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...

There are several brutal parasitic species in the animal kingdom that can alter the behavior of their hosts and even control their host’s brains. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://stri.si.edu/">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a> and the <a href="http://www.ufu.br/">Universidade Federal de Uberlândia</a> in Brazil have discovered the underlying mechanisms that allow parasitoid wasps to control or “zombify” a host spider. 

One species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parasitic-wasp-spiders-loners/">parasitoid wasp</a> presented a mystery to biologists because the wasp larva can force a spider to spin a complicated web and act out of character without coming into direct contact with the spider's nervous system. 

Once a wasp lays its eggs on the top of a spider’s abdomen, these eggs hatch and force the spider to create a web that doubles as a cocoon for the larva. After the web is finished, the larvae eat the spider and cocoon themselves away as they transform into adult wasps. 

In this new study, the researchers suggest that the wasp larvae can control their hosts through hormones.

The researchers propose that the wasp larvae use hormones to hijack their spider hosts and trick the spider into molting.

[caption id="attachment_1872083" align="aligncenter" width="631"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/wasp-web.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1872083" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/wasp-web.jpg" alt="" width="631" height="482" /></a> Wasp in it's pupil stage hanging from the web after eating the spider, Main Image Credit: Marcello O. Gonzaga[/caption]

When a spider molts, it sheds its exoskeleton and the spider holes up in a new web while it waits for its new exoskeleton to harden. 

The researchers found that one genus of spider had high levels of a hormone called ecdysone in their bodies before being eaten by the wasp larvae and this hormone plays a key role in the molting cycle for spiders. 

“By hacking into this system, the wasps ensure the safety of their own offspring at the expense of their host,” said Marcelo O Gonzaga, the co-author of a study published in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.

The study sheds light on the mechanisms behind certain parasitic relationships and finally provides an answer to how some wasps zombify their spider hosts. 

“Now that we have a proposed mechanism, we can ask a new set of questions,” said William G Eberhard, a fellow co-author of the study. “Because the lines in spider webs represent precise records of their behavior, we could study ‘zombification’ in unprecedented detail by looking at the lines in cocoon and molting webs. We discovered that both web types vary, and more importantly, that the variations only overlap partially.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Marcello O. Gonzaga

How parasitic wasps take control of their spider host’s brains

There are several brutal parasitic species in the animal kingdom...

Prosocial behaviors observed in domestic dogs were likely passed down from wolves, according to a study led by Rachel Dale of the <a href="https://www.wolfscience.at/en/">Wolf Science Center</a> in Vienna, Austria. Using an experiment during which animals could perform a task to provide food to other individuals, wolves were found to behave more prosocially compared to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dogs-adopt-same-personality-owners/">dogs</a>.

There are two conflicting theories about how dogs became cooperative and prosocial. Some scientists believe that dog domestication selected for cooperative tendencies, which would mean that dogs are more prosocial than wolves. 

On the other hand, some experts speculate that prosocial behaviors in dogs arose from ancestral traits. They argue that since wolves rely heavily on cooperation, they are more prosocial than dogs. 

To investigate, Dale’s team compared the behavioral tendencies of nine wolves and six dogs raised and living in packs at the Wolf Science Center. Each animal was taught to use its nose to press a “giving” symbol on a touchscreen to deliver food to an adjacent pen, where another animal of the same species was sometimes present.

[caption id="attachment_1872042" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/test.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872042" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/test.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="575" /></a> Touchscreen test, Image Credit: Rachel Dale, 2019[/caption]

The researchers found that the wolves chose to deliver substantially more food to the adjacent enclosure when it held a member of their own pack compared to when the same pack member was in a different enclosure. This was found to be the case across multiple trials, and also among two wolves from different packs. 

By contrast, the dogs delivered no more food to the adjacent enclosure when it was occupied by a pack member. The findings suggest that wolves are more prosocial than dogs raised in similar pack conditions, which supports the idea that the prosocial behaviors seen in pet dogs were inherited from their closest living relatives.

“This study shows that domestication did not necessarily make dogs more prosocial,” said Dale. “Rather, it seems that tolerance and generosity towards group members help to produce high levels of cooperation, as seen in wolves.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Domesticated dogs inherited their prosocial tendencies from wolves

Prosocial behaviors observed in domestic dogs were likely passed down...

We’re used to thinking of parents, especially non-human parents, as coming in pairs.  For birds in particular, there are usually two standard models for parenting. Either the males play no role in egg incubation or chick rearing or the responsibility is split between the mother and father.  In nature, these models generally hold true, but often the specifics are a little messier. Nesting in some species is also usually an affair of multiple family members caring for young. When I interned as a research assistant collecting data on Alaskan seabirds, I observed a small anomaly in normal bird behavior.  

<a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-legged_Kittiwake/id">Black-legged Kittiwakes</a> (Rissa tridactyla) are smallish sea birds that breed in the far north on both sides of the North American continent.  Pretty nondescript gulls, kittiwakes have unique and interesting personalities if you spend enough time around them.  I watched one particular nest with amusement. This nest had one male and two females watching the eggs. Although we didn’t observe the female laying her egg, it was obvious that one of the female birds was more invested in egg care than the other.  One female diligently sat on the eggs and then fed the chicks when they hatched. The other female was rather negligent of her parenting duties, when she was alone in the nest, she rarely sat on the eggs or cared for the chicks. As soon as one of the other adult birds flew into the nest, it was show time and the formerly negligent female dutifully settled onto the eggs.  Kittiwakes aren’t the only birds observed in a behavior similar to this. 

Recently, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-rare-trio-of-bald-eagles-%E2%80%94-two-dads-one-mom-%E2%80%94-are-raising-eaglets-together-in-one-nest/ar-BBVUCe9?li=BBnb7Kz">MSN News</a> reported on a <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_eagle">bald eagle</a> (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nest in Illinois on the upper Mississippi River where three adult birds take turns caring for one nest.  In the case of the bald eagles, there are two males and one female. <a href="http://stewardsumrr.org/webcams/bald-eagle-nest-cam-live/bald-eagle-faq/">Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge</a> have observed all three adult members of the nest caring for eggs and young.  Interestingly, both male eagles have been observed copulating with the female as well, so it’s unclear which is the biological father of the chicks.

The instance of a trio of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mining-will-expand-at-alaska-bald-eagle-preserve/">bald eagles</a> on a single nest is rare but has been recorded a few times before.  According to the <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/a-rare-bald-eagle-trio-two-dads-and-mom-captivates-webcam-fans">Audubon Society</a>, the odd match of two males to one female predates the current arrangement.  Originally at the nest, one female named Hope was observed with her mate, a male named Valor.  Valor was a poor father, not tending to his nest and not bringing in much food. Because of the lack of food, Hope would leave the nest untended just to eat.  Scientists and those observing the drama on <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hC4ZizXm3aU">live webcam</a> thought the eggs may never hatch due to negligence but in the end they did.  Unfortunately, Valor continued to neglect his duties and the chicks died before fledging.  Then something strange happened. 

Male bald eagles are usually territorial and hostile to each other, so it was a surprise when another male eagle showed up.  The new male, later named Valor II, took up in the nest with Hope but Valor I wasn’t bothered and he continued hanging around the nest, still not contributing a lot to child care.  Eventually though, Valor I learned better parenting skills, some attribute this to the influence of Valor II and in 2016, wildlife biologists had clear evidence of cooperative nesting among the three.  The males would add sticks to the nest but Hope would often rearrange the branches, fixing the male’s attempts at home-making. Eagles are keen for prime real estate and are often loyal to an individual nest.  

Soon after it was observed that the three eagles were cooperating nicely in chick care and nesting, two unknown eagles arrived on the scene.  The eagles fought with the happy trio, probably trying to take the nest. The three fought hard and kept their chicks safe. Unfortunately, Hope was injured and not seen again, assumedly dying from the fight.  The two valors continued caring for the chicks that fledged successfully that year. Typically bald eagles mate for life, only choosing a new mate after one of the pair perishes.

Interestingly, in the wake of Hope’s death, the two valors remained together at the nest, not seeking out their own separate mates.  Instead, the current female arrived on the scene, a female named Starr by webcam viewers. Starr and the two Valors seem to be cooperating just as the original trio.  Last spring, two chicks were hatched, one died rather quickly but the second fledged successfully. This year, three chicks have hatched and are being cared for by all three adult eagles.  This is a rare case but not unheard of. 

A paper published in <a href="http://stewardsumrr.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Garcelon_etal_1995_baldeagle.pdf">Short Communications</a> of the <a href="https://raptorresearchfoundation.org/">Raptor Research Foundation</a> in 1995 describes observations of three adult bald eagles seen in a single nest twice in Alaska and once in Minnesota.  The paper also details cooperative breeding among a trio in the Santa Catalina Islands. The phenomena described is sometimes known ecologically as ‘helper at the nest’.  

Helpers at the nest have been observed in hundreds of bird species such as <a href="https://www.birdnote.org/show/helpers-nest">Brown Jays</a> where an entire flock cares for a nest of four eggs laid by one female.  Usually a helper at the nest is a previously fledged chick, helping care for a younger sibling.  In crows, there can be as many as ten additional birds helping to raise a brood of chicks. With crows, the extra caretakers are typically male relatives of the male in the nesting pair.  Interestingly, sometimes although rarely, the helpers are actually sneaking around. In crows 7% of offspring are fathered by ‘helpers’, according to <a href="https://corvidresearch.blog/tag/nest-helpers/">Corvid Research</a>.  Even so, helpers do make things easier.  

Some female birds, hummingbirds for example, raise the young themselves with no help from mates or otherwise.  The diverse forms of life on earth, including the myriad examples of bird life are some of the things that make living here so beautiful.       

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer             

Image Credit: Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge/National Audubon Society

Three birds on one nest: Bald eagles showcase surprising teamwork

We’re used to thinking of parents, especially non-human parents, as...

Society’s unfair expectations of beauty are not limited to humans, as research shows that people are more likely to care more about animals that are cute, soft, and human-like. 

This is a big problem when it comes to conservation because the animals that may need conservation management most are ignored mainly due to their unsavory appearance or mannerisms. 

Take the panda compared to the salamander. One is big, fluffy and easily elicits our protective and caring instincts while the other is slimy, brown and often looked on with disgust. 

Salamanders are not as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/panda-conservation-generate-billions/">marketable as pandas</a> or polar bears which are often pictured on conservation campaigns and advertisements, and many species of arachnids, reptiles, fish and mammals do not receive the attention or study that “cute” animals do. 

The Chinese giant salamander is the largest amphibian in the world and also the rarest, but there’s a good chance that you’ve never even heard of the species until now. 

“One of the biggest factors is ‘cuteness’: physical characteristics such as big eyes and soft features that elicit our parental instincts because they remind us of human infants,” said Hal Herzog, a professor at <a href="https://www.wcu.edu/">West Carolina University</a>, told the <a href="https://www.afp.com/en">AFP</a>.

Herzog is an expert in why we respond to animals the way we do. Many cute animals trigger a paternal or maternal response which is why we are more inclined to care about them and support conservation measures. 

Salamanders play just as crucial a role in the ecosystem as other worms and composting bacteria, but we are conditioned from an early age to dislike slimy, crawly species and pests like rats and cockroaches. 

Even if certain animals pose a more significant threat, we still have a less adverse reaction to a bear or lion than say a slug or nonpoisonous snake. 

Scientists also fall prey to these discriminating biases, as one study found that there were more published studies involving society's favorite animals compared to less popular species. 

This could be because there is a higher chance of receiving funding and getting published if a researcher decided to study a fan favorite animal. 

There are tens of thousands of species currently listed on the<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/"> International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List</a> with more and more added each year. 

Next time you want to donate to save the whales or the penguins, remember that there could very well be a salamander or reptile in need of help, too. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Our biases mean that adorable animals get more conservation help

Society’s unfair expectations of beauty are not limited to humans,...

During field studies conducted from 1999 to 2010, ornithologist Cagan Sekercioglu surveyed tropical birds in the forests and coffee fields of Costa Rica to investigate the impacts of the changing agricultural landscape. As to whether the expansion of coffee plantations is reducing tropical bird biodiversity, the analysis revealed that the answer is both yes and no.


“It's two sides of a coin,” said Sekercioglu, who is now at the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a>. “These tropical agricultural habitats that are mostly deforested still maintain large numbers of tropical species. Even small patches of trees can make a difference and help some species. But the flip side of the coin is, in the long term, most of these species are still declining.”

Over 11 field seasons, Sekercioglu and his team captured and equipped birds in Costa Rica with ankle bands so that individuals could be identified. 

“These are small, often secretive songbirds we're talking about,” said Sekercioglu. “You need the bird banding. It's labor intensive, but there's really no substitute.”

For the study, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wild-coffee-species-disappear/">coffee</a> plantations with less than 10 percent tree cover were referred to as “open coffee” plantations, while those with 10 to 20 percent tree cover were called “shaded coffee” plantations. 

Over the course of 11 years, compared to the number of bird populations that remained stable or increased, 61 percent more bird populations declined. This trend was found to be consistent across all study sites except those in the large La Amistad International Park. 

“If you really want to conserve the native tropical forest bird community, there's really no replacement for big forest reserves like La Amistad. You really need at least 1,000 hectares (3.86 square miles) native primary forest. So, there's no replacement for that,” said Sekercioglu.


While coffee plantations were found to host nearly as many bird species as forests, the number of species is not always an accurate representation of how diverse an ecosystem really is. 

“These plantations get spillover species from the nearby intact rainforest. That adds to the richness.” 

Additional species documented in the coffee plantations included those that prefer open habitat as well as birds who can thrive in a variety of habitats. “Their populations are not declining. In fact, many have globally increasing populations. But a lot of the species missing from these coffee plantations are the most sensitive specialist species. Any study of the conservation value of a habitat has to look at the details of the community composition and not just the sheer number of species detected.”

On the bright side, the researchers found that shaded plantations with an average of 13 percent tree cover hosted double the number of forest birds compared with plantations with only an average of 7 percent tree cover. However, shaded coffee plantations cannot compensate for deforestation.

“In the long term, by themselves, they are not enough to preserve tropical biodiversity. We need a combination of agricultural areas with as much tree cover as possible and extensive primary forest reserves.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Cagan Sekercioglu/University of Utah

Coffee plantations are both good and bad for tropical birds

During field studies conducted from 1999 to 2010, ornithologist Cagan...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> have concluded that atmospheric circulation changes altered climate and vegetation in South America about 6 million years ago and caused the diversification of grass-eating mammals.

Lead author Barbara Carrapa, professor and head of the UA department of geosciences, and her team used a computer model to determine that the tropical Hadley atmospheric circulation intensified and dried out the South American climate about 7 to 6 million years ago (during the late Miocene period). This caused grasslands to expand and grass-eating mammals to evolve and diversify.

The team used natural archives in ancient soils to compare and check their findings, published April 29th in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>. 

"We found a strong correlation between this big change in late Miocene climate and circulation that affected the ecology — the plants and animals," Carrapa said. "It has implications for ecosystem evolution."

It has been previously believed that by finding the past precipitation of a soil using discovered carbon and oxygen levels, one could surmise what the soil’s topography and elevation looked like. To test this theory, Carrapa and her paleontologist colleague Mark Clementz, from the <a href="http://www.uwyo.edu/">University of Wyoming</a>, teamed up and looked at the geochemistry of ancient soils on a continental scale.

Their team compiled previously-published data pertaining to the oxygen-18/oxygen-16 ratio and carbon-13/carbon-12 ratio from ancient soils spanning from La Paz, Bolivia to Buenos Aires, Argentina in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-strange-catfish-species/">South America</a>. Changes in the oxygen ratios displayed past precipitation and changes in the carbon ratio showed which plants were growing in the soil at the time.

They found that during the late Miocene, the soil geochemistry changed latitudinal between north and south, showing there was an overarching change across the entirety of South America, not just locally in specific regions.

Colleague Ran Feng, from the <a href="https://uconn.edu/">University of Connecticut</a>, then inserted all the known data about the Miocene/late Miocene climate into a computer model in an attempt to simulate what it may have looked like. The simulation with estimated geochemistry of soil that matched the actual geochemistry showed that the Hadley circulation intensified during this time, thus causing a major shift in climate.

"During the late Miocene, things are starting to dry out, particularly in the 25-30 degree South zone," Clementz said. "There's also an increase in the numbers of animals with high-crowned or ever-growing teeth."

"Looking at geological pasts is like looking at different planets,” Carrapa said. “The state of the Earth we see today is very different from the Earth of 10 million years ago, 6 million years ago — it's a different planet. You have the possibility of looking at a different planet through the lens of time, and with the geological record we can do that."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Prehistoric atmospheric changes led to South American mammal diversity

Researchers from the University of Arizona have concluded that atmospheric...

In 2015, the Australian government announced an ambitious plan of eradicating two million feral cats by 2020. The plan has stirred up quite a bit of controversy among animal activists and even conservation experts who say that the target goals are based on “shaky” science at best. 

First brought to Australia in the 17th century, feral cats have spread and now span nearly 99.8 percent of the country. One <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320716309223">2017 study found</a> that there was around one cat for every four square kilometers and the overall population of feral cats in Australia fluctuates between 2 and 6 million.

Feral cats are wild and because they are highly adaptive predators, they can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-bird-population-declines/">devastate bird and mammal populations</a> in countries like New Zealand and Australia where the cats are not native. 

The cats have been known to hunt and eat birds, reptiles, marsupials, rodents, and even frogs and the extinction of 27 species in Australia has been linked to feral cats. 

It’s estimated that more than 1 million birds and 1.7 million reptiles are killed by feral cats each day, a spokesperson for <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/">Australia's Department of the Environment and Energy</a> told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/26/asia/feral-cats-australia-intl/index.html">CNN</a>. 

Australia’s main goal in culling its feral cat populations is conservation, and the hope is that it will help protect and conserve Australia’s native bird and reptile species. 

The plan has since come under fire since it was first announced in 2015, catching the ire of several celebrities and conservation experts who agree that feral cats are a problem but that Australia’s government has not invested in enough scientific research to back its plan. 

“Targets for the removal of pest animals should consider how they will affect an animal’s current and future population size,” researcher Tim Doherty and a team of colleagues wrote in a recent piece for <a href="https://theconversation.com/feral-cat-cull-why-the-2-million-target-is-on-scientifically-shaky-ground-111824">The Conversation</a>. “But because a scientific justification for the 2 million target was never provided, it is unclear whether or how the revised estimate would alter the target.”

Doherty argues that if the ultimate goal is conservation then targets should focus on recovering native species and reducing feral cat populations in areas where certain species are at risk. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why Australia plans to cull millions of feral cats

In 2015, the Australian government announced an ambitious plan of...

An international team of scientists has published a paper to inform the newly-elected president and government of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/poachers-loggers-biodiversity-madagascar/">Madagascar</a> on how to help save the country's species and their habitats. Experts from Madagascar, the UK, Australia, the USA, and Finland have pinpointed the actions that are desperately needed to reverse the decline of biodiversity across the island nation.

“The United States have the Statue of Liberty, France has the Eifel tower… For us in Madagascar it is our biodiversity (the product of millions of years of evolution), which is the unique heritage we are known for around the world. We cannot let these natural wonders, including 100 different types of lemur found nowhere else, disappear,” said study co-author Professor Jonah Ratsimbazafy.

According to the researchers, Madagascar's protected areas, which are some of the most important for biodiversity in the world, have suffered terribly from illegal mining, logging, and the pet trade. The experts suggest that much of this illegal activity is linked to corruption, and they emphasize that this exploitation is detrimental to both people and nature. 

“The destruction of Madagascar's biodiversity benefits few; those who profit from rosewood trafficking, illegal mining in protected areas, or the prohibited trade in species like our Critically Endangered tortoises. However, the costs are widespread and affect all Malagasy,” explained Dr. Herizo Andrianandrasana, an experienced Malagasy conservationist.

The research team recommends five main priority measures for the new government: investing in protected areas, strengthening local people's tenure over natural resources, ensuring new infrastructure development limits impacts on biodiversity, tackling environmental crime linked to corruption, and investing in major restoration efforts that will address the country's growing fuelwood crisis. The experts also point out that conservation must benefit, not harm, local communities.

“Madagascar is one of the poorest countries on the planet. More than 40% of children under five are stunted due to malnutrition, and the country has more people living in extreme poverty than almost anywhere else on Earth. Conservation therefore needs to contribute to, and not detract from, national efforts targeting economic development. It must not make situations worse for the rural poor who are so often marginalised in decision making,” explained study lead author Professor Julia Jones of <a href="https://www.bangor.ac.uk/">Bangor University</a>.


“Since his election President Rajoelina has given positive indications that he recognises the importance of Madagascar's biodiversity. We will make sure that he has a copy of this paper and that the contents are well shared within Madagascar (and with the potential donors whose support will be needed). Our co-authors, and the many other active Malagasy and international scientists who care about Madagascar, are all ready to help the new president ensure that his term can deliver the turning point needed for Madagascar, and its wildlife.”

The paper is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natsustain/">Nature Sustainability</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Experts call for new government to rescue Madagascar’s wildlife

An international team of scientists has published a paper to...

Cassowaries are billed as the world’s most dangerous bird, and it’s a reputation that has been well earned. More than most birds alive today, cassowaries bear a striking resemblance to extinct dinosaurs.  The feet of cassowary have nasty claws that can grow to five inches long and echo the feet of dinosaurs.

There are three species of <a href="https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/cassowary">cassowary</a>, all native to Australia, New Guinea and the surrounding islands.  The cassowaries are relatives of the more famous emu but are heavier, in fact after ostriches, cassowaries are the second heaviest bird on earth.  Cassowaries also have large, curved, horny crests (called casques) on their heads and some species have flamboyantly colored wattles. The name cassowary comes from a description of the Papuan word ‘Kasu’ meaning horned and ‘weri’ meaning head.  

It isn’t particularly surprising that a bird as fearsome as the cassowary, an animal that can reach over six feet in height, can kill a full grown human.  Actually, under normal circumstances, ostriches and cassowaries are the only birds confirmed to have killed people. In a bizarre incident, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/08/cock-kills-man-california-cockfight">The Guardian</a> reports that a man was killed by a wound from a knife attached to a rooster at an illegal cock fight.  Despite the potential for fatalities, there are only a few reported deaths caused by cassowaries, according to <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/how-dangerous-are-cassowaries-really/">Scientific American</a>.  Most of these deaths have happened when a person fell down while fleeing a cassowary or were crouched when attacked.  In the case of a recent death in Florida involving a cassowary, this seems to likely have been the case. 

Marvin Hajos, a 75 year old collector of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exotic-pet-trade-tiger-gecko/">exotic wild animals</a>, was found dead recently.  Hajos was found by rescuers lying dead between two cassowary pens. It appears that Hajos died from injuries inflicted by his captive cassowary, according to <a href="https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2019/04/25/the-giant-cassowary-bird-that-killed-its-florida-owner-is-up-for-sale">Orlando Weekly</a>.  Soon after Hajos death, the cassowary and several other exotic animals he owned were put up for auction by <a href="https://m.facebook.com/gulfcoastlivestockauction/photos/pcb.2148572918590009/2148572835256684/?type=3&amp;theater">Gulf Coast Livestock Auction</a>.

The auction included lemurs, zebus, several marmosets, many parrots and other birds, tortoises and others.  Many of these animals are threatened in some way by the exotic pet trade. On the list is a Cuban Amazon, a small parrot native to parts of the Caribbean.  I spent a summer monitoring nests of the Cuban Amazon and know the disappointment of discovering that parrot chicks have been stolen to be sold on the black market.  

Despite the death of the owner, which is unusual, the case brings to the public’s attention the downside of owning exotic pets.  Wild animals are inherently different from domestic pets like cats and dogs. Animals like cassowaries may not typically kill you but they can be unusually tough to care for.  Mostly animals die from inadequate care but sometimes a creature that appeared cute as a baby may grow to enormous proportions and be turned out into the wild. 

Sometimes exotic wild animals released in places like Florida become invasive and cause problems for native species.  Burmese pythons, for instance, have breeding populations in the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/nonnativespecies.htm">Everglades</a> where they compete with and prey on native animals.  Even worse, as recently as 2016, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/05/20/nile-crocodiles-aggressive-invasive-species-found-florida/84643472/">USA Today</a> reported that Nile Crocodiles were confirmed to now live in Florida.  Nile Crocodiles are native to Africa, where they are known to be more aggressive than Florida’s two species of crocodilian.  Sometimes Nile Crocodiles kill and eat people. It’s generally considered impossible that the Nile Crocodiles made their way to Florida unaided.  Instead, the most likely scenario is that an exotic pet trader smuggled the crocodiles to Florida.

<a href="https://www.apnews.com/1b4cc3c650dc4196a4b415b5faa8e5d5">AP News</a> reports that three Nile crocodiles found were related but weren’t from any legally licensed wildlife attraction.  It’s impossible to know if more Nile Crocodiles are lurking somewhere in the Florida Everglades but if there are, they could cause real problems.  Nile Crocodiles could possibly hybridize with the native, American Crocodile, a species that’s never caused a confirmed human death. Invasive species cause problems all over the world but seem to take hold more often in warm, wet places.  

According to the <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/southflorida/regions/everglades/introduced-species/">Florida Museum</a>, invasive species have been introduced to southern Florida as far back as 1800 and the problem only continues to grow.  Fish, snakes, even parrots and eels have been found in the Everglades. Populations of feral hogs live in Florida as well as many places in the Caribbean.  <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/fl-fea-most-invasive-dangerous-species-in-florida-20180924-story.html">South Florida Sun Sentinel</a> reports that there are at least 500 invasive fish and wildlife species now living in Florida, including monkey colonies.  These animals disrupt Florida’s ecosystem and hurt native species. Often the exotic pet trade also hurts the survival in the wild of animals sold.  In rare cases, exotic pets like cassowaries also threaten the lives of their owners. 

In 2017, <a href="https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/09/26/snake-owner-found-dead-next-to-massive-pet-python-was-asphyxiated/23223448/">AOL</a> reported that a British man was strangled to death by his pet python.  <a href="https://www.wideopenspaces.com/east-texas-man-killed-550-pound-pet-red-stag-video/">Wide Open Spaces</a> reported in 2015 that a Texas man who collected exotic species was gored to death by a European Red Stag he kept.  Some animals like bears seem to be obviously poor choices for pets, yet <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bad-news-bear-tragedy-kelly-ann-walz-killed-by-pet-bear-in-ross-township-pa/">CBS News</a> reported in 2009 on the case of a woman mauled to death by her pet bear.  <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/14/pet-hippo-humphrey-kills-owner">The Guardian</a> reported on a case of a man who kept a hippopotamus, the most dangerous animal in Africa, and was subsequently killed by it.  Pet <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2007/08/19/humped-to-death-by-a-pet-camel-47660/">camels</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-10-14-0510140304-story.html">lions</a>, <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/local/westmoreland/2006/07/19/Wolf-dogs-killed-owner-autopsy-determines/stories/200607190197">wolf-dog hybrids</a> and <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2017/12/19/teenager-dies-hours-online-plea-help-cobra-bit-arm-7170424/">cobras</a> have all been attributed to the death of their owners.

Humans often have a sense of superiority that can get them into trouble.  The hubris that we can control nature doesn’t stop with dangerous pets. Each species must see the world differently than we do.  For us to assume we understand another’s intelligence is a great example of hubris. Like all hubris, the imagined control of a wild creature is a dangerous one that can even lead to death.  Of course, this type of hubris can also endanger entire species or even ecosystems. Maybe we can all learn a bit from these tragedies. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Cassowary kills owner, highlighting the dangers of exotic pets

Cassowaries are billed as the world’s most dangerous bird, and...

Engineers at the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a> (UCI) have created a space blanket that mimics the adaptive skin of some sea creatures. Unlike similar materials already available on the market, the temperature of the new blanket can be adjusted. 

Study co-author Alon Gorodetsky is an associate professor of Chemical &amp; Biomolecular Engineering at UCI.

“Ultra-lightweight space blankets have been around for decades - you see marathon runners wrapping themselves in them to prevent the loss of body heat after a race - but the key drawback is that the material is static,” said Professor Gorodetsky. “We've made a version with changeable properties so you can regulate how much heat is trapped or released.”

The design was inspired by the dynamic skin of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/octopus-farming-overfishing/">cephalopods</a>, such as squids and octopuses. Species in this class have unique skin cells called chromatophores that can instantly switch from minute points to flattened disks, allowing the animals to rapidly change colors. 

“We use a similar concept in our work, where we have a layer of these tiny metal 'islands' that border each other,” explained study lead author and UCI graduate student Erica Leung. “In the relaxed state, the islands are bunched together and the material reflects and traps heat, like a traditional Mylar space blanket. When the material is stretched, the islands spread apart, allowing infrared radiation to go through and heat to escape.”

According to Leung, the new fabric is lightweight, easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and is durable enough to be stretched and returned to its original state thousands of times.

Professor Gorodetsky said that he has many applications in mind, including tents that would be exceptionally comfortable in outdoor environments and material that could protect valuable electronic components by effectively managing the temperature.

Clothing would be a particularly good application for the bio-inspired material, added Professor Gorodetsky, who collaborates on research projects with athletic apparel manufacturer Under Armour Inc.

“The temperature at which people are comfortable in an office is slightly different for everyone. Where one person might be fine at 70 degrees, the person at the next desk over might prefer 75 degrees. Our invention could lead to clothing that adjusts to suit the comfort of each person indoors. This could result in potential savings of 30 to 40 percent on heating and air conditioning energy use.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Newly designed space blanket was inspired by the skin of squid

Engineers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have created...

According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC), the kissing bug has made its first confirmed appearance in the state of Delaware. Also known as Triatoma sanguisuga, the kissing bug often carries a parasite that causes the potentially deadly Chagas disease. 

The CDC reports that a family in Kent County contacted the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) and the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) last summer to help identify a bug that had bitten a child on the face. 

The insect was identified by the DDA as Triatoma sanguisuga, a blood-sucking insect that feeds on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mammals-develop-unique-arms/">mammals</a>. These bugs are notorious for biting humans on the face, which has earned them the name “kissing bug.” 

After the CDC confirmed its identity, the specimen tested negative for the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease. Furthermore, the girl who was bitten did not suffer any adverse effects. 

Last week, the Delaware Department of Health and Human Services announced that “there is not currently a threat to the public” because there is a low risk of infection and exposure. Chagas disease, which can cause serious cardiac and gastrointestinal complications, has been rarely contracted in the United States. 

On the other hand, the CDC estimates that approximately 300,000 Americans unknowingly have Chagas disease with symptoms that have not yet emerged, and most of them were infected with T. cruzi in Latin America. The health protection agency says that the likelihood of human T. cruzi infection from contact with a triatomine bug in the United States is low, even when the bug is infected.

Dr. Jim Fredericks is the chief entomologist at the <a href="https://npmapestworld.org/">National Pest Management Association</a>. While he acknowledged that the pest should not be ignored, he also said the public should not panic about the sighting. 

“This particular species of kissing bug has a broad distribution range in the United States - I wasn’t surprised to hear that it was found in Delaware, I was actually more surprised that this was the first time it was reported,” Dr. Fredericks told <a href="https://delawarestatenews.net/">Delaware State News</a>.

“Its current range runs from Pennsylvania down to Florida and all the way west to Texas. We can’t say for certain, but I speculate that the kissing bug isn’t a ‘new’ arrival to Delaware and that the one that was found isn’t the only one. Having them in Pennsylvania and Maryland, there’s just no reason to think they wouldn’t be in Delaware.”

Dr. Fredericks also explained that the kissing bug species identified in Delaware is a “poor host” for the disease-causing parasite T. cruzi. 
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dangerous, blood-sucking kissing bug found in Delaware

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),...

The fossil of a small wasp discovered trapped in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ticks-trapped-amber/">Burmese amber</a> that dates back to the Early Cretaceous Period belongs to a new subfamily of wasps named after one of fiction’s most infamous vampires. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Academy_of_Sciences">Russian Academy of Science</a> in Moscow and the <a href="https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/university.html">University of Tübingen</a> in Germany discovered the fossil embedded in a rock which had been extracted from mines in the Kachin Province of Myanmar.

The new subfamily and the fossil specimen were detailed in a new study published in the journal Cretaceous Research. 

The rock dates back millions of years to the Cretaceous, and the fossil in the amber had some unusual traits and features that led the researchers to realize it belonged to entirely new subfamily of wasps. 

Long sharp teeth similar to a vampire’s fangs and extra flap-like features on either side of the mouth called maxillary palpi and labial palpi ensured that the wasp was a formidable predator.

[caption id="attachment_1871788" align="aligncenter" width="634"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/wasp.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1871788" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/wasp.jpg" alt="" width="634" height="742" /></a> Image Credit: Cretaceous Research, Rasnitsyn et al.[/caption]

The maxillary and labial palpi would have helped the wasp touch and taste as it navigated through its environment. 

The mouth-parts are what led the researchers to name the subfamily Supraserphites draculi. 

The specimen also had a unique number of segments and veins in its wings and antenna which is a feature only found in the serphitoid family. 

Supraserphites draculin is the third subfamily in the Supra-serphitinae family of wasps.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Cretaceous Research, Rasnitsyn et al.

Newly found ancient wasp named after Dracula for its terrifying teeth

The fossil of a small wasp discovered trapped in Burmese...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

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