Octopuses have long fascinated scientists with their intelligence, camouflage abilities, and unique biology. 



These remarkable creatures continue to surprise researchers, revealing new secrets about their evolutionary past. One of the most intriguing mysteries has been the question of how octopuses determine their sex.



Scientists at the University of Oregon recently identified a sex chromosome in the California two-spot octopus. This discovery confirms that cephalopods, a group that includes squid and nautiluses, rely on chromosomes for sex determination. 



The research also suggests that this chromosome has existed for at least 480 million years, making it one of the oldest known sex chromosomes in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/turquets-octopus-dna-tells-scientists-that-west-antarctic-ice-sheet-collapse-is-close/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal kingdom</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sex-chromosome-in-octopuses">Sex chromosome in octopuses</h2>



“Cephalopods are already such interesting creatures, and there are so many things we’re still learning about them, especially in neuroscience,” said Gabby Coffing, a doctoral student at the <a href="https://www.uoregon.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oregon</a>. 



“This is just showing one more interesting thing about them: They have really ancient sex chromosomes.”



The findings, published in the journal Current Biology, provide new insights into the genetic history of octopuses and their relatives. Understanding this ancient sex determination system could help scientists uncover more about how these intelligent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-octopus-day-the-intelligent-creatures-of-the-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">creatures</a> evolved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sex-determination-varies-across-species">Sex determination varies across species</h2>



Sex determination is not the same for all animals. While humans and most mammals rely on the X/Y chromosome system, other species follow different methods. 



In turtles, sex depends on the temperature at which the eggs incubate. Some fish determine sex using a single gene rather than a whole chromosome. 



Even in humans, sex chromosomes are not always straightforward. Gene mutations or extra sex chromosomes can lead to biological variations that do not fit into a simple male or female category.



Cephalopods have long posed a challenge for genetic research. They are not standard laboratory animals like mice or fruit flies, making it difficult for scientists to study their genetics in depth. 



Although researchers have sequenced the genomes of some octopus <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/octopus-suckers-the-future-of-underwater-adhesives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a>, they still struggle to link specific genes to particular traits. The discovery of an octopus sex chromosome marks a major breakthrough in understanding how these animals develop and reproduce.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unique-sex-chromosome-in-female-octopuses">Unique sex chromosome in female octopuses</h2>



The research team at the University of Oregon made an unexpected discovery when sequencing the DNA of a female California two-spot octopus. 



Among its 30 chromosomes, one stood out because it contained only half the usual amount of genetic material. This anomaly had not appeared in previous studies of male octopus DNA.



“This particular chromosome had half the amount of sequencing data, which indicated there was only one copy,” Coffing explained. “Then as we explored that more, we reached the conclusion that we must have stumbled upon a sex chromosome.”



This finding suggested that female octopuses carry a unique chromosome that males do not. The scientists needed to confirm their discovery by comparing it with data from other cephalopods. 



If this chromosome appeared in multiple species, it would indicate an ancient and consistent pattern of sex determination.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sex-chromosome-exists-in-other-cephalopods">Sex chromosome exists in other cephalopods</h2>



The team analyzed genomic data from other octopus species and found similar evidence of this unique chromosome. 



The experts also detected the sex chromosome in squid, a species that diverged from octopuses between 248 and 455 million years ago. More surprisingly, they identified traces of it in the nautilus, a mollusk that split from the octopus lineage approximately 480 million years ago.



“This indicates that their common ancestor had this similar sex determination system,” Coffing said.



Most sex chromosomes change rapidly over time because they play a crucial role in reproduction. However, this cephalopod sex chromosome appears to have remained stable for hundreds of millions of years. 



This suggests that octopuses and their relatives have relied on this system without significant evolutionary changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comparing-ancient-sex-chromosomes">Comparing ancient sex chromosomes</h2>



While the octopus sex chromosome is one of the oldest known, other ancient sex chromosomes exist in nature. 



Some plants, like mosses and liverworts, evolved their sex chromosomes early in Earth’s history. Insects also have sex chromosomes that date back about 450 million years, though these have changed considerably over time.



The discovery in octopuses challenges the idea that sex chromosomes always evolve quickly. It suggests that some systems remain stable if they continue to work effectively over long periods. Cephalopods seem to have found a genetic formula for sex determination that has stood the test of time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mystery-of-the-missing-w-chromosome">Mystery of the missing W chromosome</h2>



One question remains unanswered: how exactly does the sex determination system work in octopuses? Scientists initially suspected that octopuses might have a system similar to birds and butterflies, where males have two identical chromosomes (ZZ) and females have one of each (ZW).



Kern and his team searched for a W chromosome in female octopuses but didn't find one. This leaves open the possibility that octopuses follow a different system in which males have two copies of a single chromosome (ZZ), while females have only one (Z).



Researchers still need more evidence to confirm how octopus sex chromosomes function. While this study has solved one piece of the puzzle, many questions remain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-secrets-of-the-octopus">Secrets of the octopus </h2>



Octopuses continue to be one of the most enigmatic creatures in the ocean. Their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-octopus-has-mastered-the-art-of-multispecies-hunting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">intelligence</a>, problem-solving skills, and unique genetics set them apart from most other animals. 



The discovery of an ancient sex chromosome adds another layer to their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-animal-will-replace-humans-as-earths-dominant-species-this-scientist-has-an-idea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolutionary story</a>. For now, researchers know that this octopus sex chromosome has been around for nearly half a billion years. However, the exact mechanics of how it works remain uncertain.



As scientists continue to explore cephalopod genetics, they will uncover more about how these fascinating animals developed their extraordinary traits.



The octopus has revealed one of its secrets, but it still holds on to many more.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00005-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Sex chromosome discovered in octopuses is 480 million years old

Octopuses have long fascinated scientists with their intelligence, camouflage abilities, and unique biology. These remarkable creatures continue to surprise researchers, revealing new secrets about their evolutionary past. One of the most intriguing mysteries has been the question of how octopuses determine their sex. Scientists at the University of Oregon recently identified a sex chromosome in the California two-spot octopus. This discovery confirms that cephalopods, a group that includes squid and nautiluses, rely on chromosomes for sex determination. The research also suggests that this chromosome has existed for...

When a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-chimpanzees-live-extra-long-lives/">chimpanzee</a> discovered that moss could be used as a sponge to soak up water, the idea spread to family members, new study has reported.

Three years after his observing the innovative behavior in Budongo Forest, Uganda, researchers returned to the area and found that moss-sponge use continued to spread and was mostly learned by relatives of the chimp who invented it.

The discovery reinforces previous evidence that for animals, culture is spread mainly through family.

The researchers performed an experiment in which they provided moss and leaves at the clay pit where the chimps had demonstrated the technique before.

This time, an additional 17 chimps used the moss-sponges. Moss-sponging was strongly correlated with having moss-sponging relatives, according to the the researchers who examined field data from other scientists who have been observing the chimps for long periods.

“This is a wonderful contribution to the study of animal cultures,” Andrew Whiten of the <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/">University of St Andrews</a> told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. “The accumulated evidence suggests that chimpanzees pass on scores of different traditions across Africa, but being able to see any of them originate and then spread is very much rarer.”

The chimpanzees primarily learn from their parents and other family members. “It’s like the family is the [crucible] where the behaviour is transmitted,” says Thibaud Gruber of the University of Geneva, Switzerland, one of the study authors.

A previous study involving Japanese macaques on Koshima Island in the 1950s, found that when a young female chimp began washing sand off sweet potatoes in a river before eating them, her peers soon did the same. Since then, the behavior has spread from mother to offspring.

Moss-sponging seems to be following a similar pattern, says Frans de Waal of <a href="http://www.emory.edu/">Emory University</a> in Atlanta.

“Social closeness is most of the time a bias in social learning, so that individuals learn the best from those they hang out with and whose behaviour interests them,” he says. We learn more readily from those we can identify with, and so do animals, he adds

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>, <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/">University of St Andrews</a>

&nbsp;

In chimps, learning is a family affair, research finds

When a chimpanzee discovered that moss could be used as...

A new study reports that female dragonflies have a not-so-subtle way of getting rid of unwanted suitors: they pretend to be dead.

While conducting research in the Swiss Alps, Rassim Khelifa from the <a href="http://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich </a>watched female moorland hawker dragonflies crash- dive to the ground while being pursued by a mail and then lie motionless on the ground, New Scientist reported.

The females wait until the males leaves before ending the game of possum and flying away.

Unlike some other dragonflies, moorland hawker dragonflies aren’t guarded by their male mates. It only takes one sexual encounter to fertilize all the eggs and having more sex than necessary could damage their reproductive tract.

After their eggs are fertilized, females seek refuge in dense vegetation. When they emerge, they make it clear sex is out of the question.

Khelifa observed 27 out of 31 females plummeting and playing dead to avoid males, with 21 of these ploys successful.

Plunging at high speed is risky though, according to Adolfo Cordero-Rivera at the <a href="https://www.uvigo.gal/uvigo_en/">University of Vigo</a> in Spain.

 “Females may only behave in this way if male harassment is intense,” he told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>.

Khelifa is interested in finding out whether the behavior is unique to species that lay <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-eggs-took-months-hatch/">eggs</a> alone or whether it is more widespread.  

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>

Female dragonflies fake deaths to avoid unwanted suitors

A new study reports that female dragonflies have a not-so-subtle...

The rare great ape bonobos may be more closely linked, anatomically, to human ancestors than common chimpanzees, a new study found.

Modern humans and common chimpanzee/bonobo lineages split about 8 million years ago, scientists believe. Bonobo and chimps are believed to have split 2 million years ago

The study, published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a> is the first to examine the muscles of humans and the two ape species. 

"Bonobo muscles have changed least, which means they are the closest we can get to having a 'living' ancestor," said Bernard Wood, professor of human origins at the <a href="https://cashp.columbian.gwu.edu/">George Washington University Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology</a>.

The researchers  examined seven bonobos from the Antwerp Zoo that had died and were being preserved. 

As common <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-chimpanzees-live-extra-long-lives/">chimpanzees</a> and bonobos evolved after their split, they developed different traits and physical characteristics, even though they remained geographically relatively close, with their main division being the Congo River. By studying the muscles of bonobos the researchers discovered that they are more closely related to human anatomy than common chimpanzees.

"In addition, our study has shown that there is a mosaic evolution of the three species, in the sense that some features are shared by humans and bonobos, others by humans and common chimpanzees, and still others by the two ape species," said Rui Diogo, lead author of the paper and associate professor of anatomy at <a href="https://www2.howard.edu/">Howard University</a>. 

Earlier studies examined the DNA similarities and differences between bonobos and common chimpanzees.

Better Knowledge of what makes humans different from their closest ancestors could lead to new breakthroughs in human health, the researchers said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://cashp.columbian.gwu.edu/">George Washington University Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiolog</a>

Study: Bonobos closer to humans than chimps

The rare great ape bonobos may be more closely linked,...

Spider silk is one of the strongest natural substances on Earth, and it’s lightweight, flexible and tough, too. With genetics, for the first time scientists have been able to begin unraveling the secrets found in a spider’s web.

In a new study of silk spider genes, a team of scientists from the <a href="http://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a>, <a href="http://www.ucr.edu/">University of California, Riverside</a>, the <a href="http://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a> and elsewhere have sequenced the full genome of the golden orb-weaver spider.

“There were so many surprises that emerged from our study: new silk genes, new DNA sequences that presumably confer strength, toughness, stretchiness and other properties to silk proteins; and even a silk protein made in venom glands rather than silk glands,” said senior author Dr. Benjamin F. Voight, an associate professor at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, in a press release. 

Among the researchers’ findings is that the golden orb-weaver spider – scientific name Nephila clavipes – can produce 28 varieties of silk proteins, and the spider’s full genome sequence is nearly as long as a human’s. The scientists used the genome to spot patterns that could explain the unique properties of each of the spider’s types of silk.

The genes that control silk protein production, known as spidroins, include silks the spiders use to tie up prey and rappel down from their webs. However, the researchers have discovered some new types of silk, and even found a gene they dubbed FLAG-b, which seems to be a silk produced in the spider’s venom gland.

The researchers also spotted repeated “motifs” in the genetic sequences linked to silk production that might prove useful to other researchers studying spider genetics.

“All this new information should greatly advance our efforts to capture the extraordinary properties of these silks in man-made materials,” Voight said.

Scientists have been studying spider silks for more than 50 years. Recent years have allowed researchers to study some of the genes linked to silk production, but without a full genome sequence, a full understanding of how different types of spider silk are produced was out of reach. 

The research will prove useful not just to engineers, but to medical researchers. Some types of spider silk have been discovered to have antibacterial or antifungal properties.

The study will be published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ng/">Nature Genetics</a>. Research funding was provided by the <a href="https://sloan.org/">Alfred P. Sloan Foundation</a> and the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a>. 

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists are using genetics to unwind the secrets of spider silk

Spider silk is one of the strongest natural substances on...

Ocean acidification refers to the chemical reactions that happen when carbon dioxide is absorbed in seawater. In a new study, the <a href="http://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a> research team took an unprecedented approach to analyzing the effects of ocean acidification.

Ivan Nagelkerken, a professor from the <a href="http://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a>'s Environment Institute, led the study. "Our understanding of what's likely to happen has been hampered by an over-reliance on simplified laboratory systems centred on single levels of the food web. In this study, we created a series of three-level food webs and monitored and measured the results over a number of months to provide an understanding of future food webs under climate change," said Nagelkerken.

The researchers simulated marine food webs in 12 large aquariums, adding different species to represent seagrass, sand, and rocky reef habitats. They added currents that imitated tidal motion. The three food webs were based on plants such as algae, small invertebrates like shrimp, and fish that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sharks-hear-preys-heartbeat-important/">prey</a> on small invertebrates. 

The food webs were exposed to the levels of both ocean warming and acidification that are expected at the end of the century. The researchers analyzed the growth of organisms and the rates of feeding over the course of several months.

PhD student Sylvan Goldenberg explained the results. "Elevated carbon dioxide concentrations boosted plant growth; more plant food meant more small invertebrates, and more small invertebrates, in turn, allowed the fish to grow faster. However, ocean warming cancelled this benefit of elevated carbon dioxide by causing stress to the animals, making them less efficient feeders and preventing the extra energy produced by the plants from travelling through the food web to the fish,” said Goldenberg.

The study concluded that warming waters will negate any potential benefits of ocean acidification, and that the increasing temperatures of the water will overpower the balance of marine food webs.

"The consequences for marine ecosystems are likely to be severe," said Nagelkerken. Oceans in the future may provide less fish and shellfish for us to eat, and larger animals that are at the top of the food web, in particular, will suffer. We hope this study will provide predictive understanding which is critical for effective fisheries management."

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a>

Increasing ocean acidification may devastate future marine food webs

Ocean acidification refers to the chemical reactions that happen when...

Brown bears communicate by doing a version of the Twist, a new study says.

When they twist their feet into the ground, it leaves behind a scent from their foot glands containing up to 26 compounds that let other bears know who they are, including their gender.

The study led by researchers from the <a href="http://www.gbif.org/publisher/f121e450-78ba-11d8-a19c-b8a03c50a862">Institute of Nature Conservation of Polish Academy of Sciences</a> in Krakow, and <a href="http://www.ebd.csic.es/">Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC</a> in Seville started when researchers observed brown bears vigorously twisting their paws into the ground and sniffing the tracks of other bears that had used the trail before them. During the research, scientists found glands in the feet of bears which can produce secretion when pressed.

Six of the 26 compounds produced by the glands were exclusive to male <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/polar-bears-hunting-weapon/">bears</a>, the study found.

One of the male compounds is a cembrenoid  that is also produced by some termite and ant species.

“Among mammals, odors play a key role in communication, with chemical signaling used to inform about identity, sex, territorial borders, social status, reproductive state or group membership,” according to the study published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature">Nature</a>.

Through the use of cameras to watch the bears remotely,, researchers found that the most frequent time for so-called “pedal scent marking” was during the mating season from April through June.

Pedal scent marking “is still poorly understood and has not been systematically studied in an integrated manner from a histological, biochemical and behavioural perspective,” the study concluded.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature">Nature</a>

Study: Brown bears communicate through smelly feet

Brown bears communicate by doing a version of the Twist,...

In an effort to avoid predators, ghost crabs in the Solomon Islands seek out natural surroundings that match their color, according to a new <a href="http://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> study. 

Crabs with dark coloration choose dark sand while light-colored crabs choose light-colored sand, the study found. Crabs of intermediate color show no specific choice since they did not match either sand, the researchers discovered.

"In nature, it is common to see animals match their background, but in many cases we don't know if this is through active choice, a change in color, or a combination of these two," said Dr. Floria Uy, lead author of the new study published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1744-7429">Biotropica</a>. "Our study shows that these crabs are actively choosing match their sand background."

The study notes that animals have numerous ways to evade predators “one of the most effective of which is to avoid detection in the first place.”

In a process called crypsis, the color patterns of some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-one-side-brain/">animals</a> evolve to match the visual background.

Less is known, however, about behavioral traits that also evolve and serve to enhance crypsis, the study said.

The Solomon Islands were chosen for the study because the sand and the crabs are multi-colored.

“Our results suggest that potential prey can actively choose specific backgrounds to enhance and maintain crypsis, providing insights into how behavior interacts with morphological traits to avoid predator detection,” the study said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1744-7429">Biotropica</a>

Crabs blend in with nature to avoid predators

In an effort to avoid predators, ghost crabs in the...

A Swedish startup is hoping to use its new language-analysis software to unlock the secrets of how dolphins communicate, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-26/swedish-startup-uses-ai-to-figure-out-what-dolphins-talk-about">Bloomberg News </a>reported.

Using technology from artificial intelligence language-analysis company <a href="https://www.gavagai.se/">Gavagai AB</a>, researchers from Sweden’s <a href="https://www.kth.se/en">KTH Royal Institute of Technology</a> will begin compiling a dolphin-language dictionary. The software will monitor captive bottlenose dolphins at a wildlife park about 90 miles south of Stockholm, the company said in an emailed statement Wednesday.

“We hope to be able to understand dolphins with the help of artificial intelligence technology," said Jussi Karlgren, an adjunct professor of language technology at KTH and co-founder of Gavagai. “We know that dolphins have a complex communication system, but we don’t know what they are talking about yet.”

The dolphin project -- a planned four-year effort -- came about because Gavagai’s software has proven capable in real-life, natural-language processing, CEO Lars Hamberg told Bloomberg.

Although there is no immediate business purpose, the research on dolphins will help the company sharpen its tool for other tasks, he said.

New recording methods and larger resources for computation, make Hamberg confident Gavagai will unlock the dolphin dictionary and ultimately communicate with the animals, he said.

The U.S. Navy has used marine mammals such as dolphins and sea lions for decades to carry out a range of tasks, from locating underwater mines to harbor defense, the story said. 

Gavagai has spent about $10 million over the past few years developing its language artificial intelligence machine, Hamberg said. The company’s customers include <a href="http://www.wpp.com/">WPP Group Plc</a>’s market research company <a href="http://us.kantar.com/">Kantar</a>, SAS Institute Inc. and <a href="http://ir.nielsen.com/">Nielsen Holdings, Plc</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-26/swedish-startup-uses-ai-to-figure-out-what-dolphins-talk-about">Bloomberg News</a>

This new technology could allows us to communicate with dolphins

A Swedish startup is hoping to use its new language-analysis...

A popular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-proteins-key-insights/">dinosaur</a> skeleton that has been headless for nearly a century has been reconnected to its skull.

Researchers located a the Corythosaurus skull at the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/">University of Alberta</a>. It had been collected in 1920 by George Sternberg, the university said.

"In the early days of dinosaur hunting and exploration, explorers only took impressive and exciting specimens for their collections, such as skulls, tail spines and claws," explained graduate student Katherine Bramble, adding the practice was commonly referred to as head hunting. "Now, it's common for paleontologists to come across specimens in the field without their skulls."

The headless skeleton has been a tourist attraction in <a href="https://www.albertaparks.ca/dinosaur.aspx">Dinosaur Provincial Park</a> since the 1990s. Researchers found newspaper clippings  from the 1920s at the park and wondered whether the head at the University of Alberta could be a match to the headless skeleton. 

"Using anatomical measurements of the skull and the skeleton, we conducted a statistical analysis," Bramble explained. "Based on these results, we believed there was potential that the skull and this specimen belonged together."

This discovery is part of a growing field of study in paleontology, Bramble added.

"Researchers are now trying to develop new ways of determining whether or not disparate parts of skeletons come from the same animal," she said.. "For this paper, we used anatomical measurements, but there are many other ways of matching, such as conducting a chemical analysis of the rock in which the specimens are found."

As scientists develop new methods for matching specimens, Bramble hopes more dinosaurs skeletons will be reunited as well.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/">University of Alberta</a>

Image Credit: Katherine Bramble

Dinosaur skeleton finally gets its skull back

A popular dinosaur skeleton that has been headless for nearly...

The world's last male northern white rhino is also the world’s “most eligible bachelor” according to a new campaign by a Kenyan wildlife conservancy and the dating app <a href="https://www.gotinder.com/">Tinder</a> to raise awareness and money to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-map-shows-where-climate-change-will-force-animals-to-move/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">save the endangered species</a>.

The goal is to raise the $9 million needed to protect the northern white rhino from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-footprints-recovery-extinction/">extinction</a>. When Tinder users ‘swipe right’ on Sudan’s profile, they will be directed to a <a href="http://www.olpejetaconservancy.org/most-eligible-bachelor">page </a>where they can donate to the cause.

"I don't mean to be too forward, but the fate of the species literally depends on me," the rhino's profile says. "I perform well under pressure."

Sudan, 43, lives at <a href="http://www.olpejetaconservancy.org/">Ol Pejeta Conservancy</a> in Kenya with his two female white rhino counterparts, Najin and Fatu who have been unable to breed naturally due to a range of issues including old age. 

They are  the last three northern white rhinos, according to Ol Pejeta. His species is considered to be extinct in the wild, a victim of widespread poaching and civil war, the conservancy said.

The funds raised from the Tinder campaign will go towards ongoing research into reproductive techniques to gradually build up a viable herd of northern white rhinos using stored sperm and embryos. Once fertilized, the embryos would be transferred into surrogate southern white rhino females 

“The plight that currently faces the northern white rhinos is a signal to the impact that humankind is having on many thousands of other species across the planet," said Richard Vigne, the conservancy's chief executive officer. "Ultimately, the aim will be to reintroduce a viable population of northern white rhino back into the wild, which is where their true value will be realized."

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.olpejetaconservancy.org/">Ol Pejeta Conservancy</a>

Tinder campaign aims to save endangered rhinos

The world's last male northern white rhino is also the...

The domestication of wild horses is believed to have been started by the Botai culture in the Kazakh steppe around 5,500 years ago, allowing our ancestors to advance agriculture and transportation methods before any sort of engine was ever produced. 

Just as the domestication of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lonely-dogs-anxious-owners-can-help/">dogs</a> has changed their genotypes and phenotypes into the wide variety of mutts and purebreds we see today, it appears that the domestication of wild horses also altered the horse genome.

Researcher Pablo Librado and his team analyzed the genomes of 14 ancient domesticated horse fossils, ranging from 2,300 to 4,100 years old.  Previously, this genome examination was extremely difficult due to the lack of well-preserved, ancient horse fossils from around this time period. 

Their study of these genomes revealed the apparent selective pressures that domestication put on these animals, as well as showed a relatively recent decrease in their genetic diversity. The selective pressure caused by breeders long ago ultimately resulted in broader forelimbs, enriched development of carpal bones, and a wider range of coat colors.

Furthermore, the researchers found a genetic mutation that is associated with muscle hypertrophy – the increase in muscle size due to increase in cell size – and short-distance sprint performance. This finding should make sense, as breeders would have likely preferred stronger, faster horses. The ancient horse genomes also revealed humans’ appetite for horse milk, as gene variants connected to increased lactation were found in the (female) animals that were studied. 

Previously, it was thought that domesticated horses originated from a small group of individuals. But the research team found a significant Y chromosomal diversity, which suggests that a wide variety of stallions were related to the first domesticated horses.

The final revelation from this study was that the large amount of harmful mutations in present-day horses is probably not a result of early domestication, but rather occurred from more recent breeding in the last 2,000 years.

Understanding how breeding practices can alter genomes is extremely important to our understanding of selective breeding and evolution. While we would like certain species to look or behave a certain way, it’s important that we maintain breeding practices in a way that doesn’t harm the species overall.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>

Image Credit: Carla Schaffer / Zainolla Samashev / AAAS

Domesticating wild horses significantly changed their genome

The domestication of wild horses is believed to have been...

Paleontologists have discovered well-preserved fossils of a sea creature that lived more half a billion years ago.

The new fossil species, named Tokummia katalepsis, was discovered by scientists at the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> and the <a href="https://www.rom.on.ca/en">Royal Ontario Museum</a>. It may help researchers learn more about the origins of mandibulates, the most abundant and diverse group of organisms on Earth, which includes animals such as flies, ants, crayfish and centipedes.

Tokummia documents for the first time in detail the anatomy of early mandibulates, which use mandibles used to grasp, crush and cut their food.

"In spite of their colossal diversity today, the origin of mandibulates had largely remained a mystery," said Cédric Aria, lead author of the study and recent graduate of the PhD program at the University of Toronto. “Before now we've had only sparse hints at what the first arthropods with mandibles could have looked like, and no idea of what could have been the other key characteristics that triggered the unrivaled diversification of that group."

Specimens were found in sedimentary rocks near Marble Canyon in Kootenay national park, British Columbia. Tokummia sported broad serrated mandibles as well as large but specialized anterior claws, called maxillipeds, which are typical features of modern mandibulates, the study said.

"The pincers of Tokummia are large, yet also delicate and complex, reminding us of the shape of a can opener, with their couple of terminal teeth on one claw, and the other claw being curved towards them," said Aria.

The sea creature lived in what was then a  tropical sea teeming with life and was an occasional swimmer. Its robust anterior legs made it a preferred bottom-dweller, as lobsters or mantis shrimps today, researchers concluded.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a>
Image credit: 3D animation by Lars Fields. Copyright: Royal Ontario Museum

This bizarre sea creature lived half a billion years ago

Paleontologists have discovered well-preserved fossils of a sea creature that...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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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...