Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid impact near the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico ended the era of non-avian dinosaurs. But amid the global upheaval, certain birds - and the group that gave rise to today’s ducks and geese - found sanctuary in the temperate habitats of Antarctica.&nbsp;



Now, an article published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08390-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> describes a nearly complete, 69-million-year-old fossil skull of Vegavis iaai, an early relative of modern waterfowl.



Study lead author Christopher Torres spent three years at <a href="https://www.ohio.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ohio University</a> as an NSF postdoctoral fellow. He investigated how various factors - ranging from ecological roles to brain anatomy - played into bird diversification and resilience to extinction.&nbsp;



“Few birds are as likely to start as many arguments among paleontologists as Vegavis,” said Torres. “This new fossil is going to help resolve a lot of those arguments. Chief among them: where is Vegavis perched in the bird tree of life?”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-controversy-surrounding-the-bird-fossil">Controversy surrounding the bird fossil </h2>



Originally identified two decades ago by study co-author Julia Clarke of <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The University of Texas at Austin</a> and colleagues, Vegavis was suggested to be a primitive modern (crown) bird related to waterfowl.&nbsp;



Yet, given the scarcity of modern-type birds before the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, some researchers questioned Vegavis’s classification.&nbsp;



The newly studied fossil addresses these doubts because it incorporates anatomical regions absent from earlier fossils - particularly a nearly intact skull.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-notable-features-of-the-bird-skull">Notable features of the bird skull</h2>



Skepticism surrounding the bird’s identity has largely been dispelled by notable skull features, including the structure of the beak and brain region, which align with traits found in present-day waterfowl.&nbsp;



The specimen further preserves strong jaw muscles, likely advantageous for diving and seizing fish - a departure from the feeding habits of most modern waterfowl but more reminiscent of species like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-loon-habitats-dramatically-altered-climate-change-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">loons</a> and grebes.



These skull features, combined with other evidence in the skeleton, support the idea that Vegavis propelled itself through water with its feet in pursuit of aquatic prey - an approach that diverges from what is typical of modern ducks and geese.



“This fossil underscores that Antarctica has much to tell us about the earliest stages of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/modern-bird-feathers-contain-traces-of-dinosaur-feathers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modern bird</a> evolution,” said co-author Patrick O’Connor, a paleontologist at Ohio University, and director of Earth and Space Sciences at <a href="https://www.dmns.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Denver Museum of Nature &amp; Science</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-late-cretaceous-bird-fossils">Late Cretaceous bird fossils</h2>



Bird fossils from this Late Cretaceous interval in other regions of the world tend to look distinctly un-modern. 



Moreover, localities that preserve delicate avian remains are quite rare, often providing fragments insufficient for determining much about the species’ evolutionary connections - mirroring the situation with Vegavis until now.



“And those few places with any substantial fossil record of Late <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extraordinary-dinosaur-fossils-discovered-from-the-end-of-cretaceous-era/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cretaceous</a> birds, like Madagascar and Argentina, reveal an aviary of bizarre, now-extinct species with teeth and long bony tails, only distantly related to modern birds,” said O’Connor.



“Something very different seems to have been happening in the far reaches of the Southern Hemisphere, specifically in Antarctica.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antarctica-and-early-bird-evolution">Antarctica and early bird evolution </h2>



Exactly how the Antarctic continent shaped the development of current ecosystems across deep time remains a focus of worldwide scientific inquiry.&nbsp;



According to study co-author Matthew Lamanna of Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Antarctica is in many ways the final frontier for humanity’s understanding of life during the Age of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/where-did-dinosaurs-come-from-missing-fossils-hold-the-secret/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dinosaurs</a>.



“This discovery exemplifies the power of scientific research and the crucial role our institution plays in advancing knowledge about Earth's deep history,” said Ohio University President Lori Stewart Gonzalez.&nbsp;



“This research not only enhances our understanding of early bird evolution but also highlights the invaluable contributions of Ohio graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who are at the forefront of these expeditions. It is through these global, expeditionary efforts - whether in the field or in the lab - that we can truly grasp the dynamic changes our planet has undergone over millions of years.” 



Gonzalez noted that the study is a prime example of real-world experiential learning that connects STEM education with hands-on, transformative research, preparing the next generation of scientists to tackle the challenges of the future.



“Large-scale projects like this one, involving students and postdoctoral researchers, prepare the scientists of tomorrow to collaborate, advance science, and tackle the biggest questions facing our planet,” O’Connor concluded.



Image Credit: Mark Witton, 2025.



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-----

Earliest modern bird lived in Antarctica 69 million years ago

Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid impact near the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico ended the era of non-avian dinosaurs. But amid the global upheaval, certain birds - and the group that gave rise to today’s ducks and geese - found sanctuary in the temperate habitats of Antarctica.&nbsp; Now, an article published in the journal Nature describes a nearly complete, 69-million-year-old fossil skull of Vegavis iaai, an early relative of modern waterfowl. Study lead author Christopher Torres spent three years at Ohio University as an NSF postdoctoral fellow....

Compared to most animals, humans have the capacity to live much longer lives. Some animals, however, not only outlive humans but can actually survive longer than multiple generations of people. <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> presents: the longest-living animals on the planet.

&nbsp;

Ocean quahog

Also known as Arctica Islandica, this edible clam species is well-known for their long lifespans. One specimen found in the Icelandic seabed, which was then estimated to be around 405, turned out to be 507 years old.

&nbsp;

Greenland Shark

The longest living vertebrate on the planet is the Greenland shark, with a lifespan of 400 years. These sharks do not even reach sexual maturity until they are 150 years old, according to a recent study. The researchers dated one ancient shark which lived as many as 512 years.

&nbsp;

Koi

Some varieties of koi fish live longer than others. A koi living in the long-established waters of Japan, its historical home, can easily live to be over 70. A koi carp known as “Hanako" lived  to be 225 years old in Japan. In artificial ponds, it is still not unusual for a koi fish to reach over 40 years old. 

&nbsp;

Bowhead Whale

Also known as the Arctic whale, bowheads are the longest living mammals on Earth.

These whales can live to be over 200 years old, with the oldest known bowhead reaching the age of 211. Researchers have found that part of what enables these animals to live for so long is that they rarely succumb to cancer and disease.

&nbsp;

Giant Tortoise

With an average lifespan of over 100 years, giant tortoises are very resilient creatures. Their long lives can be partially attributed to an extremely slow metabolism. Some giant tortoises such as Galapagos tortoises can go over a year without food or water. An Aldabra giant tortoise that died in India in 2006 was believed to be 255 years old.

&nbsp;

Red sea urchin

Located primarily along the west coast of North America, red sea urchins prefer rocky, shallow ocean floor waters. They move around slowly, using their sharp spines as stilts. Red sea urchins often live beyond 30 years, and in optimal conditions have even lived to be over 200 years old.

&nbsp;

Cockatoo

Cockatoos have an average lifespan of 50-70 years in proper conditions, so bringing a cockatoo into a happy and healthy home is most likely a lifetime commitment. Umbrella Cockatoos can live 80 years or more when properly cared for. A legendary sulphur-crested cockatoo in Australia known as Cocky Bennett died at the ripe old age of 120.

&nbsp;

Geoduck

Also known as mud ducks or king clams, geoducks can reach up to 10 pounds. They are also one of the world's longest living animals and the oldest known geoduck clam lived to be 168 years old.

&nbsp;

Asian Elephant

Asian elephants are slightly smaller than African elephants and are native to India and Southeast Asia. They live to be an average age of 70 years old. Lin Wang, a famous elephant at the Taipei Zoo who had once served in the Chinese army, lived the longest life of any Asian elephant in captivity and died at age 86.

&nbsp;

Tuatara

With an average lifespan of 60 years, these reptiles can actually live to be over 100. They mature so slowly that they continue to grow larger for the first 35 years of life. This unique species dates back over 200 million years, with characteristics largely unchanged since the Jurassic Period.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The top 10 longest-living animals

Compared to most animals, humans have the capacity to live...

If you’re feeling down, a trip outside to reconnect with nature may be just what you need to boost happiness, a new study claims.

Spending time in the great outdoors each day can help to increase personal well-being, the researchers found – no travel required. Just be sure to take time to pay attention to your natural surroundings and how they make you feel.

"This wasn't about spending hours outdoors or going for long walks in the wilderness," said Holli-Anne Passmore, a doctoral student at the <a href="https://ok.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia-Okanagan</a>. "This is about the tree at a bus stop in the middle of a city and the positive effect that one tree can have on people."

Nearly 400 study participants spent two weeks on an “intervention” intended to boost happiness. They were asked to spend time outside each day, document the natural world around them, and explore how the plants, trees and wildlife made them feel.

Each participant was asked to photograph any part of nature that caught their eye, from a bird or squirrel to a week growing from the sidewalk, and write down a short note about how it made them feel.

A second group did the same exercise but with man-made objects like statues and buildings, and a third control group did neither. 

The study participants turned in nearly 2,500 photos and notes. Researchers found that for those in the nature group, simply being aware of their surroundings had participants reporting a happiness boost and a greater connection to their community.

"The difference in participants' well-being – their happiness, sense of elevation, and their level of connectedness to other people, not just nature – was significantly higher than participants in the group noticing how human-built objects made them feel and the control group,” Passmore said.

The study is one of several that the University of British Columbia’s psychology researchers have undertaken to explore how nature is connected to well-being. The researchers hope to add to the scientific documentation showing the benefits of green spaces in urban landscapes.

The study has been published in the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439760.2016.1221126">Journal of Positive Psychology</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Feeling blue? Take notice of nature to boost happiness

If you’re feeling down, a trip outside to reconnect with...

Infants stolen from their mothers. Apes drugged and beaten until they learn tricks that will entertain tourists. These are scenes from the illegal ape trade, and journalists from the New York Times have been working with those who track smugglers to shed new light on the crime.

Wildlife smuggling has become an extremely profitable black market trade, and not just when it comes to apes. Countries throughout the world have struggled to crack down on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephants-missing-poached/">elephant poaching</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pangolin-worlds-trafficked-mammal/">pangolin trafficking</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/conservation-efforts-species-2016/">tiger hunting</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/concerns-reptiles-amphibians-pets/">exotic pet practices</a> that are harmful to both the animals and public health.

Wildlife smuggling and poaching have skyrocketed in recent years, according to the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Fund</a>. 

“Today, it is the fifth most profitable illicit trade in the world, estimated at up to $10 billion annually,” the WWF wrote.

The trade in apes like chimpanzees and orangutans makes up part of this industry, and the ape trade is proving to be much larger than anyone expected. When a <a href="https://www.cites.org/">CITES</a>-operated database launched earlier this year, researchers discovered a widespread problem. 

A single ape trade network that went undetected for over a decade had trafficked more than 1,800 of the creatures, the <a href="http://www.un-grasp.org/">Great Ape Survival Partnership</a> reported. More than 90 percent of the busts recorded in 23 countries had never been entered in international smuggling databases.

Animal smugglers are competing with the likes of drug cartels and weapons dealers, but unlike dealing in drugs and guns, wildlife smuggling is low-risk, according to the WWF.

It’s a comparison journalist Jeffrey Gettleman heard as well.

“The way they do business makes the Mafia look like amateurs,” ape trafficking sleuth Daniel Stiles told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/04/world/africa/ape-trafficking-bonobos-orangutans.html?partner=IFTTT">New York Times</a> writer in his exposé about the trade.

Gettleman shadowed Stiles as he used <a href="https://www.instagram.com/?hl=en">Instagram</a> and other social media to track down potential poachers selling live ape infants. Some of the apes are sold as pets; most end up in circuses or zoos that train the animals – often using brutal methods – to perform tricks in an attempt to drum up business, Stiles said.

Stiles isn’t just a self-styled detective. He was the lead author of a 2013 report published by the United Nations about the ape trade.

Speaking to Stiles and other experts, Gettleman learned that the infants are much easier to smuggle than the strong adults, and poachers often wipe out entire family groups of chimps, gorillas, gibbons or orangutans to steal the infants. 

Thanks to corruption among officials and loose regulations at certain ports, a pipeline has developed to sneak infant apes out of central Africa and southeast Asia and into the hands of collectors, the New York Times reported. 

The apes are often drugged or beaten and forced to learn how to play drums, smoke cigarettes, fight each other, or perform other tricks to entertain tourists. One was kept as a hotel mascot – until he escaped and was shot by police.

Most of the apes rescued from these lives require rehabilitation before they can be reintroduced to the wild.

Often the infant apes are sold for thousands of dollars – or as much as $250,000, in the case of gorillas – to their final owner. But the people who catch the babies often earn very little for them. One poacher told Gettleman he was paid about $10 per infant bonobo he caught alive. 

“In Boende, a small town up another tributary of the Congo River, three hunters were recently caught with bonobo carcasses and sentenced to several years in a stifling colonial-era prison. The men said they were simply trying to feed their families by selling bonobo meat,” Gettleman wrote.

Gettleman followed along with Stiles as he worked with Thai police and arranged to meet with a suspected ape smuggler in Bangkok. In the end, two baby orangutans were rescued – but the smuggler escaped. 

“But for every successful bust, wildlife specialists say, five to 10 other animals slip through. And for every smuggled ape, several more may have been killed in the process,” Gettleman wrote.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Journalist sheds light on horrors of illegal ape trade

Infants stolen from their mothers. Apes drugged and beaten until...

Whether through the adorable head tilt of a puppy, or a cat winding itself around the legs of its owner, we like to think our pets can sense how we’re feeling. 

Previous studies have shown that even though animals like dogs can’t speak, they can sense our emotions and body language. 

Now, a new study has found the same is true with horses, who were far more likely to approach someone displaying submissive posture rather than dominant posture.

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.sussex.ac.uk/">University of Sussex</a> and the <a href="http://www.port.ac.uk/">University of Portsmouth</a>. 

The results are useful in showing how animals take communication cues from body language, and can help trainers and handlers forge better relationships with those animals in their care. 

For the study, the researchers performed different trials with 30 domestic horses. The horses came from three different equestrian centers in East Essex and Suffolk in England.

During the trials, the horses had a choice to approach two similarly dressed humans who wore dark neck cover over most of their face to mask facial expressions. 

The two people would then take different stances. The first was submissive, with legs together and arms together, curled in and looking small. The second dominant, with chest out and legs apart. 

Even though the horses had been given a reward by both humans before the testing began, the horses approached the person with submissive posture. 

The researchers conducted four different trials and every time, the horses showed a preference for the person displaying submissive posture. 

Posture is often a part of training for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-budget-wild-horses/">horses</a>, but this study effectively proves that horses are predisposed to certain cues and posture even before any training. 

“Results like these encourage us to be more conscious of the signals we exhibit when interacting with horses and other animals to facilitate a smooth animal-human relationship,” said Clara Wilson, the co-author of the study.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Horses can read the posture of humans

Whether through the adorable head tilt of a puppy, or...

According to new research, there are now mosquitos in London’s underground transit system that have evolved beyond the need to feed on hosts to produce eggs. 

Urbanization isn’t just affecting mosquitos, though. Rapid development in cities is now a driving force in modern evolution, according to a new study. 

The research, conducted by scientists from the <a href="http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto Mississauga </a>and <a href="https://www.fordham.edu/">Fordham University</a>, is the first of its kind to factor in urbanization in current evolutionary trends. 

Like the mosquitos, rapid urban development is causing some surprising consequences like an uptick in bedbug infestations worldwide. 

"Traditionally, we've thought about evolution as a long-term process driven by environmental pressures and the interactions between species,” said Jason Munshi-South, an associate professor of biological sciences at Fordham University, and one of the authors of the study. “But now there is a new driver that is rapidly changing many other species, which is how they interact with humans and our built environment."

The study examines native species and their ability to adapt to urbanization, if cities are helping or hindering their survival, and if, like bedbugs, other pests have evolved to depend on cities and people. 

The researchers analyzed different means of genetic adaptation in species, like mutation, neutral evolution and adaptive evolution through natural selection, and found that cities affect all these mechanisms of evolution. 

Native species ranging from plants, mammals, birds, amphibians, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insect-lost-nature-reserves/">insects</a> were all analyzed in the study to see how urbanization impacted evolution. 

“We've created a novel ecosystem that no organism has ever seen before,” said Marc Johnson, an associate professor of biology at the University of Toronto Mississauga. 

In the case of the certain species, like bedbugs and mosquitoes, urbanization’s impact on evolution could be dangerous and increase disease carrying-pests. 

That’s why the researchers caution urban planning efforts, and suggest that new measures need to be taken to lessen the impact of urbanization on native species

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Cities are driving the evolution of some species

According to new research, there are now mosquitos in London’s...

Imagine a flesh-eating bird with the wingspan of a small plane that lived among the dinosaurs and stalked its prey on the ground.

The fossilized remains of this terrifying creature were recently discovered in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Scientists have determined the animal was a pterosaur that lived during the Cretaceous period 70 million years ago. 

The bones were first uncovered by paleontologists back in 2006, but the specimen was so fragmented, it took years to piece it together. 

Initially, a piece of the first vertebra is what led the study’s lead author, Takanobu Tsuishiji from the <a href="http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/">University of Tokyo</a>, to identify the fossil as a pterosaur. 

However, due to its immense size and wingspan, no other pterosaur like it has been discovered before. 

“It’s a really big vertebra, and the only thing comparable is some material from Romania. This is definitely up there with the largest pterosaurs, and there’s nothing like it from Asia so far,” pterosaur expert Mark Witton told <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/10/new-pterosaur-found-mongolia-largest-fossils-science/">National Geographic</a>. 

The Mongolian fossil is gigantic, with a possible wingspan of 36 feet. The pterosaur would have been able to walk on all fours, hunting its prey on the ground. 

Pterosaurs would have fed on baby dinosaurs, walking among the many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-killed-dinosaurs-cooled/">dinosaurs</a> that thrived during the Cretaceous period. 

Pterosaurs are also thought to have been the largest flying animals on Earth and the first vertebrates who evolved to develop the power of flight. 

Those who made the discovery compare their fossil to two other giant documented pterosaurs, the Quetzalcoatlus and the Hatzegopteryx, both of which who had wingspans around 32 to 36 feet and could have been as tall as 18 feet. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Colossal flesh-eating predator was one of the largest to fly

Imagine a flesh-eating bird with the wingspan of a small...

Scientists have identified a new species of great ape in Sumatra. The isolated population of orangutans, named Tapanuli orangutans, may have been discovered just in time, as researchers have determined they are among the most threatened great apes in the world.

According to the researchers, there are only about 800 Tapanuli orangutans left. Those that remain are threatened by hunting and loss of habitat. The new orangutan species lives in the Batang Toru area in North Sumatra, Indonesia.

Tapanuli orangutans, the seventh known species of great apes, were first spotted in 1997. While there had been rumored sightings prior to this, these orangutans lived south of the known range of Sumatran orangutans.

Previous studies indicated that this group of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/tinder-orangutans-primates-date/">orangutans</a> in the Batang Toru area varied both genetically and behaviorally from the Sumatran orangutans, but there was insufficient evidence to designate a new species. In 2013, a research team accessed the skeleton of a Batang Toru orangutan and found discrepancies in the individual's skull and teeth.

For the recent study, scientists conducted a sophisticated analysis of 37 orangutan genomes. The research showed that earliest split among living orangutan species happened over three million years ago, between the Batang Toru population and Bornean orangutans. But the Sumatran orangutans did not split from the Borneans until much more recently, around 700,000 years ago, according to the analysis.

"It isn't an everyday event that we find a new species of great ape, so indeed the discovery is very exciting," said senior author Michael Krutzen of the <a href="http://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a>.

"Great apes are among the best-studied species in the world," added co-author Erik Meijaard. "If after 200 years of serious biological research we can still find new species in this group, what does it tell us about all the other stuff that we are overlooking: hidden species, unknown ecological relationships, critical thresholds we shouldn't cross? Humans are conducting a vast global experiment, but we have near-zero understanding of what impacts this really has, and how it could ultimately undermine our own survival."

The Tapanuli orangutans are already severely threatened by hunting, and a hydroelectric dam has been proposed that would flood large parts of their remaining habitat if implemented. Assessments of the new species suggest that a mortality rate of less than one percent per year would still be enough to wipe out the Tapanuli orangutans.

The researchers say it is important to work with Indonesian authorities and wildlife organizations to gain urgent support for more effective conservation measures to protect the Batang Toru area. The study is published in <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Newly identified orangutan species is on the brink of extinction

Scientists have identified a new species of great ape in...

In the nation of Laos, the Asian elephant population has dropped by 50 percent over the last 30 years. New research from <a href="http://www.cnrs.com/">CNRS</a> and the <a href="http://www.beauvalnature.com/">French Beauval Nature</a> association for conservation and research has found that the dynamics of these populations depend greatly on the socio-economic practices of both the country and elephant owners.

When the country was opened to the market economy two decades ago, the workload of elephants intensified – especially in the timber industry – and has since significantly affected their reproduction. The combination of the elephant’s long gestation period, which is a whopping 22 months, and the exportation of Lao elephants to neighboring countries is now putting the population’s survival at risk.

In order to assess the long-term impact of socioeconomic strategies on the viability of the elephant population, researchers developed a bio-economic model that includes a year-to-year estimate of the elephant population. This estimate was based on data such as age, sex, and location (or a/s/l to all the former AIM users out there), which was collected regularly by the Lao department of livestock. They also interviewed elephant owners about their breeding practices.

The findings showed that if current <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephants-missing-poached/">elephant</a> exportation rates do not change, the population will likely succumb to extinction. To combat this, they suggest that a maternity-leave system be established in order to compensate an elephant’s owner for the loss of income when an elephant is in the breeding process. They also suggest that the captive female elephant population be allowed to mate with wild males. The researchers believe that if these suggestions are followed, the Lao elephant population will be able to remain active and healthy for years to come.

Research such as this shows the importance of including both wild and captive populations in conservation policies, especially given that their interactions have gone widely unstudied. The study also shows the importance of putting a price on natural resources such as the Asian elephant.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Laos elephant population drops by half over the last 30 years

In the nation of Laos, the Asian elephant population has...

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-bleaching-havoc-hawaiian/">we’ve reported</a>, climate change has wreaked havoc on coral reefs around the world, with warmer waters sparking coral bleaching events that have devastated entire ecosystems.

In addition to climate change, habitat degradation and commercial fishing operations have also caused coral populations to dwindle considerably. Researchers are especially concerned with how coral will survive amid warming ocean waters. 

But a new study of tabletop corals in the Cook Islands has found that corals might be able to adapt to warming waters, but certainly not at the current rapid pace that climate change has set. In order for the corals to stand a chance, greenhouse gas emissions will need to be reduced. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis </a>and published in the journal, Nature Advances. 

Researchers discovered that tabletop coral in the Cook Islands are predisposed to tolerate heat, but only to a certain degree.

“These corals aren't going to adapt at an unlimited rate. Keeping these reefs around requires curbing emissions,” said Rachael Bay, the study’s lead author. 

For the study, the researchers first identified genes in tabletop corals that make them tolerant to heat. 

Next, the researchers ran computer simulations to see how the coral would adapt to climate change based on projections of global warming and greenhouse gases. 

The simulations showed that tabletop coral could survive in moderate and mild scenarios where temperatures rise, and emissions rapidly decline by 2040. 

But if climate change continues unmitigated, then the coral would not be able to adapt quickly enough and would die off as a species. 

The researchers plan to study different species next to see if other corals would have similar capabilities. 

Understanding how coral will adapt to a changing climate is especially important given their vital role in marine ecosystems.  If emissions are reduced, coral species may be able to withstand the rising temperatures. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Image Credit: Rachael Bay/UC Davis

Corals may be able to adapt to climate change under one condition

As we’ve reported, climate change has wreaked havoc on coral...

The edges of forests – where the woods meet human habitats – have long been known to have an impact on the species that live within them. But this effect may extend further than previously thought.

In the largest-ever analysis of arboreal vertebrate species, involving over 1,600 species on five continents, researchers found that 46 percent are attracted to the edges of forests and 39 percent avoid these edges. That last number is a cause of concern for many scientists, as forest areas are commonly divided into smaller and smaller areas, increasing the prevalence of forest edge habitats. This puts species that prefer deep woods at an increased threat of extinction.

Previous studies have shown that fragmentation of the world’s forests is affecting both animal extinctions and biodiversity. It is believed that roughly half of the world’s forested acres are now within 500 meters of the edge of a road, pasture, or other non-forest land use. 

This particular study gathered data on animal abundance from a range of mostly tropical landscapes, which ranged from open non-forested habitats to forest edges and deep within remote jungles. Studies involving deep forest habitats are rather rare, as these areas can be extremely difficult to reach.

Overall, the data clearly showed that the edges of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/city-dwellers-brain-health/">forests</a> have a significant effect on many species. "There are few remaining areas where you don't have intrusions into the forests, such as roads and other activities,” says Adam Hadley, a research associate at <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> and co-author of the paper. “Maybe we should consider not putting roads into them. It may be valuable just to keep them as remote as possible. There aren't that many left.”

This study was the first of its kind to document universal patterns across so many species of animals. It’s results point to the fact that we need to increase conservation efforts in large areas of forestland in order to prevent them from being divided into smaller fragments. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Forest edges leave species around the world at risk

The edges of forests – where the woods meet human...

A <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbirds-declining-numbers/">songbird</a> learns a new song much in the same way that a child learns a new language.

According to a recent study, zebra finches have adapted a simple step-by-step approach to simplify the process of acquiring knowledge.

The researchers found that zebra finches rely on syllables they already know and adapt them to the syllables they are learning. During this step in the learning process, the sequence of the syllables often gets mixed up. As part of the next step in learning a song, the birds re-arrange the new syllables into the correct order.

Study lead author Richard Hahnloser is a professor at the <a href="https://www.ini.uzh.ch/">Institute of Neuroinformatics</a>, which is run by <a href="https://www.ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a> and the <a href="http://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a>.  

"The zebra finches have evolved the strategy of dividing a task as complex as learning a new song into easy-to-manage parts," said Hahnloser. "This allows them to expand their repertoire with minimal effort."

The researchers developed an experiment for young birds, which were less than a month old at the beginning of the study. Each day, the researchers played a song for the finches to learn. 

A month into the study, the experts changed the song and examined the responses of the birds. They discovered that the finches attempted to adapt the song they had grown familiar with to the new one.

"In nature, birds instinctively adapt their songs to those of adult birds of the same species," explained Hahnloser. 

The researchers recorded all vocalizations made by the birds and used a computer to analyze each and every syllable. What they discovered is a very sophisticated method of learning.

"Interestingly, the birds' strategy closely resembles the best methods currently used in computer linguistics to compare documents," said Hahnloser. 

These algorithms compare written documents by focusing on words regardless of their exact order. By comparing vast amounts of texts, these algorithms calculate the similarity of two words in terms of a number. For example, computer linguistics would identify that the words "house" and "building" have very similar meanings.

"Today's computer scientists therefore use the same strategy that songbirds evolved - the birds have probably been using it for millions of years," said Hahnloser.

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Songbirds use a very sophisticated strategy to learn new songs

A songbird learns a new song much in the same...

Food odors can act as a potent aphrodisiac for the common fruit fly. According to a new study, certain scents enhance the smell of male pheromones and activate the olfactory center in unmated female brains.

The research was conducted by scientists from the Department of Evolutionary Neurotheology at the <a href="https://www.mpg.de/institutes">Max Planck Institute</a>. 

The study discovered that vinegar odor enhances the smell of male sex pheromones, which activates the glomerulus DA1 part of the female brain, but the effect was only found in unmated virgin female flies. 

“We were able to show in our study that vinegar odor enhances the reactions of female flies to the male sex pheromone significantly. Both odors together intensify the activation of DA1,” said  Silke Sachse, head of the Olfactory Coding research group. 

For the study, researchers mapped the neural signals in the brains of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-fruit-flies-aggressive/">fruit flies</a> to see how odor signals were received and processed. 

The research team used functional imaging techniques in transgenic fly lines to visually track and monitor how the brain reacted to sex pheromones, vinegar, and both odors together.

Transgenic flies or transgenic animal lines are animals that carry the gene a different species, with the foreign gene directly inserted into the embryo and genome. 

Researchers examined transgenic flies who had selected synapses connections between classes of nerve cells purposely silenced. 

This allowed the the team to target the neurons that were responsible for carrying the signals activated by the two different odors. 

The results of the study showed that glomerulus DA1 in virgin unmated females is activated and enhanced by both pheromones and vinegar, and this enhanced response increases the female’s desire to mate. 

The researchers were surprised, however, that this response was only enhanced in unmated female flies. 

It makes sense that food odors would enhance the fly’s desire to mate, as an abundant food source provides a higher chance of survival for both the fly and her offspring. 

The more willing a female is to mate, the quicker reproduction can occur, which is critical given the short life-span of a fruit fly.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Benjamin Fabian, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

For flies, smelling like food will get you a girlfriend

Food odors can act as a potent aphrodisiac for the...

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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



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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...