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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



-----



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.&nbsp;



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.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Humans are walking ecosystems and microbes rule their evolution

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

Retired people who choose to spend the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/winter-swimming-helps-increase-the-bodys-metabolism/">winter</a> months in warmer climates are often referred to as “snowbirds.” However, if your vacation home was only a bit warmer than your regular home, would you make the effort to move for half of the year? Some migratory birds are apparently deciding that they’d rather stick just around at home, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.durham.ac.uk/">Durham University</a>. 



The researchers looked at data ranging from 1964 to 2019, examining a variety of different migratory bird species. These observations showed that over time, some species were spending up to sixty more days in northern latitudes each year.&nbsp;



"If the trends we have seen in this study continue we may see that, in time, some birds will spend no time at all in sub-Saharan Africa, and instead spend the full year within Europe," said study lead author Kieran Lawrence.



"The changes in migratory habits we are already seeing could lead to longer breeding seasons for these species, as well as knock-on effects on other species, both here in the UK and in the traditional winter migration destinations."



More than simply giving Europeans that much longer to birdwatch, this change in behavior could lead to some serious environmental consequences. If more species crowd the skies during the winter months, competition for resources could increase.&nbsp;



Furthermore, ecosystem services that the birds provide on the other side of the equator would be absent. This means less insects are eaten and less pollination occurs - bad news for habitats that are already vulnerable to fluctuations in climate.&nbsp;



Animals must adapt to the changing conditions or face extinction. As global warming continues, behavioral changes like this will likely become all too common.&nbsp;



"Next, we aim to apply a new model, which we are developing at Durham, to simulate these complex migrations, and which we can then apply to future scenarios to understand how the patterns we have identified in trans-Saharan birds over recent decades may continue or change," said Professor Stephen Willis, who led the project.



Study co-author Clive Barlow, a resident of the west African country The Gambia, is an expert on the birds of this region.&nbsp;



"It is very satisfying to see the constructive way the Gambian migrant bird records, collected by dedicated ornithologists over many decades, are now being used to highlight the changing migratory patterns of these species," said Barlow.



“Until the current research, no-one had realized the extent to which migrant birds are spending less of the year in sub-Saharan Africa.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>.



---



By <a href="http://mailto:rugerpaleo@gmail.com">Alex Ruger</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Global warming may cause birds to cancel their migrations

Retired people who choose to spend the winter months in...

Shark,And,Small,Fishes,In,Ocean,-,Nature,Background

Although great white sharks are often portrayed as ruthless human killers, a new study suggests that shark attack victims might simply be the subject of mistaken identity. Because they are color blind or at best have only very limited color perception, sharks can confuse humans for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/northern-elephant-seals-are-surprisingly-resilient/">seals</a>, their natural prey, because they look the same when viewed from below. 



Fatal shark attacks are very rare (with approximately ten such events per year), but can still result in severe shark mitigation measures that significantly reduce population numbers and endanger many shark species.



“Shark bites on humans are rare but are sufficiently frequent to generate substantial public concern, which typically leads to measures to reduce their frequency,” wrote the study authors. “Bites also have negative consequences for sharks as they often result in the implementation or continued use of lethal shark mitigation measures, including the deployment of gill nets and drum lines to reduce shark populations.”



Until recently, the reasons why sharks attacked humans were poorly understood. By analyzing the visual perspectives of young white sharks, a research team led by <a href="https://www.mq.edu.au/">Macquarie University</a> in Sidney, Australia, has found that, due to poor vision, sharks might confuse humans with seals, an animal that they frequently prey upon.



“We looked specifically at juvenile sharks and that's because they are responsible for the majority of fatal bites on humans,” explained study lead author Laura Ryan, a postdoctoral researcher in Biology at&nbsp;Macquarie University.



“Until now, the potential similarity between humans and seals has been assessed based on human vision.&nbsp;However, white sharks have much lower visual acuity than us, meaning they cannot see fine details, and lack color vision.”



In order to test this hypothesis, the researchers used footage of two sea lions and one fur seal swimming in a pool at the Taronga Zoo in Sidney, as well as of humans paddling on surfboards. By filtering this footage through a virtual visual system mimicking shark vision, they discovered that motion cues of humans swimming or paddling on surfboards and of swimming seals did not differ significantly. Thus, when viewed from below, humans and seals may appear indistinguishable to a shark that is preparing to attack.



“Our results indicate that the poor spatial resolving power of the shark retina may result in bites on humans as a result of mistaken identity or ambiguous visual cues,” the study authors concluded.&nbsp;



The research is published in the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2021.0533">Journal of the Royal Society Interface</a>.



---



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

Shark attacks may be a simple case of mistaken identity

Although great white sharks are often portrayed as ruthless human...

To the layman it may sometimes seem that every time paleontologists unearth a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eagle-fossil-represents-a-unique-branch-of-the-family-tree/">fossil</a> hominin, it is described as a new species and given a brand-new name. This is particularly true of the Middle Pleistocene (now renamed Chibanian), a time period that lasted from 774,000 to 129,000 years ago and that saw the advent of our own species (Homo sapiens) in Africa, as well as our closest extinct relatives, and the Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) in Europe.



The details of human evolution during this time period are not well understood and the number of different putative species has led paleoanthropologists refer to this confusion as “the muddle in the middle.” This situation is further confounded by the fact that fossil hominin finds often consist of a single tooth, or a piece of jaw bone, fragments that are not easy to classify as one species or another.&nbsp;



A team of international researchers, led by <a href="https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/">University ofWinnipeg</a> palaeoanthropologist Dr. Mirjana Roksandic, has now&nbsp;reassessed the existing Middle Pleistocene fossils from Africa and Eurasia. The experts suggest that some of the fossils should be reclassified as a different species of human ancestor with the name Homo bodoensis, to help clarify the situation.&nbsp;



In the past, these fossils have been classified as H. heidelbergensis&nbsp;or&nbsp;as its African counterpart, H. rhodesiensis, both of which carried multiple, often contradictory definitions. The first specimen of H. heidelbergensis consists of a single lower jawbone, found in 1907 near Heidelberg in Germany. Since no cranium was present, and since most other Middle Pleistocene specimens have their jawbones missing, it has always been challenging to identify new specimens as heidelbergensis.&nbsp;



“Talking about human evolution during this time period became impossible due to the lack of proper terminology that acknowledges human geographic variation,” explained Dr. Roksandic, lead author on the study that proposes renaming some of the species in order to reduce the confusion.



Recently, DNA evidence has shown that some European fossils which were classified as H. heidelbergensis,&nbsp;were actually early Neanderthals, making the name redundant. For the same reason, the name needs to be abandoned when describing human ancestor fossils from east Asia according to co-author, Xiu-Jie Wu, from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, China.



The name “bodoensis” derives from a skull found in Bodo D’ar in Ethiopia, and the new species is understood to be a direct human ancestor. The authors of the study propose that, under the new system of classification,&nbsp;H. bodoensis&nbsp;will describe most Middle Pleistocene humans from Africa and some from Southeast Europe, while many from the latter continent will be reclassified as Neanderthals.&nbsp;



“Terms need to be clear in science, to facilitate communication. They should not be treated as absolute when they contradict the fossil record," said study first author Predrag Radović of the University of Belgrade.



According to study co-author Christopher Bae of UH Manoa, the introduction of&nbsp;H. bodoensis&nbsp;is aimed at “cutting the Gordian knot and allowing us to communicate clearly about this important period in human evolution."



Dr. Roksandic agrees: “Naming a new species is a big deal, as the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature allows name changes only under very strictly defined rules. We are confident that this one will stick around for a long time; a new taxon name will live only if other researchers use it.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15206505">Evolutionary Anthropology Issues News and Reviews</a>.



Image Credit: Artist rendering of Homo bodoensis by Ettore Mazza



---



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

Scientists have named a new human ancestor

To the layman it may sometimes seem that every time...

The roots of legume <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-third-of-plants-are-completely-reliant-on-animal-pollinators/">plants</a> are home to symbiotic bacteria that can fix nitrogen from the air and turn it into ammonia, a crucial nutrient for plants. In return, the plants shelter the bacteria in their root nodules, providing necessary sugars and oxygen for their survival. A new study led by the <a href="https://www.cepams.org/">Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science</a> (CEPAMS) has identified the genetic processes that make this symbiotic relationship possible.&nbsp;



In order to fuel their chemical reactions, the bacteria need oxygen. However, too much oxygen inhibits a key enzyme that turns nitrogen into ammonia. Thus, to support the plant-bacteria symbiosis, the amount of oxygen reaching plant roots needs to be just right.&nbsp;



According to the scientists, a molecule called leghemoglobin is crucial for regulating the amount of oxygen found in the roots of plants. Like hemoglobin, a molecule that carries oxygen to our blood, leghemoglobin also binds to oxygen and gives legume nodules their pink color. The researchers have identified two transcription factors that control how much leghemoglobin was made in legume nodules.



“This gives a key insight into how legume plants create the microaerobic environment needed for nitrogen-fixation. This knowledge could be useful for improving nitrogen-fixation in legumes and would be essential for transfer of nodulation to non-legume crops,” explained corresponding author Dr. Jeremy Murray, a group leader at CEPAMS. “While many genes involved in other nodulation processes have been identified, this is the first breakthrough on the gene regulatory network involved directly in control of nitrogen fixation.”



Dr. Murray and his team investigated a family of proteins in plants that has several members with roles in nodulation, and found that two proteins – NIN and NLP2 –were produced in symbiosis-housing nodules and played a fundamental role in nitrogen fixation. Plants lacking these proteins had smaller and less-pink nodules, and significantly lower levels of leghemoglobin.



These findings also shed more light on the evolution of these crucial symbiotic processes. The scientists discovered that other members of the transcription factors family regulate the production of non-symbiotic hemoglobins fo&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; und in plants, and are closely involved in the plants’ response to low oxygen levels.



“This was exciting because it suggests that these transcription factors and their hemoglobin targets were recruited to nodulation as modules to help improve energetics in nitrogen-fixing cells, giving a rare glimpse into how this symbiosis evolved,” concluded Dr. Murray.



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

Secrets of legumes and their symbiotic bacteria revealed

The roots of legume plants are home to symbiotic bacteria...

In the recent past, California has seen some of the worst wildfires in history. With more than a century of fire suppression, and the effects of climate change, the wildfires in the area have become bigger and more devastating. Although many species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-animals-interact-within-social-groups/">animals</a> are adapted to surviving the effects of smaller, more frequent wildfires, scientists do not know how animal populations will cope with the consequences of these more severe fires.&nbsp;&nbsp;



In a rare case of serendipity, researchers from the University of Washington, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Santa Barbara,&nbsp;were involved in a study at the University of California’s&nbsp;<a href="https://hrec.ucanr.edu/">Hopland Research and Extension Center</a>, where the movements of black-tailed deer were being monitored. The team had placed tracking collars on 18 deer and positioned several dozen motion-activated cameras across the area. And then came California’s third-largest wildfire, the 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendocino_Complex_Fire">Mendocino Complex Fire</a>.&nbsp;



The megafire, that burned more than 450,000 acres in northern California, swept through half of the research center’s land and destroyed much of the scientists’ established study site. Instead of giving up on their study, the researchers decided instead to use the wildlife tracking technology and cameras already in place to investigate how deer change their use of space as a consequence of large disturbances like wildfires. They also monitored how this event affected the body condition and survival of the deer.&nbsp;



“We don't have much information on what animals do while the flames are burning, or in the immediate days that follow after wildfires,” said co-lead author&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kaitlyngaynor.com/about-me.html">Kaitlyn Gaynor</a>, a postdoctoral researcher at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at UC Santa Barbara. “It was kind of a happy accident that we were able to see what these animals were doing during the wildfire and right after, when it was still just a desolate landscape.”



“There are very few studies that aim to understand the short-term, immediate responses of animals to wildfires. When a fire sweeps through and dramatically changes the landscape, its impact in those initial days is undervalued and absent in the published literature,” said co-lead author&nbsp;<a href="https://samanthakreling.wixsite.com/ecology/about">Samantha Kreling</a>, a doctoral student at the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.



The researchers found that all 18 deer survived. Initially, the animals had to flee the flames but they soon returned to their home ranges, despite the fact that some areas of the landscape were completely burned and devoid of vegetation to eat. Most of the deer returned home within hours of the fire, while trees were still smoldering.



“Seeing the drastic changes on the landscape got me wondering what it’s like for animals on the land to actually deal with the repercussions of having an event like this sweep through,” Kreling said. “Having the infrastructure in place was very useful to see what happened before, compared to what happened after.”



Deer returning to home ranges that had been burned had very little to eat. They had to work harder and travel further in order to find green vegetation, and their body condition soon declined. The researchers propose that this strategy of returning to home range, even though the vegetation is burned, is probably a tactic that has helped individuals to survive wildfires in the past.&nbsp;



However, this loyalty-to-home strategy may prove harmful in the future, as wildfires become more severe. Smaller fires encourage new vegetation growth, which provides good food for deer, but massive wildfires can actually destroy seed banks, which reduces the availability of forage plants.&nbsp;



“These deer have evolved this behavioral strategy that has clearly worked for them, but the big question mark is, as fires get more intense and frequent, will this behavior actually trap animals in these habitats that are seeing massive disturbances on the scale of nothing that has happened before in their evolutionary history,” said Gaynor.



The authors acknowledge that the response patterns observed for the deer will probably be different from those exhibited by other large mammals responding to unpredictable or extreme events. However, this study does give insight into what extreme disturbances, such as large wildfires, might mean for animals. <a href="https://nature.berkeley.edu/BrasharesGroup/lab-members/kendall-calhoun/">Kendall Calhoun</a>, co-author of the study and doctoral student at UC Berkeley, will continue to investigate the long-term effects of the fire on the health and reproductive capacity of this population of deer.



The results of the study are published today in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/20457758">Ecology and Evolution</a>.



---



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

Deer return to fire-ravaged territories while trees are "still smoldering"

In the recent past, California has seen some of the...

Human well-being and resilience to environmental challenges – two key goals of <a href="https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals">sustainable development</a> - are often understood as linked or even interchangeable terms. However, a new study has argued that this is not always the case. In fact, such a view is often based on a simplistic understanding of the two terms.



"We want to highlight the vital distinctions and connections between well-being and resilience ahead of the COP26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow next week so that policies can be better designed and ensure that addressing the climate crisis does not harm people’s well-being and livelihoods," said study lead author&nbsp;Dr. Tomas Chaigneau,&nbsp; an environmental social scientist from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/esi/">Environment and Sustainability Institute</a> at the University of Exeter.



In order to prove that the two terms don’t always go hand in hand, Dr. Chaigneau offered the example of the 2004 Asian tsunami that led to new legislation from India and Sri Lanka which prevented homes and businesses to be rebuilt close to the coast.&nbsp;



"This forced people who depended on the sea for economic, cultural, and social reasons to move to isolated villages inland, undermining well-being in diverse ways. If these trade-offs had been thought through more thoroughly, then measures to ameliorate them could have been implemented alongside them,” he explained. "Our website (<a href="http://www.navigating-complexity.com/home">www.navigating-complexity.com/home</a>) provides an opportunity to explore some of these complex trade-offs."



According to Dr. Chaigneau, understanding and pursuing well-being in simple economic terms is actually driving the current climate crisis, and thus undermining resilience in devastation ways. For example, responding to extremes in hot or cold temperatures linked to climate change through the use of air conditioning or central heating may improve human well-being in the short term, but exacerbate global warming in the long term.



"A narrow focus on achieving resilience and well-being locally and in the near future, can lead to trade-offs elsewhere or in the future. We need to consider resilience and wellbeing at regional and global levels, and on timescales spanning generations," Dr. Chaigneau concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00790-8">Nature Sustainability</a>.



---



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

Resilience to climate change does not always promote well-being

Human well-being and resilience to environmental challenges – two key...

Truffles are normally thought of as a rare and expensive delicacy for humans, while also providing part of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brazilian-jaguars-have-an-unexpected-diet-and-social-life/">diet</a> of some mammals. New research from the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> has revealed the some birds are also partial to seeking out and dispersing these forms of fungi.



“Previously, it was assumed that only mammals consumed and dispersed truffle spores, so our study is the first to document birds doing this as well,” said study first author Marcos Caiafa.



The researchers have discovered that two ground-dwelling bird species found in Patagonia, chucao tapaculos and black-throated huet-huets, seek out and regularly consume truffles, spreading the spores through their feces. It was previously assumed that the birds exclusively fed on invertebrates, seeds and fruit.



“Truffles are essentially mushrooms that grow underground. Unlike aboveground mushrooms, which release their spores into the air, truffles depend on animals consuming them to spread their spores,” explained study senior author Matthew E. Smith.



Contrary to the belief that all truffles are desirable for high-end cuisine, only a few of the hundreds of species of underground fungi appeal to humans, with the majority evolving to attract different types of animals to promote dispersal. The spread of the fungi encourages a healthy forest ecosystem, helping to colonize the roots of trees and contribute to a symbiotic relationship.



“These fungi form mycorrhizas, a relationship whereby the fungus helps the plant take up nutrients in exchange for sugars from the plant,” explained Caiafa.



To confirm the researchers’ hypothesis that the birds actively seek out truffles, the team collected the bird droppings to analyze them for truffle DNA. The results showed truffle DNA in 42 percent of chucao tupaculo and 38 percent of huet-huet feces. By using a microscopic analysis technique called fluorescent microscopy, the team was also able to confirm that the spores were viable, suggesting that the truffles were not only being eaten but also spread.



“DNA-based diet analysis is exciting because it provides new insights into interactions between organisms that would otherwise be difficult to directly observe,” said study co-author Michelle Jusino. “And, because sampling feces does not negatively impact the target species, I think these methods are invaluable for studying and protecting both common and rare species in the future."



The study authors believe that some of the Patagonian truffles may have evolved specifically to attract birds. “Some of truffles that the birds eat are brightly colored and resemble local berries. Our future research may look to see if there is an evolutionary adaptation there - that the truffles have evolved to look more like the berries that the birds also eat,” explained Smith.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study reveals that birds hunt for truffles

Truffles are normally thought of as a rare and expensive...

In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.ufpe.br/">Federal University of Pernambuco</a> in Recife, Brazil&nbsp;has found that wildfires sparked by volcanic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-eruptions-will-lose-their-cooling-effects-on-a-warmer-planet/">eruptions</a> ravaged Antarctica’s James Ross Island 75 million years ago. This discovery adds evidence that spontaneous fires were common in Antarctica during the Campanian age between 84 and 72 million years ago.



During the late Cretaceous period (100 to 66 million years ago), the James Ross Island below South America was home to a temperate forest of ferns, conifers, and flowers, as well as a significant population of dinosaurs.&nbsp;



By analyzing fossilized charcoal fragments of burned gymnosperm (from a botanical family of coniferous trees called Araucariaceae) that were collected during a 2015-2016 expedition to the northeastern part of the island, an international team of scientists found the first evidence of ancient wildfires caused by volcanic activity in Antarctica.&nbsp;



“Antarctica had intense volcanic activity caused by tectonics during the Cretaceous, as suggested by the presence of fossil remains in strata related to ash falls,” explained the study authors. “It is plausible that volcanic activity ignited the palaeo-wildfire that created the charcoal reported here.”



According to the scientists, intense wildfires were frequent and widespread during the late Cretaceous period. However, most of the evidence of such events was found in the Northern Hemisphere, with just a few documented cases in the Southern Hemisphere in places such as Tasmania, New Zealand, or Argentina. The new research shows that such fires occurred in locations below South America too.



"This discovery expands the knowledge about the occurrence of vegetation fires during the Cretaceous, showing that such episodes were more common than previously imagined," said study lead author Flaviana Jorge de Lima, a paleobiologist at the Federal University of Pernambuco.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/5487/13972#figures">Polar Research</a>.



---



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

Wildfires were common in ancient Antarctica

In a new study led by the Federal University of...

We might think that the bold, black-and-white coloration of giant pandas makes them highly conspicuous to humans and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-new-study-led-by-the-memorial-university-of-newfoundland-in-canada-has-found-that-snowshoe-hares-are-starting-to-lose-their-camouflage-abilities-due-to-climate-change/">predators</a> alike. But we would be wrong.



A new study led by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> demonstrates that the unique pattern of black and white fur coloration works to disguise giant pandas in their natural environment. For their investigation, the researchers made use of state-of-the art image analysis techniques.



“I knew we were on to something when our Chinese colleagues sent us photographs from the wild and I couldn’t see the giant panda in the picture," explained Professor <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Tim-Caro-d795dfe6-b3f7-4d2f-9d6c-506da26408f2/">Tim Caro</a>. "If I couldn’t see it with my good primate eyes, that meant that would-be carnivorous predators with their poorer eyesight might not be able to see it either. It was simply a matter of demonstrating this objectively.”



Initially, the international team of experts analyzed the rare photographs of giant pandas in their natural environment. They found that the black patches of fur blended in with dark shadows and tree trunks, while the white patches matched foliage and snow. Also, the rare brown fur that some pandas exhibit matched ground colors and bridged the gap between the dark and light elements in the visual environment.&nbsp;



The results are consistent whether viewed by humans, or by felid or canid vision models (which both represent potential predators of pandas).



Next, the researchers assessed whether giant pandas show disruptive coloration. This is a form of camouflage in which high-contrast patterns break up the outline of an animal’s body or obscure easily recognizable internal features, such as the eyes or mouth.&nbsp;



The experts found that the large black and white patches of fur do indeed make it more difficult to identify the various parts of a panda’s body as being joined together. This defensive color pattern means that the black legs and ears do not look as though they are part of the panda’s white body, especially when it is viewed from some distance.&nbsp;



Lastly, the researchers utilized a novel color map technique to compare a similarity-to-background metric across a variety of species, including the giant panda. This comparative analysis confirmed that the background resemblance of the giant panda fell solidly within the range observed for other species that are traditionally considered to be well camouflaged or cryptic.



“The rare photographic evidence allowed us to examine the giant panda appearance in its natural environment for the first time," said study lead author Dr. Ossi Nokelainen. "With help of the state-of-the-art image analysis, we were able to treat these images as if the pandas would have been seen by their predator surrogates, using applied vision modeling techniques and also to explore their disruptive coloration. Comparative results totally bust the myth of giant pandas being overtly conspicuous in their natural habitat.”



“It seems that giant pandas appear conspicuous to us because of short viewing distances and odd backgrounds: when we see them, either in photographs or at the zoo, it is almost always from close up, and often against a backdrop that doesn’t reflect their natural habitat. From a more realistic predator’s perspective, the giant panda is actually rather well camouflaged," explained <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Nick-Scott-Samuel-5af4dc2d-612b-4eda-be0e-1f5655e8ce30/">Professor Nick Scott-Samuel</a>.



Pandas are not alone in having bold and extreme color patterns rather than the drab browns and earthy tones present in the mammals usually considered to be well camouflaged. Zebras, skunks, badgers and orcas all have striking black and white patterning on their bodies, something that has intrigued and challenged scientists for decades.



The results of the study are published in&nbsp;the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/?gclid=CjwKCAjwwsmLBhACEiwANq-tXPt0Gxcobii26777ZGOiGHt16wGAow3i3EuC_OcGsRMnJiBrwoQyCBoCUkcQAvD_BwE">Scientific Reports</a>.



---



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

Giant pandas have the perfect camouflage for their natural habitat

We might think that the bold, black-and-white coloration of giant...

In our plastic filled world, fish often ingest microplastics. What few people may know is that when fish eat microplastics, they also ingest progesterone. A new study shows that a chemical reaction between microplastics and digestive fluid in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/red-wine-grapes-have-unexpected-gut-health-benefits/">gut</a> releases progesterone.&nbsp;



“Our study shows that microplastics are an additional vector for exposing fish to micropollutants like progesterone, a steroid hormone that can be found in the environment," explained study co-author Florian Breider.



"These microplastics act like sponges and serve as a vector - they readily absorb hydrophobic micropollutants in water, since the pollutants’ molecules would rather attach to the plastic."



"Once inside a fish, the molecules are released into its digestive tract as a result of the physical and chemical properties of the digestive fluids. Today, nobody knows whether the micropollutants subsequently pass through the intestinal walls and spread to the rest of the fish.”



The study looked at three types of polymers commonly found in Swiss lakes and streams: polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. The researchers examined how well the polymers absorbed micropollutants such as progesterone and how quickly they in turn could be released in a fish's digestive tract.&nbsp;



The researchers found that microplastics play an important role in the ingestion of progesterone, an endocrine disruptor in fish. In relatively modest amounts of water, fish are exposed to large amounts of microplastics.



“If an organism weighing one kilogram ingests 4.5 liters of water per day, this vector of progesterone exposure - that is, through microplastics - would account for 10% of its daily progesterone intake due to water ingestion,” said Breider.



He noted that this research is important not only for countries bordering the ocean but for the whole world and that concern with the problem is growing.&nbsp;



“In countries bordering a sea or ocean, research on plastic contamination and the associated micropollutants is becoming a priority. But that’s not the case in Switzerland," said Breider. "However, people are becoming increasingly aware of the issue and eager to take action. Things are moving in the right direction.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/journal/EM">Environmental Science: Processes &amp; Impacts</a>.&nbsp;



---



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

When fish ingest plastic, the impacts are complicated

In our plastic filled world, fish often ingest microplastics. What...

A new study warns that if net zero <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emissions-gap-report-greener-world-or-climate-catastrophe/">emission</a> targets are to be met, industry must considerably speed up investments in green technology that would allow the manufacturing of materials using renewable energy. National strategies for replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources will need an integrated approach to material production and energy use.



In order to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-21st century, it is essential to ensure that no electricity will be produced from fossil fuels. Currently, in industrial countries, steel manufacturing accounts for a tenth of CO2 emissions, and aluminium production three percent of all CO2 emissions.&nbsp;



"Delays in replacing existing steel and aluminium manufacturing capacity represent a crucial ‘lock in’ constraint on achieving net zero,” explained study lead author Dr. Alan Grainger, a senior lecturer in Global Change and Policy at the University of Leeds



“Humanity's overwhelming dependence on steel, which accounts for 94 percent of all metal production, and the size of new aluminium manufacturing capacity in China and the Persian Gulf, are a huge blockage that cannot be ignored. The UK Net Zero Strategy, published last week, recognizes this problem, but lacks detail on how to tackle it.”



According to the researchers, governments should strengthen international carbon reporting standards for energy-intensive industries, so that levels of CO2 emissions can be measured in a more transparent way in order to asses progress towards national net zero targets. Furthermore, the carbon prices should increase to make alternative sources more economically viable and attractive.



However, cutting CO2 emissions is only half of the challenge. “To achieve net zero we need to remove as much as CO2 as we put into the atmosphere. It’s like those old greengrocers’ scales – with carbon emissions on the one side and carbon removals on the other. We can take emissions out of the atmosphere by planting new forests and deploying carbon capture and storage technology.”



If global forest expansions are delayed and new green technology with low CO2 emissions are not urgently introduced, the net zero emission targets set for the middle of the century will not be achieved, thus pushing the Earth one more step towards a climate-related catastrophe.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/current-opinion-in-environmental-sustainability">Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability</a>.



---



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

Green technology is urgently needed to save the climate

A new study warns that if net zero emission targets...

Sohutern,Right,Whale,Jumping,,Endangered,Species,,Patagonia,argentina.

North Atlantic right whales are a critically <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-ecosystems-are-endangered-by-global-warming/">endangered</a> species with a past of being targeted by whaling, a historical tragedy that they have never recovered from.&nbsp;



A new population estimate by the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium shows the whale numbers continue on a downward plunge. From 2019 to 2020, the estimated population dropped from 366 to 336, a decline of 8 percent.&nbsp;



Along with this report came another confirmation of the sad state of affairs. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) drafted a new Stock Assessment Report showing that the number of whales which can die and still support the species recovery fell to 0.7. The North Atlantic right whale death rate is also up from 18.6 annual deaths in the previous report to 27.4 whales per year from 2014 to 2018. “The new population and mortality estimates for North Atlantic right whales are upsetting and alarming. Losing nearly 10% of a critically endangered species in one year is drastic and should be a wake-up call that the situation facing these whales is more dire and urgent than ever before," said Whitney Webber, campaign director for <a href="https://oceana.org/">Oceana</a> in the United States.



"There’s zero time to waste - political finger-pointing, process delays, and industry opposition are decimating North Atlantic right whales. This downward trajectory must be reversed if the species is to survive another generation. Oceana calls on the U.S.&nbsp; government to act now before these whales disappear from our coasts forever."



Historically, the North Atlantic right whale population reached a high estimate of 21,000 individuals, which dropped to possibly less than 100 by the 1920s.&nbsp;



After whaling right whales was banned in 1935, the population slowly climbed to about 483 animals in 2010. Population numbers are now again at alarmingly low levels.&nbsp;



Due to the slow speed the whales swim at (around 6 miles per hour) often near the surface, collision with ships is a leading cause of death. Ships moving at fast speeds cannot maneuver to avoid the marine mammals.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Another leading cause of mortality for the whales is entanglement in fishing gear. About 25 percent of the whales are tangled in fishing gear from the US and Canada annually and a disturbing 85 percent have been caught in fishing gear at least once. Lines cutting into flesh can cause infections that are sometimes fatal.&nbsp;



Without immediate and decisive action, the last North Atlantic right whale may soon die, leaving the planet forever impoverished.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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

Right whale populations reach new low

North Atlantic right whales are a critically endangered species with...

<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...