of the risks involved and give informed consent for their pet to donate blood.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/PRESSLAB

Pet blood donation exists - and your dog or cat could be a donor

Most pet owners don’t know that their furry friend could...

Goats can distinguish positive and negative emotions in the calls of other goats, which suggests that they are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-feel-empathy/">sensitive to each other's emotional states.</a>

Researchers from  <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University</a> studied how goats responded to different calls to see how the goat reacted to positive and negative ones.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology, is first to show that goats can distinguish a positive call from a negative one and that these calls impact both behavior and physiology.  

“Despite its evolutionary importance, social communication of emotions in non-human animals is still not well understood,” said Luigi Baciadonna, the lead author of the study. Our results suggest that non-human animals are not only attentive but might also be sensitive to the emotional states of other individuals.”

For the study, the researchers recorded bleats that communicated either negative or positive emotions and played to these calls in random orders through a loudspeaker in a pen. 

A goat was then placed in the pen and listened to the calls. 

The researchers recorded how the goat responded to the calls, which direction it looked and how long it was focused on the call. Heart rate and cardiac activity were measured with a non-invasive BioHarness Physiology Monitoring System, which was belted around the goat’s chest. 

Measuring heart rate allowed the researchers to assess the emotional state of the goat as it listened to the calls. Heart rate variability was greater when the goat heard positive calls. 

Learning to decipher emotion in calls could have an evolutionary advantage for animals, especially for those that are not always in visual contact with one another. Calls can serve as a warning, sound the all-clear, or signify distress. 

The researchers say that the study results could help improve how farmers care for their livestock and shed insight into the evolution of emotional perception in other species.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Brian Squibb

Goats can understand the emotions of other goats from their calls

Goats can distinguish positive and negative emotions in the calls...

A decades-long program monitoring the butterfly abundance in Ohio has shown that the general abundance of butterflies in the region has declined 33% in the past 21 years. 

Although the study was limited to one geographic area and one group of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/monarch-butterflies-lose-migration-ability/">butterflies</a>, the findings show the broader effects of climate change and other human-caused disturbances on insect populations. 

This study is published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

"These declines in abundance are happening in common species," said study leader Tyson Wepprich, an <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> researcher. "Declines in common species concern me because it shows that there are widespread environmental causes for the declines affecting species we thought were well adapted to share a landscape with humans. Common species are also the ones that contribute the bulk of the pollination or bird food to the ecosystem, so their slow, consistent decline is likely having ripple effects beyond butterfly numbers."

Wepprich used more than 24,000 butterfly surveys from trained citizen scientists in Ohio, completed between 1996 and 2016, to come to his conclusion. The data collected was then used to estimate population trends for 81 butterfly species.

"Because it's easier to monitor butterflies than other insects — lots of people like butterflies and enjoy keeping track of them — butterflies tend to be the best source of abundance data for tracking insect population declines and increases," Wepprich said. "Environmental assessments use them as an indicator for the general trajectory of biodiversity since they experience the same types of pressures from land-use changes, climate change and habitat degradation as other insect groups."

Wepprich found that three times as many butterfly species were trending downward as upward. In fact, three out of every four species with a positive or negative trend grew less abundant during the course of the study. Forty of the species looked at had no significant trend up or down.

"Species with more northern distributions and fewer annual generations declined the most rapidly," Wepprich said. He explained that these species are adapted to cooler regions and therefore could do worse in Ohio with warming temperatures. And some invasive species linked to human-dominated landscapes are on the decline, which suggests that trends are rooted in broader environmental causes.

"Analyses of insect declines are dominated by European studies about butterflies, but our study is showing that the rate of change in Ohio butterfly abundance is very similar to that found in monitoring programs in the UK, the Netherlands and Spain," he said. "The rate of total decline and the proportion of species in decline mirror those documented in comparable monitoring programs. What's common among all of the monitoring programs is that they are in areas with a high human impact and made possible by dedicated volunteer recorders."

Common butterfly species are not close to extinction, however, there is still a shocking negative impact on their populations, which trickles down to larger ecosystems. Furthermore, Weppich noted that within the past twenty years, the population of the migratory eastern North American monarch has declined by more than 85% and the western North American monarch by more than 95%. 

"Monarchs and rare species were monitored because people are worried about them going extinct," Wepprich said. "In Ohio, they monitored every species they could and found declines in species previously not on the radar for conservation."

This study shows that the butterfly decline rate in Ohio is greater than the global rate of 35% over four decades, but it’s closer to the estimated rate for insects in general — a 45% decline over 40 years.

"Our study adds another example of declines in common butterfly species thought to be well suited to human-modified habitat," Wepprich said.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Common butterfly species on the decline, decades-long study reveals

A decades-long program monitoring the butterfly abundance in Ohio has...

A new study published by Anne M. Scott of <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> and Zhe Zhang of <a href="https://www.shou.edu.cn/eng/">Shanghai Ocean University</a> has revealed that the semen of male sea lampreys contains an aphrodisiac pheromone that attracts females who are ready to mate. 

These findings are published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3000332">PLOS Biology</a>.

Up until now, scientists have not been able to identify aphrodisiac pheromones in the semen of other animals and fish. However, the team of researchers on this study sought to identify a pheromone within the milt (fish semen) of the sea lamprey — a jawless fish that, while spermating, defends a nest. Ovulatory females move from nest to nest to mate. The researchers believed that something in the milt signals ovulatory females to the presence of spawning, spermiating male lampreys.

The researchers were able to identify a compound in the milt called spermine. Low concentrations of spermine stimulate the lamprey olfactory system and attracted ovulatory females, however, did not attract pre-ovulatory females or other males. After the researchers identified the specific spermine-activated receptor in lamprey olfactory tissue, they realized that by blocking this receptor, attraction of ovulatory females to spermine was prevented.

"We found the semen of sea lamprey contains spermine, a highly specific and potent pheromone, which attracts only ready-to-mate female sea lampreys," said Anne Scott. "This discovery implicates a new strategy that male animals use to recruit mates through the release of chemical cues in semen. Ovulatory females likely use spermine released along with sperm as a reliable signal for the presence of actively spawning males in the vicinity."

These results show that the pheromone in the milt could be used to manage, control, or conserve <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sea-lampreys-brain-treatments/">sea lamprey</a> populations. And because spermine is found is human semen as well, these findings could show a possible conservation of the olfactory detection of semen from jawless vertebrates to humans.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Gena Melendrez

Aphrodisiac pheromone in male sea lampreys attracts ready-to-mate females

A new study published by Anne M. Scott of Michigan...

Experts from the <a href="https://www.wcs.org/">Wildlife Conservation Society</a> (WCS) in Myanmar have discovered that muddy tracks left behind by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/elephants-use-trunks-count/">elephants</a> provide a safe hideout for a native species of frogs and their tadpoles, particularly in the dry season. 

The researchers examined small pools of water formed inside of elephant tracks in the northwestern part of Myanmar's Tamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary. The team found frog eggs and larvae in 20 different rain-filled footprints.

While the large tracks from Asian elephants are not permanent, they can last for a year, providing the perfect sanctuary for the first two stages of a frog's life cycle. 

Study lead author Steven Platt is the Associate Conservation Herpetologist with WCS's Myanmar Program. 

"Elephant tracks are virtual condominiums for frogs," said Platt. "This study underscores the critical role wildlife play in ecosystems in sometimes unexpected ways. When you lose one species, you may be unknowingly affecting others, which is why protecting intact ecosystems with full assemblages of wildlife is so important."

[caption id="attachment_1874949" align="aligncenter" width="634"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/elephant-tracks.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1874949" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/elephant-tracks.jpg" alt="" width="634" height="397" /></a> Elephant tracks, Image Credit: Steven Platt/WCS Myanmar[/caption]

The experts said that, due to their bulky size and weight, the elephants probably change the soil structure as they trample through the seasonal wetlands leaving behind deep tracks. As a result, the footprints often retain water throughout the dry season from October to May. 

Platt told <a href="https://therevelator.org/">The Revelator</a> that little is known about the critical role that Asian elephants play within their ecosystems.

"I think our study and several others indicate that Asian elephants play an important role as ecosystem engineers," said Platt. "Not only do elephants modify vegetation - knocking down trees, removing bamboo, dispersing seeds, etc. - but they also affect the ecosystem in ways that might not be readily obvious, such as creating temporary ponds and dung piles used as food and cover by invertebrates and small vertebrates.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/mamm">Mammalia</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

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Sourav Dasgupta

Elephants tracks provide a refuge for frogs and their eggs

Experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Myanmar have...

Researchers led by Patrick L. Jambura at the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/">University of Vienna</a> have traced back the origin of mackerel sharks to a small benthic shark from the Middle Jurassic that lived 165 million years ago. 

The investigation was based on the discovery of a unique feature in the tooth composition of mackerels, a group which includes the infamous <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/great-white-sharks-orcas/">great white shark</a> and Megalodon, the biggest predatory shark of all time. 

Shark teeth are similar to human teeth because they are composed of two mineralized structures, including a hard shell like enamel and two types of dentine core. Osteodentine, which resembles real bone, can be found in the root, while orthodentine is very compact and is confined to the tooth crown.

The researchers used high resolution CT scans to examine the tooth composition of the great white shark and its relatives. They were surprised to find that the osteodentine of the roots intruded into the crown and replaced the orthodentine completely. This condition is not known from any other shark.

[caption id="attachment_1874937" align="aligncenter" width="630"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/fossils.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1874937" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/fossils.jpg" alt="" width="630" height="692" /></a> Scientists examined the teeth of great white sharks and other mackerel sharks, Image Credit: Patrick L Jambura, Springer Nature, Scientific Reports[/caption]

The team also examined the fossil shark Palaeocarcharias stromeri, which was a small, sluggish benthic shark that did not bear any resemblance in size to mackerel sharks. Their teeth, however, were known to be much like the sharp fangs of mackerels.

The researchers found that P. stromeri had the same unusual tooth composition as great white sharks and their relatives. The findings suggest that this small shark gave rise to one of the most iconic shark lineages.

"Orthodentine is known for almost all vertebrates - from fish to mammals, including all modern sharks, except for the mackerel sharks. The discovery of this unique tooth structure in the fossil shark Palaeocarcharias strongly indicates that we found the oldest known ancestor of the great white shark and shows that even this charismatic giant shark started on a shoestring," said Jambura.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</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

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/wildestanimal

Scientists may have discovered the oldest relative of the great white shark

Researchers led by Patrick L. Jambura at the University of...

Visiting wildlife refuges with your dog is a good alternative to national parks. Anyone who has visited national parks with their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/puppy-dog-eyes-evolved-humans/">dog</a> knows that many areas are off limits to their four legged friend. Many national parks allow dogs only on roads and in campgrounds, with little or no access to trails at all. 

“Generally, leashed pets can go where cars can: on roads, in picnic areas and sometimes in campgrounds - but not on trails,” <a href="https://www.wilderness.org/">The Wilderness Society</a> reports. “There may be exceptions for short treks near Visitor Centers or campgrounds.”

There are a few parks that are more dog friendly than most. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/pets.htm">Acadia National Park</a> in Maine has 100 miles of trails open to leashed dogs and 45 miles of carriage roads. Acadia even has a ‘<a href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/be-an-acadia-bark-ranger.htm">Bark Ranger</a>’ program for dogs. Only 10 of Virginia’s <a href="https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/pets.htm">Shenandoah National Park’s</a> 500 trails exclude dogs. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm">Great Sand Dunes National Park &amp; Preserve</a> of Colorado allows dogs to explore the massive splendor of the dunes, but they’re not welcome anywhere in the backcountry. 

National seashores like <a href="https://www.nps.gov/pais/index.htm">Padre Island</a> in Texas are sometimes more <a href="https://www.nps.gov/pais/planyourvisit/pets.htm">dog friendly</a> than national parks, even though they’re both managed by the <a href="https://www.nps.gov">National Park Service</a>. Unfortunately for many who like hiking, camping and enjoying the outdoors with their dogs, these parks are the exception rather than the rule.       

This isn’t the final word for all federal land though. The <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/">US Forest Service</a> and <a href="https://www.blm.gov/">Bureau of Land Management</a> (BLM) land doesn’t offer all the amenities that national parks do, as camping is necessarily primitive in many places and visitor centers aren’t available to answer every question or help plan trips. However, with less amenities comes the added freedom of less regulations, including regulations on where your four legged friend may go. Most national forest and BLM land, including areas with popular trails, allow leashed dogs. 

For those who want the comfort of a visitor center and well maintained infrastructure, there’s another option for recreating out of doors that many may have never considered. National wildlife refuges much like national parks are part of the US federal government conservation infrastructure. The first national wildlife refuge was created by President Theodore Roosevelt over 100 years ago to protect birds. Today, the wildlife refuge system has grown enormously. There is a wildlife refuge in every state, and one is within an hour drive of every major US city. 

I am currently volunteering as a work camper at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-wildlife-refuges-land/">Aransas National Wildlife Refuge</a> on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Aransas was originally founded as a refuge for waterfowl, with only a small portion regularly open to the public, the rest left as wildlife habitat. I was surprised to learn that dogs are allowed everywhere that people are allowed on the refuge. This makes sense because despite the name ‘refuge’, hunting is allowed for feral hogs and deer at Aransas. Many wildlife refuges allow hunting and what more traditional hunting companion is there than a dog? For this reason, some of the wildlife refuges allow dogs only during certain seasons. 

Some state refuges also only allow dogs explicitly for hunting (as in some of Colorado’s state refuges). <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/rachel_carson/visit/rules_and_regulations.html">Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge</a> in Maine allows dogs only on the Rachel Carson Trail, however there are only three total trails within the refuge. In a mirror opposite of national parks, excluding dogs from national wildlife refuges seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Of course, each refuge is different and rules change over time. 

It is interesting though, since a justification for excluding dogs from national parks is often that they disturb wildlife. In John Steinbeck’s Classic – Travels With Charley: In Search of America, he tells of how a park ranger warns him about dogs reacting to bears upon entrance to Yellowstone National Park and his poodle, Charley’s fury over encountering a bear.

“Less than a mile from the entrance I saw a bear beside the road, and it ambled out as though to flag me down. Instantly a change came over Charley. He shrieked with rage. His lips flared, showing wicked teeth that have some trouble with a dog biscuit. He screeched insults at the bear, which hearing, the bear reared up and seemed to me to overtop Rocinante.”

Perhaps because of encounters like this, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/pets.htm">Yellowstone National Park</a> is very restrictive when it comes to dogs. Pets are not allowed on trails, boardwalks, in the backcountry or thermal pools. In fact, dogs are allowed no more than 100 feet from roads at all times, only in developed areas, making a trip to Yellowstone with a dog pointless for many. If bears are the concern though, regulations at Kodiak Wildlife Refuge turn the rules on their head. 

<a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/kodiak/">Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge</a> is home to the largest of the brown bears in the world. The area also hosts one of the largest bear population densities anywhere. The nearly 2 million acres of Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge were set aside by Franklin Roosevelt specifically to protect the special bears in 1941. Like many places in Alaska, the wildlife refuge is remote – accessible only by float plane or boat. Despite the logistics involved in getting to Kodiak, <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Kodiak/visit/visitor_activities/public_use_cabins.html">cabins</a> with heating stoves are available for $45 per night and dogs are allowed with no additional fees. In fact, there are virtually no restrictions where your dog can go on Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, barring physical restrictions. 

It seems wildlife refuges take a slightly different approach to interactions between wildlife and dogs. It’s often stated that dog restrictions protect the dogs as well as wildlife and this is certainly true. However, wildlife refuges like Kodiak with its large bears or Aransas with its alligators allow dogs and their owners a certain level of risk.

With more freedom and risk comes some level of implicit self responsibility as well. If dogs are to be allowed in areas where wild things also live, it’s important that dog owners respect those wild creatures. Without respect and foresight, people come into conflict with alligators or bears or other potentially threatening animals through their dogs. With responsibility though, enjoying wildlife refuges with a dog couldn’t be more natural.        

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Zivica Kerkez

Visiting wildlife refuges with your dog is a good alternative to national parks

Visiting wildlife refuges with your dog is a good alternative...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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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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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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" 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> 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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" 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> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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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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