In the United States and worldwide, alcohol consumption remains a leading cause of preventable death and disability, contributing to liver disease, mental health disorders, and accidents.&nbsp;



Researchers from <a href="https://www.fau.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Atlantic University</a> (FAU)’s Schmidt College of Medicine have delved into U.S. trends in alcohol-related deaths from 1999 to 2020. 



Utilizing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER), they uncovered alarming statistics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dramatic-surge-in-alcohol-related-deaths-nbsp">Dramatic surge in alcohol-related deaths&nbsp;</h2>



The study reveals that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spike-in-alcohol-use-during-the-pandemic-continues-today/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">alcohol</a>-related deaths in the U.S. have surged dramatically in the last two decades. The mortality rate nearly doubled from 10.7 per 100,000 in 1999 to 21.6 per 100,000 in 2020. 



The total number of alcohol-related deaths soared from 19,356 to 48,870, marking a dramatic twofold increase. Every age group experienced increases, with the most alarming spike - nearly fourfold - in those aged 25 to 34.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gender-and-age-disparities">Gender and age disparities</h2>



The 85 and older age group saw a possible but nonsignificant increase. Individuals aged 55-64 had both the steepest rise in mortality and the highest absolute rates in both 1999 and 2020.&nbsp;



Both men and women experienced significant increases in alcohol-related deaths, but men had the highest rates in both years and saw the steepest increase overall.&nbsp;



Women, however, saw the largest proportional rise, with deaths increasing from 4.8 per 100,000 in 1999 to 12 in 2020.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alcohol-consumption-among-women-nbsp">Alcohol consumption among women&nbsp;</h2>



Study senior author Dr. Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas is a professor and chair of the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine at FAU.&nbsp;



“Our study found significant gender differences in alcohol-related mortality. While men had higher overall death rates, women experienced a larger relative increase, which may reflect changing social norms and the alcohol industry’s increased targeting of women through marketing campaigns,” said Dr. Kitsantas.



“As alcohol consumption among women has grown, so have the associated risks. Women appear to be more vulnerable to alcohol’s harmful effects due, possibly, to differences in body composition and metabolism, leading to higher blood alcohol concentrations.”&nbsp;



Moreover, mental health issues like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-with-a-history-of-depression-tend-to-process-more-negative-information/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">depression</a> and anxiety, already more common in women, can be worsened by alcohol use, noted Dr. Kitsantas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-regional-variations-in-alcohol-related-deaths-nbsp">Regional variations in alcohol-related deaths&nbsp;</h2>



Deaths in women increased two-and-a-half times, while Asian and Pacific Islander communities experienced the steepest rise of 2.4 times.&nbsp;



Regionally, the Midwest experienced the greatest jump, with an increase of 2.5 times in alcohol-related mortality, followed by the Northeast, West, and South.



“Addressing these factors through tailored interventions could help combat the growing U.S. alcohol mortality epidemic,” said Dr. Kitsantas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complications-of-associated-risk-factors">Complications of associated risk factors</h2>



Findings from the study highlight significant clinical and public health challenges that may benefit from targeted interventions.&nbsp;



Risk factors such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-obesity-rates-are-surging-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">obesity</a>, diabetes, and liver damage complicate these challenges, accelerating alcohol-related mortality. Gender, demographic, and regional differences should guide healthcare strategies.



“Health care providers should recognize that heavy alcohol use is a leading risk factor for total mortality and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-century-of-progress-in-the-fight-against-cardiovascular-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular disease</a>, especially heart attacks and stroke,” said co-author Charles H. Hennekens, a professor of medicine at FAU. 



“To mitigate these risks, screening for alcohol use in primary care settings is essential. Coexisting conditions like overweight and obesity can accelerate liver damage, which may in turn lead to earlier onset of cirrhosis and liver cancer.”



“The U.S. has the highest rates of overweight and obesity in the world and low levels of daily physical activity. The deleterious interaction of these factors may contribute to the observed trends in alcohol-related mortality, particularly in younger adults.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-context-and-future-directions">Global context and future directions</h2>



Alcohol consumption varies significantly by region worldwide and in the U.S. According to 2019 data, Latvia had the highest annual per capita consumption at 13.2 liters, followed by France at 12.2 and the U.S. at 10.&nbsp;



Descriptive data on mortality reveal complex links between alcohol use and premature deaths. Latvia, for example, leads in alcohol consumption and ranks third in total deaths, while France, despite high alcohol consumption, has low cardiovascular mortality but high rates of cirrhosis and liver cancer.&nbsp;



In contrast, Russian men have high alcohol consumption and an elevated rate of cardiovascular mortality. These patterns illustrate the complex interrelationships of alcohol consumption, premature death, and disease, regardless of the beverage type.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alcohol-consumption-and-premature-death">Alcohol consumption and premature death</h2>



“Both globally and in the U.S., high levels of alcohol consumption are closely linked to premature deaths and disability,” said Hennekens.&nbsp;



“The difference between consuming small amounts of alcohol daily and larger amounts could be the difference between preventing and causing premature death. One immediate effect of alcohol is liver damage, and in the U.S., the rising rates of obesity and diabetes also contribute to early liver damage.”



In conclusion, the authors emphasize that healthcare providers should be aware that in the U.S. as well as most populations worldwide, individuals who consume large amounts of alcohol tend to have the highest risks of mortality as well as deaths from cardiovascular disease, predominantly due to heart attacks and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dramatic-temperature-changes-linked-to-half-a-million-stroke-deaths/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stroke</a>.



The research is published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.10.024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The American Journal of Medicine</a>.



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Alcohol-related deaths have doubled over the past two decades

In the United States and worldwide, alcohol consumption remains a leading cause of preventable death and disability, contributing to liver disease, mental health disorders, and accidents.&nbsp; Researchers from Florida Atlantic University (FAU)’s Schmidt College of Medicine have delved into U.S. trends in alcohol-related deaths from 1999 to 2020.  Utilizing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER), they uncovered alarming statistics. Dramatic surge in alcohol-related deaths&nbsp; The study reveals that alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. have surged dramatically...

Study finds that genes influence sexuality, but there is no ‘gay gene’. There is no single gene that determines sexual orientation, but a new study has found several genetic variations that may influence sexual behaviors. 

The large scale genome-wide association study puts to bed once and for all the idea of a “gay gene,” but shows that same-sex behavior is a part of natural human diversity. 

“In fact, this study provides further evidence that diverse sexual behavior is a natural part of overall human variation,” the <a href="https://geneticsexbehavior.info/what-we-found/">researchers explain</a>. “Our research is intended to improve our understanding of the genetic basis of same-sex sexual behavior. It should not be misconstrued to disparage LGBTQ people.”

The study was conducted by an international group of researchers in collaboration with activists and advocacy groups to help answer the question of why people differ in sexual behaviors.

DNA data from the UK Biobank, the genetic testing company 23andMe, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, Molecular Genetic Study of Sexual Orientation, and The Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden were reviewed and analyzed for the study. 

By combining several large-scale studies, the researchers focused on what role genetics might play in shaping certain <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/same-sex-marriage-anti-gay-bias/">same-sex behaviors</a>. 

Data from 477,522 individuals were included in the research, and participants provided DNA samples as well as answers to questions on sexual identity, number of same-sex encounters, and sexual attraction. 

The researchers identified five genetic variants associated with same-sex behavior. 

“By incorporating DNA and personal information from nearly half a million people, our study is the first to include enough people to be able to link specific genetic variants and same-sex sexual behavior with demonstrable statistical confidence,” the researchers wrote. 

This is the first time such genetic markers have been identified. However, it’s important to note that the human genome is made up of millions of genetic markers, each with its own small contribution to different behaviors. 

The researchers also made sure to emphasize that the genetic variants are linked only to same-sex behaviors and that the study is not focused on identity or orientation.

While these variants were linked to same-sex behaviors, none of them clearly predicted these behaviors and only accounted for eight to 25 percent of the genetic variation in same-sex behavior for men and women. 

There are several limitations to the study, including that much of the data relied on self-reported information and that there are other non-genetic environmental factors that must be considered.

“It just shows us that same-sex sexual behavior is much more complex than this idea of having just one gene influencing it all,” Eric Vilain, director of the <a href="https://childrensnational.org/research-and-education/center-for-genetic-medicine-research">Center for Genetic Medicine Research at Children’s National Health System</a>, told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2019/08/29/theres-no-gay-gene-genetics-are-linked-same-sex-behavior-new-study-says/">Washington Post</a>. “It shows that there are genetic factors, which we had suspected long ago … but it also shows those genetic factors do not tell the whole story.”

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/365/6456/eaat7693">Science. </a>

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/lazyllama

Study finds that genes influence sexuality, but there is no ‘gay gene’

Study finds that genes influence sexuality, but there is no...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.camh.ca/">Centre for Addiction and Mental Health</a> (CAMH) has revealed an urgent need for improved treatment practices to help people with alcohol use disorder. 

In any given year, an estimated one million Canadians are suffering from alcohol dependence, yet the vast majority of these individuals never receive professional help. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, alcohol use disorder is a chronic disease that is characterized by preoccupation with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/quitting-alcohol-health-benefits/">alcohol</a> and problems controlling the frequency or the amount of alcohol consumption. Although interventions for the disease can be very effective, they are rare in Canada and elsewhere in the world.

Study senior author Dr. Jürgen Rehm is a senior scientist at the CAMH Institute for Mental Health and Policy Research. He noted that routine screening should start in primary care and should be followed by accessible specialized care when required.

"Clinical interventions for alcohol use disorders need to start at the primary care level, if average consumption exceeds more than two drinks a day," said Dr. Rehm. "General practitioners should regularly be asking their patients about alcohol intake, and initiate interventions if required."

The lack of intervention in primary care is largely due to the stigma that surrounds uncontrollable alcohol use, which often causes patients to withhold information about their consumption level. Furthermore, general practitioners may fail to ask these patients about their alcohol use. 

In the case that an alcohol use disorder is detected, safe and effective medications are available for use in primary health care. 

Study co-author Markus Heilig is an international expert on the pharmacology of addictive disorders and director of the Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience at Linköping University. 

"Approved medications for alcohol use disorders are no less effective than other widely used medical treatments," said Heilig. "They are also safe, well tolerated. And they are cheap. Yet they are only prescribed to a small minority of patients. This needs to change."

The study authors pointed out that, in order to ensure treatment is effective, waiting lists for specialized treatment should be minimal and primary care providers should be involved in patient aftercare.

The study is published in <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/">The Lancet</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Alcohol use disorder is not sufficiently addressed and treated

A new study led by the Centre for Addiction and...

For the first time, researchers have identified a protein in the skin that detects cold temperatures. The study was focused on the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. The team discovered that, without the receptor protein, the worms became completely insensitive to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/colder-temperatures-emotion-driven-purchases/">cold temperatures</a>. 

Study senior author Professor Shawn Xu is an expert at the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> Life Sciences Institute. 

"Clearly, nerves in the skin can sense cold. But no one has been able to pinpoint exactly how they sense it," said Professor Xu. "Now, I think we have an answer."

Receptor proteins within the sensory nerves of the skin can detect when temperatures drop and signal information about this environmental change to the brain. The system works the same for humans as it does for the tiny, millimeter-long worm C. elegans.

"When you step outside and you sense it's too cold, you're going to take action to get back to a warmer environment as soon as you can," explained Professor Xu. "When the worms sense cold, they also engage in avoidance behavior - moving away from cold temperatures, just like humans."

Unlike complex organisms, however, C. elegans have a simple, extensively-studied genome and a short lifespan. This makes them the ideal model for investigating sensory responses.

According to Professor Xu, previous searches for a cold receptor have been unsuccessful because researchers were focusing on specific groups of genes that are related to sensation, which is a biased approach. The team in Professor Xu's lab took an unbiased approach by looking across thousands of random genetic variations to determine which affected the worms' responses to cold temperatures.

When temperatures dipped below 18 degrees Celsius, worms that were missing the glutamate receptor gene glr-3 no longer responded. This gene is responsible for making the GLR-3 receptor protein, which the researchers discovered is required for the worms to sense cold.

The study also revealed that the glr-3 gene is evolutionarily conserved across species, including humans. The researchers introduced the mammalian version of the gene to mutant worms lacking glr-3 and found that it rescued their cold sensitivity. 

The team also introduced the worm, zebrafish, mouse, and human versions of the genes to cold-insensitive mammalian cells. Every version of the gene caused the cells to become sensitive to cold temperatures.

"For all these years, attention has been focused on this gene's function in the brain. Now, we've found that it has a role in the peripheral sensory system, as well," said Professor Xu. "It's really exciting. This was one of the few remaining sensory receptors that had not yet been identified in nature."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rido

The very first cold-sensing protein has been identified in the skin

For the first time, researchers have identified a protein in...

According to a new study by researchers at the <a href="https://www.crick.ac.uk/">Francis Crick Institute</a>, healthy cells that are in the immediate vicinity of a tumor become more stem cell-like and promote the spread of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sugary-drinks-cancer/">cancer</a>.

In the lab of Ilaria Malanchi, the experts used a state-of-the-art technique which they developed to study the tissue surrounding a tumor, which is called the tumor microenvironment. This region is known to have a strong influence on the growth of cancer, as well as its response to treatment.

"Our new technique allows us to study changes to cells in the tumor microenvironment with unprecedented precision," said Malanchi. "This helps us to understand how these changes relate to tumor growth and metastasis, allowing us to develop better strategies to treat the disease."

"We discovered that non-cancerous cells in the tumor microenvironment regress back into a stem-cell like state, and actually support cancer growth. By corrupting its neighbors, cancer transforms its local environment to support its own survival."

The method used by the team is based on the modification of cancer cells to release a cell-penetrating fluorescent protein that is absorbed by neighboring cells. These color-labeled cells can be identified and compared to other "unlabeled" cells that have not made contact with the tumor. 

In mice, the researchers used this approach to study the cells around breast cancer that had spread to the lungs. It was then confirmed by Alessandro Ori's lab at the Fritz Lipmann Institute that labeled cells had produced different proteins compared to unlabeled cells.

The experts discovered that labeled lung cells developed stem cell-like features that were not observed in lung cells outside of the tumor microenvironment. When the labeled cells were mixed with tumor cells in a 3D culture in the lab, they were found to boost tumor growth, which indicates that they help the cancer survive and spread.

To further investigate the behavior of the cells, the researchers collaborated with Joo-Hyeon Lee at the Wellcome Trust/MRC Stem Cell Institute, who used the cells to grow mini-lungs.

This experiment revealed that healthy lung cells formed mini-lungs that were mostly made up of alveolar epithelial cells, which allow for gas exchange. On the other hand, the labeled cells collected from the tumor microenvironment formed mini-lungs that contained a wider range of cell types.

"To our amazement, we found that cells receiving proteins from adjacent cancer cells obtained stem-cell-like features," explained Lee. "They could change their fate to become different cell types. It demonstrates the powerful influence that cancer exerts over its neighboring cells, making them liable to change easily."

The researchers hope that their new technique will be utilized in future studies to gain further insight into the local changes triggered by cancer which help it to survive, spread, and develop resistance to treatments.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://nature.com">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/fusebulb

Cancer cells have a transformative impact on neighboring cells

According to a new study by researchers at the Francis...

A new study at the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/">University of Birmingham</a> (UoB) has revealed that older adults who have never consistently engaged in exercise programs have as much capacity for building muscle mass as a highly-trained master athlete in the same age group. 

The research suggests that resistance exercises such as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/weight-lifting-heart-health-benefits/">weight training</a> are just as beneficial for beginners.

Researchers in the UoB School of Sport and Exercise Science compared muscle-building ability among two groups of older men. The first group included master athletes, which are people in their 70s and 80s who have a lifelong history of exercise and are still competing at the top levels of their sport. The second group of participants consisted of healthy individuals in the same age range who had never participated in structured exercise programs.

The participants were given isotope tracers before engaging in a single session of exercise that involved weight training on an exercise machine. In addition, samples of muscle tissue were taken from participants before and after the workout. 

The team examined the tissue samples to investigate how the men's muscles were responding to exercise. Meanwhile, the isotope tracer showed how proteins were developing within the muscle.

The researchers anticipated that the master athletes would have an increased ability to build muscle due to their long history of superior fitness. Surprisingly, the results showed that both groups had an equal capacity to build muscle.

"Our study clearly shows that it doesn't matter if you haven't been a regular exerciser throughout your life, you can still derive benefit from exercise whenever you start," noted study lead author Dr. Leigh Breen. "Obviously a long term commitment to good health and exercise is the best approach to achieve whole-body health, but even starting later on in life will help delay age-related frailty and muscle weakness."

"Current public health advice on strength training for older people is often quite vague. What's needed is more specific guidance on how individuals can improve their muscle strength, even outside of a gym-setting through activities undertaken in their homes - activities such as gardening, walking up and down stairs, or lifting up a shopping bag can all help if undertaken as part of a regular exercise regime."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology">Frontiers in Physiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/RossHelen

Beginners have the same capacity for building muscle as master athletes

A new study at the University of Birmingham (UoB) has...

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Burial sites offer an inside look into the lives of our ancient ancestors and provide clues into how societies formed and evolved through the ages. 

From a tomb or burial site, researchers may be able to determine how a person died, what diseases and parasites they were susceptible to, their status in society, and many other clues into the lives and social structures of early communities. 

One elaborate burial site discovered in 2016 at the Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B settlement of Ba’ja in Southern Jordan offers clues into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/families-buried-together-stone-age/">Neolithic social structures</a> and the development of hierarchies in early farming communities. 

More specifically, due to the seemingly important status of the individual buried at the site, the researchers suggest that burial sites can provide insight into early leadership and the different pathways to power for people. 

An international team of archeologists, anthropologists, and neuroscientists that are part of the Ba’ja Neolithic Project hosted at the <a href="https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/index.html">Free University of Berlin</a> conducted a thorough investigation of the gravesite and its construction. 

The burial site dates back to between 7,500 and 6,900 BC, making it around 9,000 years old. The construction was elaborate, and buried alongside the individual in the grave were exotic items which suggest that the individual was a person of status who was involved in trade.  

The close proximity of the grave to other less complicated and elaborate graves shows that even though this person was important, they were buried with people who were less prestigious.

Was this individual a leader who held power over the rest of the community or a person of excellence and prestige, set apart but still buried collectively with the rest of the community? 

With the formation of complex societies, there arose opportunities for leadership, but how exactly people rose to prominence within these early societies is not well known. 

In this case, the beads and exotic items associated with trade likely set the individual in the gravesite apart, giving him a place of status in society. 

Graves, like the one discovered at Ba’ja can help piece together the early evolution of leadership within the social contexts of a given society. 

“We suggest that leadership can be understood only by studying the social contexts and the pathways to power (not only the burials of extraordinary individuals),” the researchers said. “In fact, studying rich tombs to interpret social structures has been done before, but our new approach emphasizes the social environments of leadership.”

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0221171">PLOS ONE</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Ana al'ain

Burial site provides clues into the social structures of early human communities

Burial sites offer an inside look into the lives of...

In the process of rehabbing an injury or attempting to improve athletic performance, biofeedback could be an important tool for individuals during their workouts – especially if a trainer or therapist is not available. 

By placing sensors on a person’s body, real-time measurements can be provided that help them track their performance.

A new study published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a> has found that a real-time, music-based feedback system helped recreational <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/focusing-weight-lifting-performance/">weightlifters</a> improve their deadlift technique. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.ugent.be/en">Ghent University</a> in Belgium designed this system equipped with 22 body sensors to lower sound quality of the weightlifter’s music if they were using bad lifting technique. Improving their deadlifting technique would immediately restore the music quality.

For this study, 31 recreational weightlifters were divided into two groups. One group received feedback directly from instructors, while the other group performed deadlifts while receiving the music-based feedback. To simplify the process, only two deadlift technique parameters were analyzed for feedback.

[caption id="attachment_1877110" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/deadlift.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1877110" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/deadlift.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="228" /></a> Image Credit: Lorenzoni et al., 2019[/caption]

The results showed that both feedback types led to improved deadlift technique, each having similar levels of improvement. Participants also reported similar levels of clarity and enjoyment for both. It’s possible that this type of feedback system could be a beneficial tool for athletes rehabbing from injury or trying to get more out of their workouts. 

Future research may delve into the long-term effectiveness of this new system, and the researchers are looking to improve its portability while also adding additional parameters for weight training techniques.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Maridav

Musical feedback can improve deadlift technique

In the process of rehabbing an injury or attempting to...

New study completely changes what we know about early human evolution. Researchers have been studying a remarkably complete 3.8-million-year-old cranium belonging to a hominin species known as Australopithecus anamensis. The cranium, which was discovered in Ethiopia in 2016, represents a time interval around 4 million years ago when Australopithecus anamensis gave rise to the next early human ancestor, Australopithecus afarensis. 

In the years following the discovery, the paleoanthropologists have conducted extensive analyses on the cranium, which is referred to as "MRD."

"Features of the upper jaw and canine tooth were fundamental in determining that MRD was attributable to A. anamensis," said Dr. Stephanie Melillo of the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a>. "It is good to finally be able to put a face to the name."

Combined with other fossils from the region, MRD reveals that A. anamensis and A. afarensis co-existed for approximately 100,000 years, which completely contradicts the idea of a linear transition between the two <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-immunodeficiency-viruses/">human ancestors</a>. 

"This is a game changer in our understanding of human evolution during the Pliocene," said Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie.

"We used to think that A. anamensis gradually turned into A. afarensis over time," added Dr. Melillo. "We still think that these two species had an ancestor-descendent relationship, but this new discovery suggests that the two species were actually living together in the Afar for quite some time. It changes our understanding of the evolutionary process and brings up new questions - were these animals competing for food or space?"

MRD was uncovered in the sandy deposits of a delta where a river once entered a lake. Fossil plants and pollen grains preserved in the lake and delta sediments indicate that the watershed of the lake was mostly dry but also had forested areas nearby.

"MRD lived near a large lake in a region that was dry. We're eager to conduct more work in these deposits to understand the environment of the MRD specimen, the relationship to climate change and how it affected human evolution, if at all," said study co-author Naomi Levin of the University of Michigan.

Australopithecus anamensis is the oldest known member of the genus Australopithecus. The cranium's nearly-complete state allowed the researchers to view facial features that have never been seen before in the species. New study completely changes what we know about early human evolution

"MRD has a mix of primitive and derived facial and cranial features that I didn't expect to see on a single individual," said Dr. Haile-Selassie. 

Some of the characteristics resembled later species, but others resembled even older and more primitive human ancestor groups such as Ardipithecus and Sahelanthropus. 

"Until now, we had a big gap between the earliest-known human ancestors, which are about 6 million years old, and species like 'Lucy', which are two to three million years old. One of the most exciting aspects of this discovery is how it bridges the morphological space between these two groups," explained Dr. Melillo.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://nature.com">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image © Yohannes Haile-Selassie, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

New study completely changes what we know about early human evolution

New study completely changes what we know about early human...

While some people may brag about only needing a few hours of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/alcohol-nicotine-sleep-quality/">sleep</a> to be functional every day, it’s actually quite rare for a human to function normally with 6 hours or less of sleep. 

Not much is known about the role the genes that regulate sleep play outside of our circadian rhythms, but by studying a family with several members who require less sleep than average, researchers have identified a new gene that could have a major impact on how much sleep someone needs.

“It’s remarkable that we know so little about sleep, given that the average person spends a third of their lives doing it,” says senior author Louis Ptáček, a neurologist at the <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">University of California, San Francisco</a> (UCSF). “This research is an exciting new frontier that allows us to dissect the complexity of circuits in the brain and the different types of neurons that contribute to sleep and wakefulness.”

The gene that was identified is ADRB1, which the researchers discovered using genetic linkage studies and whole-exome sequencing to expose a new and very rare variant. “We found that this gene codes for ß1-adrenergic receptor, and that the mutant version of the protein is much less stable, altering the receptor's function,” explains UCSF geneticist and senior author Ying-Hui Fu. “This suggested it was likely to have functional consequences in the brain.”

To further study the gene, the researchers performed experiments on mice that carried a mutated version of this gene. Their findings, published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>, show that these mice slept an average of 55 minutes less than normal mice. Humans with this gene sleep 2 hours less on average. Additional research showed that the gene is expressed at high levels in a part of the brain stem involved in subconscious activities such as respiration and eye movement as well as sleep, known as the dorsal pons.

“Another way we confirmed the role of the protein was using optogenetics,” explains Fu. “When we used light to activate the ADRB1 neurons, the mice immediately woke up from sleep.”

For future research, the investigators want to study the function of the ADRB1 protein in other areas of the brain. “Sleep is complicated," says Ptáček. “We don’t think there’s one gene or one region of the brain that’s telling our bodies to sleep or wake. This is only one of many parts.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Sergey Nivens

Newly identified gene may allow people to require less sleep

While some people may brag about only needing a few...

<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/us/politics/trump-cancels-greenland-trip.html">Greenland is not for sale</a>, and Denmark made that perfectly clear when the president of the United States floated around the idea of buying the autonomous Danish territory. 

As reports of Trump’s proposal to buy Greenland made the rounds, it put the world’s largest island in the spotlight.

The U.S. isn’t the only country with an eye on Greenland. Many of the world’s nations are looking toward to the Arctic for its potential as an economic and geopolitical asset. 

Beneath the thick layers of ice and snow that cover Greenland could be an untapped reservoir of minerals, oil, and natural gas, and as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-lose-ice-summer-melting/">climate change-driven melting</a> chips away at the swaths of ice, these reserves could soon be accessible. 

<a href="https://time.com/5660306/greenland-arctic-climate-change-economic-asset/?utm_source=emailshare&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=email-share-article&amp;utm_content=20190826">Time</a> recently reported that Russia, China, and other countries are setting their sights on Greenland due to the potential goldmine of minerals and oils just waiting to be extracted. 

The Arctic reportedly contains a quarter of the world’s yet to be extracted oil and gas. Earlier this spring, Russia announced plans to re-establish its Arctic claims and build up a Russian presence in the area. 

For China, Greenland could be an important shipping route and hold an abundance of rare earth minerals. 

According to the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a>, there could be 17.5 billion barrels of oil and 148 trillion cubic feet of natural gas offshore of Greenland, but as of yet, no significant quantities of oil have been found in the region. 

“It’s very speculative, but in theory they could have a lot of oil,” Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy &amp; Economic Research Inc, told Time. “It’s perceived as being the new Alaska, where the old Alaska was thought to be worthless and turned out to have huge reserves. And it’s one of the few places on Earth that’s lightly populated, and it’s close to the U.S.”

As temperatures climb, it could make mineral mining, oil drilling, and development easier but could also come at a dangerous cost. Calving events will become more common, and ships will have to watch out for more icebergs as they navigate through Arctic waters. 

The Arctic also has a long and complicated history of strategic military importance, and the Arctic and Greenland provide a crucial corridor for North Atlantic and Arctic Naval operations, according to Time.

Greenland is finding itself at the center of a race for Arctic investments, but it’s important to consider the environmental and economic risk factors before further options for purchasing the island or drilling for oil in the Arctic are circulated through the press.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Jonas Tufvesson

Greenland debate highlights how the Arctic may become a promising investment

Greenland is not for sale, and Denmark made that perfectly...

A new study from researchers at <a href="https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en">Leiden University</a> and the <a href="https://www.unc.edu/">University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill</a> has uncovered a link between risk-taking and prosocial (doing good for others) behavior in adolescents. Although seemingly opposite results, both behaviors are seemingly motivated by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/teens-potent-marijuana/">teens</a> actively seeking fun. 

"We sought to test the pathways that support adolescents' development of rebellious and helpful behaviors," said first author Neeltje E. Blankenstein, a postdoctoral researcher at Leiden University. "Because adolescence is often associated with negative stereotypes, our findings provide a more nuanced view on adolescent development by focusing on the relation between risk taking and prosocial behavior."

To come to their conclusion, the research team analyzed 210 adolescents who took part in the Netherlands’ Braintime study, which took place in 2011, 2013, and 2015. When the study first started, participants were aged between 8 and 25, and by the end of the study period, they were aged 12 to 97. These participants were asked how often they engaged in rebellious and prosocial behaviors via a questionnaire, including drinking and smoking, as well as how often they sought out fun and rewarding activities, such as comforting friends.

Researchers also had the participants fill out surveys about their social skills, specifically, empathy and social perspective taking. And finally, participants received a magnetic resonance imaging scan each time they were questioned in order to measure the maturation of the two brain regions in question — the nucleus accumbens and the medial prefrontal cortex, both important for risk-taking and prosocial behaviors.

The researchers found that rebelliousness increased from early adolescence into later teen years before declining in adulthood, whereas prosocial behavior peaked in mid- to late-adolescence. And these two opposite behaviors were linked — the more a person took risks, the more likely they were to also behave prosocially.

Furthermore, prosocial behavior was linked to a person showing more empathy and greater perspective taking, whereas risk-taking behavior was ruled by fun seeking. 

However, a fun-seeking trait can also lead someone to show more prosocial tendencies, meaning that the developmental process could result in either or, or both behaviors, the researchers said.

"Our study suggests that fun seeking may be a trait that leads to diverse aspects of adolescent development, and that adolescence is a time of both vulnerabilities--seen in risk taking — and opportunities — seen in helping behaviors," said co-leader Eva H. Telzer, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. "It also suggests that risk taking may serve positive goals, for instance, when adolescents take risks to help others.”

These findings are published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14678624">Child Development</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/oneinchpunch

Teen risk-taking and prosocial behavior are motivated by fun-seeking

A new study from researchers at Leiden University and the...

The Amazon rainforest is still burning, as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazon-rainforest-burning/">thousands of fires are spreading across the region</a> that supplies a significant amount of oxygen to Earth’s atmosphere. The smoke is visible from space, and there are concerns about how the fires will impact the indigenous groups that live in the Amazon.

Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro is reportedly reconsidering accepting the $22.2 million in international aid to help fight the fires and is now demanding an apology from French President Emmanuel Macron. 

The aid package was announced at the Group of Seven nations (G-7) summit, and several of the world’s wealthiest countries pledged to help Brazil and the Amazon. 

Bolsonaro <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/27/world/americas/brazil-amazon-aid.html">initially rejected the pledge</a>, but now the President is willing to accept the aid if Macron apologizes and withdraws comments that the French President directed at Bolsonaro. 

“Before speaking or accepting anything from France, even if it comes from the best possible intentions, he must retract his words. Then we can talk,” Brazil’s President told journalists.

The aid package has added fuel to an escalating feud between the two presidents. Last week, Macron announced potentially blocking a free-trade agreement between the EU and South America. Bolsonaro responded with an apparent joke about Macron’s wife. 

Although Bolsonaro is on the fence about accepting aid from the Group of Seven, other countries are offering aid and resources. 

Ricardo Salles, the Environmental Minister of Brazil, said that aid was crucial as the fires are spreading and burning up land at a rapid rate. 

“I think we need to aggregate as many tools as possible to resolve this,” Salles said on Brazilian television. 

The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/brazil-rejects-g-7-amazon-aid-citing-its-lack-of-involvementin-decision-to-grant-it/2019/08/27/4d8b0eb8-c8b6-11e9-9615-8f1a32962e04_story.html">Washington Post </a>even reported that Amazon governors were considering negotiating with the EU directly rather than wait for Bolsonaro. 

There are concerns that because the aid is coming from the G-7 and not the United Nations, it could be a political tactic to gain some control of the Amazon, according to Bolsonaro and some of his officials. 

Meanwhile, fires in the Amazon have increased more than 75 percent this year, according to the Washington Post. The unprecedented rate of deforestation could jeopardize Amazon’s role as a carbon sink and transform large areas of the rainforest into savanna in the near future. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: ESA/NASA–L. Parmitano

Bolsonaro puts politics over financial aid to fight Amazon fires

The Amazon rainforest is still burning, as thousands of fires...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.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"

[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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...