There's a lot more to turkeys than stuffing, cranberry sauce, and gravy boats. These impressive fowl, central to our festive Thanksgiving dinner tables, are becoming increasingly elusive for hunters.



Recent research from the University of Georgia (UGA) suggests that, if hunters and their prey keep up their present patterns of behavior, we might be set for a slightly less traditional holiday spread in future.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turkeys-response-to-hunters">Turkeys' response to hunters</h2>



Scientists led by Nickolas Gulotta, a Ph.D. student in <a href="https://www.uga.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UGA</a>'s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, have been studying how wild turkeys change their behavior in response to the presence of hunters and predators.



The researchers tracked 109 wild male turkeys throughout wildlife conservation areas in Georgia and observed how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunting-coyotes-actually-boosts-their-numbers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hunters</a> and natural predators influenced their movements in what is a high-risk dance of survival.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brave-turkeys-are-easy-targets">Brave turkeys are easy targets</h2>



Turns out, the turkeys exhibiting daring behaviors often found themselves on the wrong end of a shotgun or in the paw of a prowling predator. 



The brave birds were frequently seen near open spaces and popular hunting trails. They loved to hang out near parked cars, make a ruckus, and strut their stuff - all of which makes them easy prey.



"If turkeys are closer to these open areas, it’s going to be easier for both a hunter and a predator to detect them. Across both study sites in general, turkeys that took more risks were more likely to be harvested," Gulotta said, painting a vivid picture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turkeys-adapt-for-survival">Turkeys adapt for survival</h2>



Turkeys eventually learn from the fate of their brave, fallen brethren and start adapting to the selective pressure. They adopt less risky behaviors that make them less detectable.



This learning curve could possibly render future turkey <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cooperative-hunting-does-not-require-complex-thinking-skills/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hunting</a> seasons fruitless and may require hunters to think outside the box and exercise patience.



"The turkeys closer to areas that hunters use are the ones that are harvested. So, if we continue to harvest them like that across the Southeast, there’s potential that we could shift the behavioral strategies of wild turkeys making them more difficult to harvest,” noted Gulotta.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-balancing-act-for-survival">A balancing act for survival</h2>



While the turkeys that outsmart hunters during their hunting spree seem to have cracked the code to survival, they face another looming threat - natural predators. 



When the hunters are off-duty, predators take the stage, making survival a constant game of chess for these birds.



"If turkeys stay in the same area and don’t travel a lot, then they’re going to be more likely to be detected by a predator,” said Gulotta. “It’s kind of a catch-22 where if they can survive that hunting season, they’re most likely going to be fine."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-term-shifts-in-turkey-behavior">Long-term shifts in turkey behavior </h2>



The game of survival is not just a matter of individual variance among turkeys. Long-term shifts in turkey behavior, driven by hunting pressure, could lead to a significant dip in hunting license sales, which would negatively impact hunter satisfaction. 



The study suggests the need for hunting strategies that reflect local conditions and take into consideration the behavioral strategies of wild turkeys.



Gulotta, along with co-authors Patrick Wightman and Michael Chamberlain from UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, and Bret Collier from<a href="https://www.lsu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Louisiana State University</a>, bring to light a fascinating dimension of the hunting dynamic.



Their study, recently published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, is a wake-up call to refine the hunter-prey dance in a way that ensures a steady supply of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/we-often-undervalue-the-most-meaningful-experiences-in-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thanksgiving</a>'s mainstay for future holiday feasts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practices-to-reduce-hunting-pressure">Practices to reduce hunting pressure</h2>



To mitigate the unintended consequences of behavioral adaptation in turkeys, wildlife management and conservation strategies must also change.



One potential approach includes implementing rotational hunting areas to reduce hunting pressure in specific regions. This method could give turkey populations the chance to recover and exhibit a natural range of behaviors without ongoing disturbance.



Additionally, better education for hunters on ethical practices and sustainable hunting can foster an equilibrium between hunting traditions and the long-term survival of wild turkeys. 



By understanding the delicate interplay between pressure and adaptation, conservationists and hunters can work together to ensure both the preservation of the species and the continuation of cherished holiday traditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-impacts-on-wildlife">Human impacts on wildlife</h2>



The findings from this study extend beyond turkeys and hunters, offering valuable insights into broader patterns of human-wildlife interaction. Humans affect wildlife populations not only through hunting but also through urbanization, agriculture, and recreational activities. 



Behavioral shifts, such as avoiding high-risk areas or becoming nocturnal, are a common survival tactic among various species. 



However, these shifts may alter ecosystems in unpredictable ways, influencing species interactions, predator-prey dynamics, and habitat use. 



By studying these patterns, researchers can develop strategies that promote coexistence and maintain biodiversity while allowing for sustainable human activities in shared environments. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-turkey-hunting">The future of turkey hunting</h2>



The research on wild turkey illustrates the balance needed to harmonize human and natural worlds.



The future of turkey hunting might be headed toward an interesting crossroad. It's a tale of survival, adaptation, and the ever-evolving game of hide and seek between humans and turkeys.



As hunters, and turkey fans at large, it's time for us to help protect our feathered friends or risk seeing a turkey-less Thanksgiving table. 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.240788" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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Wild turkeys are becoming hard to find as they learn to outsmart hunters

There's a lot more to turkeys than stuffing, cranberry sauce, and gravy boats. These impressive fowl, central to our festive Thanksgiving dinner tables, are becoming increasingly elusive for hunters. Recent research from the University of Georgia (UGA) suggests that, if hunters and their prey keep up their present patterns of behavior, we might be set for a slightly less traditional holiday spread in future. Turkeys' response to hunters Scientists led by Nickolas Gulotta, a Ph.D. student in UGA's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, have been...

When we think of pollution, it’s not often that we consider light to be in that category. But in fact, artificial light is considered an environmental pollutant, as it throws off <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-bird-seasonal-clocks/">circadian rhythms</a> and threatens nocturnal animals, plants and microorganisms. Now, an international study published in the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a> finds that artificial lights are increasing “loss of night,” with the effects particularly strong in certain nations.

In order to determine whether the use of outdoor light is continuing to grow exponentially, Christopher Kyba and colleagues analyzed data acquired by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer (VIIRS), which is a satellite sensor with a spatial resolution of 750 meters. Through this analysis, they determined that the Earth’s artificially lit outdoor areas grew by over 2 percent (2.2%) per year from 2012 to 2016.

Data showed that these lighting changes were highly variable between countries – some nations greatly exceeded the global rate, while a few experienced decreases in radiance. Two of the countries that had these decreases are Yemen and Syria, which are currently in turmoil with widespread war.

In the world’s brightest nations (referring to light, not necessarily intelligence) such as the United States and Spain, the radiance levels remained stable. In South America, Africa, and Asia, most nations experienced growth in artificial light. Overall, these results show that the global demand for outdoor nighttime light has yet to be met. Furthermore, despite the increases in solid-state lighting (such as LEDs), short-term decreases in related energy consumption appear unlikely.

The researchers also note that the growth in nighttime light from 2012 to 2016 were a close match to the global rise in gross domestic product (GDP). They believe that this finding suggests that access to solid-state lighting does not decrease global energy consumption for outdoor light, which has been an international goal.

These increases – and projections of further increases – in artificial light have significance for everything from our economic policies to our environmental policies. While discovering what areas are experiencing the greatest effects is key, determining how to lessen these effects will be crucial.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Artificial lights could cause “loss of night” in some places

When we think of pollution, it’s not often that we...

Yellow-fronted canary, Crithagra mozambicus, at Pilanesberg Nati

The wild bird trade has been occurring around the world for ages, and is the root cause of exotic birds spreading worldwide. Birds are the most traded animals in the world, with Europe historically being the main importer. The consequences of the bird trade can affect both the importing and exporting countries. In the country where the birds are captured, it can cause a loss of biodiversity. In the country where the birds arrive, they can damage the local ecosystem, destroy crops, and outcompete local birds.

In 2005, the European Union (EU) banned the trade of all wild birds. A new study shows that since that time, the trade of wild birds has dropped roughly 90 percent globally. The number of birds traded annually fell from about 1.3 million to 130,000.

Prior to this ban, the countries of Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain accounted for the import of about two-thirds of all wild birds on the global market. These birds came mostly from West Africa, and almost all wild bird exports involved two groups of birds. Passerines, including the popular pet birds such as the yellow-fronted canary and the common waxbill, made up almost 80 percent of exported birds. Parrots made up roughly 18 percent.

Since the EU trade ban, these numbers have reversed. Currently, passerine birds make up less than 20 percent of the global trade while parrots have increased to almost 80 percent of all traded birds. Parrots are now the most threatened group of bird species, and the bird most likely to establish in countries it is not native to.

Latin America has now taken the reigns from West Africa as the main exporter of wild birds, responsible for over half of all global wild bird exports. Both the United States and Mexico are now much bigger importers, as wild imports in these two countries have increased from about 23,000 to 82,000 annually.

“Worryingly, we document a shift in wild bird trade towards areas with a high biodiversity,” says Luis Reino, from the <a href="https://cibio.up.pt/">CIBIO-InBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources</a>. “For example, several south-east Asian nations have emerged as important bird importers. These regions are now exposed to a higher risk of bird invasions.”

Reino believes that these results show the importance of a global wildlife trade ban, which would help reduce the number of traded birds and minimize the chances of exotic birds spreading. If anything, the success of the EU trade ban shows that a global ban would likely be effective.

--

By: <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Derek Keats, 2016

Global trade of wild birds greatly reduced by EU trade ban

The wild bird trade has been occurring around the world...

It might surprise you to know that birds and reptiles have any relation, but in fact, both are the closest living relatives of dinosaurs. All of these creatures evolved from archosaurs, which essentially ran the show on Earth 250 million years ago.

But exactly how the reptile to bird or scale to feather transition occurred and what genetic factors determined those changes has long puzzled scientists. 

A new study, conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://keck.usc.edu/">Keck School Of Medicine at the University of Southern California</a>, set out to identify the genes responsible for scale and feather development by looking at chickens and alligators. 

If birds and reptiles are the closest living relative to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-dinosaurs/">dinosaurs</a> then they should all share the same genes that helped birds evolve. 

The study was led by Dr. Cheng-Ming Choung who used modern genomics and molecular biology to help map the genetic evolution of scales to feathers. 

Not only did Choung’s research team isolate the genes responsible for feathers and scales, but they also explored how to turn scales into feathers by turning on and off critical molecular circuits during different growth stages. 

“We now have a potential molecular explanation for these hypothesized missing links,” said Chuong. “These results show that different perturbations cause different levels of scale to feather conversion, implying that scales have the capability to form feathers given the proper molecular signals.”

For the study, the researchers performed a complete RNA transcriptome and DNA genomic analysis of chicks and alligators during development. An RNA transcriptome is like the transcript of DNA, and it allows researchers to “read” all the genes in a cell. 

The researchers were able to identify the gene expression differences in the chicks and alligators and isolate the genes responsible for producing either feather or scales. 

After the research team identified the genes responsible for chicken feathers, these genes were put inside alligator eggs, and the researchers used molecular circuitry to turn the genes on or off in the alligators. 

The researchers noted that the developing alligators showed the beginnings of feathers such as budding, elongated appendages, follicles with stem cells, and feather keratin. 

“Our analyses led to the identification of five morpho-regulatory modules that are essential for modern feather formation,” said Chuong. 

The study shows the genes and molecules that helped the dinosaurs evolve into birds and could potentially pave the way for testing the transformation of scales to feathers in modern alligators. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

From scales to feathers: How birds evolved from dinosaurs

It might surprise you to know that birds and reptiles...

Scientists from the <a href="https://www.ice.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology</a> have closely examined the behavior of desert ants and discovered that these insects are able to evaluate the informative value of cues in their environment.

While returning to their nest, desert ants can distinguish between ambiguous and unambiguous landmarks. Visual cues or nest-defining odors must only occur near their nest, and not elsewhere along their route, in order to get the ants to respond.

The desert ant, Cataglyphis fortis, lives in dry salt lakes in the North African Sahara, where few other creatures can be found. The ants spend entire days foraging for food on their own, often covering exceptionally large distances. 

Study co-author Markus Knaden explained, "What is special about these insects is the fact that ants returning home from foraging are desperate to find their nest. You can therefore catch them anywhere and place them in a specific test situation. While other animals would immediately drop their piece of food and try to disappear, the ants stick to their innate homing behavior. By manipulating the environment we can identify the navigational means the ants use for orientation.”

The research team set out to investigate the behavior of the ants after they had learned specific nest cues such as odors and landmarks, and then encountered them far away from the nest.

"You have to imagine a situation like this: If we need to orient ourselves in an unknown city by using a distinctive tower block as landmark and suddenly realize that there are other tower blocks that look quite similar, we get confused. We therefore wanted to know how ants solve this problem," said Knaden.

Using a 16-meter-long aluminum channel in which the ants learned to search for food, the scientists tested their ability to find their nest entrance despite cues that may lead them off track. Ultimately, the ants did not pay attention to the ambiguous cues. 

Study first author Roman Huber explained, "The ants ignored visual or olfactory cues that were not reliable. Unreliable nest cues are those that are not only found at the nest entrance, but are ubiquitous along the route. The ability to assess the informational value of visual landmarks or odor trails as relevant or irrelevant for the nest search is another example of the amazing cognitive performance of the tiny ant brain.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By<a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com"> Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Markus Knaden, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

Desert ants have incredible navigational skills

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology have...

Previous research has suggested that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genes-determine-music-songbirds/">songbirds</a> and humans share the same innate process that guides how they learn and produce sounds. Scientists at <a href="http://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> are providing new evidence that human speech and birdsong are, in fact, rooted in the same biological process.

The researchers discovered that young zebra finches are naturally inclined to learn certain patterns of sound over others. “In addition, these sound patterns resembled patterns that are frequently observed across human languages and in music,” explained senior author Jon Sakata.

Theories on the association between human language and music inspired the experiments with finches. According to language experts, all of the world’s languages share many common features, which are referred to as "universals." These features include the language’s word structure as well as acoustic patterns of speech such as timing and pitch.

Scientists such as Noam Chomsky believe that these shared features represent a "universal grammar" that is built by natural brain mechanisms. These mechanisms promote language learning and influence how it is perceived. In zebra finches, there are acoustic patterns which are universal across populations.

"Because the nature of these universals bears similarity to those in humans and because songbirds learn their vocalizations much in the same way that humans acquire speech and language, we were motivated to test biological predisposition in vocal learning in songbirds," said study co-author Logan James.

In an attempt to identify biological predispositions, the research team taught young zebra finches songs consisting of five acoustic elements arranged in every possible sequence. Each sequence was presented in random order and for the same amount of time so that each finch would individually select which sequences to use out of the options made available.

The patterns chosen by the trained birds were extremely similar to the patterns observed in natural populations of birds. Both wild finches and finches raised in the lab placed a long, low-pitched vocalization at the end of their songs.

The researchers identified other sounds which were more likely to appear in the beginning or middle of the birdsong.  Short, high-pitched vocalizations were more likely to be produced in the middle of song than at the beginning or end of song, for example. 

These findings  match patterns commonly shared in diverse languages and in music, where sounds at the end of songs are longer and lower in pitch than sounds in the middle.


"In the immediate future, we want to reveal how auditory processing mechanisms in the brain, as well as aspects of motor learning and control, underlie these learning biases,” said Sakata.

The research is published in <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Do humans and birds learn speech the same way?

Previous research has suggested that songbirds and humans share the...

Have you ever noticed how flocks of birds and schools of fish manage to seamlessly change direction despite their size? A new study has shed light on how that group coordination occurs within a school of fish. 

The study was conducted by researchers from <a href="http://english.bnu.edu.cn/">Beijing Normal University</a> in China and published in the journal<a href="http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005822"> PLOS Computational Biology. </a>

According to the researchers, group coordination depends on each fish changing which of its fellow fish it pays attention to. The group movement occurs more seamlessly because each fish alternates which of its neighbors it watches. If a fish is looking at its neighbor and that fish changes direction, then the other fish will change direction as well. 

Scientists have been familiar with this neighborly interaction in birds and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pacific-islands-losing-fish/">fish</a>, but this new study examines how many fish need to focus on a single neighbor to move direction.

The tetras were placed in small groups and put in ring-shaped tanks. The size and shape of the tank allowed the researchers to note the directional shifts as either clockwise or counterclockwise. 

The researchers were able to then identify which fish were guided by which of their neighbors when the group changed direction. 

The study also used a computational model of the directional changes in the groups of fish. This model helped rule out coincidental directional shifts in the group. 

The results found that when the group changed direction, it was because one or two neighbors influenced other fish in the group. Group coordination, according to the study, happens because the fish in the group are constantly changing which neighbor fish they pay attention to. 

The researchers say this is a necessary survival tactic, as the leader can be determined at any time depending on what threats the group comes across. 

“The ability to coordinate movements across a group without a leader confers some advantages, including efficient task partitioning and resilience to loss of a leader,” said  Li Jiang, one of the authors of the study. “The rummy-nose tetra appears to have opted for a coordination strategy whereby any individual may become a leader depending on the need.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The key to swimming in a school of fish is focusing on neighbors

Have you ever noticed how flocks of birds and schools...

Homeopathic treatments are killing animals with preventable diseases. Experts from the <a href="https://www.rcvs.org.uk/">Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons</a> (RCVS) warn that some vets are promoting “unscientific" treatments, and more than 3,300 vets signed a petition voicing their mutual concern over homeopathic remedies for animals.

Chris Tufnell is the senior vice-president of RCVS. Tufnell raised a red flag about one popular homeopathic remedy in particular called nosodes, which is an alternative to traditional vaccinations in the form of sugar-coated pills containing diseased matter from other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/concerns-reptiles-amphibians-pets/">animals</a>.

<a href="http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/">Dogs Naturally</a> magazine says, “The alarming increase in autoimmune conditions, allergies, cancer and other canine health issues due to vaccine reactions is a known fact. Pet owners are now seeking alternatives to keep their dogs healthy while preventing disease and illness. The growing interest in nosodes comes at a time when the safety and efficacy of vaccines are being questioned.”

However, Mr. Tufnell said that the use of this unproven treatment is “entirely unnecessary.” 

“I have seen dogs die from completely preventable conditions such as parvovirus, which is extremely unpleasant and preventable,” said Tufnell.

Tufnell added that depriving pets of much-needed painkillers by replacing them with homeopathic remedies leaves the animals in unacceptable pain.

Some doctors and vets believe that homeopathic treatments, which are highly-diluted substances, can enable the body to heal itself. Yet many of the remedies are no more than a sugar pill, containing no active ingredients whatsoever.

Many studies have proven that the remedies perform no better than placebos, which is a treatment that only works because the patient believes it will.

A 2010 review from the  <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/science-and-technology-committee/">Science and Technology Committee</a> determined that the principles upon which homeopathy is based are “scientifically implausible.” Experts at RCVS agree, stating that there is no "recognized body of evidence" to support homeopathy.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pets are harmed by some homeopathic treatments, scientists say

Homeopathic treatments are killing animals with preventable diseases. Experts from...

After reviewing the findings of recent studies on antibiotic use in animals, researchers have determined that the overuse of antibiotics is directly contributing to increased antibiotic resistance in soil.

The research team collected data on the concentrations of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotics-responsible-bee-deaths/">antibiotics</a> as well as the diversity of antibiotic resistance genes in animal manure, which is deposited into soil as fertilizer.

Antibiotics are used by veterinarians and livestock owners to prevent, treat, and control diseases. In some countries, antibiotics are used to increase the growth rates of livestock and other farm animals. 

These practices are causing growing concern that the drugs will appear in human food. There are also concerns of increasing antibiotic resistance in animals. But beyond the potential issues in animals or humans, resistance can also be passed between bacteria in our surrounding environment, such as in the soil. 

For a study published in <a href="http://aem.asm.org/">Applied and Environmental Microbiology</a> earlier this year, researchers from <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> sampled soil on a farm before and after a manure spread. 

The team had tested the manure three weeks prior, and found antibiotic-resistant strains of salmonella. The salmonella bacteria was also present in the soil samples collected from the farm after the fertilizer was spread, which means that it had survived for 21 days on the manure.

As a result of the current study, researchers are urging for stricter regulations on the use of veterinary antibiotics. Dr. Fang-Jie Zhao of <a href="http://english.njau.edu.cn/">Nanjing Agricultural University</a> is a co-author of the research.

"Recycling of animal manures to soil is good for soil quality, but the spread of antibiotic resistance needs to be tackled urgently," said Dr. Zhao.

The review, which is published in the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2389?">European Journal of Soil Science</a>, also discusses plans for future research to address the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and resistance management.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The use of antibiotics on animals is contaminating soil

After reviewing the findings of recent studies on antibiotic use...

Researchers with the group <a href="http://www.caninemind.co.uk/">Canine Mind</a> examined how the hormone oxytocin affected the behavior of dogs. The team found that oxytocin altered the emotional states of the dogs, making them feel more relaxed and less threatened. The dogs also became much more interested in looking at happy human faces as opposed to angry ones.

For the study, the research team showed the images of smiling and angry human faces to 43 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-expressive-looking/">dogs</a>. Each dog was analyzed once after oxytocin had been administered and once without oxytocin. The researchers used an eye-tracking device to monitor the dog's gaze and pupil size. 

According to the experts, emotions and attentiveness control the dog's gaze and regulate pupil size, so eye tracking can provide insight into the minds of dogs. 

Dogs usually focus on the most exceptional condition of any given situation. For example, in a frightening setting, dogs typically focus on threatening activity. Recognizing threats as quickly as possible is important for the animals’ survival. However, the study revealed that dogs under the influence of oxytocin were much more drawn to smiling faces than angry ones.

"It seems that the hormone oxytocin influences what the dog sees and how it experiences the thing it sees," explained Sanni Somppi, a doctoral student at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a>.

Oxytocin was also found to influence the emotional states of the dogs, which was reflected in their pupil size.

"We were among the first researchers in the world to use pupil measurements in the evaluation of dogs' emotional states,” said lead researcher Professor Outi Vainio. “This method had previously only been used on humans and apes.”


When the dogs were not under the influence of oxytocin, their pupils were largest while looking at angry faces, indicating that angry faces would normally evoke the strongest emotional reaction in the dogs. But under the influence of oxytocin, smiling faces affected the emotional states of the dogs more than angry ones. 

The researchers explained that oxytocin most likely made the angry faces seem less threatening while the smiling faces seemed more appealing.

--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Your dog loves when you smile. Here’s why!

Researchers with the group Canine Mind examined how the hormone...

Illegal plant and animal trafficking poses a major problem for both the safety of animals and the surrounding environments. Not only do some traffickers move parts from threatened or endangered animals, but wildlife traffickers also risk introducing invasive species to non-native habitats.

To further complicate matters, customs officials cannot always immediately identify the animals or plants that are making their way out of the country. 

“Many threatened animals and plants are trafficked out of developing countries, which do not have adequate resources to combat these crimes,” said Mr. Sujeevan Ratnasingham, Informatics Director at the <a href="http://biodiversitygenomics.net/">Centre for Biodiversity Genomics</a>. 

Wildlife traffickers are also as evasive as possible so as not to get caught.

When it comes to organic material, often customs officials send samples to a laboratory to tell what animal or plant it is, but getting the results can take days.

Rapid identification of plants and animals at ports of entry could have a significant impact in reducing illegal wildlife trafficking and keeping invasive species out.

<a href="http://ibol.org/">The International Barcode of Life</a> project identified the need for quick and accurate identification at ports of entry and have developed the LAB-IN-A-BOX portable DNA barcoding Kit. 

“By coupling the power of DNA barcoding to identify species with portability, LAB-IN-A-BOX makes it possible for anyone to identify any species anywhere,” said Paul Herbert, Founder of the International Barcode of Life (iBOL) Project. “It is certain to improve our capacity to care for the species that not only enliven our planet, but provide essential ecosystem services.” 

The LAB-IN-A-BOX has two goals, to provide customs officials with a means of rapid detection of plants and animals, and to help implement swifter enforcement and prosecution for those who traffick in illegal wildlife. 

The LAB-IN-A-BOX uses a database of DNA barcodes that officials can compare samples to and identify what the sample is. It can even identify samples within just a few hours. 

The project will first be introduced at ports of entry in Africa, and the creators are hopeful about the kit’s impact on reducing wildlife trafficking and improving species conservation. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: David Dennis, at WikiMedia Commons

Portable DNA lab kits can help stop illegal wildlife trafficking

Illegal plant and animal trafficking poses a major problem for...

Scientists have discovered that blue whales are essentially either “right-handed” or “left-handed” just like humans. Most of the animals were found to have a right-side bias.

The researchers used tags to track the movement of more than 60 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-whale-tagging-technology/">blue whales</a> off the coast of California. The team was not surprised to find that blue whales were more inclined to their right sides because the left side of the brain controls predictive motor control and connects with the right eye.

There was one move, however, that made right-side biased whales switch to the left side.

When they rise up from underwater toward a krill patch near surface waters, the blue whales maneuver 360-degree barrel rolls and almost always roll to the left. 

Ari Friedlaender is a cetacean expert at <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> who led the study.

"The patches of prey near the surface, between 10 and 100 feet deep, are usually smaller and less dense than prey patches found deeper and the blue whales showed a bias toward rolling left - presumably so they can keep their right eye on the prey patch and maximize their effort," said Friedlaender.

"These are the largest animals on the planet and feeding is an extraordinarily costly behavior that takes time, so being able to maximize the benefit of each feeding opportunity is critical. And we believe this left-sided rotation is a mechanism to help achieve that."

Blue whales are massive animals, weighing as much as 25 elephants and reaching the length of nearly three school buses. However, most of their diet is comprised of krill, which are tiny shrimp-like creatures.

"Most of the movements we tracked that involved 'handedness' - perhaps as much as 90 percent - involved 90-degree side rolls, which is how they feed most of the time," said Friedlaender. "Blue whales approach a patch of krill and turn on their sides. We found many of them exclusively rolled to their right, fewer rolled just to their left, and the rest exhibited a combination.”

Friedlaender explained that this was the first time that such lateralization bias had been documented in blue whales. The researchers pointed out that a left lateralization bias is unusual.


"The most curious aspect was how so many of the whales exhibited lateralization to the left when swimming upwards at a steep angle to get prey,” said Friedlaender.

The research, which was primarily funded by the <a href="https://www.onr.navy.mil/">U.S. Office of Naval Research</a>, is published in <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</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

Whales are mostly right-handed, with one exception

Scientists have discovered that blue whales are essentially either “right-handed”...

Coyotes on the East Coast are beginning to look more like wolves and are even sometimes referred to as “coywolves.” 

Eastern coyotes have adapted many wolf-like traits, and new genetic testing has revealed that the species is now more of a mixture of wolf, coyote, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-red-green-colors/">dog</a>. 

The coyote’s adaptability has only helped it survive in urban areas along the east coast. People have reported coyote sightings in Central Park, within city limits in Boston, and even in parts of Florida. 

The term “coywolf” makes sense as eastern coyotes are some of the largest in the 19 subspecies of coyotes, and they could very well get bigger over the years, making them formidable predators for deer. 

Eastern coyotes could even replace wolves at the top of the food chain. 

Genetic testing has shown that Eastern coyotes are eight to twenty-five percent genetically similar to wolves, and eleven percent similar to dogs. Evolving to be more wolf-like is part of why the coyote has been able to flourish in Eastern parts of the United States. 

Even though the Eastern coyote is wolf-like and could increase its size over the years, scientists say that they will not start attacking people or become more dangerous to humans

Eastern coyotes are incredibly adaptable, but even though they share wolf DNA, researchers say there is not enough evidence to support the idea that they are their own species, rather they are considered a hybrid carnivore. 

Gerry Lavigne, a retired Maine wildlife biologist, told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5091763/Getting-wolflike-key-future-coyotes.html">Daily Mail</a> that Eastern coyotes were not distinct enough genetically from other coyote subspecies. 

The adaptability of the Eastern coyote bodes well for its continued survival, and researchers say there may be more than a million Eastern coyotes in the United States today. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Eastern coyotes are becoming more like wolves

Coyotes on the East Coast are beginning to look more...

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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



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

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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

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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



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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



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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...