A new study from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> reveals what is going on inside of your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-brain-interactions-have-an-influence-on-diseases/">brain</a> when you get lost in a fictional fantasy. The experts discovered that the more immersed we become in the lives of our favorite characters of fiction, the more our brain activity reflects how much we identify with them.
&#8220;When they think about a favorite fictional character, it appears similar in one part of the brain as when they are thinking about themselves,&#8221; said study lead author Timothy Broom.
The research was focused on self-described fans of the HBO series &#8220;Game of Thrones.&#8221; The individuals were instructed to think about themselves, nine of their friends, and nine characters from the drama series. The participants also reported on which character they felt closest to and liked the most.
According to Broom, Game of Thrones was ideal for this study because it attracted a devoted fan base and the large cast presented a variety of characters that people could become attached to.
One of the key findings involved participants who scored highest on &#8220;trait identification.&#8221; These individuals agreed most strongly with statements like &#8220;I really get involved in the feelings of the characters in a novel.&#8221;
&#8220;People who are high in trait identification not only get absorbed into a story, they also are really absorbed into a particular character,&#8221; said Broom. &#8220;They report matching the thoughts of the character, they are thinking what the character is thinking, they are feeling what the character is feeling. They are inhabiting the role of that character.&#8221;
The researchers used an fMRI machine to measure activity in various parts of the brain through small changes in blood flow. As the participants&#8217; brains were scanned, they were evaluating themselves, their friends, and Game of Thrones characters. 
A part of the brain called the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) is known to show increased activity when people think about themselves and, to a lesser extent, when they think about close friends.
While in the fMRI, the individuals were shown a series of names &#8211; including themselves, friends, or characters &#8211; along with a trait, such as lonely, sad, trustworthy, or smart. The participants simply said &#8220;yes&#8221; or &#8220;no&#8221; to imply whether the trait fit the person.
As expected, the vMPFC was most active when people were evaluating themselves, less active when they evaluated friends, and least active when they evaluated characters from Game of Thrones.
However, among those who were high in trait identification, the vMPFC was more active when they thought about the fictional characters than it was for participants who identified less with the characters. This region of the brain was particularly active when the individuals evaluated the character they identified with the most.
Study co-author Dylan Wanger said the findings help explain how fiction can have such a big impact on some people.
&#8220;For some people, fiction is a chance to take on new identities, to see worlds though others&#8217; eyes and return from those experiences changed,&#8221; said Wagner.
&#8220;What previous studies have found is that when people experience stories as if they were one of the characters, a connection is made with that character, and the character becomes intwined with the self. In our study, we see evidence of that in their brains.&#8221;
The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/scan">Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience</a>.
&#8211;&#8212;
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What happens in your brain while you're lost in fiction

A new study from the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a> shows that ingesting high levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/looking-for-microplastics-in-the-remote-weddell-sea/">microplastics</a> is harmful to human cells. Study lead author Evangelos Danopoulos said that this is the first-time scientists have attempted to quantify the effects of microplastics on human cells using a statistical analysis of the available published studies.



"What we have found is that in toxicology tests, we are seeing reactions including cell death and allergic reactions as potential effects of ingesting or inhaling high levels of microplastics," said Danopoulos.



The researchers compared levels of microplastic consumption affecting cell viability to levels of cell viability humans are exposed to by ingesting contaminated food. They did this by looking at three previous studies.&nbsp;



The studies investigated the presence of microplastics in drinking water, seafood,&nbsp; and table salt, revealing high levels of contamination. The scientists compared these levels of plastic contamination to the levels required to cause negative impacts on human cells in toxicology studies.&nbsp;



“Our research shows that we are ingesting microplastics at the levels consistent with harmful effects on cells, which are in many cases the initiating event for health effects," said Danopoulos. "However, the biggest uncertainty at the present time is how ingested microplastics are excreted from the body. This is a crucial point to understand the true level of risk.”



The research looked at five ways in which microplastics can cause cell damage: cell death; immune responses (and allergic reaction); how microplastics may harm cell membranes or cross into them; oxidative stress, which can lead to cell and tissue damage; and genotoxicity, or damage to genetic information. The first four of these seem to be affected by certain levels of microplastics. The researchers also found that not all microplastics pose the same threat.&nbsp;



“Our analysis of the data showed that cell viability depends on the shape of the microplastics. Irregularly shaped microplastics, which are the majority found in the environment, are more hazardous than spherical," explained Danopoulos.



"So far, most toxicology studies have been testing spherical microplastics. There needs to be a shift to testing irregularly shaped ones.”



The researchers said that little is known about what happens after microplastics enter the body, despite their research showing the impact of microplastics on cells. The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-hazardous-materials">Journal of Hazardous Materials</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Microplastics harm human cells, but many questions remain

A new study from the University of York shows that...

In an effort to address <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-are-not-keeping-pace-with-climate-change/">climate</a> change, President Joe Biden signed an executive order today that aims to cut the federal government’s carbon emissions by 65 percent over the remainder of this decade. The ultimate goal is for federal operations to become carbon neutral by 2050.



The government’s new climate goals align with the global target of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century. According to scientists, achieving this target is necessary to give the world a fighting chance at preventing the catastrophic impacts of unabated global warming.



According to a report from <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/">CNBC</a>, the White House will spend its annual allowance of $650 billion to upgrade efficiency at 300,000 government buildings and replace its fleet of 600,000 cars and trucks with electric vehicles.



The executive order also introduced a "buy clean" initiative that directs the government to promote the use of products that are associated with lower greenhouse gas emissions. This is meant to expand the market for American-made sustainable goods with a low carbon footprint.



"By transforming how the federal government builds, buys, and manages its assets and operations, the federal government will support the growth of America's clean energy and clean technology industries," the White House said.&nbsp;



To help reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral, the government has pledged to stop purchasing gas-powered passenger vehicles in the next five years, and plans to purchase only zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The executive order establishes that all buildings owned or leased by the federal government will produce zero carbon emissions by 2045.



According to the Washington Post, the administration’s push for carbon neutrality could have a ripple effect across the country. Duke University Professor Sarah Bloom Raskin said the government is a significant driver of demand that could “send a signal” without even adopting new regulations or passing legislation.



“It doesn’t tell the private sector entities what to do, but to some extent it will demand a certain kind of good and service so companies can shift what’s being made,” said Professor Raskin.



The White House said the executive order will reduce emissions across federal operations, invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing, and create clean, healthy, and resilient communities.



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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

U.S. government pledges to be carbon neutral by mid-century

In an effort to address climate change, President Joe Biden...

Based on previous research, scientists have predicted that plants will be able to adapt to rising global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-are-harming-bumblebee-diet/">temperatures</a> by changing their seasonal responses. Changing the timing of seasonal processes, such as new leaf growth in spring, flower formation and seed set, was expected to help plants keep pace with climate change. However, a new, global-scale analysis has revealed that changes in these phenological (seasonal) processes are lagging behind the temperature increases, especially in human-dominated landscapes.



“We would commonly expect phenology to adapt very quickly to climate change, but with these findings, we see that there’s probably a limit to how much adaptation we can see, and this limit is affected by human activities,” said study lead author Yiluan Song. “These findings open up a lot of questions to explore in terms of our expected response of plants to climate change.”&nbsp;



Under the guidance of Professor of Kai Zhu, researchers at <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">UC Santa Cruz</a> analyzed satellite remote-sensing data in the Northern Hemisphere at mid- to high-latitudes. This data identified the warm-season growth patterns of plants on the ground. They hypothesized that growing seasons in the Northern Hemisphere would start earlier and last longer in response to increases in temperature. But this is not what they found.&nbsp;



Between 1981 and 2014, the length of the growing season changed more slowly than the average annual near-surface temperatures across a majority of the Northern Hemisphere. In some areas, this mismatch was even more extreme, with growing seasons getting shorter instead of longer.&nbsp;



In addition, the phenological mismatch corresponded with human population density and was particularly pronounced in the most human-dominated landscapes, especially croplands.&nbsp;This finding was supported with additional data from on-the-ground observations by citizen scientists which showed that the mismatch between temperature-related environmental conditions and the timing of initial growth of spring leaves increased with human population density.&nbsp;



While growing seasons in these human-impacted landscapes did not match temperature changes, phenological shifts were actually ahead of temperature changes in wildland areas. Researchers have yet to understand the reasons for these findings



One possibility is that the rate of temperature change may simply be too great for plant phenology to adequately keep up. Prior research shows that plants may be limited by their need to respond to other environmental variables too – like the length of the day and levels of precipitation – and that the species types and compositions of plant communities across parts of the Northern Hemisphere may also shape phenological response.&nbsp;



The findings have significant implications for areas where crops are farmed. In agricultural settings, warming temperatures can accelerate crop development, leading to an early harvest, but adaptive management practices could better match plant phenology with climate conditions to take advantage of longer growing seasons. Additional research will be needed to understand how human activities – like irrigation, selective planting, or land disturbance – might affect climate-phenology coupling and what the long-term impacts of this effect could be.&nbsp;



“While plant phenology has been well-researched, conventional approaches focus on natural systems, looking at forests or grasslands and intentionally excluding the areas with human dominance,” explained study senior author Kai Zhu. “But we are in the Anthropocene. When you look at the land across the earth, a large chunk of it has been modified by humans, and I think this study shows that it would be a mistake to not account for that.”



In addition, changes in the plant growth have potential impacts on environmental processes. “We particularly want to know more about the implications of these new findings on the carbon cycle,” said Zhu. “Plants are currently doing us a great service in taking up a lot of the carbon emissions we put into the atmosphere, but the length of the growing season is an important factor that determines how much carbon they can sequester.”



The researchers hope their findings might help to inform new approaches in the study of plant phenology.&nbsp;They argue that maintaining a stable relationship between climate and plant phenology is crucial for maintaining both biological diversity and ecosystem productivity in the future.&nbsp;



“We anticipate that the degree of mismatch may ultimately depend on how humans intervene,” said Zhu. “If we are smart enough, I think we could probably be adaptive to climate change through better management of plants. We are still learning in that process.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/2576604x">AGU Advances</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plants are not keeping pace with climate change

Based on previous research, scientists have predicted that plants will...

The analysis of 131 papers on penguins has confirmed that the marine birds need <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/western-chimpanzees-need-protection-from-human-development/">protection</a>. The research, published in the September issue of <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/marine-policy">Marine Policy</a>, comes as the UN is negotiating a treaty on the sustainable use of international areas in the high seas.&nbsp;



“In the marine environment, coastal states typically retain management of waters up to 200 nautical miles from their shorelines, but beyond that, the high seas, which represent 64 percent of the ocean’s surface and 95 percent of its volume, are considered global commons," explained study first author Jean-Baptiste Thiebot, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.nipr.ac.jp/english/">National Institute of Polar Research</a>.



"Penguins are, largely, ocean wanderers: they venture well offshore during some - or all - of their life stages. Hence, while the public may not think of penguins as traveler animals, we show that penguins are indeed extremely mobile. This mobility also widens the range of threats that they may face at sea, and, in particular, human activities that are intensifying in the high seas.”



According to Thiebot, much of this penguin movement is wide ranging and involves international migration.&nbsp;



“Transboundary movements, notably to areas beyond national jurisdiction, are remarkably prevalent among penguin species - there are at least 120 cases of penguins, representing 13 species, using such areas. We highlight that in 16 of the 18 species examined, the birds may undertake spectacular migrations, seasonally or through life-cycle stages.”



Due to their mobility, as well as to the wide range of threats posed to them by pollution, fishing, and climate change, Thiebot suggests there is a need for flexible conservation.



“We show that the use of areas beyond national jurisdiction by penguin species varies throughout the year, a dynamic pattern supporting the pertinence of developing innovative protection tools, such as mobile marine protected areas,” said Thiebot.



Although the research focused on penguins, it can be seen as part of a greater call for more care of the high seas.



“The current paper is part of a large effort by scientists worldwide to explain the stakes of protecting this biodiversity in the high seas. In the present paper, we examined to what extent penguins are known to use the high seas, and to what extent the conservation of penguins may depend on these legally binding developments.”



The scientists see this paper as just the first step with more research needed in the near future.&nbsp;



“Building on our first-step general approach, further analyses will be required to identify exactly which sites in areas beyond national jurisdiction are a priority for conservation," said Thiebot.



"In the meantime, the ongoing expansion of tracking studies will be key to provide a more complete perspective on the use of areas beyond national jurisdiction by penguins across species, sites and seasons.”



---



By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Penguins are more mobile, and more threatened, than expected

The analysis of 131 papers on penguins has confirmed that...

Humor is a universal human feature that relies on a cognitive process allowing us to perceive things as funny, and then to laugh about them. According to one of the most common <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/moderate-sleep-reduces-the-risk-of-cognitive-decline/">cognitive</a> theories, humor requires first the introduction and comprehension of something that goes against expectations, and then the resolution of this incongruity, which is associated with amusement. Different brain regions are involved in the processing of these aspects of humor.



Having a sense of humor is crucial for the social development of children. From humorous encounters they learn playfulness and gain an understanding of the emotional attitudes, expectations and intentions of others. Although many studies have investigated the neural regions involved when adults appreciate humor, very few have examined the neurodevelopment of humor in young children.&nbsp;



In order to appreciate humor, children need to have the ability to comprehend when a situation arises that is contrary to expectations. This implies that they must have a certain level of cognitive development as well as a basic level of moral development in order to identify the incongruous situation. We all know that young children can find great amusement in funny situations, which indicates that the humor-processing network is already present in early childhood.



In a recent study by Naama Mayseless and Allan Reiss, both from the <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/">Stanford University School of Medicine</a>, the neural basis of humor processing was investigated in 35 children between the ages of six and eight years. The children watched samples of funny and neutral video clips while undergoing functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). This is a method that is noninvasive and does not require participants to keep still, making it a useful technology when monitoring brain activity in children and infants in naturalistic settings.&nbsp;



The children were given the task of watching 32 short video clips chosen in random sequence from two categories: either funny (16 clips with average duration of 11 ± 2.06 sec) or neutral (16 clips with average duration of 10.18 ± 1.55 sec). After watching each video clip, the children had to choose a “smiley face” if they thought the video was funny, or a “frowny face” if it was not.&nbsp;&nbsp;



While doing the task, each child wore a specially fitted cap with 10–20 optodes, sensors that measure changes in blood oxygenation in the scalp. The optodes were connected to a fNIRS device that interpreted the stimuli in terms of brain activation.



The results, published today in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS One</a>, showed that when children were watching funny videos, their brain activity increased in several different regions, but specifically in the left temporo-occipito-parietal junction (TOPJ). This is a region of the brain that has been associated with humor appreciation in adults, highlighting the idea that even young children share the same humor-processing network with adults. It is also a region that sits at the intersection between three of the brain’s lobes, and is ideally placed for integrating information from all of them.&nbsp;



The researchers observed that activation in the TOPJ region was positively correlated with age, reflecting the fact that older children have more mature cognitive, linguistic, and social skills that would enable them to process humorous stimuli.&nbsp;



The study also revealed that connectivity between different regions of the brain, as well as within individual regions, was greater when children were watching funny videos. They speculate that appreciating humorous content requires more information processing and brain gymnastics in different regions than processing neutral videos. This coherence effect was more noticeable in boys than in girls.



There are some limitations with the study, not least of which is the fact that fNIRS monitors changes in blood dynamics at the surface of the brain cortex and not in any of the deeper structures. It is also possible that, as the children laughed at the funny videos, the optodes may have moved and changed contact with the scalp, resulting in some confounding effects.&nbsp;



"While the current work expands our understanding on the neurodevelopment of humor as a crucial part of heathy development, we encourage future work to further characterize how and why children vary in their ability to comprehend and appreciate humorous content," wrote the study authors.



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Young children appreciate humor in the same brain region as adults

Humor is a universal human feature that relies on a...

Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster&nbsp;spp.) are native to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reef-biodiversity-expected-to-shuffle-but-not-decline/">coral reefs</a> in the Indo-Pacific. They are a major contributor to coral loss, since they feed on the living tissue of several hard coral species. 



A new study published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26786-8">Nature Communications</a> has found that reef fish such as tropical snappers, emperors, or rock cods, help keep the numbers of crown-of-thorn starfish in check on the Great Barrier Reef in the Indo-Pacific, thus protecting coral populations.



“More than 50 years ago concern was raised that removal of predators may contribute to starfish outbreaks. However, at the time only one predator of the starfish was known, the giant triton sea snail,” explained study lead author Dr. Frederieke Kroon, an ecologist at the <a href="https://www.aims.gov.au/">Australian Institute of Marine Science</a> (AIMS).



“Recent studies have revealed nearly one hundred species of coral reef organisms feed on different life stages of the starfish. Eighty of these are fish, including popular seafood species such as emperors, tropical snappers, and rock cods. Our study is the first to explore how fisheries harvests of these fish species may affect starfish abundance.”



Dr. Kroon and her colleagues compared long-term starfish and reef fish abundance data collected at reefs open and closed for fishing. They discovered that, on reefs closed for fishing, the biomass of emperors, rock cods, and snappers was 1.4 to 2.1 times higher and starfish densities almost three times lower than those on reefs that were open to fishing.



“It is well known that no-take marine reserves increase fish biomass and diversity of large fishes. Previous studies have suggested marine reserves could also influence starfish numbers, but our study provides strong evidence there are fewer crown-of-thorns starfish on reefs with more predatory fish,” said Dr. Kroon.



These findings may help develop new tools for controlling starfish outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef and the Indo-Pacific region, such as targeted fisheries-based management.



“Starfish outbreaks continue to be a major cause of coral loss, but unlike other pressures like climate change, can be managed at local and regional levels,” Dr Kroon said. “Targeted fisheries-based management, in combination with current crown-of-thorns starfish management interventions such as direct manual control, could assist in further controlling outbreaks.”



“Large-scale, long-term data such as those used this study, as well as experimental studies are the best scientific tools we have to help understand the complexities of crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, and to implement effective and efficient management interventions for their control,” she concluded.



---



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

Fish protect corals by feeding on crown-of-thorns starfish

Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster&nbsp;spp.) are native to coral reefs in the...

Since carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere far longer than other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gases-threaten-arctic-ozone-layer/">greenhouse gases</a>, driving climate change, efforts to reduce it are critical. On a global scale, plants sequester almost one-third of CO2 emissions through photosynthesis, according to new research led by the <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/">Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a> (Berkeley Lab). Thus, forests and other similar ecosystems are some of the world’s most important <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-sinks-are-a-powerful-weapon-against-climate-change/">carbon sinks</a>.&nbsp;



By using a novel methodology combining remote sensing, machine learning, and terrestrial biosphere models, the research team has found that in recent decades, plants are photosynthesizing more in order to keep up with the increased pace of global warming. From 1982 to 2020, photosynthesis increased by 12 percent worldwide. During the same time frame, CO2 emissions rose by 17 percent.



This 12 percent increase in photosynthesis translates to 14 pentagrams of additional carbon taken out of the atmosphere by plants every year, which is the equivalent of CO2 emitted worldwide from burning fossil fuels in 2020.&nbsp;



Not all of the carbon which is taken out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis remains stored in ecosystems - much of it being released back to the atmosphere through respiration. Despite this, the scientists are confident that a direct link between increased photosynthesis and increased global carbon storage exists. However, this may not be enough to curb climate change, especially in the long term.



“This is a very large increase in photosynthesis, but it’s nowhere close to removing the amount of carbon dioxide we’re putting into the atmosphere,” said study lead author Trevor Keenan, an assistant professor of Environmental Science and Policy at Berkeley Lab. “It’s not stopping climate change by any means, but it is helping us slow it down.”



While this study highlights the importance of protecting ecosystems that currently help us slow down global warming, it is not yet clear for how long and to what extent forests will continue to provide these services.



“We don’t know what the future will hold as far as how plants will continue to respond to increasing carbon dioxide,” said Professor Keenan. “We expect it will saturate at some point, but we don’t know when or to what degree. At that point land sinks will have a much lower capacity to offset our emissions. And land sinks are currently the only nature-based solution that we have in our toolkit to combat climate change.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04096-9">Nature</a>.



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

Plants can slow global warming, but they cannot stop it

Since carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere far longer than...

Researchers have discovered that African and Asian primates evolved a certain resistance to diurnal cobra venoms. The research shows that the last common ancestor of humans, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-give-us-clues-about-early-human-evolution/">chimpanzees</a> and gorillas had evolved an even greater resistance to venom.&nbsp;



“As primates from Africa gained the ability to walk upright and dispersed throughout Asia, they developed weapons to defend themselves against venomous snakes, this likely sparked an evolutionary arms race and evolving this venom resistance,” said Richard Harris, a PhD candidate at the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a>.



It’s not just resistance to venom that primates evolved in response to snakes or other predators. The scientists speculate that other traits we take for granted such as good vision could be related to avoiding snakes as well, explaining that primates in areas with fewer venomous snakes have poorer eyesight.&nbsp;



“But Madagascan Lemurs and Central and South American monkeys, which live in regions that haven’t been colonized by or come in close contact with neurotoxic venomous snakes, didn’t evolve this kind of resistance to snake venoms and have poorer eyesight," said Harris.&nbsp;



"It’s been long-theorized that snakes have strongly influenced primate evolution, but we now have additional biological evidence to support this theory.”&nbsp;



The researchers, looking at the reaction between various venoms and synthetic nerve receptors, compared Asian and mainland African primates with those of Madagascar and the Americas. Cobras live in Africa and Asia, there are no venomous snakes in Madagascar and the cobra-related coral snake of the Americas is small and burrowing.&nbsp;



“Our movement down from the trees and more commonly on land meant more interactions with venomous snakes, thus driving the evolutionary selection of this increased resistance," said Professor Bryan Fry.



"It is important to note that this resistance is not absolute – we are not immune to cobra venom, just much less likely to die than other primates.”



Resistance to cobra venom has a cost - receptors that are resistant to cobra venom don’t work quite as well. To develop them, pressure to survive a cobra bite is necessary. This research is just one piece of a greater puzzle of human evolution enmeshed in the greater evolution of all life on Earth.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/">BMC Biology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Early humans developed an immunity to cobra venom

Researchers have discovered that African and Asian primates evolved a...

Wild pigs are often considered to be sweet and intelligent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-in-the-mediterranean-are-moving-to-deeper-water-to-survive/">animals</a>, but the unfortunate reality is they contribute to $1.5 billion of property and crop damage in the U.S. each year. It is becoming increasingly difficult to quantify the pig population and their movements due to the massive population of around 9 million animals in the U.S, and therefore mitigation efforts are complicated.



New research from the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> is aiming to help resolve this issue by tracking wild pigs across the 310-square-mile area of the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The tracking aims to provide insights into how pigs move and choose habitats, with most areas being chosen due to habitat preferences and air temperature.&nbsp;



“The idea was to provide knowledge of wild pig movements at a temporal scale, at which most management practices and decisions occur,” said study first author Lindsay Clontz. “The variables we incorporated were intended to be universal (i.e., habitat quality, weather, landscape characteristics), making it practical for landowners and managers to make informed management decisions on a week-by-week basis.”&nbsp;



The research team temporarily captured 49 wild pigs through baited traps in order to fit radio collars to track their movements over a year, and the resulting data confirmed that pigs generally choose bottomland hardwood swamps as their habitat. This is due to the availability of forage and water, allowing the pigs to regulate their body temperature within the hot climate.



The experts also discovered that female pigs stay closer to their desired habitats than males on average. “In most mammals, females are more tied to resources than males,” said Beasley. “Males often move around more throughout the landscape to gain access to females - especially pigs, which can breed year-round.”&nbsp;



Furthermore, the study revealed that reductions in air pressure resulted in less pig movement. “You’ve probably heard people talk about pets or animals responding before a storm,” said Beasley. “That’s exactly what we see with pigs: When these bad weather events hit, pigs tend to concentrate their movements, probably in areas of cover to stay out of the elements. That has a direct application in how we implement trapping or other control programs and deciding where and when to concentrate efforts.”&nbsp;



While the core aim of this study was to reduce crop and property damage, the researchers are hoping that it could have more important applications in the future. An example of this would be to track the movements of pigs to mitigate the spreading of diseases such as African Swine Flu, a situation that can pose a huge threat to the meat industry.



“From the domestic standpoint, anytime there’s a detection of an outbreak like that, they often have to go in and slaughter millions of pigs and dispose of them and shut down exports,” Beasley said. “So it’s a major economic and ecological issue.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15264998">Pest Management Science</a>.



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

Tracking study on wild pigs reveals when they move and why

Wild pigs are often considered to be sweet and intelligent...

With a wingspan of almost 40 feet, the giant pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus is the largest known flying animal. However, since only a few fossilized bones were discovered in West Texas in 1971, how such a massive creature managed to fly has remained a mystery. A new research <a href="https://utexas.box.com/s/xuynecqota9hs9ft7o2kaxajk3j0uflr">collection</a> published by the <a href="https://vertpaleo.org/">Society of Vertebrate Paleontology</a> provides the most comprehensive study of this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/two-new-predatory-dinosaurs-found-on-the-isle-of-wight/">dinosaur</a> species yet, shedding new light on its habitat, morphology, and behavior.



“This is the first time that we have had any kind of comprehensive study,” said co-editor of the collection Matthew Brown, the director of the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a>’s <a href="https://www.jsg.utexas.edu/vpl/">Vertebrate Paleontology Collections</a>. “Even though&nbsp;Quetzalcoatlus&nbsp;has been known for 50 years, it has been poorly known.”&nbsp;



The in-depth study of all confirmed and suspected&nbsp;Quetzalcoatlus&nbsp;bones led to the identification of two new pterosaur species, including a smaller one, with an 18-to-20-foot wingspan, which was named Quetzalcoatlus&nbsp;lawsoni, in the honor of Douglas Lawson, the geologist who discovered the bones in 1971.



While the larger species is known from only around a dozen bones, hundreds of fossils from the smaller species were discovered. This offered the scientists the possibility to reconstruct an almost complete skeleton and study the ways in which it moved and flew. Later on, they applied their insights to its larger cousin too.&nbsp;



“Pterosaurs have huge breast bones, which is where the flight muscles attach, so there is no doubt that they were terrific flyers," said collection co-editor Kevin Padian, an emeritus professor and emeritus curator at the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a>.&nbsp;



Although scientists previously assumed that the pterosaur rocked forward on its wingtips like a vampire bat, or built up speed by running and flapping like an albatross, these new analyses suggest that it may have initially jumped at least eight feet into the air before lifting off by flipping its wings.



The researchers also found more details about these dinosaurs’ possible habitats and behaviors. While the larger&nbsp;Quetzalcoatlus&nbsp;might have lived like today’s herons, hunting alone in rivers and streams, the smaller species appeared to flock together in lakes with at least 30 individuals found at a single fossil site.



“Never before has so much detailed information on azhdarchids (the pterosaur family that includes&nbsp;Quetzalcoatlus) been gathered in the same place, this meaning that the work will serve as the standard go-to study of this group for years – probably decades – to come,” concluded vertebrate paleontologist Darren Naish.



Image Credit: James Kuether



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

The world’s largest flying dinosaur jumped before takeoff

With a wingspan of almost 40 feet, the giant pterosaur...

Thousands of square meters of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-destroyed-14-percent-of-the-worlds-coral-reefs/">corals</a> are currently being grown on previously destroyed coral reefs in central Indonesia. Until recently, it has not been clear whether these new corals can revive the local reef ecosystem. 



However, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> has identified a diverse soundscape emerging from these restored coral reefs. According to the scientists, this rich array of whoops, croaks, raspberries, foghorns, and growls, are clear signs that the ecosystem is recovering.&nbsp;



"Restoration projects can be successful at growing coral, but that’s only part of the ecosystem," said study lead author Dr. Tim Lamont, a researcher at the University of Exeter and the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.buildingcoral.com/">Mars Coral Reef Restoration Project</a>. “This study provides exciting evidence that restoration really works for the other reef creatures too – by listening to the reefs, we’ve documented the return of a diverse range of animals."&nbsp;



The scientists used acoustic recordings taken in 2018 and 2019 as part of the monitoring program for the restoration of central Indonesia’s coral reefs, which involved the use of hexagonal metal frames called “Reef Stars” that were seeded with coral and laid over a large area in order to stabilize loose rubble and initiate rapid coral growth.



"We have been restoring and monitoring these reefs here in Indonesia for many years. Now it is amazing to see more and more evidence that our work is helping the reefs come back to life," said study co-author Mochyudho Prasetya, a researcher in the Mars Coral Reef Restoration Project.&nbsp;



“When the soundscape comes back like this, the reef has a better chance of becoming self-sustaining because those sounds attract more animals that maintain and diversify reef populations," explained study co-author Professor David Smith, a marine scientist at the University of Exeter.



However, there are multiple threats that coral reefs are currently facing all over the world, including climate change and water pollution, which must be urgently addressed in order to offer long-term protection to these vital ecosystems.



"Our study shows that reef restoration can really work, but it's only part of a solution that must also include rapid action on climate change and other threats to reefs worldwide," Dr. Lamont concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14089">Journal of Applied Ecology.</a>



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

Fish songs are proof of coral restoration success

Thousands of square meters of corals are currently being grown...

While bumblebees fly from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sunflowers-face-east-to-get-more-attention-from-bees/">flower</a> to flower, they probably don’t waste much time learning the details of each one, but rather focus on the basic color of the landing area. This is one of the findings of new research, led by scientists from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>.



The researchers trained bees to forage on artificial flowers consisting of circles of blue or yellow, or half and half, with sugar solution in the center. The flowers were positioned upright, meaning that as bees flew in to land, they saw mostly the bottom half of the colored circle. The team then tested the bees’ approach behavior when they were presented with new and different flower options on their flight paths.



During these tests, no sugar solution was provided in the artificial flowers. The bumblebees were therefore not attracted to the flowers by the presence of sugar. Instead, they flew around in front of the flowers, making choices about where to land. This allowed the researchers see which color they were drawn to.



The results showed that, when faced with an artificial flower that had a different arrangement of the two colors from the one used in training, bees paid most attention to whatever color was found on the lower half of the flower they had been trained on and were used to. This suggests that they learned only this basic attribute of the flower, rather than inspecting and memorizing details of the whole flower before landing.&nbsp;



"We know bees have the cognitive capacity to learn a lot of information about a flower," said&nbsp;<a href="https://psychology.exeter.ac.uk/staff/profile/index.php?web_id=Natalie_Hempel_de_Ibarra">Professor Natalie Hempel de Ibarra</a>, Associate Professor at Exeter's Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour. "However, our study suggests a simple, low-effort form of learning is good enough in some situations.”



“The bees in our experiments extracted just the information they needed, rather than learning everything that was available to them," said study first author Dr Keri Langridge. "Like humans, most animals like easy forms of learning. Why learn a hidden route to the top of the hill when one could simply follow a trail with a big color sign?”



Some bumblebees were trained with a circle split into two uneven color parts – either mostly yellow or mostly blue, which changed their flight patterns. The test results in this case were more complex than after learning on circles that were split 50/50. This suggests that the bees had paid some attention to contrast edges as well as to color during training flights.



Professor Hempel de Ibarra said the study findings may provide insights about the evolution of colorful patterns in flowers, particularly those that can help pollinators such as bees to land quickly and safely.



The results of the study are published today in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology">Frontiers in Physiology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bumblebees don’t waste time on the details

While bumblebees fly from flower to flower, they probably don’t...

Climate change is making life more challenging for the Antarctic fur seal, including a limited supply of krill during the summer months. As a result, female Antarctic fur seals have less reproductive success.



Furthermore, leopard seals have become a bigger threat to fur seal pups in areas where there is a lower abundance of penguins, which are their main prey.&nbsp;



Despite these challenges for Antarctic fur seals in the summer months, little is known about how climate change may impact them in the winter. A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.ub.edu/web/portal/en/">University of Barcelona</a> set out to investigate.



The Antarctic fur seal is found exclusively in the Southern Ocean, and feeds mainly on krill. The team conducted the research during the austral summer season of 2019 in the Antarctic research station Gabriel de Castilla on Deception Island within the Southern Shetland Islands.&nbsp;



"Little is known about the winter habitat of male Antarctic fur seals and no habitat suitability model has been developed for them. The Antarctic fur seal is often qualified as ice-tolerant, but not ice-dependent, and some authors have characterized adult males as ice-free oceanic foragers," wrote the study authors.



"Antarctic fur seals are highly sexually dimorphic, and differences between sexes in winter habitat use could be related to differences in body mass, which in turn is a major determinant of their thermoregulatory skills and diving performance."&nbsp;



"The study of juvenile and immature males, whose body mass is in between that of adult females and adult males, can be particularly useful to improve our understanding of habitat use by male Antarctic fur seals in winter."



The researchers used satellite tracking to monitor juvenile and immature males, which represent more than the 80 percent of the seals that remain in Antarctic waters during winter.&nbsp;



Females leave Antarctica during this period when the breeding season is over. They move to warmer areas near South America, while the male seals stay behind in Antarctica.



"Males spend most of the winter time in the Antarctic Ocean, without going to the mainland, and they preferentially select areas of less than 1,000 meters deep, located about 200 kilometers from the ice borders and with high levels of chlorophyll and a surface temperature below 2ºC," explained study co-author Lluís Cardona, director of the Antarctic research project Flexseal.



"This coincides with the favorite habitat of the Antarctic krill, the main prey of these otariids. Due to the seasonal dynamics of ice, the krill-friendly habitat moves north during winter and so do the fur seals. As winter progresses, krill migrate deeper into the water and males dive deeper to eat, sometimes up to 180 meters deep."



According to the researchers, the differences in habitats during the austral winter may explain the sexual dimorphism of the species. Adult females weigh about 44 to 110 pounds, and adult males weigh up to 300 pounds. Even the juvenile males are larger than females. 



"An increased body mass involves more capacity to store oxygen, which allows adult males to dive deeper when searching for food," said Cardona.



The experts noted that the most important reproductive population of the Antarctic fur seal is in the South Georgia islands, where the greatest abundance of krill has been available in the summer over the last two decades.&nbsp;



"When this food source decreases, fur seals increase their fish intake but the reproductive success decreases. Therefore, the species can survive without krill but the population of the Antarctic fur seal is less abundant, like in the Kerguelen Islands."



The climate crisis will continue to alter the ecosystems of the Antarctic peninsula and the Southern Ocean. Both male and female fur seals will be increasingly exposed to these environmental changes.&nbsp;



"To adapt to the external changes, the colonies of the Antarctic fur seal should move south across the Antarctic peninsula, but this is an extremely slow process," said Cardona.



"In the future, we will need to manage properly the krill fishing activities in these areas, and this will require to consider not only the female consumption during summer but also the consumption associated with males of all ages during the four seasons of the year," concludes the researcher.



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

Antarctic fur seals are struggling in a warmer climate

Climate change is making life more challenging for the Antarctic...

Beautiful,Landscape,With,Rocky,Mountains,And,Famous,Moraine,Lake,In

A new study published in Nature Communications has found that retreating glaciers in the Pacific mountains of North America could potentially create approximately 6,150 kilometers of new Pacific salmon <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-pandas-have-the-perfect-camouflage-for-their-natural-habitat/" data-type="news" data-id="1897600">habitat</a> by the end of the century.



By modelling glacier retreat under different climate change scenarios, a research team led by <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/">Simon Fraser University</a>, Canada and <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a>, UK, discovered that, under a moderate temperature increase, the glacier retreat could create low-gradient streams (with no more than a 10 percent incline) connected to the ocean, which would be perfect habitats for salmon.&nbsp;



“We predict that most of the emerging salmon habitat will occur in Alaska and the transboundary region, at the British Columbia‒Alaska border, where large coastal glaciers still exist. The Gulf of Alaska sub-region is predicted to see the most gains—a 27 percent increase in salmon-accessible habitat by 2100,” said study lead author Dr. Kara Pitman, a spatial analyst at Simon Fraser University.



“Once conditions stabilize in the newly-formed streams, salmon can colonize these areas quite quickly. It’s a common misconception that all salmon return home to the streams they were born in. Most do, but some individuals will stray - migrating into new streams to spawn and, if conditions are favorable, the population can increase rapidly.”



According to study co-author Alexander Milner, a professor of River Ecosystems at the University of Birmingham who studied glacial retreat and salmon populations in southeast Alaska for over 30 years, after glacial retreat creates favorable spawning habitats, colonization by salmon can occur relatively quickly.



“For example, Stonefly Creek was colonized within 10 years by pink salmon that grew rapidly to more than 5,000 spawners,” he said. “Other species also colonized, including&nbsp;Coho and Sockeye&nbsp;salmon, especially where a lake is associated with the stream.”



While these newly created habitats are a positive development for salmon in some locations, the scientists warn that, through warming rivers, changes in stream flows, and poor ocean conditions, climate change still poses significant dangers for many salmon populations.



“Climate change means we increasingly need to look to the future. We can’t just protect current-day habitat for species but need to consider what habitats they might rely on in the future,” Dr. Pitman concluded.



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

Melting glaciers will create large habitats for Pacific salmon

A new study published in Nature Communications has found that...

North,American,Porcupine,Erethizon,Dorsatum,In,Water,In,Teslin,,Yukon,

Levee failure and the ensuing flooding threatens both lives as well as economic livelihoods. Stopping such levee breaches is a goal of hydraulic engineering and research.&nbsp;A new study published in the AGU journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19447973">Water Resources Research</a> has found that the presence of burrowing animals can increase the risk of levee failure.&nbsp;



“River flooding is a natural phenomenon with no adverse effects when controlled, but when a levee breach occurs it becomes especially threatening because we have concentrated outflows from the river to populated floodplains,” said study lead author Matteo Balisrocchi, a hydraulic engineer at the University of Modena.



Burrowing animals often find good substrates for their homes in the disturbed dirt surfaces of levees, creating a risk to the structure itself. Until recently, little was known about the amount of damage the burrows caused to levees.&nbsp;



“While there is considerable concern about these types impacts from burrowing animals, there is a lack of quantitative information and evidence," said Gemma Harvey, a physical geographer at Queen Mary University of London, who was not involved in the study.&nbsp;



"(This research) provides a new modeling approach and quantitative data on levee failure probability that helps us to understand the importance of these impacts.”



The research showed that burrows or dens in the middle of a levee are more of a threat than those at the bottom of the levee, near the water’s surface. With an increase in the burrows elevation, so increases the width of area in the levee that’s impacted.&nbsp;



This means that in Northern Italy, where the research was carried out, crested porcupine and badger burrows are more of a threat to levee stability than river nutria burrows.&nbsp;



It must be noted however, that wildlife deserves protection and is afforded such under Italian law. Crested porcupines for one are protected in Italy. Despite the potential damage, they are allowed to burrow in levees.&nbsp;



“The burrowing activities of animals make many positive contributions to landscapes and ecosystems, including contributions to nutrient cycling and pollution remediation," said Harvey.&nbsp;



"But in certain cases, such as invasive species present in high numbers, or in this case where burrowing interacts directly with flood defense infrastructure such as riverbanks, levees and flood walls, burrowing can create or contribute to environmental hazards.”



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Burrowing animals increase the risk of levee failure

Levee failure and the ensuing flooding threatens both lives as...

Redpolls are a type of winter <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-finches-can-afford-to-be-picky-when-selecting-a-mate/">finch</a> living in the northernmost regions of the globe and flying south only sporadically. Although all of them share a characteristic red marking on their heads, some redpolls are white with small bills, while others are larger and have whiter bills. Due to these differences, scientists initially thought that there were three different species of Redpoll: the Common Redpoll, the Hoary Redpoll, and the Lesser Redpoll.&nbsp;



However, new genetic research led by the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> (CU Boulder) has found that these apparently different species are in fact the same, but have a “supergene” that controls differences in morphology and plumage color, making them look different.



“Redpolls have been taxonomically confusing for a long time, and we only get to see them every once in a while in the winter,” said study co-author Scott Taylor, an assistant professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at CU Boulder. “They aren’t a bird you’re guaranteed to see at your feeder, so when it happens, people get excited, and they want to know what they’re looking at.”



By examining the full genome of 73 birds from all the different subtypes, Taylor and his colleagues found that despite the differences in appearance, the birds are almost identical genetically, having a “supergene” which controls the different traits making them look different.&nbsp;



“Often times we assume that a lot of traits can act independently, meaning that different traits can be inherited separately from one another, but this particular result shows that sometimes these traits are actually tightly linked together. At least for these birds, they’re inheriting a whole group of traits together as one,” explained study lead author Erik Funk, a graduate student at CU Boulder.



“I think, solidly now, the new paper shows that there is widespread gene flow across the (Redpoll) genome, except for this one region, and it just so happens this one region influences the way they look,” added Professor Taylor.



Redpolls are not the only ones having such supergenes. Many species, from various birds to certain types of mice, are now known to have them. “It seems to be less common, but I think one of the things that we are learning as we have access to more sequence data now is that maybe they’re not as uncommon as we once thought,” Funk concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-27173-z">Nature Communications</a>.&nbsp;



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

Why Redpolls look different, despite being the same species

Redpolls are a type of winter finch living in the...

The trade in traditional “medicines” has severely hurt the population of wild tigers. Meanwhile, there has been a boom in the demand for tiger farms.&nbsp;



At these farms, the striped cats are raised as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-discovered-in-the-blood-of-livestock/">livestock</a> to be sold and cooked in high pressure cookers to dissolve their skeletons and create “tiger bone glue.” In 2017, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) identified over 200 tiger farms, mainly in Vietnam, China and Thailand.



The EIA found that across all of the tiger farms, there were somewhere between 7,000 and 8,000 tigers, more than twice the estimated wild population. Tiger glue producers buy cubs from farms, raising the cats until they’re large enough to be killed and their bones cooked down. The tiger bone glue is then sold for as much as $15,000 per kilogram.&nbsp;



Because of the illicit nature of the business, little has been known about the buyers of tiger bone glue. Dang Vu Hoai Nam, a PhD Fellow at the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a>, has used networking and hard work to track down some of the buyers.&nbsp;



"Among other things, we gained access to the tennis and golf clubs where many of these buyers spend time. These people are from Vietnam’s most affluent class, typically senior citizens who earn about 15 times as much as the average Vietnamese person," said Hoai Nam.



Together with a research assistant, Hoai Nam tracked down 228 buyers and tiger bone glue users. Because many of these users prefer tiger bone glue from wild animals, it seems unlikely that legalizing tiger farms will take pressure off of wild populations.&nbsp;



"Most of the buyers we interviewed prefer tiger bone glue from wild tigers over farmed ones because they believe wild bones are more potent, and thus provide better treatment for a host of musculoskeletal diseases. At the same time, buyers seek the highest possible tiger bone content in their mixture," said Hoai Nam.



Instead of legalization, Dang Vu Hoai Nam suggests tougher enforcement and more monitoring of tiger habitat as well as information campaigns explaining that tiger bone remedies are ineffective.&nbsp;



"Even with legalization, demand for wild tigers will remain strong. A third of our respondents are still willing to buy tigers poached in the wild, which will simply sustain the black market."



"Vulnerable countries should increase their investments in natural tiger habitats, the strengthening of police and park ranger forces, and information campaigns aimed at consumers that point them towards treatment alternatives which are more sustainable than tiger bones."



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1617138121001357">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

More tigers are in farms than in the wild

The trade in traditional “medicines” has severely hurt the population...

Being only a fraction of the size of the massive, cannibalistic female, the tiny male orb-weaving spider is facing significant challenges when searching for a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/albatrosses-are-divorcing-more-due-to-climate-change/">mate</a>. He must carefully enter her web and approach silently if he wants to escape being captured and eaten by his desired mate. Moreover, he is also forced to compete with other male spiders on the delicate arena of the web, where every wrong step could turn to be fatal.



A research team led by the <a href="https://www.ab.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior</a> and the <a href="https://www.weizmann.ac.il/pages/">Weizmann Institute of Science</a> has struggled for almost a decade to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics characterizing these intricate mating strategies.



“Our initial concept was to explore the idea that these spiders moving on the web behave like electrons orbiting a nucleus, or planets orbiting a star,”&nbsp;said study co-author Alex Jordan, an evolutionary biologist at Max Planck. Although the precise physics explaining spiders’ movements ultimately diverged from atomic or cosmic parallels, these metaphors proved very useful.&nbsp;



“Imagine electrons orbiting a nucleus, or a massive star in space, so large that it generates its own gravitational field pulling in objects around it—the giant, cannibalistic female can be thought of in the same way,” explained Jordan. “Now imagine smaller planets, satellites, or comets coming near this attractive force—these are our tiny, brave males.”&nbsp;



Like a cosmic collision that vaporizes a small planet caught in the force field of a large star, male spiders that approach the female too rapidly, or from a wrong angle, run the risk of turning into prey.&nbsp;



“Working in the rainforests of Panama, I’ve seen over-zealous males fall victim to the cannibalistic females many times, especially when they take the wrong path, or approach the female too fast,” said study co-author Sylvia Garza, a Master’s student at Max Planck.



The relationship between competing males can also be explained through cosmic metaphors. Just as the smaller planets have their own gravitational pulls, the males initially approach and attract each other, but as they come closer and closer, the attraction turns into repellence, and they will end up crashing into open fighting.



All this fascinating choreography does not require advanced intelligence. Instead, the surface of the web acts as a conduit for the physical vibrations spiders use to communicate and to balance risk and reward. The effective physical forces that males and females experience on the elastic surface of the web can help them solve intricate tasks that would otherwise require a much more complex cognitive machinery.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/49/e2106269118">Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</a>.



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

Scientists explain spiders’ complex mating choreography

Being only a fraction of the size of the massive,...

As part of an ongoing saga of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) removing wild horses from public land in favor of private grazing interests, <a href="http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=NUV7kTaSJeqTXZQ8Bosj22KFILO8e0YucA-2BU3INq7DXPJlkIpum67y6-2FPNg5H-2BhNRvqe_CAutWfm8j05RwFS7sOyY4Te5MWVtGwYBuuvxnmVSDT70wrYq6on4oO5ji6MjyScW-2BgoEIa-2FCDG3ArOEWG94udnZFLX1XNLWY5dXQRcuZFq7rRHWFhTZ6SUjUUeNAO2XeARyvFNyw9xcwOaTShBH2dzT9IoCXRHCwiCoMQSynajwXeg5MRxzjc3BRWkh-2FyljfqCC3hrxkfACiX5SyKrkgfBoh0Y5bK8OyMxqYQeTpj-2BatdGg2nyViLK3bE6vHRCARxjkrhcPpUm0s4YclSQuN2q6XrUTfVu5QKjCdxrXIQK78ZaMJaQqUNqQ9ixYFHHniynD0rs6-2BuJyE6RIUsRjyuV8BnIbzTcrwEoksKMJCt8kq2BLlyaHLygNAgbFXnAFn8C7A5uJAUxq4crXh7kee4g-3D-3D">American Wild Horse Campaign </a>(AWHC) is threatening a lawsuit.&nbsp;



With completion of this project - the largest roundup in BLM history - 50 percent of Wyoming’s wild horses will be removed. The brutal helicopter roundup will prove fatal for some, and at least 50 of the iconic horses are expected to die by the end of the campaign.&nbsp;



The AWHC now claims that the BLM has removed 59 horses more than legally allowed under the Environmental Assessment and Decision Record during the ongoing roundup near Rock Springs, Wyoming. To rectify the removal of too many horses, AWHC demands that the BLM return horses to their range immediately.&nbsp;



“This roundup is of great importance to the public, not only due to the sheer number of wild horses being removed but because of the continued scapegoating of this herd in favor of privately-owned livestock," said Grace Kuhn, communications director for AWHC.



"We want to send a clear message to the agency that we are watching closely and that every horse counts and matters.”&nbsp;



The horses in question live in the Salt Wells Horse Management Area (HMA) a 1.1 million acre habitat, federally designated for wild horses. The Bureau of Land Management on their <a href="https://www.blm.gov/wyoming/2021-rock-springs-gather">website</a> says that it estimates wild horse levels to be more than double the combined wild horse appropriate management levels across five HMAs.&nbsp;



The agency plans to remove approximately 3,500 horses and return an estimated 800 animals. As of November 29, 2,383 horses had been removed and 11 deaths reported.&nbsp;



“In its attempt to hide from the public that too many horses are being removed from the Salt Wells Creek HMA and too few are being returned to their homes, the Bureau of Land Management once again proves that the public cannot trust them to follow their own protocols or to protect and properly manage the wild horses in their care," said Carol Walker, a wild horse photographer who has been observing the roundup.



“Instead of protecting our iconic mustangs as federal law requires, the BLM is using the cruelest, most costly and unsustainable method possible to manage them while reducing wild populations to near extinction levels,” said Suzanne Roy, Executive Director of the American Wild Horse Campaign.&nbsp;



“The roundup underway in Wyoming is an extreme action that demands a reasonable, common sense alternative -- such as scientifically proven fertility control -- to preserve Wyoming’s wild mustang herds and humanely manage them in the wild where they belong.”



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Biggest wild horse roundup in US history is raising concerns

As part of an ongoing saga of the Bureau of...

Migratory birds travel long distances, twice each year, to access <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/feeding-your-dog-once-a-day-may-improve-its-health/">feeding</a> grounds in distant parts of the world. They are adapted to navigate these journeys successfully, and to withstand the extreme physiological demands of flying without stopping much along the way.&nbsp;



Now, new research published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a> suggests another way in which migratory birds may be adapted to make these challenging migratory journeys – they may have lighter-colored plumage.



Kaspar Delhey of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany, along with his colleagues, had conducted previous studies on the effects of climate on bird coloration. The research showed that birds inhabiting regions with high temperatures and little shade had lighter coloration, in general. Light-colored objects absorb less heat and the researchers assumed that birds with pale plumage would be able to keep cooler in hot environments.&nbsp;



However, the researchers also came across other studies showing that migrating birds increase their flight altitude dramatically during the day and fly at much lower levels during the night. These other studies suggested that this phenomenon is driven by thermoregulatory needs: flying where it is cooler may help birds to cope with the daytime heat they absorb from the sun’s radiation.&nbsp;



“Because flying at high altitude is likely costly [energetically], these changes required an explanation,” said Delhey. “One possibility was that flying higher, where it is colder, would offset the heat absorbed by the plumage when the sun was shining.”&nbsp;



If migrating birds have to cope with problems of overheating while flying then it is also possible that they may have evolved lighter-colored plumage in order to reduce the absorption of heat radiated by the sun. Delhey and colleagues hypothesized that migratory species – especially long-distance migrants – should be lighter colored than resident species.&nbsp;



To test the relationship between plumage lightness and migration distance, they used the bird species described in the ‘Handbook of the Birds of the World’ (<a href="https://birdsoftheworld.org/">https://birdsoftheworld.org</a>), and divided them into those that are resident, those that migrate over short distances (&lt; 2,000 km), and those that are long-distance migrants (&gt; 2,000 km). They then quantified plumage lightness (from 0 = black to 100 = white) by averaging pixel lightness values from the illustration plates in the handbook.&nbsp;



The experts tested the effect of migration strategy on plumage lightness, while controlling for other factors known to affect plumage lightness, like climate, habitat and body size. They found that resident species were darker than short-distance migrants that were, in turn, darker than long-distance migrants.&nbsp;



Furthermore, they found the same relationship in 12 of the 15 orders of birds, when they considered each order separately (for example within the passerines, cuckoos, ducks and geese, shorebirds, pigeons, pelicans, or cranes). This demonstrates a general association between lightness and migratory behavior across all birds.&nbsp;



"We found across nearly all species of birds, migratory species tend to be lighter colored than non-migratory species,” said Delhey. “We think that lighter plumage coloration is selected in migratory species because it reduces the risk of overheating when exposed to sunshine. Lighter surfaces absorb less heat than darker ones, as anybody wearing dark clothes on a sunny day can attest! This would be particularly important for long-distance migrants that undertake extensive flights during which they cannot stop to rest in the shade.”



Delhey notes that many factors influence bird coloration and light colors are but one of many ways that migratory birds can avoid overheating. His team will continue exploring the connections between migration, climate, and other selective factors that shape the evolution of plumage colors in birds.&nbsp;



The research is another reminder of the important role of temperature and climate factors in shaping the evolution of animal coloration. According to the researchers, the findings also have clear implications for understanding the impacts of global warming and potential adaptive evolutionary responses.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lighter feathers help migratory birds to keep cool

Migratory birds travel long distances, twice each year, to access...

New research led by the <a href="https://www.uab.cat/en/">Universitat&nbsp;Autònoma&nbsp;de&nbsp;Barcelona</a> (UAB) has found that the knowledge possessed by Amazonian inhabitants can be crucial for assessing wildlife abundance trends in a context of urgent need for conservation strategies combined with limited financial resources.



The Amazon rainforest is home to 390 billion tree species and represents one of the world’s largest biodiversity regions. However, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deforestation-in-the-amazon-rainforest-hits-new-records/">deforestation</a> is rapidly increasing, resulting in an unprecedented loss of biodiversity. If this process continues at the current rate, 27 percent of the Amazon will be lost by 2030.&nbsp;



The impact of human activity on the rainforest can be measured by fast and accurate estimates of animal populations. However, gathering data about wildlife abundance remains very challenging, since it requires high logistics and financial resources, especially for longitudinal studies carried out in areas that are difficult to access.



Recently, scientists have started considering methods based on local ecological knowledge (LEK), gathered from empirical observations of local peoples. While such methods have previously been accused of subjectivism and lack of scientific validation, a research team from UAB has shown that in fact LEK is as accurate, or even more accurate, than standard scientific practices, especially when it comes to finding species that are rarely observed, such as nocturnal, cryptic, less abundant, or hunted ones.



“The perception of local people is multisensory, involving hearing, smelling,&nbsp;and&nbsp;observing indirect visual signs, such as footprints&nbsp;and scratches, which increase the ability&nbsp;of local people&nbsp;to detect the presence&nbsp;and estimate the abundance&nbsp;of an animal,” explained study lead author Franciany&nbsp;Braga-Pereira, a researcher at UAB.&nbsp;



“In addition,&nbsp;different from surveys on conventional line transects,&nbsp;LEK's effort involves different scales since&nbsp;local people have contact with the forest&nbsp;when&nbsp;carrying&nbsp;out their usual activities, such as hunting, fishing, agriculture, and harvesting of timber and non-timber products,&nbsp;at all times of the day and year, and throughout the territory&nbsp;where they live.”&nbsp;



Braga-Pereira and his colleagues argue that incorporating this method into community-based wildlife monitoring projects could significantly improve the quality of science and contribute to the sustainability of our planet’s tropical forests. Moreover, local communities will be more empowered by having more decision-making capacities in managing their natural resources.



“Ecological knowledge of local populations is more accurate than 10 years of conventional scientific monitoring for animal abundance in the Amazon,” Braga-Pereira concluded.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/2041-210X.13773">Methods in Ecology and Evolution</a>.



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

Indigenous knowledge can help protect Amazon wildlife

New research led by the Universitat&nbsp;Autònoma&nbsp;de&nbsp;Barcelona (UAB) has found that...

According to research carried out by non-profit <a href="https://friendofthesea.org/">Friend of the Sea</a>, ship strikes kill more than 20,000 whales every year. This an alarming number, especially considering how close to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-fertilization-led-to-severe-mass-extinction-event/">extinction</a> some species (such as the North Atlantic right whale) already are. 



The problem of whale ship collisions is a worldwide phenomenon, but Friend of the Sea has identified eleven key spots where strikes are especially common. These are areas where shipping lanes cross prime feeding and breeding areas for whales.&nbsp;



The key areas and endangered whale species that are threatened by ship strikes include: blue whales in Sri Lanka, sperm whales in the Canary Islands, and humpback whales in Panama.



There are additional locations that play lesser or greater roles in the lives of different whale species scattered all over the world. In the Mediterranean alone, 220,000 ships cross the sea annually and 30 percent of the world’s marine traffic departs from or arrives in the Mediterranean Basin.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The main causes of collisions are shipping companies, cruise lines and speed boats.&nbsp; Because the problem is primarily a commercial one, part of the solution should come from industry.



The International Whaling Commision (IWC) is currently collaborating with other agencies to find a solution to the problem, producing a pamphlet designed to help reduce whale collisions.&nbsp;



Despite this small step in the right direction, it is difficult to evaluate whether the work has had any impact on collisions, much less on whale populations. Friend of the Sea is seeking to work with shipping companies to become part of the solution for whales.&nbsp;



Friend of the Sea recommends that all ships have a full time marine mammal observation program on board, covering a minimum of 120 degrees in front of the vessel. Ships could also use online systems to report and be informed of mammal sightings nearby. It is also essential that a plan is established for how to react to nearby whales and avoid ship strikes.&nbsp;



If companies follow these procedures, and allow Friend of the Sea access to their data in real time, the organization awards them with a "whale safe" label. In this way, consumers can make better choices in their purchases to help support whales.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Thousands of whales are killed by ship strikes each year

According to research carried out by non-profit Friend of the...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40575-021-00111-4">Canine Medicine and Genetics</a> has found that most dog breeds are highly inbred, with an average inbreeding level of over 25 percent. These extremely high levels of inbreeding have been associated with the increased prevalence of a large variety of complex <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-confirms-plastics-contribute-to-heart-disease/">diseases</a> and conditions.



Dog breeds are often recognized by their distinctive traits, such as the wrinkled face of a pug, the spotted coat of a Dalmatian, or the short legs of a dachshund. Unfortunately, these traits are frequently the result of inbreeding.



A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a> together with <a href="https://www.wisdompanel.com/en-us">Wisdom Health Genetics</a>, a company owning the world’s largest dog DNA database, has collected and analyzed data from 49,378 dogs across 227 breeds.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that the average inbreeding across this cohort was 25 percent, or the equivalent of sharing the full same genetic material with a full sibling.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, dogs are inbred by humans in order to select for traits such as their looks. However, such methods pose quite significant dangers to dogs’ health, increasing the risk of different diseases, many of which are lethal.



“It’s amazing how inbreeding seems to matter to health,” said study lead author Dannika Bannasch, a veterinary geneticist at UC Davis. “While previous studies have shown that small dogs live longer than large dogs, no one had previously reported on morbidity, or the presence of disease.&nbsp;This study revealed that if dogs are of smaller size and not inbred, they are much healthier than larger&nbsp;dogs with high inbreeding.”



"Data from other species, combined with strong breed predispositions to complex diseases like cancer and autoimmune diseases, highlight the relevance of high inbreeding in dogs to their health."



In order to preserve the genetic diversity and health of a breed, several measures should be taken, including the careful management of breeding populations in order to avoid additional loss of existing genetic diversity. This can be achieved through breeder education and close monitoring of inbreeding levels, which is now enabled by direct genotyping technologies.&nbsp;



Moreover, in the few breeds with low inbreeding levels, such as the Danish-Swedish farm dog, every effort should be made to maintain the genetic diversity that is already present.&nbsp;



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

Dogs have a high risk of disease due to inbreeding

A new study published in the journal Canine Medicine and...

The western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is the most common of the 7–12 different species of honey bees worldwide. It is commercially important as a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-third-of-plants-are-completely-reliant-on-animal-pollinators/">pollinator</a> of crops and a producer of honey. The geographic origin of the western honey bee has been hotly debated over decades. Some believing in an African origin, while others think it first evolved in Asia. 



In new research, led by scientists from <a href="https://www.yorku.ca/">York University</a> the genomes of 251 honey bees, from 18 different subspecies, collected in their native ranges, have been sequenced in order to determine the probable geographic origin and pattern of dispersal of honey bees.&nbsp;



The results indicate that an Asian origin – most likely western Asia – is strongly supported by the genetic data. According to this data, the probability of the bees originating within western Asia is 64 to 71 percent. In comparison, the genetic analysis indicates only a six percent chance that western honey bees originated in Africa and a three to six percent chance that they came initially from Europe.



“As one of the world’s most important pollinators, it’s essential to know the origin of the western honey bee to understand its evolution, genetics and how it adapted as it spread,” said study co-author Professor&nbsp;<a href="https://news.yorku.ca/experts/?name_or_keyword=amro+zayed&amp;research_area=&amp;submit=Search+the+Guide&amp;search=Y">Amro Zayed</a>.



The research also indicates that western honey bees underwent three separate expansion events during their evolution. They expanded into Africa in one event, and also experienced two separate expansions into Europe. This led to the existence of seven geographically and genetically distinct evolutionary lineages traceable back to Western Asia. The adaptive radiation of the honey bees after these expansions has led to the development of the approximately 27 different subspecies of honey bees that are found in the world.



Today, western honey bees inhabit every continent except Antarctica and show a remarkable capacity for surviving in vastly different environments – from tropical rainforests, to near deserts and to temperate regions with cold winters. The researchers were interested in identifying the genes and genetic variation that are associated with honey bee adaptation to these different environments.&nbsp;



They found that the bee genome has several “hotspots” that allowed honey bees to adapt to new environmental conditions. While the bee genome has more than 12,000 genes, only 145 of them had repeated signatures of adaptation associated with the formation of all major honey bee lineages found today. In particular, many of the genes involved in adaptation related to changes in the behavior of worker bees, and the analysis showed that these genes have been under positive selective pressure in the past.&nbsp;



“Our research suggests that a core-set of genes allowed the honey bee to adapt to a diverse set of environmental conditions across its native range by regulating worker and colony behavior,” said York University PhD student Kathleen Dogantzis of the Faculty of Science, who led the research.



“It’s important to understand how locally adapted subspecies and colony-level selection on worker bees, contributes to the fitness and diversity of managed colonies."



The sequencing of these bee genomes also led to the discovery of two distinct lineages, one in Egypt and another in Madagascar.



The researchers hope their study will finally resolve the debate about the ancestral origins of the western honey bee so that future research can focus on exploring how they adapted to different climates and geographic areas.



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



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mysterious origins of western honey bees revealed

The western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is the most common of...

New research shows that wolves living in Norway and Sweden today are actually Finnish wolves. The research confirms that humans killed off the last of the original Norwegian wolves in the 1970s.&nbsp;



“The original Norwegian-Swedish wolves probably didn’t share their genetics with the wolves in Norway and Sweden today,” explained Hans Stenøien, director of the <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/">Norwegian University of Science and Technology</a> (NTNU) University Museum.



A team of scientists led by Stenøien carried out an extensive genetic study on Norwegian-Swedish wolves. “We’ve carried out the largest genetic study of wolves in the world,” said Stenøien.



The research is part of a report commissioned by the Norwegian parliament on wolves in 2016. After the Norwegian wolf initially disappeared, there were rumors that wolves were released from zoos to re-establish the population but this appears to be false.



“Admittedly, some original Norwegian-Swedish wolves can still be found in zoos outside Norway. But our wolves today aren’t closely related to them,” explained Stenøien.



Instead, it appears that wolves simply repopulated Norway in the 1980s by moving in from Finland. Today, there are more than 400 wolves living in the border region of Sweden and Norway as a shared population.&nbsp;



“The wolves in Norway and Sweden today most likely come from wolves that migrated from Finland."



According to Stenøien, it’s uncertain where exactly in Finland the wolves come from but genetically they appear Finnish as well as disturbingly lacking in genetic diversity.&nbsp;



“We haven’t found any indications of special or unique genetic adaptations in Norwegian-Swedish wolves. This lack of variation makes wolves vulnerable to various diseases and hereditary conditions."



The new Norwegian-Swedish wolves no longer face persecution from humans as their biggest danger. Instead, genetic vulnerability from inbreeding is the main threat facing the wolf population. Interestingly, the wolves contain very little dog genetics, possibly the least amount of dog genetics of any wolf population in the world.&nbsp;



As for how this research should be used, Stenøien leaves it up to others. “It’s not our task to comment on anything other than the facts from this study."



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

It's official: Humans killed off the Norwegian wolf

New research shows that wolves living in Norway and Sweden...

The extinct Haast’s eagle or harpagornis (Hieraaetus moorei) is the largest known eagle, having a ten-foot wingspan and four-inch talons. It roamed New Zealand’s skies around 800 years ago and was formally described for the first time by Julius von Haast in 1872. 



Since then, scientists have debated whether the extinct bird was a predator that killed other animals for food, or a scavenger that fed upon already dead <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-perform-a-spinning-dive-to-catch-deep-prey/">prey</a>.



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.une.edu.au/">University of New England</a>, Australia, and the <a href="https://www.canterburymuseum.com/">Canterbury Museum</a>, has found that, in fact, Haast’s eagle exhibited behaviors similar to both predators and scavengers. 



The scientists compared the skull, beak, and talons of Haast’s eagle with those of five living meat-eating birds - the whistling kite, the little eagle, the wedge-tailed eagle, the Cinereous vulture, and the Andean Condor.



While its beak and talons appeared similar to living eagles, the shape of its neurocranium was most similar to the Andean Condor, a South American vulture which is known to feed upon the soft internal organs of carcasses. These findings suggests that Haast’s eagle may have also eaten this way.



“Most eagles hunt prey that is smaller than them, but Haast's Eagle was going after moa that could weigh up to 200kg – more than 13 times their own body weight. Condors also often eat animals that are much larger than them, so it makes sense that they'd have similar feeding habits,” explained study co-author Paul Scofield, a paleontologist and senior curator of Natural History at the Canterbury Museum.



“When we picture a Haast's Eagle feeding we can imagine them swooping down on a moa, grabbing on with those huge talons and using its powerful beak to deliver the killing blow. Once the moa was down, the eagle would go straight for the back of the skull and for the guts and other soft organs.”



This new study, published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2021.1913">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>, paints a more complex picture of this fascinating creature, showing that it shared traits with both predators and scavengers.



Image Credit: Katrina Kenny



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

Extinct raptor killed like an eagle, ate like a vulture

The extinct Haast’s eagle or harpagornis (Hieraaetus moorei) is the...

Food availability for ocean predators, in general, is rather low. In fact, captive marine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-good-at-vocal-learning-can-fake-their-size/">animals</a> fed the average food concentrations, measured in the oceans using nets and pumps, do not survive. Since this phenomenon was originally investigated and described by Reuben Lasker in the 1970s, it is referred to as the Lasker food paradox.&nbsp;



In new research, a team led by Kelly Benoit-Bird of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute made use of sonar, or active acoustics, to get a better understanding of the distribution patterns of food in the ocean. The researchers attached acoustic sensors to a variety of platforms, including ships, profilers, moorings and autonomous vehicles, to send out and receive sound pulses about the distribution of ocean species.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"We're using systems much like those used to find the depth of the ocean, but instead of interpreting echoes from the seafloor, we're using more sensitive systems that allow us to map layers of life in the water," said Benoit-Bird. "What we've found is that animals of all different sizes, from millimeter-long plankton to large predators, are unevenly distributed, and this variation is really important to how life in the ocean functions."



The results show that ocean organisms are often aggregated in hotspot areas, that are missed by traditional sampling methods and tools. Such aggregations are found in all ocean habitats, from surface to very deep waters, and from the tropics to the poles. Organisms as diverse as plankton, fish, squid and whales all collect in patches rather than being evenly distributed throughout oceans.&nbsp;



This leads us to understand that ocean food and biota have a 3D distribution that varies with depth and location. Animals must find and exploit these small-scale aggregations of resources if they are to survive.&nbsp;



Benoit-Bird’s results explain the apparent paradox described by Lasker, who found that laboratory animals fed the average concentration of ocean food did not survive, but ocean-dwelling animals in the wild did. Oceanic animals do not survive on average food concentrations but are well-adapted to locating and capitalizing on patches of resources, thereby reducing their total energy expenditure in the process.&nbsp;



"For example, if a bucket's worth of popcorn was spread out evenly throughout the volume of a room, and you had to fly around to capture each kernel, you would spend a lot of energy searching and it would be hard to get enough to be full," Benoit-Bird said. "If instead, the popcorn was all grouped together, the popcorn would be a much more satisfying snack. The amount of popcorn is the same but changing how it is grouped determines whether you end up with a full belly.”



"Acoustic tools provide the high spatial resolution and long duration sampling to explore the processes that drive organismal interactions in the ocean. We must understand not only how many animals are in the ocean, but how they are distributed, if we are to effectively manage our living marine resources."



Benoit-Bird will be presenting the findings this week, at the 181st Meeting of the <a href="https://acousticalsociety.org/">Acoustical Society of America</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Patches of plenty explain the ocean food paradox

Food availability for ocean predators, in general, is rather low....

Killer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humpback-whale-songs-are-used-to-locate-not-attract-other-whales/">whales</a> are opportunistic predators that hunt a variety of prey. They are intelligent and will often team up and work together to take down large prey successfully. In recent years, their hunting grounds in the Alaskan Arctic have changed due to the melting and receding ice, and this has given killer whales increased opportunities to utilize these areas, with the potential consequence of changing the ecological balance.



Brynn Kimber from the University of Washington, along with a team of scientists, used acoustic tools to monitor killer whale movements in areas of the Arctic Ocean over a period of eight years. They found that killer whales are spending more time in the Alaskan Arctic than previously recorded, despite risking being entrapped in the ice there. This change in behavior has been recorded directly following the decrease in sea ice in the area.



"It's not necessarily that killer whales haven't been reported in these areas before, but that they appear to be remaining in the area for longer periods of time," said Kimber. "This is likely in response to a longer open-water season."



Killer whale presence in the area may be related to the fact that, with less ice around, prey species that usually use ice to hide themselves, can no longer avoid detection or capture in this way.



"Although there is high spatial and interannual variability, the September Arctic sea ice minimum is declining at an average rate of 13% per decade, when compared to values from 1981 to 2010," said Kimber. "Killer whales are being observed in the Chukchi Sea (in the Arctic Ocean) in months that were historically ice covered and more consistently throughout the summer."



The earlier arrival and later departure of killer whales may have consequences for the ecology of this sensitive habitat. For example, populations of prey such as seals, bowhead whales and narwhals will be more exposed to predation and may experience increased mortality and decreased breeding success. This would have impacts at other levels of the food chain as well.



The findings of this research will be presented at the 181st Meeting of the <a href="https://acousticalsociety.org/">Acoustical Society of America</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Melting Arctic ice gives killer whales new opportunities

Killer whales are opportunistic predators that hunt a variety of...

Tasmanian,Devil,Sitting,On,Branch,At,Cradle,Mountain,Breeding,And

Tasmanian devils are the largest carnivorous marsupial left in the world. While they are already living isolated in low population numbers, these unique animals are further threatened by a contagious cancer.&nbsp;



In an effort to monitor the rare marsupial without disrupting its behavior, scientists have developed a novel technique. The experts report that the whiskers of Tasmanian devils provide a glimpse into their individual life histories.&nbsp;



“We're using the devils’ whiskers to trace back through time," said study senior author Tracey Rogers. "Once dissected, the whiskers can act like the rings of a tree trunk, painting a picture of what the animals ate and how they lived up to a year ago.”



Previously, scientists were able to use whiskers to look at chemical signatures - but without a clear timeline. To construct a timeline for whisker chemical signatures, the researchers fed captive devils food with added heavy stable isotopes at different times over three months.&nbsp;



Using the isotopes as markers, the scientists were able to correlate them with whisker chemical signatures.&nbsp;



The experiment revealed that the whiskers grow quickly at first, but growth slowed over time before stopping. The researchers discovered that the whiskers can hold at least nine months of data in them. Using this information, the scientists can monitor the health of wild Tasmanian devils to help make sure that their populations are healthy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



It’s not just about devils, but also the health of entire ecosystems in Tasmania. “As Tasmania’s apex predator, devils play an essential role in maintaining ecosystem health,” explained Dr. Attard.



Furthermore, the devils play a unique role in the health of the island itself, which has many endemic plant and animal species.



Fortunately, Tasmanian devils are slowly recovering from devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), a contagious cancer, and the scientists hope to keep it that way.&nbsp;



“Tasmanian devil numbers are currently in recovery after the devastating effects of a highly transmissible cancer called the devil facial tumour disease, or DFTD," said study lead author Dr. Marie Attard, who worked on the research as part of her PhD.



"Since the discovery of this disease in 1990s, many healthy individuals have been translocated to disease-free areas or are part of captive breeding programs to help boost their numbers. This whisker analysis tool will significantly enhance their management in pre-existing and translocated wild populations.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21508925">Ecosphere</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Whiskers reveal what Tasmanian devils ate months ago

Tasmanian devils are the largest carnivorous marsupial left in the...

According to a new <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/globalassets/downloads/bocc5/bocc5-report.pdf">report</a> from the bird charity organization <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/">RSPB</a>, over a quarter of UK bird species are currently under threat of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-clues-emerge-in-mass-extinction-mystery/">extinction</a> and thus in need of urgent conservation measures. Seventy species (29 percent of the total number of UK bird species) are now placed on the assessment’s Red List, containing bird species of “highest conservation concerns.”



These birds, including species such as the Swift, the House Martin, or the Greenfinch, are witnessing alarming declines in populations, raising concerns among scientists and conservationists that they may soon become extinct.



The Birds of Conservation Concern 5 report has been compiled by a coalition of UK’s leading bird conservation and monitoring organizations that are regularly reviewing the status of bird species in the UK, the Isle of Man, and Channel Islands. Each species is assessed against a set of objective criteria and placed on either the Green, Amber, or Red List, indicating increasing levels of conservation concerns.



“This is more evidence that the UK's wildlife is in freefall and not enough is being done to reverse declines,” warned the RSPB's CEO, Beccy Speight. “With almost double the number of birds on the Red List since the first review in 1996, we are seeing once common species such as Swift and Greenfinch now becoming rare.”



Bird species such as the Greenfinch and the Ptamirgan were moved from the 2015’s report Green List straight to this year’s Red List, while species that were previously on the intermediary Amber List, including the Swift, the House Martin, the Dunlin, the Goldeneye, the Smew, or the Purple Sandpiper, have also recently entered the Red List.



“As with our climate this really is the last chance saloon to halt and reverse the destruction of nature.&nbsp;We often know what action we need to take to change the situation, but we need to do much more, rapidly and at scale. The coming decade is crucial to turning things around,” concluded Speight.



The full details of the report can he found <a href="https://britishbirds.co.uk/content/status-our-bird-populations">here</a>.



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

More than a quarter of UK bird species are endangered

According to a new report from the bird charity organization...

A new study has found that Risso’s dolphins perform a rapid sprint coupled with a spin when starting a dive, although this highly energetic movement makes them consume much more energy than normal, slower dives. According to the scientists, the dolphins use this spin dive in order to find prey that resides deeper than 300 meters under the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/explosion-in-ocean-life-triggered-mountain-formation/">ocean</a> surface.



The research team analyzed data of over 250 dives recorded on biologging devices that they temporarily attached to seven dolphins, using suction-cups. “Our expectation was that these dives were foraging dives, to hunt squids,” said study lead author Fleur Visser, a researcher at the <a href="https://ibed.uva.nl/">Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics</a> at the University of Amsterdam, and the <a href="https://www.nioz.nl/en">NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research</a>.



“But at first we did not understand the purpose and why Risso’s dolphins would spend so much sprinting energy at the start of a dive.”



According to Visser and her colleagues, the sprint-and-spin movements before a dive make it possible for the dolphins to reach a great depth in a short period of time. Since they are air-breathing predators and have a limited time that they can spend at the depth, such movements are essential, enabling them to reach deep prey much faster and find more prey once they reached their desired depth.&nbsp;



The deep scattering layer in which the Risso dolphins hunt migrates up and down through the water column during each day, with prey hiding in layers over 300 meters deep during daytime, and emerging closer to the surface at dusk. The dolphins have adapted different hunting strategies depending upon the location of their prey.&nbsp;



“We were amazed by the stark contrast between when a spin and non-spin foraging dive is used. It is like flicking a switch,” said Visser. “And related to that, the really clear tracing of a prey layer, and having multiple strategies to hunt in it, depending on its depth.&nbsp;



“The Risso’s dolphins have adapted to be able to effectively hunt deep, next to shallow, circumventing the predator-avoidance strategy of their squid prey.”



Further studies are needed to better understand which types of prey the dolphins are hunting in deeper and shallower waters.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.202320">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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

Dolphins perform a spinning dive to catch deep prey

A new study has found that Risso’s dolphins perform a...

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