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...

Bonobo mothers may be some of the most meddling moms in the animal kingdom, according to a new study. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bonobos-generous-share-food/">Bonobos</a> form a matriarchal society, and primatologists from the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a> recently discovered that bonobo mothers have an active role in finding mates for their sons.

Bonobo moms have been observed using their social position to get mates for their sons, preventing other males from mating with females, and dragging their sons to get close to ovulating females all to ensure that their sons reproduce. 

The researchers detailed these findings in a study published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)30338-0">Current Biology. </a>

“This is the first time that we can show the impact of the mother’s presence on a very important male fitness trait, which is their fertility,” said Martin Surbeck, the first author of the study. “We were surprised to see that the mothers have such a strong, direct influence on the number of grandchildren they get.”

[caption id="attachment_1872901" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/male-bonobo.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1872901" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/male-bonobo.jpeg" alt="" width="650" height="430" /></a> Adult male bonobo, Image Credit: Martin Surbeck[/caption]

The researchers led by Surbeck recorded observations of wild populations of bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo and chimpanzees in Tanzania and Uganda. Both the bonobo and chimp mothers were invested in their son’s reproductive success and future fatherhood. 

If bonobo or chimpanzee males started fighting, the mothers would help their sons, but bonobo mothers went above and beyond to make sure their sons found a mate. 

From physically putting their sons in the vicinity of ovulating females to warding off competition, bonobo mothers exhibited a range of overbearing tactics to strengthen their son’s chances. 

Bonobo daughters, however, were left to themselves, receiving very little help or intervention from their mothers when it came to mating or raising young. 

The researchers hope to continue their observations and explore how these protective and active tactics that bonobo mothers use help both mothers and sons. The researchers say it may all boil down to the drive to ensure the survival of their lineage and genes, but further studies are needed to confirm these theories. 

“These females have found a way to increase their reproductive success without having more offspring themselves,” said Surbeck. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Martin Surbeck

Bonobo mothers get proactive in helping their sons find mates

Bonobo mothers may be some of the most meddling moms...

In the absence of wolves, coyotes have adapted to changing landscapes. Once while hiking in the Catskills of New York, my partner Erin and I were lucky to stumble upon a few coyotes. The canines sprinted away quickly in a flurry of dried leaves that covered the forest floor on that autumn day. Even in that brief moment, I noticed the coyotes were a bit different from the coyotes I knew from the western states where I’ve spent most of my life. 

Eastern coyotes are longer in leg than the relatively stocky coyotes you’ll find in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming or South Dakota.  The differences between eastern coyotes and western coyotes bring to mind several questions – is there hybridization with wolves? What causes the difference? And finally, what ecological role does each population of coyotes play? 

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spread-coyotes-deer-numbers/">we reported</a> back in March of this year, research has shown that although coyotes do sometimes eat deer, they don’t significantly control their population, at least in the eastern US. This is a problem because the eastern states are somewhat overrun with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations.

<a href="https://farm.vassar.edu/management/deer/">Vassar Farms and Ecological Preserve</a>, a research facility connected to Vassar University, hired a private company in 2010 to kill deer in an attempt to control deer overpopulation. Since 2013, Vassar has been working with the US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to cull their deer population. The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/nyregion/deer-vasectomies-staten-island.html">New York Times</a> reports that on Staten Island, New York City’s <a href="https://www.nycgovparks.org/about/health-and-safety-guide">Department of Parks and Recreation</a> has been working with veterinarians to control deer populations by performing vasectomies. 

Some critics feel the procedure will be useless as deer that aren’t pregnant will only go into heat again and a single male deer can impregnate many females. It’s still in the first few years of the deer vasectomy trial, so it’s hard to say how much affect the procedures are having. But the real question is why is so much effort in deer population control needed at all? And why is deer population control more necessary in the eastern US than in the west? The answer is related to ecology but it’s also wrapped up in human history.In the absence of wolves, coyotes have adapted to changing landscapes

When Europeans first arrived on the eastern coast of what came to be known as North America, wolves were distributed throughout what would become the United States (minus Hawaii), including the eastern half. Due to their arrival on the eastern side of the continent, European persecution of wolves hit the canids hardest in the eastern states, with small remnant populations remaining in the midwest and importantly, Alaska. By 1960, only about 300 wolves remained in the lower 48 states, hiding in dense forests of Michigan and Minnesota, according to <a href="https://www.graywolfconservation.com/Wild_Wolves/history.htm">Grey Wolf Conservation</a>. 

Much of the wolf habitat in the eastern US was developed, slicing up potential habitat into smaller pieces. Small reintroduction programs in several states where more land is available have had a rocky start, often coming into conflict with ranchers in those areas. Reintroduction and survival of the wolf in the contiguous United States is an ongoing if controversial effort. Meanwhile, the downfall of the wolf has only benefited their smaller cousin, the coyote.  

The <a href="https://urbancoyoteresearch.com/coyote-info/north-american-distribution">Urban Coyote Research Project</a> reports that before 1700, coyotes were found only in the deserts and prairies of the central United States and Mexico. That population slowly began to spread outwards as wolves were killed off by settlers and hunters. With less competition from the larger wolves, coyotes flourished.  European Americans and the US government tried to control the coyote populations in the same way they curtailed the wolf populations – bullets, traps, poison. But coyotes are a trickier animal than wolves, especially when it comes to eradication. Often, killing coyotes results in the few remaining female coyotes going into heat more often, producing more young and in the end creating a population boom. 

Coyotes have also been found living in urban environments, something impossible for wolves. I’ve seen coyotes unconcernedly strolling across streets and along city park sidewalks in the city of Tucson (interestingly Tucson coyotes are larger than many other western coyotes as well). Coyotes have become common in west coast cities and now live near population centers outside of their historic range, such as New York City. 

The success of coyotes isn’t confined only to North America either. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coyotes-exploded-north-america/">Earth.com</a> reported that coyotes have crossed the Panama Canal and have been seen approaching the Darien Gap, a dense piece of roadless jungle on the border of Panama and Columbia. Given the differing fate of wolves and coyotes when subjected to the pressures of human development, habitat destruction, and hunting, the question becomes how the change in populations is likely to affect the ecology of North America?

There is some evidence that coyotes fill some of the ecological roles of wolves.  <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/better-hunter-eastern-coyotes-wolves/">Earth.com</a> reports that coyotes are only 10 to 15 pounds lighter on average than wolves, but that this difference in weight is enough that the smaller canids rarely hunt moose the way wolves do. Coyotes instead prey on deer, rabbits and smaller game. Later, it was <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spread-coyotes-deer-numbers/">found</a> that despite preying on deer, for some reason coyotes in eastern states aren’t effectively controlling deer populations for the most part. There is still some evidence that in parts of the eastern US, deer populations are declining, pointing to the unpredictability of coyotes as deer hunters. Researchers suspect that as coyote populations continue to grow, they may more effectively deer populations. This all points to the flexibility and adaptiveness of the coyote, which asks another question – are they still coyotes?     

As I mentioned before, eastern coyotes look differently than their stockier western cousins. Coyotes in the eastern states actually look a lot more like the mostly eradicated wolves. As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eastern-coyotes-wolves/">Earth.com</a> reported, some have taken to call them “coy-wolves” instead of coyotes at all. This is because genetically, the eastern coyote isn’t exactly a coyote. Genetic research has found that the eastern coy-wolves are actually hybrids of coyotes, wolves and dogs. This goes a long way towards explaining the persistence of coyotes in the United States. 

To adapt, it seems the coyote tapped into a bigger gene pool, allowing greater flexibility in its adaptation. Genetic diversity is the raw material of evolution. In the end, the story of the coyote is the story of humans. 

Coyotes in North America reflect a reaction of wildness – ecosystems, evolution, a stubborn canine that won’t die off to our own disturbance of a mighty continent. It even shows reflections of our own interactions with the dogs we love and their ancestors, the wolves, that we hate. When you think of the history of destruction and colonization of America, also think of the persistence of the coyote and the coy-wolf.        

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

In the absence of wolves, coyotes have adapted to changing landscapes

In the absence of wolves, coyotes have adapted to changing...

Environmental pollutants don’t just affect living people who encounter them. They can also affect the fertility of future generations, according to new research.

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.uliege.be/cms/c_8699436/en/uliege-portal">University of Liege</a> studies how endocrine-disrupting chemicals – common pollutants already in our environment from plastic, pesticides and medications – affected pregnant rats and their offspring. 

When the pregnant rats were given doses equivalent to those many human communities are exposed to, they showed impairments in their maternal behavior that were passed down to future generations. Their offspring and later generations also showed impaired sexual development.

"Our results raise real concerns about the effects of these pollutants in our environment,” said Dr. Anne-Simone Parent, who worked with graduate student David Lopez Rodriguez on the study. “We found effects of EDCs in generations of animals that had not been directly exposed to the chemicals. We exposed the parent generation only and found long-term effects on fertility.”

Other studies have already linked environmental pollutants to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/home-chemical-pollutants-harm-fertility/">infertility</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bpa-exposure-premature-birth/">premature birth</a> in humans and other animals.

The researchers were especially concerned because in their study, only the pregnant rats were exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. In real life, humans and other animals are exposed to EDCs and other environmental pollutants on a regular basis for generations.

"These findings raise questions about the legacy we are leaving future generations,” Rodriguez said. “Current European legislation on EDCs does not consider how mixtures of low dose pollutants in our environment could be causing harm and affecting our children and wildlife in future generations, our data suggest an urgent need to follow the precautionary principle."

The team will present their findings at the <a href="https://www.ese-hormones.org/">European Society of Endocrinology</a> annual meeting, <a href="https://www.ese-hormones.org/events-deadlines/european-congress-of-endocrinology/ece-2019/">ECE 2019</a>.

They plan to continue studying the rats, to determine whether the impaired maternal behavior linked to environmental pollutants or the pollutant exposure itself contributes to future generations’ difficulties. 

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Environmental pollutants affect sexual development for generations

Environmental pollutants don’t just affect living people who encounter them....

There are only 80,000 koala bears left in Australia, according to the <a href="https://www.savethekoala.com/">Australian Koala Foundation</a> (AKF). In an alarming <a href="https://www.savethekoala.com/sites/savethekoala.com/files/uploads/AKF_press_release_10_may_2019.pdf">press release</a> issued on May 10th, the foundation reports that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/koalas-defense-viral-attacks/">koalas</a> may be ‘functionally extinct’ as populations decline.

But the timing of the announcement is significant. Australia is in the <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/australia-election-190514043301121.html">process of a major election</a> to vote for the next Prime Minister and Parliament, and the bold koala claim lines up with growing concerns about environmental protections. 

The AKF has been monitoring 128 Federal electorates or electoral districts. 41 out of the 128 have no koalas, 26 have a population of less than 100, and 46 have between 500 and 1,000 koalas leading to the declaration that the lovable marsupials are functionally extinct.

“I am calling on the new Prime Minister after the May election to enact the Koala Protection Act (KPA) which has been written and ready to go since 2016. The plight of the Koala now falls on his shoulders,” said Deborah Tabart OAM, the CEO of the AKF. 

Habitat degradation, deforestation, and Australia’s<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/australia-battles-drought/"> record-breaking heat waves and recent droughts</a> are all contributing to the species’ demise, and the AKF is calling on the government to act. 

If a species is declared functionally extinct, it can mean that they may as well be extinct even though populations are still present but have no impact on the ecosystem. It can also be used to categorize species that researchers are not yet convinced have gone extinct although few if any members of the species have been observed. 

In this case, the AKF used to the term to emphasize the fate of koalas and their steadily declining populations. 

However, a number of researchers and koala experts have questioned the AKF claims.

Christine Adams-Hosking, a biologist from the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland,</a> told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2203655-no-koalas-are-not-functionally-extinct-but-they-are-in-trouble/">New Scientist</a> that koalas are nowhere near in danger of extinction, but local populations are declining in certain regions due to habitat clearing. 

Importantly, Adams-Hosking surveyed koala populations in 2016 and estimated that the total number of koalas in Australia at the time was around 300,000, which is a far cry from the estimated 80,000 koalas left reported by the AKF. 

Whether the AKF was utilizing hyperbole to gain the attention of politicians during a heated election has yet to be substantiated. But what is certain is that koalas, like so many of Earth’s wildlife, are struggling with the stress of climate change and habitat loss due to human activities. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Are koala bears heading towards extinction?

There are only 80,000 koala bears left in Australia, according...

An isolated fossil of a wing discovered in the Solnhofen Limestones in Germany dating back to the late Jurassic era has added a new chapter to the lineage of birds. 

It was previously thought that Archaeopteryx, first discovered in 1861, was the earliest known bird to take to the skies. But researchers from the <a href="https://www.en.uni-muenchen.de/">Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität</a> say that this is not the case and that Archaeopteryx was not the only bird capable of flight 150 million years ago. 

Birds today are related to dinosaurs, and until now Archaeopteryx had the honor of being the first <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-flapping-wings-fly/">flying dinosaur</a>.

In a new study, published in the journal <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/43789">eLife</a>, researchers describe a previously unknown species of flying dinosaur that lived alongside Archaeopteryx in the Altmühl Valley in Germany during the late Jurassic. 

“This suggests that the diversity of birds in the late Jurassic era was greater than previously thought,” said Oliver Rauhut, a paleontologist who led the project.

[caption id="attachment_1872795" align="aligncenter" width="633"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/bird-fossil.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1872795" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/bird-fossil.jpg" alt="" width="633" height="593" /></a> Image Credit: Rauhut et al/LMU Munich/eLife[/caption]

Rauhut analyzed the fossil of the bird’s right wing and found that it belonged to an entirely new species of bird which the researchers called Alcmonavis poeschli. 

“At first, we assumed that this was another specimen of Archaeopteryx,” said Rauhut. “There are similarities, but after detailed comparisons with Archaeopteryx and other, geologically younger birds, its fossil remains suggested that we were dealing with a somewhat more derived bird.”

According to the researchers, Alcmonavis poeschli may have been able to outfly Archaeopteryx, and the new bird was better adapted to flapping flight similar to many of today’s birds. 

“Its adaptation shows that the evolution of flight must have progressed relatively quickly,” said Dr. Christian Foth, a co-author of the study.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Rauhut et al/LMU Munich/eLife

New fossil reveals that the earliest known bird had some competition

An isolated fossil of a wing discovered in the Solnhofen...

Redefining ‘endangered species’ could be key to protecting larger animals. Today is Endangered Species Day, and new research suggests that we must re-evaluate our definition of what constitutes an “endangered” group if we want to protect large, slow-breeding animals from irreversible decline. 

Study lead author Dr. Shermin de Silva is the president and founder of the Asian elephant conservation charity <a href="http://www.trunksnleaves.org/">Trunks &amp; Leaves</a>.

“Critical thresholds in so-called vital rates - such as mortality and fertility rates among males and females of various ages - can signal an approaching population collapse long before numbers drop below a point of no return,” said Dr. de Silva.Redefining ‘endangered species’ could be key to protecting larger animals 

“We propose that conservation efforts for Asian elephants and other slow-breeding megafauna be aimed at maintaining their 'demographic safe space': that is, the combination of key vital rates that supports a non-negative growth rate.”

According to the researchers, vital rates provide a better indication of a species' viability compared to short-term trends in population size.

[caption id="attachment_1872786" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/asian-elephants.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1872786" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/asian-elephants.jpeg" alt="" width="650" height="391" /></a> Asian elephants, Image Credit: Udawalawe Elephant Research Project[/caption]

“History bears this out,” said Dr. de Silva. “Genomic studies of the last mammoths isolated on Wrangel Island - between Russia and Alaska - have shown that although they were able to persist for thousands of years beyond the extinction of mainland populations with just ~300 individuals, they had accumulated numerous genetic mutations that may have eventually contributed to their extinction.”

This means that populations of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-extinction-megafauna/">megafauna</a> can become biologically doomed long before they disappear if they are pushed beyond their “demographic safe space.” The researchers applied this theory to the case of the Asian elephant and found that near-optimal reproduction and high calf survival is necessary to maintain population growth.

“Measures to enhance survival of calves, and particularly females, are key to saving the Asian elephant,” said Dr. de Silva. “But while the attention of the world has been focused on the ivory trade, for critically endangered Asian elephant populations the greatest threat is habitat loss - followed by illegal trade in live animals and parts.”

“Habitat loss can create something known as 'extinction debt' by slowing down birth rates and increasing mortality rates. For slow breeding long-lived species, even incremental changes make a big difference, but their longevity can obscure the risk of extinction.”

[caption id="attachment_1872785" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Redefining-‘endangered-species’-could-be-key-to-protecting-large-animals.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1872785" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Redefining-‘endangered-species’-could-be-key-to-protecting-large-animals.jpeg" alt="" width="650" height="511" /></a> Mother and calf, Image Credit: Udawalawe Elephant Research Project[/caption]

Conservation efforts for other large, slow-breeding species such as giraffes and rhinos could also benefit from modelling the interaction between vital rates. 

“Rather than rely on simple population counts or estimates of near-term extinction probability, we urge that conservation resources for slow-breeding megafauna also be invested in identifying demographic tipping points and how to maintain populations within their safe spaces.”

“Populations of slow-breeding taxa need proactive management well before numbers become critically low, when returns on investment are potentially greater and populations less likely committed to extinction.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Udawalawe Elephant Research Project

Redefining ‘endangered species’ could be key to protecting larger animals

Redefining ‘endangered species’ could be key to protecting larger animals....

Dung beetles may sound gross, but here’s why they’re important to ecosystems. The first time I visited Ecuador, it was as part of a Tropical Ecology field course.  The first stop on the trip was <a href="http://www.shiripunolodge.com">Shiripuno Lodge</a>, a research station and tourism lodge near the far western edge of the Amazon Rainforest on the Shiripuno River.  The course covered all aspects of wildlife biology, botany, and ecology in the region that could be covered in a week.  Hikes in the day and at night found a myriad of amazing, if often tiny wild creatures. One part of the trip was quite memorable – the dung beetles.  

Dung beetles are one of the most intensively studied animal groups in tropical forests, according to <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/all-you-need-is-human-feces-the-strange-world-of-dung-beetle-sampling/">Mongabay</a>, and they truly are fascinating creatures.  I’ve watched scarabs roll their perfectly round balls across a dirt road in <a href="https://www.nps.gov/wica/index.htm">Wind Cave National Park</a> and on hard pack soil in the desert southwest.  The Egyptians watched beetles with their balls and imagined a giant scarab rolled the sun across the sky.  Despite their fecal proclivities, many of the beetles are actually quite beautiful – some are brightly colored, armed with horns and spikes, tiny and dull, large or shiny.  I saw one that was the spitting image of a brightly painted Volkswagen Beetle. 

One of the researchers teaching the field course in Ecuador cut up an old t-shirt and created small bundles of fabric.  Tied within the bundles was feces. These bundles strung over plastic cups of alcohol acted as effective dung beetle traps.  As students, we took turns collecting the beetles once an hour and putting them into labeled tubes. I myself went out in the dark along a mud path slippery with recent rain to collect beetles from several traps.  

The exercise was technically research but it demonstrated something already known, dung beetles are more active in the early morning and around twilight as the sun sets.  It makes intuitive sense – beetles that eat feces are more active when animals are most likely to defecate. Morning after waking up or just before bedding down for the night (reverse that for nocturnal animals) are the most productive defecation times.  It was a simple experiment with satisfying results and very few materials needed to pull it off. What we know sometimes depends on how easy it is to carry out an experiment. 

A paper published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01133.x">Ecology Letters</a> In 2007 is perhaps part of the popularity of dung beetles.  The paper authored by over twenty researchers compared the cost and benefit of surveying 14 different animal groups in the Amazon region.  They found dung beetles to be the least expensive animal group to survey, with easy monitoring carried out with simple supplies. 

Interestingly, dung beetles have also been found to be one of the most telling animal groups in terms of how intact an ecosystem is.  This makes intuitive sense. You’d expect an animal that feeds on the excrement of other animals to indicate whether or not a large amount of wildlife was doing well.  

Dung beetles are also sensitive to disturbance of their tropical forest homes.  <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/all-you-need-is-human-feces-the-strange-world-of-dung-beetle-sampling/">Mongabay</a> reports that beetles found in Brazil’s most endangered forest, the Atlantic forest, can show how long ago a forest was cut down (in secondary growth forest).  Other dung beetles are indicators of particularly undamaged forests .Dung beetles may sound gross, but here’s why they’re important to ecosystems 

Dung beetles themselves are incredibly diverse. Like many invertebrate groups, scarabs (dung beetles are a type of scarab) are found on every continent except Antarctica.  Of beetles, the most diverse order of insects, scarabs make up almost 10% with approximately 30,000 species, according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/scarabs/">National Geographic</a>.  

Not all scarabs are dung beetles, though.  The dung beetles are spread across the world and have been used as indicators of ecological health not just in the neotropics but also in forests in Africa and Asia.  

Evidence shows that certain dung beetle species are attracted to different types of dung and won’t eat other types, although a few of them find human waste to be particularly tasty.  Unsurprisingly, large dung beetles require larger piles of dung, while smaller beetles are fine with smaller droppings. Ecological health isn’t about the beetle itself, although they do play a role.  It’s also about the mammal populations that the beetles depend on. Dung beetles are important in other places far from tropical rainforests. There’s a chance that the dung beetle I saw in Wind Cave National Park was feeding on bison dung.  

The <a href="https://denverite.com/2018/01/16/dung-beetles-inform-us-of-colorados-past-and-future/">Denverite</a> reported last year that with the decline of bison in much of the western United States, dung beetles also declined.  The <a href="https://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/BENEFICIAL/BEETLES/Phanaeus_vindex.htm">Rainbow Scarab</a> (Phanaeus vindex) was once native to Colorado but it’s incredibly rare now, due probably to the horrible slaughter of the bison.  It’s possible that the Rainbow Scarab could’ve survived on similar cow dung but by the time settlers arrived with their imported European bovine, the die off of the beetle was complete.  

<a href="http://www.oikosjournal.org/blog/when-big-partner-disappears-ecological-consequences-megafauna-loss-dung-beetles">Oikos Journal</a> reports that it isn’t just the decimation of the bison population that was detrimental to dung beetles.  60% of large late Pleistocene mammals are now extinct, an event possibly caused by human hunting. Along with the extinction of animals like mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths and woolly rhinos, the larger dung beetles died off as well.  Other beetles studied for comparison actually showed an increase in size over time, which is consistent with adaptation for global warming, making it all the more likely that the extinction of large mammals also caused the extinction of dung beetles.  

Today, human habitat destruction and overhunting are just two factors endangering more and more large mammals, and <a href="http://www.endangeredearth.com">as much as 25%</a> of mammal species are threatened with extinction.  With <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hunting-decline-mammals-tropical-forests/">mammals</a> dying off, we can expect the extinction or reduction of many dung beetles as well.  No one knows exactly the consequences of a dung beetle mass extinction but it’s likely, the ramifications from the extinction connected to the Pleistocene megafauna hasn’t caught up to us yet.

Dung beetles are important parts of ecosystems. <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-humble-dung-beetle-180967781/">Smithsonian Magazine</a> reports that when European Cattle with their new type of dung were introduced to Australia, the native beetles were poorly equipped.  Half a million acres of grazing land was smothered in dung that couldn’t be cleaned up by the native dung beetles. Parasites thrived in the feces rich environment.  23 new species of dung beetle introduced to Australian rangeland have turned the situation around. Similarly, introduced beetles have helped clean up cattle dung in Madagascar, Hawaii, Easter Island, Vanuatu and New Zealand.                     

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Dung beetles may sound gross, but here’s why they’re important to ecosystems

Dung beetles may sound gross, but here’s why they’re important...

Lizards, starfish, flatworms, and tadpoles are all equipped with the ability to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetic-control-switch-regeneration/">regenerate a lost limb</a>. 

Regeneration in the animal kingdom has been documented as far back as the 4th century, but scientists are still unsure exactly what mechanisms are responsible for this remarkable ability. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> are one step closer to solving the regeneration puzzle after the discovery of a new type of skin cell specifically responsible for tail regrowth in tadpoles. 

Single cell genomics, a new advancement in gene sequencing that allows researchers to track gene expression at the level of individual cells, provided an up-close look at tadpole skin cells and how these cells jump to attention when it’s time to regenerate. 

The researchers analyzed cell types involved in regeneration in African clawed frog tadpoles and focused on a two-day period where regeneration is inhibited. 

“Tadpoles can regenerate their tails throughout their life; but there is a two-day period at a precise stage in development where they lose this ability,” said Dr. Tom Hiscock, a member of the research team that helped sequence the skin cells. “We exploited this natural phenomenon to compare the cell types present in tadpoles capable of regeneration and those no longer capable.”

Hiscock and his colleagues found that regeneration is jumpstarted by a subpopulation of epidermal cells called Regeneration-Organizing Cells (ROCs). The ROCs direct the entire process. 

“It’s an astonishing process to watch unfold. After tail amputation, ROCs migrate from the body to the wound and secrete a cocktail of growth factors that coordinate the response of tissue precursor cells,” said Can Aztekin, a co-researcher for the project. “These cells then work together to regenerate a tail of the right size, pattern and cell composition.”

Having a better understanding of the driving mechanisms that make regeneration possible in reptiles and amphibians could help open the door to new pathways for studying potential regeneration in mammals. 

The researchers published their findings in the journal Science. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tadpoles can regenerate their tails thanks to a newly discovered type of cell

Lizards, starfish, flatworms, and tadpoles are all equipped with the...

Sea lampreys are a parasitic fish that could help scientists develop new treatments targeting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-tumor-severity-sex/">brain tumors</a>, brain trauma, and even dementia, according to a new study. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a> and the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin </a>found a way to turn sea lamprey molecules into drug delivery mechanisms that directly reach brain tumors, succeeding where many other cancer treatments fail. 

Sea lamprey immune systems, although similar to humans, produce small molecules called VLRS in place of antibodies. 

It was these VLRS molecules that the researchers used to deliver drug treatments to the brain. The team first vaccinated lampreys to find the VLRS that service the extracellular matrix of the brain. 

Having a way to target the brain specifically is key. Most medicines and drugs target individual cells, but the lamprey molecules target the outside of the cell after bypassing the blood-brain barrier. 

In healthy brains, the blood-brain barrier ensures that the brain and central nervous system are protected from toxins and pathogens. This defense mechanism is so effective that drugs and even the sea lamprey molecules cannot pass through the barrier to treat tumors in the brain. 

However, when the brain is damaged through stroke or cancer, the blood-brain barrier degrades and starts leaking near the tumor or disease site.

By taking advantage of the now permeable barrier, the researchers found a way to use the lamprey molecules to deliver a chemotherapy drug called doxorubicin to diseased cells in the brain. 

“This set of targeting molecules appears somewhat agnostic to the disease,” said Eric Shusta, a member of the research team. “We believe it could be applied as a platform technology across multiple conditions. Molecules like this normally couldn’t ferry cargo into the brain, but anywhere there’s a blood-brain barrier disruption, they can deliver drugs right to the site of pathology.”  

The researchers tested the molecule drug delivery system on mice that had glioblastoma, a fatal brain cancer, and the treatment led to longer lifespans. 

Sea lamprey molecules also ensure that only the diseased area is treated and healthy cells are unaffected. 

“I’m excited about trying this strategy in different disease model systems,” said John Kuo, a collaborator on the study. “There are several disease processes that disrupt the blood-brain barrier, and we could conceive of delivering a variety of different therapies with these molecules.”

The study detailing the sea lamprey molecules was published in the journal Science Advances. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sea lampreys could help pave the way for new brain cancer treatments

Sea lampreys are a parasitic fish that could help scientists...

Captive chimpanzees can figure out how to use tools to dig for food. There are many examples of species using tools like sticks and leaves to get food in the animal kingdom. Perhaps most notable is the use of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzee-mothers-teach-their-children-how-to-use-tools/">tools among chimpanzees</a>, one of our closest relatives, who have worked out how to make a variety of tools and even weapons. 

Jane Goodall was one of the first to observe chimpanzees <a href="https://www.janegoodall.org.uk/chimpanzees/chimpanzee-central/15-chimpanzees/chimpanzee-central/19-toolmaking">making and using tools</a> for catching termites in the wild, after it had previously been assumed that tool use was a uniquely human adaptation. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uio.no/english/">University of Oslo</a> further explored tool use among captive chimpanzees to see how the behavior develops and if chimps can work out how to dig for food using tools without having any previous experience digging for food. 

Past studies have found that wild chimpanzees use tools to dig for plant roots and tubers, but the Oslo researchers focused on a colony of ten chimpanzees living in an island enclosure in Norway.

[caption id="attachment_1872720" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/tool-use.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872720" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/tool-use.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="450" /></a> Tool use among chimps, Image Credit: Motes-Rodrigo et al., 2019[/caption]

The researchers monitored the chimps, eight of which were born in captivity. None of the chimpanzees had dug for food or exhibited excavating behaviors. To start their experiment, the researchers dug five holes and put fruit in the open holes.Captive chimpanzees can figure out how to use tools to dig for food 

Leaving the holes open allowed the chimpanzees to become accustomed to the new food source. 

Next, the researchers filled the holes back up with dirt and provided the captive chimps with sticks and bark. The researchers also put fruit in covered holes but didn’t offer any tools in a later experiment. 

Nine of the ten chimps learned to excavate for the fruit and eight of the ten chimps preferred using tools rather than digging up the fruit with their hands. 

After being presented with the same scenario but not having any tools, the chimpanzees went to make their own tools using sticks and vegetation in their enclosure. 

The study, published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0215644">PLOS ONE</a>, sheds light on how some great apes quickly adapt and learn to use tools to more efficiently find food. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Captive chimpanzees can figure out how to use tools to dig for food

Captive chimpanzees can figure out how to use tools to...

M-44 devices, often known as “cyanide bombs,” are a controversial tool used by government officials to control predation on livestock and endangered species. These tools are placed into the ground near areas where coyotes, foxes and other predator species roam. When the device is set off by passing wildlife, it sprays sodium cyanide, killing the predator.

Environmentalists and animal advocates have long called for the end of their use. With the recent ban on the use of M-44s for predator control in Oregon, groups are one step closer to this goal.

M-44s have been used by the elusive Wildlife Services within the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a> beginning in the late 1960s. Their use was suspended by the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> in 1972 before being allowed again in 1975.

M-44s are often criticized for being indiscriminate killers that cause undue pain and suffering to its victims. In 2017 alone, Wildlife Services killed<a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/wildlife-services-04-23-2018.php"> 2.3 million</a> animals, including non-target and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dogs-domesticated-america-10000-years/">domesticated species</a>.

[caption id="attachment_1872650" align="aligncenter" width="329"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/m44.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1872650" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/m44.jpg" alt="" width="329" height="285" /></a> M44 cyanide device, Image Credit: Guy Connolly, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research[/caption]

The devices not only pose a threat to animals but humans as well. In<a href="https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/environment/article217956755.html"> March 2017</a>, a boy and his pet dog made national news when they encountered a M-44 device just 350 yards from their Idaho home. The boy had noticed the device, which looks like a pipe or water sprinkler, and tried to pick it up. The device then sprayed sodium cyanide onto the boy and his dog. The boy survived the incident but suffered from nausea and headaches. The family dog died in front of the young boy.

That’s one of the problems with the devices. To the untrained eye, M-44s look unassuming. Without proper signage, a person could easily accidentally set the device off. Even with displayed warnings, domesticated dogs risk setting the device off.

The agency mandates that warning signs are placed in all areas containing M-44 devices. Yet, the nonprofit group Predator Defense<a href="https://www.predatordefense.org/m44s.htm#stats"> says</a> they have repeatedly found a lack of warning signs in their investigations.

According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/wildlife_damage/fs-m44-device.pdf">document</a>, “Wildlife Services certified applicators cannot place M-44s within 0.5 mile of occupied residences. A variance reducing that distance to 0.25 mile may be approved in instances where features of the property and landscape are such that potential for human or pet exposure to an M-44 is not probable. Wildlife Services notifies residents within 0.5 mile of M-44 locations.”

The family affected by the M-44 device in March 2017 say that they were never notified by Wildlife Services about the placement of the device.

Wildlife Services has been scrutinized for other shortcomings including the covering up of non-target killings.

An<a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/investigations/wildlife-investigation/article2574599.html"> investigation</a> by the Sacramento Bee details an incident where an employee found a deceased golden eagle, a federally protected species, caught in a neck snare. The employee called his supervisor who then informed him to “go get a shovel and bury it and don't say nothing to anybody.”

Environmentalists and animal advocates warn that Wildlife Services has been operating with little oversight for years.

The ban on M-44s in Oregon is an important step towards ending the use of the devices and reining in Wildlife Services. The bill passed with almost unanimous support and <a href="https://myemail.constantcontact.com/FOR-IMMEDIATE-RELEASE--Oregon-has-banned-M-44--cyanide-bombs--.html?soid=1114995572448&amp;aid=wkPM0OOhFwg">environmentalists hope</a> the passage will encourage the 13 other states that currently use M-44s to ban their use.

At the federal level, attempts have been made to ban M-44s. In 2017, Representative Peter DeFazio introduced legislation to ban the use of sodium cyanide and Compound 1080 for predator control. Although the bill did not pass, similar legislation has since been<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2471/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Chemical+Poisons+Reduction+Act%22%5D%7D&amp;r=1&amp;s=1"> reintroduced</a>.

Also in 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency<a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/carnivore_conservation/pdfs/EPA-2017-Petition-Response-11-16-18.pdf"> denied a petition</a> to cancel the registrations of M-44s.

Despite the lack of governmental action, there is growing opposition to M-44s among the public. A<a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/public-overwhelmingly-wants-ban-on-cyanide-bombs-2019-05-08/"> recent analysis</a> of public comments received by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on a proposal to renew M-44 device registrations found that over 99.9% of the 22,400 commenters supported a ban on the devices.

“It is far past time to eliminate these cruel killing devices altogether,” said Kelly Nokes, Shared Earth wildlife attorney for the Western Environmental Law Center in a<a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/public-overwhelmingly-wants-ban-on-cyanide-bombs-2019-05-08/"> press release</a>. “M-44s are an inhumane relic of the past and an unnecessary safety risk that have no place on our public landscape in 2019.”

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Oregon bans controversial ‘cyanide bombs’ used to kill wildlife

M-44 devices, often known as “cyanide bombs,” are a controversial...

<a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/aransas/">Aransas National Wildlife Refuge</a> doesn’t have very much national name recognition but it’s important to the history of conservation in the US, especially for the iconic Whooping Crane (Grus americana).

The Whooping Crane itself is an impressive bird.  It’s estimated that 1,400 individual whooping cranes lived in 1860.  Hunting for sport as well as to supply the hat trade with feathers devastated the population.  

In 1941, there was but one migrating flock of 15 individual whooping cranes left in the world. The last of the cranes were found wintering at what is now Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, a landscape of marsh- fresh water, brackish and marine located on the Gulf of Mexico in southern Texas.

This remnant flock of cranes spends its summers in <a href="https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/nt/woodbuffalo">Wood Buffalo National Park</a> in Canada where it breeds.  Wood Buffalo National Park was itself established in 1922 to protect another rare animal – the last of northern Canada’s Bison, also known as the Wood Buffalo.  

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, originally Aransas Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, was created on December 31, 1937, by Executive Order 7784 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  

The original refuge, located on the Black Jack Peninsula of Texas (named after black jack oak), measured 47,261 acres, according to the <a href="https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/gka03">Texas State Historical Association</a>.  The refuge received its current name in 1939 and has grown to now include 115,670 acres of land, including islands.  

Today, part of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is open for the public to visit for hiking, kayaking, wildlife viewing, fishing and hunting.  But part of the refuge is closed to the public, including important bird nesting areas where protection is vital. 

The protected lands of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and Wood Buffalo National Park are incredibly important in protecting whooping cranes, however it leaves a serious problem.  

A single population of any animals is vulnerable. A disease, a storm, a freak accident could have easily wiped out an entire flock of 15 individual birds. Even larger single populations can be vulnerable.    

To truly secure a long term future for whooping cranes, more than a single population is needed, as it isn’t wise to put all of your eggs in one basket when it comes to an entire species. 

According to the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/WHCR%20RP%20Final%207-21-2006.pdf">official management plan</a>, before whooping cranes can be removed from the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/national-parks-endangered-species/">endangered species list</a>, a major goal is to establish additional populations.  A minimum of 40 productive pairs in the original population plus 25 additional pairs in two different locations (populations) is called for by the management plan.  

There are other contingency plans if this fails, but the bottom line is that the current population is much more secure with additional populations.  If other populations aren’t established, the plan calls for a self-sustaining population of 1000 individual cranes (250 productive pairs), a high goal to achieve for a population that was down to a mere 15 birds.  

The goal of 250 productive pairs is based on genetics.  It’s estimated that a population in these numbers would then be gaining more genetic diversity than losing it, and there wouldn’t be significant inbreeding.  Even with a population this size, new migratory populations would help secure the species for the future. 

The Aransas population of whooping cranes is doing well on it’s way towards the management goal.  The Cornell Lab of Ornithology reports on it’s <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/whooping-crane-population-hits-historic-high-in-2018/">All About Birds</a> site that for the first time since the late 1800s there were more than 500 whooping cranes counted wintering at Aransas in 2018.  

Despite concerns that the crane population would be hurt by Hurricane Harvey, this amounts to a 17% population increase from the year before.  Of the cranes in the population, the <a href="https://blog.nwf.org/2018/01/a-wild-year-for-the-whooping-crane/">National Wildlife Federation</a> reported that there were 98 crane nests found in Wood Buffalo National Park during the summer of 2017, which is a new record for nests recorded.           

To assist with establishing additional migratory crane populations, <a href="http://operationmigration.org/the-whooping-crane.asp">Operation Migration</a> is working with wildlife officials to establish new migratory route for captive bred birds that have never migrated before.  

The basic idea is that a person in an ultralight aircraft actually leads the cranes on their migratory route. So far, the new migratory populations aren’t self sustaining, lacking the robust numbers of the Aransas population.  

The total population of whooping cranes is around 600, with most of them in the Aransas population, the rest of the birds are split among three reintroduced populations in the US and a few birds in captivity.  As of March, 2019 of the eastern cranes, 13 are in Illinois, 36 are in Indiana, 9 are in Kentucky, 3 are in Tennessee, 14 are in Alabama, 3 are in Georgia, 5 are in Florida and 1 is in Louisiana. 

One female whooping crane has also been seen in Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, where she is thought to be the last of a non-migratory population, according to the <a href="https://www.savingcranes.org/whooping-crane-eastern-population-update-march-2019/">International Crane Foundation</a>.  The long Wheeler bird may associate herself with the eastern migratory population but it’s uncertain. 

So far, there’s some hope for the whooping cranes, and the fact that the bird is alive at all shows some resilience on the species part.  

Unfortunately, despite advances, the crane has diminished federal support. The <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/centers/pwrc">Patuxent Wildlife Research Center</a>, a federal facility in Maryland that started with just 12 eggs in 1967 and grew to house more than 60 adult cranes, has officially ended their breeding program as of last October.  

The end to the program comes from a Trump administration cut that eliminated the $1.5 million annual budget of whooping crane breeding.  The <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/environment/bs-md-whooping-cranes-20181004-story.html">Baltimore Sun</a> reports that despite decades of dedicated work to understand the complicated breeding and reproductive behaviors of the birds by government scientists, the program will be taken over by zoos.  

The wildlife facility remains open with new research to focus on things like the West Nile virus and the impact of wind farms.

Concern is that the eastern migratory population, that summers in Florida and winters in Wisconsin could end because of the change in breeding programs.  Slight disturbances can stop the birds from successfully breeding and some worry that without support the eastern migratory population of whooping cranes will end.  

It would be tragic if the majestic travels of a bird that stretches from prehistory until now would be cut short by a political maneuver. As Robert Porter Allen, a wildlife biologist <a href="http://operationmigration.org/the-whooping-crane.asp">said</a>:

"For the Whooping crane there is no freedom but that of unbounded wilderness, no life except its own. Without meekness, without a sign of humility, it has refused to accept our idea of what the world should be like. If we succeed in preserving the wild remnant that still survives, it will be no credit to us; the glory will rest on this bird whose stubborn vigor has kept it alive in the face of increasing and seemingly hopeless odds."                                                 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Whooping crane comeback threatened after government funding is cut

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge doesn’t have very much national name...

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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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

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

[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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[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

[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

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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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