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...

Logging likely increased the risk and severity of the recent Australian <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/1877669/">bushfires</a>, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a>. The catastrophic wildfires were the worst in Australia's recorded history. 

The research is part of an international collaboration to investigate land use changes across Australia. 

James Watson is a UQ professor of Conservation Science and the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Science and Research Initiative. Professor Watson said logging regimes have made many forests more prone to fire for a host of reasons.

"Logging causes a rise in fuel loads, increases potential drying of wet forests and causes a decrease in forest height," said Professor Watson. "It can leave up to 450 tons of combustible fuel per hectare close to the ground - by any measure, that's an incredibly dangerous level of combustible material in seasonally dry landscapes."

"By allowing these practices to increase fire severity and flammability, we undermine the safety of some of our rural communities."

Professor Watson added that logging negatively impacts forest wildlife by creating habitat loss, fragmentation, and disturbance for many species.

Study lead author Dr. David Lindenmayer is a professor at the Fenner School of Environment and Society at Australian National University. Dr. Lindenmayer said there are land management actions that must be taken to stop these fires from occurring in the future.

"The first is to prevent logging of moist forests, particularly those close to urban areas. We must also reduce forest fragmentation by proactively restoring some previously logged forests," explained Dr. Lindenmayer.

"In the event of wildfires, land managers must avoid practices such as 'salvage' logging - or logging of burnt forests - which severely reduces recovery of a forest."

The Australian government has launched a royal commission to find ways to improve the country's level of preparedness, resilience, and response to natural disasters.

Michelle Ward, a researcher in the  UQ School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, said it is time for the government to act.

"We urge policy makers to recognize and account for the critical values of intact, undisturbed native forests, not only for the protection of biodiversity, but for human safety," said Ward.

"Let's act strongly and swiftly for the sake of our communities, the species they house, our climate and Australia's wild heritage."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Logging intensified the risk and severity of Australian wildfires

Logging likely increased the risk and severity of the recent...

A new study has revealed that sea level rise will increase <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coastal-flooding-will-soon-be-common-in-the-u-s/">flood</a> risks across Honolulu from multiple sources in the coming decades. Researchers at the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii at Manoa</a> School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology found that groundwater inundation will pose the biggest flooding threat for Honolulu.

As sea levels continue to rise, the frequency of extreme high tide events will increase. Honolulu will not only be impacted from seawater washing directly onshore, but also from groundwater inundation and reverse flow through the municipal drainage system.

The researchers determined that direct marine inundation represents only three percent of the predicted flooding, while rising groundwater will be responsible for the majority of the anticipated flooding events.

Study lead author Shellie Habel is a coastal geologist and extension agent with the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program and UH Coastal Geology Group. 

"This is significant because many people think that sea level rise can be mitigated by seawalls," said Habel. "But a seawall will not stop groundwater inundation. Our results highlight the need to readjust our thinking regarding the flooding that accompanies sea level rise. We want to be sure to implement flood management strategies that will be effective at mitigating flooding."

The researchers developed a method to assess all types of flooding and to identify vulnerable infrastructure. They simulated the extent and locations of flooding from each of the three sources to produce flood maps. 

By overlapping the simulations, the team managed to pinpoint areas that will be vulnerable to combined flooding in the coming decades.

In collaboration with experts at the UH Sea Level Center, the researchers developed a statistical model that incorporated tide and sea level rise predictions. 

Using the flood simulations, the research team estimated the frequency of flooding in specific areas and identified critical infrastructure that is likely to fail and cause direct impacts, such as dangerous roadways and vulnerable storm drainage inlets. Potential impacts were found to be widespread among Honolulu's primary urban center.

"Because each type of flooding infiltrates through unique pathways, they will require unique engineering strategies to manage," said Habel. "The design of flood management strategies required to mitigate these impacts necessitate site-specific consideration of each mechanism to avoid being ineffective."

The UH researchers will partner with the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, the Hawaii Sea Grant, and others to develop a coastal groundwater monitoring network. 

Data collected through monitoring, such as the effects of extreme rainfall, will improve the capabilities of the statistical model developed by the researchers. The monitoring network will also be used to inform short and long-term flood management strategies.

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;

Honolulu faces a high flooding risk from multiple sources

A new study has revealed that sea level rise will...

The transfer of genes from one population to another, or gene flow, was once thought to be an unlikely result of crossbreeding. However,  recent studies have shown that this type of evolution is much more common than what was expected. 

A study led by <a href="https://www.uu.se/en">Uppsala University</a> is providing the latest evidence of this phenomenon. According to the researchers, gene flow between two distinct species of Darwin's finches has changed their beak morphology.

Study co-authors Rosemary and Peter Grant of Princeton University observed populations of Darwin's finches on the small island of Daphne Major for 40 consecutive years. Two distinct species, the common cactus finch and the medium ground finch, occasionally cross-mated. 

The cactus finch has a pointed beak that is specialized to feed on cactus, while the medium ground finch has a blunt beak for feeding on seeds.

"Over the years, we observed occasional hybridization between these two species and noticed a convergence in beak shape. In particular, the beak of the common cactus finch became blunter and more similar to the beak of the medium ground finch," said the Grants. "We wondered whether this evolutionary change could be explained by gene flow between the two species."

"We have now addressed this question by sequencing groups of the two species from different time periods and with different beak morphology," said study co-author Professor Sangeet Lamichhaney. "We provide evidence of a substantial gene flow, in particular from the medium ground finch to the common cactus finch."

Fan Han of Uppsala University analyzed the data as part of her PhD thesis. Han said the team was surprised to find that the observed gene flow was substantial on most autosomal chromosomes but negligible on the Z chromosome, one of the sex chromosomes. 

"In birds, the sex chromosomes are ZZ in males and ZW in females, in contrast to mammals where males are XY and females are XX," explained Han.

"This interesting result is in fact in excellent agreement with our field observation from the Galápagos," said the Grants. "We noticed that most of the hybrids had a common cactus finch father and a medium ground finch mother." 

"Furthermore, the hybrid females successfully bred with common cactus finch males and thereby transferred genes from the medium ground finch to the common cactus finch population. In contrast, male hybrids were smaller than common cactus finch males and could not compete successfully for high-quality territories and mates."

Darwin's finches are imprinted on the song of their fathers. The sons sing a song similar to their father's song and daughters prefer to mate with males that sing like their fathers. 

In addition, hybrid females receive Z chromosomes from their cactus finch father and W chromosomes from their ground finch mother. The fact that parents of the hybrid contribute equally explains why genes on the Z chromosome cannot flow from the medium ground finch to the cactus finch through the hybrid females while other genes can.

"Our data show that the fitness of the hybrids between the two species is highly dependent on environmental conditions which affect food abundance," explained study co-author Leif Andersson. "That is, to what extent hybrids, with their combination of gene variants from both species, can successfully compete for food and territory. Therefore, the long-term outcome of the ongoing hybridization between the two species will depend on environmental factors as well as competition."

"One scenario is that the two species will merge into a single species combining gene variants from the two species, but perhaps a more likely scenario is that they will continue to behave as two species and either continue to exchange genes occasionally or develop reproductive isolation if the hybrids at some point show reduced fitness compared with purebred progeny. The study contributes to our understanding of how biodiversity evolves."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature, Ecology, and Evolution</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Cross-mating finches exchanged genes and beak shape

The transfer of genes from one population to another, or...

The manipulation of a single gene can help <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ancient-species-holds-valuable-evidence-of-plant-evolution/">plants</a> pass on valuable information to their offspring, making them tougher and more productive. Experts at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a> discovered that switching off the expression of one gene induced a type of "stress memory" in plants that is inherited by some of their descendants. 

According to the researchers, this discovery has significant implications for plant breeding. Furthermore, the changes are epigenetic and do not require material from another plant, which means that crops bred with this technology would not be included in the controversial "genetically modified" category of foods. 

"One gene, MSH1, gives us access to what is controlling a broad array of plant resiliency networks," said Professor Sally Mackenzie, director of the Plant Institute at Penn State.

"When a plant experiences a stress such as drought or prolonged extreme heat, it has the ability to adjust quickly to its environment to become phenotypically 'plastic' - or flexible."

The researchers explained that there are many ways to inactivate the MSH1 gene and they all have similar outcomes.

"When plants are modified epigenetically, they can modify many genes in as simple a manner as possible," said Professor Mackenzie. Such modifications can be used to trigger growth, reproduction, and resiliency among plants. 

By silencing the MSH1 gene, the plants are able to detect stress and know how to respond to environmental stimuli. For example, the plants can change their root configuration, limit above-ground biomass, or delay flowering time.

According to the researchers, these responses are remembered, and can be passed down to many generations through selective breeding. 

"In our research, we show that this memory condition is heritable by progeny but occurs in only a proportion of the progeny - so that there are memory and non-memory full siblings," said Professor Mackenzie. "That results in definable gene expression changes that impact a plant's phenotypic 'plasticity.'" 

"We suggest that all plants have this capacity, and that the condition that we describe is likely to be an important part of how plants transmit memory of their environment to precondition progeny."

Professor Mackenzie explained that by adjusting the epigenetic architecture of a plant, the researchers were able to access its resiliency network and see how genes are expressed quickly and broadly to adjust the plant's growth to its environment.

The experts can identify pathways that enhance root growth and plant vigor, which increases crop yield. When an MSH1-modified plant is crossed or grafted, the plant vigor becomes even more pronounced.

In follow-up research that is currently underway, Professor Mackenzie's team has suppressed MSH1 genes in tomato and soybean plants, and grafting experiments have shown excellent yield results. 

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;

"Stress memory" helps plants become more resilient

The manipulation of a single gene can help plants pass...

The persistent loss of snow cover in the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau region is fueling a destructive algal bloom in the Arabian Sea, according to new research from the <a href="https://www.earth.columbia.edu/">Earth Institute</a>. 

Millimeter-size planktonic organisms called Noctiluca scintillans, which were rarely seen in this region two decades ago, are now thriving in the Arabian Sea. The organisms are forcing out the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/phytoplankton-resilient-nutrient-stress/">phytoplankton</a> that support the local food chain. 

The Noctiluca form thick, foamy green algal blooms that are large enough to be seen from space. The destructive blooms are returning each year and persisting for several months at a time. 

As the Noctiluca disrupt the base of the marine food web, they are essentially threatening local fisheries that support more than 150 million people.

Led by Joaquim I. Goes, the Earth Institute team used field data, lab experiments, and decades of NASA satellite imagery to link Noctiluca in the Arabian Sea to melting glaciers and a weakened winter monsoon.

"This is probably one of the most dramatic changes that we have seen that's related to climate change," said Goes. "We are seeing Noctiluca in Southeast Asia, off the coasts of Thailand and Vietnam, and as far south as the Seychelles, and everywhere it blooms it is becoming a problem. It also harms water quality and causes a lot of fish mortality."

In the wintertime, cold monsoon winds blowing from the Himalayas usually cool the surface of the Arabian Sea. These colder waters sink and are replaced with warmer, nutrient-rich waters from below. 

Meanwhile, phytoplankton thrive in the nutrient-rich surface waters, and communities and fisheries can count on the arrival of an abundance of fish that feed on the phytoplankton. 

However, shrinking glaciers and declining snow cover in the Himalayas have caused the monsoon winds to become warmer and more humid. This impacts the upwelling process and leaves the upper ocean lacking in nutrients.

While these conditions put diatoms and other phytoplankton at a disadvantage, Noctiluca flourish because they do not rely solely on sunlight and nutrients and can survive by eating other microorganisms. 

Noctiluca blooms not only compete with phytoplankton for replenished nutrients, but also feed on the phytoplankton themselves. 

According to the researchers, the study provides compelling new evidence of the cascading impacts of global warming on the Indian monsoons and the economic stability of large populations along the Arabian Sea. 

"Most studies related to climate change and ocean biology are focused on the polar and temperate waters, and changes in the tropics are going largely unnoticed," said Goes. 

Disproportionate changes and biodiversity loss in the tropical oceans are changing faster than what conventional climate models have predicted. Goes said that this may foreshadow dire consequences over the long term for countries in the region that are already gripped by socioeconomic problems from war, poverty, and loss of livelihoods.

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;

Destructive algal blooms linked to Himalayan snowmelt

The persistent loss of snow cover in the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau...

The best conditions for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/experts-identify-the-molecular-recipe-for-heat-resistant-wheat-crops/">crop</a> production in the Midwest are moving north and west as a result of climate change, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a>. The researchers found that if temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, the best spots for growing corn and soybeans will shift from Iowa and Illinois to Minnesota and the Dakotas over the next five decades. 

The experts used machine learning to analyze more than three decades of crop-yield data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The data covered counties across 18 states in the central U.S. where the majority of soybean and corn production takes place.

The researchers combined crop yields, weather data, and climate variables to establish yield predictors specific to each of the crop-growing phases. 

The team also investigated how the climate affected corn, sorghum, and soybean grain yield from 1980 to 2016.

Study co-author Armen Kemanian is an associate professor of Production Systems and Modeling in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

"This kind of research was impossible before the era of big data we are living in now, and of course, it can be done only by using the powerful computing capacity that we can access at Penn State," said Professor Kemanian.

"This study is important because in a climate that is changing relatively quickly, these techniques allow us to foresee what may happen."

Study lead author Alexis Hoffman said the findings do not necessarily mean that the shift north and west in corn and soybean production will occur. However, the research shows that such a shift is already underway, and there is a strong probability it will continue.

"We are not suggesting that such a shift would be a catastrophe," said Professor Kemanian. "It doesn't mean that Iowa will stop producing crops, but it might mean that Iowa farmers adapt to a warmer climate producing two crops in a year or a different mix of crops instead of the dominant corn-soybean rotation. The changes are likely to be gradual, and farmers and the supply chain should be able to adapt. But things will change."

According to Hoffman, one of the most revealing results of the study is that corn, sorghum, and soybean crops have distinct responses to humidity and temperature. Overall, corn needs more humidity, sorghum tolerates higher temperatures, and soybean falls somewhere in between.

Hoffman noted that corn had a uniquely strong response of increased yield to increasing atmospheric humidity, as well as a strong sensitivity to extreme temperatures.

"Humidity is a factor for all crops studied, but what the data are telling us is that it is more of a factor for corn than it is for soybean or sorghum, and in a very narrow time window," said Hoffman. "And by humidity, we mean that soils might be moist, but the data is showing that moisture in the air matters, regardless. That wasn't known before."

Soybean, however, had a strong response to both maximum and minimum temperatures. 

"All crops had threshold-like responses to high temperature, though we documented a comparatively greater tolerance to high temperature for sorghum at 90.5 F versus a range of 84.2 to 86 F for corn and soybean," said Hoffman. "We did not describe that response - machine learning revealed it for us."

Professor Kemanian said the research may have implications for companies selling crop insurance.

"High-temperature swings are damaging. Learning when and by how much for both corn and soybean is critically important," he explained. "Crop insurance companies have an interest in this because they need to assess the risk of a given stress happening and how much they will pay as a result."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Best conditions for growing crops in the Midwest are moving north

The best conditions for crop production in the Midwest are...

Cyanobacteria extract water from rocks to survive extreme <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/the-heart-of-the-sahara-desert/">desert</a> conditions, according to a new study led by <a href="https://uci.edu/">UC Irvine</a>. The findings demonstrate how life can thrive in places that appear to be lacking in water, such as Mars.

"The Army Research Office funded this project because they want to understand how organisms can survive in extreme environments," explained study lead author Professor David Kisailus. 

"They also wanted us to help translate that to enabling humans to cope with the harshest of conditions, whether it be out in the middle of the desert or while exploring other planets."

The study was focused on interactions of Chroococcidiopsis, a desiccation-resistant cyanobacteria, and the rocks they colonize in the Atacama Desert, which is one of the driest places on the planet. 

The microorganisms dwell beneath a thin layer of rock that helps to shield them from harsh desert conditions such as excess sunlight, extreme dryness, and brutal wind. The water-containing rock, called gypsum, is made up of calcium sulfate-based minerals. 

Study co-author Jocelyne DiRuggiero is an associate professor in the Department of Biology at Johns Hopkins University. 

Professor DiRuggiero collected gypsum samples in the Atacama Desert and brought them back to her lab in the United States. She cut small pieces of rock that contained cyanobacteria and sent them to Professor Kisailus for analysis.

The researchers were surprised to discover that cyanobacteria change the nature of the rocks they occupy in dry, desert conditions. Through water extraction, the microorganisms transform gypsum to anhydrite, a dehydrated mineral.

Wei Huang is a UCI postdoctoral scholar in Materials Science &amp; Engineering. Huang noticed an overlap in concentrations of anhydrite and cyanobacteria in the gypsum samples collected in the Atacama, which spawned an investigation.

"Our analysis of the regions of rock where microbes were colonized revealed a dehydrated phase of calcium sulfate, suggesting that they extract water from the rock to survive," said Professor Kisailus. "We wanted to do some more controlled experiments to validate that hypothesis."

Professor DiRuggiero's team allowed the cyanobacteria to colonize half-millimeter cubes of rock, called coupons. 

The experiment was conducted under two different conditions. The first involved the presence of water to mimic a high-humidity environment, while the second was  completely dry to mimic desert conditions. 

The experiment revealed that when moisture was present, the gypsum did not transform to the anhydrite phase. According to Professor Kisailus, this was because the cyanobacteria didn't need water from the rock when they got it from their surroundings.

"But when they were put under stressed conditions, the microbes had no alternative but to extract water from the gypsum, inducing this phase transformation in the material," explained Professor Kisailus.

Using a combination of advanced microscopy and spectroscopy to examine the specific interactions that take place, the team found that the cyanobacteria bore into the rock like tiny miners by excreting a biofilm containing organic acids.

"Researchers have suspected for a long time that microorganisms might be able to extract water from minerals, but this is the first demonstration of it," said Professor  DiRuggiero. "This is an amazing survival strategy for microorganisms living at the dry limit for life, and it will guide our search for life elsewhere."

The findings also have implications for how people living in arid regions may someday derive hydration from available minerals.

Dr. Robert Kokoska is the Program Manager at the Army Research Office. 

"The Army has a strong interest in how microorganisms well-adapted to extreme environments can be exploited for novel applications such as materials synthesis and power generation within these harsh environments," said Dr. Kokoska.

"This study provides valuable clues for uncovering the evolved design strategies used by these native, desert-dwelling microbes to maintain their viability in the face of multiple environmental challenges."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">PNAS</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Organisms extract water from rocks to survive desert conditions

Cyanobacteria extract water from rocks to survive extreme desert conditions, according...

The discovery of a new <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plant-extracts-may-be-the-best-cure-for-a-hangover/">plant</a> species has given researchers a glimpse into a critical phase of plant evolution. The 400-million-year-old specimen encompasses one of the most complete records of a mysterious stage in plant reproduction.

Today, flowers and trees coordinate efforts with insects, wind, and rain to reproduce. But to obtain such specialized strategies for seed dispersal, plants went through millions of years of evolution. 

Dating back to the Early Devonian period, the fossilized plant likely belongs to the herbaceous barinophytes, an unusual extinct group of plants that may be related to clubmosses. 

The ancient specimen produced a range of spore sizes, which is one of the earliest examples of advanced reproductive tools in plants.

Study senior author Andrew Leslie is an assistant professor of Geological Sciences at <a href="https://earth.stanford.edu/">Stanford Earth</a>.

"Usually when we see heterosporous plants appear in the fossil record, they just sort of pop into existence," said Professor Leslie.

"We think this may be kind of a snapshot of this very rarely witnessed transition period in evolutionary history where you see high variation amongst spores in the reproductive structure."

The Devonian was one of the most significant time periods for terrestrial plant evolution. During this age, plants diversified from small mosses to towering complex forests. 

The development of different spore sizes, or heterospory, represents a major step in plant reproduction. Later, these reproductive units would further progress into small or large versions.

"Think of all the different types of sexual systems that are in flowers - all of that is predicated on having separate small spores, or pollen, and big spores, which are inside the seeds," said Professor Leslie. 

"With two discrete size classes, it's a more efficient way of packaging resources because the big spores can't move as easily as the little ones, but can better nourish offspring."

Up until about 400 million years ago, plants lacked any type of reproductive specialization. They made the same types of spores, which would grow into little plantlets that transferred reproductive cells. 

According to the researchers, plants eventually gained more control over reproduction by separating their reproductive resources.

Along with the previously described plant group Chaleuria of the same age, the new species represents the first evidence of more advanced reproductive biology in land plants. The next evidence does not appear in the fossil record until about 20 million years later.

"These kinds of fossils help us locate when and how exactly plants achieved that kind of partitioning of their reproductive resources," said Professor Leslie. "The very end of that evolutionary history of specialization is something like a flower."

The study was focused on fossils that had been stored at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for decades, which were originally recovered from the Campbellton Formation in Canada. 

The team analyzed about 30 small chips of rock and identified more than 80 reproductive structures, or sporangia. The spores range from about 70 to 200 microns in diameter. Some of the structures contained exclusively large or small spores, while others held the entire range of spore sizes - possibly with some producing sperm and others eggs.

"It's rare to get this many sporangia with well-preserved spores that you can measure," said Professor Leslie. "We just kind of got lucky in how they were preserved."

Professor Leslie said the newly described species has a medley of spores that is not like anything living today.

"The overarching story in land plant reproduction is one of increased division of labor and specialization and complexity, but that has to begin somewhere - and it began with simply producing small spores and big spores," said Professor Leslie said. "With these kinds of fossils, we can identify some ways the plants were able to do that."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</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;

Ancient plant holds valuable evidence of evolution

The discovery of a new plant species has given researchers...

In a new study from <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">UC San Diego</a>, researchers have discovered that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-may-prevent-ards-in-covid-19-patients/">exercise</a> causes changes in the brain that boost motor skill learning.

A growing collection of research highlights the enormous benefits of exercise for physical and mental health. A regular fitness routine has been found to improve health, energy, mood, and sleep.  

The new research suggests that exercise can also improve the ability to master skills that require balance, coordination, reaction time, and speed. 

While the advantages of exercise are well documented, the neurological changes which drive these benefits are largely unknown. The researchers set out to investigate what happens inside the brain during exercise that leads to positive outcomes.

By comparing the brains of active and sedentary mice, the experts identified key neurological modifications following sustained exercise. More specifically, the team pinpointed neurons that switched their chemical signals after physical activity. 

The neurotransmitter switching strategy helped the mice acquire skills involved in motor learning.

Study co-author Professor Nick Spitzer is the Atkinson Family Chair in the Biological Sciences Section of Neurobiology and a director of the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind.

"This study provides new insight into how we get good at things that require motor skills and provides information about how these skills are actually learned," said Professor Spitzer.

In Professor Spitzer's laboratory, the team had previously confirmed that neurons in the adult mammalian brain have the ability to change their transmitter identity in response to sustained stimuli. The researchers studied the role of neurotransmitter switching in depression, and then turned their focus to learning how this phenomenon may be involved in healthy conditions.

Study co-author Hui-quan Li said the current findings underscore the importance of exercise, even at home during the current pandemic quarantine situation.

"This study shows that it's good for the brain to add more plasticity," said Li. "For people who would like to enhance their motor skill learning, it may be useful to do some exercise to promote this form of plasticity to benefit the brain. For example, if you hope to learn and enjoy challenging sports such as surfing or rock climbing when we're no longer sheltering at home, it can be good to routinely run on a treadmill or maintain a yoga practice at home now."

The researchers concluded that neurotransmitter switching provides the basis by which sustained exercise, such as running, benefits motor skill learning. This presents a target for the treatment of movement disorders.

"With an understanding of this mechanism comes the opportunity to manipulate and to harness it for further beneficial purposes," said Professor Spitzer. "In the injured or diseased individual, it could be a way of turning things around to give the nervous system a further boost."

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;

Exercise helps you master motor skill learning

In a new study from UC San Diego, researchers have...

Experts at <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a> have been studying <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rising-co2-levels-wheat-yield/">wheat</a> plants to understand how they could be protected from heat stress on a molecular level. The research may ultimately lead to the development of wheat crops that can tolerate the rising temperatures associated with climate change. 

Just as smart thermostats can tell air conditioners when to switch on and off, plants have Rubisco activase (Rca) to switch on the energy-producing enzyme Rubisco when to kick on when there is plenty of sunlight. Then, when the leaf is deprived of light, Rca signals the enzyme to shut off to conserve energy.

The Lancaster researchers have determined that swapping just one molecular building block of Rca in wheat crops can enable the system to activate Rubisco faster when temperatures rise. This presents scientists with a great opportunity to help protect wheat crops from global warming. 

The research project, Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), was led by Elizabete Carmo-Silva, a senior lecturer at the Lancaster Environment Center. The RIPE project is focused on engineering crops to be more productive by improving photosynthesis. 

"We took a wheat Rca (2β) that was already pretty good at activating Rubisco in lower temperatures and swapped out just one of its amino acids with one found in another wheat Rca (1β) that works pretty well in higher temperatures but is rubbish at activating Rubisco -- and the result is a new form of 2β Rca that is the best of both worlds," said Carmo-Silva.

According to the researchers, naturally occurring wheat Rca 1β has an isoleucine amino acid and works up to 39 degrees Celsius, but is not very effective in activating Rubisco. On the other hand, 2β has a methionine amino acid, works up to about 30 degrees Celsius, and is very good at activating Rubisco. 

The team has engineered a new version of 2β for wheat crops. The modified Rca has an isoleucine amino acid that works up to 35 degrees Celsius and can sufficiently activate Rubisco.

"Essentially, 1β is a rubbish enzyme and 2β is sensitive to higher temperatures," said Carmo-Silva. "The cool thing here is that we have shown how this one amino acid swap can make Rca active at higher temperatures without really affecting its efficiency to activate Rubisco, which could help crops kickstart photosynthesis under temperature stress to churn out higher yields."

The findings will support RIPE's efforts to improve wheat crops, as well as other food crops like cowpeas and soybeans.

"When looking at cowpea growing regions in Africa, it goes all the way from South Africa with an average around 22 degrees Celcius to Nigeria at about 30, and areas further north get to 38," said Carmo-Silva. 

"If we can help Rubisco activate more efficiently across these temperatures, that is really powerful and could help us close the gap between yield potential and the reality for farmers who depend on these crops for their sustenance and livelihoods."

The RIPE project is funded by the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), and the U.K. Government's Department for International Development (DFID).

The study is published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1365313x">The Plant Journal</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Experts identify the molecular recipe for heat-resistant wheat crops

Experts at Lancaster University have been studying wheat plants to...

Cancer patients have a greater risk of death from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/controlled-blood-sugar-improves-covid-19-outcomes-for-diabetics/">COVID</a>-19 and must take extra precautions to avoid infection, according to research led by the <a href="http://www.aecom.yu.edu/">Albert Einstein College of Medicine</a>. The study is the largest of its kind to investigate COVID-19 outcomes for individuals with cancer. 

Study co-lead author Dr. Vikas Mehta is a surgical oncologist at Montefiore Health System and an associate professor at Einstein. 

"Our findings emphasize the need to prevent cancer patients from contracting COVID-19 and - if they do - to identify and closely monitor these individuals for dangerous symptoms," said Dr. Mehta.

"We hope that our findings can inform states and communities that have not yet been so severely struck by this pandemic about the unique vulnerability cancer patients face."

The research was focused on 218 cancer patients who tested positive for COVID-19 from March 18 to April 8, 2020 at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. This region of New York City has been hit particularly hard by COVID-19, with a dramatically high number of fatalities that includes a total of 61 cancer patients.

"A key element is that mortality appears to be more closely related to frailty, age, and comorbidities than to active therapy for cancer," said co-senior author Dr. Balazs Halmos.

"Our data suggest that we should not stop lifesaving cancer therapies, but rather develop strategies to minimize potential COVID-19 exposures and re-evaluate therapies for our most vulnerable cancer populations," explained co-senior author Dr. Amit Verma.

The high fatality rate within the study population may be partially explained by the timing of the patients' illness. The individuals contracted the disease at a time when testing and hospitalization was largely reserved for the sickest patients with the most severe symptoms. 

However, even when compared to mortality rates in non-cancer patients across New York City during the same time period, cancer patients had a significantly higher risk of dying from COVID-19.

Among COVID-19 patients with blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, 37 percent lost their lives. The mortality rate for patients with lung cancer was 55 percent, colorectal cancer was 38 percent, breast cancer was 14 percent, and prostate cancer was 20 percent.

There was a significantly greater risk of death from COVID-19 in cancer patients who were older or suffered from hypertension, heart disease, and lung disease.

More than half of the individuals with cancer who died from COVID-19 had been in places with a high risk of exposure, such as nursing homes or hospitals, within 30 days of diagnosis. 

As a result of the findings, Montefiore has changed some of its clinical practices by using telemedicine and early and aggressive social distancing for cancer patients. The healthcare system has opened a cancer outpatient and inpatient clinical service, and has deployed social workers and food deliveries to its at-risk population.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/">Cancer Discovery</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Cancer patients have a higher risk of fatal COVID-19 infection

Cancer patients have a greater risk of death from COVID-19...

Millions of microbes are buried in sediments deep beneath the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-forecast-method-can-predict-ocean-acidity-years-in-advance/">ocean</a>, and a new study has revealed that some of them bubble up to seafloor with fluids from buried petroleum reservoirs. After seeping up into the deep sea, the microbes diversify microbial communities and influence ocean processes, such as carbon cycling. 

Bacteria, viruses, and other organisms that are hidden from sight play a central role in regulating Earth's functions and resources. An estimated one-third of these microbes exist deep below the seafloor.

Study co-author Emil Ruff is a scientist at the <a href="https://www.mbl.edu/">Marine Biological Laboratory</a> (MBL). 

"This study confirms that petroleum seeps are a conduit for transporting life from the deep biosphere to the seafloor," said Ruff.

The analysis was focused on 172 seafloor sediment samples from the eastern Gulf of Mexico that had been collected as part of a 2011 survey for the oil industry. 

The team used metagenomic techniques to determine what microbes were present in the sediment samples, and sequenced the genomes of the most interesting organisms to investigate what their activity may be like in the subsurface.

Some of the samples contained migrated gaseous hydrocarbons, which are the main components of oil and gas. These petroleum seeps harbored distinct microbial communities containing bacteria and archaea that are known to thrive in deep biosphere sediments.

The study was led by Anirban Chakraborty and Casey Hubert of the University of Calgary.

"Whereas sedimentation slowly buries microbial communities into the deep biosphere, these results show that it's more of a two-way street. The microbes coming back up offer a window to life buried deeper below," said Hubert. 

"These relatively accessible surface sediments give us a glimpse into the vast, subsurface realm."

The research is providing new insight into the metabolic diversity of seabed petroleum seep microbial communities. "If it weren't for the microbes living at hydrocarbon seeps, the oceans would be full of gas and oil," said Chakraborty.

Explorations of deep-sea ecosystems are often limited by the number and quality of samples because the seafloor is difficult to access. 

"One of the strengths of this study is the large number of samples analyzed, allowing robust statistical inferences of the microbes present in the petroleum seeps," explained Ruff. 

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the 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;

Mysterious microbes bubble up into the ocean floor

Millions of microbes are buried in sediments deep beneath the...

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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



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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

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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...