We might like to think of ourselves as autonomous entities but, in reality, we're more like walking ecosystems, teeming with bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. It turns out that differences in these microbes might be as crucial to evolution and natural variation as genetic mutations are.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-biological-variation">Understanding biological variation</h2>



This novel perspective was discussed in a recent publication by Seth Bordenstein, director of Penn State’s One Health Microbiome Center, who is a professor of biology and entomology and holds the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Endowed Chair in Microbiome Sciences.



Bordenstein, along with 21 colleagues from around the globe, collectively known as the Holobiont Biology Network, propose that understanding the relationships between microbes and their hosts will lead to a more profound understanding of biological variation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-in-the-process-of-evolution">Microbes in the process of evolution</h2>



We've all heard the term evolution before, but what does it really mean? 



"The longstanding definition of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microbes-laid-the-foundation-for-early-life-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolution</a> is the process by which living things change over time due to gradual mutations and adaptations to their environments," explains Bordenstein.



These adaptations are commonly driven by natural selection, a process that involves advantageous traits being passed on down the lineage. 



However, when we incorporate the microbiome, the collection of all microbes in and on a host organism, the process of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-evolution-not-random-gene-families-pangenome-influence-called-revolutionary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolution</a> becomes a whole lot more interesting and complex.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-paradigm-holobiont-biology">New paradigm: Holobiont biology</h2>



Traditionally, we've kept the visible and invisible forms of life separate in the way we consider and study them. Many scientists still think of microbes in terms of background noise or minor contaminants.



But it turns out that this approach may have been selling the microbes short.



"Microbes are the base of the biosphere," says Bordenstein. "Every host organism lives in contact and association with microbes, and those microbes can cause variation in traits."



This realization has given birth to a new concept - holobiont biology; a multidisciplinary and holistic understanding of how life's forms and functions depend upon relationships between microorganisms and their hosts.



Holobiont biology considers organisms and the microbes with which they are inseparably linked as a whole, rather than as separate entities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-harnessing-the-power-of-the-microbiome">Harnessing the power of the microbiome </h2>



The field of biology traditionally categorizes living things into taxa. But holobiont biology poses a challenging and exciting opportunity to rethink this framework.



"We’re making the case that organisms are not autonomous. They exist, by definition, always in association and in contact with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microbes-found-alive-inside-a-rock-after-2-billion-years-beneath-earth-surface/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microbes</a>," explains Bordenstein.



This novel way of thinking could open doors to harness the power of the microbiome to improve health, resilience in environmental sustainability, and advancements in agriculture. 



Think of it: what if we could use microbes to combat chronic diseases like cancer or make agriculture more resistant to climate change?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revisiting-microbes-and-evolution">Revisiting microbes and evolution</h2>



Darwin's famous treatise, Origin of Species, is a cornerstone of modern biology. However, it was written with species of animals and plants in mind and did not consider the multitude of invisible microbes that are part of every individual macro-organism.



Now that we know so much more about the fundamental role of microbes in the biosphere, we can add a new layer to our understanding of evolution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-diversity-and-evolution">Genetic diversity and evolution</h2>



In the 1920s to 1940s, biology witnessed a revolution known as the Modern Synthesis, where Mendel's genetic laws were merged with Darwin's theory of evolution. This created a comprehensive explanation for how new variations of form and function develop over time.



We may well currently be at the cusp of another revolution, a post-Modern Synthesis. As Bordenstein points out, we're now factoring in the role of microbes in our understanding of genetics and evolution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-paradigms-in-life-sciences">Shifting paradigms in life sciences</h2>



How do we incorporate this new understanding of the importance of microbes in the biology and evolution of all organisms? The Holobiont Biology Network authors state that this needs to start with redefining and re-teaching biology.



"We’re thinking of animals and plants as a consortium of host and microbial cells that influence anatomy and physiology," explains Bordenstein.



There's also a need for new analytic tools to determine the contribution of microbes and how they interact with genetics to explain traits. Once we have these analytic tools in place, we can engineer microbes and microbiomes as much as we can engineer genes to yield better outcomes for organisms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-shaping-our-evolution">Microbes shaping our evolution</h2>



Microbes have been here for four billion years, and they outnumber the stars in the universe by orders of magnitude. There are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people on the planet. They have shaped our world in ways we are only just beginning to understand.



Research shows that they may also play a role in determining who is more likely to develop colon cancer, have high cholesterol levels or an average body mass index. After all, we contain not only our own genes, but also those of the billions of micro-organisms that live in and on us. &nbsp;



"What we're learning today and over the past decade, is that sometimes microbes explain more biological trait variation in organisms than the genes do," Bordenstein says.



The future of biology lies not just in our genes, but in the characteristics of our associated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/city-microbes-are-finding-surprising-new-ways-to-survive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microbes</a> too. As we move forward, remember this: we're not lone entities. We're ecosystems.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ado2152" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Humans are walking ecosystems and microbes rule their evolution

We might like to think of ourselves as autonomous entities but, in reality, we're more like walking ecosystems, teeming with bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. It turns out that differences in these microbes might be as crucial to evolution and natural variation as genetic mutations are. Understanding biological variation This novel perspective was discussed in a recent publication by Seth Bordenstein, director of Penn State’s One Health Microbiome Center, who is a professor of biology and entomology and holds the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck...

Renowned physicist Richard Feynman once said that biology can be explained by understanding the “wiggling and jiggling” of atoms. For the first time, a research team led by the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> is describing how this movement of atoms is strategically choreographed within enzymes to enable organisms to live at different temperatures.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-cold-green-detergents/">Enzymes</a> are the proteins that act as catalysts to make biological reactions happen. This is the first study to link the subtle dance of an enzyme to its ideal temperature.

The findings of the study also suggest that proteins successfully evolved as catalysts because of their ability to control their own movement in response to chemical reactions.

Dr. Marc van der Kamp and colleagues observed that the heat capacity of enzymes changes during catalytic activity. They found that the extent of this change is the critical factor in determining the temperature at which the enzyme works best.

“Our computer simulations of the 'wiggling and jiggling' of enzymes at different stages in the reaction tells us how these structural fluctuations give rise to the difference in heat capacity, and thereby can predict the optimum temperature of an enzyme,” said Dr. Van der Kamp. “Our work demonstrated that we can do this accurately for two completely different enzymes, by comparing to experimental data.”

“What is fascinating to see is that the whole enzyme structure is important: the 'dance' does not only change close to where the chemical reaction takes place, but also in parts much further away. This has consequences for evolution: the combination of the enzyme structure and the reaction the enzyme catalyses will define its optimal working temperature. A subtle change in structure can change the 'dance'.”


The research may provide new insights for the development of improved biocatalysts used in industrial processes, such as the production of drugs.

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Dr Marc van der Kamp and Michael Connolly

How organisms adapt to live at different temperatures

Renowned physicist Richard Feynman once said that biology can be...

Skin care products such as face and body wash are often purchased based on the way that they smell, yet these scents do not typically last very long after application. Researchers have created a new way to identify fragrances that will stick to the skin longer by using a sensing device.

“Companies incorporate a lot of fragrance oils in wash-off products, such as face washes and body scrubs, but the majority of these oils get washed away,” said lead author Martin S. Vethamuthu. 

“My research team of solvers wants to help other companies amplify the efficacy, add to the allure and ensure the integrity of the retention of these fragrance notes in their products for skin and hair.”

Consumers are willing to spend a lot of money on products that smell good, but many are left dissatisfied when the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scent-reduce-stress/">scent</a> does not last for more than an hour or two.

The research team set out to increase the efficiency of fragrance oils, which is a complex process.

“To build a scent profile in a body wash, it is a creative and artistic process of blending the fragrances,” said Vethamuthu.

He explained that there are three categories of scents: the top note, middle note, and base note. 

“Each of these has a purpose, and some scents are meant to evaporate during the shower while others are meant to remain on the skin even after toweling off.” 

Developing fragrance profiles can be a time-consuming and expensive process. Each time a fragrance is blended, the oil is sent to evaluators, who often return the fragrance for changes to be made and then re-evaluate the scents until the fragrance is flawless. 

Vethamuthu’s team has modified a device, known as the twister bar headspace sorption extraction sensor, to simplify the process of perfecting fragrances. The tool is commonly used in the food industry to detect chemicals that could alter flavors and scents.

The sensor was used to identify which fragrances lingered on the skin longer, allowing the team to gather a profile of these particular scents. The experts also mixed the fragrance oils with various polymers to ensure their longevity.

Using this simplified process, evaluators would only be needed in the final step of the scent development process for verification.

“Polymers impact different fragrances in diverse ways,” said Vethamuthu. “By studying synthetic and naturally derived polymers, manufacturers can select the types of polymers they want to use that will correspond with the fragrance notes they want to prevail.”

Vethamuthu will continue to optimize these methods, and he hopes to refine the tool to mimic the human sense of smell.

The research was presented at the 255th National Meeting &amp; Exposition of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS).

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New breakthrough will help develop fragrances that last longer

Skin care products such as face and body wash are...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> have developed a new tool that demonstrates why a particular region receives rain or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-snow-north-america/">snow</a> in near-freezing conditions. The experts created a map of the Northern Hemisphere that shows precipitation variability is primarily influenced by humidity and location.

While the air temperature threshold for rain versus snow is commonly considered to be 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the new research indicates that this is not always an accurate predictor of which type of precipitation will fall.

The researchers found that coastal areas have a cooler threshold for rain, which means that below-freezing temperatures may still produce rain. On the other hand, inland and mountainous areas are more likely to receive snow when the temperature approaches the threshold, even at several degrees above freezing.

“In Denver, Colorado, it might be 40 degrees and snowing. But in Charleston, South Carolina, it could be 28 degrees and raining,” said co-author Noah Molotch. “This study shows these fine-grain differences on a hemisphere-level scale for the first time.”

The research was focused on nearly 18 million precipitation observations spanning over 100 countries and four continents across the Northern Hemisphere.

“Snow and rain differ greatly in the ways they affect climate,” said study co-author Ben Livneh. “Snow acts as a water reservoir and reflects incoming sunlight, whereas if the same amount of precipitation falls as rain, that can dramatically change water resource management decisions.”

Up until now, land surface models have mainly predicted rain and snow based on the air temperature threshold of 32 degrees. The new research shows that relative humidity and surface pressure must be factored in as well.

“The rain-snow air temperature threshold is primarily a function of relative humidity and methods incorporating humidity and elevation are more likely to predict rain and snow correctly,” said lead author Keith Jennings. “If you just use 32 degrees Fahrenheit across the board, your estimates will be wrong in lots of places.”

The United States had the most rain-snow variability of any country examined in the study. The research could be used to inform future climate and land surface models, which would allow scientists to make more accurate weather predictions.

The ability to differentiate rain from snow is extremely important for monitoring the Earth's hydrologic cycle. This information is also critical for water management, particularly in areas that experience a lot of drought.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Humidity and location determine if there will be rain or snow

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a...

Researchers at the <a href="https://en.unibs.it/">University of Brescia</a> have developed a new class of sustainable hybrid materials that have the potential to replace activated carbon as the preferred choice for reducing wastewater and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-crime-behavior/">air pollution</a>. 

The material, which can be made inexpensively by mixing solid waste and a polymer that is found abundantly in nature, is more effective in absorbing pollutants than activated carbon.

“This paper shows the simple synthesis of a new porous hybrid material, obtained by using low cost and by-product materials,” explained lead author Dr. Elza Bontempi. 

“The material was designed on the basis of The European Commission's request to develop an affordable, sustainable and innovative design-driven material solution that can reduce the concentration of particulate matter in urban areas.”

Particulate matter is found across the globe in both urban and rural areas. In addition to this pollution, millions of tons of industrial waste is dumped into the world's waterways every year.

Activated carbon is the most common adsorbent used to reduce air and wastewater pollution, but it is expensive to produce. Experts have been working to find a low-cost alternative.

In the current study, researchers combined sodium alginate, a polymer that can be commonly found in seaweed and algae, with a byproduct of silicon metal alloy processing.

“The article reports preliminary results about the new material's capability to capture particulate matter,” said Dr. Bontempi. “It can also be used for wastewater remediation. In particular, its ability to replace activated carbon is demonstrated.”


The research team tested the effectiveness of the new material in removing toxic substances from wastewater using a methylene blue dye as a pollutant. Even at high concentrations, the hybrid material adsorbed and removed 94 percent of the dye.

In addition, the production of the material proved to be a much more environmentally friendly process compared to that of activated carbon.

The substance can be applied like paint, which makes it very versatile. It can be brushed, sprayed, or used in 3D-printing. 

The sustainable material is also easy to scale up, and could be used in the development of water filtration units or to cover exterior building surfaces to remove particulate matter.

The study is published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry">Frontiers in Chemistry</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New low-cost, green material helps reduce water and air pollution

Researchers at the University of Brescia have developed a new class...

Smoking foods can bring out incredible flavor, but can also produce harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/firefighters-increased-risk-cancer/">carcinogens</a>. When researchers set out to eliminate these compounds, they tested out a method used in the automobile industry by running the smoke through a zeolite filter. This technique not only removed harmful compounds from the smoke, but also produced a superior flavor in smoked foods.

“The smoking process can cause carcinogens to form in foods,” said study lead author Jane K. Parker. “Not all smoked foods are dangerous, but we do know most can contain low levels of these substances, so we should try to remove them. If we could produce a smoke with fewer carcinogens, but that still has the same great taste, that would be ideal.”

“Zeolite filters, which are put in a tailpipe, have been used in the car industry to reduce environmental pollutants, but they haven't been applied to food yet. We want to change that.”

Zeolite is a porous mineral that can be used to absorb heavy metals and other toxic substances. Parker, who is at the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a>, teamed up with engineers from a company that specializes in natural smoking called Besmoke to optimize filters made from zeolite.

The goal was to remove carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from smoke. PAHs are a secondary result of fuel consumption, which are known to increase the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

One filter that was developed by the team removed as much as 93 percent of a known carcinogen called benzo[a]pyrene.

“There have been a couple of attempts to reduce carcinogens in smoke using other technologies, but they aren't as effective as our approach,” said Parker. 

Next, the researchers set out to determine whether the filtered smoke could produce as good of a flavor as unfiltered smoke. The team smoked tomato flakes and added them to cream cheese, and then used the smoked water to brine chicken.

They enlisted the help of expert tasters trained to describe differences in flavor profiles using standard terminology. 

“To the tasters, the chicken made with filtered smoke had a bit of a 'Christmas ham' aroma and a more rounded balanced flavor,” said Parker. Foods made with the unfiltered smoke, however, were compared to the flavor profiles of an “ashtray” and “acrid smoke.”

The researchers will next attempt to understand why the filter selectively removes these compounds. 

“We think there is interesting science at work,” said Parker. “If we can figure out how the higher molecular weight compounds are sticking to the filter, we can manipulate the zeolite to improve the removal efficiency.”

The research was presented at the 255th National Meeting &amp; Exposition of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New filters make smoked food safer and taste better

Smoking foods can bring out incredible flavor, but can also...

Now more than ever, children in the United States perceive scientists as being female, and not just male. Researchers at <a href="http://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> analyzed 50 years of “Draw-A-Scientist” studies and found that children are depicting female scientists more often than ever before in their drawings.

According to the experts, the findings indicate that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gender-stereotypes-expectations-globe/">stereotypes</a> linking science to the male gender have weakened in children over time. This is likely due to the depiction of more female scientists in children's media, such as on television and in magazines.

“Given this change in stereotypes, girls in recent years might now develop interests in science more freely than before,” said study lead author David Miller. “Prior studies have suggested that these gender-science stereotypes could shape girls' interests in science-related activities and careers.

The investigation was focused on the combined results from 78 “Draw-A-Scientist” studies that included more than 20,000 children in kindergarten through the 12th grade.

In the first study, conducted between 1966 and 1977, less than one percent of nearly 5,000 children drew an image of a woman when asked to draw a scientist. The drawings consistently depicted men working with lab equipment, often with lab coats, glasses, and facial hair.

In later studies, which were conducted between 1985 and 2016, the researchers found that an average of 28 percent of children drew female scientists. While both boys and girls began creating female scientists more over time, girls drew female scientists much more often than boys overall.

“Our results suggest that children's stereotypes change as women's and men's roles change in society,” said study co-author Alice Eagly. “Children still draw more male than female scientists in recent studies, but that is expected because women remain a minority in several science fields.”


The research team also examined how children form stereotypes about scientists throughout their development, and noted that children did not associate science with men until grade school. At around age 5, they drew roughly about the same amount of male and female scientists.

Throughout elementary and middle school, the tendency to depict scientists as being male increased strongly with age. Older children also tended to draw scientists with lab coats and glasses, suggesting that children learn new stereotypes as they grow.

“These changes across children's age likely reflect that children's exposure to male scientists accumulates during development, even in recent years,” said study co-author David Uttal.

“To build on cultural changes, teachers and parents should present children with multiple examples of female and male scientists across many contexts such as science courses, television shows and informal conversations.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-8624">Child Development</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study: More than ever, kids view scientists as being female too

Now more than ever, children in the United States perceive...

New research documents how our early human ancestors led far more complex lives and used more sophisticated tools than had been previously thought.

According to the research published in the journal Science, early Homo sapiens transported stones long distances and used colored pigments for symbolic purposes. Major environmental shifts that occurred during the early African Middle Stone Age that might have driven the need for this transport and travel. 

After it was revealed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-first-using-words/">Homo sapiens</a> emerged 300,000 years earlier than records showed, paleoanthropologists excavating around the Olorgesailie Basin in Kenya were able to piece together a new timeline of when sophisticated stone tools were first used. 

The excavation yielded evidence of Middle Stone Age tools, complex social networking, and the symbolic and decorative use of pigments long before these behaviors were commonplace.

Small hand axes, tools made with black obsidian, and rocks covered with black and red pigment,  all point to a complex, intelligent, and highly social society that lived, hunted and networked around the Olorgesailie Basin hundreds of thousands of years ago. 

Researchers believe that because the obsidian rock was not native to the area, early humans would have had to form a vast social network in order to trade or receive the raw materials they used in their tools. 

According to researchers, this is the earliest known evidence of social networks ever to have formed among humans. 

At the time these tools were created, there was a major climate shift occurring which may have driven early humans to go beyond their immediate range as a matter of survival.

The social network could have created new hunting opportunities and ways to fine tune tool building and hunting techniques. 

The artifacts found in the area, combined with the new evidence of the first homo sapiens, has created a completely new chronology of the evolution of human behaviors. 

“This change to a very sophisticated set of behaviors that involved greater mental abilities and more complex social lives may have been the leading edge that distinguished our lineage from other early humans,” said Rick Potts, director of the <a href="http://humanorigins.si.edu/">Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History</a> Human Origins program.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Smithsonian

Sophisticated tools used by our earliest ancestors found in Africa

New research documents how our early human ancestors led far...

Scientists from different fields of research have teamed up predict incidences of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-trees-resist-drought/">drought</a> and famine in an effort to save lives.

An early warning system designed by a multidisciplinary team of climatologists and food security and resource experts has already proven successful at mitigating severe food shortages from drought in Africa. 

In 2016, 81 million people worldwide experienced food insecurity, and 80 percent of that group live in Africa. 

Food insecurity in Africa can be traced back to several factors including civil war, but drought due to climate change is a large part of the recent shortages.

Climatologists from the <a href="http://chg.ucsb.edu/">University of California, Santa Barbara’s Climate Hazards Group</a> have studied the relationship between warm sea-surface temperatures and drough to create accurate predictions that could help those in high-risk areas adequately prepare. 

The UC Santa Barbara team collaborated with the <a href="http://www.fews.net/">Famine Early Systems Network</a>, the <a href="https://eros.usgs.gov/">Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science</a>, and the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. </a>

Understanding the relationship between sea surface temperatures and drier rainy seasons was a key part of the research. 

“Sea surface temperatures create opportunities for prediction because a really warm ocean often triggers changes in atmospheric circulation that produce droughts in some places and more rainfall in others," said Chris Funk, a member of the early predictions research team. “If we pay attention and watch where those exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures are, we then can produce better drought forecasts that help prevent food insecurity in Africa.”

The researchers came up with a series of predictions and effectively created an early warning system for a series of droughts that swept through parts of Africa in 2015. In June of that year, the researchers projected a drier than usual rainy season. 

The predictions ultimately came true, and what little rainfall that did occur in southern Africa  came far later than usual. Soon after, the area experienced a severe drought that could have resulted in many more fatalities had it not been for the early warning given. 

The researchers also predicted and prevented major crises from droughts in 2016 and 2017 in the Eastern Horn of Africa, eastern Ethiopia and southern Somalia. 

The early warning system illustrates the potential of bringing scientists, experts, and policymakers from different fields together to battle food insecurity.
--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Predicting drought and famine to help save lives

Scientists from different fields of research have teamed up predict...

Researchers are describing how ancient creatures adapted arms and legs. The study demonstrates that fish, mice, and modern-day vertebrates share a genetic advantage that was used to build limbs.

Experts at the <a href="http://www.uchospitals.edu/index.shtml">University of Chicago Medical Center</a> are reporting that the unpaired dorsal fin in ancient fish was duplicated to produce paired appendages, like pelvic fins, arms, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-evolved-running/">legs</a>.


“The unpaired dorsal fin is the first one you see in the fossil record,” said study co-author Neil Shubin. “Here we show that the genetic mechanisms that pattern all the fins and other paired appendages originally arose there and were redeployed to others.”

The research team performed genetic testing in mice and fish to examine the expression of Sonic hedgehog (Shh), which is a gene that is critical in the formation of limbs.

Mice have a type of on-and-off switch called ZRS that controls the expression of Sonic hedgehog. If ZRS is inhibited in a mouse, the limbs cannot properly develop.

The team used gene editing tools to knock out ZRS in a well-known aquarium fish that is known as a Japanese rice fish. Instead of influencing the development of the paired fins, the fish did not grow unpaired dorsal fins. Meanwhile, the paired pelvic and pectoral fins developed as expected.

The researchers examined potential other genetic enhancers and found a related "shadow enhancer" called sZRS that was a critical component working alongside the ZRS switch.

When ZRS and sZRS were suppressed in the medaka, both the dorsal fin and paired fins were lost. The researchers have determined that it is likely that ZRS was first used to develop dorsal fins, and later copied and reused as sZRS when paired fins first emerged about 475 million years ago.

“It's very ancient, and the sequence and function are conserved across all vertebrates,” said Shubin. “It turns out the primitive role for the ZRS was involved with the dorsal fin. It's only later that its activity in the paired fins required this other shadow enhancer.”

Shubin said that understanding the activity of these enhancers helps to identify the traces of evolutionary ancestors present in all vertebrates, including humans.

“A number of human maladies are based on mistakes in the ZRS that can lead extra or missing fingers, or changes in the shape of hands,” said Shubin.

“Humans probably have this shadow enhancer too, so if we want to study the dynamics of how this affects limb patterning, what we see in these fish models is a great place to start.”

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ng/">Nature Genetics</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, Earth.com Staff Writer

Dorsal fin marked the start of vertebrates growing arms and legs

Researchers are describing how ancient creatures adapted arms and legs....

Researchers at <a href="http://eng.suda.edu.cn/">Soochow University</a> in China are developing new solar panels that can be powered even when there is no sunshine available. The technology exploits <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wind-solar-power-supply/">solar power</a> as well as energy produced from the friction of rain.

The mechanism is designed to keep power running even when it may normally fail during a downpour, and the experts believe it may be ultimately used to generate power to devices worn in raincoats. The new creation harnesses the energy of falling raindrops to make electricity.

The prototype consists of a transparent nanogenerator attached to a silicon solar cell, which contributes an extra layer of power for more consistency in varying weather conditions.

Although previous studies have demonstrated that a conventional silicon solar cell and a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) could be connected using an extra wire, the researchers in the current study took a new approach to merging the two energy sources.

Study co-author Zhen Wen told <a href="https://phys.org/">Phys.org</a>: 

“The biggest breakthrough in this work is that an integrated generator composed of a solar cell and a TENG was demonstrated through sharing a mutual electrode.” 

“Compared to previous work, the simple design of the mutual electrode reduces the number of functional layers, which greatly improves the output efficiency.”

The TENG provides protection from weather damage by acting as a waterproof layer over the solar cell. At this point, the scientists are still trying to find a way that TENG and the solar cell can capture energy at the same time.

“Due to the design of the mutual electrode, the solar cell and nanogenerator cannot work together,” explained Wen. “So if there is a sunshower (sunshine and raindrops appearing at the same time), we have to give up one function of the hybrid generator. But I don't think that is often the case.”

The new, dual-action solar panels may ultimately become an efficient way to  generate power, replacing harmful energy sources such as oil and gas.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/ancac3">ACS Nano</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New solar panels are powered by both sunshine and rain

Researchers at Soochow University in China are developing new solar...

More than 500 million years ago, a strange-looking sea creature – Kerygmachela kierkegaardi – roamed the Earth’s oceans. Now, researchers have found more than a dozen fossilized brains and eyes of the ancient ancestor of lobsters, spiders and other modern creepy crawlies.

The newly discovered fossils held a surprise for researchers, however. Until now, many scientists suspected that the common ancestor of vertebrates and arthropods – which would have been an ancestor of K. kierkegaardi, too – had a three-segmented brain, a trait most modern insects share with humans. 

But a research team led by Dr. Jakob Vinther of the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> and Dr. Tae-Yoon S. Park of the <a href="https://www.uarctic.org/member-profiles/non-arctic/28245/korea-polar-research-institute">Korea Polar Research Institute</a> discovered that this was not the case.

The collection of 15 fossilized brains, discovered in Greenland in 2011 and 2016, show that K. kierkegaardi’s brain had only one segment. That means the three-segmented brains seen in its modern relatives likely evolved later. It also means the shared ancestor of humans and insects probably didn’t have a three-segmented brain, either.

“It has been surmised, based on developmental evidence, that the ancestor of vertebrates and arthropods had a tripartite brain, which is refuted by the fossil evidence presented here,” the researchers wrote in their study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03464-w">Nature Communications</a>.

K. kierkegaardi was about 10 inches long, oval-shaped, with 11 flaps for movement on each side, two long appendages on its head and a long tail. It lived between 521 and 514 million years ago, during the Cambrian explosion. It’s simple “protocerebral” brain may have helped it to survive the time period, when a large number of new animal species began to evolve, the scientists said.

The researchers also believe the fossils demonstrate a middle stage between simpler eye structures and the complex eyes found in modern insects like flies and spiders.

“You can call it a missing link as it contains feature that exists in living creatures, but not in previous fossils,” Vinther told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Rebecca Gelernter, <a href="http://www.nearbirdstudios.com/">Near Bird Studios</a>

The surprising fossilized brains of ancient sea creatures

More than 500 million years ago, a strange-looking sea creature...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/essential-oils-mosquito-repellent/">Essential oils</a> are usually thought of as natural and safe ingredients for soaps, lotions, detergents, and cleaning products. The oils are also recommended for a myriad of home remedies and are often used for aromatherapy. 

But a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/">National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences </a>has found that both tea tree and lavender oil contain hormone-disrupting chemicals. 

The research revealed that lavender and tea tree oil could be the cause of the growing number of reported cases of prepubertal gynecomastia among young boys. Prepubertal gynecomastia refers to abnormal breast growth before puberty. 

The study will be presented to the annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/about-us">Endocrine Society</a>, a global organization that focuses on hormone research and finding new treatments for hormone diseases.

The Endocrine Society classify essential oils as safe, but this new research shows the importance of the understanding the chemical components of different oils before their widespread use in common household and hygiene products. 

“Our society deems essential oils as safe,” said J. Tyler Ramsey, the study’s lead investigator. “However, they possess a diverse amount of chemicals and should be used with caution because some of these chemicals are potential endocrine disruptors.”

Endocrine glands distribute hormones throughout the body, and endocrine disruptors would be any chemicals or processes that disrupt the natural pathways and distribution of hormones. 

For the study, the researchers focused on eight chemicals that are known components of lavender and tea tree oil. 

The researchers then applied these chemicals to human cancer cells using an in vitro method in test tubes to see how each chemical affected or influenced the cells on a hormonal level. 

Each of the eight chemicals tested and analyzed had varying degrees of influence over hormones and contained either estrogenic and anti-androgenic properties. 

These properties could easily account for prepubertal gynecomastia. 

What's more, the chemicals chosen for the study are found in at least 65 other essential oils, which means that many other widely used products could have hormone-disrupting chemicals. 

The results show that even though essential oils are safe, they are not regulated by the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/">Food and Drug Administration</a> (FDA) and could contain chemicals that are harmful to the body’s natural endocrine processes.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tea tree and lavender oils can disrupt your hormones

Essential oils are usually thought of as natural and safe...

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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.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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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

[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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



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.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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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://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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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

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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.

How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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...