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...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">NYU</a>, experts have discovered a previously unknown link between our daily surroundings and our sense of well-being. The researchers found that new and diverse experiences boost <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/experience-happiness-changes-age/">happiness</a>, and the effects are visible in our brain activity. 

Study co-author Catherine Hartley is an assistant professor in NYU's Department of Psychology.

"Our results suggest that people feel happier when they have more variety in their daily routines - when they go to novel places and have a wider array of experiences," said Professor Hartley. "The opposite is also likely true: positive feelings may drive people to seek out these rewarding experiences more frequently."

In previous studies, scientists had noted similar results among animals. 

"Collectively, these findings show the beneficial consequences of environmental enrichment across species, demonstrating a connection between real-world exposure to fresh and varied experiences and increases in positive emotions," said study co-author Professor Aaron Heller of the University of Miami. 

The researchers set out to investigate whether diversity in our daily experiences is associated with a more positive emotional state. Study participants were asked to report periodically on their mental states as their movements were tracked by GPS.

The results showed that on days when people had more variability in their physical location, they reported feeling more positive. When an individual visited more locations on the same day and spent about the same amount of time at these locations, they reported feeling happy, excited, strong, relaxed, and/or attentive.

To see if the link was visible in brain activity, the scientists used MRI scans for about half of the study participants. 

Individuals who had the strongest connection between diverse experiences and positive feeling exhibited a greater correlation between brain activity in the hippocampus and the striatum. The hippocampus processes novelty and reward, while the striatum processes beneficial or positive experiences.

"These results suggest a reciprocal link between the novel and diverse experiences we have during our daily exploration of our physical environments and our subjective sense of well-being," said Professor Hartley.

The study was conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the researchers acknowledge that there are currently widespread restrictions on movement.

However, the experts said even small changes that introduce greater variability into the physical or mental routine - such as exercising at home, going on a walk around the block, and taking a different route to the grocery store or pharmacy - could yield similar benefits.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/neuro/">Nature Neuroscience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

New and diverse experiences spark positive emotions

In a new study from NYU, experts have discovered a...

Rising <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/destructive-weather-pattern-may-return-to-the-indian-ocean/">ocean</a> temperatures will alter the distribution and life cycles of Antarctic krill in the coming decades, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.utas.edu.au/">University of Tasmania</a>.

Antarctic krill are ecologically and commercially important animals.  They are the main food source for hundreds of marine species, including whales, seals, ice fish, and penguins.

The researchers investigated how changing ocean temperatures will affect the habitat and preferred food of krill, which is phytoplankton.

The study showed that 85 percent of the Southern Ocean will be impacted, and krill will likely move farther south where conditions are more favorable. 

Study lead author Devi Veytia said the findings forecast a change in the seasonal distribution of krill habitat, particularly around fishing grounds near the Antarctic Peninsula.

"Understanding how krill will respond to climate change and the ecological impacts of those changes is important to both conservation efforts and the management of the fishery, the largest in the Southern Ocean," said Veytia.

"Our study combined projections of sea surface temperatures and phytoplankton using climate change scenarios with an established krill growth model."

"We found that over the coming decades krill habitat quality can be expected to improve in spring, particularly further south and on the continental shelf."

"In summer, there was little net change, but good habitat redistributed, increasing at high and low latitudes and declining in mid-latitudes."

Veytia said that the greatest decline in habitat quality and range will occur in the fall, mainly in sub-Antarctic regions. As a result, krill will shift south into higher latitudes.

"At the same time there will be a change in the time of year when krill habitat is optimal, improving in spring, but declining in important regions during summer and autumn."

According to Veytia, the shift in seasonal habitat quality, especially around the Antarctic Peninsula, could disturb the synchronization between krill and the annual cycle of this important ecosystem.

"Synchronization usually allows krill to capitalize on seasonally available food sources, allowing growth, reproduction and storing of reserves to survive the winter," said Veytia.

"A temporal shift in habitat quality could create a timing mismatch, potentially affecting krill reproduction and population dynamics."

"The commercial fishery, which is currently centred on the Antarctic Peninsula and south Scotia Sea, could also be affected, leading to shifts in the distribution and timing of the fishing effort."

"The geographical shift of krill habitat towards more southerly waters is also likely to have ecosystem impacts, particularly for land-based predators at sub-Antarctic islands that have limited capacity to follow their preferred food source."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Warming seawater will push Antarctic krill farther south

Rising ocean temperatures will alter the distribution and life cycles...

A new study has revealed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/why-do-some-birds-develop-so-much-faster-than-others/">birds</a> adapted certain types of wing shapes based on their environment and behavior. The research was focused on wing measurements from 10,000 bird species. 

Understanding how different organisms move around is very important for conserving biodiversity. Since tracking the movement of animals can be very expensive, there are still many things that are not known about their movement and dispersal. 

The activities of animals in remote locations are especially mysterious, but studying bird wings can provide important clues. 

The Arctic tern makes a long annual journey from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again. On the other side of the spectrum, the Inaccessible Island rail is the world's smallest flightless bird, which never leaves the five-square-mile radius of its island.

Measurements of wing shape, such as the elongation of the wing, indicate how well the wing is adapted for long-distance flight. 

A team led by the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> measured the wings of 45,801 birds in museums and field sites around the world. Using these measurements, the researchers created a map of the global variation in wing shape. The study revealed that the best-adapted fliers were primarily found in high latitudes, while birds with more sedentary lifestyles were mainly found in the tropics.

By comparing these values with detailed information about each species' environment, ecology, and behavior, the experts found that the geographical differences in wing shape are primarily driven by temperature variability, territory defense, and migration.

"This geographic pattern is really striking," said study lead author Dr. Catherine Sheard. "Given the role we know dispersal plays in evolutionary processes, from speciation to species interactions, we suspect this relationship between behavior, the environment, and dispersal may be shaping other aspects of biodiversity."

The study is the first comprehensive analysis of a dispersal-linked trait across an entire class of animals.

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://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;

Bird wing shape is driven by environment and behavior

A new study has revealed that birds adapted certain types...

Hydroxychloroquine is not an effective treatment for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/children-with-covid-19-may-have-gastrointestinal-symptoms/">COVID-19</a>, according to the results of two recent studies published in <a href="https://www.bmj.com/">The BMJ</a>. In fact, the research suggests that the drug may do more harm than good. 

A team of experts in France found that hydroxychloroquine does not significantly reduce the odds of admission to intensive care or death from the disease. 

In a randomized clinical trial in China, hospitalized patients with persistent COVID-19 who were given hydroxychloroquine did not recover from the virus more quickly than those receiving standard care. 

Furthermore, a higher number of adverse events occurred among the individuals who received the trial drug.

Hydroxychloroquine can reduce inflammation, pain, and swelling. It is widely used to treat rheumatic diseases and malaria. 

Lab tests have shown promising results for hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, but a growing collection of evidence is proving otherwise. 

However, hydroxychloroquine is included in Chinese guidelines on how best to manage the disease, and has been authorized for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Patients have been advised by the FDA to avoid the drug outside of a hospital setting due to the risk of heart rhythm problems.

In the first study, researchers in France evaluated the effectiveness and safety of hydroxychloroquine in adults admitted to the hospital with pneumonia caused by COVID-19 who needed oxygen.

Among 181 patients, 84 received hydroxychloroquine and 97 did not.

The experts found no meaningful differences in the health outcomes of the two groups.

In the second study, a research team in China investigated the effectiveness and safety of hydroxychloroquine in 150 adults hospitalized with mild or moderate COVID-19.

Half of the patients received the treatment and the other half received standard care. 

By day 28, tests revealed similar rates of COVID-19 among patients in the two groups, but adverse events were more common in those who received hydroxychloroquine. 

The study authors said that the results do not support the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, but further research is needed to confirm these findings.

The study is published in <a href="https://www.bmj.com/">The BMJ</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Hydroxychloroquine is not an effective COVID-19 treatment

Hydroxychloroquine is not an effective treatment for COVID-19, according to...

A new study from <a href="http://www.ecu.edu.au/">Edith Cowan University</a> suggests that Google is not the best place to seek out a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-can-boost-brain-health-at-any-age/">health</a> diagnosis. According to the research, online symptom checkers are only accurate in one out of every three searches. 

The experts analyzed 36 web-based symptom checkers. The study showed that the correct diagnosis was the top result 36 percent of the time, and the advice on when and where to seek health care was accurate 49 percent of the time.

Nearly 40 percent of Australians look online to self-diagnose their health issues. It is estimated that there are about 70,000 health-related Google searches every minute. 

Study lead author Michella Hill said the findings should give people pause for thought.

"While it may be tempting to use these tools to find out what may be causing your symptoms, most of the time they are unreliable at best and can be dangerous at worst," said Hill.

She noted that online symptom checkers may be providing people with a false sense of security.

"We've all been guilty of being 'cyberchondriacs' and googling at the first sign of a niggle or headache. But the reality is these websites and apps should be viewed very cautiously as they do not look at the whole picture - they don't know your medical history or other symptoms," said Hill.

"For people who lack health knowledge, they may think the advice they're given is accurate or that their condition is not serious when it may be."

Online advice for when and where to seek healthcare, known as triage advice, was found to be more accurate than the health diagnoses.

"We found the advice for seeking medical attention for emergency and urgent care cases was appropriate around 60 percent of the time, but for non-emergencies that dropped to 30 to 40 percent," said Hill.

"Generally the triage advice erred on the side of caution, which in some ways is good but can lead to people going to an emergency department when they really don't need to."

According to Hill, online symptom checkers are not a replacement for going to the doctor, but can be useful in providing more information after an official diagnosis. 

"We're also seeing symptom checkers being used to good effect with the current COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the UK's National Health Service is using these tools to monitor symptoms and potential 'hotspot' locations for this disease on a national basis."

The research was published in the <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/">Medical Journal of Australia</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Google is not a reliable source for a health diagnosis 

A new study from Edith Cowan University suggests that Google...

Children are more enthusiastic about <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-can-boost-brain-health-at-any-age/">exercise</a> when their parents acknowledge their interests and get involved, according to researchers at the <a href="https://www.jyu.fi/en">University of Jyväskylä</a>. 

By contrast, when children do not feel they have the freedom to choose their physical activities, they are much less motivated. 

The best strategy to encourage children to exercise was found to be child-centered parenting. With this approach, parents took into account their child's interests, offered new opportunities for hobbies, participated in physical activities, and accepted their child's occasional lack of motivation. 

The least successful strategy was parental control - when parents used coercion, disregarded their child's preferences, and dominated the decision-making process. This approach was perceived as undesirable and reduced the desire to exercise.

The researchers interviewed children between the ages of 7 and 10. They found that the children could clearly distinguish between parental behaviors that motivated them to exercise and those that did not.

"For example, strong, public and overt encouragement in tournaments and games was perceived in some cases as embarrassing and even shameful," said study co-author Arto Laukkanen. 

"In addition, underestimating and ignoring the temporary cessation of exercise motivation, for example, was perceived as controlling and reducing enthusiasm for exercise."

The children also described experiences when a parent's strong guidance was much more acceptable and increased their enthusiasm for exercise.

"The children pointed out situations where the parent's actions had initially felt domineering and strict," said Laukkanen. "Common to experiencing such situations positively and strengthening exercise motivation was that the parent participated in the activities with the child. Secondly, these parents sensed the line between coercion and acceptable guidance in the child's mind."

The study also revealed that children were less motivated to exercise when a parent used the strategy of limiting screen time to encourage physical activity. 

"This is very contradictory, as parents try to take care of the children's screen time and adequate level of exercise, but at the same time they may be contributing to alienation from exercise," said Laukkanen.

"Perhaps exercise should not be set in opposition to screen time, but one should strive to organize independent space for both of them in everyday life."

Some of the children expressed that they had flexible limitations or no boundaries regarding screen time. 

"Limiting screen time independently can be challenging, especially for children," said Laukkanen. "In some cases, children also apply considerable effort and ingenuity to create more screen time for the day."

The findings suggest that striking a balance between screen time and adequate physical activity can be a difficult task for parents. According to the study authors, further research on this topic is urgently needed.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph">International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Children exercise more when parents consider their interests

Children are more enthusiastic about exercise when their parents acknowledge...

An international research team is describing the ability of plants to store important environmental cues in the form of an <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/epigenetic-passed-future-generations/">epigenetic</a> memory. 

The plants use this information to "remember" prolonged cold weather. This way, the plants realize when the conditions subside so they can produce flowers at the right time in the spring.

After they flower and seed, however, the memory is erased to reset the timing of blooming for the next season.

Humans have epigenetic memories as well. Liftstyle and environmental factors, including diet, pollution, and stress, modify a person's DNA through specialized proteins called histones. These epigenetic changes are passed along to children for generations.

In plants, one specific histone modification called H3K27me3 tends to mark genes that are switched off. Cold weather conditions cause H3K27me3 to accumulate at the genes that regulate flowering. 

Previously, in the lab of Dr. Frédéric Berger of the Gregor Mendel Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, experts demonstrated that H3K27me3 is faithfully transmitted from cell to cell. As a result, in the springtime, the plants remember that it was cold and that winter is now over. 

But once the plants have flowered, they need to erase the cold memory from their seeds. 

In the current study, a research team led by Jörg Becker of the <a href="https://gulbenkian.pt/ciencia/">Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência</a> set out to investigate how plants manage to "forget" the epigenetic memory in the seeds.

The experts analyzed histones in pollen to examine whether the process of forgetting may take place in the embedded sperm. 

"The study led us to identify a phenomenon, the so-called 'epigenetic resetting,' akin to erasing and reformatting data on a hard drive," said Becker.

The researchers discovered that H3K27me3 completely disappeared in sperm. This is because the sperm had accumulated a special histone that is unable to carry H3K27me3. 

The epigenetic memory of cold is subsequently erased from hundreds of genes - not only those that prevent flowering, but also genes which control a variety of important functions in seeds.

"This actually makes a lot of sense from an ecological perspective" said study first author Dr. Michael Borg. "Since pollen can spread over long distances, by wind or bees for example, and much of the 'memory' carried by H3K27me3 is related to environmental adaptation, it makes sense that seeds should 'forget' their dad's environment and instead remember their mother's, since they are most likely to spread and grow next to mom."

Dr. Berger noted that animals also erase this epigenetic memory in sperm, but they do it by replacing histones with a completely different protein. 

"This is one of the first examples of how a specialized histone variant can help reprogram and reset a single epigenetic mark while leaving others untouched," said Dr. Berger.

"There are many more unstudied histone variants in both plants and animals, and we expect that aspects of this resetting mechanism we have discovered will be found in other organisms and developmental contexts."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncb">Nature Cell 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;

Plants have memories they learn to forget

An international research team is describing the ability of plants...

Researchers have linked the evolution of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bioengineering-improve-rice-crop-yields/">rice</a> to abrupt climate change 4,200 years ago. The study suggests that a major global cooling event was the catalyst for the diversification and spread of rice into both northern and southern Asia.

Rice is a major food source for more than half of the global population. It was first cultivated in the Yangtze Valley in China 9,000 years ago, before spreading to the south and east. Eventually, rice migrated into the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and America. 

As it emerged in new regions, rice adapted to survive under different environmental conditions. Despite being such an important crop, there is much about the historical movement and evolution of rice that is unknown.

Led by experts at the <a href="https://as.nyu.edu/content/nyu-as/as/departments/biology/research/gsb.html">NYU Center for Genomics and Systems Biology</a>, researchers analyzed the genomes of more than 1,400 rice varieties to get a better understanding of its movement across Asia. The investigation was also based on geographical, archaeological, and climate data.

For the first 4,000 years of its history, rice was mostly limited to China, where the subspecies japonica was grown.

According to the new study, diversification of japonica rice coincided with a global cooling event 4,200 years ago. This extreme climate event has also been linked to the collapse of civilizations from Mesopotamia to China.

Temperate strains of rice emerged and migrated into northern China, Korea, and Japan, while tropical varieties migrated into Southeast Asia.

"This abrupt climate change forced plants, including crops, to adapt," said study lead author Rafal M. Gutaker. "Our genomic data, as well as paleoclimate modeling by our collaborators, show that the cooling event occurred at the same time as the rise of temperate japonica, which grows in milder regions." 

"This cooling event also may have led to the migration of rice agriculture and farmer communities into Southeast Asia."

Professor Michael D. Purugganan explained that these findings were confirmed by the analysis of archaeological rice remains excavated in Asia. 

The data also showed that after the cooling event, tropical rice migrated south and temperate rice adapted to northern latitudes.

Tropical varieties of japonica rice continued to diversify and appeared in the islands of Southeast Asia about 2,500 years ago. The archeological data indicated that this movement was facilitated by extensive trade networks.

The spread of indica rice, a subspecies that originated in India about 4,000 years ago, was found to be more complex. The researchers traced its migration from India into China around 2,000 years ago.

The experts found that temperatures had the biggest environmental influence on rice diversity. The study revealed that heat accumulation was strongly linked to the genetic differences between tropical and temperate rice.

A better understanding of rice migration could help scientists develop new varieties that can endure the extreme conditions associated with climate change. 

"Armed with knowledge of the pattern of rice dispersal and environmental factors that influenced its migration, we can examine the evolutionary adaptations of rice as it spread to new environments, which could allow us to identify traits and genes to help future breeding efforts," said Gutaker.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nplants/">Nature Plants</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Evolution of rice linked to climate change

Researchers have linked the evolution of rice to abrupt climate...

Water frogs may become locally <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/marine-megafauna-extinctions-will-compromise-critical-ecosystem-services/">extinct</a> across parts of Turkey in just over a decade due to overharvesting. 

A study published by <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/">Cambridge University Press</a> has revealed the population of Anatolian water frogs declined by around 20 percent each year between 2013 and 2015 in the Ceyhan and Seyhan deltas.

Frog harvesting is a 40-year-old industry in Turkey that brings in about $4 million each year. While the frogs are rarely eaten domestically, Turkey exports more than 36 million frogs each year.

The frogs are often fried or grilled in the United States, stir-fried in China, and used in an Indonesian dish called swikee.

For the investigation, the researchers tagged 13,811 frogs in various ponds, irrigation canals, and streams. 

The experts found there is a 90 percent chance Anatolian water frogs will be completely wiped out in the south-central Çukurova Region by 2050. If harvesting continues at the current rate, the frogs will likely vanish in just 12 years.

Amphibians are among the most endangered animals, threatened by a variety of factors such as habitat loss, disease, invasive species, and overharvesting. These animals play an important ecological role as both predators and prey.

"Declining amphibian populations worldwide could have an irreversible and destructive impact on both natural ecosystems and human welfare. They are integral components of many ecosystems, often constituting the highest fraction of vertebrate biomass," wrote the study authors. 

"Unfortunately, the literature on declining amphibian populations and its conservation has increased exponentially each year. We must stop the alarming decline of amphibians before it's too late."

The experts noted that when frog harvest was banned in France and Romania, exports ramped up in India and Bangladesh and caused population declines. After harvesting was subsequently banned in these countries, the pressure shifted to frog populations in China and Indonesia, which are now the two largest exporters of frogs.

In Turkey, overharvesting in some regions will cause a domino effect that places strain on additional wild frog populations that are currently stable. 

"It is obvious that unsustainable harvest damages frog populations irrevocably in any part of the world," said study co-author Kerim Cicek. 

"We can see this in Turkey, but it has also taken place in France, and it is now taking place in the USA, Indonesia, and so on. It is important to ban harvesting or to take other precautions."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.oryxthejournal.org/">Oryx -The International Journal of Conservation</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Overharvested water frogs may soon vanish in Turkey

Water frogs may become locally extinct across parts of Turkey...

More than 70 percent of all greenhouse gas (GHG) <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/forest-service-releases-state-by-state-details-on-carbon-emissions/">emissions</a> are released from major urban areas. The ability to monitor emissions from cities is a critical step in reaching global targets to mitigate climate change. 

A new study has revealed that commercial airliners can be used to obtain important data to help estimate CO2 emissions from urban areas. 

The Comprehensive Observation Network for Trace gases by Airliners (CONTRAIL) program uses instruments onboard Japan Airlines' commercial planes. The CONTRAIL team has been collecting high-precision atmospheric CO2 measurements since 2005.

Study co-author Hidekazu Matsueda is a researcher at the Meteorological Research Institute in Japan.

"Following the aircraft measurements conducted between Tokyo and Australia that I initiated in 1993, and had maintained during my entire career, the CONTRAIL program continuously expanded its global network and has provided numerous data to understand the carbon budget of this planet," explained Matsueda.

Recently, the team characterized CO2 variations for 34 major cities by analyzing thousands of vertical ascending and descending measurements over airports.

The CONTRAIL airplanes fly up and down over Narita International Airport on a near-daily basis. The aircraft are capable of obtaining an atmospheric chemical signature of the Greater Tokyo Area, which is several tens of kilometers away. 

With major airports located in close proximity to most larger cities, the team collected data from various airports to retrieve CO2 emission signatures. 

Study lead author Taku Umezawa is a researcher at the <a href="http://www.nies.go.jp/index-e.html">National Institute for Environmental Studies</a> in Japan

"We analyzed millions of observational data collected at and around the Tokyo Narita Airport and found clear CO2 enhancements when the wind comes from the Greater Tokyo Area," said Umezawa. 

"That was also the case globally for other airports, such as Moscow, Paris, Beijing, Osaka, Shanghai, Mexico City, Sydney, and others."

The team investigated the CO2 variability in the lowermost atmosphere over these airports. Study co-author Kaz Higuchi is a professor of Environmental Studies at York University.

"Short-term changes in the CO2 concentration in the lower atmosphere are associated with various factors such as the upwind pattern of CO2 emissions and uptakes, flight path and its geographical position relative to the locations of emissions and uptakes, and meteorological conditions during each landing and takeoff," said Professor Higuchi. 

"Despite these complex conditions under which the measurements are made, it was very interesting that we found a relationship between the magnitude of CO2 variability and CO2 emissions from a nearby city." 

The findings indicate data from commercial airliners can complement other observations from satellites and ground stations to estimate urban CO2 emissions.

"A further implementation of similar CO2 instruments into other domestic and international flights will significantly extend our global monitoring capability of cities," said CONTRAIL project leader Toshinobu Machida.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</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;

Commercial airliners can help monitor CO2 emissions

More than 70 percent of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions...

Marine species thrive in ocean regions that meet their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ancient-mass-extinction-event-was-caused-by-ocean-deoxygenation/">oxygen</a> needs, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>. For anchovies, the research suggests that much of their range in the Pacific Ocean will become uninhabitable in the coming decades. 

The research was based on the understanding that marine species respond to the "breathability" of their surrounding water, which is influenced by a combination of the oxygen levels present, water temperature, and the oxygen needs of particular species. 

The experts combined their knowledge of water breathability with historical data to explain population cycles of anchovies that inhabit the California Current off the western coast of the United States.

"If you're worried about marine life off the west coast of North America, you're worried about anchovies and other forage fish in the California Current. Ultimately it's what underpins the food web," said study lead author Evan Howard.

"Climate change isn't just warming the oceans - it is causing oxygen to decrease, which could force fish and other ocean animals to move away from their normal range to find higher-oxygen waters."

Anchovy populations are known to fluctuate over time, but the reasons for this are unclear. Previous explanations, such as food availability or competition, failed to fully clarify the anchovy population cycles from the 1950s to present day.

Since the late 1940s, the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) has monitored marine life and conditions offshore. 

"They weren't just measuring anchovies, they were measuring everything they could get their hands on," said Howard.

In 2015, the UW team demonstrated that water breathability, or the combined effects of temperature and oxygen levels, are key for the survival of marine animals. 

For the current study, the researchers combined observations with ocean models to fill gaps in the data. The team showed that the breathability index changes over time, and that it has corresponded with the rise and fall of anchovy populations over the last several decades.

"This study is the first one that demonstrates on a timescale of decades that a species is responding in really close alignment with this metabolic index - how breathable the ocean in its habitat has become," said study senior author Professor Curtis Deutsch. "It adds a new, independent line of verification that species in the ocean are arranged in accordance with how breathable their habitats are."

According to the study, projected changes in ocean conditions could make the southern part of the anchovies' range, which is off the coast of Mexico and Southern California, uninhabitable by 2100.

"We expect habitats to shift for all species that depend on oxygen for survival," said Howard. "If we understand how these animals are responding to their environment, we can better predict how these populations will be affected as the conditions change."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</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

&nbsp;

Water breathability affects where anchovies can survive

Marine species thrive in ocean regions that meet their oxygen...

Humans are responsible for rising sea levels  Experts at <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> have found evidence to confirm that modern <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sea-level-rise-could-exceed-one-meter-by-2100/">sea-level</a> rise is linked to human activities. While historical sea-level fluctuations were primarily influenced by changes in Earth's orbit, this is not the case today.

The researchers were surprised to find that, over the last 66 million years, there were times when ice-free conditions coincided with carbon dioxide levels that were not much higher than what they have reached today. The experts also pinpointed time periods that were expected to be ice-free, but glacial ice was present.  

Study lead author Kenneth G. Miller is a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

"Our team showed that the Earth's history of glaciation was more complex than previously thought," said Professor Miller.

"Although carbon dioxide levels had an important influence on ice-free periods, minor variations in the Earth's orbit were the dominant factor in terms of ice volume and sea-level changes - until modern times."

Sea-level rise has accelerated in recent decades, threatening to permanently submerge many coastal cities and communities. 

For the investigation, the scientists reconstructed the history of sea levels and glaciation over the last 66 million years. Using deep-sea geochemistry data, they compared estimates of the global average sea level with continental margin records. 

The study revealed that periods of nearly ice-free conditions, such as 17 million to 13 million years ago, occurred when the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide was not much higher than it is today. 

On the other hand, glacial periods occurred when the Earth was assumed to have been ice-free, such as from 48 million to 34 million years ago.

"We demonstrate that although atmospheric carbon dioxide had an important influence on ice-free periods on Earth, ice volume and sea-level changes prior to human influences were linked primarily to minor variations in the Earth's orbit and distance from the sun," said Professor Miller.

The largest decline in sea levels took place during the last glacial period about 20,000 years ago. The average water level dropped by around 400 feet. 

After this, the sea levels rose about one foot per decade until the pace slowed down 10,000 years ago. 

By 2,000 years ago, the sea level was stable until human activities began influencing the climate around 1900.

Future research is needed to investigate the times when the Earth was entirely ice-free, as well as the role of atmospheric carbon dioxide in glaciation. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</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;

Humans are responsible for rising sea levels 

Humans are responsible for rising sea levels  Experts at Rutgers...

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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?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

[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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" 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.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...