Every year, millions of birds migrate in search of warmer climates to escape the harsh winter. However, this seasonal journey does not necessarily help birds conserve energy as previously thought, according to a recent study from the <a href="https://www.ab.mpg.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior</a> (MPI-AB). 



By implanting miniaturized loggers into wild <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-blackbirds-get-sick-it-takes-weeks-for-them-to-recover/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blackbirds</a>, scientists were able to record detailed measurements of the birds' heart rates and body temperatures every 30 minutes, from fall until the following spring. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-overall-energy-advantage-nbsp">No overall energy advantage&nbsp;</h2>



The study offers an unprecedented look into the true energetic costs of both migrating and staying in place. The data also uncovered an unexpected energy-saving mechanism used by blackbirds before migration begins.



“We never expected to discover that birds gain no overall energy advantage by escaping cold winters,” said Nils Linek, a first author of the study and researcher at MPI-AB.&nbsp;



“It was a longstanding textbook assumption that animals spend less energy by migrating to warmer places, but our findings have shown that these savings don’t add up. Rather, the energetics of migration is far more complex and interesting than theory predicted.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-energy-expenditure-of-blackbirds-nbsp">Measuring energy expenditure of blackbirds&nbsp;</h2>



Migration is a spectacular example of how animals adapt to changing seasons, but the fundamental question of why animals migrate has long puzzled scientists.&nbsp;



Part of the challenge has been the difficulty of studying the physiology of free-living animals over extended periods.&nbsp;



In this study, researchers from MPI-AB and <a href="https://www.yale.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yale University</a> made a significant breakthrough by using sensors that measured the energy expenditure of blackbirds over the course of a full year, including their migration. 



They then paired this physiological data with energy modeling to calculate the predicted energetic costs of regulating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/koalas-can-predict-hot-days-and-adjust-their-body-temperature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">body temperature</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blackbirds-save-up-energy-for-their-journey">Blackbirds save up energy for their journey</h2>



The data showed that migrating blackbirds conserved substantial amounts of energy in preparation for migration by lowering their metabolism three weeks before departing. This adjustment may offset the energy costs of the migratory flights.&nbsp;



“They are essentially turning down their internal thermostat, allowing them to save energy for the journey ahead,” explained Linek.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predicted-energy-surplus-nbsp">Predicted energy surplus&nbsp;</h2>



Yet, once the birds reached their warmer wintering areas, they did not seem to reduce their overall daily energy expenditure as expected.



“This was not what we anticipated,” said co-first author Scott Yanco, a scientist at the Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change.&nbsp;



“The energy modeling we did in the study predicted that migration should definitely create an energy surplus because of the substantially reduced cost of keeping warm in milder climates.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-costs-in-overwintering-sites-nbsp">Hidden costs in overwintering sites&nbsp;</h2>



The mystery remains: where did this predicted energy surplus go? “We can only speculate at this point, but we suggest that there may be other physiological adaptations or hidden costs that migrant blackbirds face in their milder overwintering sites,” said Linek. 



“These might include factors such as the need to maintain vigilance in new environments, immune functions, or unknown stressors that offset the thermal advantage they should have experienced.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-partially-migratory-blackbirds">“Partially migratory” blackbirds</h2>



The researchers conducted their study in southern Germany, where blackbird populations are “partially migratory.” This means that while some blackbirds migrate south to regions like Spain and France, others remain in Germany throughout the year.&nbsp;



To track both migrant and resident birds, the researchers implanted heart rate and body temperature loggers into 120 wild blackbirds. These devices recorded data continuously from September until May.&nbsp;



Additionally, the team used radio transmitters to monitor the departure and return of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-migratory-birds-navigate-with-such-accuracy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">migratory birds</a>. Over one million data points were analyzed to compare the physiological differences between the two groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-blackbirds-in-remarkable-detail-nbsp">Tracking blackbirds in remarkable detail&nbsp;</h2>



“Using physiological data, we were able to see in remarkable detail how birds undertake and experience migration,” said co-author Tamara Volkmer, a doctoral student at MPI-AB.&nbsp;



“We could observe everything from the migratory flight itself to how they recovered afterward and what they did over the winter. By recording long-term, detailed energy measurements, we could glimpse the hidden costs of their impressive round trip.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-drivers-of-migration-nbsp">Evolutionary drivers of migration&nbsp;</h2>



The findings suggest that migration, despite its risks and challenges, does not result in energy savings in warmer climates. This raises new questions about the evolutionary drivers of migration.&nbsp;



“This could have implications for our understanding of migration and its underlying mechanisms across different bird species,” Linek explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-of-the-study-nbsp">Broader implications of the study&nbsp;</h2>



The study also has broader implications for predicting how species will respond to future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/migratory-birds-are-struggling-to-adapt-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate changes</a>.



Study senior author Jesko Partecke is a group leader at MPI-AB who has been studying blackbird migration for two decades.



“Understanding the physiological underpinnings of migration means that we can better forecast which species may adapt, which may alter their migratory patterns, and which may face greater risks as the world continues to warm,” said Partecke.&nbsp;



As climate change progresses, this research could prove essential in understanding how migratory species will cope with shifting environmental conditions, potentially altering migration strategies or even leading to the disappearance of certain migratory behaviors.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-024-02545-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>, 



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Blackbirds reveal the true energy costs of migrating

Every year, millions of birds migrate in search of warmer climates to escape the harsh winter. However, this seasonal journey does not necessarily help birds conserve energy as previously thought, according to a recent study from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB).  By implanting miniaturized loggers into wild blackbirds, scientists were able to record detailed measurements of the birds' heart rates and body temperatures every 30 minutes, from fall until the following spring.  No overall energy advantage&nbsp; The study offers an unprecedented look into the...

New research has revealed that the skull shape of carnivores is influenced by surprising external factors like precipitation levels. It had been previously believed that skull shape is primarily determined by an animal’s diet.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/puppies-talk-older-dog/">Dogs</a>, seals, and cats are all vastly different from one another, but they all have skulls that follow similar patterns.

Skulls from the mammalian order Carnivora are usually a variation of several basic shapes, and it was thought that this was because of similar diets. However, the new study found that there were several factors that determined skull shapes.

The research was conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University of Buffalo </a>and the <a href="https://www.amnh.org/">American Museum of Natural History</a> and published in the journal Science Advances. 

“For years, conventional thought surrounding carnivoran skull shape followed the 'you are what you eat' paradigm, where distantly related species evolve similar skulls because of shared dietary needs,” said Z. Jack Tseng, the study’s lead author. “We found that to be a dramatic oversimplification.” 

The researchers collected data from over 50 living species and created accurate digital biomechanical models of the species’ skulls. The species included herbivores, carnivores and omnivores so that there would be a wide range of diets represented. 

The researchers were able to use the models to examine how skull shape is impacted by habitat, daily sleep and wake patterns, place on the food chain, environmental conditions, and life expectancy. 

The digital models showed precisely how much of an effect certain external factors had on skull shape. 

Two factors that had the biggest influence on skull shape include age of sexual maturity and how much precipitation there is in a species’ environment. 

The researchers did note that the fact that precipitation influenced skull shape was probably linked to something else, like availability of prey in rainier habitats versus dry. 

The study shows that skull shape in carnivores is also influenced by other factors besides diet, something that had never before been considered. 

“These new findings overturn long-standing assumptions that diet controls most aspects of skull anatomy, providing new leads that we still need to explore in more depth,” said Tseng. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image © Bailee Desrocher

Carnivore skull shape influenced by more than just diet

New research has revealed that the skull shape of carnivores...

Australian magpies are one of the more intelligent species of birds on our planet, and have a complex range of vocalizations that makes them one of Australia’s most distinct songbirds. Along with the natural path of evolution that has led to their development as a species, scientists have become interested in the behavioral interactions of these birds and how it affects overall intelligence.

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a> has found that growing up in a large social group leads to Australian magpies being more intelligent. Along with this finding, the researchers also discovered that more intelligent females produce more offspring. 

Scientists from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> and the <a href="https://www.uwa.edu.au/">University of Western Australia</a> examined 14 wild groups of Australian magpies in Perth, ranging in size from three to 12 birds. “Australian magpies – from Western Australia, where we conducted our research – live in stable social groups,” says Dr. Alex Thornton of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>'s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

They tested the cognitive ability of each magpie using four tasks. In a memory task, the magpie had to learn to associate a specific color with the presence of food. A task that tested self-control involved magpies learning to go around the sides of a food-containing transparent tube in order to get to the food – rather than pecking at the transparent front of the tube.

“Repeated testing of juveniles at different ages showed that the link between group size and intelligence emerged in early life,” explains Thornton. “We showed that individuals living in larger groups in the wild show elevated cognitive performance, which in turn is linked to increased reproductive success.” Their findings regarding reproductive success suggests that natural selection may ultimately have an affect on cognition.

“The challenges of living in complex social groups have long been thought to drive cognitive evolution,” says lead researcher Dr. Ben Ashton, of the <a href="https://www.uwa.edu.au/">University of Western Australia</a>. “However, evidence to support this is contentious, and has recently been called into question.” 

The results of this study suggest that social environment may actually play a key part in the development of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/facial-recognition-technology/">cognition</a>. In other words, the demands of living in a complex social environment – in this case, one with a larger population – may play a role in the evolution of intelligence.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Does growing up in a large group make you smarter?

Australian magpies are one of the more intelligent species of...

Many ant species are capable of producing their own antibiotics to fight off bacteria and disease. Researchers at <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> have now identified some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/control-invasive-fire-ants/">ants</a> that make use of powerful antimicrobial agents to fight infection and other species which do not seem to rely on antibiotics at all. 

“These findings suggest that ants could be a future source of new antibiotics to help fight human diseases,” said lead author Clint Penick. 

The researchers tested the antimicrobial properties of 20 ant species, and found that 12 of the species had a type of antimicrobial agent on their exoskeletons. Some of these ants, such as the thief aunt, had not been previously identified as manufacturers of antibiotics.

“One species we looked at, the thief ant (Solenopsis molesta), had the most powerful antibiotic effect of any species we tested - and until now, no one had even shown that they made use of antimicrobials,” said co-author Adrian Smith.

The other 8 ant species tested did not appear to carry any antibiotics.

“Finding a species that carries a powerful antimicrobial agent is good news for those interested in finding new antibiotic agents that can help humans,” said Smith. “But the fact that so many ant species appear to have little or no chemical defense against microbial pathogens is also important.”


The findings of the research challenge the long-held belief that most ant species produce antimicrobial agents.

“We thought every ant species would produce at least some type of antimicrobial,” said Penick. “Instead, it seems like many species have found alternative ways to prevent infection that do not rely on antimicrobial chemicals.”

“The fact that not all ants use antimicrobials highlights the importance of refining our search for species that actually do hold promise for biomedical research,” said Smith.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/">Royal Society Open Science</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: Clint Penick

Some ants produce powerful antibiotics that could help humans

Many ant species are capable of producing their own antibiotics...

As the issue of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-threat-land/">plastic pollution</a> is becoming increasingly threatening, researchers are scrambling to assess the extent of the impacts of plastic waste in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. A new report from <a href="http://www.murdoch.edu.au/">Murdoch University</a> is warning that microplastics are particularly dangerous for filter-feeding animals such whales.

Filter feeders swallow thousands of gallons of water every day as part of their feeding process, putting them at a very high risk of ingesting microplastics. Filtering the plastic particles can damage their digestive tract and lead to developmental and reproductive problems.

“Despite the growing research on microplastics in the marine environment, there are only few studies that examine the effects on large filter feeders,” said lead author Elitza Germanov. 

“We are still trying to understand the magnitude of the issue. It has become clear though that microplastic contamination has the potential to further reduce the population numbers of these species, many of which are long-lived and have few offspring throughout their lives.”

The research team investigated the conditions of the Sea of Cortez in California, and found an average of 0.7 plastic items per cubic meter of water. Based on this measurement, the experts estimated that whales sharks could be ingesting as many as 171 plastic items in a single day.

The researchers also determined that fin whales in the Mediterranean Sea may be swallowing thousands of microplastic particles on a daily basis.

“Our studies on whale sharks in the Sea of Cortez and on fin whales in the Mediterranean Sea confirmed exposure to toxic chemicals, indicating that these filter feeders are taking up microplastics in their feeding grounds,” said study co-author Maria Cristina Fossi. 

“Exposure to these plastic-associated toxins pose a major threat to the health of these animals since it can alter the hormones, which regulate the body's growth and development, metabolism, and reproductive functions, among other things.”

Germanov explained that future research is most urgently needed in coastal regions where threatened species feed.

“Many areas are biodiversity hotspots and of economic importance due to fisheries and marine tourism,” said Germanov. “Targeting these with the backing of local government and industry will help ensure efforts to mitigate the plastic threat are employed to their fullest.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/home">Trends in Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Whales and filter feeders ingest 171 plastic items per day

As the issue of plastic pollution is becoming increasingly threatening,...

It turns out that there are far more mammal species on Earth than was previously thought. A new report has found that in the last 12 years, over 1,000 new species of mammals have been discovered.

The study, published in the Journal of Mammalogy, reports that new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-mammals-climate-change/">mammal species</a> are being discovered at a rate of approximately 25 per year.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a>, <a href="https://www.boisestate.edu/">Boise State University</a>, and the <a href="http://www.unm.edu/">University of New Mexico </a>conducted the research to update the count of mammal species worldwide and provide an accurate, easily accessible database of that information. 

Other current records and lists, such as the <a href="https://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/">Mammal Species of the World’s</a> (MSW), don’t always keep up with the most current number of new species discovered, as the most recent edition of the MSW was published in 2005. 

The number of new mammalian species included in the updated list mirrors the increased number of amphibious species discovered. 

Now, thanks to the researcher’s efforts, a publicly accessible website, the <a href="https://mammaldiversity.org/">Mammal Diversity Database</a>, will aid taxonomy research and make it easier to include new species discovered. 

For the study, the research team examined over 1,200 taxonomic publications appearing after the 2003 cut off date for the Mammal Species of the World. 

The researchers added over 1000 new species to the website that were described and studied in the past 12 years. 

The number of species had increased from 4,631 species in 1993 to 6,495 species in 2018, at a rate of almost 25 species per year. Ninety-six of these species have gone extinct within the last 500 years, and the number of new discoveries includes 14 new families of mammals. 

The study shows how unreliable records and taxonomic lists have been, and points out that out-of-date information can be detrimental to conservation efforts trying to accurately measure biodiversity in a specific area. 

“Mammals have lagged behind other groups in their taxonomic record-keeping,” said Nathan Upham, the study's senior author. “Which is surprising given their relevance as models for disease and human origins. It's convenient to ignore taxonomy, so many people do--but it's the essential language for how researchers communicate through time to study biological diversity.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Over 1,000 new mammal species discovered in the last dozen years

It turns out that there are far more mammal species...

A scientist in Myanmar discovered one of the most complete bird fossils ever found trapped in amber and being sold for jewelry. 

Lida Xin, the scientist who made the find, was able to acquire the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preparing-fossils/">fossil</a>, even though sometimes amber deposits containing precious fossils are sold for more than labs, museums, and scientists can afford. 

The fossil is remarkable as it allowed scientists to examine the bird’s skeletal system, skull, and soft tissue, shedding light on the bird’s biology and inner workings.

“This Myanmar fossil deposit is clearly game-changing. It's arguably the more important breakthrough for understanding bird evolution right now,” said Julia Clarke, a bird evolution expert told <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/02/dinosaurs-birds-trapped-amber-fossils-paleontology-science/">National Geographic</a>.

Xing and a team of co-researchers published their research in Science Bulletin. 

Measuring only 2.4 inches long and likely only a little older than a hatchling, the bird is thought to be an enantiornithine, a species of bird now long extinct. 

The fossil came from Myanmar’s Hukawng Valley, an area that is famous for its amber deposits. 

The bird was born 99 million years ago and comes from the Cretaceous period, which ended with the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs. 

The research team believes that the bird fell in tree resin, and then later, bird’s bones were crushed. The researchers were able to polish the amber until parts of the chest cavity and skull were exposed. 

“A subsequent resin flow sealed the remains to protect them from further weathering or dissolution, but the amber was later squished, shattering many of the bones,” Ryan McKellar, co-author of the study, told National Geographic. “All of this is now trapped in a wafer of amber about as large as a belt buckle.”

The find is an important addition to the rare collection of bird fossils in amber deposits and sheds light on the inner workings of certain ancient Cretaceous birds. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Image Credit: Xing Lida, China University of Geosciences

Source: <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/02/dinosaurs-birds-trapped-amber-fossils-paleontology-science/">National Geographic</a>

Most complete dinosaur-era bird fossil found in amber

A scientist in Myanmar discovered one of the most complete...

Humans, at least in western culture, are extremely quick as a whole to draw black and white, irrevocable lines between themselves and other animals.  “Humans use tools," they say, ignoring primates, birds and even polar bears who’ve done the same.  One such thing a person might intone to imply human superiority is human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/benefits-urban-agriculture/">agriculture</a>.  Humans are not alone in being agriculturalists though.  In fact an order of animal which participates in agriculture is all around us, in our gardens, on our sidewalks, perhaps even in your kitchen.  Ants do in fact herd and ‘milk’ other insects.  Ants do in fact grow crops.

I’ve watched a line of ants carrying small pieces of cut leaves through the forest in Ecuador.  Near Mindo, I watched ants using a barbed wire fence as part of their route through the dense vegetation of cloud forest.  The ants marched along the perfectly straight wire of the fence.  In other places, an entire caste of ants is dedicated to cleaning and maintaining what can only be described as trail systems.  

Tiny but clear as day, trails lead from the ant colony through the forest to trees where leaves are clipped.  One of the more amazing parts of the system is that the ants don’t actually eat the leaves themselves.  Instead, the leaves are used as a mulch to grow a fungi which the ants farm and then eat.  Some leaves in tropical forests have fungicides built into them, ants must be careful.  Ants can often detect the fungicides in leaves and then ignore them but just to be careful, new plants are used in small test batches before being introduced to the whole fungi farm.  

Another type of ant builds small “barns” around weevils that suck sap from plants.  The weevils produce a sugar water type of waste called ‘honey dew’ that ants love.  The ants protect the weevils from predation with their barns and also attack anything that threatens them.  In turn, the ants collect the honey dew and bring it back to their colonies.  Often the ants are in a mutualistic relationship with the plant the weevil is feeding on.  The plant provides ‘extra floral nectaries’ that is organs that produce nectar.  The nectaries are designed to attract ant colonies, which generally help prevent animals from eating the plant.  Ants can be bribed by weevils and others.  Caterpillars feeding on plants sometimes have specialized ‘ant organs’ that secrete a sugar water substance.  Ants encountering the sugar water of caterpillars know a good thing when they see it.  Usually an ant will kill any insect feeding on a host plant but the sugar ‘bribes them’.  

Beyond simply being allowed to live, caterpillars have vibrating organs to call ants to their rescue.  Not so much a noise, as a vibration sent through the substrate of the plant, ants come running to the caterpillar at the alarm.  Ants will attack things like parasitic wasps determined to lay eggs in the caterpillar’s body all for the sweet sugary secretion.

Beyond ants, it’s not hard to see honey bees as being close to agriculture themselves.  Bees don’t plant flowers it’s true but their gathering of nectar and pollen in a systematic way for the survival of a whole colony is far from simple grazing either.  

Humans should keep in mind that ants growing fungi have been around much longer than human farmers and in some cases inspired them.  In Nicaragua there’s a Baile del Zompopo, or leaf cutter ant dance.  The dance is a slightly Christianized celebration of Xolotl, an indigenous harvest god.  Dances celebrate their crops being saved from red ants by Xolotl, and march like leaf cutter ants, waving branches above their heads.  It seems even the ants must have worshipped the god of agriculture, whatever you consider that to be.                

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

It’s not just humans: Animals practice agriculture, too

Humans, at least in western culture, are extremely quick as...

Ecosystems and the species within them rely heavily on the timing of the changing of the seasons, making the predictability of temperature and weather patterns extremely important for the survival of many species.

Unfortunately, a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a> has found evidence that animal species are changing the timing of their seasonal activities – known as phenology – at different rates in response to shifting seasonal temperatures and precipitation patterns.

These effects on the daily functioning of ecosystems can also have significant impacts on human food supplies and the spread of diseases. 

“We rely on honeybees to pollinate seasonal crops and migratory birds to return in the spring to eat insects that are crop pests and vectors of human diseases,” explains lead author Jeremy Cohen, a postdoctoral researcher at the <a href="http://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a> Department of Integrative Biology. “If the timing of these and other seasonal events are off, ecosystems can malfunction with potentially adverse effects on humans.”

After the researchers reviewed thousands of records of phenological shifts, dating back to the 1950s, they discovered some interesting patterns. The results showed that cold-blooded species and species with smaller body sizes are breeding or aggregating earlier than warm-blooded or large-bodied species in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earlier-spring-carbon-emissions/">spring</a>. 

“Our research elucidates the drivers of phenological responses and the traits of organisms that influence their ability to track changing climates,” says co-author Jason Rohr, PhD, a professor at the <a href="http://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a>. “We expect these findings to improve our ability to forecast the locations, systems and species that might be at the greatest risk from climate change and ideally mitigate any adverse effects that these changes might have on the services that ecosystems provide to humans.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Jeremy Cohen, PhD, <a href="http://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a>

Shifting seasons and changing weather are altering ecosystems

Ecosystems and the species within them rely heavily on the...

Fire ants, one of the world’s most invasive species, are more than just a nuisance. Native to South America, the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, has spread all over the world and can be found in Australia, China, and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-megadroughts/">United States</a>. 

Their venom produces painful stings, and they can disrupt agricultural operations, damage equipment and crops

According to the <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/hungry-pests/the-threat/imported-fire-ant/imported-fire-ant">United States Department of Agriculture</a>, imported fire ants can sting a person or animal repeatedly, and they are quick to respond to perceived threats. 

But the species is also one of the most difficult to control, and removing infestations can be costly and often ineffective. 

Researchers have tried to pinpoint why common methods of pest control aren’t as effective on the fire ant, but now a new study may have finally found a solution.

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/">Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University</a> in China and published in the journal eNeuro. 

The results show that certain natural, plant-derived compounds repel fire ants by activating an ion channel in the antennae and leg of fire ants. 

The researchers examined the antennae, legs, and transient receptor potential (TRP) channel of fire ants and found that the channel works as a sensor, detecting threats or harmful conditions in the ant's environment. 

This channel is also found in the honey bee, but the honey bee’s TRP is much more sensitive and is activated by 24 natural compounds, compared to the eight compounds that repel fire ants. 

The researchers suggest that this difference in sensitivity means that fire ants, although derived from a common ancestor with the honey bee, evolved a decreased sensitivity to certain compounds. 

The results could help control invasive fire ant colonies and effectively keep them away from residential and agricultural areas.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New methods to control invasive fire ants

Fire ants, one of the world’s most invasive species, are...

A new study from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> has revealed that 16 percent of all species on the planet have the potential to be alien species. The experts are reporting that the further invasion of non-indigenous species will have unpredictable impacts.

The researchers found that there is a steadily rising number of newly emerging <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/non-native-frogs-hawaii/">alien species</a>. These species can significantly modify ecosystems and can be detrimental to biosecurity interventions.

Strategies to control the spread of alien species primarily depend on information about where the species have invaded before, which means that newly emerging species can easily go undetected.

In order to investigate the advancement of alien species worldwide, the research team focused its study on a global database of 45,984 records of thousands of alien species from 1500 to 2005. 

The scientists discovered that, between 2000 and 2005, a quarter of the species in the database were seen for the first time as alien. 

“While most new records do relate to the spread of species we already knew were aliens, the fact that one in four relates to a completely new alien species is both surprising and troubling,” said study co-author Tim Blackburn.

The team established that the proportion of non-native plant, mammal, and fish species has remained constant over the past 150 years, but the overall number of alien species has risen.

"Humans have been moving species to new places for thousands of years, so we might have expected that most species that have the potential to become aliens would already have done so,”said Blackburn. “Instead, it seems the pool of new aliens is far from dry.”

The most notable increase in non-native species was found in insects and other invertebrates, while birds showed the lowest proportions of emerging alien species.

“These findings will be extremely helpful for horizon scanning studies that aim to identify ‘door knocker’ species, which are those not yet recorded but are suspected of presenting a high risk of arrival and detrimental impacts,” said Blackburn.

The study is published in <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Alien species invading new areas with an unpredictable impact

A new study from University College London has revealed that...

The remains of a previously unknown arachnid have been discovered in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ticks-trapped-amber/">amber</a> from Myanmar. The specimen, which resembles a spider with a tail, dates back 100 million years to the mid-Cretaceous age.

Paul Selden of the Paleontological Institute and Department of Geology at the <a href="https://www.ku.edu/">University of Kansas</a> was part of the international research team that described the insect.

“There's been a lot of amber being produced from northern Myanmar and its interest stepped up about ten years ago when it was discovered this amber was mid-Cretaceous; therefore, all the insects found in it were much older than first thought,” said Selden. 

“It's been coming into China where dealers have been selling to research institutions. These specimens became available last year to Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology.”
The new animal has many features that belong to spiders including fangs, male pedipalps, four walking legs, and silk-producing spinnerets. Unlike a spider, however, it has a long flagellum or tail.

Four tiny new specimens have been found, measuring only about 2.5 millimeters in length aside from a nearly 3-millimeter-long tail.

“Any sort of flagelliform appendage tends to be like an antenna,” said Selden. “It's for sensing the environment. Animals that have a long whippy tail tend to have it for sensory purposes.”

The species was named Chimerarachne after the Greek mythological Chimera, a hybrid creature composed of the parts of more than one animal. At this point, not much is known about the creature’s behavior.

“We can only speculate that, because it was trapped in amber, we assume it was living on or around tree trunks,” said Selden. “Amber is fossilized resin, so for a spider to have become trapped, it may well have lived under bark or in the moss at the foot of a tree.”

Selden explained that, despite the fact the tailed spider had spinnerets, it is unlikely that it spun webs.

“We don't know if it wove webs,” said Selden.. “Spinnerets are used to produce silk but for a whole host of reasons -- to wrap eggs, to make burrows, to make sleeping hammocks or just to leave behind trails. If they live in burrows and leave, they leave a trail so they can find their way back. These all evolved before spiders made it up into the air and made insect traps. Spiders went up into the air when the insects went up into the air. I presume that it didn't make webs that stretched across bushes. However, like all spiders it would have been a carnivore and would have eaten insects, I imagine."

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: University of Kansas | KU News Service

Strange spider with a tail found in 100 million-year-old amber

The remains of a previously unknown arachnid have been discovered...

Do woodpeckers ever sustain brain damage from drilling against such hard surfaces? 

This was the question asked by researchers from the <a href="https://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/">Boston University School of Medicine</a>, who set out to examine the possibility of trauma in woodpecker brains.

Woodpeckers do not peck lightly, and each peck is equivalent to the force of 1,200 to 1,400 gs. A person could get a concussion from just 60 to 100 gs of force to the head. 

Not surprisingly, the immense capabilities of woodpeckers to withstand such force has led to manufacturers and designers modeling helmets and safety gear after the woodpecker’s skull. 

“There have been all kinds of safety and technological advances in sports equipment based on the anatomic adaptations and biophysics of the woodpecker assuming they don't get brain injury from pecking,” said Peter Cummings, co-author of the new study. “The weird thing is, nobody's ever looked at a woodpecker brain to see if there is any damage.”

In the study, published in the journal PlOS ONE, researchers examined woodpecker brains in order to fully determine whether or not they suffered brain damage from their pecking. 

The results showed that woodpeckers have an accumulation of protein that in humans indicates brain damage, but the researchers say this doesn’t conclusively prove one way or another if pecking causes damage. 

For the study, the research team analyzed bird brains from bird specimens in the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum </a>and the<a href="https://hmnh.harvard.edu/"> Harvard Museum of Natural History</a>, looking specifically for a buildup of tau proteins. 

Both woodpecker and red-winged blackbird brains were removed from the preserved birds themselves, and the researchers cut the brains into incredibly thin pieces and stained the samples silver in order to show the tau proteins. 

Tau proteins are an important part of the brain’s functioning as it can protect and stabilize brain cells, but an accumulation of the proteins after an injury can disrupt neural communication and cause problems in cognitive functioning. 

The woodpecker brain samples had far more tau proteins than the blackbirds which were used as a control group for the study.  The findings, however, don’t necessarily prove that woodpeckers get brain damage. 

“We can't say that these woodpeckers definitely sustained brain injuries, but there is extra tau present in the woodpecker brains, which previous research has discovered is indicative of brain injury," said George Farah, the lead author. 

The study highlights the possibility that the tau buildup is a protective measure on the part of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/magellanic-woodpecker-campephilus-magellanicus/">woodpeckers</a> and keeps the brain from being harmed. 

The results are interesting as it raises more questions about the inner workings of woodpecker brains and could further help improve helmet design and sporting equipment. Cummings also notes that the results could help with researching new treatments for neurodegenerative disease.  

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Do woodpeckers get brain damage?

Do woodpeckers ever sustain brain damage from drilling against such...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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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



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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"

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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...