An asteroid impact on Mars 11 million years ago sent fragments of the red planet hurtling through space. One of these pieces eventually crashed into Earth, making its way to Purdue University and becoming known as the Lafayette Meteorite.&nbsp;



This rare find has been instrumental in unlocking secrets of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/manganese-discovery-ancient-mars-earth-like-water-lake-habitable/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mars</a>’ watery past, with new research recently published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.2443" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geochemical Perspective Letters</a> that provides insight into the timing and nature of Mars’ ancient water activity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-mars-watery-past">Tracing Mars’ watery past</h2>



Scientists have long known that the Lafayette Meteorite interacted with liquid water on Mars, but the exact timing of this event was uncertain.&nbsp;



Dr. Marissa Tremblay, an assistant professor at Purdue University’s <a href="https://www.eaps.purdue.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences</a> (EAPS), led an international research team to determine the age of the water-altered minerals in the meteorite, pinpointing it to 742 million years ago.



“Dating these minerals can therefore tell us when there was liquid water at or near the surface of Mars in the planet's geologic past,” Tremblay explained.&nbsp;



The findings suggest that while liquid water wasn’t abundant on the surface at this time, it likely came from melting subsurface ice, or permafrost, caused by intermittent volcanic activity - a phenomenon still observed on Mars today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preserving-a-moment-in-mars-geological-timeline">Preserving a moment in Mars’ geological timeline</h2>



The study not only identified when water interacted with the meteorite but also established that the dating was unaffected by events after the meteorite left Mars.&nbsp;



“The age could have been affected by the impact that ejected the Lafayette Meteorite from Mars, the heating it experienced during the 11 million years it was floating in space, or the heating when it fell to Earth,” Tremblay said.&nbsp;



However, the team confirmed that none of these factors altered the age, validating the timeline of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-lost-most-of-its-water-but-where-did-it-go/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water</a> interaction.



Study co-author and Purdue EAPS researcher Ryan Ickert applied heavy isotope analysis to further verify that previous data on the meteorite’s water-rock interaction had likely been skewed by other geological processes.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“This meteorite uniquely has evidence that it has reacted with water. The exact date of this was controversial, and our publication dates when water was present,” said Ickert.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mysterious-journey-of-the-meteorite">Mysterious journey of the meteorite </h2>



The Lafayette Meteorite’s journey to Purdue is something of a mystery. It was found in a university drawer in 1931, though how it got there remains unknown.&nbsp;



In previous research, Tremblay and her team used crop disease markers from organic contaminants found on the meteorite to narrow down when it might have fallen to Earth.



Once the meteorite was ejected from Mars, it endured constant cosmic ray bombardment in space, which produced certain isotopes, offering clues to its time of impact on Earth.&nbsp;



“Many meteoroids are produced by impacts on Mars and other planetary bodies, but only a handful will eventually fall to Earth,” Tremblay said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-planetary-time-capsules">Planetary time capsules</h2>



Meteorites like Lafayette serve as planetary time capsules, offering invaluable data on the geological and environmental history of their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-meteorites-can-be-traced-to-three-asteroid-families/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">home worlds</a>. With their dense structure, metallic content, and magnetic properties, meteorites are often distinguishable from Earth rocks.&nbsp;



“We can identify meteorites by studying what minerals are present in them, their mineral relationships, and by checking for a fusion crust formed during entry into Earth’s atmosphere,” Tremblay explained.&nbsp;



By analyzing these traits and their chemical signatures, scientists can often determine a meteorite’s planetary origin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-history-of-meteorites">Complex history of meteorites</h2>



This research marks a significant milestone for the team, which included scientists from institutions across the globe, such as the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Center (SUERC), the University of St. Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Bristol, and London’s <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Natural History Museum</a>.&nbsp;



“Before moving to Purdue, Ryan and I were both based at SUERC, where the argon-argon isotopic analyses of the alteration minerals in Lafayette took place,” Tremblay said.&nbsp;



Their partners at SUERC and the Natural History Museum have long contributed to studying Lafayette’s complex history.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dating-minerals-in-meteorites">Dating minerals in meteorites</h2>



Dating the water-altered minerals in Lafayette, and others in its class of Martian meteorites called nakhlites, has been a central focus in planetary science, as they uniquely capture moments when liquid water was present on Mars.&nbsp;



Due to complex alterations over time, previous attempts to date these minerals were plagued with uncertainties.&nbsp;



However, the team has now developed a robust dating method that could be applied to other meteorites, enhancing our understanding of when water might have been present on Mars and other planetary bodies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-planetary-science">The future of planetary science</h2>



Thanks to the Stahura Undergraduate Meteorite Fund, Tremblay and Ickert’s research on the Lafayette Meteorite will continue, with the involvement of undergraduate students in Purdue EAPS.&nbsp;



This opportunity allows students to engage in real-world planetary science, helping to reveal the intricate histories of meteoritic samples.



Tremblay and her team’s work on the Lafayette Meteorite highlights its scientific significance, revealing a complex history that ties it to Mars’ geological past.&nbsp;



Their findings not only deepen our understanding of Mars but also set a precedent for future studies that might unveil even more about the red planet’s climate history, water activity, and potential for supporting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-mars-rocks-contain-signs-of-life-scientists-call-to-bring-them-back-to-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">life</a>.



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Meteorite that struck Mars reveals when the planet had liquid water

An asteroid impact on Mars 11 million years ago sent fragments of the red planet hurtling through space. One of these pieces eventually crashed into Earth, making its way to Purdue University and becoming known as the Lafayette Meteorite.&nbsp; This rare find has been instrumental in unlocking secrets of Mars’ watery past, with new research recently published in the journal Geochemical Perspective Letters that provides insight into the timing and nature of Mars’ ancient water activity. Tracing Mars’ watery past Scientists have long known that the Lafayette...

The cognitive processes of humans rely on existing knowledge and also generate new knowledge. Researchers have a difficult time analyzing the evolution of human cognition because it is impossible to study the minds of our prehistoric ancestors. But according to a new study, the development of more advanced tools in the Early Stone Age represents a cognitive shift in which people began utilizing different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-values-money-ethically/">brain</a> networks.

The advancement of stone tools 1.7 million years ago indicates there was a shift in human awareness at that time. This innovation has been previously attributed to the use of language centres in the brain, as some scientists believe language and tools evolved together. 

However, a recent study shows the modernization of stone tools coincided with the use of more complex brain networks. To tackle the challenge of analyzing the connection between brain evolution and cognitive evolution, researchers used neuroimaging to observe the brain activity of people as they learn to make ancient tools.

Researchers in the field of neuroarcheology from the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a>, Indiana University, and the University of Iowa teamed up to determine if language played a role in stone tool progress. 31 participants were shown videos of how to make Oldowan and Acheulian stone tools. Half of the participants were given tutorials that contained verbal instructions, while the other half were shown the same videos without sound.

Visual attention and motor control networks were all the participants needed to make the simple Oldowan tools. The creation of the Acheulian tools required the activation of more brain networks, which are the same as those that are used in modem piano playing - visual working memory, auditory and sensorimotor information, and complex action-planning. 

Dr. Shelby Putt, the lead author on the study,  is from the Stone Age Institute at Indiana University. "The study reveals key brain networks that might underlie the shift towards more human-like intelligence around 1.75 million years ago. We think this marked a turning point in the evolution of the human brain, leading to the evolution of a new species of human,” said Dr. Putt.

The study also showed that brain networks used in modern language were only activated during the verbal Acheulian instructions. Therefore, language was not required for the production of the more advanced tools.

Co-author John Spencer of the University of East Anglia said, "Our findings do not neatly overlap with prior claims that language and stone tool production co-evolved. There is more support for the idea that working memory and auditory-visual integration networks laid the foundation for advances in stone tool-making.”

This research is unprecedented because it is the first neuroimaging study to use a new technology called functional near-infrared spectroscopy. This technique enabled the researchers to see brain activity changes in real time as the participants made the stone tools.

"It is fascinating that these same brain networks today allow modern humans to perform such behaviours as skillfully playing a musical instrument,” said Professor John Spencer.

Professor Robert Franciscus from the University of Iowa co-authored the study.  "When and how humans became the exceptionally intelligent and language-using species that we are today is still a great mystery. We discovered that the appearance of a type of more complexly shaped stone tool kit in the archaeological record marked an important cognitive shift when our ancestors started to think and act more like humans rather than apes,” Franciscus concluded. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a>

Stone Age tools help illustrate the evolution of intelligence

The cognitive processes of humans rely on existing knowledge and...

Back in 1993, farmers in the Henan Province of China found fossils of eggs that were up to almost 18 inches long and weighed more than 10 pounds – they would end up being some of the largest dinosaur eggs ever discovered. They were found in a ring-shaped nest that was roughly 2-3 meters in diameter and contained over two dozen eggs. 

The fossils were exported out of China to the United States, where they became world renowned after being featured in a 1996 issue of National Geographic. Despite this notoriety, they had yet to be linked to a species or even given a name, until now…

Recently, the eggs were returned to China and kept at the Henan Geological Museum. Due to this repatriation, an international team of scientists were finally able to study them.

“This particular fossil was outside the country for over 20 years and its return to China finally allowed us to properly study the specimen and name a new dinosaur species, Beibeilong sinensis or baby dragon from China.” says Professor Lü Junchang, a paleontologist at the <a href="http://210.73.59.177/geology/tabid/183/language/en-US/Default.aspx">Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences</a>.

By studying the bones of an embryo that had died while hatching, the researchers found that this was a new species of oviraptorosar – a type of feathered, wing-bearing, beaked dinosaur that is closely related to birds. Bones of an adult have yet to be discovered, but scientists believe a mature Beibeilong sinensis would be about 16 feet long and weigh in at 3 tons. 

“Thanks to this fossil, we now know that these eggs were laid by a gigantic oviraptorosaur, a dinosaur that would have looked a lot like an overgrown cassowary. It would have been a sight to behold with a three ton animal like this sitting on its nest of eggs,” says Dr. Darla Zelenitzky, a professor at the <a href="http://www.ucalgary.ca/">University of Calgary</a>.

The species is believed to have lived around 90 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, and is the largest known dinosaur to have sat on its nest and cared for its young. 

More information on this exciting dinosaur species can be found in the journal Nature Communications.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.ucalgary.ca/">University of Calgary</a>

Illustration by Zhao Chuang

Massive dinosaur eggs belonged to a new dino species

Back in 1993, farmers in the Henan Province of China...

For decades, one of the most common negative stereotypes about cannabis has been that it makes people forgetful. But now, a new study from German researchers published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nm/">Nature Medicine</a> could change this notion. According to the study, cannabis has been found to slow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rosemary-sharpens-memory-children/">memory</a> loss in older mice and even help revive the speed of memory. 

The study found that once older mice were given THC, the chemical compound in cannabis responsible for providing the “high,” the mental power of their brains actually increased significantly. Upon taking a closer look, the researchers found that the brain connections in the hippocampus - the area responsible for learning and memory - were functioning as well as those of young adults.

The team of researchers also added that cannabis may help slow the brain’s aging process, which could even help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The team will begin human trials later this year. 

“Chronic, low-dose treatment with THC or cannabis extracts could be a potential strategy to slow down or even reverse cognitive decline in the elderly,” said Professor Andreas Zimmer of <a href="https://www.uni-bonn.de/the-university">Bonn University</a> in Germany.

“Together, these results reveal a profound, long-lasting improvement of cognitive performance resulting from a low dose of THC treatment in mature and old animals. THC treatment for 28 days restored the learning and memory performance of mature and old animals in the water maze, novel object location recognition and social recognition tests to the levels observed in young mice.”

--

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a>

Source: <a href="http://www.nature.com/nm/">Nature Medicine</a>

Cannabis could slow memory loss in the elderly, new study finds

For decades, one of the most common negative stereotypes about...

Researchers working in a South African cave have discovered more remains of a newfound human relative called Homo naledi.

The latest discovery, which occurred in 2013 and was announced Tuesday in the journal <a href="https://elife.elifesciences.org/">eLife</a>  helps round out the picture of Homo naledi, who shared the landscape with modern humans between 226,000 and 335,000 years ago, the <a href="http://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a> said

The remains of at least two adults and a child, including a complete skull, were found in a South African cave system known as Rising Star, the university said. Nearby in the same cave system, researchers earlier found the first Homo naledi<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-world-war-trenches/"> fossils</a> representing at least 15 individuals of various ages.

"This likely adds weight to the hypothesis that Homo naledi was using dark, remote places to cache its dead," said University of Wisconsin-Madison anthropologist John Hawks.

"What are the odds of a second, almost identical occurrence happening by chance?"

The skull of one of the newly found skeletons has much of the face, including the delicate bones of the inner eye region and nose, Hawks said. It has a complete collarbone and a near-complete femur, which help to confirm what scientists suspected about the  size and stature of  Homo naledi, and that it was both an effective walker and climber. 

"We finally get a look at the face of Homo naledi," said Peter Schmid, who holds a joint appointment at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Witwatersrand">University of Witwatersrand</a> and the <a href="http://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a>, and who spent hundreds of hours reconstructing the fragile bones of the skull. 

Earlier, researchers in a deep Spanish cave known as Sima de los Huesos uncovered evidence that Neanderthals were caching the bodies of their dead companions 400,000 years ago.

"What is so provocative about Homo naledi is that these are creatures with brains one third the size of ours," Hawks says. "This is clearly not a human, yet it seems to share a very deep aspect of behavior that we recognize, an enduring care for other individuals that continues after their deaths. It awes me that we may be seeing the deepest roots of human cultural practices."

Researchers believe more remains will be recovered as excavations in the cave system continues. The new chamber is very difficult to access, requiring excavators to crawl, climb and squeeze their way in pitch dark to the fossil cache, the university said.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/139875.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-351257" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/139875-246x300.jpg" alt="Researchers working in a South African cave have discovered more remains of a newfound human relative called Homo naledi." width="246" height="300" /></a>

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a>

South African fossil discovery sheds new light on human relative

Researchers working in a South African cave have discovered more...

A new study found that men have larger brains, even though women’s brains have been found to function more efficiently.

The study, led by <a href="http://www.eur.nl/english/">Erasmus University</a> in the Netherlands, was based on MRI scans of almost 900 men and women and found male brains are around 14 per cent larger.

While women perform better in memory tests, in this study, men were found to have larger brains and higher IQs.

“We found that men’s brains are larger than women’s and our analysis suggests this is the reason for lower average general intelligence across a range of tests,” said lead author of the Erasmus study, Dimitri van der Linden. “We are aware of previous research suggesting women’s brains are better organized or process information more efficiently, but we did not look at this in our study.”

The latest study took scans and cognitive tests from 896 people aged 22 to 37 as part of the Human Connectome Project.

Published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/intelligence">Intelligence</a>, the research says men had higher scores on most measures of intelligence, including spatial awareness. 

Women did better in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/good-memory-bored-sooner/">memory</a> tests, including recalling a sequence of 18 pictures.

“This is a well-researched study but the evidence is not strong enough to prove that larger male brains are more intelligent than smaller female brains, which makes it a leap of faith, using a measure of general intelligence which has little basis,” said Dr Joseph Devlin, head of experimental psychology at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>,

‘‘Men and women’s brains are different, but we should be sceptical of claims that men are smarter than women, especially when there is little to no evidence for that and lots of evidence to the contrary,” Devlin said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail </a>

New study: men have larger brains, but women’s are more efficient

A new study found that men have larger brains, even...

Silver birch trees are native to Europe and parts of Asia. These distinguished trees have white bark and deep roots that access nutrients which improve the soil around them. Birch wood is used to make paper, furniture, and plywood. But now, a new study provides insight that may lead to ways to genetically manipulate birch trees to make them an even bigger economic asset.

The study was led by researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland along with <a href="https://www.buffalo.edu/">University at Buffalo</a> biologist Victor Albert. The research was the first of its kind to produce an evolutionary history of birch trees using genome sequences.

The team studied the entire genetic makeup of 80 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/indigenous-amazon-rainforest-dwellers/">trees</a>. The samples were obtained from various locations including Germany, Norway, Finland, and Siberia. The scientists were able to identify genetic mutations that influence how well birch trees grow in different geographical regions and in response to other environmental circumstances. 

"What makes a birch tree hardy in different environments? A tree in Finland may die if you plant it in Siberia because plants have local adaptations - specific genetic mutations - that help them survive where they are found," explains researcher Ykä Helariutta. "An understanding of these natural adaptations can facilitate genetic engineering and artificial selection. That's why our research could be very useful for forest biotechnology."

“Selective sweeps” are stretches of DNA that identify genetic traits that have been adapted for survival in a particular location. Analyzing these regions of DNA became critical to the study. The research team discovered selective sweeps that impacted important aspects of birch trees such as wood production and tree growth.

Two genes that are associated with wood production, KAK and MED5A, had mutations that directly related to latitude, longitude, and temperature. Two genes that impact how birch trees respond to light, PHYC and FRS10, also correlated with latitude, longitude, and temperature.

"The selective sweeps we identified may be the basis for local adaptation for different populations of birch," researcher Jarkko Salojärvi says. "Trees in Siberia are under different selective pressure from trees in Finland, so genes are being tweaked in different ways in these two places to allow these plants to better adjust to their environment."

The results of the study, published in Nature Genetics, may have a major impact on the future of paper and furniture production, along with other industries. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="https://www.buffalo.edu/">University at Buffalo</a>

The evolution of birch trees could help develop superior trees

Silver birch trees are native to Europe and parts of...

Climate change is melting permafrost soils that have been frozen for thousands of years, releasing ancient viruses and bacteria, the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170504-there-are-diseases-hidden-in-ice-and-they-are-waking-up">BBC</a> reported.

In August 2016, a 12-year-old died in a remote corner of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/batagaika-crater-siberia/">Siberian</a> tundra called the Yamal Peninsula in the Arctic Circle, and at least 20 people were hospitalized after being infected by anthrax, the BBC said.

The theory is that a reindeer was infected with anthrax more than 75 years ago, and its frozen carcass became trapped under a layer of frozen soil, known as permafrost. That is, until a heatwave in the summer of 2016 thawed the permafrost and released the deadly toxins.

The temperature in the Arctic Circle is rising about three times faster than in the rest of the world, the BBC said. As the ice and permafrost melt, other infectious agents may be released.

"Permafrost is a very good preserver of microbes and viruses, because it is cold, there is no oxygen, and it is dark," says evolutionary biologist Jean-Michael Claverie of <a href="https://www.igs.cnrs-mrs.fr/spip.php?article39&amp;lang=fr"> </a><a href="http://www.univ-amu.fr/en">Aix-Marseille University</a> in France. "Pathogenic viruses that can infect humans or animals might be preserved in old permafrost layers, including some that have caused global epidemics in the past."

In the early 20th Century alone, more than a million reindeer died from anthrax. It is not easy to dig deep graves, so most of these carcasses are buried close to the surface, scattered among 7,000 burial grounds in northern Russia, the story said. 

“However, the big fear is what else is lurking beneath the frozen soil,” the BBC said.

Scientists have discovered fragments of RNA from the 1918 Spanish flu virus in corpses buried in mass graves in Alaska's tundra. Smallpox and the bubonic plague are also likely buried in Siberia.

In a 2011 study, Boris Revich and Marina Podolnaya wrote: "As a consequence of permafrost melting, the vectors of deadly infections of the 18th and 19th Centuries may come back, especially near the cemeteries where the victims of these infections were buried."

NASA scientists successfully revived bacteria that had been encased in a frozen pond in Alaska for 32,000 years, the story said.

In the 1890s there was a major epidemic of smallpox in Siberia with one town losing up to 40 percent of its population. Their bodies were buried under the upper layer of permafrost on the banks of the Kolyma River. Now, 120 years later, Kolyma's floodwaters have started eroding the banks, and the melting of the permafrost has speeded up this erosion process.

In a project that began in the 1990s, scientists from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Research_Center_of_Virology_and_Biotechnology_VECTOR">State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology </a>in Novosibirsk have <a href="http://www.istc.int/en/project/84980DF9853EABD94325690B000F3840">tested</a> the remains of Stone Age people  found in southern Siberia, in the region of Gorny Altai. They have also tested samples from the corpses of men who had died during viral epidemics in the 19th Century and were buried in the Russian permafrost.

The researchers say they have found bodies with sores characteristic of the marks left by smallpox. While they did not find the smallpox virus itself, they have detected fragments of its DNA, the BBC said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170504-there-are-diseases-hidden-in-ice-and-they-are-waking-up">BBC</a>

Report: Climate change unleashing deadly viruses, bacteria

Climate change is melting permafrost soils that have been frozen...

In its early life, the Earth was likely flat, barren and almost completely underwater with only a few small islands, according to new study.

The findings by <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a> were based on analysis of tiny <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rare-mineral-earths-mantle/">mineral</a> grains as old as 4.4 billion years. The zircon mineral grains were preserved in sandstone rocks in the Jack Hills of Western Australia, the oldest fragments of the Earth ever found, the university said.

"The history of the Earth is like a book with its first chapter ripped out with no surviving rocks from the very early period, but we've used these trace elements of zircon to build a profile of the world at that time," said lead researcher Antony Burnham.

The research indicates there were no mountains or continental collisions during Earth's first 700 million years or more of existence.

“It was a much more quiet and dull place,” said Burnham.

There are strong similarities between zircon and the types of rocks that predominated for the following 1.5 billion years, suggesting that it took the Earth a long time to evolve into the planet that we know today, Burnham said.

Zircon grains that eroded out of the oldest rocks were like skin cells found at a crime scene, he said.

"We used the granites of southeast Australia to decipher the link between zircon composition and magma type, and built a picture of what those missing rocks were," he said.

The first known form of life emerged some time later, around 3.8 billion years ago, Burnham said.

The samples of zircon from Jack Hills have been collected over the course of several decades by many people, while chemical analyses carried out by an ANU research group 20 years ago have proved invaluable," he said.

The study was published in Nature Geoscience. 

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a>

Study: Early Earth was flat and almost fully underwater

In its early life, the Earth was likely flat, barren...

The planet’s species are now vanishing at the fastest rate since the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alpine-plants-extinction-risks/">extinction</a> of dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Of all species that have existed on Earth, over 99 percent are now extinct. Many species are currently at risk due to human activities that result in global warming and habitat loss. 

When the conservation status of a species reaches “endangered,” it is likely this species could disappear forever. The following is a list of some of the cutest animals on the planet that are now on the endangered list, and at serious risk of extinction.

Red Panda

<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/shutterstock_563955424.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-351247" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/shutterstock_563955424-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>

Red pandas have furry bodies that resemble bear cubs and white face markings like raccoons. They weigh around 10 pounds and are not much larger than house cats. Red pandas live rather solitary lives and are thought to be shy animals. When they do communicate, they chatter or squeak like chipmunks. 

The red panda is nicknamed “firefox” for its reddish-orange coat and black limbs. These animals are skilled acrobats that spend most of their time in the treetops. Red pandas are perceived as lazy because their bamboo diet slows their metabolism.

Red pandas can be found in the forests of the Eastern Himalayas and the mountains of Nepal and Myanmar. They are mainly endangered due to deforestation. Global warming and human activity such as logging have added pressure to their rapidly vanishing forest habitats. They are also hunted for their thick, warm fur.

Golden Lion Tamarin

<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/shutterstock_54861250.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-351246" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/shutterstock_54861250-300x288.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="288" /></a>

The golden lion tamarin is a small monkey with long, silky hair that frames its face. This tiny monkey weighs under two pounds. The distinctive, fiery-gold color of its hair is thought to be lightened by the sun and also from cartenoids in its diet.

These sociable monkeys move in groups and sleep in hollow trees. Golden lion tamarins move very fast and swing from vines to trees, rarely ever coming down to the ground. They communicate with each other by marking their territory with a musky-scented substance, and also use a variety of sounds. Screeching noises usually mean they are playing.

Located in the tropical rainforests of Brazil, golden lion tamarins are in danger due to habitat loss. Their native forests are being cleared for agriculture and ranching. These tiny monkeys are also hunted and killed or captured for the pet trade. At one point, locals mistakenly believe they carried yellow fever and malaria and killed many of them.

Sea Otters

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While sea otters are the biggest members of the weasel family, they are among the smallest marine mammals, weighing an average of 49 to 99 pounds. These animals have thick, puffy fur with facial features that resemble small polar bears. Sea otters often look like they are laughing and smiling. 

Sea otters must keep their dense fur clean so that it stays waterproof. They spend a lot of their time grooming, and roll in the water frequently while eating to keep food scraps out of their fur. Sea otters are equipped with pouches to store food that they bring up to the surface for meals. They float on their backs and eat with their forepaws, using rocks and other tools to break open shellfish. 

Although they spend most of their waking hours alone, these sea creatures rest together in single-sex groups called rafts. They sometimes drape kelp over their bodies or hold hands while they are sleeping to keep from floating away. 

Sea otters can be found in the coastal waters of the Northern Pacific. They are often victims of oil spills and habitat degradation from pollution. They are also shot and hunted by humans. 

Pileated Gibbons

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Pileated gibbons are small acrobatic apes with shaggy fur. The females are silver or beige with a black head and belly, and the males are all black. Pileated gibbons have oversized arms and commanding legs. With graceful yet powerful movement, these creatures can launch themselves over 50 feet to the nearest tree. They move through the jungle at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. 

Pileated gibbons live and rest high in the trees in small family groups. They are known for loud vocalizations that sound like songs, and the males and females “perform” duets together. These iconic animals bond by grooming each other. 

Found in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, the habitats of pileated gibbons are being destroyed as their native forests are turned into farmland. This has led to extinction in some regions. They are also hunted and captured for their meat.

Galapagos Penguins

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The Galapagos penguins are the second smallest penguin species. They weigh only 5 pounds and stand about 16 inches tall. They have slender beaks and sport the shape of an upside-down horseshoe on their bellies. Their black and white colors help camouflage them from predators both inside of the water and out.

The Galapagos penguins are the only penguin species that live and breed in a tropical climate north of the equator. This unique penguin species is restricted to the Galapagos Islands because a cold undercurrent of water is pulled here from Antarctica. They live in colonies and hunt in groups, yet are very territorial over their nests. These tiny penguins communicate with vocalizations and body movements.

Global warming and other disturbances of their habitats have resulted in the endangerment of the Galapagos penguins. The introduction of new, invasive species and human activities such as fishing also threaten the survival of these penguins. 

There are many ways that we can help save these and other threatened species. A great way to start is to learn about endangered species in your local area. Buy sustainable products and reduce water waste to help protect natural habitats. 

&nbsp;

For more ideas, check out this list of “<a href="http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/20-extraordinary-things-you-can-do-to-save-endangered-species.php">20 Extraordinary Things You Can Do To Save Endangered Species</a>.” 

You can also participate in <a href="http://www.endangered.org/campaigns/endangered-species-day/">Endangered Species Day</a> on May 19th, 2017.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://Earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some of Earth’s most adorable animals are facing extinction

The planet’s species are now vanishing at the fastest rate...

Babies born today in 13 U.S. counties have a lower life expectancy than their parents did when they were born decades ago, a new study said.

The gap between counties with the highest and lowest life expectancies is larger now than it was back in 1980, according to the study by the<a href="http://www.healthdata.org/"> Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation</a> (IHME) at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington </a>in Seattle and published in AMA Internal Medicine.

Risk factors such obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, hypertension, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temps-diabetes-increase/">diabetes</a> - explained 74 percent of the variation in longevity. Socioeconomic factors, a combination of poverty, income, education, unemployment, and race, were independently related to 60 percent of the inequality, and access to and quality of health care explained 27 percent

“Looking at life expectancy on a national level masks the massive differences that exist at the local level, especially in a country as diverse as the United States," said lead author Laura Dwyer-Lindgren, a researcher at IHME.

Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota - which includes the Pine Ridge Native American reservation - had the lowest life expectancy in the country in 2014 at 66.8 years, comparable to countries like Sudan (67.2), India (66.9), and Iraq (67.7), the study found.

Clusters of counties with low life expectancies were also identified in Kentucky, West Virginia, Alabama, and several states along the Mississippi River. Several counties in these states and others saw decreases in life expectancy since 1980, while much of the country experienced increases.

"These findings demonstrate an urgent imperative, that policy changes at all levels are gravely needed to reduce inequality in the health of Americans," said Dr. Ali Mokdad, an author on the study. "Federal, state, and local health departments need to invest in programs that work and engage their communities in disease prevention and health promotion."<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2014.jpg">
</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1980.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-351221" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1980-300x242.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="242" /></a>

<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2014.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-351220" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2014-300x242.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="242" /></a>

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By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.healthdata.org/">Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation</a>

Study reveals big gaps in U.S. life expectancy based on location

Babies born today in 13 U.S. counties have a lower...

Scientists believe that in the early days of Earth, there was a period of time during which roughly 150 massive meteorite impacts occurred. Thankfully, as time wore on, the number of devastating meteor landings slowed down and our planet was generally left alone.

However, these early impacts are thought to have played a significant role in the structure of our planet. “The intense bombardment of the early Earth had destructive effects on the planet’s surface but it may also have brought up material from the planet’s interior, which shaped the overall structure of the planet.” says Professor Balz Kamber of <a href="https://www.tcd.ie">Trinity College Dublin</a>.

Kamber and an international team of researchers recently analyzed rocks from an ancient geological structure in Canada, where it is believed that a gigantic meteorite landed around two billion years ago. The reserachers found evidence of rocks that had melted after this impact, along with volcanic fragments that indicate a history of violent eruptions.

These findings suggest that massive meteorite impacts can be a catalyst for intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/russias-kambalny-volcano-ash/">volcanic</a> activity that changes over time. The effects of this can drastically change the surface of the Earth, and even have an impact on the climate as the planet’s crust melts and enormous eruptions bring the interior of the Earth to its exterior.

The researchers found that in the years following this event, the composition of the volcanic materials changed. Initially, the acitivty was a part of the melting of Earth’s crust. But as it continued, the volcanic activity was spurred on by magma from the planet’s interior.

“This is an important finding, because it means that the magma sourcing the volcanoes was changing with time. The reason for the excitement is that the effect of large impacts on the early Earth could be more serious than previously considered.” explains Kamber.

This research gives scientists a better understanding of how meteorite impacts played a role in the structure of Earth. It also expands our understanding of the effects of extended volcanic activity and the factors that contribute to our planet dredging up its magma from deep within.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.tcd.ie">Trinity College Dublin</a>

Extreme meteorite impacts helped build the Earth we know today

Scientists believe that in the early days of Earth, there...

Prostate and breast cancer are strongly linked to poor environmental quality, a new study found.

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.uic.edu/">University of Illinois, Chicago</a> linked the Environmental Quality Index, a county-level measure of cumulative environmental exposures, with cancer incidence rates.

Counties with poor environmental quality demonstrated a higher incidence of cancer cases - on average 39 more cases per 100,000 people- than counties with high <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmentally-friendly-cool-summer/">environmental</a> quality.

Prostate and breast cancer in particular demonstrated strong links with poor environmental quality, according to the study which examined air, water, and land quality; sociodemographic environment; and built environment.

 "Our study is the first we are aware of to address the impact of cumulative environmental exposures on cancer incidence," said the University of Illinois’ Dr. Jyotsna S. Jagai. "This work helps support the idea that all of the exposures we experience affect our health, and underscores the potential for social and environmental improvements to positively impact health outcomes.”

Research has traditionally focused on individual environmental exposures, which is important for understanding specific mechanisms that can cause disease, Jagai said. However, cancer development is dependent on all exposures people face, including social stress.

"Therefore, we must consider the overall environment that one is exposed to in order to understand the potential risk for cancer development," she said.

The study, published online in <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1097-0142">Cancer</a>, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, may help to reduce the burden of cancer by allowing officials to identify vulnerable communities in need of attention, the authors said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1097-0142">Cancer</a>

Study: Poor environmental quality leads to higher cancer rates

Prostate and breast cancer are strongly linked to poor environmental...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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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?

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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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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

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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



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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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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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.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

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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...