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...

During the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, tail weaponry was not uncommon. Clubs and spikes on armored tails and skin were useful for fending off predators, hunting for food, and defending nests and territory. 

But today, the massive armaments and appendages of prehistoric animals have virtually disappeared.

A new study, conducted by a team of paleontologists and published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, reveals how tail weaponry evolved by grouping together common traits of some extinct species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and dinosaurs. 

The research not only sheds light on how the use of tails as weapons began in the first place, but also why it is not something we see in nature today. 

The results suggest that when large herbivores with body armor went extinct, so did most armored appendages and tail weapons. 

The researchers collected data on 300 species both living and extinct and sorted them by characteristics like size and diet.

The data was put into a computer program which allowed the researchers to find the most common traits shared among those animals with tail weapons. 

The three most common traits were that the animals were large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/herbivores-ecosystems-climate-change/">herbivores</a> with an armored body. The glyptodon, an ancient relative to the armadillo, is a perfect example. 

The researchers note that many of the large herbivores likely had body armor before their tails grew to have spikes, flails, or clubs.  

In the case of the glyptodon, its heavy club-like tail probably evolved later on after the body armor was already a part of the species. 

"It's rare for large herbivores to have lots of bony armor to begin with and even rarer to see armored species with elaborate head or tail ornamentation because of the energy cost to the animal,” said Victoria Arbour, former postdoctoral student at NC State, current postdoctoral fellow at the Royal Ontario Museum, and co-author of the report. “The evolution of tail weaponry in Ankylosaurus and Stegosaurus required a 'perfect storm' of traits that aren't seen in living animals, and this unique combination explains why tail weaponry is rare even in the fossil record."

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Image Credit: Jack Mayer Wood

Animals using tails as weapons used to be much more common

During the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, tail weaponry was not...

In 2015, approximately 220,000 saiga antelopes were found dead in central <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/long-extinct-tiger-reintroduced/">Kazakhstan</a> in a matter of three weeks. The majority of the critically endangered antelopes found deceased were newborns and mothers who had gathered to calve. 

Overall, there was a loss of around 62 percent of the global population of saiga antelopes. In a study published in <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>, researchers have used a multidisciplinary approach to investigate what caused this mass mortality event.

According to the study authors, the proximate cause of death is hemorrhagic septicemia, which is a severe bacterial disease caused by some strains of Pasteurella multicoda. Hemorrhagic septicemia leads to blood poisoning and intestinal bleeding. The researchers say that the onset of the disease was likely triggered by abnormally warm and wet weather.

The study authors wrote: “Statistical modeling suggests that there was unusually high relative humidity and temperature in the days leading up to the mortality event; temperature and humidity anomalies were also observed in two previous similar events in the same region.”

Study co-author Richard Kock is a professor at the <a href="https://www.rvc.ac.uk/">Royal Veterinary College</a> in London. He explained that climate change may be to blame for this event. With global temperatures continuing to rise, Kock said that another bacterial outbreak is very likely.

“There's theoretically a possibility of extinction of the species entirely,” said Kock. “We have at least got a number of populations - albeit small ones - that are outside the danger zone.”

Based on the results of their study, the researchers have made recommendations for the future management of saiga antelopes.

“Given the saiga population’s vulnerability to mass mortality and the likely exacerbation of climate-related and environmental stressors in the future, management of risks to population viability such as poaching and viral livestock disease is urgently needed, as well as robust ongoing veterinary surveillance,” wrote the study authors.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What killed more than half the world’s saiga antelopes?

In 2015, approximately 220,000 saiga antelopes were found dead in...

The first long-term reconstruction of the sea lion population in California has shown that the animals fully rebounded after the enactment of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in 1972. The researchers pointed out that this recovery is a significant success for the MMPA.

The legislation had initiated population goals for marine mammals to promote the health and stability of their ecosystems. According to the study, sea lions in California have now reached an optimal level, which is referred to as the Optimum Sustainable Population (OSP).

“The population has basically come into balance with its environment,” said study co-author Sharon Melin. “The marine environment is always changing, and their population is at a point where it responds very quickly to changes in the environment.”

The research team used aerial surveys, survival rates, and other data to analyze the growth of the sea lion population from 1975 to 2014. They found that the population jumped from less than 90,000 animals in 1975 to around 281,450 individuals in 2008. This population level reached a high of 306,220 in 2012, before the ocean conditions began drastically changing.

The researchers noted that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-lions-suffer-ocean-temperatures/">sea lion</a> numbers are strongly impacted by environmental changes, and found that sea lions are particularly sensitive to changes in ocean temperatures that affect their prey. Climate models predict that an increase in sea surface temperatures by one degree Celsius would bring the population growth of sea lions to a halt, while an increase of two degrees would lead to a significant decline in sea lion numbers.

“When the California Current is not productive, they respond pretty fast and dramatically,” said Melin. “They're out there in the ocean sampling it all the time. That makes them a very powerful indicator of what's happening in the marine environment.”

Since 2012, there has been a decline in pup production and survival, including an elevated number of deaths in 2013 which was deemed to be an Unusual Mortality Event by NOAA Fisheries. In 2014, the sea lion population had dropped to around 250,000.

“This is not just a story about continued growth of the population,” said study co-author Robert DeLong. “These last several years have brought new environmental stresses to the California Current, and we've seen that reflected by the sea lions.”

The study, which was conducted by <a href="https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/">NOAA Fisheries' Alaska Fisheries Science Center</a> and <a href="https://swfsc.noaa.gov/">Southwest Fisheries Science Center</a>, is published in the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1937-2817">Journal of Wildlife Management</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: Jeff Harris/Alaska Fisheries Science Center/NOAA Fisheries

California sea lion populations make a massive comeback

The first long-term reconstruction of the sea lion population in...

Geobiologist Emma Hammarlund at the <a href="https://www.sdu.dk/en/">University of Southern Denmark</a> developed a study to investigate why animal diversity increased dramatically on Earth half a billion years ago. She teamed up with an expert on tumors to gain a better understanding of the conditions needed for multicellular life to thrive.

“Tumors may reveal clues to animal evolution, since they so well manage the leap from unicellularity to multicellularity,” explained Hammarlund.

For about 4 billion years, life on Earth was dominated by microbes until multicellular life suddenly exploded into existence. Scientists have heavily debated the question of what caused <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-decipher-location-others-nearby/">animals</a> to diversify so late and so substantially, and the answer remains unclear.

This phenomenon, in which animals diversified over a very short period of time, is referred to as the Cambrian explosion. Many experts believe that the Cambrian explosion was caused by a significant increase in atmospheric oxygen, but this theory is lacking in evidence.

Although scientists have documented dramatic changes in atmospheric oxygen both before and after the Cambrian explosion, there is no record of any such change during the time that animals rapidly diversified. Furthermore, simple animals require very low oxygen levels.

“A heated hunt for the geochemical evidence that oxygen increased when animals diversified goes on but, after decades of discussion, it seems worthwhile to consider the development of multicellularity also from other angles,” said Hammarlund. 

She reached out to tumor biologist Sven Pahlman, a professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at <a href="https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/">Lund University</a>.

“I wanted to learn what tumor scientists observe on a daily basis, in terms of tissue growth and how it relates to oxygen,” said Hammarlund. “Tumors are after all, and unfortunately, successful versions of multicellularity.”

Cells with stem cell properties are vital for all multicellular life in order for tissue to regenerate. For example, cells in the wall of the human small intestine are replaced every few days through the division of stem cells.

“Hypoxia is generally seen as a threat, but we forget that oxygen shortage in precise periods and settings also is a prerequisite for multicellular life,” said Pahlman. “Our stem cells are the ones that form new tissue, and they are extremely sensitive to oxygen. The stem cells therefore have various systems for dealing with the effects of both oxygen and oxygen shortage, which is clear in the case of tumors.”

The study revealed that tumor cells are able to maintain stem cell properties, despite being surrounded by high oxygen concentrations in the body. This ability is also what made animals so successful, according to the researchers.

“The ability to construct stem cell properties despite high oxygen levels, so called 'pseudohypoxia', is present also in our normal vertebrate tissue,” said Pahlman. “Therefore, we flip the perspective on the oxic setting: While low oxygen is generally unproblematic for animal cells, the oxic settings pose a fundamental challenge for complex multicellularity. Without additional tools, the oxic setting makes tissue-specific stem cells mature too early.”

The findings of the study indicate that the dramatic diversification of animals during the Cambrian explosion was a result of something within the biology of the animals rather than in the atmosphere surrounding them.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What caused animals to suddenly diversify on Earth?

Geobiologist Emma Hammarlund at the University of Southern Denmark developed...

Researchers in Germany have discovered that chameleons have a flashy way of communicating that has gone undetected until now. Chameleons have protrusions on their heads that glow bright blue under ultraviolet light, revealing incredible patterns.

The researchers found that the small projections on the bones around the face, or tubercles, are covered by skin that is thin enough to allow the bone to be visible, and bones glow under UV light. 

“It has long been known that bones fluoresce under UV light, but that animals use this phenomenon to fluoresce themselves has surprised us and was previously unknown,” said study co-author Dr. Frank Glaw.

David Protzel is a PhD student at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavarian_State_Collection_of_Zoology">Bavarian State Collection of Zoology</a> and the lead author of the study.

“We could hardly believe it when we lit the chameleons in our collection with a UV lamp,” said Protzel. “Almost all species showed blue, previously invisible patterns in the head area, some even distributed over the entire body.”

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-dinosaur-armor-purpose/">Chameleons</a> are known to use body language and color changing in order to communicate, and these glowing patterns are likely another form of communication. The experts believe the chameleons use this bone-based fluorescence, which would stand out in a forest setting, as a way to scare off predators, attract mates, or to recognize each other.

The research team used micro-CT scans to closely examine the fluorescent patterns, and determined that these patterns vary across different species. Although bioluminescence is quite common in underwater animals, it is rarely seen in land animals.

The study is published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</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: David Prötzel, ZSM/LMU

Glowing patterns found on chameleons for the first time

Researchers in Germany have discovered that chameleons have a flashy...

Borneo is the third largest island in the world, located in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. Due to its location, scientists have long wondered how the island got its own species of elephant. 

Bornean elephants are a subspecies of Asian elephants that can only be found in a small part of the island. 

The origin story of these elephants has long been a mystery, especially since no fossil evidence has ever allowed the puzzle to be pieced together.

Some have speculated that the elephants were brought to the Borneo by humans, some even presented as gifts from neighboring sultans. 

Another theory suggests that based on the genetic differences between Bornean elephants and Asian elephants, Borneo’s elephants have been on the island for 300,000 years. 

But now, a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.igc.gulbenkian.pt/">Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência</a> (IGC, Portugal), <a href="http://www.univ-tlse3.fr/">Université Paul Sabatier</a> (France), <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/">Cardiff University</a>, and the<a href="http://www.wildlife.sabah.gov.my/"> Sabah Wildlife Department</a> (Malaysia), has found a probable answer to the Borneo elephant mystery. 

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, concludes that Bornean elephants migrated from Southeast Asia via a land bridge that connected the Sunda Islands to Borneo thousands of years ago. 

The researchers used genetic analysis of Bornean elephants on the island today and created computer models to compare the data with different scenarios of how the elephant might have made it Borneo. 

The models allowed the researchers study the demographic history of the Borneo’s elephants, which is not easy to do especially without any fossil records. 

The results of the computational models showed that elephants likely migrated to Borneo via land bridge. 

“Our results suggest that the most likely scenario to have occurred is a natural colonization of Borneo around 11,400 to 18,300 years ago,” said Reeta Sharma, researcher at the IGC and first co-author of the paper. “This period corresponds to a time when the sea levels were very low, and elephants could migrate between the Sunda Islands, a Southeastern Asia archipelago to which Borneo belongs.” 

The researchers say that they can’t conclusively prove that the elephants diverged from Asian elephants around the time of the last bridge, but they do note that human introduction is far less likely. 

Bornean elephants are dwindling in numbers due to habitat degradation and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-onvict-rhinoceros-hunters/">poachers</a>. The researchers hope this study will highlight the importance of protecting the rare elephants that remain on the island. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="http://www.rudidelvaux.com/borneoenglish.html">Rudi Delvaux</a>

How did Bornean elephants originally get onto the island?

Borneo is the third largest island in the world, located...

The use of primates in movies may seem like a fun way to raise awareness and goodwill about the animals, but new research has found it may be doing more harm than good.

More often than not, movies misrepresent how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/primates-danger-extinction/">primates</a> interact and behave in the wild, and do little to educate audiences on their endangered status.

A new study led by Brooke Aldrich, the trustee of the <a href="http://www.neoprimate.org/">Neotropical Primate Conservation</a> charity,  reveals how portraying primates as pets or sidekicks in movies has many negative consequences. 

In short, using primate actors trivializes important issues including conservation and welfare concerns.

Aldrich and colleagues analyzed two decades worth of English speaking movie trailers from 1993 through 2013, where primates were a part of the film. Some instances of films that feature primates include The Hangover Part 2, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Dunston Checks In. 

Over half of the films analyzed had primates interacting with their cast members and often performing “human” behaviors, like smiling, for much of the trailer. 

While filmgoers may find it entertaining, it goes directly against the natural behaviors of the primates. For example, smiling is often an indicator of submission or fear in many primate species. 

The study also shows that primates in movies can cause ignorance about the endangered status of primates in the world. 

A previous study found that 35% of those surveyed didn’t realize that chimpanzees were endangered because of how often they appeared in film and television. 

The results are troubling because films reach audiences of millions and if they misrepresent the true nature of primates, more of the public become misinformed.

“Far too often, well-meaning, animal-loving people fail to recognize the suffering of wild primates in captivity,” said Aldrich. “Given how often people see images of "smiling" chimps or capuchin monkeys, apparently happy to be wearing a pirate suit or brushing their teeth, it's not surprising. As long as monkeys, apes and other primates continue to be depicted in this way, such misunderstandings are likely to continue.”

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Taylor &amp; Francis

The use of primates in movies is miseducating audiences

The use of primates in movies may seem like a...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> has revealed that no-fishing zones are helping to save a struggling species of African penguins. The research team determined that the effects of fishing closures are greatly beneficial and should be continued and also expanded.

The experts teamed up with the <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/drought-western-cape/">South African</a> government and researchers from the <a href="http://www.uct.ac.za/">University of Cape Town</a>, and focused their investigation on bans against fishing for “forage fish” such as anchovies and sardines.

“The amount of forage fish caught worldwide is increasing and - although the effects are disputed - the impact on marine ecosystems could be severe,” said study co-author Dr. Richard Sherley. He explained that forage fish are an important link in the food chain because they feed on plankton and then are preyed upon by tuna, dolphins, whales, penguins, and other species.

“We need to do more to understand the circumstances in which small no-fishing zones will improve the food available to predators, but our research shows this is a promising way to help African penguins,” said Dr. Sherley.

The research team examined colonies at Dassen Island, Robben Island, St Croix Island, and Bird Island. They compared three-year periods of fishing bans with similar time frames when fishing was allowed. It was difficult to get a clear look at the overall effects that the no-fishing zones had on penguin populations because there are so many other factors that affect their livelihood.


“Decades of research may be needed to be absolutely certain of the impact on the penguins' population size,” said Dr. Sherley.

However, using a statistical method called Bayesian inference, the researchers were able to demonstrate that the fishing bans directly improved the health and survival of penguin chicks.

“There's never going to be a quick answer to problems in complex ecosystems,” said Dr. Sherley. “However, without conservation action, there's a good chance African penguins will go extinct in at least some of their current colonies. We are calling for a precautionary and adaptive approach - no-fishing zones to protect this species, with an open mind to change as more evidence emerges.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</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: Richard Sherley

No-fishing zones helping endangered penguins bounce back

A new study from the University of Exeter has revealed...

Climate change has far-reaching effects that involve more than just the weather. A recent study from <a href="http://www.americanornithology.org/content/condor-ornithological-applications">The Condor: Ornithological Applications</a> has scientists concerned that the annual migration of birds – and their corresponding reproduction – will be thrown out of sync with the seasons. 

If climate change makes it more difficult for certain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbirds-tune-different-situations/">bird species</a> to adjust their breeding behavior, they may be unable to match the timing of raising their young to their habitat’s availability to food resources. 

The study involves researchers monitoring birds’ songs, as they are correlated with their breeding behavior and can be used to easily identify a bird species. Brett Furnas and Michael McGrann – from the <a href="https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/">California Department of Fish and Wildlife</a> and <a href="http://www.jessup.edu/">William Jessup University</a>, respectively – analyzed data from two bird survey programs from California’s Klamath Mountains and Southern Cascades. Between 2009 and 2011, the researchers used automated recorders to monitor bird sounds and provide new baseline data for the birds of northern California.

“Climate change is disrupting songbird populations, distributions, and breeding behaviors in our mountain ecosystems,” McGrann explains. “Mountains are particularly sensitive because temperature and precipitation interact in complex ways on mountains.”

In the first comprehensive assessment of songbird occupancy in a 40,000 square kilometer region of northern California, the researchers identified the precise dates of peak vocal activity for eight songbird species. Furthermore, this strategy proved to be a feasible method of tracking changes in the timing of songbirds’ vocal activity for years to come. “Our technique should allow us to track shifts in elevation, changes in the state of the population, and changes in breeding behaviors in response to climate change over the next ten to twenty years,” says McGrann.

Overall, this study was able to detect differences in timing of nesting among bird species through analyzing the peak date of singing gathered from automated recorders. <a href="http://www.berkeley.edu/">UC Berkeley</a>’s Steve Beissinger, an expert on avian phenology who was uninvolved in the study, states “Their results support recent findings of a five to twelve day shift forward in the timing of peak singing by California birds in the nearby Sierra Nevada and coastal ranges in response to climate change.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: M. McGrann

Climate change to upset songbird migration and reproduction

Climate change has far-reaching effects that involve more than just...

Scientists in China have examined the fossilized remains of a previously unknown, crow-sized <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/turkey-sized-dinosaur-found/">dinosaur</a> from the Jurassic Period. What makes this particular creature so unique is the fact that it had brightly colored feathers on its head, neck, and chest.

The ancient remains, which are estimated to be 161 million years old, were unearthed in northeastern China and then analyzed by an international team of researchers led by Dr. Dongyu Hu of the <a href="http://www.synu.edu.cn/synuen/p1.html">Shenyang Normal University</a>. The dinosaur was named Caihong juji, which is Mandarin for "rainbow with the big crest.”

The fossil was found to be in excellent condition, making it much more useful for analysis. Chad Eliason is a postdoctoral researcher at the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a> in Chicago and co-author of the study.

“The preservation of this dinosaur is incredible - we were really excited when we realized the level of detail we were able to see on the feathers,” said Eliason.

Using a powerful tool called a scanning electron microscope (SEM), the scientists detected structures that closely resembled melanosomes, which are responsible for pigmentation. The shapes of the platelet-like structures were found to be much like those found today in hummingbirds, and indicated that C. juji had colorful feathers on its head and neck with darker feathers on the rest of its body.

“Hummingbirds have bright, iridescent feathers, but if you took a hummingbird feather and smashed it into tiny pieces, you'd only see black dust,” explained Eliason. “The pigment in the feathers is black, but the shapes of the melanosomes that produce that pigment are what make the colors in hummingbird feathers that we see.”

There is a growing collection of scientific evidence that today's birds evolved from small, feathered dinosaurs. C. juji was a two-legged predator with a skull and sharp teeth like a Velociraptor, and most likely preyed on small mammals and lizards.

C. juji is the oldest specimen found with asymmetrical feathers, which help birds to steer during flight. But, while modern-day birds have these feathers strategically placed on the tips of their wings, C. juji had these feathers on its tail. This suggested to the researchers that the newly-discovered dinosaur could not fly, and that the feathers were used for warmth and to attract mates.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</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

Illustration by Velizar Simeonovski

161 million-year-old dinosaur had bright rainbow feathers

Scientists in China have examined the fossilized remains of a...

Snakes are famous for their signature slither, but did you know they can also move in a straight line?

A recent study, led by Bruce Jayne of the<a href="http://www.uc.edu/"> University of Cincinnati</a> and published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, has shed new light on this little-known type of movement in snakes.

There are three commonly known snake movements, serpentine, concertina, and sidewinding, but Jayne’s work focuses on rectilinear locomotion. 

Rectilinear movement allows snakes to maneuver through tight, narrow spaces by propelling themselves forward like a train, and according to Jayne, it could have exciting implications in the field of robotics. 

Snakes were first observed moving in a straight line in 1950, but little examination of the mechanics of that movement has been done since. 

For his research, Jayne and co-author, Steven Newman, used high-definition digital cameras while filming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/malagasy-boas-evolutionary-mystery/">boa constrictors</a> and recorded the electrical impulses generated by different muscles in the snake. 

The researchers were able to track and monitor the mechanics of how the boa constrictor moved and the coordination between the muscles, skin, and body of the snake. 

The results showed that when the boa constrictor moved forward, its belly skin flexed more than the skin over its ribcage and back. The scales on the underside of the snake provided traction so the muscles could propel forward.. 

The movement is fast, fluid and seamless, the study said.

“The vertebral column moves forward at a constant rate,” said  Newman. “One set of muscles pulls the skin forward, and then it gets anchored in place. And opposite antagonistic muscles pull on the vertebral column.” 

Jayne and Newman are excited about the impact their study could have on robotics, as being able to move in tight spaces would be advantageous to robotics engineers tasked with creating models that can work in long, narrow pipelines or aid in search and rescue efforts. 

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By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How snakes move in a straight line

Snakes are famous for their signature slither, but did you...

Experts are now developing technology that may be able to translate some of the mysterious vocalizations of animals into English. This would not only help humans and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/easiest-pets-care/">animals</a> to communicate better, but may also enable humans to better care for animals.

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence systems are beginning to make animal language translation a reality. One new program, in particular, can interpret the calls of marmosets and report what the monkeys are saying.

Dr. Con Slobodchikoff of <a href="https://nau.edu/">Northern Arizona University</a> has studied prairie dogs for more than 30 years and has determined that they have “a sophisticated communication system that has all the aspects of language.” 

According to <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news">CBC News</a>, Dr. Slobodchikoff <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/technology/prairie-dogs-language-decoded-by-scientists-1.1322230">explained</a>: “They're able to describe the color of clothes the humans are wearing, they're able to describe the size and shape of humans, even, amazingly, whether a human once appeared with a gun.”

The Biology professor teamed up with a computer scientist to design an algorithm that will be able to turn prairie dog vocalizations into English. He has also created a company called Zoolingua, a team that is dedicated to developing a tool which will help humans to understand the verbal and non-verbal language of other animals as well. 

Dr. Slobodchikoff told CBC News, “We could potentially have something maybe the size of a cellphone in five to 10 years where a dog would say, ‘Woof’ and the device would say, ‘I want to eat chicken tonight,’ or a cat could say, ‘Meow’ and the device would say, ‘My litter box is filthy, please clean it.’" 

In a book entitled, “Chasing Doctor Dolittle: Learning the Language of Animals,” Dr. Slobodchikoff presents evidence of what he considers to be animal language according to his own research and also based on other scientific studies.

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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

New translator technology could help us understand our pets

Experts are now developing technology that may be able to...

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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



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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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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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...