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...

Recent video footage revealed a surprising sight: common leopards were spotted wandering in the same area as snow leopards in the Qinghai province in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/anti-smog-measures-china/">China</a>. While this may sound like a beautiful find for nature lovers, scientists aren’t pleased. 

What has scientists up in arms? The snow leopard is endangered and the common leopard poses a threat to its already-dwindling numbers.

Snow leopards typically make their home in high altitudes, usually above 3,000m. They dwell in rocky areas that are more exposed. Meanwhile, the common leopards live in lower-altitude forest and woodland areas. 

Although the upper reaches of the common leopards’ habitat can sometimes overlap with the lower borders of the snow leopard’s territory, this is the first time that researchers have seen video evidence of the two cats wandering in the exact same area. 

Professor Sandro Lovari’s team from the <a href="http://en.unisi.it">University of Siena</a> in Italy has conducted studies on snow leopards in Nepal’s <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/120">Sagarmatha National Park</a> in 2013. He points to the common leopard’s ability to adapt to different habitats as the root of the problem. As common leopards move upwards, a dwindling amount of prey could force the snow leopard into higher-altitudes that are barren and inhospitable.

Byron Weckworth, China’s program director of the <a href="https://www.panthera.org">Panthera</a> conservation organization, suggests that climate change is also pushing the tree line higher and shrinking the snow leopard’s habitat.

Locals in the region don’t believe that the merging of the two species will create further harm. Some even believe that the two species could mate, pointing to the rather pale color of the common leopards in the area. Weckworth insists that this is extremely unlikely.

Lovari agrees, saying that reproduction between the two leopard species is “even more unlikely than brown bears and polar bears” successfully mating. 

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Sources: Sandro Lovari, <a href="http://en.unisi.it">University of Siena</a>

Scientists concerned about leopards becoming roommates

Recent video footage revealed a surprising sight: common leopards were...

Wasps have a pretty good defense in their painful stinger – or so we all thought. A species of wasp recently discovered in Peru has upped the ante, so to speak.

This astonishing wasp totes more than a stinger on its tail; it’s also equipped with what appears to be an ant’s head built into its posterior. Researchers were so shocked at their discover that they named the wasp species Clistopyga carumba. The name is based on the the Spanish phrase “Ay Carumba!” that’s often used to express surprise.

The wasp’s appearance is so odd that initially, scientists thought that it had suffered some sort of deformation. They soon realized their mistake and deemed the species “the most bizarre parasitoid wasps ever collected and described,” according to the journal<a href="http://www.mapress.com/j/zt/"> Zootaxa</a>. 

Scientists found the female wasp specimen in storage at<a href="http://museohn.unmsm.edu.pe"> The Natural History Museum of San Marcos, Lima, Peru</a>. Sadly, the dead specimen is the only one of its type ever to be discovered.

This has led scientists to hypothesize about the many possible uses of the wasp’s bizarre ant-head tail. The design of the ant’s posterior may allow it to bend upwards at a more aggressive degree, better enabling it to attack prey. 

Another possibility is that that the tail is an example of Batesian mimicry. This evolutionary tactic allows certain species to mimic other harmful species in order to frighten away potential attackers. Burrowing owls use this sort of mimicry, imitating the hissing sounds of a rattlesnake to drive predators away from their underground nests.   

In the case of Clistopyga carumba, because spiders are frightened of ants, the wasp uses a tail that resembles an ant’s head to deter lurking spiders. Scientists also believe that spiders may be attracted to the tail, seeking to attack what they believe is a dangerous ant. When the spider gets close enough, the wasp is able to kill it.

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.mapress.com/j/zt/">Zootaxa</a>

Image: <a href="https://www.utu.fi/en/units/sci/units/biology/services/zmut/Pages/home.aspx">Zoological Museum at the University of Turku</a>

Bizarre ant-butt wasp makes scientists say, “Ay Carumba!”

Wasps have a pretty good defense in their painful stinger...

After ten years of declining numbers, the <a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/tiger">World Wildlife Fund</a> reports that the global <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tiger-poaching-rise-luxury-market/">tiger</a> population is beginning to bounce back. Among the species they hope to see again are Caspian tigers, a long-extinct tiger breed. They roamed through Central Asia before they were declared extinct in the mid-1960s.

How do you reintroduce an animal that’s extinct? The marvels of modern day science, of course. Researchers from the <a href="http://www.esf.edu">SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry</a> have plans to use a subspecies that’s genetically identical the Caspian. 

Once they have the tigers, scientists have identified the perfect habitat for them: an area of Kazakhstan that is an ideal environment for the newly-introduced species to flourish. 

The Caspian became extinct in part because for a time, there was a price on its head. The Soviet Union paid a bounty for each tiger that was trapped or poisoned – a practice that continued until the 1930s. They also suffered from disruptions to their habitat caused by irrigation projects that tore through the forests and frightened away the tigers’ prey. 

With the tigers now off-limits for hunting, their status would be protected. In an article published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biological-conservation/">Biological Conservation</a>, the team explains how environmental groups and Kazakhstani government would prepare the tigers’ potential habitat before they could be reintroduced. Mikhail Paltsyn, a member of the research team, says that people must work to stop the riparian zone degradation that has resulted from wildfires. Since tigers need food, the next step would be to restore hoofed prey mammals to the area. Human safety issues need to be addressed in order to ensure the continued survival of those living in the area, as well as the tigers. Water is also an issue, and Paltsyn suggests that efforts be undertone to raise the water levels in nearby Balkash Lake.

The possible habitat area for the long-extinct tiger spans about 2,7000 square miles. If the plan moves forward, the population of Caspian tigers could grow to between 64 and 98 tigers within 50 years.

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.esf.edu">SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry</a>

Image: Heptner and Sludskiy 1972

Long-extinct tiger may be reintroduced in Kazakhstan

After ten years of declining numbers, the World Wildlife Fund...

No sacred cows when it comes to mosquitoes and malaria. In the past, mosquito-elimination efforts in order to control malaria in places like India have focused on humans. Now, a team of researchers is studying the connection between <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mosquitoes-prefer-humans-animals/">mosquitoes</a> and cattle. 

Matthew Thomas, a professor of entomology at <a href="http://www.psu.edu">Penn State</a>, says that in some parts of India where malaria is problematic, the same type of mosquito that feeds on humans also feeds on cattle. This is important because in these places, cattle sheds are often constructed in close proximity to people’s houses. In some cases, a human home may even share a wall with a cattle shed, providing the mosquitoes with easy access to both human and cattle hosts. 

Considering both the human and the cattle players in the malaria puzzle is important, insists Jessica Waite, a postdoctoral scholar in entomology at Penn State. "Given this cattle-shed 'refuge' for mosquitoes, focusing only on humans with regard to malaria control is a bit like treating the tip of an iceberg,” she said in a news release on the study. 

Researchers carried out the study by capturing 1,774 Anopheles culicifacies and 169 Anopheles fluviatilis mosquitoes in six villages in Odisha state. This area has the highest rate of malaria infections in India. In-depth testing revealed the species of the mosquitoes, as well as what sort of hosts they had fed on. 

What does this mean for mosquito-elimination efforts? Thomas says that the study indicates that insecticide sprays and treated bed nets aren’t as effective against mosquitoes that also feed on nonhuman animals. Villages might cut down such mosquito populations by spraying cattle sheds, as well. 

These efforts could be a big step toward the World Health Organization’s goal of reducing global malaria cases by 90 percent by the year 2030. 

The study appeared in the Jan. 16 edition of <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

No sacred cows when it comes to mosquitoes and malaria

No sacred cows when it comes to mosquitoes and malaria....

A female zebra shark in Australia has confirmed what women everywhere have long suspected: men are overrated. She did this by getting pregnant all by herself.

To be clear, her most recent pregnancy was accomplished solo. Leonie the zebra shark had a male companion from 1999 to 2012, when he was moved to a different tank. During that time, the pair gave birth to a whopping two dozen babies.

After her mate was moved, Leonie didn’t let that deter her from joining the Mommy Club yet again. She surprised her caretakers by giving birth to three baby <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/kiribati-establishes-shark-sanctuary/">sharks</a> in 2016. 

How is this possible? <a href="http://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Brisbane</a> researcher Christine Dudgeon and her colleagues have cycled through a few theories.

At first, they thought perhaps the female zebra shark was able to turn her body into a sperm bank. This would allow her to use her ex’s sperm to fertilize her eggs at will. Upon further investigation, they found that the baby sharks were only carrying one set of DNA – that of their mother. Congratulations, Leonie’s ex: you are not the father!

This means that Leonie had her babies via asexual reproduction. This is quite common in many vertebrate species such as sharks, snakes, Komodo dragons, rays, and turkeys. Where Leonie has scientists baffled is that while asexual reproduction is typical for females who have never had a male partner, it’s virtually unheard of in females who have previously mated with males. 

Animals who move from sexual to asexual reproduction is a phenomenon that will require more study. Researchers like Dudgeon believe that it’s possible that this kind of switch occurs more often than scientists realize; they just didn’t know to look for it before.

--

By Dawn Henderson, Earth.com Staff Writer

Female zebra shark reproduces without a male

A female zebra shark in Australia has confirmed what women...

Performing animals were at the center of the success of the "greatest show on earth." The announcement from Ringling Bros. and Barnum &amp; Bailey Circus came as a surprise to some: after being active for more than a century, they are closing down their circus.

“Ringling Bros. ticket sales have been declining, but following the transition of the elephants off the road, we saw an even more dramatic drop. This, coupled with high operating costs, made the circus an unsustainable business for the company,” Chairman and CEO Kenneth Feld said in a statement posted on the <a href="https://www.ringling.com/">circus’ website</a>.

Circus lovers were saddened by the news, but it has some animal rights groups cheering.

“It’s a win for the animals,” Ed Stewart told the Sacramento Bee. Stewart co-founded the <a href="http://www.pawsweb.org/">Performing Animal Welfare Society</a> in 1984 with Pat Derby, who worked with captive animals in Hollywood.

Derby, who died of cancer in 2013, was inspired to work for animal rights after witnessing animal abuse on the sets of “Gunsmoke,” “Flipper,” and other shows, according to the PAWS website.

“PAWS applauds the decision by the Feld family to bring the curtain down on the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus,” the nonprofit wrote on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pawsweb.org/">Facebook</a>. “Public opinion has radically changed, favoring an end to the use of wild animals for entertainment, whether it’s elephants and tigers in circuses or orcas in marine parks.”

Over the years, PAWS and other animal rights groups – including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Human Society of the United States – led protests and lawsuits targeting the circus.

“Ringling Bros. has changed a great deal over a century and a half, but not fast enough,” Wayne Pacelle, Humane Society president and CEO, said in a <a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2017/01/ringling-bros-show-ends-011417.html">statement</a>. “It’s just not acceptable any longer to cart wild animals from city to city and have them perform silly yet coercive stunts.”

In the late 1990s, activists with the Humane Society and other groups filed a lawsuit claiming that Ringling Bros. and other circuses used bullhooks and chains on their elephants, in addition to neglecting the animals.

In 2012, after 14 years, Ringling Bros. won a $16 million settlement in court over the allegations. Feld Entertainment, the circus’ parent company, <a href="http://www.postandcourier.com/news/animal-groups-agree-to-pay-nearly-m-to-ringling/article_6b737d7a-969c-5d81-97b6-32b79a6efbad.html">received the payment</a> in May 2014.

Despite their win in court, however, the company was feeling the pressure. In recent years, California and Rhode Island banned the use of bullhooks.

In October 2016, Feld Entertainment retired the Ringling Bros. elephants, a plan they’d first suggested at the beginning of the year. The elephants now live at the 200-acre <a href="https://www.ringlingelephantcenter.com/">Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation</a>.

While animal rights groups celebrate, others are saddened by the circus closing.

The elephants had been with the circus for more than 140 years, since the beginning.

But in recent years, the elephants – like SeaWorld’s performing orcas – have been at the center of a debate over working animals.

Abuse of performing animals shouldn’t happen, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/animal-abuse-allegations-hollywood/">but it does</a>. When the abusers are caught, a scandal is sure to follow. After all, we bond to the animals that appear on our movie screens or in the shows we see live.

That’s the point – if we don’t feel a connection to performing animals, we’re not going to be emotionally invested in their performances.

That backfires on the culprits when abuse is uncovered – when we care about animals, we care if they’re being treated badly.

Working animals aren’t always mistreated, though. Some, in fact, enjoy their jobs. Trainers aren’t all villains, either.

Take <a href="http://circuscats.com/">The Acro-Cats</a>, for example. The cats perform amazing tricks for audiences around the U.S., but they’re felines on a mission. Their human staff use the act to raise awareness about two causes close to their hearts: pet adoption from shelters, and cat training.

If the circus cats aren’t in the mood to deal with performing for an audience, they don’t have to.

“Some days they perform, sometimes they don’t,” circus founder and cat trainer Samantha Martin said in the documentary “The Wonderful World of Cats.” “It’s free will. We open up the cage, and if they don’t come out, that means they don’t want to come out. We close the cage and move on to the next trick.”

Animals find fulfillment in other careers, too.

<a href="https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/">The Donkey Sanctuary</a> matches up donkeys and children for animal therapy. The work is good for the children, but it’s good for the donkeys, too. They get some affection and attention from each child they help, and the sanctuary works to help donkeys, putting their welfare first.

Dogs around the world are employed in dozens of different jobs, and while some are mistreated – in the case of fighting dogs, horribly – many are thrilled for the chance to work with people.

Even circuses can be successful without exploiting animals.

<a href="https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/">Cirque du Soleil</a> is the obvious example. The Montreal-based circus has performed to sold-out shows around the world and is a permanent attraction in New York, Las Vegas, and other cities.

<a href="http://circusvargas.com/">Circus Vargas</a> once featured animal acts, but successfully retired them in 2010. They’ve made ending abuse a big part of their business model. Not just animal abuse, either – they also support the anti-child abuse organization Childhelp.

These groups show that it’s entirely possible to train working animals without abusing them and to have successful circuses without animals at all.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Circus closure prompts us to look at the history of performing animals

Performing animals were at the center of the success of...

Ever wonder how Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in The Revenant would have fared during that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ecological-traps-pose-big-risks-grizzly-bears/">grizzly bear</a> attack if he had been able to transform into a pack of wolves? Thanks to spectacular photographs from British vacationer Tom Littlejohns, you can almost picture it.

On a snow covered hilltop in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, a lone deer nibbles on the foliage of an evergreen. Deer are browsers, feeding primarily on young leaves and soft twigs.

The serenity of the scene swiftly gives way to violence as a pack three wolves ambush the deer, cornering her on a clearing near the edge of a cliff. She tries to run back into the thicket of the woods, but they have her surrounded. There is no escape.

Moments later, the three wolves feed greedily on the carcass of the deer. 

Thanks to expanding human populations, North American gray wolves had almost disappeared from the continental United States by the 1940s. However, a program based in central Idaho and Yellowstone Park proved successful in reintroducing the species to regions in northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, northern Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Montana.

One of them moves too close to the deer leg in another’s mouth on and a brawl ensues. Noise from the fight and the smell of the deer’s fresh blood attract the attention of a six and a half foot long grizzly bear.

The wolf not involved in the tussle turns and moves to pounce on the would-be plunderer. But she quickly discovers she is no match for the lumbering giant and runs off to hide the woods.  

The other two wolves move in to defend their food, but even at their most ferocious, the wolves cannot match the grizzly’s size and strength. The bear chases the wolves away and enjoys the fresh deer dinner.

All that is to say Leonardo’s character would have still lost.

<a href="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-16-at-3.12.40-PM.png"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-130388" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-16-at-3.12.40-PM-300x199.png" alt="screen-shot-2017-01-16-at-3-12-40-pm" width="300" height="199" /></a>

<a href="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-16-at-3.13.07-PM.png"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-130386" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-16-at-3.13.07-PM-300x184.png" alt="screen-shot-2017-01-16-at-3-13-07-pm" width="300" height="184" /></a>

<a href="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-16-at-3.13.19-PM.png"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-130385" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-16-at-3.13.19-PM-300x198.png" alt="screen-shot-2017-01-16-at-3-13-19-pm" width="300" height="198" /></a>

<a href="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-16-at-3.12.52-PM.png"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-130387" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-16-at-3.12.52-PM-300x219.png" alt="screen-shot-2017-01-16-at-3-12-52-pm" width="300" height="219" /></a>

<a href="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-16-at-3.13.41-PM.png"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-130384" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-16-at-3.13.41-PM-300x223.png" alt="Photos taken by a British vacationer capture wolves hunting down a deer, only to have their meal stolen by a hungry grizzly bear." width="300" height="223" /></a>

--

Photos: Tom Littlejohns

Written by Darryl Joseph, Earth.com Staff Writer

Grizzly bear caught stealing dinner from wolves

Ever wonder how Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in The Revenant would...

When you look at the tree of life, some species have lots of branches, while others have only a few, or most of the branches have broken off. What makes one group an evolutionary success, while other lines lose most of their branches?

Trying to find a pattern to survival is more difficult than it might appear at first. The kingdom Animalia has been divided up into 30 phyla, divisions based on certain traits.

That’s where things start getting complicated. The phylum Placozoa has only one species: Trichoplax adhaerens, a tiny, flat organism with no internal structures or even organs. The phylum Anthropoda contains multitudes – more than 80 percent of known animal species, including crabs, lobsters, insects, spiders, and more.

Dr. Tereza Jezkova and Dr. John Wiens, both of the <a href="http://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a>, set out to look for any patterns that might explain the stunning range of diversity in Anthropoda and other phyla, and the stunning lack of it in those like Placozoa.

The goal was to try and get an idea of why one phylum might be an evolutionary success while another seems to be barely hanging on.

To do this, they created a database to keep track of 18 different traits. The characteristics they tracked ranged from internal anatomical structures, to the type of habitat an animal can survive in, to how quickly a species reproduces.

Three traits were most connected to evolutionary success, the scientists discovered. The most successful phyla contain organisms that live on dry land, have a skeleton, and mooch off other organisms as parasites.

Other traits that might seem important to humans, such as having organs and a head, aren’t actually all that vital for species survival, it turns out.

One reason parasites are so successful is that other species tend to do the work of evolution for them, the scientists noted. If a species of gazelle has a dozen parasites, and two population evolve away from each other into separate species, the parasites evolve with them, they said. That leads to 24 parasite species instead of 12.

The research can help scientists understand which animal species are more fragile and which are better survivors.

For example, phyla that survive in the water, especially the oceans, tend to be less robust. They’re also disappearing rapidly due to pollution, ocean acidification, and other issues, Jezkova and Wiens said.

The scientists have published their research in the journal <a href="http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/an/current">American Naturalist</a>.

Scientists wonder: what traits add to evolutionary success?

When you look at the tree of life, some species...

Want to make sure your pet pooch can keep up with your active lifestyle? The new Fitbark can help.

The health monitor is the <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/awww-looks-just-like-dog/">doggy</a> version of the popular Fitbit, the wearable tech that keeps humans on the move.

“We're on a mission to get dogs and humans healthy together,” the <a href="https://www.fitbark.com/explore/">website devoted to the device</a> proclaims.

Fitbark is a bone-shaped clip-on for canine collars. It connects to a smartphone app, where owners can fill out information about their dogs for a better reading.

Then, the new Fitbark goes to work, monitoring your dog’s activity – through miles traveled and calories burned – and sleep patterns. It works with any mobile device that can connect to Bluetooth devices, as long as they’re running either iOS 8, Android 5, or above.

FitBark can be used with any dogs, according to the device’s creators.

“FitBark is so tiny that it won’t bother dogs of any size, including 3-pound Chihuahuas and 200-pound Leonbergers,” they wrote on their website.

It can even be used with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/non-profit-instagram-big-cats/">cats</a>, pigs, and other pets, but the app doesn’t provide baseline data for animals other than dogs, they said.

FitBark can also help to monitor some health conditions seen in dogs as they age, such as osteoarthritis.

The creators of FitBark are also using it to add to our understanding of dogs’ health. They’ve discovered some interesting trends in the data collected by dogs owners who have adopted the new FitBark tech.

For one, they learned that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/deal-puppy-talk/">puppies</a> only spend about 11 to 13 hours a day sleeping. Human babies, on the other hand, sleep an average 16 to 20 hours a day.

They found that Maltese dogs are more restless during fireworks, while beagles and golden retrievers tend to be calmer. They even found that 6 p.m. is the most popular time for people to walk their dogs, and Swiss dogs are the most active.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

New Fitbark promises to keep canines active

Want to make sure your pet pooch can keep up...

You may think you’ve been feeding puss perfectly with gourmet cat food twice a day – but scientists beg to differ and have outlined a new cat feeding schedule. The proper feeding schedule for your furry friend is actually closer to five bite-size meals a day, which more closely replicates how kitty dines in the wild.

Large meal sizes mean that our favorite pets are getting overweight and sluggish, and suffering from diseases like diabetes in their older years.

The new report suggests that:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Cats should be fed five times a day, which includes a night feed.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Dining on many small meals throughout the day stops cats from overeating.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Eating “little and often” replicates the way that cats naturally eat in the wild.</li>
</ul>
Chomping down on large-portioned meals means a cat overrides its inclination to stop eating when it feels full. As our feline companions are active after dark, scientists also suggest using timed feeders to assure cats get their energy after we go to bed. 

In addition to adopting the new cat feeding schedule the experts also suggested gamifying meal times to give the impression of a hunt. In the wild, cats can hunt for up to 12 hours a day. Without the stimulation of the hunt, cats become bored and frustrated, and engage in attention-seeking behaviours.

The scientists suggested creating “puzzle feeders” for the pets to help stimulate them mentally.

Puzzle feeders were the subject of a recent <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/loi/jfm">Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery</a> review. These nifty tools helped reduce feline stress, curbed weight loss, reduced aggressive behavior, and eliminated attention seeking. The same journal also advised to keep water bowls separate from food, as in the wild cats prefer to drink water far away from a food source. It is presumed that water near food is considered contaminated by the cats.

Feline behavior specialist Sarah Ellis said: “The way we feed our cats generally does not match the lifestyle they were designed for. Cats have undergone little in the way of selective breeding during the domestication process and therefore have an instinctive need to hunt. This modern lifestyle could be dangerous to pets, but by making a few simple changes to the way we feed them, we can help our cats to live longer, healthier and happier lives. The plan, based on scientific evidence, helps every cat owner mimic the conditions cats would usually contend with to get their food.”

This research and the subsequent cat feed plan was authored by Dr. Sarah Ellis and Dr. Lizzie Rowe for the charity <a href="http://www.icatcare.org/">International Cat Care</a>. You can read all their excellent tips for taking care of your nearest and dearest furry friend on their website. Follow this new cat feeding schedule and see your pussy prosper!

By Frances Levine/ Earth.com Editor-in-Chief

What's new pussycat? Science suggests new cat feeding schedule

You may think you’ve been feeding puss perfectly with gourmet...

The Asian shot hole borer has a name longer than it is. This tiny bug has a big appetite, though, and a new favorite food: avocado trees.

The little beetles are native to southeast Asia, but traveled to Los Angeles in 2003. More than a dozen years later, they’re expanding into other areas of Southern California.

Among those areas are the avocado tree orchards of Ventura County.

“Shot hole borers will bore into almost everything, including avocado trees, which is why they are getting a lot of attention,” graduate student Shelley Bennett said in a <a href="http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2017/017516/holy-guacamole">press release</a>. “But these beetles also affect many native tree species.”

Bennett works in the <a href="http://rivrlab.msi.ucsb.edu/">Riparian InVasion Research Laboratory</a> at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The lab studies invasive insect species, among other topics. One team has been tracking Asian shot hole borers in California.

The two species of shot hole borer seen in the state are tiny – usually less than a tenth of an inch. They have a big appetite, though.

Worse, both species of beetle carry a pathogenic fungus that causes a disease called Fusarium dieback.

For the beetles, the fungus is vital. It’s carried by pregnant females, who plant it beneath a tree’s bark before laying their eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae, which eat the fungus as they grow to adulthood.

Once they’re adults, each females collects some fungus of her own before heading out into the world.

But for trees that are susceptible to Fusarium dieback, the fungus that causes it is devastating. The disease affects the vascular systems of more than 130 tree species, cutting off the flow of nutrients that keep them alive.

Aside from the avocado trees, the beetle has been spotted in oak and sycamore trees in Santa Barbara County, and along the Santa Clara River which runs through parts of Southern California.

The spread of the invasive insects could lay waste to Southern California’s avocado groves, valued at more than $400 million.

Worse, they could cause damage to the state’s riparian habitats – natural areas along rivers that offer habitat for native animal and plant species.

The <a href="http://www.ucsb.edu/">UC Santa Barbara</a> researchers are working with scientists from the <a href="http://ucanr.edu/">UC Cooperative Extension</a>, the <a href="https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/">California Department of Food and Agriculture</a>, and other agencies to come up with a solution.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Tiny shot hole borers want our guacamole!

The Asian shot hole borer has a name longer than...

Chimps enjoy their casual flings, but when it’s time to settle down, they don’t want just any mate. Opposites attract, scientists said.

Researchers at <a href="http://www.tanzaniaparks.go.tz/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=28&amp;Itemid=186">Gombe National Park</a> in Tanzania have found that when it comes time to have babies, chimps want a mate who is as genetically different from themselves as possible.

The researchers ran DNA tests of feces from 150 chimpanzees to see how similar each male-female pair was. Not that similar, they found out.

While most wild animals appear to avoid breeding with close relatives, chimps take it a step farther.

They avoid not only their siblings and close cousins, but also strangers who are genetically similar, the researchers said.

The scientists aren’t sure yet how the chimps can tell. They think the primates may base their choices on appearance, smell, and the sounds they make, and how different they are from each other.

“Our results suggest that, as expected for a slowly reproducing species in which females invest heavily in each offspring and sometimes reside with close relatives, several mechanisms promote inbreeding avoidance and mate choice in chimpanzees,” they wrote in their study.

In other words, it’s quite literally a case of opposites attract.

The drive behind their choices may be a phenomenon called “inbreeding depression,” the scientists said.

In the rare cases where a chimpanzee does mate with a parent, sibling, or other close relative, the babies are less likely to survive to adulthood, the scientists said. That’s because inbreeding can allow recessive genes to be expressed, leading to health problems.

“Inbreeding can adversely affect fitness through numerous pathways, notably via early death or reproductive disadvantage,” the scientists wrote.

Usually, this is avoided by female chimps moving out of their family group once they reach their teen years.

But even among a new group of chimps she hasn’t met before, a female chimp is more likely to choose a genetically different mate, the scientists said. When tested, female chimpanzees who had migrated to a new group often had more genetic differences with their chosen mate than with other males in the group, they said.

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/4/1/160422">Royal Society Open Science</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

When chimps want to start a family, opposites attract

Chimps enjoy their casual flings, but when it’s time to...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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