For centuries, humans have shaped the traits of domesticated animals to meet their needs. From larger cows producing more milk to dogs bred for specific temperaments, selective breeding has transformed species in remarkable ways. Recent research on German pigs has revealed just how quickly these changes can occur.



A team from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (<a href="https://www.uni-halle.de/?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MLU</a>) has found that German domestic pigs have experienced dramatic skull modifications within a century. 



Their snouts have shortened, and their foreheads have flattened, traits that were not intentionally selected. The findings provide fresh insight into the unintended <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/old-and-wise-animals-are-essential-for-the-survival-of-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consequences</a> of breeding practices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-century-of-change-in-pig-breeding">A century of change in pig breeding</h2>



Pigs have been an essential part of human agriculture for thousands of years. Over time, their appearance has shifted significantly, influenced by both natural and human-driven factors. 



In Germany, the early 20th century marked a turning point in pig breeding, as demand for pork increased dramatically. Farmers prioritized traits such as rapid growth, high fertility, and efficient meat production.



"The demand for pork in Germany increased significantly at the beginning of the 20th century, and breeders were encouraged to optimize their animals. They needed them to grow quickly, provide good meat, and be fertile," explained Dr. Renate Schafberg, Head of the Domestic Animal Collection at MLU.



To understand the impact of these breeding efforts, Dr. Schafberg worked with Dr. Ashleigh Haruda from Oxford University to analyze 135 pig skulls from different time periods.



The study included two domestic breeds - Deutsches Edelschwein and Deutsches Landschwein - as well as wild boars, which served as a control group. The results revealed a striking transformation in domestic pigs, while wild boars showed no comparable changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-skull-modifications">Surprising skull modifications</h2>



One of the most significant findings of the study was the extent of skull changes in domesticated pigs. Their snouts became notably shorter, and their foreheads lost their outward curve. These modifications occurred in both domestic breeds, despite the fact that they were raised separately.



"We didn’t expect such pronounced differences to appear within a span of only 100 years," said Dr. Schafberg. The fact that both breeds experienced similar changes suggests that the modifications were not the result of direct selection for skull shape.



"These changes occurred even though breeders did not select the animals specifically for their skull shape, as this trait was not important for breeding. Instead, the changes appear to be an unintended by-product of selecting the desired traits," noted Dr. Schafberg.



This discovery highlights how the pursuit of specific breeding goals can lead to unforeseen alterations in an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-animal-will-replace-humans-as-earths-dominant-species-this-scientist-has-an-idea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal</a>’s physical structure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-could-diet-play-a-role">Could diet play a role?</h2>



While breeding practices played a major role in shaping the skulls of domestic pigs, another factor may have contributed: diet. 



Nutrition is a key influence on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sheep-have-been-intertwined-with-humans-for-over-11000-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">growth and development</a> of animals. Modern pigs are primarily fed high-protein pellets designed to support rapid growth and efficient meat production.



By contrast, wild boars continue to consume a varied diet, including roots, nuts, and small animals. Their skulls have remained unchanged over the past century, suggesting that their natural feeding habits have helped maintain their original features. 



The study raises intriguing questions about the relationship between diet and physical evolution in domesticated animals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-power-of-human-influence">Power of human influence</h2>



The findings demonstrate the remarkable speed at which human intervention can shape animal species. While many assume that significant evolutionary changes take millions of years, selective breeding can accelerate these processes dramatically.



"Charles Darwin assumed that long periods of time - millions of years - are required for major changes to take place. Our work is further proof that humans can greatly accelerate this process through selective breeding," said co-author Dr. Frank Steinheimer, Head of the Central Repository of Natural Science Collections at MLU.



These insights have broader implications for agriculture and animal husbandry. As selective breeding continues to shape domesticated animals, researchers must consider the potential consequences, both intended and unintended. 



The study serves as a reminder that even small changes in breeding practices can have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-are-moving-north-and-breeding-earlier-in-a-changing-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lasting effects</a> on animal physiology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pig-breeding-may-continue-in-the-future">Pig breeding may continue in the future</h2>



As the global demand for meat continues to grow, breeding practices will likely continue to evolve. Understanding how these methods impact animal development is crucial for ensuring sustainable and ethical farming. 



Scientists will need to explore the long-term effects of breeding choices, considering not only productivity but also the health and well-being of animals.



The study was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (<a href="https://www.bmbf.de/EN/Home/home_node.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BMBF</a>) and the European Research Council (<a href="https://erc.europa.eu/homepage" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ERC</a>). 



The research offers a compelling look at the complex relationship between human influence and animal evolution, shedding light on the ways in which farming practices shape the very biology of domesticated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wildlife-conservation-day-2024-saving-species-from-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241039" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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Selective breeding has dramatically sped up the evolution of pigs

For centuries, humans have shaped the traits of domesticated animals to meet their needs. From larger cows producing more milk to dogs bred for specific temperaments, selective breeding has transformed species in remarkable ways. Recent research on German pigs has revealed just how quickly these changes can occur. A team from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) has found that German domestic pigs have experienced dramatic skull modifications within a century. Their snouts have shortened, and their foreheads have flattened, traits that were not intentionally selected. The findings...

The first <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/north-atlantic-right-whales/">right whale</a> calf of the season has been spotted off the coast of Florida, and this is a very hopeful sight to many conservationists who have been monitoring the critically endangered species. Last year, there were no newborns counted during the calving season, and only five calves were reported the previous year.

In a Facebook post on Friday, the <a href="https://myfwc.com/">Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission</a> (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute said: “The weather outside may be frightful, but endangered-species observers with Coastwise Consulting were hard at work aboard the dredge Bayport when today, they spotted the first North Atlantic right whale calf of the 2018-2019 season!”

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most threatened large whales in the world, and it is estimated that there are only around 450 individuals remaining in the wild. The species is likely to become extinct, which is largely due to human activities.

The only known calving ground of the North Atlantic right whale is located off the coasts of Georgia and Florida. From roughly December to March, the pregnant females migrate south from their feeding grounds to give birth to their young.

According to the FWC, these animals were nicknamed “right whales” by whalers because they were considered to be the right whales to hunt. They swam slowly along the coast, floated when they were dead, and provided large quantities of oil and baleen. 

By the time right whale hunting was banned in 1935, the species was very close to extinction. Today, right whales are still strongly impacted by human activities. Collisions with large vessels or entanglement are responsible for around one-third of all mortalities.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 
Image Credit: Public Domain Stock Image

Critically endangered right whale calf spotted near Florida

The first right whale calf of the season has been...

Fireworks have been banned across the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-galapagos-islands/">Galapagos Islands</a> in an effort to protect the region's wildlife. Government officials in Ecuador announced the ban on Friday, just days before annual New Year's Eve fireworks celebrations were to take place. 

The local council said in a statement that it had passed “unanimously a resolution that prohibits the importation, sale, distribution and use of fireworks or pyrotechnics in the Galapagos province.”

The campaign against fireworks was initially launched in 2017. Now that the legislation has passed, the new laws will take effect immediately. Fireworks that do not produce sound are an exception to the ban.

The Galapagos Islands are located just over 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. Thousands of tourists that visit the islands every year are drawn to the pristine environment and rare animal species.

Previous studies have shown that the loud noises produced by fireworks have a detrimental effect on both wild and domestic animals. The noise causes stress and anxiety, as well as fear that can cause animals to flee into dangerous areas such as roadways. 

The fear also causes some birds to leave the nest, and they can become so disoriented that they cannot find their way back to the nest to care for their young. Furthermore, when birds or mammals ingest the remains of fireworks, it usually leads to death. 

Officials in the Galapagos Islands said that many wild animals had previously suffered from heart problems and nervous stress because of noise from fireworks. They also explained that the ban on fireworks will help to prevent air and water pollution.

Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835, and the rare wildlife later inspired his Theory of Evolution, which is the idea that all species share a common ancestor, change over time, and give rise to new species.

Lorena Tapia, the president of the Galapagos Islands’ local council, wrote on Twitter: “This is a gift to conservation for Ecuador and the world. Ecosystems as sensitive as that of the Galapagos Islands are affected by fireworks, especially its fauna, which is unique.”
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Galapagos Islands ban fireworks to protect animals

Fireworks have been banned across the Galapagos Islands in an...

Wild animals are sometimes used as props or entertainment to attract tourists. It's a gimmick that may seem harmless, but the reality couldn't be farther from the truth, as a new study has shown that many tourists understand the dangers of using animals, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rejecting-inhumane-animal-activities/">particularly endangered animals, for entertainment</a>.

In Morocco, Barbary macaques are a common sight in busy marketplaces like Jemaa el-Fna square in Marrakech. 

Even though macaques, the only primates native to Algeria and Morocco, are highly endangered, one barbary macaque may end posing 18 times per hour for photos. It's good money for the primates’ handlers as such photos can cost up to 100 Dirhams. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.napier.ac.uk/">Edinburgh Napier University</a> conducted a study surveying tourists visiting 
Morocco to see if Barbary macaques being used as props was perceived positively. 

The Barbary macaque has been listed as “endangered to extinct” on the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/">International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List</a> since 2008. The researchers wanted to know if this information changed how tourists responded to prop macaques or even if tourists knew that it was illegal to sell or own macaques. 

“Seeing primates as pets or photo props, whether that is in the media or at tourism destinations, can lead to the assumption that there are a lot of them and it is suitable to keep them as pets,” said Kristina Stazaker, the leader of the research. 

Over Easter, when tourism is at its highest in Morocco, the researchers asked 513 visitors to Jemaa el-Fna to answer a 25-item questionnaire about Barbary macaques. 

The majority of the visitors surveyed (88 percent) said they had never taken their picture with the tourist attraction macaques and added that they never would. 

Over 200 of the study participants said that it was unethical or harmful to the animals. Some of the survey respondents even brought up safety issues for humans as it can be dangerous for wild animals and humans to interact.

“Most of the survey respondents didn't see the macaques as an attraction and found the photo props off-putting, said Jay Mackinnon, a co-author of the study. “They pitied the animals and raised concerns about hygiene and the risk of serious infections being transmitted.”

The few visitors who had gotten their photos taken with macaques said they wanted a chance to interact with the rare animals, but many did not appreciate how the macaques were treated by their handlers.

[caption id="attachment_1864607" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/photo-prop.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1864607" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/photo-prop.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="843" /></a> Image Credit: Kristina Stazaker[/caption]

“We know that the perception of poor animal welfare can contribute to a negative experience or image of the destination visited,” said Mackinnon. “It would be a shame if tourists were taking away some memories of Morocco that are negative because of this unethical practice.”

66 percent of the visitors said that it should be illegal to take photos with Barbary macaques, but 80 percent of the 513 people surveyed had no idea it was already illegal in Morocco. 

“Barbary macaque numbers have plummeted by more than 50% since the 1980s due to habitat loss and juveniles being sold illegally as pets. Only one in four survey participants was aware that this species is endangered,” said Stazaker. 

Stazaker and Mackinnon presented their research at the <a href="https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/">British Ecological Society </a>annual meeting earlier this December. 

The researchers say that if wildlife managers at national parks where macaques roam free improve ecotourism opportunities, it could help decrease the exploitation of macaques in markets and busy tourist areas.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Even tourists aren’t happy with wild animals used as photo props

Wild animals are sometimes used as props or entertainment to...

SONY DSC

Researchers are sharing new details about how gulls contour their wing shape to stabilize their flight using a technique known as wing morphing. The findings could ultimately lead to the development of more efficient flying vehicles, such as drones for environmental or agricultural monitoring.

The study was a collaboration between zoologists at the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> (UBC) and engineering expert Professor Philippe Lavoie of the <a href="http://www.utias.utoronto.ca/home/">University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies</a> (UTIAS). 

The researchers measured the lift and drag of 12 different wing shapes, all with slightly different elbow and shoulder angles. They discovered that gulls are able to form an impressive range of wing shapes to stabilize glide with a simple adjustment of their elbow joints, expanding the wings either outwards or inwards.

While the gulls are soaring, the wings are fully extended and have a more rounded shape. On the other hand, the wings are tucked in and have a flatter shape when the birds are taking off or landing.

“If you can change the shape of the wings, you can create more stable configurations with lower drag when you want more endurance,” said Professor Lavoie. “Gulls can use updrafts to increase altitude so they don't have to flap their wings as much to conserve energy. But if they need to make quick maneuvers, like diving to catch fish, they can change the shape of the wing for that particular purpose.”

Professor Lavoie is particularly interested in how gulls control their flight over long distances by changing their wing shape because a better understanding of this technique could inform the design of future aircraft, such as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/drones-find-nightjar-nests/">drones</a>.

“The benefit of morphing is that you don't need bulky control surfaces during flight and it makes it easier to take advantage of energy harvesting through soaring.”

Professor Lavoie has a vision of fixed-wing drones that could coast on thermal updrafts as they scan pipelines for defects, look for signs of drought or crop disease on large farms, or monitor the movements of caribou herds. This type of drone could also be used to track forest fires.

“The idea of bio-inspired research is to try and understand how nature does it, given that it had millions of years to adapt to certain conditions,” said Professor Lavoie. “Once we do that, we can see if there are elements that we can pluck out for our own designs.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsif">Royal Society Interface</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: Christina Harvey - UBC

Wing technique used by gulls can help design advanced drones

Researchers are sharing new details about how gulls contour their...

Long ago I had a pet <a href="http://www.wildherps.com/species/C.calyptratus.html">veiled chameleon</a>.  I’d read up on chameleons, so I understood the limits of the lizard’s color-changing abilities.  For someone who expects a lizard that mirrors its environment perfectly, chameleons can be disappointing.  In <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/material-mimics-chameleons/">chameleons</a> and other lizards, camouflage is a secondary purpose for color-changing. The primary purpose of color-changing in chameleons is for communication.  

Certain patterns or colors can indicate a bad mood or poor health.  Other colors or patterns show that a female is gravid other colors that she’s sexually receptive.  People experienced in caring for a specific chameleon species can tell a great deal about the animal’s wellbeing from color. Other lizards are similar.

Anoles (Anolis sp.) change their overall body color from greenish to brownish, usually in response to the environment.  Male anoles also have brightly-colored dewlaps. These throat pouches become brighter during anole mating season and bright spots appear in the armpits.  The males flare their dewlaps in territorial and courtship displays. Along with little mock pushups, the whole affair is quite a show. 

Other lizards such as the <a href="https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Collared%20Lizard.php">collared lizard</a> (Crotaphytus collaris), common to the desert of the Colorado Plateau and Sonoran, have bright red patterns that appear on females when gravid and disappear after she’s laid her eggs.  Frilled lizards (Chlamydosaurus kingii) of northern Australia and southern New Guinea, change their colors a bit to blend in with their environments.  

Lizards have fascinating abilities to change color and communicate a number of different things with skin color but none of them measure up to the pop cultural portrayal of chameleons.  Anyone familiar with bird watching knows that bird plumage changes season by season as well as throughout the bird’s growth to full maturity. Since bird’s color changes come from old feathers being replaced by new ones, it doesn’t seem impressive, but it goes beyond human ability.  There is one animal with color-changing abilities for nearly perfect camouflage, but it isn’t a reptile or a bird. 

The first time I saw an octopus pull itself from one tide pool to another, I almost couldn’t believe my eyes.  If I hadn’t seen the animal move, I never would’ve noticed it, even as I was staring directly down at the cephalopod.  Not only can an octopus match the color of a rock or reef beneath it, the animal does a very good imitation of the texture as well.  Octopi aren’t the only cephalopods with this impressive ability either. Videos of cuttlefish changing their color to blend into different environments aren’t hard to find online.  This seemingly magical ability comes from millions of cells all over the cuttlefish’s body. 

Interestingly many different animals have some ability to change color.  Some frogs and fish and insects can change color like some lizards. One thing all these animals (including cephalopods) have in common is that they’re so-called ‘cold-blooded’ animals or more precisely ectotherms.  All these different color-changing animals have one more thing in common; they all have special cells called chromatophores. 

Chromatophores are the technical aspect behind the magic of color change.  An article in <a href="http://theconversation.com/how-do-chameleons-and-other-creatures-change-colour-13842">The Conversation</a> breaks down the different types of chromatophores.  There are four types of chromatophores, each with their own pigments associated.  <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/chromatophore">Erythrophores</a> contain red pigment.  xanthophores contain yellow pigment, iridophores are colorless but have reflective stacks of crystals that can generate blues, whites and ultraviolet colors.  Finally, melanophores play the most crucial role and contain black pigment. 

Melanophores look somewhat like ‘stars’ with sprawling tentacular arms spread over and between the other chromatophores.  Changing the shape of melanophores changes the color of the skin. When the melanophores are relaxed in a way to allow the black pigment melanin to be spread evenly, the colors of other chromatophores are obscured.  When the black pigment is concentrated in the center of the melanophore, the color changes. Changing the arrangement of iridophores can also change the color.

Basically, changing the shape of the cells, changes the color of the animal.  The changes in vertebrates such as lizards aren’t seemingly controlled consciously by the animal but occur from environmental cues.  Unsurprisingly, cephalopods with their superior color changing abilities have unique chromatophores. 

In cephalopods, the chromatophores are basically sacs of pigment, shaped by muscle contractions of the animal, allowing fast color changes.  Beneath these muscle controlled chromatophores lurk iridophores which are basically the same as in vertebrates and leucophores which look white or reflect the color of whatever light is in the environment.  

The main chromatophores in cephalopods lie over the iridophores, which appear white or blue when viewed directly but look reddish when viewed from an angle.  The leucophores also lie beneath the chromatophores. As the chromatophores are dilated exposing or obscuring the cells beneath change the color dramatically.  <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/cephalopod-camouflage-cells-and-organs-of-the-144048968">Iridophores</a> lying beneath the chromatophores also change their angles to enhance camouflage but don’t seem to be controlled actively by the animal but may instead respond (more slowly) to hormones or other stimuli. 

Color changes are at the most dramatic in cuttlefish and have even made their way into pop culture in references to cuttlefish DNA in Jurassic World.  It’s worth noting that less impressive color changes than cuttlefish, chameleons and even birds occur all the time. <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/s/snowshoe-hare/">Snowshoe hares</a> (Lepus americanus) are known for losing a brown coat of summer fur and replacing it with white fur in the winter to avoid being seen by predators. <a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/rock-ptarmigan">Rock Ptarmigan</a> (Lagopus muta) do something similar but losing brownish feathers for white ones instead of fur.  

Baboons and related apes have color patches that stand out brightly or dully depending on social or sexual status of the individual.  Paleness can indicate illness, lack of nutrition or fear in many animals. Even humans change their color as an adaptation to their environment. Not for camouflage, but a tan is simply an adaptation to allow us to survive under normally blistering suns (obviously some of us are better at this than others). Even animals that maintain their color through life have colors or patterns for important reasons.  Leopards, tigers and zebras all have spots and stripes for similar purposes: to catch prey or to avoid being prey.

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Why color-changing animals alter their appearance

Long ago I had a pet veiled chameleon.  I’d read...

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

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

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

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

Migratory journey of the dragonfly is completed by three generations

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

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

Largest predatory Jurassic dinosaur recovered from Italy

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

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

Drones can help find elusive, camouflaged nightjar nests

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

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

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

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

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

Compassion for animals may be part of our DNA

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

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

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

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

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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?

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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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...