The world of paleontology recently found itself in a mosh pit of excitement due to two unlikely rockstars named Punk and Emo. 



These are not your typical music icons, but a pair of 430 million-year-old fossils that challenge what we know about one of life's most diverse animal groups - the mollusks.



These 430-million-year-old relics, unearthed in Herefordshire, have made scientists rethink the long-standing assumptions about the early origins of this group of invertebrates. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-mollusks-were-complex">Ancient mollusks were complex</h2>



Dating back to the Silurian period, the fossils belong to the Aculifera group, which includes chitons and worm-like mollusks. Traditionally, scientists viewed these creatures as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-building-blocks-of-life-zinc-arrived-on-early-earth-planetesimals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">basic and primitive</a>.



However, this discovery paints a different picture, revealing their complexity and evolutionary ingenuity.



"Retrieving fossils that are so exceptionally well preserved and reveal details of the soft tissues is extremely rare," noted Dr. Mark Sutton, the study’s lead researcher from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Imperial College London</a>.



"We have been able to create ‘virtual fossils’ - 3D digital models - that provide us with a gold mine of information and help us understand that the branch of molluskan evolution containing Emo and Punk was much more evolutionarily rich and diverse than we thought." 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-the-mollusk-fossils-punk-and-emo">Meet the mollusk fossils, Punk and Emo</h2>



The names&nbsp;Punk ferox&nbsp;and&nbsp;Emo vorticaudum&nbsp;were chosen to reflect the distinctive traits of these ancient mollusks.&nbsp;



Punk, with its spiky, rugged appearance, reminded researchers of a rebellious punk rocker, with a bold and unconventional look. Its spines set it apart as a unique and striking figure among early mollusks.



Emo, on the other hand, was named for its elongated, folded posture, which suggested unusual and unconventional ways of moving. Its name reflects individuality and adaptability, much like the cultural association with the emo style.



These names capture the essence of the fossils’ individuality, and help convey the extraordinary features that set these ancient mollusks apart in the evolutionary history of their group.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-characteristics-of-mollusks">Characteristics of mollusks</h2>



The researchers used advanced imaging methods to study the fossils of Punk and Emo in incredible detail. First, they employed X-ray scanning to examine the internal structures of the fossils without causing any damage.



Then, they carefully ground the fossils down in extremely thin layers, taking high-resolution photographs at each stage. These images were combined to create detailed 3D digital models, showing both the internal and external features of the fossils.



This meticulous process revealed surprising details about how these ancient mollusks lived and moved.&nbsp;Emo&nbsp;likely moved in a manner similar to an inchworm. Its spines helped it grip surfaces, allowing it to push itself forward in a rhythmic motion.



In contrast, Punk remains more mysterious in terms of movement. However, researchers discovered it had a ridge-like foot and gills, a unique combination not seen in any modern mollusks.



These features suggest that Punk had an entirely different and now-extinct way of locomotion and survival, which gives new insights into the diversity of molluskan evolution.



Both fossils exhibited smooth undersides, suggesting a benthic lifestyle on the sea floor.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-mosaic-of-features">A mosaic of features</h2>



The mollusk fossils, Punk and Emo, showed a surprising mix of features that challenge traditional scientific classifications.&nbsp;



Punk combined characteristics typically seen in separate mollusk groups. It had spiny, worm-like traits but also possessed a broad foot and gills, which are features commonly found in chitons - a type of mollusk that is known for its protective, segmented shells.



Emo also had a spiny, elongated body, similar to that found in other worm-like mollusks. However, it stood out with unique adaptations such as a compressed body shape and shell-like structures. These traits are uncommon in its relatives, thus further blurring the lines between known categories of mollusks.



This mix of traits highlights the complexity and diversity of early mollusks, and suggests that their evolutionary history is far more intricate than previously understood. These fossils challenge existing classifications and provide new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-discovery-shifts-the-origin-of-lizards-back-35-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insights</a> into how ancient mollusks adapted to their environments.



"The branch of molluskan evolution containing Emo and Punk was much more evolutionarily rich and diverse than we thought," said Dr. Sutton.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossils-rewrite-mollusk-evolution">Fossils rewrite mollusk evolution</h2>



The research provides a revolutionary look at how <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/mollusks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mollusks</a> evolved over millions of years.



By analyzing the fossils of Punk and Emo, scientists discovered that the group of mollusks known as Aculifera were more diverse and complex than previously thought.



These ancient creatures displayed unique adaptations, such as unconventional ways of moving and surviving, which helped them thrive in their environments.



The findings challenge old assumptions and show that even organisms that might appear simple at first glance can have surprisingly intricate and fascinating evolutionary histories. 



With advanced tools like 3D imaging, researchers continue to uncover these hidden stories that transform the way in which we understand the evolution of life on Earth.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08312-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Fossils called Punk and Emo rewrite the story of mollusk evolution

The world of paleontology recently found itself in a mosh pit of excitement due to two unlikely rockstars named Punk and Emo. These are not your typical music icons, but a pair of 430 million-year-old fossils that challenge what we know about one of life's most diverse animal groups - the mollusks. These 430-million-year-old relics, unearthed in Herefordshire, have made scientists rethink the long-standing assumptions about the early origins of this group of invertebrates. Ancient mollusks were complex Dating back to the Silurian period, the fossils belong...

A climate warming event 56 million years ago resulted from the release of greenhouse gases, most likely from a volcanic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tonga-eruption-will-not-contribute-much-to-global-cooling/">eruption</a>. The warming event, the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), also triggered ocean acidification. A new study shows that just before the PETM there was a short, causal burst in atmospheric CO2, with carbon levels similar to ours today.&nbsp;



“The PETM is an important geologic climate event because it is one of best comparisons to current climate change and can help inform us how the Earth System will respond to current and future warming,” explained study lead author Dr. Tali Babila, a postdoctoral research associate at the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a>.



To study the historic levels of atmospheric carbon, the scientists looked to the shells of microscopic sea creatures called foraminifera. First. foraminifera were collected in sediment core drillings off the eastern United States. Using a laser, the fossilized shells were vaporized and the pH levels were measured, thus revealing the extent of acid in the ocean and carbon in the atmosphere.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“This had previously been suggested as a possible trigger for the large scale global warming that followed but scientists lacked a direct measure of carbon dioxide until this study,” explained Dr. Babila, “Usually, this type of analysis would require thousands of fossils which would not have been possible because of the scarcity of samples. Our novel application of the laser sampling technique is a major geoscience advancement bringing new and incredible detail never before seen in Earth’s past."



The carbon levels revealed a portrait of an Earth very similar to ours now in terms of greenhouse gases and global warming. Seeing this change in the past may allow us to plan better for the future.&nbsp;



“Whilst natural geological processes such as rock weathering and carbon burial eventually meant Earth eventually recovered from the PETM, it took hundreds of thousands of years," said Dr. Babila. "So this is further proof that urgent action is needed today to rapidly cut the amount of carbon being release into the atmosphere to avoid long-lasting effects.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fossil shells reveal details of historic climate warming

A climate warming event 56 million years ago resulted from...

Savannas cover about a fifth of the Earth’s surface, and have been increasingly targeted for their potential to capture carbon. This is because projections have shown that the world’s savannas capture 280 tons of carbon per hectare. Despite having fewer trees, this projection is the same amount of carbon stored in dense tropical forests.&nbsp;



One proposed strategy to address climate change is to increase savanna tree cover by planting new trees or by suppressing fires. This has been considered a viable method to increase the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide.&nbsp;



A new <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale</a>-led study of African savannas suggests that this approach is far less effective than previously estimated.



“Increasing tree cover in savannas, whether via afforestation or fire suppression, is unlikely to yield the substantial gains in ecosystem carbon storage that have been advertised,” said study senior author Carla Staver, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences.



Tropical savannas account for more than half of the planet's fire-related carbon emissions. This prompted researchers to question the projected benefits of afforestation (introducing new trees to an area that has previously not been forested).&nbsp;



The research team used data from an experiment in South Africa, where for 68 years, scientists have studied how fire management affects the landscape. This allowed the team to evaluate whether increased tree cover from fire suppression increases carbon sequestration.



To measure the amount of carbon stored in savannas, researchers used measurements of tree and grass biomass taken from the South African experiment. This was combined with remote sensing techniques and analysis of soil samples.



The results showed that frequently burned savannas store carbon in roots and soil more than previously estimated. Storing carbon in roots and soil occurred even when burns were prescribed annually. This highlights the importance and value of natural savannas in the fight against climate change.&nbsp;



However, it was found that suppressing fire to increase tree cover did not correlate with a consistent increase in carbon storage. For example, a 78 percent increase in tree cover only resulted in 35 percent more carbon overall.&nbsp;



This is equal to total gains of 23 tons of carbon per hectare. While this sounds like a big number, it is less than 10 percent of previous estimates.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Previous models relied on sparse data to promise a very large carbon storage benefit to increasing tree cover in savannas,” said Professor Staver. “But our direct measures show that these were not good assumptions.”



To understand how this impacts global carbon storage, researchers emphasized that this study should be replicated around the world. More data is needed to determine if other savanna sites respond in the same way.&nbsp;



“But the findings are substantial,” said Professor Staver. “We need to recalibrate our assessments of the role savannas play in the global carbon cycle. And we should not be relying on afforestation to save us from accelerating human-driven carbon emissions.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Savanna tree cover may not be a reliable climate strategy

Savannas cover about a fifth of the Earth’s surface, and...

Although heavy road traffic is most often associated with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/even-low-level-air-pollution-is-dangerous-for-health/">air pollution</a>, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/home/">University of Toronto Scarborough</a> has found that it is also a major contributor to water pollution. Chemicals commonly used in vehicle fluids, tires, and paints were found to be much higher in rivers located nearby roads with heavy traffic.



“We found a strong relationship between traffic and the concentration of these chemicals,” said study lead author&nbsp;Tife Awonaike, a recent PhD graduate in Physical and Environmental Sciences. “These roads also appear to be a major source of a surprisingly wide array of contaminants.”



The researchers collected a series of samples from Mimico Creek and Little Rouge Creek and found 35 different contaminants from chemicals used in oils, lubricants, windshield de-icing fluids, tires, paints, coatings, and vehicle furniture. After being emitted onto road surfaces, they get washed into nearby streams when it rains, most often together with road dust.



Such contaminants are highly damaging for aquatic ecosystems. For instance, organophosphate esters (commonly added to materials as flame retardants) or triphenyl phosphate (a kind of organophosphate used in electronic equipment, vehicle interiors, and upholstery) have been linked to neurotoxicity in fish.



“Urban waters in general are not in good shape. They’re really a soup of a whole slew of contaminants,” said study co-author Frank Wania, an environmental chemist at the University of Toronto Scarborough. “Let’s put it this way — places like the Mimico Creek are not very healthy bodies of water, and it would be very difficult for a healthy aquatic ecosystem to exist there.” &nbsp;



According to Professor Wania and his colleagues, in order to solve these problems, switching to electric vehicles will not be enough. Although some of the contaminants are related to burning fossil fuels, others found in paints, tire particles, coatings, or de-icing fluids are also used in electric vehicles.



These chemicals used to manufacture vehicles should be controlled by regulatory agencies and governments. Regular street sweeping could also help by collecting road dust before it gets flushed away in the nearby waters. Moreover, on an individual level, there are some activities that could help too.



“Regular maintenance of your vehicle is important. You can make sure to fix a leaky car or flaking paint chips,” said Dr. Awonaike. “You can also raise awareness about this issue. We don’t want these contaminants ending up in our water where they can do quite a bit of damage to aquatic ecosystems.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5c0e">Environmental Research Letters</a>.



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

Road traffic is a major source of water pollution

Although heavy road traffic is most often associated with air...

According to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4f10">Environmental Research Letters</a>, immediate action to reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-suggests-that-all-living-organisms-produce-methane/">methane</a> emissions could help preserve Arctic summer sea ice. While previous research has predicted that the Arctic summer sea ice may disappear by mid-century if no urgent mitigation actions are taken, scientists now argue that drastic cuts in methane and carbon dioxide emissions could help preserve the ice through 2100 and even beyond.



Preserving Arctic summer sea ice is important not only because it is a vital part of Arctic communities and ecosystems, but also because its melting could rapidly accelerate the speed of global warming. The loss of bright reflective sea ice will expose more dark water surface that, by absorbing sunlight, would create additional warming and additional permafrost thawing.



Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and is responsible for over 25 percent of global warming. According to researchers, during the next two decades, the methane that is emitted today may capture over 80 times more heat than an equal amount of carbon dioxide.&nbsp;



“Reducing current methane emissions represents a huge opportunity to help pump the brakes on global warming,” said study lead author Tianyi Sun, a climate scientist at the <a href="https://www.edf.org/">Environmental Defense Fund</a>. “Quickly cutting methane along with CO2&nbsp;is our best chance at preserving Arctic summer sea ice within our lifetimes and for future generations. We must do both.”



According to Dr. Sun and her colleagues, if we manage to reach net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and rapidly enact methane reductions using all currently available solutions, the chances of saving Arctic summer sea ice this century could increase from nearly zero to more than 80 percent.&nbsp;



Preserving this ice is crucial for maintaining intact habitats for walruses, polar bears, and other Arctic wildlife, and for the well-being of indigenous Arctic communities that rely on hunting and fishing for their subsistence. Moreover, it could help deter geopolitical complications which could arise from open access to Arctic waterways.



The largest sources of methane emissions are cattle farming, leaky equipment related to oil and gas production, processing and transportation, and organic matter decomposing in landfills. According to scientists, the most affordable methane reductions could be deployed at the world’s oil and gas facilities.&nbsp;With existing technologies, this industry could reduce over 75 percent of its methane emissions.&nbsp;



Moreover, advancements in methane detection technologies, such as the development of methane detecting satellites, would make it faster and easier to find and fix this industry’s largest methane leaks.



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

Reducing methane could save Arctic summer sea ice

According to a new study published in the journal Environmental...

Big trees play major roles in old-growth <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thirsty-mountain-forests-leave-lower-elevations-with-less-water/">forests</a>, from providing fire resistance to producing genetically strong offspring. A new study led by Utah State University’s <a href="https://qcnr.usu.edu/wild/">Department of Wildland Resources</a> has found that these trees also protect melting snowpacks in water-stressed environments.



Having a sufficient supply of water helps trees endure hot summer temperatures, survive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-smoke-is-taking-a-toll-on-the-wine-industry/">wildfires</a>, and fend off invasions of bark beetles. Yet, during hot summers, there is not much precipitation. Thus, maintaining a good, thick snowpack for as long as possible during the spring or even summer months is extremely helpful to the forests.&nbsp;



The longer the water is released into the soil and available to “thirsty” trees, the better these forests fare. Moreover, melting snow is also part of the runoff filling the West’s reservoirs and benefiting human communities.



Ironically, one of the biggest hindrances for building snowpacks in a forest are the trees themselves. Their branches catch snow before it hits the ground and give it back to the atmosphere through evaporation or sublimation. Moreover, large trunks emit a significant amount of heat, or longwave energy, that contributes to melting. For these reasons, the ground beneath large trees tends to build only a shallow snowpack.&nbsp;&nbsp;



However, researchers found that, in the case of big trees, the same wide branches that prevent the snow from reaching the ground directly under a tree also provide a cooling stretch of shade which blocks direct sunlight from melting the snow under a wide radius surrounding the trees. These savings can outweigh the detriment of canopy cover and longwave energy.



The scientists performed calculations to determine what a forest looked like that maximized the benefits of shade and minimized the negative impact of canopy and longwave energy. They discovered that big trees were surrounded by doughnut-shaped zones where snowpack could best endure – away from the longwave energy produced by the trunk, but still within reach of the cooling shade. The best forests for long-lasting snowpacks had trees spaced in such a way that these doughnut-shaped zones bumped up against each other, but did not overlap. However, in order for this equation to work though, the spaced-out trees need to be both big and healthy.



“Snow is a key resource for fresh water supply and ecosystem function. Our study highlights that conserving big trees - the very trees that often survive forest fires - in forest ecosystems where fire is part of the ecological cycle can help facilitate both,” concluded lead author Michaela Teich, a senior researcher at Utah State University.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/eco.2414">Ecohydrology</a>.



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

Big trees protect forests by maintaining snowpack

Big trees play major roles in old-growth forests, from providing...

A recent study showed that green spaces within 300 meters of one’s home can reduce the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-and-tea-may-reduce-the-risk-of-stroke-and-dementia/">stroke</a> by up to 16 percent. The research was a joint study carried out by scientists at the <a href="https://www.imim.cat/en_index.html">Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute</a>, the Catalan Health Quality and Assessment Agency (AQuAS) and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).&nbsp;



The scientists analyzed air pollution exposure among 3.5 million adults over the age of 18 who had not had a stroke at the beginning of the study. The researchers focused specifically on particulate matter, nitrous oxide and soot near the study participants homes. This data was compared to the proximity of green spaces.



"It should be borne in mind that, unlike other air pollutants, which have various sources, NO2 is mainly caused by road traffic. Therefore, if we really want to reduce the multiple risks that this pollutant poses to people's health, we need to implement bold measures to reduce car use," said study co-author Cathryn Tonne.



The study found that the risk of stroke rises with exposure to each of the air pollutants considered in the research. In fact, the risk of stroke was increased even when the air pollutants were present in levels that are considered safe by governmental standards.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"Despite compliance with the levels set by the European Union, we are faced with the paradox that there is still a health risk, such as the one we identified in this study, where there is a direct relationship between exposure to pollutants in our environment and the risk of suffering a stroke", explained study lead author Dr. Rosa Maria Vivanco, "The danger is still present and many more measures need to be taken"



Thankfully, the research had some good news as well. The study showed that the risk of stroke could also be reduced, by living near a green space. This research may be useful for the future of urban planning and to assist those who may be at risk for stroke and other health related issues.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international">Environment International</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Living near green space reduces the risk of stroke

A recent study showed that green spaces within 300 meters...

A new study led by a team of paleobiologists from the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/">University of Leicester</a> has found that not all grasshoppers are herbivorous, as scientists initially thought. By identifying startling similarities between the mouths of some species of grasshopper and mammal teeth, the researchers have shown that many of the 11,000 known species of grasshopper may even be <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-sabre-tooth-sheds-light-on-the-evolution-of-hypercarnivores/">carnivorous</a>.



Finding out what grasshoppers eat usually requires detailed investigations of the contents of their guts or painstaking, time-consuming observations of what they feed upon in the wild.&nbsp;



“Knowing what animals eat is fundamental to understanding ecosystems, but working this out can be difficult and time consuming, especially if the animals you study are rare, small, or move quickly,” said study lead author Christopher Stockey, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Leicester.



However, Stockey and his colleagues have found a better, faster, and less invasive method of discovering more about grasshoppers’ diets: they used sophisticated three-dimensional imaging techniques to precisely map the shape of the mandibles of museum grasshopper specimens and to compare them with mammals’ teeth.



“One of the advantages of our method is the powerful comparisons that it provides,” said Stockey. “Surprisingly, comparing the mandible landscapes of grasshoppers with mammal’s teeth allows grasshopper diet to be predicted with 82 percent accuracy – pretty amazing when you consider that the mouthparts of mammals and grasshoppers have evolved independently for 400 million years, and were not present in their common ancestor.”



These measurements revealed clear differences linked to diet between various species of grasshopper. “Mandibles from carnivorous grasshoppers that eat soft flesh have steeper slopes and sharper cliff edges, while those that eat tough plant material, such as grass, have mandibles with complex undulating ‘landscapes,’” explained Stockey.



“This study is a great example of combining modern analytical methods with historical samples from museum collections to help understand the biodiversity of our planet,” said Dr. Ben Price, a senior curator at the <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/">Natural History Museum</a>. “As technology advances additional uses of museum collections become possible and this non-destructive approach could reveal the diet information for thousands of species, decades after the specimens were collected.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/2041-210X.13832">Methods in Ecology and Evolution</a>.



---



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

Some grasshoppers are actually carnivores

A new study led by a team of paleobiologists from...

Arabian,Oryx

The Arabian oryx is an iconic antelope species native to desert and steppe areas of the&nbsp;Arabian Peninsula. It is the&nbsp;national animal&nbsp;of Jordan, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and&nbsp;Qatar. Despite being a revered and admired species and a cultural symbol in the Gulf region, it became extinct in the wild in 1972 as a result of hunting and poaching.&nbsp;Luckily, there were many individuals held in captivity in zoos and private collections, and the success of captive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-one-step-closer-to-creating-artificial-rhino-eggs/">breeding</a> programs meant that small herds could be reintroduced into the wild.&nbsp;



In early 1982, the first herd was “rewilded” to a desert area in central Oman and, today, wild populations totaling 1,200 animals exist in several locations, mainly on the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian oryx is the first animal species to be reclassified by the IUCN as “vulnerable" after being declared extinct in the wild. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the species continues to face a high risk of extinction in the wild. Despite this, there are no formal breeding strategies in place to ensure the genetic diversity of the herds that remain.&nbsp;



To address this important issue, Professor Jaime Gongora of Sydney University, and his former PhD student Qais Al Rawahi and colleagues, conducted the first genomic analysis of Arabian oryxes in order to assess their genetic diversity and propose breeding strategies based on the results.&nbsp;



“There is more to the preservation of the Arabian oryx than conservation,” said Professor Gongora. “Historically and now, it has strong cultural significance in the Arabian Peninsula due to its unique physical features and strength, enabling it to live in harsh desert environments. It has even become a national icon in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. That’s why we are working so hard to ensure it survives – for the oryx itself and to keep this cultural connection alive.”



Arabian oryxes are remarkable animals because of their ability to survive in the hot, dry desert environments where they occur. They can reduce their water loss through urine, feces and metabolic processes by up to 50 percent in dry conditions and have special anatomical features to keep the brain cool, even though the body temperature may rise above normal.



These antelopes can travel 75km a day, searching for food, and are known for their "sixth sense": they can sense the location of incoming rain and move towards it to drink, as well as consume plants that thrive in moister conditions, like acacias. With a lifespan of between 15 and 20 years, they are a key food source for other species on the Arabian Peninsula including striped hyenas, Arabian wolves, and lynxes.



The researchers tested the DNA from 138 Arabian oryxes at the Al-Wusta Wildlife Reserve in Oman, where a herd of around 600 individuals is kept. They compared the results to 36 historical DNA samples from the Phoenix Zoo, from offspring of a herd established there in the 1970s. The experts studied the maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA and biparentally inherited single nucleotide polymorphisms – genetic variations used to identify species.



The results showed that the current gene pool of the Arabian oryx is reasonably diverse, despite the fact that there have been no coordinated breeding schemes to encourage genetic diversity. In fact, at 58 percent of the total diversity, the current-day sample was more genetically diverse than the historical ones. This is hardly surprising since the Phoenix Zoo’s original herd consisted of only nine individuals.



“This means that conservation strategies based on random mating could be reasonably successful,” said study lead author Professor Gongora. “This work in such an iconic species could serve as a benchmark for the long-term sustainability of other conservation programs. This includes those taking place at the Al-Wusta Wildlife Reserve involving the Sand Gazelle, the Mountain Gazelle and the Nubian Ibex."



The research did identify the DNA of three ancestral groups among the sampled oryxes, but their genes were not evenly distributed across the current-day herds in the wildlife reserve. Based on this, the authors suggest a targeted breeding strategy whereby females should breed with males from the other genetic lineages. “To ensure the survival of the species, it’s not just about population size – it’s about genetic diversity,” emphasized Gongora.



Together with his colleagues, Professor Gongora is working with the Al-Wusta Wildlife Reserve to implement this strategy. The researchers also recommend that Arabian oryx genetic samples be stored in a biobank for future genetic analyses. In addition, biobanking of eggs and sperm samples could also be considered as a long-term insurance policy against the extinction of this species.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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

Scientists are fighting to save the iconic Arabian oryx

The Arabian oryx is an iconic antelope species native to...

A new study from the University of Verona in Italy has found evidence of a correlation between long-term exposure to air <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salt-pollution-threatens-freshwater-ecosystems/">pollution</a> and a heightened risk of autoimmune disease.&nbsp;



Examples of autoimmune disease identified in the study include rheumatoid arthritis; multiple sclerosis; systemic lupus erythematosus; inflammatory bowel diseases; and connective tissue diseases such as osteoarthritis.



Environmental air pollution comes from sources such as vehicle exhaust and industrial output. Normally, these types of pollutants trigger the body to react to a specific disease, causing entity through adaptive immunity. However, in some cases, adaptive immunity can misfire, leading to inflammation in the body as well as tissue damage and in the long term, autoimmune disease.&nbsp;



Over the last ten years, the prevalence of autoimmune disease has steadily increased, and the cause has remained a mystery. To investigate, the researchers gathered medical information on 81,363 men and women submitted from the national Italian fracture risk database (DeFRA) between 2016 and 2020.



Most of the participants were women (92 percent) with an average age of 65. Overall, 22 percent of the volunteers had at least one co-existing health condition. To understand how air pollution impacted their health, each participant was linked to a nearby air quality monitoring station.



The study evaluated the potential impacts of particulate matter, focussing on particulate matter levels of PM10 and PM2.5, the thresholds considered harmful to human health. Information on air quality was obtained from 617 monitoring stations in 110 Italian provinces. The results showed that 12 percent of participants had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease between 2016 and 2020.&nbsp;



The study also identified how the disease risk varies depending on exposure to particulate matter and changes over time. For example, exposure to PM2.5 was not associated with an increased risk of autoimmune disease. At the same time, PM10 was associated with a seven percent heightened risk for every 10µg/m3 (10 micrograms / cubic meter) increase in levels.



The study showed an increased risk of autoimmune disease under long term exposure. Specifically, long term exposure to PM10 above 30 µg/m3 and to PM2.5 above 20 µg/m3 were associated with up to 13% higher risk of autoimmune disease.&nbsp;



The levels of particulate matter each participant was exposed to under a long term scenario resulted in specific diagnosis. For example, long term exposure to PM10 had a specific link to heightened risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Long term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with a heightened risk of rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue diseases, and inflammatory bowel diseases.



Overall, prolonged exposure to traffic and industrial air pollutants resulted in a 40 percent higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis, a 20 percent higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease, and a 15 percent higher risk of connective tissue diseases.



While this study shed some light on the connections between long term air pollution and the risk of autoimmune disease, it cannot establish the root cause. As an observational study, the researchers noted some limitations that could have affected their findings.&nbsp;



For example, the data they relied on did not include dates of each participant's diagnosis, or when autoimmune symptoms first appeared. It was also noted that air quality monitoring may not reflect personal exposure to pollutants.&nbsp;



Despite these limitations, the researchers pointed to existing studies that have already linked air pollution to immune system abnormalities. Previous studies have linked smoking and toxins in fossil fuel emissions to rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://rmdopen.bmj.com/">RMD Open</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution linked to a greater risk of autoimmune disease

A new study from the University of Verona in Italy...

Although a future increase in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-cattle-industry-could-lose-billions-due-to-heat-stress/">heat</a> and drought is inevitable across some regions, the specifics are a little harder to nail down, especially in how the two phenomena will interact with each other. New research has investigated the circumstances under which droughts and heat waves will occur simultaneously. These double whammy weather extremes are known as&nbsp; “compound hot-dry events."



Scientists from the <a href="https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=33573">Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ</a> defined droughts as periods which were drier than 90 percent of the year, and heat events as periods which were hotter than 90 percent of the summer season.&nbsp;



“In the past, periods of drought and heat waves were often considered separately; there is, however, a strong correlation between the two events, which can be seen in the extremes experienced in 2003 and 2018 in Europe. The negative consequences of these compound extremes are often greater than with one single extreme,” said UFZ climate researcher Dr. Jakob Zscheischler.



The experts used a new modeling technique that produced more precise and telling conclusions than previous studies. The researchers used seven climate models and ran each model 100 times for different scenarios that represented natural variation.&nbsp;



The scientists then looked closely at the historical record for 1950 to 1980, and compared this climate to a future one with a two-degree increase from pre-industrial temperatures.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The advantage of these multiple simulations is that we have a much larger volume of data than with conventional model ensembles, enabling us to better estimate compound extremes,” explained study first author Dr. Emanuele Bevacqua.



The scientists found that compared to the time frame from 1950 to 1980, the frequency of hot-dry events will increase by four fold in a future with a two-degree temperature increase. The researchers also discovered that the deciding factor for hot-dry events is precipitation. This is because, as temperatures rise, every drought will be accompanied by extreme heat.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“This demonstrates that local precipitation trends determine whether periods of drought and heat waves will occur simultaneously,” explained study co-author Emanuele Bevacqua.&nbsp;



The research is a step towards understanding the complexity of climate change and hopefully will help improve strategies for preparation and adaptation.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Heat and drought extremes are now occurring simultaneously

Although a future increase in heat and drought is inevitable...

For years, we have been told that walking 10,000 daily steps is necessary for optimal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposure-to-light-during-sleep-can-damage-your-health/">health</a> outcomes. However, that number is not based on science; it's based on an old marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer.&nbsp;



Amanda Paluch is a physical activity epidemiologist at the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts</a>, who set out to create evidence-based recommendations for daily steps. In collaboration with an international team of scientists, Paluch has formed the Steps for Health Collaborative.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed 15 studies to help determine how many steps a person should take to increase their chances of living a long, healthy life. Ultimately, the experts reviewed studies on 50,000 people across four continents.&nbsp;



The team divided the participants into four groups to complete a meta-analysis based on their average daily steps. The lowest step group averaged 3,500 steps per day; the second averaged 5,800; the third averaged 7,800, and the fourth averaged 10,900 steps.



The experts found that the group with the three highest average step groups had a 40 to 53 percent lower risk of death than the group with the lowest average steps.



Overall, the analysis showed that taking more steps helped lower one's risk of dying prematurely. However, one does not necessarily have to walk 10,000 steps to live longer.&nbsp;



For adults 60 years and older, 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day were sufficient. After that, the benefits of walking leveled off, which means that more steps did not provide additional health benefits in terms of mortality. Adults under 60 saw stabilization at about 8,000 to 10,000 daily steps.&nbsp;



"So, what we saw was this incremental reduction in risk as steps increase, until it levels off," said Paluch. "And the leveling occurred at different step values for older versus younger adults."



The researchers also discovered that walking speed was not a determining factor in longevity. As long as a person walked a certain amount of steps, they were less likely to suffer premature death. This discovery is good news for public health advocates because it allows them to send a clear message, making recommendations easier for the public to implement.&nbsp;



"Steps are very simple to track, and there is a rapid growth of fitness tracking devices," said Paluch. "It's such a clear communication tool for public health messaging."



According to the researchers, the path to a healthier lifestyle is more accessible than we may think. Even if it's not fast or excessive, moving is beneficial, especially for those who already do very little.&nbsp;



This study was published in <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/home">The Lancet Public Health</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Optimal number of daily steps is not necessarily 10,000

For years, we have been told that walking 10,000 daily...

Blindness is a common and well known adaptation for animals living their entire lives in the total darkness of caves. In particular, blind cave fish live in the depths all over the world. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uc.edu/">University of Cincinnati</a> (UC) have been examining Mexican cave fish (Astyanax mexicanus) for years.&nbsp;



Previously, the experts have suggested that the fish’s asymmetrical head could be an adaptation to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephant-seals-have-impressive-navigation-abilities/">navigating</a> in the dark. They discovered their pink color is controlled by the gene that gives people red hair. “I’ve been fascinated by these fish for a long time,” said UC Professor Joshua Gross.



Interestingly, despite obvious differences in appearance and physiology, the Mexican cave fish is the same species as some found above ground and the two can interbreed freely when they do happen to come into contact with each other.&nbsp;



“Unlike Charles Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos that are separated at the species level, both the cavefish and surface fish are considered members of the same species and can interbreed,” said Professor Gross.



One interesting difference between the fish above ground and the cave fish is that of oxygen levels in the water. Stream water is oxygenated by natural movement. Water in cave pools is often still and thus very low in dissolved oxygen content. The researchers wanted to know how the fish were able to survive this and the lack of nutrients found in caves.



“They move around all the time, but they have little access to nutrition," said study lead author Tyler Boggs. "It’s a paradox. They’re expending all this energy. Where does it come from?”



The scientists suspected that cave fish have more hematocrit in their blood to help them survive in the oxygen and nutrient poor cave environments. When they tested the blood, however. hematocrit levels were about the same. Interestingly, even though the hematocrit levels were not higher, the red blood cells themselves were much larger in the cave fish.&nbsp;



“That size difference largely explains the differences in hematocrit,” said Professor Gross. “We know very little about the mechanism of cell size in evolution, so this finding is something we could capitalize on to gain insight into how animals evolve elevated hemoglobin capacity.”



The scientists hope that understanding the cave fish adaptation to low oxygen levels might help us understand the lower oxygen levels created everywhere by climate change.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“There is a lot of ecological relevance here," said Boggs. "It’s happening in freshwater environments, saltwater environments. Researchers are trying to call attention to this awful issue.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How do blind cave fish live in low oxygen waters?

Blindness is a common and well known adaptation for animals...

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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

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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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.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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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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...