The morning ritual of walking the dog might be more than just a daily chore for older adults. New research from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin has revealed the significant benefits of regular dog walking for older adults.



The researchers found that walking a dog frequently can improve mobility, reduce the risk of falls, and lower the fear of falling - an important factor in maintaining independence and quality of life as people age.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-falls-major-concern-for-older-adults">Falls: Major concern for older adults</h2>



Falls are a leading cause of hospital admissions among <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/not-all-aging-cells-are-bad-some-help-to-heal-the-body/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">older people</a> and the most common cause of accidental death in later life. 



They often lead to fractures, including hip fractures, which can result in a loss of independence, increased reliance on healthcare services, admission to nursing homes, and even premature death. 



In Ireland, <a href="https://tilda.tcd.ie" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TILDA</a> data shows that around 30% of people over the age of 70 experience a fall every year, and one in eight require emergency care due to a fall.



With an aging population, the number of older adults experiencing falls will only increase in the coming decades. 



This makes fall prevention a critical issue. Identifying simple, cost-effective strategies to reduce the risk of falls is essential for improving public health and reducing the burden on healthcare systems. 



Regular physical activity is one of the most effective ways to maintain strength, balance, and mobility, but finding enjoyable and sustainable ways to stay active is key.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dog-walks-benefit-older-adults">Dog walks benefit older adults</h2>



The study analyzed data from over 4,100 adults aged 60 and older who participated in TILDA Wave 5. 



The team categorized participants into two groups: those who walked their dogs at least four times a week and those who either did not own a dog or owned a dog but did not walk it regularly.



By using self-reported data on falls and fear of falling, combined with objective mobility assessments through the Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG) test, the researchers were able to determine whether regular dog walking had a measurable impact on fall risk and mobility.



The TUG test is a well-established method used to assess mobility and fall risk in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-bodies-undergo-very-rapid-change-aging-at-two-very-specific-times/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">older adults</a>. Participants are timed as they stand up from a chair, walk three meters, turn around, walk back, and sit down again. 



The time taken to complete the task is a strong predictor of fall risk, with slower times indicating reduced mobility and a higher likelihood of falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-regular-dog-walks-and-improved-mobility">Regular dog walks and improved mobility </h2>



The results of the study showed a clear link between regular dog walking and improved mobility. Participants who walked their dogs frequently completed the TUG test significantly faster than those who did not, with an average time of 10.3 seconds compared to 11.7 seconds for the group that did not walk a dog regularly.



This suggests that regular dog walking helps maintain agility and physical function, both of which are critical for preventing falls.



In addition to better mobility, regular dog walkers were also found to be 40% less likely to experience unexplained falls. 



This is a significant finding, as falls often lead to serious injuries and long-term disability. By engaging in regular walking with a dog, older adults may improve their balance and coordination, making them less prone to sudden falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reduced-fear-of-falling">Reduced fear of falling</h2>



Another important outcome of the study was the reduction in fear of falling among dog walkers. Fear of falling is a major concern for many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/muscles-defy-aging-with-remarkable-resilience/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">older adu</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/muscles-defy-aging-with-remarkable-resilience/">lts</a> and can lead to a cycle of inactivity, reduced confidence, and further mobility decline. 



The study found that participants who walked their dogs regularly were 20% less likely to report fear of falling. This suggests that dog walking not only has physical benefits but also plays a crucial role in maintaining psychological well-being and confidence in mobility.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dog-walking-is-more-than-just-exercise">Dog walking is more than just exercise</h2>



While physical activity in general is known to have numerous health <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-25-years-of-research-revealed-about-brain-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">benefits</a>, this study suggests that the specific activity of dog walking provides unique advantages. 



Unlike structured exercise programs, which some older adults may find difficult to maintain, walking a dog is an enjoyable and routine-based activity that provides both motivation and companionship.



"While this may be partly due to increased physical activity, it is also likely that increased social interaction, companionship, and purpose derived from having a dog also plays an important role,"&nbsp;said Professor Robert Briggs, consultant geriatrician at St James’s Hospital and Trinity College, and co-author of the study.&nbsp;



"We see how important pets are in the lives of older people we encounter both in St James's Hospital and the TILDA study, and it is therefore heartening to see the benefits borne out in this study."



"Our findings highlight the value of regular dog walking as a simple and accessible activity that not only improves physical health but also has benefits for mental well-being and confidence among older adults," said study lead author Dr. Eleanor Gallagher, Specialist Registrar in Geriatric Medicine from <a href="https://www.tcd.ie" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trinity College Dublin</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-encouraging-healthy-aging">Encouraging healthy aging</h2>



The study reinforces the idea that health-promoting activities should be both enjoyable and easy to incorporate into daily life. 



Walking a dog provides structure, companionship, and motivation - elements that help older adults stay consistent with their physical activity. Unlike other forms of exercise, which may feel like a chore, dog walking offers a sense of purpose and social connection, making it more sustainable over the long term.



For older adults looking to improve their mobility, reduce their risk of falls, and maintain their independence, adopting or regularly walking a dog may be a simple yet highly effective solution. 



The benefits extend beyond just physical health, contributing to overall <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discrimination-speeds-up-aging-molecular-level/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">well-being</a> and a higher quality of life in later years. 



As research continues to highlight the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle, studies like this one offer practical and accessible strategies to help older adults age healthily and confidently.



The study is published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/advance-article/doi/10.1093/gerona/glaf010/7951863?login=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences</a>. 



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Dog walking improves mobility and prevents falls in older adults

The morning ritual of walking the dog might be more than just a daily chore for older adults. New research from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin has revealed the significant benefits of regular dog walking for older adults. The researchers found that walking a dog frequently can improve mobility, reduce the risk of falls, and lower the fear of falling - an important factor in maintaining independence and quality of life as people age. Falls: Major concern for older adults Falls are a leading...

Footprint,Of,Dinosaur,On,Phoo-luang,loei,thailand

Around 50 years ago, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-reveal-a-previously-unknown-mass-extinction-event/">fossil</a> footprints of what was assumed to be a "raptor-like" predatory dinosaur were found in an Australian coal mine. However, new research from the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> has discovered that the fossil was in fact of a long-necked herbivore.



Upon re-analyzing the footprints, paleontologist Dr. Anthony Romilio was able to conclude that they belonged to the vegetarian Prosauropod and could be dated back to around 220 million years ago, around the end of the Triassic Period.



“For years it’s been believed that these tracks were made by a massive theropod predator that was part of the dinosaur family Eubrontes, with legs over two meters tall,” explained Dr. Romilio. “This idea caused a sensation decades ago because no other meat-eating dinosaur in the world approached that size during the Triassic period."



However, it was expected at the time that there was something incorrect about this conclusion. “Unfortunately, most earlier researchers could not directly access the footprint specimen for their study, instead relying on old drawings and photographs that lacked detail,” explained Dr. Romilio.



The new conclusion made a lot more sense as the legs of the Prosauropod were in fact smaller, with legs around 1.4 meters in length and a body length of six meters.



The prosauropod dinosaur footprints are known scientifically as ‘Evazoum’ and were made on the water-sodden layers of ancient plant debris.



“After millions of years, the plant material turned into coal which was extracted by the miners to reveal a ceiling of siltstone and sandstone, complete with the natural casts of dinosaur footprints," explained study co-author Hendrik Klein. "This explains why today they occur in an upside-down position right above our heads,”



Whilst the mine closed many years ago, the fossil was mapped and preserved through plaster casts by geologists at the Queensland Museum in 1964. “We made a virtual 3D model of the dinosaur footprint that was emailed to team members across the world to study,” said Klein.



“The more we looked at the footprint and toe impression shapes and proportions, the less they resembled tracks made by predatory dinosaurs – this monster dinosaur was definitely a much friendlier plant-eater."



The findings are published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ghbi20/current">Historical Biology</a>, and the Prosauropod footprint can be seen at the Queensland Museum in Brisbane.



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

Triassic’s “largest meat-eating dinosaur” was actually a vegetarian

Around 50 years ago, fossil footprints of what was assumed...

A new study led by the <a href="https://vu.nl/en">Free University of Amsterdam</a> has found traces of <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/understanding-the-effects-of-microplastics-on-our-environment/">microplastics</a> in the blood of cows and pigs, sparking concern about how these harmful particles might move through the food chain. Although this discovery could have serious implications for public health, more research is needed to assess the toxicity levels of these substances and the potential risks of exposure.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Microplastics, small non-biodegradable particles produced from the breakdown of plastic materials, are increasingly widespread in nature, polluting large portions of marine and terrestrial ecosystems.&nbsp;



The plastic particles are present in our water, food and surfaces that we touch, and scientists are only recently starting to understand their impact.&nbsp;They have been linked to harmful health effects, including inflammation. Microplastics are also believed to cause potentially dangerous immune overreactions, and can increase the risk of various diseases.&nbsp;



Although microplastics have been found in many marine animals and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seabirds-are-damaging-their-health-by-eating-plastic/">birds</a>, this is the first time they have been discovered in the bloodstream of farm animals. The discovery was made by a team of researchers led by Dr. Heather Leslie, an expert in microplastics. The researchers analyzed blood samples from 12 cows and six pigs and detected traces of microplastics.&nbsp;



“We have uncovered preliminary evidence of trace amounts of plastic particles in farm animals' bloodstreams,” said Dr. Leslie.&nbsp;“We already know that hundreds of other animals also have microplastics in their bodies. But in cows and pigs, it had not been discovered before.”&nbsp;



Dr. Leslie’s hypothesis is that microplastics in the soil probably ended up in the crops eaten by farm animals. These particles cannot be broken down by the intestines and end up in manure, continuing thus to be disseminated through the environment.&nbsp;



“If you want to assess the risks, you first have to know what the actual exposure is and how toxic it is.&nbsp;If we are above the values ​​that are still safe and responsible, then we have to do something about it,” said Dr. Leslie.



“It is in the interest of&nbsp;animal and human health protection to further explore this nascent signal of plastic pollution exposure in the food chain."



The research was presented at Amsterdam's <a href="https://www.plastichealthsummit.org/">Plastic Health Summit</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

Microplastics discovered in the blood of livestock

A new study led by the Free University of Amsterdam...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> (UGA) has managed to create functional sperm cells by using embryonic stem cells collected from rhesus macaque monkeys. This important scientific breakthrough could lead to innovative human infertility treatments.



“This is a major breakthrough towards producing stem cell-based therapies to treat male infertility in cases where the men do not produce any&nbsp;viable sperm cells,” said lead researcher Charles Easley, an associate professor in UGA’s <a href="https://publichealth.uga.edu/">College of Public Health</a>.&nbsp;



The scientists used embryonic stem cells from rhesus macaque monkeys in order to generate immature sperm cells (known as round spermatids) which they showed to be capable of fertilizing a rhesus macaque egg. According to the study authors, since rhesus monkeys share similar reproductive mechanisms to humans, they are an&nbsp;“ideal and necessary model for exploring stem cell-based therapies for male infertility.”



Although a few years ago researchers have managed to produce sperm-like cells using mouse stem cells, it was not yet clear whether this technology could prove successful in humans, due to vast differences between mice’s and humans’ reproductive systems. With the recent replication of this technology in monkeys, more hope emerges that humans will soon be able to benefit from these findings too.



“This is the first step that shows this technology is potentially translatable. We’re using a species that’s more relevant to us, and we’re having success in making healthy embryos,” said Professor Easley.



In a future study, the researchers aim to implant the embryos into a surrogate rhesus macaque monkey in order to asses whether embryos from in vitro spermatids could ultimately produce healthy babies.&nbsp;



“This is a significant step in establishing whether sperm created in the lab could, one day, be used for human reproduction,”&nbsp;said Sarah Norcross, the director of fertility and genomics charity <a href="https://www.progress.org.uk/">Progress Educational Trust</a>.



“We will be watching closely as the researchers carry out this work in macaques, first seeing whether eggs fertilized with this type of sperm can lead to a pregnancy, and then seeing whether a pregnancy can be achieved with sperm derived from skin cells.&nbsp;Even if all of these things are achieved in macaques, it will still take many years and much more research before such techniques are fit for use in human treatments,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.fertstertscience.org/article/S2666-335X(21)00066-5/fulltext">Fertility and Sterility Science</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

Monkey sperm cells could treat human infertility

A new study led by the University of Georgia (UGA)...

According to this year’s Lancet Countdown on health and climate change <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/countdown-health-climate">report</a>, there is currently an unabated rise in the health impacts of climate change, and a delayed and inconsistent response of countries around the world. The report is an annual assessment of the progress towards the goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-stress-will-impact-millions-in-the-brazilian-amazon/">Heatwaves</a> and their ability to exhaust and kill people are a significant public health threat all over the globe. According to study co-author Jeremy Hess, a medical doctor and professor of Public Health and Emergency Medicine at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>, the effects of extreme heat on the health of the world’s population are steadily increasing.



“This was the first year I can say confidently that I and my patients very clearly experienced the impacts of climate change,” said Dr. Hess. “I saw paramedics who had burns on their knees from kneeling down to care for patients who had heat stroke, and I saw far too many patients die in the evening as a result of their heat exposure.”



However, heat exposure is just one of the many public health threats associated with climate change and global warming. Rising temperatures lead to droughts and crop losses, obliterate jobs and access to health care, and create more suitable conditions for mosquitoes which carry life-threatening pathogens, such as the West Nile or Dengue viruses.&nbsp;



Moreover, droughts decrease water quality and increase the risks of exposure to toxic algae, while excessive heat harms the respiratory system and contributes to the rise of anxiety and depression among a large number of people.



Additional health threats related to global warming include wildfires that pollute the air thousands of miles across the country, and worsening pollen seasons that add further stress to people suffering from chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma.&nbsp;



According to the Lancet Countdown report, in order to mitigate the public health consequences of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions should be urgently curbed, and the public health policies and resource allocation should be fundamentally restructured and vastly expanded.



“The imperative is clear for accelerated action putting the health of people and planet above all else,” the report concluded.



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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

Global warming is a public health crisis

According to this year’s Lancet Countdown on health and climate...

Over the past twenty years, many vineyards across the world have shown signs of deterioration, with vine yields and longevity declining and vine mortality significantly increasing. According to researchers, dieback due to vine wood diseases such as esca - a disease caused by parasitic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fungi-help-to-balance-a-healthy-gut/">fungi</a> for which there is no curative treatment - are responsible for the loss of five percent of vineyard surface each year.&nbsp;



“The world is witnessing a sharp increase in perennial plant dieback,” wrote the study authors. “The hypothesized cause is that environmental stresses such as drought are interacting with pathogens fueling plant decline. Global vitculture has seen similar decreases in fruit yield and vine longevity.”&nbsp;



Until recently, a prominent hypothesis explaining the increase in vine dieback has relied upon a postulated synergy between environmental factors such as the increased frequency and intensity of droughts and diseases like esca. However, a new study led by the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (<a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a>) has found that droughts are actually inhibiting esca disease.



“In sharp contrast to this theory, our study demonstrates that drought completely suppresses esca leaf symptoms, and although esca and drought both alter plant water transport and carbon balance, they do so in completely distinct ways,” the researchers explained.



Since esca is affecting vines over seven years old, it can usually be observed only in outdoors plots. However, by using a method of transplanting vines into pots that was similar to techniques used to grow bonsai trees, the scientists managed to transplant dozens of 30-year-old Sauvignon Blanc vines from the INRAE Grande Ferrade experimental estate near Bordeaux, and monitored the appearance of esca symptoms in a controlled environment. Half of the vines were placed under drought conditions.



The study revealed that no vines under moderate to severe drought conditions exhibited any esca symptoms. The scientists suggested several possible explanations for this surprising result. Water deficits caused by drought could inhibit the activity of the parasitic fungi causing esca or could affect the plant’s defense responses. Another hypothesis was that reduction in water transport in the plant could also suppress the transport of toxic chemicals produced by the fungi.&nbsp;



Further research is needed to clarify the role of climate on esca expression on a national and international scale, and to accurately predict the appearance of esca symptoms by monitoring drought indices.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/43/e2112825118">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



&nbsp;---



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

Droughts can protect vineyards from deadly disease

Over the past twenty years, many vineyards across the world...

A new study led by <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/">Dartmouth College</a> and the <a href="https://www.slu.se/">Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences</a> has found that the impact of climate change on freshwater systems can lower <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nutrition-labels-help-people-buy-healthier-products/">nutrition</a> and increase toxicity at the base of the marine food web. The scientists used controlled outdoor environments known as mesocosms in order to study the effects of warming water temperatures and water discoloration caused by increased dissolved organic matter (“browning”).&nbsp;



“Climate change scenarios predict increases in temperature and organic matter supply from land to water,” said&nbsp;study lead author Pianpian Wu, a postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth. “For the first time, we used manipulated mesocosm systems to test the effects of warming and browning.”



Dr. Wu and his colleagues used 24 thermally insulated plastic cylinders to assess the effects of different levels of warming and browning under four different scenarios. These mesocosms were controlled at subalpine conditions, which are highly prone to climate change effects and poor in dissolved organic matter.



“The use of mesocosms to investigate questions related to ecosystem effects of climate change is particularly important,” explained study co-author&nbsp;Celia Chen, a research professor at Dartmouth. “The effects of factors such as temperature and browning can be tested individually and in combination while controlling other environmental conditions. Mesocosms also eliminate the need to travel long distances for field investigations.”



Under the expected scenario of increased warming, changing precipitation patterns, and higher levels of disintegrated organic matter, the researchers found that a combination of warmer, browner water led to higher transfer of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mercury-levels-in-bluefin-tuna-reveal-patterns-of-ocean-pollution/">methylmercury</a> (a potent neurotoxin easily absorbed by marine organisms) from water to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-profoundly-affect-plankton-communities/">phytoplankton</a> at the base of the food web.&nbsp;



Furthermore, such conditions gave rise to lower concentrations of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6, which support the growth of animal and plant life by regulating immune systems and providing energy.



“The reduction of polyunsaturated acids at the end of the mesocosm experiment with both warming and browning effects was concerning,” said Dr. Wu.&nbsp;



“This study shows that the food quality at the base of aquatic food webs deteriorates with climate change,” added study senior author Kevin Bishop, a professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. “The research is important because it places food web investigations within the context of active global change processes.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-95742-9">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.&nbsp;



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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

Climate change damages the base of the marine food web

A new study led by Dartmouth College and the Swedish...

New research from the <a href="https://www.isglobal.org/en">Barcelona Institute for Global Health</a> provides solid evidence that COVID-19 is a seasonal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-bats-resist-covid-19-infection/">infection</a>, linked to lower temperatures and drier air. This means COVID is similar to influenza.&nbsp;



The coordinator of the study, Xavier Rodó, is the director of the <a href="https://www.isglobal.org/en/-/clima-y-salud">Climate and Health programme</a> at ISGlobal.



“The question of whether COVID-19 is a genuine seasonal disease becomes increasingly central, with implications for determining effective intervention measures,” said Rodó.



To answer this question, the researchers looked at how COVID-19 spread in association to temperature and humidity in 162 countries in five continents. The study found that higher transmission rates coincided with lower temperatures and lower humidity.&nbsp;



On both global and local scales, the research showed an overall trend of COVID-19 transmissions increasing as temperatures fell. However, this pattern was broken during the summer time on all continents studied.&nbsp;



“This could be explained by several factors, including mass gatherings of young people, tourism, and air conditioning, among others,” explained study first author Alejandro Fontal.



Overall, this study provides important information for COVID-19 policies. This also allows scientists and healthcare workers to prepare for increases in COVID-19 transmissions connected to changes in the weather.&nbsp;



“Altogether, our findings support the view of COVID-19 as a true seasonal low-temperature infection, similar to influenza and to the more benign circulating coronaviruses,” said Rodó.



Importantly, the study also gives an insight into how the disease is transmitted through the air. Diseases like influenza and now COVID-19 are known to stay airborne longer as aerosol sizes decrease due to drier air. This means a focus on better ‘air hygiene.’&nbsp;



“This link warrants an emphasis on ‘air hygiene’ through improved indoor ventilation as aerosols are capable to persist suspended for longer times,” said Rodó.



The research is particularly relevant now, as the COVID-19 pandemic persists in the United States and many people are resisting the call to vaccinate and wear masks.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natcomputsci/">Nature Computational Science</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

New evidence that COVID-19 is a seasonal infection

New research from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health provides...

There has been a puzzling gap in our understanding of the evolutionary history of crabs on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/frequent-asteroid-strikes-delayed-oxygen-growth-on-earth/">Earth</a>. The oldest fossilized remains of land crabs, mostly pieces of claws, date to somewhere between 75 and 50 million years ago. But DNA analysis suggests that land crabs diverged from their marine ancestors more than 125 million years ago.&nbsp;



It was against this background that Javier Luque,&nbsp;a post-doctoral researcher in the Harvard Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, became aware of an unusual specimen of a modern-looking crab that had been collected by local miners in Myanmar in 2015.&nbsp; The specimen was suspended in fossilized amber and is currently housed at the Longyin Amber Museum in China.



Luque worked on the specimen for three years, starting in 2018. In collaboration with a team of international scientists,&nbsp;Luque <a href="https://science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abj5689">reported the findings</a> in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



The fossilized amber, which formed from the resin of an ancient tree, has been dated to 100 million years, making the tiny crab the oldest known fossil of a “true crab." The crab is only 5 millimeters in size, and was walking along a tree trunk at the time it became engulfed in resin. It represents the oldest evidence of incursions into non-marine environments by true crabs.



“If we were to reconstruct the crab tree of life – putting together a genealogical family tree – and do some molecular DNA analysis, the prediction is that nonmarine crabs split from their marine ancestors more than 125 million years ago,” said Luque.



"But there’s a problem because the actual fossil record – the one that we can touch – is way young at 75 to 50 million years old. So, this new fossil and its mid-Cretaceous age allows us to bridge the gap between the predicted molecular divergence and the actual fossil record of crabs.”



Moving from a marine to a nonmarine habitat involves many significant adaptations and has not happened commonly in most animal groups. The physical and physiological requirements for animals living in saltwater are different from those in fresh water, making invasion of terrestrial aquatic habitats very challenging. In addition, there are different predators and competitors in freshwater habitats.&nbsp;



True crabs, or Brachyura, are among the animal groups that have conquered land, brackish water, and freshwater multiple times over the history of their evolution, but the crab in amber gives evidence of the earliest land invasion made by the true crabs.



The researchers now believe that an event known as the Cretaceous Crab Revolution – when crabs diversified worldwide and started evolving their characteristic body forms – happened more times than previously thought. This new research brings the number of times that different crab species independently evolved to live outside their marine habitat to at least 12.&nbsp;



The new fossil was named Cretapsara athanata, meaning “the immortal Cretaceous spirit of the clouds and waters.” The name was given to honor its origin in the Cretaceous period as well as the South and Southeast Asian mythological spirits. The researchers say it is the most complete fossilized crab ever discovered.



The specimen was examined using micro-CT scans, that enabled the scientists to see extraordinary detail of the crab’s delicate tissues, including antennae, legs, mouthparts, compound eyes and gills. Based on the crab’s exceptional preservation in amber, and the researchers’ phylogenetic analysis, it has been placed in a new family with a unique mixture of primitive and advanced characters.



The study was a collaboration between Harvard and the China University of Geosciences, and included authors from 10 institutions including Yale University, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institution Panama, University of Alberta, UC Berkeley, Yunnan University, and the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.



The work is part of a larger National Science Foundation funded project with Javier Ortega-Hernández, an assistant professor in OEB and curator of invertebrate paleontology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Joanna Wolfe, a researcher in Ortega-Hernández’ lab, and Heather Bracken-Grissom from Florida International University, to investigate the evolution of crabs over 200 million years.



The authors acknowledge the socio-political conflict in northern Myanmar and say they have limited their research to material predating the 2017 resumption of hostilities in the region. They hope acknowledging the situation in the Kachin State will serve to raise awareness of the current conflict in Myanmar and the human cost behind it.



“They are all over the world, they make good aquarium pets, they’re delicious for those of us who eat them, and they’re celebrated in parades and festivals, and they even have their own constellation," said Luque, who has been studying crab evolution for more than a decade.



"Crabs in general are fascinating, and some are so bizarre looking – from tiny little pea-shaped crabs to humongous coconut crabs. The diversity of form among crabs is captivating the imagination of the scientific and non-scientific public alike, and right now people are excited to learn more about such a fascinating group that are not dinosaurs. This is a big moment for crabs.”



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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

Tiny crab found in 100-million-year-old amber

There has been a puzzling gap in our understanding of...

Earth.com has previously covered Bear’s Ears National Monument as it was first <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/utah-national-monument-proposal-sparks-fierce-debate/">established</a>, and again when the Trump administration <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/canyon-tree-frogs-bears/">reduced</a> it by 85 percent. The monument is found in southern Utah and shares much the same fate as the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, also <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-grand-staircase-escalante/">reduced</a> by Trump.&nbsp;



Now, there is a new chapter in the saga, as the Biden administration has reversed Trump’s reduction of the national monuments. This is a move long hoped for by environmentalists, public land advocates and Native American activists.&nbsp;



A <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/07/fact-sheet-president-biden-restores-protections-for-three-national-monuments-and-renews-american-leadership-to-steward-lands-waters-and-cultural-resources/">fact sheet</a> from the White House frames the restoration of these national monuments as part of a greater commitment to the environment. The administration has also halted leasing of oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and restored protections to Tongass National Forest. These all point to an attempt to reverse the last administration's legacy of pilfering the public lands and ignoring any conservation prerogatives.



Over the last year, I’ve traveled from the southern part of Arizona all the way through Utah. Along the way, I hiked through saguaro cacti, descended into the Grand Canyon and watched condors circling cliffs in southern Utah. These are big, beautiful desert areas, places full of Native American ruins, an array of arachnids and dinosaur fossils buried in soft stone. Red cliffs stand in contrast to green yucca and the politics of Utah stands in stark contrast with those of federal lands.&nbsp;



The unfortunate reality is this: states like Utah and Alaska, home of Tongass, are hostile to federal land conservation. Trump has shown us that national monuments can be destroyed, wildlife refuges can be drilled for oil, and roads can be built through old growth forests for profits.&nbsp;



Unless a more permanent fix happens, it seems protection could whipsaw back and forth from one administration to the next. In the meantime, if only one road is built through a forest before the rule is reversed, damage is done. If only one artifact is stolen without adequate protection, damage is done.&nbsp;



As things are now, there’s nothing to stop our public lands from being chipped away bit by bit. We should be grateful that these monuments are restored but make no mistake, the war is far from over.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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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

Biden restores national monuments, but for how long?

Earth.com has previously covered Bear’s Ears National Monument as it...

As seedlings emerge from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-will-release-more-co2-as-plants-hit-a-growth-spurt/">soil</a>, they face a significant challenge: gravity’s downward push. In order to grow, plants must win against the force of gravity and push upward with an even greater force. A research team composed of plant biologists at <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington State University in St. Louis</a> and material scientists at the <a href="https://www.njit.edu/">New Jersey Institute of Technology</a> and <a href="https://www.alasu.edu/">Alabama State University</a> have created the first artificial scaffolds which can support the growth of individual plant cells.



The scientists analyzed more than 20 types of scaffolds, each composed of different materials with different sets of physical and chemical properties. “We found a range of effectiveness, which was useful in probing which properties were important for adherence of plant cells to the scaffold,” said study lead author Ryan Calcutt, a graduate student in Washington University’s&nbsp;<a href="https://sites.wustl.edu/pmbprogram/">Plant and Microbial Biosciences Program</a>. “We could compare the properties of the scaffolds that did not work very well with those that did.”



The most effective scaffolds appeared to be those made of negatively charged, hydrophobic materials that generate an electrical charge in response to mechanical stress, thus mimicking the properties and structure of the plant’s cell wall. One particular material stood out: scaffolds made of polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene copolymers&nbsp;fared better than the rest in supporting plant cell growth.



“This was exciting to us because it reveals that the way plant cells adhere to scaffolds is similar to the way they adhere to each other within plant tissues. Therefore, these scaffolds should be suitable for the construction of functional plant tissues in the future,” explained Calcutt.



The researchers discovered that pectin, a plant cell wall polysaccharide, was largely responsible for cell adhesion to scaffolds. “Because pectin is found in the cell walls of all land plants, these scaffolds hold promise as a widely applicable tool,” explained study co-author Ram Dixit, a professor of Biology at Washington State University.



This new tool will allow scientists to grow and observe plant cells in physiologically relevant settings, and can shed more light on the different forces or developmental cues that are needed for a plant cell to grow into a plant.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abj1469">Science Advances</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

Artificial scaffolds can support the growth of plant cells

As seedlings emerge from the soil, they face a significant...

Sodium chloride, or common table salt, is an essential compound that has many functions in our bodies. But a high salt intake is correlated with hypertension (high blood pressure) and the associated risks of cardiovascular and kidney disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a maximum salt intake of 2,000 mg/day for an adult, but the average global salt intake in 2010 was around twice that.&nbsp;



In response, the WHO set a target of a 30 percent reduction in global salt intake by 2025. A recent study by a team of international scientists set out to determine what progress has been made towards achieving this goal in five countries. The salt contents of different types of processed meat and fish in three developed countries (UK, USA, China) and two developing countries (Australia, South Africa) were measured.



The five nations included in this study all have their own strategies to reduce dietary salt intake and are part of The International Network for Food and Obesity/noncommunicable diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS), which aims to collate and track the nutritional content of processed foods worldwide.&nbsp;



A total of 26,500 processed meat and fish products (19,601 meat and 6,899 fish) were included in the study. They were sourced from supermarkets in the five countries, and their food nutrition labels were scanned to assess the salt (sodium) content (mg/100 g). The total number of items included ranged from 885 for the UK to 17,098 for the USA.



Processed meat products were classified as: meat alternatives; bacon; canned meat; frozen meat; meat burgers; salami and cured meats; sausages and hot dogs; sliced meat; dried meat; pate and meat spreads; kebabs; ‘other’ meat products; raw flavored meats; whole hams and similar products; roast chicken; and raw unflavored meats.&nbsp;



Processed fish products were categorized as: canned; chilled; frozen; and ‘other’.



Overall, Chinese products had the highest salt level (median of 1050 mg/100 g), making it the country with the saltiest products for both meat (1066 mg/100 g) and fish (942 mg/100 g). China was followed by the USA, South Africa, Australia and the UK (median of 432 mg/100 g).&nbsp;&nbsp;There were similar variations, in other words a two- to threefold difference in sodium content, between the highest and lowest countries, even when processed meat and fish products were considered separately.&nbsp;



There was a lot of variation in salt content within product categories and between countries. For example, the salt content of roast chicken in China was 4.5 times that of the same product in the UK (893 mg/100 g vs 197 mg/100 g); chilled fish in China was 4.5 times saltier than that in the USA (1744 mg/100 g vs 389 mg/100 g).



And the salt content of pâté and meat spreads in China was around 4 times that of Australia (1916 mg/100 g vs 480 mg/100 g). Yet the salt content of bacon, frozen meat, salami and cured meats, dried meat and frozen fish in China was the lowest of all the five countries.&nbsp;



The researchers used the ‘traffic light’ system adopted by the UK, where salt (sodium) level was defined as low (green)&nbsp;if it was under 120 mg/100 g; medium if between 120 and 599 mg/100 g; and high (red) if above 600 mg/100 g.&nbsp;



According to this classification system, a large proportion of the processed meat and fish products fell into the red and amber light categories. The highest proportion of green light products were found in the UK, where they made up 12.5 percent of all the products considered. Only ten percent of USA products fell into the green light category, whereas no more than five percent were green light products in China and South Africa.



These findings imply that if a person ate 100 grams of processed meat or fish products each day, this would supply around 47 percent of the WHO recommended daily maximum intake in China and the USA, 37 percent in South Africa, nearly 35 percent in Australia and 27 percent in the UK.&nbsp;



“It is not easy to simply replace or reformulate the high sodium products that have already existed for years. However, the large difference in sodium content of similar products in different countries, and the difference in sodium content among different brands within the same country, indicate that there is still a lot of room for salt reduction,” wrote the researchers.



The study has some limitations that are acknowledged by the experts. Scanning the labels for the salt content of a product does not quantify actual sodium consumption by individuals. In addition, the data were collected over several years (2012–2018), during which time the products may have been reformulated to contain less salt.&nbsp;



“The sodium content of meat and fish products in all the selected countries was very high, with a 100 g serving size of meat or fish products contributing to between one-third and one-half of WHO recommended maximum daily sodium intake," wrote the study authors.



The research is published in the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/">British Medical Journal</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

U.S. foods have the second highest salt content in the world

Sodium chloride, or common table salt, is an essential compound...

Humans often leave for work early or walk an alternative route to avoid awkward social encounters, and surprisingly this behavior is also found in carnivorous mammals. However, as opposed to avoiding social encounters, the avoidance instead plays a role in negotiating essential resources and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/developed-countries-counterterrorism-efforts/">territory</a> for survival.



This interesting observation was made by researchers at <a href="https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en">Hiroshima University</a>, monitoring mammal behavior through 73 infrared sensor cameras across six years in the Malaysian state of Sabah.



“Approximately 20 percent of the world’s mammal species face the risk of extinction, mainly due to threats such as habitat loss and overexploitation,” said study lead author Professor Miyabi Nakabayashi. “The status of mammals in the Indomalayan realm - one of Earth’s eight biogeographic regions, covering most of South and Southeast Asia - is among the world’s worst.”



A lack of basic ecological information is one of the biggest obstacles blocking conservation efforts of endangered species across Indomalayan regions.



“Information regarding temporal activity patterns of animals is crucial to assess responses to anthropogenic disturbances and to allow the implementation of proper conservation measures,” explained Professor Nakabayashi. “Camera trapping is one of the most useful techniques to study cryptic and rare animals.”



By collecting 37,379 photographs from camera traps, the researchers were able to capture and categorize activity patterns of nine distinct carnivore species. Whilst closely related animals such as wild cats presented behaviors of temporal segregation, three species of civets were active all night, with this behavior emerging due to limited competition resulting from varying diets.



Furthermore, the researchers discovered that mammal behaviors vary depending on levels of tourism in the area. The one tourist site included in the study demonstrated that nocturnal tourism resulted in temporal movement amongst nearby mammals.



“The potential benefits of ecotourism may include reduced threats to wildlife,” said Professor Nakabayashi. “But our results indicate that the temporal activity pattern of a species might be directly affected by tourism activity. The effect of tourism on animal behavior should be evaluated, even though it is non-lethal ecotourism.”



To further improve conservation efforts, the researchers are recommending that the study be extended by three years in order to gather more data on the carnivore activities.



“Current information is too limited and sporadic to understand basic behaviors of mammals, which may affect the progress in evaluating and improving the threatened status,” said Professor Nakabayashi. “We should accumulate more information on rare species to determine their basic ecology and to reassess whether current conservation management strategies are appropriate.”



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



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

Carnivores modify their behavior to avoid each other

Humans often leave for work early or walk an alternative...

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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

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...