If all the world's a stage, and all the species merely players, then their exits and entrances can be found in the rock record. This poetic perspective highlights the continuous evolution and unfolding of life’s history, a narrative that is etched into fossils and the layers of sediment in which they are found.



A recent Virginia Tech analysis has now extended this narrative back to nearly 2 billion years ago, offering a more complete picture of life's origin, diversification, and extinction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-the-chart-of-life">Expanding the chart of life</h2>



Fossil evidence has charted evolutionary milestones over the past half-billion years, but researchers have now pushed this timeline even further back.



The study, led by <a href="https://www.vt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Virginia Tech</a> geobiologist Shuhai Xiao, expands our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-evolution-not-random-gene-families-pangenome-influence-called-revolutionary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">understanding of ancient life</a> to the Proterozoic Eon, which spans 2,500 million to 539 million years ago. 



During this era, life forms were typically smaller and softer, such as sea sponges without mineral skeletons, which were less likely to leave fossil traces.



“This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of this period to date,” said Xiao. "And more importantly, we’ve used a graphic correlation program that allowed us to achieve greater temporal resolution.”



The team’s findings provide a high-resolution analysis of the global diversity and evolution of Proterozoic life. This chart now offers valuable insights into how life’s story played out during this vast period.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-proterozoic-marine-eukaryotes">Evolution of proterozoic marine eukaryotes</h2>



Xiao and his team studied the evolution of ancient marine eukaryotes, which are organisms with cells that have a nucleus. These early eukaryotes were the ancestors of animals, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ferns-evolving-backward-a-new-look-at-the-evolution-of-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants</a>, and fungi, and thus they paved the way for complex life on Earth.



The researchers found that eukaryotes first appeared at least 1.8 billion years ago. For the next billion years, often called the "boring billion," not much changed.



Species evolved slowly, and diversity remained stable, with few new species emerging or old ones going extinct.



This calm period eventually ended as Earth experienced dramatic changes. Shifts in the environment and evolution then brought a surge in diversity and set the stage for the development of the complex ecosystems we know today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-snowball-earth-s-impact-on-the-evolution-of-life">Snowball Earth's impact on the evolution of life</h2>



Between 720 million and 635 million years ago, the planet experienced at least two severe ice ages, known as Snowball Earth events. These global glaciations plunged Earth into an icy grip, and reshaped <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-life-and-environment-co-evolved-over-500-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">life’s trajectory</a>.



“The ice ages were a major factor that reset the evolutionary path in terms of diversity and dynamics,” Xiao explained. “We see rapid turnover of eukaryotic species immediately after glaciation. That’s a major finding.”



When the ice melted, evolutionary activity surged, marking the end of the “boring billion” and ushering in a more dynamic era of biodiversity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-questions-raised-by-the-findings">Questions raised by the findings</h2>



The study on eukaryotic evolution raises important questions about how environmental and evolutionary forces influenced the development of life on Earth. 



For instance, why did eukaryotic evolution remain so slow and stable during the "boring billion," a period marked by low species turnover? What triggered the rapid evolutionary changes after the Snowball Earth events, when the planet thawed from extreme glaciation?



Key factors under consideration include whether changes in climate and rising atmospheric oxygen levels played a role in accelerating evolution. 



Additionally, scientists wonder whether competition and interactions among organisms created an "evolutionary arms race," that drove species to evolve faster. 



According to Xiao, the team's findings create a foundation for future research. By analyzing the patterns revealed in this study, scientists can delve deeper into the complex relationship between Earth's changing environments and the evolution of life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-perspective-on-the-evolution-of-life">New perspective on the evolution of life</h2>



The study of proterozoic life enhances our understanding of how early eukaryotes - the ancestors of modern animals, plants, and fungi - evolved.



The research also reveals how living organisms and Earth’s environment influenced each other in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-evolution-was-shaped-by-environmental-crises-land-and-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">complex and interconnected ways</a> over billions of years.



By extending the timeline of life’s history, this research gives scientists a detailed framework to explore unanswered questions about Earth’s ancient past. It helps us see how events from billions of years ago shaped the planet and life as we know it today.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm9137" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-ralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Timeline of life’s evolution extended by nearly 1.5 billion years

If all the world's a stage, and all the species merely players, then their exits and entrances can be found in the rock record. This poetic perspective highlights the continuous evolution and unfolding of life’s history, a narrative that is etched into fossils and the layers of sediment in which they are found. A recent Virginia Tech analysis has now extended this narrative back to nearly 2 billion years ago, offering a more complete picture of life's origin, diversification, and extinction. Expanding the chart of life Fossil...

In a series of studies led by the <a href="http://www.wne.edu/">Western New England University</a>, scientists found that grape consumption has a remarkable impact on health and lifespan. According to the experts, adding just under two cups of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/red-wine-grapes-have-unexpected-gut-health-benefits/">grapes</a> per day to a high-fat diet can have astonishing health benefits, yielding reductions in fatty liver, boosting levels of antioxidant genes, and significantly increasing longevity. Although the studies have been performed on mice, their results could be reliably translatable to human health-related issues.



The first study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/13/1984">Foods</a>,&nbsp;focused on the potential of dietary grape consumption to modulate the adverse effects caused by high-fat diets. The analysis revealed that, in mice on a high-fat diet, grape powder consumption led to a significant modulation of hepatic gene expression, successfully prevented oxidative damage, ameliorated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and increased longevity.



In a second study published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/2/414">Antioxidants</a>, the researchers found that grape consumption altered gene expression in the brain and had positive effects on behavioral and cognitive structures that were impaired by high-fat diets.&nbsp;



Finally, a third study published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2022/fo/d2fo00961g">Food &amp; Function</a> has shown that in addition to changes in genetic expression, grape consumption can boost metabolism by reprogramming gut microbiota activity. This reduces the hepatic oxidative stress of high-fat diets, and increases the efficiency of glucose utilization by the liver for energy production.



“We have all heard the saying ‘you are what you eat’ which is obviously true since we all start out as a fetus and end up being an adult by eating food,” said John Pezzuto, a professor of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at the Western New England University and senior author of the studies. “But these studies add an entirely new dimension to that old saying. Not only is food converted to our body parts, but as shown by our work with dietary grapes, it actually changes our genetic expression. That is truly remarkable.”



“Many people think about taking dietary supplements that boast high antioxidant activity. In actual fact, though, you cannot consume enough of an antioxidant to make a big difference. But if you change the level of antioxidant gene expression, as we observed with grapes added to the diet, the result is a catalytic response that can make a real difference,” he concluded.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

Grapes have astonishing health benefits

In a series of studies led by the Western New...

A new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109235">Ecological Indicators</a> has investigated how climate change will impact the distribution of great <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-group-of-blue-whales-discovered-with-bomb-detectors/">whales</a> in New Zealand waters. By using a complex modeling approach for projecting the regional range shift of blue and sperm whales by the end of the century, under different climate change scenarios, the experts argue that the suitable habitats for both species will likely shift southward as the oceans warm.&nbsp;



In the most severe climate change scenario, the scientists project a 61 percent and 42 percent loss and decrease of currently suitable habitats for sperm and blue whales, respectively, particularly in New Zealand’s northern waters.



“Regardless of which of the climate change scenarios will be the reality, even the best-case scenario indicates notable changes in the distribution of suitable habitat for sperm and blue whales in New Zealand,” said study lead author Katharina Peters, a postdoctoral researcher in Animal Behavior, Population Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology at the <a href="https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/">University of Canterbury</a>.



Due to their strong connection to the ocean, island nations such as New Zealand are highly vulnerable to the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems. For instance, sperm whales are crucial for the tourism industry and local economy.&nbsp;



“The whale watch industry off Kaikoura may be at potential risk due to fewer and less reliable sightings of sperm whales off that coastline in the future,” explained study co-author Karen Stockin, an expert in Cetacean Ecology at the <a href="https://www.massey.ac.nz/">Massey University of New Zealand</a>. “Such changes in sperm whale distribution would have socioeconomic impacts due to the direct and indirect reliance on the whale watching activities by the local economy.”



Moreover, blue and sperm whales are also major ecosystem engineers, fulfilling a variety of important tasks, such as facilitating the transfer of nutrients from deep waters to the surface and across different latitudes through migration. Their predicted future southward drift will most likely impact ecosystem functioning and destabilize many ecological processes in northern New Zealand.



Although this study highlights the negative impact of climate change on great whales, it also identifies habitats that may be suitable in the future for both species in the South Island and other offshore islands.&nbsp;



“Such areas have the potential to serve as climate refugia for both species,” said study senior author Frédérik Saltré, a research fellow in Ecology at <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a>. “Knowing about these areas early on provides an opportunity for their increased protection in the future, particularly when considering the placement of marine protected areas and the legislation of oil and gas exploration,” he concluded.



Image Credit: Photo courtesy DBL Wildlife



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

Great whales will drift southward due to climate change

A new study published in the journal Ecological Indicators has...

Hotter nighttime temperatures will increase the global mortality rate by up to 60 percent in the coming decades, according to an international study led by <a href="https://www.unc.edu/">UNC Chapel Hill</a>. The experts report that the burden of disease will increase as normal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lack-of-sleep-impacts-brain-development-in-children/">sleeping</a> patterns are disrupted by excessively hot nights.



Sleep disruption can lead to a cascade of dangerous health risks, ranging from immune system damage to a higher risk of heart disease, chronic illness, and mental health issues.&nbsp;



The study is the first of its kind to estimate the impact of hotter nights on climate change-related mortality risk. The results show that the average intensity of hot nights will nearly double by 2090, from 68.7℉ to 103.5℉ across 28 cities in east Asia. With this in mind, the mortality rate will jump much higher than predicted based on average temperature increases alone.&nbsp;



“The risks of increasing temperature at night were frequently neglected," said study co-author Dr. Yuqiang Zhang. “However, in our study, we found that the occurrences of hot night excess (HNE) are projected to occur more rapidly than the daily mean temperature changes. The frequency and mean intensity of hot nights would increase more than 30% and 60% by the 2100s, respectively, compared with less than 20% increase for the daily mean temperature.”



The researchers analyzed the number of deaths associated with heat in 28 cities throughout China, South Korea and Japan between 1980 and 2015. By modeling this data with two future climate scenarios, the experts estimated that the risk of death from excessively hot nights would increase nearly six-fold between 2016 and 2100.



“From our study, we highlight that, in assessing the disease burden due to non-optimum temperature, governments and local policymakers should consider the extra health impacts of the disproportional intra-day temperature variations," said study co-author Dr. Haidong Kan of Fudan University in China. "A more complete health risk assessment of future climate change can help policymakers for better resource allocation and priority setting."



“To combat the health risk raised by the temperature increases from climate change, we should design efficient ways to help people adapt,” said Dr. Zhang. “Locally, heat during the night should be taken into account when designing the future heatwave warning system, especially for vulnerable populations and low-income communities who may not be able to afford the additional expense of air conditioning. Also, stronger mitigation strategies, including global collaborations, should be considered to reduce future impacts of warming.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/home">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>.



---



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

Hot nights could increase global mortality rate by 60 percent

Hotter nighttime temperatures will increase the global mortality rate by...

A new study from <a href="https://www.hamilton.edu/">Hamilton College</a> has revealed that "brain fog" affects <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/key-ocean-species-on-the-west-coast-face-an-uncertain-future/">species</a> across the animal kingdom. While it is known that infections such as COVID-19 can impair learning, memory, and problem-solving in people, the researchers set out to investigate whether infected animals may suffer from brain fog as well.&nbsp;



Study lead author Professor Andrea K. Townsend was previously interested in learning how infectious disease impacts the problem-solving performance of American crows. She was surprised to discover that very few studies had compared the cognitive effects of disease in other species.&nbsp;



After analyzing the existing evidence, the experts found that a wide range of species - from rats to birds - show signs of cognitive impairment when they are fighting an infection.



The researchers noted many possible causes of brain fog in animals, including damage by the parasite, certain immune responses, lack of motivation, malnutrition, and even alterations to the host microbiome.



“I think one surprising thing for me was how little is known. We're seeing an accelerated emergence of all of these infectious diseases, and yet we know very little about how disease might affect cognition and the implications of this for wild animals as well as for humans,” said Professor Townsend.



Cognitive impairment can potentially affect entire communities. For instance, bees may have difficulty finding food when they are fighting an infection.&nbsp;



“This is really a bad outcome, if you are a bee, because foraging success depends on the ability to efficiently find the most productive flowers,” explained Professor Townsend. In this scenario, bee populations could suffer, as well as the flowers that depend on them for pollination.



The experts warn that climate change will only make matters worse by causing animals to become stressed and more vulnerable to disease and brain fog.



“So, here you might have a snowball effect where animals in stressed environments are more likely to get sick and their cognitive abilities are impaired.&nbsp; Then they are less able to deal with these stressful, changing environments because of their impaired cognitive abilities.&nbsp; It could increase the costs of environmental change for some wild animals,” said Professor Townsend.&nbsp;



“We’re also living in a period of accelerating disease emergence, which is likely to have lots of contributing factors. For example, climate change is altering the range of many insects that carry diseases. In North America, the ranges of mosquitoes, ticks, and other vectors are extending northward. This is a problem because these ranges are extending into populations of naive hosts that have never experienced the diseases that they carry before. Therefore, they don’t have immunity to these infections and are likely to be highly susceptible to them."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell</a>.



---



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

"Brain fog" affects a wide range of animals

A new study from Hamilton College has revealed that "brain...

The <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Frost School of Music is about to embark on a new research study that will help at-risk mothers to engage with their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/adult-bonobos-cry-like-babies-to-elicit-the-support-of-others/">babies</a> through singing. The research will be led by Shannon de l’Etoile, professor of Music Therapy at the school, and funded by the GRAMMY Museum Grant Program.



De l’Etoile is no stranger to the benefits of singing lullabies to babies. As a young music therapist in Colorado, she saw that when disadvantaged mothers were encouraged to sing to their babies, the positive responses they received were remarkable. She realized that music could be a powerful tool to help mothers learn more about their infants and to build a relationship with their new child.



In her previously published research, de l’Etoile states that: “Mothers around the world intuitively utilize and modify specific musical elements when singing to their infants. In response, infants show alterations in attention and arousal as well as clear preferences for their mothers' unique singing style.” De l’Etoile found that infant-directed singing has a number of benefits, most importantly that it helps babies learn to regulate their emotions. This, in turn, enables them to navigate socialization, school and the professional world more effectively, according to de l’Etoile, who has spent her career studying the habit.



“If a mother can sing in a way that captures the infant’s attention, it can help them tap into those brain structures that they need to develop for self-regulation,” said de l’Etoile, a board-certified music therapist and associate dean of graduate studies at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.



Infants appear to be biologically predisposed to perceive the nuances of music and this form of input can provide developmentally appropriate sensory stimulation. While singing to an infant comes naturally for most mothers, it is not as easy for mothers who find themselves in difficult circumstances. De l’Etoile has observed that mothers impacted by depression, domestic violence, or substance exposure may need encouragement and guidance to provide this unique form of caregiving.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Infant-directed singing is a way that mothers communicate with their babies that most infants can recognize and respond to. But to be most effective, the mother needs to be attentive and sensitive to infant cues,” said de l’Etoile. “For some moms that may not be happening and that impacts the infant.”



De l’Etoile has been working with the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology’s early intervention program at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fdlrs-um.miami.edu/">Linda Ray Intervention Center</a>&nbsp;to create a coaching program that will guide mothers in the practice of infant-directed singing. Her efforts have now received financial support from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220628005416/en/GRAMMY-Museum%C2%AE-Grant-Program-Awards-200000-for-Music-Research-and-Sound-Preservation">GRAMMY Museum</a>&nbsp;Grant Program, according to a news release from the University of Miami. Her program is one of just six scientific research projects that earned funding from the organization this year.



The Linda Ray Intervention Center has conducted cutting-edge research over the past three decades, focused specifically on the needs of children from birth to the age of two years. De l’Etoile’s new intervention program will be aimed at improving the developmental outcomes of at-risk infants by supporting their mothers to develop secure bonds with these infants, particularly through the use of infant-directed singing.&nbsp;



Through singing, mothers and infants demonstrate reciprocal behaviors considered necessary for the development of secure attachment, including maternal sensitivity and infant affect regulation. Consequently, infant-directed singing may serve as an effective treatment intervention for mothers and infants who are at-risk for insecure attachment.



“We want to give moms and caregivers these tools they can use, so that they can feel empowered to help their babies thrive,” de l’Etoile said. “Building self-regulation at an early age is so important because it helps children deal with adversity. Children who don’t regulate well are lacking in resilience, and they may have problems later in life, like obesity, addiction, and aggression.”



De l’Etoile and the center’s executive director, Isabel Chica, are now in the process of identifying and training staff members at the Center, who will coach mothers for a month in the most beneficial ways to sing to their infants. This will involve making video recordings of the mothers as they sing to their infants and then identifying how the mothers can be more sensitive to their infants’ emotions and also how they can assess if the infant is benefitting by observing how long it gazes at the mother.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“One of our main goals is to provide families with opportunities to learn new strategies and techniques that support positive parent-child interactions, and this pilot may strengthen parenting skills as well as a parent’s ability to help their child self-regulate,” Chica said. “We believe this is a great way for healthy attachments to develop between parent and child.”



In addition to analyzing videos of the mother-infant interactions, de l’Etoile will also work with the Frost School’s music engineering program to analyze recordings of the mother’s voice. She hopes the analysis will reveal changes over time in the mother’s ability to modify her singing according to the infant’s emotions, as well as in the extent to which the infant is engaged and comfortable.&nbsp;



“For an infant to make progress toward self-regulation, they need focused attention on the mother. And they also need to have achieved an optimal level of arousal where they are not excited, or fussy, but comfortable,” she said.



Both Chica and de l’Etoile are eager to begin with the training, now that they have spent more than two years working closely together to develop the program so that it aligns with the needs of the Center’s families.&nbsp;



“We want this project to have a lasting legacy and impact, not just for us to have positive outcomes but to create a model for how a program like this could be implemented in other early intervention facilities,” de l’Etoile said.



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mothers can use singing to engage with infants

The University of Miami Frost School of Music is about...

A study from <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> suggests that people are happier when money is not a major focus in their lives. The researchers found that individuals who live in communities where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/too-much-emphasis-on-money-can-lead-to-social-isolation/">money</a> plays a minimal role report very high levels of happiness.

"Economic growth is often assumed to improve happiness for people in low income countries, although the association between monetary income and subjective well-being has been a subject of debate," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;

"We test this assumption by comparing three different measures of subjective well-being in very low-income communities with different levels of monetization."

"Contrary to expectations, all three measures of subjective well-being were very high in the least-monetized sites and comparable to those found among citizens of wealthy nations."

According to the researchers, less monetized societies are not usually included in global happiness surveys. The current study showed that the majority of people in these communities reported remarkably high levels of happiness.&nbsp;

In communities with the lowest levels of monetization, the experts documented a degree of happiness that is comparable to what is found in Scandinavian countries- which typically rate highest in the world.

"Our study hints at possible ways of achieving happiness that are unrelated to high incomes and material wealth," said study senior author Professor Eric Galbraith. "This is important, because if we replicate these results elsewhere and can pinpoint the factors that contribute to subjective well-being, it may help us circumvent some of the environmental costs associated with achieving social well-being in the least developed nations."

The findings indicate that high levels of subjective well-being can be achieved with minimal monetization, and contradict the idea that economic growth is linked to life satisfaction among low-income populations.

For the investigation, the researchers spent time in several small fishing communities with varying degrees of monetization in the Solomon Islands and Bangladesh, where citizens in both rural and urban areas a number of times. Overall, 678 people with an average age of 37 were interviewed.

The study revealed that in communities where money was in greater use, such as urban Bangladesh, residents reported lower levels of happiness.

"In less monetized sites, we found that people reported a greater proportion of time spent with family and contact with nature as being responsible for making them happy," explained study lead author Sara Miñarro. 

"But with increasing monetization, we found that the social and economic factors commonly recognized in industrialized countries played a bigger role. Overall, our findings suggest that monetization, especially in its early stages, may actually be detrimental to happiness."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS One</a>.

---

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

Happiness comes easier when money is not a priority

A study from McGill University suggests that people are happier...

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/">Washington State University, Vancouver</a> have found that dry lightning outbreaks – which occur with less than 2.5 millimeters of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-heatwave-caused-unprecedented-rainfall-in-greenland/">rainfall</a> – are the leading cause of some of the largest wildfires in the history of modern California.



“Wildfires are a growing threat in California as the climate continues to warm. Unlike human-caused fires that originate in a single location, lightning outbreaks can strike multiple locations and start numerous simultaneous wildfires, creating a substantial challenge for fire response,” said study lead author Dmitri Kalashnikov, a PhD student specializing in Climate Extremes at WSU Vancouver.



“This happened recently in 2020 when multiple lightning-caused fires burned nearly one million hectares across this region, and other prominent widespread lightning-caused wildfire outbreaks also occurred in 1987 and 2008.”&nbsp;



Together with his colleagues, Kalashnikov used daily lightning counts from the <a href="https://www.vaisala.com/en/products/national-lightning-detection-network-nldn">National Lightning Detection Network</a> and precipitation observations from 1987 to 2020,&nbsp;in combination with analyses of the climatology of dry lightning and associated meteorological conditions during the warm season (May to October), when wildfires are more frequent.&nbsp;



The investigation revealed that moisture and instability high in the atmosphere - above the hotter and drier lower atmosphere - were the key drivers of dry lightning outbreaks in central and northern California. Nearly half (46 percent) of lightning that struck the ground in this period was under dry conditions. Although dry lightning was more likely to occur at higher elevations (greater than 2,000 meters), with activity more concentrated in July and August, the scientists discovered that this pattern usually reverses towards autumn, when lower elevations are struck more frequently. Since natural fuels are drier during this period, there is a larger risk of wildfire outbreaks.



“Understanding the meteorology of dry lightning across this region can inform forecasting of possible wildfire ignitions, helping to better constrain future risk of wildfire ignition in California and can aid fire suppression efforts, as firefighting resources can be strategically pre-positioned in at-risk areas,” concluded co-author Deepti Singh, an assistant professor of Environmental Science at WSU Vancouver.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/2752-5295/ac84a0">Environmental Research: Climate</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dry lightning sparks the most destructive California wildfires

In a new study, researchers from the Washington State University,...

Single-celled organisms were around on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-just-experienced-its-shortest-day-on-record/">Earth</a> long before plants began to enrich the atmosphere with oxygen. While the origin of photosynthetic activity is dated at 3,5 billion years ago, the earliest fossils show that single-celled life was around 500 million years earlier than that. So how were the earliest living organisms getting their oxygen supply?&nbsp;



Most organisms today use oxygen as a crucial electron acceptor in respiration, the process whereby energy is released from food molecules. Some prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) can use sulfate (SO42-) as the final electron acceptor, while others can use nitrate (NO3-), carbon dioxide (CO2) or a variety of other molecules. However, none of these systems is as efficient in terms of energy production as aerobic respiration using oxygen.&nbsp;



It is more likely that single-celled organisms on early Earth could use oxygen when it became available – which wasn’t very often, considering there were no plants at that time. Research by scientists at <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a> has now uncovered an alternate source of oxygen in the Earth’s crust that may have been more important than previously thought and may even have influenced the evolution of early life before the advent of photosynthesis.



The scientists have proposed that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), generated from crushed silicate rock during tectonic activity, may have acted as an electron acceptor during respiration, and that its chemical activity would also have generated molecular oxygen (O2). The research, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>, shows that under oxygen-free conditions, high concentrations of H2O2&nbsp;can be released from defects on crushed silicate rocks when water is added and heated to temperatures close to boiling point.&nbsp;



While hydrogen peroxide can kill cells and be harmful to life, it can also provide a useful source of oxygen to microbes. The scientists identify a mechanism whereby water passing over freshly faulted or crushed rock surfaces in tectonically active regions, could give rise to significant quantities of H2O2. Movement of the Earth’s crust not only generates earthquakes but riddles the subsurface with cracks and fractures lined with newly-exposed, highly reactive rock surfaces. Add to this an elevated temperature and the conditions are perfect for generating H2O2.



In the laboratory, study lead author Jordan Stone simulated these conditions by crushing granite, basalt and peridotite – rock types that would have been present in the early Earth’s crust. These were then added to water under well controlled, oxygen-free conditions at varying temperatures. The experiments showed that substantial amounts of hydrogen peroxide – and as a result, potentially oxygen – were only generated at temperatures close to the boiling point of water.&nbsp;



Interestingly, these conditions for the formation of hydrogen peroxide (and oxygen) are exactly those that suit some of the most heat-loving microbes on Earth, the hyperthermophiles. Some of these remarkable bacteria and archaea are similar to ancient oxygen-using microbes that were around in the early days before the advent of photosynthesis. Today they are typically found in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, such as the Mariana Trench.&nbsp;



In recent genetic studies tracing the common genes found in today’s archaea and bacteria back to a putative Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA), researchers have concluded that the LUCA was indeed a thermophile or hyperthermophile that was autotrophic (fixed its own CO2), and dependent on hydrogen (H2). Moreover, the LUCA’s inferred genome contains genes for cycling of H2O2&nbsp;and O2, which is pretty strange since the Archaean ocean waters would have contained only miniscule amounts of these substances.&nbsp;



The authors suggest that these genes were required by a hyperthermophilic LUCA to deal with, and potentially make energetic use of, the H2O2&nbsp;and O2 produced from the reaction of exposed or crushed rock with water during the stressing and fracturing of the Earth’s early crust. The generation of oxygen under these circumstances may even have influenced early evolution, and feasibly even origin, of life in hot environments on Earth, prior to the evolution of photosynthesis.



"While previous research has suggested that small amounts of hydrogen peroxide and other oxidants can be formed by stressing or crushing of rocks in the absence of oxygen, this is the first study to show the vital importance of hot temperatures in maximizing hydrogen peroxide generation," said Stone.



“This research shows that defects on crushed rock and minerals can behave very differently to how you would expect more ‘perfect’ mineral surfaces to react," said Dr. Jon Telling, the study's principal Investigator. "All these mechanochemical reactions need to generate hydrogen peroxide, and therefore oxygen, is water, crushed rocks, and high temperatures, which were all present on the early Earth before the evolution of photosynthesis and which could have influenced the chemistry and microbiology in hot, seismically active regions where life may have first evolved.”



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Oxygen may have come from ancient rocks of early Earth

Single-celled organisms were around on Earth long before plants began...

A new review study led by the <a href="https://www.uni-lj.si/university/">University of Ljubljana</a> in Slovenia has found that the record levels of physical inactivity and obesity among today’s children will have a negative impact on their health as temperatures rise globally, putting them at greater risk of developing heat-related health problems, such as dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke. Unfortunately, current <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humanity-should-brace-for-catastrophic-climate-change/">climate change</a> policies fail to adequately address these issues and encourage children to make exercise part of their daily lives in order to increase their resilience to a hotter world.&nbsp;&nbsp;



By conducting a comprehensive review of over 150 medical and scientific studies on the relationship between children’s physical fitness and heat, study author Shawnda Morrison – an environmental exercise physiologist at the University of Ljubljana – discovered that overweight children were more than twice as likely to have difficulty regulating their body temperature than normal weight youngsters when exercising outdoors. In addition, she found that attendance at emergency departments in children’s hospitals was higher during hotter days, with younger children particularly likely to need emergency care.



The review also revealed that children’s aerobic fitness is currently 30 percent lower than that of their parents at the same age, while children’s physical activity levels have steadily declined worldwide, particularly over the last three decades. Most children are failing to meet <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a>’s guideline of performing at least one hour of physical activity each day – a problem further exacerbated by the lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Dr. Morrison, rising temperatures could further restrict children’s physical activity when parents perceive outdoor temperatures as “too hot to play,” making it more difficult for unfit children to maintain the physical activity levels needed to remain healthy.



“Fitter adults are better able to tolerate higher temperatures, due to a combination of physiological, behavioral, and psychological factors,” Dr. Morrison said. “Yet, as the world warms, children are the least fit they have ever been. It is imperative that children are encouraged to do daily physical activity to build up, and maintain, their fitness, so that they enjoy moving their bodies and it doesn’t feel like ‘work’ or ‘a chore’ to them.”



In order to solve these problems, parents and teachers should ensure that children engage in active play and structured games, and have access to physical education lessons in school. “Do what you love to do, whether it's a family bike ride or rollerblade, a stroll through the woods or walking the dog,” Dr. Morrison urged.&nbsp;



“Make sure the activity raises everyone's heart rate, enthusiasm, and positive energy and importantly, try not to completely avoid the heat but choose times of the day that are less hot (mornings/evenings) to keep active, since we need to keep ourselves moving in this new warming world,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2022.2102375">Temperature</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

Global warming will compound health risks in children

A new review study led by the University of Ljubljana...

According to a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376635721000589">Behavioral Processes</a>, humans are able to reliably identify <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/playfulness-is-a-key-personality-trait-of-gifted-dogs/">dogs</a>’ emotions and moods based on their facial expression. The experts found that slight expressive changes, such as wide eyes or a rolling tongue, can help humans detect six different basic emotions in dogs – happiness, sadness, curiosity, fear, disgust, and anger. The easiest emotions to spot appeared to be anger, which was correctly identified by the study participants 78 percent of the time.



The researchers used pictures of three dog breeds – Malinois, Doberman, and Rhodesian Ridgeback – and enrolled 105 undergraduate students who were shown slides presenting four different expressive images of the same breed and asked to identify which image best depicted one of the six emotions. In the case of anger, which was induced in dogs by a person raising a padded stick or using a noisy leaf blower, humans were able to accurately identify it 78 percent of the time.&nbsp;



When it came to other basic emotions that the dogs experienced, participants managed to identify happiness and sadness about three-quarters of the time, and fear, disgust, and surprise in 55 percent, 51 percent, and 49 percent of the cases, respectively.&nbsp;



“Analyses indicated that participants were able to correctly identify all emotions across all&nbsp;dog breeds&nbsp;significantly better than chance,” the study authors reported. “Accuracy of emotion identification was predicted to be lower for the Doberman due to its darker coloration, possibly interfering with recognition of subtle emotional cues, but was found to be highest for the Malinois, followed by the Doberman, and then the Rhodesian Ridgeback.”



“Our findings suggest people can naturally understand their dogs’ emotions from their facial expressions,” said study senior author Harris Friedman, a professor emeritus of Psychology at the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a>. According to lead author Tina Bloom, a researcher at the <a href="http://www.floraglades.org/">Floraglades Foundation</a>, we can understand dogs’ feeling so well because we have lived with them for a very long time and managed to create highly powerful inter-species bonds.



Further research is needed to extend the analysis to different breeds, and clarify how breed and other factors influences our capacity to detect dogs’ emotions.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

People can read dogs’ emotions from their expressions

According to a study published in the journal Behavioral Processes,...

Grasslands – which account for almost 40 percent of land-based <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-can-earths-ecosystems-adapt-to-climate-change/">ecosystems</a> – provide habitat for a vast diversity of plants and animals, and contribute to the livelihood of over one billion of people all over the world. Moreover, they provide significant carbon sequestration and biodiversity benefits, and can be more resilient to a rapidly changing climate than forests. Unfortunately, during the past few centuries, ancient grasslands worldwide have been largely converted into farmland, used to grow trees, or been replaced by urban areas as citied expanded.&nbsp;



According to a new study led by the <a href="https://colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a>, while the destruction of these pristine grasslands can occur very quickly, the complete recovery of grassland biodiversity and essential ecosystem functions occurs much slower, if at all. These findings contradict prior scientific assumptions that grasslands’ ecological development is quick and their recovery is rapid, posing new challenges to their successful restoration.



“Old growth grasslands have a unique suite of characteristics that develop over a really long time. Recovering grasslands do not have the same species or the same characteristics as they did prior to soil tilling or tree planting, and they take centuries to redevelop,” said study senior author Katharine Suding, a plant community ecologist at CU Boulder. 



“If you plant trees in an older grassland or till it for agriculture, you will probably never get many of the unique diversity and belowground characteristics back. It is irreversible. It’s an important reminder that we need to conserve the ancient grasslands that are still intact.”&nbsp;



Compared to newer, younger grasslands, old growth grasslands are unique in their underground structure and biodiversity and need a long time to be restored. “We should think of restoration as more of guiding a trajectory. Some species don’t come in right at the start, and the disturbance that maintains the grassland needs time to grow and be tweaked as these species get established and the soil develops. These processes take time,” explained Professor Suding.&nbsp;



While planting trees has become a popular “natural solution” worldwide to remove carbon from the atmosphere in order to mitigate climate change, many scientists warn than planting trees on natural grassland may create more problems than it solves. “We would lose a huge element of the biodiversity on Earth if we planted trees in old growth grasslands. I think we need to be a little bit more careful about what’s best for the globe, in terms of where to restore what,” warned Suding.



“Viewing grassland restoration as long-term assembly toward old-growth endpoints, with appreciation of feedbacks and threshold shifts, will be crucial for recognizing when and how restoration can guide recovery of this globally important ecosystem,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abo4605">Science</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ancient grasslands take a long time to recover

Grasslands – which account for almost 40 percent of land-based...

On June 29, 2022, Earth recorded its shortest day on record when its 24-hour rotation was shortened by 1.59 milliseconds. Experts say this is a normal fluctuation that should not cause concern. At the same time, it may become necessary to add the first-ever "negative leap second" to the global clock - the International Atomic Time (TAI) - to remain aligned with the planet's rotation.&nbsp;



The accelerated rotation is baffling to scientists in the field, as Earth has actually been slowing down ever since its formation around 4.5 billion years ago. In fact, a leap second has been added to the TAI 27 times since 1972.



In 2016, a study led by astronomers at <a href="https://www.rmg.co.uk/">Royal Observatory Greenwich</a> revealed that overall, Earth's rotation has slowed by about 6 hours in the previous 2,740 years. This averages out to a 24-hour day being lengthened by about 1.78 milliseconds over the course of a century, according to the <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/ancient-eclipses-show-earth-s-rotation-slowing">research</a>.



Now, a report published on July 27 by the Norwegian time zone tracking website <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/">timeanddate.com</a> said the Earth completed one rotation on June 29 in 1.59 milliseconds less than 24 hours. This report noted that it was Earth's shortest day since scientists began using atomic clocks to measure the planet's rotational speed.&nbsp;



Experts believe that there are a number of possible explanations, such as climate change, seismic activity, changes in ocean circulation, or the so-called "Chandler Wobble," which changes the spin of Earth on its axis.&nbsp;



'The Chandler wobble is a component of Earth's instantaneous axis of rotation motion, so called polar motion, which changes the position of the point on the globe where the axis intersects the Earth's surface,' explained Dr. Leonid Zotov of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute. 'The normal wobble amplitude is about four meters at Earth's surface, but from 2017 to 2020 it disappeared.'



Professor Matt King is the director of the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science (ACEAS) and a professor in the School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences at the University of Tasmania.&nbsp;



"It's certainly odd. Clearly something has changed, and changed in a way we haven't seen since the beginning of precise radio astronomy in the 1970s," Professor King told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.



"When you start looking at the real nitty gritty, you realize that Earth is not just a solid ball that is spinning," astronomer Fred Watson told ABC. "It's got liquid on the inside, it's got liquid on the outside, and it's got an atmosphere and all of these things slosh around a bit.”



---



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

Earth just experienced its shortest day on record

On June 29, 2022, Earth recorded its shortest day on...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



---



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...