Do you recall those childhood days when you eagerly anticipated bedtime stories about Peter Rabbit, Toad or Ratty from The Wind in the Willows? Or the excitement that washed over you every time you opened a children's book teeming with playful, animated animals? 



Well, a new study is giving us a fresh perspective on the role of these furry, iconic characters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-children-s-books-animal-characters">Children's books animal characters</h2>



The research has shed light on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/toddlers-learn-faster-after-witnessing-impossible-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">potential influence</a> of non-human characters in children's books.



The researchers aimed to gauge how these animal characters affected children's theory of mind skills - crucial abilities which include deciphering social changes in the environment based on voice tone, word choice, or facial expressions.



They worked with over 100 children aged five to 10, each of whom were tested on their theory of mind skills after hearing stories featuring animal characters, as well as those highlighting human characters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-vs-animal-characters-in-books">Human vs. animal characters in books</h2>



The study unveiled an interesting pattern. When exposed to stories centered around human characters, an age-related progression was observed. 



Older children were consistently outperforming their younger counterparts, with 3rd grade children surpassing the researchers' expectations in tests featuring human characters.



But the revelations didn't stop there. The tests that involved animal characters threw up another surprise. 



The younger participants were able to match the scores achieved by pupils in 3rd grade, who were two years their senior. That's quite a feat for our young champions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-insight-into-children-s-development">New insight into children's development</h2>



These findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, highlight the importance of both human and non-human characters in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/outdoor-classes-improve-childrens-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">children's developmental stages</a>.



The research was led by Dr. Gray Atherton and Dr. Liam Cross from the University of Plymouth’s <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools/psychology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Psychology</a>.



"Animals play a huge part of children’s stories, whether that is in books and comics or through TV and film. We wanted to test if that is down to more than simply liking the characters, and whether there are actual benefits of children learning through by watching or reading about animals and if this changes over time," said Dr. Atherton.



"Our findings showed that both human and non-human characters are important in helping children interpret the world around them, and that they play differing roles at different stages in their development. Adapting activities and lessons in nurseries and the early school years to take that into account could be hugely effective in helping to support their development."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-educators-and-parents">Implications for educators and parents</h2>



The insights gained from this study have substantial implications for educators and parents aiming to support children's cognitive and social development.



By incorporating both human and animal characters into books, educators can craft a more balanced learning environment that caters to the diverse needs of children across age groups. 



Parents, too, can enrich their children's home learning experiences by selecting a variety of stories that include both human and animal protagonists. 



This approach not only makes reading sessions more engaging but also aids in developing empathy and understanding of complex social scenarios.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



While this study provides valuable insights, it also opens avenues for further exploration. 



Future research could go deeper into the types of animal characteristics that are most effective in nurturing children's theory of mind. For instance, exploring whether anthropomorphized animals or more realistic portrayals have differing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parents-who-use-humor-have-better-relationships-with-their-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">impacts</a>. 



Similarly, cross-cultural studies could investigate whether the affinity towards animal characters holds true in diverse cultural contexts. These inquiries could refine understanding and application in educational strategies, enhancing the efficacy of storytelling as a developmental tool.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-characters-and-autism-treatment">Animal characters and autism treatment</h2>



In previous studies, Dr. Atherton and Dr. Cross examined the factors influencing the educational and social development of individuals with autism and learning difficulties.



The experts launched initiatives proving how board and online games can bolster confidence among people with autism. 



Borrowing insights from this research, the scholars now plan to dig deeper to explore if their findings could provide specific benefits to children with such conditions.



Dr. Cross envisions a significant impact of this study on individuals with autism or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-with-behavioral-issues-have-high-cortisol-levels-in-their-hair/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">other conditions</a> affecting their learning. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-way-of-looking-at-animal-characters">A new way of looking at animal characters</h2>



The researchers have observed how tasks involving animal characters can result in autistic individuals performing on par with non-autistic children. 



The plan is to replicate this study with autistic children in an effort to unveil more effective ways to support them at a critical stage in their development.



In a nutshell, this study has unraveled an entirely new dimension of how we view animals in children's books. 



Those delightful animal characters do more than simply entertain; they help shape our children's minds and understanding of the world around them in their formative years.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002209652400256X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Experimental Child Psychology</a>. 



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Animal characters boost social and emotional skills in children

Do you recall those childhood days when you eagerly anticipated bedtime stories about Peter Rabbit, Toad or Ratty from The Wind in the Willows? Or the excitement that washed over you every time you opened a children's book teeming with playful, animated animals? Well, a new study is giving us a fresh perspective on the role of these furry, iconic characters. Children's books animal characters The research has shed light on the potential influence of non-human characters in children's books. The researchers aimed to gauge how these...

By the end of this century, coastal flooding could threaten assets worth up to 20 percent of the global GDP at an estimated cost of $14.2 trillion. In addition, as many as 287 million people will be exposed to "100-year" coastal flooding events as often as once every ten years. 

The study also concluded that the land affected by coastal flooding could increase by 48 percent. The results are based on high greenhouse gas <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/carbon-capture-technology-could-greatly-reduce-emissions/">emissions</a> and assume no further coastal adaptation or protection, which means that urgent action must be taken to prevent such a catastrophic scenario.

The areas predicted to be the hardest hit are northwest Europe, east and southeast Asia, northeast United States and northern Australia, according to the study.

"Although the focus of the general public often tends to be on the rate and magnitude of increase in mean sea level, the major threats of coastal flooding and erosion are significantly impacted by episodic storm surge and wave setup (the temporary increase in mean water level due to the presence of breaking waves) as well as their time of occurrence in relation to astronomical tide," wrote the researchers.

"As approximately 600 million people live in low elevation coastal zones which generate approximately US$1 trillion of global wealth, both the environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with episodic coastal flooding can be massive."

Study lead author Ebru Kirezci is an expert in the Department of Infrastructure Engineering at the <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a>. His team combined data on global sea levels during extreme storms with projections of sea level rises under different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. This data was used to model the maximum sea levels that could occur by 2100. 

After identifying the areas that have the greatest risk of coastal flooding, the researchers analyzed the population distribution and GDP in these areas to estimate the overall amount of people and assets that will be impacted.

The areas at the greatest risk of  extensive flooding are North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland in the United States; France, Germany, and the UK in northwest Europe; Australia's Northern Territories; southeastern China; and Bangladesh, West Bengal, and Gujurat in India.

"The analysis shows that tide and storm surge will account for 63 percent of the global area inundated by 2100, with relative sea level rise accounting for 32 percent and wave setup accounting for only approximately 5 percent," wrote the study authors.

"Furthermore, projected sea level rise will significantly increase the frequency of coastal flooding by 2100, with results herein showing that for most of the world, flooding associated with a present day 1 in 100-year event could occur as frequently as once in 10 years, primarily as a result of sea level rise."

The findings clearly show that without investment in flood protection measures and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, calamitous flooding events have the potential to devastate coastal regions and the global economy by the end of this century.

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

&nbsp;

"100-year" coastal floods may become ten times as frequent

By the end of this century, coastal flooding could threaten...

Botox may be an effective treatment for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/stress-and-inflammation-linked-to-drug-resistant-depression/">depression</a>, according to the results of a new study. Botox injections are commonly used to ease wrinkles, migraine headaches, and muscle spasms, and clinical trials are currently underway to test the medication for its ability to treat depression.

In the FDA's Adverse Effect Reporting System (FAERS) database, nearly 40,000 people have reported on their individual experiences after receiving Botox treatment. 

Researchers at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at at <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">UC San Diego</a> analyzed this data to gain a better understanding of the potential side effects.

The team discovered that individuals who received Botox injections in the forehead or in five other sites reported depressive symptoms significantly less often than patients undergoing different treatments for the same conditions.

"For years, clinicians have observed that Botox injected for cosmetic reasons seems to ease depression for their patients," said study lead author Dr. Ruben Abagyan. 

"It's been thought that easing severe frown lines in the forehead region disrupts a feedback loop that reinforces negative emotions. But we've found here that the mechanism may be more complex, because it doesn't really matter where the Botox is injected."

Dr. Abagyan collaborated with Tigran Makunts, a research fellow at the FDA, and Dr. Marc Axel Wollmer, a psychiatrist who has led past clinical studies that showed Botox can alleviate depression.

While the FAERS database contains voluntary reports of adverse effects associated with various medications, Dr. Abagyan's team did not look for the negative side effects of Botox. Instead, the researchers set out to investigate the absence of complaints about depression after Botox. 

The research was focused on nearly 40,000 FAERS participants who had received Botox treatment for eight different purposes and injection sites, including the forehead, neck, limbs and bladder. 

Using a mathematical algorithm, the experts determined that depression was reported 40 to 88 percent less often by Botox users for six of the eight conditions and injection sites - compared to individuals who used different treatments for the same conditions.

"This finding is exciting because it supports a new treatment to affect mood and fight depression, one of the common and dangerous mental illnesses - and it's based on a very large body of statistical data, rather than limited-scale observations," said Makunts.

The clinical trial that is currently underway is directly testing Botox treatment for patients with depression. Since the trial is testing only forehead injections, Dr. Abagyan said that additional clinical trials may be necessary to work out the best site and dose to administer the medication specifically for depression.

At the same time, more research is needed to determine the mechanism by which Botox acts as an antidepressant, said Dr  Abagyan. The researchers have come up with a couple of theories of their own. For example, they speculate that Botox may be transported to the regions of the central nervous systems involved in mood and emotions. 

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

&nbsp;

Botox injections may soon be used to treat depression

Botox may be an effective treatment for depression, according to...

In a new study from <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University</a>, scientists are describing how the processes of wound healing and scarring are initiated. The unprecedented research could have major implications for treating conditions such as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/experts-identify-a-fatty-acid-that-can-kill-cancer-cells/">cancer</a> metastasis and fibrosis.

While previous studies have documented how cells mobilize to heal wounds and how scars form, the specific mechanisms underlying this activity have remained a mystery to scientists.

For the current investigation, the research team was led by Delaram Shakiba, a postdoctoral fellow from the NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology (CEMB) at the McKelvey School of Engineering.

"Clinical efforts to prevent the progression of fibro contractile diseases, such as scarring and fibrosis, have been largely unsuccessful, in part because the mechanisms that cells use to interact with the protein fibers around them are unclear," said Shakiba. 

"We found that fibroblasts use completely different mechanisms in the early - and I think the most treatable - stages of these interactions, and that their responses to drugs can therefore be the opposite of what they would be in the later stages."

Fibroblasts are common cells in connective tissue that interact with the extracellular matrix, which provides structural support as well as chemical cues to cells. The team found that these interactions are facilitated by a recursive process that takes place between the cells and their environment. The fibroblasts also use internal structures to communicate that were previously unknown, according to the study.

"Researchers in the field of mechanobiology thought that cells pulled in collagen from the extracellular matrix by reaching out with long protrusions, grabbing it and pulling it back," said study co-senior author Guy Genin. 

"We discovered that this wasn't the case. A cell has to push its way out through collagen first, then instead of grabbing on, it essentially shoots tiny hairs, or filopodia, out of the sides of its arms, pulls in collagen that way, then retracts."

Now that this process is understood, the shape that a cell takes during wound healing can be controlled, explained Genin.

"With our colleagues at CEMB at the University of Pennsylvania, we were able to validate some mathematical models to go through the engineering process, and we now have the basic rules that cells follow," said Genin. "We can now begin to design specific stimuli to direct a cell to behave in a certain way in building a tissue-engineered structure."

The researchers discovered that the cell shape can be regulated in two ways: by controlling the boundaries around the cell and by inhibiting or upregulating particular proteins involved in the remodeling of the collagen.

Fibroblasts pull the edges of a wound together, causing it to contract or close up. Next, collagen remodels the extracellular matrix to fully close the wound.

"There's a balance between tension and compression inside a cell that is newly exposed to fibrous proteins," said Genin. "There is tension in actin cables, and by playing with that balance, we can make these protrusions grow extremely long. We can stop the remodeling from occurring or we can increase it."

The investigation was conducted using a 3D-mapping technique to examine collagen formation and a computational model to calculate the stress fields created by the protrusions from the cells. 

The analysis showed that as the cells accumulated collagen, these fibers aligned under tension and formed collagen tracts that enabled the cells to interact mechanically.

"New methods of microscopy, tissue engineering and biomechanical modeling greatly enhance our understanding of the mechanisms by which cells modify and repair the tissues they populate," said study co-senior author Professor Elliot Elson.

"Fibrous cellular structures generate and guide forces that compress and reorient their extracellular fibrous environment. This raises new questions about the molecular mechanisms of these functions and how cells regulate the forces they exert and how they govern the extent of matrix deformation."

"Wound healing is a great example of how these processes are important in a physiologic way," said Genin. "We'll be able to come up with insight in how to train cells not to excessively compact the collagen around them."

The study is published in the <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/ancac3">ACS Nano</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Breakthrough study provides new insight into wound healing

In a new study from Washington University, scientists are describing...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> (UEA) has revealed the daily habits of the Mediterranean sperm whale, and the research may contribute to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wildlife-tourism-has-the-potential-to-transform-conservation/">conservation</a> and protection of this threatened subpopulation.

The Mediterranean sperm whale has been listed as endangered since 2006 as a result of various human activities, including pollution, ship strikes, and entanglement in illegal fishing gear. The species now consists of fewer than 2,500 mature individuals.

The researchers used unmanned underwater gliders equipped with acoustic monitors to record the sperm whales making sounds referred to as "clicks" over thousands of kilometers of ocean.

Sperm whales use distinct sounds for echolocation and social interactions. The study was focused on the extremely powerful and highly directional clicks produced while foraging.

The recordings confirmed the  widespread presence of the sperm whales in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea and identified a possible hotspot in the Gulf of Lion. In this region, 

The higher rate of clicks documented in this region could either indicate a higher number of whales, or could simply represent a shift from their usual behavior. According to the study, there seem to be different foraging strategies among different areas.

Whales were found to search for food all day in the Ligurian Sea, as well as in the Sea of Sardinia.

However, in the Gulf of Lion, acoustic activity showed a clear 24-hour pattern characterized by decreased foraging at dawn. This indicates that the sperm whales have modified their usual foraging pattern in this region to adapt to local prey availability. 

"Information on the ecology of the Mediterranean sperm whale subpopulation remains sparse and does not meet the needs of conservation managers and policy makers," said study lead author Pierre Cauchy.

"Increasing observation efforts, particularly in winter months, will help us better understand habitat use, and identify key seasonal habitats to allow appropriate management of shipping and fishing activities."

"The clear daily pattern identified in our results appear to suggest that the sperm whales are adapting their foraging strategy to local prey behavior. The findings also indicate a geographical pattern to their daily behaviour in the winter season."

Study co-author Professor Karen Heywood said the study demonstrated the possibilities of using existing glider missions to monitor the Mediterranean sperm whale over the winter months, for which there is a lack of crucial data.

"Our ability to successfully observe sperm whale distribution in different geographic areas of the north-western Mediterranean Sea, across the slopes and the open ocean, highlighted the complexity of sperm whale behaviour, foraging strategy and habitat use," said Professor Heywood.

"This study shows that the addition of PAM sensors to existing oceanographic glider missions offers the opportunity for sustained long-term observation, which would significantly improve sperm whale population monitoring and behavior description, as well as identification of key habitat and potentially harmful interaction with human activities."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-home/">Endangered Species Research</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Robots used to monitor endangered sperm whales

A new study led by the University of East Anglia...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bees-hit-have-been-enduring-a-pandemic-for-decades/">Bees</a> pollinate flowers with incredible force, buzzing with much more intensity than they use to fly or to defend themselves, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.stir.ac.uk/">University of Stirling</a>.

The researchers found that flower buzzing produces forces of more than 50 G, which is five times the force of a fighter jet.

Study lead author Dr David Pritchard said the findings suggest that bees use specific types of vibrations for certain tasks.

"We know that bees use their distinctive buzzing vibrations for lots of different tasks and, for this study, we wanted to understand whether buzzes differed by task - or if variations in buzzing were caused by drag on the wings," said Dr. Pritchard.

"Buzz-pollinated flowers represent some of our most important economic crops - such as potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines and blueberries - and understanding how bees buzz these flowers also provides an important insight into how these flowers coevolved with bees. This is important because it helps us better understand what these flowers need in order to be pollinated."

Previous studies have revealed variations between flight buzzing and defensive buzzing. The wings flap during flight, but not while bees defend themselves. This made it difficult to determine whether the buzzing variations were caused by flapping wings.

To investigate, Dr Pritchard and his colleague Dr Mario Vallejo-Marin turned their attention to flower buzzing, which occurs when bees vibrate flowers to shake pollen onto their bodies. 

The experts used a laser to measure the speed of movement 10,000 times per second as bees vibrated during defensive moves, flight, and pollination, and then analyzed the data using a computer.

"We wanted to understand whether defensive buzzing and flower buzzing were similar - and if buzzing variation could be attributed to wing flapping or if bees adapt depending on the task in hand," said Dr. Pritchard. 

"We found that flower buzzes were much more powerful than buzzes used for defense or for flight - suggesting that, rather than being due to drag on the wings, bees might have evolved different types of buzzes for different tasks."

According to the researchers, it is important to understand the various techniques used for pollination.

"For example, we still do not understand why honeybees do not buzz flowers. By better understanding how flower buzzes appear and differ from the other vibrations bees produce, it may shed light on the reasons why some bees buzz flowers and some do not."

The study is published in the <a href="https://jeb.biologists.org/">Journal of Experimental Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Bees use incredibly forceful buzzing for flower pollination 

Bees pollinate flowers with incredible force, buzzing with much more...

A major climate initiative across the northeastern United States has reduced fine particulate matter (PM2.5) <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/carbon-capture-technology-could-greatly-reduce-emissions/">emissions</a>, leading to major improvements in the lifelong health of more than 800 children.

The country's first regional cap- and- trade program, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), was launched to limit carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the power sector.

In a new study, researchers at the <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/">Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health</a> are describing the outcome of this groundbreaking climate initiative. 

The experts report that the reduction in emissions between 2009 and 2014 prevented an estimated 537 cases of childhood asthma, 112 preterm births, 98 cases of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and 56 cases of term low birthweight. 

In addition, the team estimated economic savings at $191 to $350 million dollars over the five years examined for the study.

Taking into consideration the lifelong consequences of these health outcomes, the health and economic benefits of the climate project are far greater than what has been calculated.

RGGI is a cooperative program designed to cap and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.

Under the agreement, the states must limit emissions from fossil fuel power plants with a capacity of 25 megawatts or greater. Regulated power plants are granted annual CO2 allowances that are auctioned quarterly and may be traded. 

Even though the campaign is focused on reducing GHG emissions, it has also lowered emissions of other types of pollutants including fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide.

To estimate the health benefits of the climate initiative, as well as the associated economic savings, the researchers used the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program (BenMAP) tool, a computer program supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Some of the health outcomes examined for the study - prenatal and childhood exposure to PM2.5 - were incorporated with BenMAP for the first time.

"As impressive as they are, these estimated benefits for children do not take into account their potential life-long consequences, so they are likely underestimates of the true benefits of this policy," said study lead author Dr. Frederica Perera. "These results should spur more such initiatives to address climate change and improve the health of our children."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Climate initiative led to health benefits for 800 U.S. children

A major climate initiative across the northeastern United States has...

Widespread biodiversity loss has led to policies that are designed to protect habitats and minimize future species <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-mass-extinctions/">extinctions</a>. However, the biodiversity forecasts used to inform these policies are mostly based on the assumptions of a simple theoretical model, and a new study has found that this model is too optimistic.

A team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.idiv.de/en/index.html">German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research</a> has determined that current biodiversity forecasts underestimate the number of local species that go missing when small habitats are disrupted. 

One of the most fundamental principles in biodiversity estimates the number of species lost based on the size of the habitat that is destroyed. But this theory does not account for "ecosystem decay," a phenomenon in which a greater number of species is threatened by habitat loss than predicted by theory. 

Ecosystem decay is a term coined by conservation biologist Thomas Lovejoy when he was describing the fate of small forest islands in the Brazilian Amazon that had been transformed by clearcutting. The normally dark parts of the forest were bombarded with sunlight, causing irreparable damage to plants that were adapted to low light conditions. Large animals, including monkeys and big cats, vanished from the islands.

For the current analysis, the experts spent years compiling data contained in 123 studies on habitat loss from all over the world including tropical forest islands left within agricultural matrices of oil palm, coffee, chocolate and banana trees, islands in lakes that were created during the construction of dams, and nature reserves isolated by expanding agriculture and urbanization.

In many cases, the information that the team needed was not available in the published paper. 

"We often went back to the authors of the studies. Many of them went above and beyond, digging up old field notebooks and cracking long-expired versions of software and hardware to get us what we needed for our analyses," said study co-author Dr. Jonathon Chase.

Ultimately, the researchers found clear evidence that ecosystem decay is pervasive. 

"Mathematical models that are used for biodiversity forecasts typically ignore the effects of ecosystem decay. This is because we have not, until now, had systematic evidence for just how strong its effects are across ecosystems and species groups," said Dr. Chase. "This means that most forecasts underestimate how much biodiversity is being lost as habitats are lost."

The overall effect of ecosystem decay was conclusive, but the scientists found some interesting variation that was dependent on the landscapes surrounding a fragmented or lost habitat. 

"The quality of the land between the habitat islands, which we call the matrix, influenced just how strong the effect of ecosystem decay was," said study co-author Dr. Felix May.

"When the matrix was very distinct from the habitat islands, like in landscapes with intense agriculture or urbanization, ecosystem decay in the habitat islands was quite intense. However, when the matrix was less hostile, like in bird- and bee-friendly agriculture, we found fewer extinctions in the habitat islands."

Study co-author Dr. Tiffany Knight said the team was surprised to find weaker ecosystem decay in studies from Europe, where habitat loss often occurred many hundreds of years ago, compared to studies from other places where losses occurred more recently.

"We expected the opposite, because ecosystem decay is thought to emerge slowly as species go extinct. But what we found is that different species replaced those that were lost," explained Dr. Knight.

Even though the findings seem to be dismal, the researchers see the outcome as a step in the right direction.

"What we have found is that it is possible to make more realistic projections for how biodiversity will be lost as habitats are lost," said Dr. Chase. "This will allow us to make more informed policies regarding habitat protection and provides added incentives for restoring habitats to restore the biodiversity within."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Biodiversity loss in smaller habitats is underestimated  

Widespread biodiversity loss has led to policies that are designed...

In the largest study of its kind, scientists at <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> have found that declining numbers of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bumblebees-change-their-lifestyle-after-establishing-a-nest/">bees</a> and other pollinators threaten crop yields and global food security.

The crops that depend on pollinators generate more than $50 billion a year in the U.S. alone. According to the research, crop yields for apples, cherries and blueberries have already dropped in the U.S. due to a lack of pollinators. 

Study senior author Rachael Winfreen is a professor in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

"We found that many crops are pollination-limited, meaning crop production would be higher if crop flowers received more pollination. We also found that honey bees and wild bees provided similar amounts of pollination overall," said Professor Winfreen.

"Managing habitat for native bee species and/or stocking more honey bees would boost pollination levels and could increase crop production."

Recent studies have shown that European honey bees and some native wild bee species are in a state of decline. The researchers noted that pollination by both wild and managed insects is critical for crop productivity, including those providing micronutrients that are essential for global food security. 

The current study, which was led by research associate James Reilly, was focused on 131 farms across the United States and British Columbia. The scientists collected data on insect pollination of crop flowers and yield for apples, blueberries, sweet cherries, tart cherries, almond, watermelon, and pumpkin. 

Overall, the crops that showed evidence of limited productivity due to a lack of pollination were apples, sweet cherries, tart cherries, and blueberries. 

"Our findings show that pollinator declines could translate directly into decreased yields for most of the crops studied," said the researchers. In addition, the study revealed that wild bees and honey bees contribute nearly the same level of pollination.

"Our study reconciles previous conflicting evidence for the relative importance of honey bees, a managed agricultural input that growers must pay for each year, and wild bees, which provide a free ecosystem service, in pollination of crops grown across the United States," wrote the study authors.

"Previous national-level studies of the USA have estimated honeybees to be much more important than wild bees, but did not actually measure wild bee abundance in crop fields. By contrast, more recent syntheses of global literature have concluded wild bees may be at least as important as honeybees, if not more so."

The findings suggest that adopting practices to conserve or augment wild bees, such as enhancing wildflowers and using managed pollinators other than honey bees, could substantially boost crop yields. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Dwindling numbers of pollinators threaten global food security

In the largest study of its kind, scientists at Rutgers...

A new study reveals that living in large groups limits social diversity among mountain <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/eastern-gorillas-have-lost-genetic-diversity/">gorillas</a>. Scientists from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> report that mountain gorillas usually form groups of 12 to 20, which they found to be the optimal size for cultivating a variety of relationships.

The researchers identified seven categories of relationships among the gorillas, ranging from close maternal ties to less significant acquaintances. Some groups had as many as 65 individuals, and groups of this size were characterized by much lower social diversity. 

"It is often assumed that animals living in larger groups will have more diverse and complex social lives," said study co-author Dr. Robin Morrison.

"However, our study suggests that social diversity is lower in very large groups where gorillas must maintain a larger number of relationships - with most relationships falling into the weakest category.

Dr. Morrison said that strong social relationships still exist in the big groups, but they seem to make up a smaller proportion of the total relationships.

"We cannot say for certain why this is, but it may be that gorillas only have enough time and mental energy to maintain a certain number of relationships at a given strength."

"So they keep their key relationships and simply maintain weak ties with all the other gorillas in the group."

According to Dr. Morrison, living in a social group requires mental effort. "Indeed, one of the big ideas in social evolution is that humans developed large brains and language to deal with social complexity."

The research was focused on more than a decade of observations of 13 gorilla groups, which were monitored by the Fossey Fund in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. The numbers of mountain gorillas have grown in recent years, and this could explain why unusually large communities have formed.

The gorillas live in stable social groups that forage together in the day and nest together at night. To measure social relationships, the study authors studied proximity data which showed how much time certain individuals spent close together.

"In many primates, social interaction can be measured by how much time individuals spend grooming each other," said Dr. Morrison. "However, gorillas spend less time grooming than most other primates. Instead, a lot of gorilla society is about who individuals choose to sit next to, and who they move away from."

The relationship categories identified by the scientists relate to different patterns of interaction, representing a scale from close to weak associations. However, the categories cannot be expressed in human terms such as best friends or close friends.

"Not only were groups above a certain size not more socially diverse, but individuals living in the same group had variable levels of social complexity - some gorillas had a greater diversity of social relationships than others," said study co-author Professor Lauren Brent.

"This adds to a rich body of evidence that shows that, whether you are a human, gorilla or another type of social animal, not everyone experiences their social world in the same way."

The social relationships experienced by individual gorillas were found to vary by age and sex. The females maintain a relatively consistent diversity of relationships during adolescence and adulthood, but for males social diversity declines rapidly as they enter adolescence.

At around 14, males are still several years from full sexual maturity yet exhibit some signs of young adulthood. Adolescence is also the time when males are faced with the decision of whether to leave the group they were born into, so it is possible that social distancing may lead up to their potential departure.

About half of the males choose to stay with their childhood community. In this case, they gradually build a diverse set of relationships through adulthood as they take on fatherhood and protective roles.

The scientists explained that the findings could be useful for gorilla conservation, such as efforts to limit the spread of disease.

"By better understanding these social relationships, we can better understand how diseases would spread through these social groups," said study co-author Dr. Tara Stoinski, who is the president and CEO of the Fossey Fund.

"This is really important right now for mountain gorillas because disease is one of the major threats to their conservation. They catch many of the same diseases as humans, including Ebola, and it's extremely likely they would also catch COVID-19 if they were exposed to it."

"Long-term monitoring and protection of endangered mountain gorillas is crucial, not only for their conservation but also for what we can learn from this intelligent and highly social species about how complex social behaviour, such as our own, has evolved."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspa">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</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

&nbsp;

Large groups limit social diversity among mountain gorillas 

A new study reveals that living in large groups limits...

The family of viruses that gave rise to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/severity-of-covid-19-can-be-predicted-by-the-immune-system/">COVID-19</a> has been circulating in horseshoe bats for decades, and this lineage includes other viruses with the ability to infect humans, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a>. 

An international team of researchers has traced the evolutionary history of SARS-CoV-2, and the findings may help to prevent future pandemics that could emerge from this lineage.

"Coronaviruses have genetic material that is highly recombinant, meaning different regions of the virus's genome can be derived from multiple sources," said study co-author Professor Maciej Boni. "This has made it difficult to reconstruct SARS-CoV-2's origins." 

"You have to identify all the regions that have been recombining and trace their histories. To do that, we put together a diverse team with expertise in recombination, phylogenetic dating, virus sampling, and molecular and viral evolution."

The team used three different approaches to identify and remove the recombinant regions within the SARS-CoV-2 genome. This enabled the experts to reconstruct and compare phylogenetic histories for the non-recombinant regions to pinpoint which viruses have been involved in recombination events in the past. 

The study revealed the evolutionary relationships between SARS-CoV-2 and its closest known bat and pangolin viruses. 

The family of viruses that includes SARS-CoV-2 was found to have diverged from other bat viruses about 40 to 70 years ago. 

Bat coronavirus RaTG13 was sampled from a Rhinolophus affinis horseshoe bat in 2013 in Yunnan province, China. While SARS-CoV-2 shares about 96 percent of the genetic makeup of this particular virus, the researchers determined that it diverged from RaTG13 in 1969.

"The ability to estimate divergence times after disentangling recombination histories, which is something we developed in this collaboration, may lead to insights into the origins of many different viral pathogens," said study co-author Philippe Lemey.

The analysis showed that one of the older traits SARS-CoV-2 shares with its relatives is the receptor-binding domain (RBD) located on the Spike protein, which enables the virus to detect and bind to receptors on human cells.

"This means that other viruses that are capable of infecting humans are circulating in horseshoe bats in China," said study co-author David L. Robertson.

Furthermore, it has not been confirmed that the viruses will require an intermediate host to jump to humans. According to Robertson, for SARS-CoV-2, other research groups incorrectly proposed that key evolutionary changes occurred in pangolins.

"SARS-CoV-2's RBD sequence has so far only been found in a few pangolin viruses," said Robertson. "Furthermore, the other key feature thought to be instrumental to SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect humans - a polybasic cleavage site insertion in the Spike protein - has not yet been seen in another close bat relative of the SARS-CoV-2 virus." 

"Yet, while it is possible that pangolins may have acted as an intermediate host facilitating transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to humans, no evidence exists to suggest that pangolin infection is a requirement for bat viruses to cross into humans." 

"Instead, our research suggests that SARS-CoV-2 likely evolved the ability to replicate in the upper respiratory tract of both humans and pangolins."

The experts concluded that preventing future pandemics will require better sampling within wild bats. Prevention will also require the implementation of human disease surveillance systems that are able to instantly identify unknown pathogens.

"The key to successful surveillance, is knowing which viruses to look for and prioritizing those that can readily infect humans. We should have been better prepared for a second SARS virus," said Robertson.

"We were too late in responding to the initial SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, but this will not be our last coronavirus pandemic," said Professor Boni. "A much more comprehensive and real-time surveillance system needs to be put in place to catch viruses like this when case numbers are still in the double digits."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nmicrobiol">Nature Microbiology</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

&nbsp;

Viruses related to SARS-CoV-2 could cause future pandemics

The family of viruses that gave rise to COVID-19 has...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-how-underwater-volcanoes-become-explosive/">Volcanoes</a> that consistently  produce small basaltic lava eruptions may be harboring magmas with the potential to generate explosive activity, according to a new study.

Working in the Galápagos Islands, an international team of volcanologists discovered chemically diverse magmas hiding beneath seemingly predictable volcanoes.

"This was really unexpected," said study lead author Dr. Michael Stock of <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/">Trinity College Dublin</a>. "We started the study wanting to know why these volcanoes were so boring and what process caused the erupted lava compositions to remain constant over long timescales. Instead we found that they aren't boring at all - they just hide these secret magmas under the ground."

Many volcanoes in places like Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands produce slow-moving lava flows for millions of years. While the long streams of fire are very destructive, they are not usually life-threatening because they move at a walking pace. 

The research was focused on two Galápagos volcanoes that have consistently erupted basaltic lava flows at the Earth's surface throughout their entire history. Based on the composition of microscopic crystals in the lava, the experts derived the chemical characteristics of magmas stored underground beneath the volcanoes. 

The hidden magmas were found to be extremely diverse. They also contained compositions similar to those erupted at Mt. St. Helens.

The researchers theorize that volcanoes consistently erupt compositionally uniform basaltic lavas when the amount of magma flushing through the ground beneath the edifice is high enough to "overprint" any chemical diversity. For example, this could occur when a volcano is located close to a hot spot, where plumes of magma rise from deep within the Earth.

Regardless, the chemically diverse magmas identified in the study could become mobile and rise toward the surface under certain conditions, producing unexpected activity.

"Although there's no sign that these Galápagos volcanoes will undergo a transition in eruption style any time soon, our results show why other volcanoes might have changed their eruptive behavior in the past," said Dr. Stock. 

"The study will also help us to better understand the risks posed by volcanoes in other parts of the world - just because they've always erupted a particular way in the past doesn't mean you can rely on them to continue doing the same thing indefinitely into the future."

"This discovery is a game-changer because it allows us to reconcile apparently divergent observations, such as the presence of explosive deposits at several Galápagos volcanoes," said study co-author Dr. Benjamin Bernard. "It also allows us to better understand the behavior of these volcanoes, which is essential for volcano monitoring and hazard assessment."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Scientists discover explosive magmas hidden under tame volcanoes

Volcanoes that consistently  produce small basaltic lava eruptions may be...

In response to rising temperatures and extremely dry conditions, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/organisms-steal-water-from-rocks-to-survive-desert-conditions/">desert</a> plants are forced to adapt in order to survive. A new study from the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> has found that one shrub in the Mojave Desert, the brittlebush, is exceptionally talented when it comes to adaptation. 

Over the last four decades, the brittlebush has more than doubled its water use efficiency. The research suggests that some desert plants have the resiliency to endure future climate change.

"We were able to directly relate changes in plant ecophysiology to changing climate over a relatively short timescale," said study lead author Avery Driscoll. "This shows us that desert shrubs can and do acclimate to changing environmental conditions."

The study was focused on decades of data from two long-term research sites in Death Valley and near Oatman, Arizona. 

Professor Jim Ehleringer, who established the sites in the 1980s, led a team to survey the vegetation and collect plant samples every spring for 39 years.

Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa, is commonly found throughout the Southwest and northern Mexico. The shrub has bright yellow flowers and silvery leaves, and can live for more than 30 years. 

The leaves of brittlebush contain a record of the climate in carbon isotopes that make up the tissue. These isotopes can be used to assess a plant's water use efficiency.

The researchers found that the brittlebushes sampled for the study increased their water use efficiency by 53 to 58 percent over the 39-year study period.

Driscoll noted that the temperature is rising and humidity is dropping in the Mojave Desert."This increase in water use efficiency shows that the leaf physiology of these plants has adjusted in response to this added water stress and increased availability of CO2."

Experts theorize that increasing CO2 levels may actually benefit plants like the brittlebush because it allows them to get the same amount of CO2 with smaller stomatal openings, which reduces water loss. By contrast, forests have not yet demonstrated an increase in water use efficiency.

"While we can't say anything about the implications for shrub growth, we did find that increases in water-use efficiency were substantially larger in deserts than they are in forests."

Driscoll said it is too soon to tell whether brittlebush and other desert shrubs will be able to survive future warming.

"While it's possible that more efficient use of water could translate into growth, survival or flowering benefits for these plants, we don't yet know if the change will confer advantages or mitigate potential declines in the population."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Desert shrubs become more efficient as temperatures rise

In response to rising temperatures and extremely dry conditions, desert...

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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

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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?

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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



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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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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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

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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

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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"

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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

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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...