Our planet Earth has a mesmerizing history that spans across 4.6 billion years. For a majority of this immense timeframe, single-celled life reigned supreme. 



But, about 500 million years ago, everything changed immensely. A dramatic occurrence took place known as the Cambrian “explosion."



During this period, an enormous diversity of life forms made an appearance and found a place for themselves in the fossil record. 



Imprinted in these preserved fossils, we can find traces of diverse animal groups that eventually evolved into animal species we see around us today, including us humans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grand-canyon-reveals-earth-s-past">Grand Canyon reveals Earth's past</h2>



Now, an intriguing paper published by a team of researchers from The University of New Mexico (<a href="https://www.unm.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNM</a>) has added fresh insights into this fascinating event in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-building-triggered-a-mass-extinction-event/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth's history</a>. 



“The Tonto Group of Grand Canyon holds a treasure trove of sedimentary layers and fossils chronicling the Cambrian Explosion some 500 million years ago, when the first animals with hard shells rapidly proliferated and sea levels rose to envelop continents with emerging marine life,” said Carol Dehler, professor at <a href="https://www.usu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Utah State University</a>.



Dehler served as the lead author for this paper, with UNM's adjunct professor and paleontologist, Fred Sundberg, serving as the co-lead author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-model-of-the-cambrian-explosion">New model of the Cambrian explosion</h2>



This research doesn't just bring <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cambrian-explosion-fossil-sponges/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolutionary advances</a> to the table; it also has implications for geoscience education. 



The study builds on Eddy McKee's classic model for marine transgression (the spread of seas across continents), which was developed 50 years ago based on these same rocks. 



McKee's model, taught to geology students worldwide, suggests a gradual deepening and slow shifts in sedimentary environments.



“Our new model for deposition of the Tonto Group is much more nuanced, showing a mixture of marine and non-marine settings, breaks or unconformities when no sediment was being deposited, and a much faster tempo of evolution," noted Professor Karlstrom.



"Even more than before, the Tonto Group of Grand Canyon remains one of the most important Cambrian-type sections in the world because of its complete exposure.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dating-methods-used-for-the-study">Dating methods used for the study</h2>



The application of advanced techniques has provided new insights into the rate at which rock sedimentation occurred and has offered hints into how marine species like trilobites and other early animals diversified swiftly.



“Our new tandem U-Pb dating methods are refining precise ages for each layer in the succession and for the transitions between trilobite biozones,” said Schmitz. 



“We are finding that different trilobite species radiated, then went extinct at a very fast, sub-million year, tempo.”



The dating methods used for the study involve extracting hundreds of sand-sized zircon crystals from a ground-up sedimentary rock sample. 



The U-Pb ratios of these grains were first obtained using a preliminary method for swift dating, and then the youngest grains were precisely dated using a more elaborate laboratory technique.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-details-about-the-cambrian-explosion">New details about the Cambrian explosion</h2>



"Sedimentary rocks are hard to date," said Crossey. "But the deposition of the sediment and fossils entombed within it, must be younger than the age of the youngest grain so with many dates we can bracket sedimentary ages"



The team's new model, when compared to McKee's model, provides key pathways that can enable students, researchers, and even anyone interested in geology to understand the Cambrian explosion on a deeper level.



“From the Tonto Group’s 500-meter-thick strata, we’re learning about sea-level rise and the effects of catastrophic tropical storms – probably more powerful than today’s devastating hurricanes. This occurred in a world without land plants and during a period of very hot temperatures when the Earth was ice-free,” said Dehler. 



“Sea levels were so high that sediments like the Tonto Group were deposited atop most continents in environments that allowed rapid expansion of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-animal-day-2024-building-a-legacy-of-compassion/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal</a> diversity on Earth.”



With advances like these, we can better understand and appreciate the complexity and beauty of the Cambrian explosion and Earth's history, making us more connected to the past, and more conscious about how our actions today might shape the future.



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The team also included Karl Karlstrom and Laurie Crossey, distinguished professors at UNM, James Hagadorn from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Mark Schmitz from Boise State University, and Steve Rowland from the <a href="https://www.unlv.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Nevada Las Vegas</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/Publications/GSA_Today/GSA/GSAToday/science/G604A/abstract.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GSA Today</a>.



Image Credit: UNM Newsroom



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Grand Canyon fossils reveal secrets that will force rewrite of evolution textbooks

Our planet Earth has a mesmerizing history that spans across 4.6 billion years. For a majority of this immense timeframe, single-celled life reigned supreme. But, about 500 million years ago, everything changed immensely. A dramatic occurrence took place known as the Cambrian “explosion." During this period, an enormous diversity of life forms made an appearance and found a place for themselves in the fossil record. Imprinted in these preserved fossils, we can find traces of diverse animal groups that eventually evolved into animal species we see around...

Scientists at <a href="https://www.uab.cat/">Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona</a> have investigated the case of the first known cat infected with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/viruses-related-to-sars-cov-2-could-cause-future-pandemics/">SARS-CoV-2</a> in Spain. The researchers ultimately confirmed that cats produce antibodies that not only block the spread of the virus, but also protect cats from developing any symptoms.

The 4-year-old cat named Negrito lived with a family affected by COVID-19. When the cat seemed to be having respiratory difficulties, he was diagnosed with a terminal case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and euthanized at a veterinary hospital.

A necropsy performed at the High Biosafety Level Laboratories of the Animal Health Research Center (CReSA) confirmed that Negrito suffered from feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and had no other symptoms compatible with a coronavirus infection. Meanwhile, testing showed that the cat had been infected by SARS-CoV-2 with a low viral load.

The experts performed serological tests on Negrito and on another cat that also lived with the same family, Whisky, who had not displayed any symptoms of coronavirus. The tests revealed that both cats had developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. 

"In both cases we have detected neutralizing antibodies, in other words, they have the ability to bind to the virus and block it, this is important because it shows us that the immune system of cats can deal with SARS-CoV-2 and, in these specific cases, protect them from developing symptoms," said study co-author Julià Blanco. 

Ongoing trials have shown that, in addition to becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2, cats can transmit the virus to nearby cats without any clinical signs. However, the researchers suspected that both Negrito and Whisky had been infected by their owners because they did not have contact with other cats.

The genetic sequence of the virus that infected Negrito turned out to share 99.9 percent similarity with the virus of one of the owners, who had died from COVID-19. Study co-author Marc Noguera-Julián said that this suggests that the cat became directly infected from family members.

Considering the number of humans infected with COVID-19 compared to the relatively few cases in animals, the experts say that animals are not playing a significant role in the spread of the virus.

"Pets play a negligible role in the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and, in particular, cats become very residually infected and there is no evidence of transmission of the virus to humans. This is a case of reverse zoonosis, in which cats are the side victims without the virus causing them health problems," said study co-author Júlia Vergara-Alert.

There has been one reported case in the Netherlands in which a farmer became infected with SARS-CoV-2 through a minks cat, which is the first known potential case of human transmission from a cat.

"We want to check if the case of Negrito and Whisky has been punctual or is repeated in more cases; in this way we will have more scientific information on how the most common pets can become infected with SARS-CoV-2 and to what degree," said study co-author Professor Joaquim Segalés. 

"So far, it is known that around the world there have been some cases of cats and dogs that have become infected through their owners, but these animals have not suffered a serious illness and there is no evidence that they have transmitted the virus to their owners."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

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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

Cats can fight off COVID-19 with no symptoms of infection

Scientists at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona have investigated the case...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.arl.army.mil/">U.S. Army Research Laboratory</a> are developing stimulation technology that may ultimately be capable of modifying the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/people-with-brains-that-learn-implicitly-have-stronger-religious-beliefs/">brain</a> to improve decision-making and enhance team performance. 

The team is collaborating with experts at the Italian Institute of Technology, Harvard Medical School, and UC Irvine to gain a better understanding of the human brain. 

"We are working toward fused human-technology systems that work synergistically to not only impact perceptions, decisions and actions of the soldier, but also to enhance the hybrid human system's capabilities for rapid and adaptive decision making," said Dr. Javier Garcia, an Army neuroscientist.

The researchers used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging on volunteers as they executed a difficult attention tracking task.

"TMS is the type of neurostimulation that is simply an electromagnet that you put on your head and as you quickly send pulses through the electromagnetic, it induces current into whatever conductive body is next to it will, modifying neural activity - and sometimes behavior," said Dr. Garcia. "We are stimulating the brain, except in this stimulation protocol, we use very rapid and consecutive pulses to the brain to inhibit a part of the brain."

After a specific region of the brain was inhibited, the experts used a stroke model to examine neural changes and monitor the brain's recovery. They wanted to track how long the changes would last, which brain networks would undergo changes from the stimulation, and the behavioral consequences.

"Noninvasive brain stimulation is a tool that allows neuroscientists to gain insight into disease spreading and compensatory reorganization following stroke," said Professor Emily Grossman. "We know from patient and brain imaging work that brain injury to a focal, or localized, brain site has a spreading effect that destabilizes connected circuits far from the actual site of impact."

Professor Grossman explained that in many cases the downstream effects are significant, but also difficult to predict due to the complicated nature of brain organization, which can be best described as a set of large-scale networks that have various points of connection.

"In this study, we target the attention network of the brain, which consists of a specialized set of brain regions involved in controlling where and when we best encode information about the world around us. Visual attention is essential for everything we do in daily life, including tasks like monitoring streams of visual information when driving, engaging in conversation and tracking our children on a busy soccer field."

When individuals experience an injury to the attention network, tracking skills become impaired and it is more difficult to maintain focus on individual items embedded in a cluttered environment, said Professor Grossman.

"This study suggests that recovery may depend, in part, on the compensatory reorganization of brain networks downstream and connected to the site of impact. These downstream networks experienced a brief interval of dynamic reorganization after stimulation, and are known to be important for manipulating information that we are attending to and are using to make decisions about events in the visual environment."

The experts in the U.S. Army Research Laboratory are investing in a variety of techniques and methods to further advance neuroimaging capabilities.

"This unique collaboration brings cognitive, clinical, and army researchers together from across the globe to probe the dynamic network changes as a consequence of neurostimulation," said Dr. Garcia. "While we provided the innovative methods and analysis to this research - others brought the clinical and cognitive aspects."

The international team plans to explore more neurostimulation protocols and apply this technology to a human-autonomy teaming perspective, building upon evidence that the brain can be prompted or manipulated to enhance decision-making and performance. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Brain stimulation may enhance team performance

Researchers at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory are developing stimulation...

Scientists at <a href="https://www.yale-nus.edu.sg/">Yale-NUS College</a> and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) have discovered that tarantulas can see colors, which provides brand new insight into why the giant <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hurricanes-aggressive-spiders/">spiders</a> are often bright blue or green.

The experts report that tarantulas are not as color-blind as previously thought, as their findings suggest that the spiders can perceive the bright blue colors on potential mates. While the blue colors on tarantulas are likely used for signaling mates, the researchers theorize that the green colors are used as a camouflage.

"While the precise function of blueness remains unclear, our results suggest that tarantulas may be able to see these blue displays, so mate choice is a likely potential explanation," said study co-lead author Dr. Saoirse Foley.

"We have set an impetus for future projects to include a behavioural element to fully explore these hypotheses, and it is very exciting to consider how further studies will build upon our results."

The researchers studied the expression of various proteins known as opsins, which are usually found in the eyes of animals. They found that most tarantulas have almost the same range of opsins that are expressed in spiders that have good color vision, such as the Peacock Spider.

The team used phylogenetic analyses to  reconstruct the colors of 110 million-year-old tarantula ancestors and determined that they were most likely blue. The study revealed that the evolution of green coloration appears to depend on whether the spider is tree-dwelling, which means that the color functions as a camouflage.

The research also showed that the blue coloration of tarantulas has been lost more frequently than it has been gained. On the other hand, the green coloration has evolved a few times but has never been lost.

"Our finding that blueness was lost multiple times in the New World, while regained in the Old, is very intriguing. This leaves several fascinating avenues for future research, when considering how the ecological pressures in the New and the Old Worlds vary," said study co-lead author Dr. Vinod Kumar Saranathan. 

"For instance, one hypothesis would be differences in the light environments of the habitats between the New and the Old World, which can affect how these colours might be perceived, if indeed they can be, as our results suggest."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/for-authors">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists solve the mystery of why tarantulas are blue

Scientists at Yale-NUS College and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) have...

Pets played a role in protecting their owners from psychological <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pandemic-related-losses-and-media-exposure-linked-to-stress-and-depression/">stress</a> and loneliness during COVID-19 lockdowns, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a>. Among thousands of survey respondents who were pet owners, 90 percent said their pet helped them cope emotionally with the lockdown, while 96 percent said their pet helped keep them stay active and fit.

"Findings from this study also demonstrated potential links between people's mental health and the emotional bonds they form with their pets: measures of the strength of the human-animal bond were higher among people who reported lower scores for mental health-related outcomes at baseline," said study lead author Dr. Elena Ratschen.

Overall, most pet owners who participated in the research perceived their pets to be a source of considerable support for them as they sheltered in place. The researchers found that the mental health benefits were not significantly different among species, with the most common pets being cats and dogs.

"We also discovered that in this study, the strength of the emotional bond with pets did not statistically differ by animal species, meaning that people in our sample felt on average as emotionally close to, for example, their guinea pig as they felt to their dog," said Dr. Ratschen. "It will be important to ensure that pet owners are appropriately supported in caring for their pet during the pandemic."

Study co-author Daniel Mills  is a professor in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln.

"This work is particularly important at the current time as it indicates how having a companion animal in your home can buffer against some of the psychological stress associated with lockdown. However, it is important that everyone appreciates their pet's needs too, as our other work shows failing to meet these can have a detrimental effect for both people and their pets."

The surveys, which were conducted in the UK, revealed that the most popular interaction with animals other than pets was birdwatching. Nearly 55 percent of participants reported watching and feeding birds in their garden.

"While our study showed that having a pet may mitigate some of the detrimental psychological effects of the COVID-19 lockdown, it is important to understand that this finding is unlikely to be of clinical significance and does not warrant any suggestion that people should acquire pets to protect their mental health during the pandemic," noted Dr. Ratschen.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pet owners felt less lonely and stressed during COVID-19 lockdown

Pets played a role in protecting their owners from psychological...

The world should prepare for a "silent wave" of neurological complications stemming from the COVID-19 <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pandemic-related-losses-and-media-exposure-linked-to-stress-and-depression/">pandemic</a>, according to a team of neuroscientists and clinicians at the <a href="https://florey.edu.au/">Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health</a>. 

In a paper published by <a href="https://www.iospress.nl/">IOS Press</a>, the researchers describe the potential link between COVID-19 and increased risk of Parkinson's disease. They are urgently calling for the availability of more accurate diagnostic tools to identify neurodegeneration early on, as well as a long-term monitoring approach for people who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2.

"Although scientists are still learning how the SARS-CoV-2 virus is able to invade the brain and central nervous system, the fact that it's getting in there is clear," said Professor Kevin Barnham. "Our best understanding is that the virus can cause insult to brain cells, with potential for neurodegeneration to follow on from there."

The team reports that the neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19 have ranged from the loss of smell to much more severe symptoms, such as lack of oxygen to the brain, or hypoxia.

"We found that loss of smell or reduced smell was on average reported in three out of four people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While on the surface this symptom can appear as little cause for concern, it actually tells us a lot about what's happening on the inside and that is that there's acute inflammation in the olfactory system responsible for smell," explained study co-author Leah Beauchamp.

Inflammation is known to play a major role in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, and this link has been extensively studied in patients with Parkinson's. Further research into neurodegenerative issues may prove critical for addressing the lasting health impacts of COVID-19 infection.

"We believe that loss of smell presents a new way forward in detecting someone's risk of developing Parkinson's disease early. Armed with the knowledge that loss of smell presents in around 90% of people in the early stages of Parkinson's disease and a decade ahead of motor symptoms, we feel we are on the right track," said Beauchamp.

By the time Parkinson's disease is diagnosed, which is based on the loss of motor dysfunction, dopamine cells in the brain have already been lost to some degree. 

"By waiting until this stage of Parkinson's disease to diagnose and treat, you've already missed the window for neuroprotective therapies to have their intended effect. We are talking about an insidious disease affecting 80,000 people in Australia, which is set to double by 2040 before even considering the potential consequences of COVID, and we currently have no available disease-modifying therapies," said Professor Barnham.

The researchers hope to establish a simple, cost-effective test to identify people in the community at risk of developing Parkinson's, or who are in early stages of the disease. The team has also developed two neuroprotective therapies that are currently under investigation.

"We have to shift community thinking that Parkinson's is not a disease of old age. As we've been hearing time and time again, the coronavirus does not discriminate - and neither does Parkinson's," said Professor Barnham.

"We can take insight from the neurological consequences that followed the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 where the risk of developing Parkinson's disease increased two to three-fold. Given that the world's population has been hit again by a viral pandemic, it is very worrying indeed to consider the potential global increase of neurological diseases that could unfold down track."

"The world was caught off guard the first-time, but it doesn't need to be again. We now know what needs to be done. Alongside a strategized public health approach, tools for early diagnosis and better treatments are going to be key."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journalofparkinsonsdisease.com/">Journal of Parkinson's Disease</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

COVID-19 could lead to a "silent wave" of neurological issues

The world should prepare for a "silent wave" of neurological...

Plants contain various bioactive compounds, or phytocompounds, that have disease-fighting properties such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. By gaining a better understanding of how phytocompounds interact with the body, experts could develop more effective treatments for a range of major <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/our-immune-system-may-protect-us-from-mental-health-issues/">immune</a> disorders.

A new study from <a href="https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/">Tokyo University of Science</a> has identified a polyphenolic compound found in blueberries called pterostilbene (PSB) that has strong immunosuppressive properties. This means that the phytocompound has the potential to treat chronic inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Pterostilbene was found to share many similarities with the powerful phytocompound resveratrol, which is known to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects. "RSV, a polyphenol, was known to have pronounced immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects on animal models of colitis ulcer. Therefore, we investigated the possibility of other compounds structurally similar to RSV as a new type of treatment for IBD," explained study co-author Dr. Takuya Yashiro.

Inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by long-lasting ulcers that line the gastrointestinal tract. The ulcers are caused by chronic inflammation due to an elevated immune response in the body.

The heightened immune response involves the excessive production of molecules called cytokines, as well as two types of immune cells - dendritic cells (DCs) and T cells. 

When an immune response is triggered, the dendritic cells produce inflammatory cytokines and activate T cells to initiate a defense response. Collectively, these reactions form a complex pathway that promotes a potentially dangerous "hyper" immune response. 

The study authors set out to test various phytocompounds on the cells that are involved in a hyperactive immune response to determine which of these compounds may be capable of suppressing the immune activity. Right away, pterostilbene showed stronger immunosuppressive ability than the other candidates. 

Upon further analysis, the researchers found that PSB treatment prevents T cells from differentiating into Th1 and Th17, which elevate the immune response, while increasing their differentiation into regulatory T cells, which inhibit inflammation. The study also revealed that PSB treatment inhibits inflammatory cytokine production by dendritic cells.

Using a mouse model, the team demonstrated that orally-administered pterostilbene improved symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.

"For disease prevention, it is important to identify the beneficial components in foods and to understand the underlying mechanism by which immune responses and homeostasis are modulated in the body," said Dr. Yashiro. "Our findings showed that PSB possesses a strong immunosuppressive property, paving the way for a new, natural treatment for IBD."

The study is published in <a href="https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15306860">The FASEB Journal</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Compounds found blueberries could treat inflammatory disorders

Plants contain various bioactive compounds, or phytocompounds, that have disease-fighting...

Extreme marine heatwaves like the 2015 Pacific "blob" are much more likely to occur now than before man-made global <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/global-warming-is-turning-the-arctic-green/">warming</a> began, according to a new study published by the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>.

"Anthropogenic climate change is causing not only more episodes of historically high air temperatures but also more frequent spells of unusually increased ocean temperatures," wrote the study authors. "Marine heatwaves, defined as periods of anonymously high regional surface ocean temperatures, have also become common in recent decades." 

Marine heatwaves can cause irreparable damage to underwater ecosystems. In the last several decades, extremely high localized ocean temperatures have been recorded in every ocean.

The longest and largest of these events, often known as "the blob," pushed temperatures in the North Pacific up by more than 2.5 degrees Celsius between 2013 and 2015.

Just like many similar events in recent years, the blob severely impacted marine ecosystems and the economic systems they support. Despite the extent of the damage, however, very few studies have explored the link between global warming and the frequency and severity of marine heatwaves.

To investigate, a research team led by Charlotte Laufkötter analyzed seven of the most recent and most damaging marine heatwaves. They used computer models to predict how likely it would be for each to occur during preindustrial and modern climate conditions. 

The study revealed that the frequency of marine heatwaves has already increased more than 10-fold because of anthropogenic global warming. 

Under 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming above preindustrial temperatures, marine heatwaves which typically occurred once in hundreds to thousands of years can be expected to occur every 10 to 100 years. However, if global warming reaches three degrees Celsius, extreme marine heatwaves like the blob could strike once per decade, or even annually. 

The findings highlight the urgent need for countries worldwide to reach ambitious climate targets in an effort to mitigate the risks of

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Severe marine heatwaves are becoming much more common

Extreme marine heatwaves like the 2015 Pacific "blob" are much...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a> reveals that reduced noise pollution during <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-will-be-a-seasonal-virus-after-herd-immunity-is-reached/">COVID-19</a> restrictions gave some bird communities the opportunity to improve their songs. 

When scientists evaluated the birdsong of white-crowned sparrows in the San Francisco Bay area, they discovered that the birds were performing higher quality songs after the lockdown.

"Anthropogenic noise pollution (ANP) is a globally invasive phenomenon impacting natural systems, but most research has occurred at local scales with few species," wrote the researchers. 

"We investigated continental‐scale breeding season associations with ANP for 322 bird species to test whether small‐scale predictions related to breeding habitat, migratory behavior, body mass and vocal traits are consistent at broad spatial extents for an extensive group of species."

The study was focused on the difference in bird songs before and after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in both urban and rural environments.

The findings strongly suggest that previously reported regional changes, which resulted in lower quality songs, were the direct result of increased anthropogenic noise pollution. The interference of noise can compromise the male birds' ability to defend their territories, and the long-term consequences on reproductive success are largely unknown. 

A research team led by Elizabeth Derryberry has been monitoring urban and rural populations of white-crowned sparrows in the San Francisco Bay area for years. The scientists previously showed that as urban noise levels have increased in the region - primarily due to rising levels of traffic - the sparrows have begun singing songs that are characterized by higher minimum frequencies. This strategy allows the birds to communicate across greater distances, but results in a lower quality vocal performance. 

In the current study, the experts set out to see how birds may have adapted their songs with a drop in traffic and noise levels during the statewide COVID-19 shelter-in-place order. They compared birdsong data from April to June 2015 to recordings made at the same sites from April to May 2020. 

The scientists discovered that sparrows in the most recent group showed reductions in vocal minimum frequencies that led to higher quality vocal performance.

The study authors noted that these changes were much more notable for birds in urban areas, which likely gave these birds much greater capacity to compete for breeding territories. 

According to the researchers, the results reveal how quickly birds can adapt to changing environments and suggest that lasting remediation might lead to other promising outcomes, including higher species diversity.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Birds emerged from COVID-19 shutdown with better songs

A new study from the American Association for the Advancement...

A newborn's response to pain can be reduced when they are held by a parent with skin-to-skin contact. In a new study from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>, researchers found that when babies were being held through clothing during a painful medical procedure, there was more <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-brain-region-that-motivates-us-may-also-help-us-avoid-punishment/">brain</a> activity in response to the pain.

"We have found when a baby is held by their parent, with skin-on-skin contact, the higher-level brain processing in response to pain is somewhat dampened. The baby's brain is also using a different pathway to process its response to pain," said Dr. Lorenzo Fabrizi.

"While we cannot confirm whether the baby actually feels less pain, our findings reinforce the important role of touch between parents and their newborn babies."

The study was focused on 27 infants between 0-96 days old at University College London Hospitals. The researchers measured the babies' response to a painful yet clinically required blood test. Brain activity was recorded with EEG electrodes placed on the scalp.

The infants were held against their mother's chest either wearing clothing or only a diaper for skin-to-skin contact. The blood test triggered a series of four to five waves of brain activity. 

The study revealed that the initial brain response to the pain was the same, but the later waves of activity were impacted by whether the baby was held skin-to-skin or with clothing.

"The slightly delayed response was dampened if there was skin contact with their mother, which suggests that parental touch impacts the brain's higher level processing. The pain might be the same, but how the baby's brain processes and reacts to that pain depends on their contact with a parent," explained Professor Rebecca Pillai Riddell. "Our findings support the notion that holding a newborn baby against your skin is important to their development."

The researchers noted that the babies' brain responses were not only dampened in the skin-to-skin group, but also followed a different neural pathway.

"Newborn babies' brains have a high degree of plasticity, particularly those born preterm, and their development is highly dependent on interactions with their parents," said Dr. Laura Jones. "Our findings may lend new insights into how babies learn to process threats, as they are particularly sensitive to maternal cues."

"Parents and clinicians have known for many years how important skin to skin care is for babies in NICU," said Dr. Judith Meek. "Now we have been able to demonstrate that this has a solid neurophysiological basis, which is an exciting discovery."

The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15322149">European Journal of Pain</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Babies have reduced pain response with skin-to-skin contact

A newborn's response to pain can be reduced when they...

If you want to help protect butterflies from climate change, provide them with more shady places to keep cool, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>. The scientists report that the butterfly species which rely on finding shady areas to regulate their body temperature are the most vulnerable to global <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-is-changing-insect-communities-in-the-arctic/">warming</a>.

The study showed significant variations in the ability of different UK butterfly species to maintain a suitable body temperature. 

The researchers found that larger butterflies which are pale in color, including the Brimstone and the Large White, have the best adaptive strategies to handle climate change. These butterflies have large wings which they can use to reflect the sun's heat either away from, or onto, their bodies. 

The larger and paler butterflies examined for the study were found to have stable or growing populations. By contrast, the larger butterfly species that are more colorful such as the Peacock and Red Admiral have greater difficulty controlling their body temperature, and are therefore more vulnerable to environmental changes.

The study revealed that some butterfly species must seek out a microclimate, or an area with suitable temperatures, in order to control their body temperature. 

Around two-thirds of UK butterfly populations are in a state of decline as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation, and the landscape modifications have eliminated many of the microclimates that butterflies need to survive. Climate change is making matters much worse by causing more extreme weather events and greater fluctuations in temperature.

"Butterfly species that aren't very good at controlling their temperature with small behavioural changes, but rely on choosing a micro-habitat at the right temperature, are likely to suffer the most from climate change and habitat loss," said study first author Dr. Andrew Bladon.

"We need to make landscapes more diverse to help conserve many of our butterfly species. Even within a garden lawn, patches of grass can be left to grow longer - these areas will provide cooler, shady places for many species of butterfly. In nature reserves, some areas could be grazed or cut and others left standing. We also need to protect features that break up the monotony of farm landscapes, like hedgerows, ditches, and patches of woodland."

The research, which involved the analysis of nearly 4,000 wild butterflies and their surroundings, shows that butterflies are either thermal generalists or thermal specialists. However, this classification does not always correspond with the roles they play in their habitats.

"As we plan conservation measures to address the effects of climate change, it will be important to understand not only the habitat requirements of different butterfly species, but also their temperature requirements," said lead investigator Dr. Ed Turner.

"With this new understanding of butterflies, we should be able to better manage habitats and landscapes to protect them, and in doing so we're probably also protecting other insects too."

In recent decades, the ranges that are suitable for species adapted to cooler environments are shrinking, and many butterflies have expanded their ranges northward. This study is the first to track how individual butterflies respond to small temperature changes.

The findings can be used to predict how climate change will impact certain butterfly communities, and may ultimately improve the conservation strategies designed to protect them.

"I like to think of butterflies as the gateway drug," said Dr. Bladon. "If we can get people involved in butterfly conservation, that's the first step to getting them to care about insects more broadly."

The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652656">Journal of Animal Ecology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How to help protect butterflies: give them some shade

If you want to help protect butterflies from climate change,...

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-in-the-atlantic-can-be-used-to-forecast-droughts-in-the-amazon/">Amazon</a> is now closer to an irreversible tipping point than any other time in the last 100,000 years, according to Professor Mark Bush of the <a href="https://www.fit.edu/">Florida Institute of Technology</a>. Beyond this threshold, the Amazon will begin to permanently transition from lush forests to grasslands with few trees.

The transformation of the world's most valuable rainforest has been fueled by land use changes associated with human activities such as deforestation. The study reveals that the primary force pushing the Amazon toward its tipping point is unregulated fires.

To track the evolution of fires and vegetation in the Amazon over time, Professor Bush analyzed fossil pollen and charcoal recovered from lake sediments dating back thousands of years. He found that fires were practically non-existent in Amazonia prior to the arrival of humans.

Earlier humans that inhabited the Amazon in the last 10,000 years caused only small-scale disturbances that the forest was able to recover from. Modern forest fires, however, are intensified by various effects of anthropogenic climate change like drought and rising temperatures.

The combination of more intense fires and deforestation could ultimately create conditions where vast areas of rainforest will transition into savanna in a matter of decades. 

"The immense biodiversity of the rainforest is at risk from fire," said Professor Bush. He emphasizes that while no individual government can control climate change, fire can be regulated through policy. 

Almost all of the fires in the Amazon are set intentionally and have become much more frequent in the last two years due to policy changes.

According to his analysis, Professor Bush predicts the Amazon will reach a tipping point when temperatures rise by another 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The Earth is set to reach these temperatures by the end of this century as a result of global warming, but the hotter, drier landscapes that are created by fires in the Amazon accelerate this heat and therefore push the rainforest closer to a tipping point.

"Warming alone could induce the tipping point by mid-century, but if the present policies that turn a blind eye to forest destruction aren't stopped, we could reach the tipping point much sooner," said Professor Bush.

"Beyond the loss of wildlife, the cascading effects of losing Amazonian rainforest would alter rainfall across the hemisphere. This is not a remote problem, but one of global importance and critical significance to food security that should concern us all."

The study is published in the <a href="https://annals.mobot.org/">Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The Amazon is rapidly approaching a tipping point

The Amazon is now closer to an irreversible tipping point...

A dangerous combination of droughts and heatwaves has substantially increased across the United States over the past 50 years, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>. The regions that have been affected most by dry-hot <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fruit-flies-reveal-why-we-sleep-more-in-cold-weather/">weather</a> extremes are located in the West and parts of the Northeast and Southeast.

The researchers also found that the areas experiencing more frequent droughts and heatwaves are becoming more and more connected. As a result, the larger impacted regions are placing enormous strain on relief efforts.

Study senior author Mojtaba Sadegh is a professor of Civil Engineering at Boise State University.

"Episodes of extreme dryness and heat are the recipe for large forest fires," said Sadegh. "These extremes are intensifying and extending at unprecedented spatial scales, allowing current wildfires to burn across the entire U.S. west coast." 

Up until now, climate risk analyses were not usually designed to focus on shifts in more than one climate parameter at the same time because coinciding severe weather events were rare. Climate change has already begun to increase the frequency of concurrent extreme events.

"Traditionally, probability of multiple extremes co-occurring was quite low, so many of the traditional risk assessment frameworks were focused on separate hazards," said Sadegh. "However, since climate change has escalated the probability of multiple extremes happening simultaneously, a paradigm shift is required to address these emerging threats."

To investigate how the frequency of concurrent droughts and heatwaves has evolved over time in the United States, the researchers analyzed simultaneous drought and heat extremes using 122 years of climate data based on ground observations. 

In the 1930s, a megadrought combined with poor farming practices led to the Dust Bowl. Concurrent droughts and heatwaves were primarily driven by a lack of precipitation at the time of the Dust Bowl, according to the study, but are now primarily driven by excess heat. 

The experts noted that the findings may be used to bolster risk assessment frameworks and inform climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

"This study, and the 2020 fires that have burned and are burning the entire West Coast, show us that our infrastructure design frameworks may not be appropriate anymore in a warming climate," said Sadegh. 

"Our agriculture system is too vulnerable to dry-hot events, our housing codes are not proper for an era of megafires, and our wildlife is too fragmented and too stressed to tolerate a future of increasing extremes."

"We need to recognize the power of Mother Nature, and we need to respect it. We need to listen! The more we play deaf, the more Mother Nature will raise her voice."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Droughts and heatwaves are coinciding more often

A dangerous combination of droughts and heatwaves has substantially increased across...

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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

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" 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 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

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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 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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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