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

Most people worry about the gradual loss of stamina, strength, and mental sharpness that comes with aging. Scientists have been exploring new ideas to tackle these concerns and increase not just our years but also our quality of life. 



An international team has been testing a special approach that raises levels of a natural protein in the body.



Their research was led by Professor Miguel Chillón at the Institute of Neurosciences of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (<a href="https://web.ub.edu/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UB</a>), and it shines a light on what might someday help people stay healthier for a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organ-aging-can-predict-diseases-decades-in-advance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">longer period</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protein-s-kl-and-its-role-in-aging">Protein s-KL and its role in aging</h2>



The protein at the center of this work is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41581-018-0078-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Klotho</a>, and the form used in the experiments is the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26599613/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">secreted version</a> known as s-KL. 



Some studies suggest that Klotho may influence a wide range of biological processes by managing signals that affect inflammation and cell aging.



The name Klotho first appeared in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/36285" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scientific journals</a> in the late 1990s, when experiments showed that a deficiency of this protein made mice look older and more frail at younger ages.



"We have been working with the Klotho protein for some time, due to its therapeutic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-old-are-you-really-new-tool-measures-aging-from-the-inside-out/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">potential</a> for treating neurodegenerative diseases. 



In this study, we wanted to see whether s-KL could also be beneficial for healthy aging by examining a broad range of factors," explained Professor Chillón.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-differences-between-males-and-females">Differences between males and females</h2>



The effects of s-KL weren’t the same for male and female mice. Males showed clearer gains in lifespan and muscle strength, while females responded more strongly in measures of bone structure, especially when treated earlier in life.



These sex-based differences might be tied to how male and female bodies process viral vectors or express the s-KL protein. 



Hormonal factors could also play a role, suggesting future human trials may need sex-specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/curiosity-might-help-you-stay-sharp-as-you-age/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strategies</a> to get the best results.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aging-improvements-with-s-kl-protein">Aging improvements with s-KL protein</h2>



Researchers noticed that mice given s-KL retained better muscle tissue composition, with less of the scarring often linked to older age. They also had stronger performance in tasks that tested endurance and coordination.



Weakened bones can be a big danger in older adults, so it was intriguing that s-KL seemed to keep the inner bone structure more intact. 



This finding aligns with earlier <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16436465/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">observations</a> that Klotho influences mineral balance in bone and may reduce the chances of fractures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-timing-may-matter">Why timing may matter</h2>



Mice treated at 12 months old showed more pronounced improvements in longevity and physical health than those treated at 6 months. One reason could be that the aging mice produced higher levels of the s-KL protein after treatment, which may have amplified its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-bodies-begin-breaking-down-two-very-precise-ages/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">effects</a>.



This finding raises an important question: Could middle age be a better window for intervention than early adulthood? If so, the timing of s-KL therapy in humans could be just as critical as the treatment itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-signs-of-brain-support">Signs of brain support</h2>



Aside from the physical improvements, the investigators measured changes in the hippocampus, a region crucial for memory and cognitive ability. 



They detected heightened markers of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4563705/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adult neurogenesis</a>, which is the process by which new neurons form in mature brains.



There was also evidence that key immune cells in the brain might be working in a more balanced way. This could help remove cellular waste and reduce the chronic inflammation tied to age-related brain diseases.



The researchers used gene therapy vectors that prompted cells to produce s-KL over an extended period. These vectors included genetic instructions, and once inside the mice, the cells took over production of the protein.



The approach was designed to boost s-KL levels in both the brain and other areas of the body. This helped ensure that many of the organs linked to muscle, bone, and memory got the extra support.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-s-kl-protein-and-human-aging">s-KL protein and human aging?</h2>



Although this study was done in mice, the results open the door to potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/defying-time-three-ways-to-slow-biological-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">therapies</a> for humans. 



Age-related decline in mobility, memory, and bone strength all contribute to lower independence and quality of life in older adults. A treatment that addresses these together could shift how we think about aging.



Many current drugs only target one issue at a time, like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/outdoor-exercise-amplifies-physical-and-mental-health-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">osteoporosis</a> or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-sleep-may-predict-memory-loss-years-in-advance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">memory loss</a>. But the effects of s-KL span across systems. 



This points toward the possibility of a more unified strategy to aging - one that works with the body’s existing repair mechanisms rather than replacing them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-s-kl-protein-research">What’s next for s-KL protein research?</h2>



If we can find a viable delivery method, s-KL could make a significant contribution to improving people’s quality of life and helping to build the healthiest society possible.



Scientists continue to explore whether direct protein administration or refined gene-based aging options might work best for humans. They plan to keep studying how s-KL weaves into different biological pathways.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/molecular-therapy-family/molecular-therapy/fulltext/S1525-0016(25)00120-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Molecular Therapy</a>.



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Protein discovered that boosts lifespan, muscle, and brain power with just one dose

Most people worry about the gradual loss of stamina, strength,...

Trigonometry class has tripped up generations of teenagers, yet none of its puzzles spark more head‑scratching than the classic right‑triangle riddle. The formula a² + b² = c² looks tidy on the chalkboard, but proving why it always works can feel like chasing smoke. 



For two millennia, mathematicians have shown the Pythagorean theorem to be true through geometry and algebra; using trigonometry itself was long considered a dead end.



That roadblock has now been cleared by two U.S. high school students who flipped the problem on its head and produced new trigonometric proofs that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pi-day-celebrating-the-universal-language-of-mathematics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stand up to expert scrutiny</a>. 



Their story began with a small prompt and a modest prize, then stretched into months of late‑night calculations and an unexpected place in the scholarly spotlight.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pythagorean-theorem-bonus">Pythagorean theorem bonus</h2>



Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson were juniors at St. Mary’s Academy in New Orleans when a $500 bonus question in a local math contest dared entrants to find a fresh proof of the Pythagorean theorem. 



Working separately at first, each teenager burned through notebook after notebook, bumping into the same obstacle that had stymied countless others: most trig identities assume the theorem is already true.



After four weeks of trial and error, they cracked it - without leaning on that circular logic. Their volunteer coach, retired teacher Larry Rich, saw potential in the work and encouraged them to polish the arguments for a wider audience. 



Only twice before had <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-impossibility-made-possible-using-exotic-mathematics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">professional mathematicians</a> managed similar feats, so the suggestion sounded far‑fetched. They pressed on anyway.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-days-weeks-months">Days, weeks, months</h2>



Weekends, holidays, and after‑school hours disappeared into a blur of diagrams and angle chasing. 



Over the next three months, the duo refined one another’s ideas, pushing the number of independent trigonometric proofs from a single breakthrough to five. 



By chaining a clever construction to those five, they uncovered a pathway to five more, bringing the total to ten.



Then came a surprise email: the <a href="https://www.ams.org/home/page" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Mathematical Society</a>’s Southeastern Sectional Meeting in Atlanta accepted their abstract for a March 2023 talk. 



The conference hall is usually packed with professors and graduate students - not teenagers. Still, the pair stood before a room full of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prime-numbers-not-random-can-be-predicted-upending-beliefs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seasoned mathematicians</a> and laid out their logic step by step.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-riding-high-on-the-pythagorean-theorem">Riding high on the Pythagorean theorem</h2>



"I was pretty surprised to be published," says Ne'Kiya Jackson. "I didn't think it would go this far."



"To have a paper published at such a young age - it's really mind‑blowing," agrees Calcea Johnson.



Their results caught more than academic eyes. New Orleans officials handed both students keys to the city, and former First Lady Michelle Obama sent personal congratulations. 



The American Mathematical Monthly, a journal founded in 1894 to bridge classroom and research math, published their paper - an honor few undergraduates ever see, let alone recent high‑school graduates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ten-new-proofs-new-perspective">Ten new proofs, new perspective</h2>



The publication lays out five brand‑new proofs plus the method that spins them into ten. 



Johnson and Jackson argue that confusion around trigonometry often springs from the fact that the word “trigonometry” hides two distinct systems. 



When educators separate the pair instead of blending them, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-a-better-way-for-kids-to-learn-math/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hidden symmetries emerge</a>, including new routes to the famous theorem.



"It's very exciting for me, because I know when I was growing up, STEM wasn't really a cool thing. So the fact that all these people actually are interested in STEM and mathematics really warms my heart and makes me really excited for how far STEM has come," Calcea Johnson enthused.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-juggling-college-life-and-latex">Juggling college life and LaTeX</h2>



By the time peer reviewers finished their checks, both authors were freshmen - Jackson in the pharmacy program at <a href="https://www.xavier.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Xavier University</a> of Louisiana and Johnson studying environmental engineering at Louisiana State University’s <a href="https://www.lsu.edu/honors/index.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ogden Honors College</a>. 



Balancing calculus lectures, chemistry labs, and first‑year essays with the technical demands of LaTeX typesetting took grit.



"I am very proud that we are both able to be such a positive influence in showing that young women and women of color can do these things, and to let other young women know that they are able to do whatever they want to do. So that makes me very proud to be able to be in that position," says Johnson.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



Della Dumbaugh, editor‑in‑chief of American Mathematical Monthly, writes, "The Monthly is honored and delighted to publish the work of these two students on its pages.



"Their results call attention to the promise of the fresh perspective of students on the field. They also highlight the important role of teachers and schools in advancing the next generation of mathematicians.



"Even more, this work echoes the spirit of Benjamin Finkel, who founded the Monthly in 1894 to feature mathematics within reach of teachers and students of mathematics."



For classrooms wrestling with trig today, the work offers concrete new examples and a reminder that great ideas are not age‑restricted. 



For students who don’t see themselves reflected in textbooks, it’s an inspiration - proof that determination, mentorship, and a $500 spark can redraw the boundaries of a 2,000‑year‑old subject.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00029890.2024.2370240#d1e111" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Mathematical Monthly</a>.



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Two American high school girls challenge 2,000 years of math with five brilliant new proofs of Pythagoras' theorem

Trigonometry class has tripped up generations of teenagers, yet none...

Cosmic,Cliffs,In,The,Carina,Nebula.,James,Webb,Space,Telescope.

A famous James Webb Space Telescope portrait has recently gained a fresh dimension. Scientists have transformed the “Cosmic Cliffs” image, first revealed in July 2022, into a sweeping three‑dimensional fly‑through that lets audiences dive into a glittering nursery of stars.



The new visualization comes from <a href="https://www.universe-of-learning.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA’s Universe of Learning</a> program and premieres today during a centennial celebration of the first public planetarium, held by the <a href="https://www.ips-planetarium.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Planetarium Society</a> in Munich.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3d-view-of-star-nursery">3D view of star nursery</h2>



The source photograph shows a jagged wall of gas and dust that looks like mountains lit by starlight. In reality, this cliff is a section of the nebula Gum 31 inside the sprawling Carina Nebula Complex.



At its top, unseen in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/firefly-sparkle-webb-telescope-weighs-a-galaxy-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Webb</a> frame, sits the young star cluster NGC 3324. The cluster’s ultraviolet glare and fierce stellar winds have hollowed out a vast cavity in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-rogue-worlds-discovered-inside-a-young-star-forming-nebula/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nebula</a>. The Cosmic Cliffs mark one edge of that bubble.



Webb’s near‑infrared eyes caught the cliff as wisps of blue and gold, speckled with points of baby stars. The new 3D tour adds depth cues so viewers can sense soaring peaks and plunging valleys. 



Streams of heated gas flow upward like mist across the ridge. Bright yellow arcs trace jets erupting from infant suns as they burrow through the cloud.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-science-becomes-visual-art">Star science becomes visual art</h2>



“Bringing this amazing Webb image to life helps the public to comprehend the three‑dimensional structure inherent in the 2D image, and to develop a better mental model of the universe,” said <a href="https://www.stsci.edu/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Space Telescope Science Institute</a> (STScI) visualization scientist Frank Summers, who heads the <a href="https://universe-of-learning.org/resources/projects/astroviz" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AstroViz Project</a> that crafted the sequence.



The piece forms part of a longer narrated video created by the STScI with partners at <a href="https://www.ipac.caltech.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Caltech/IPAC</a>.



Designed for planetariums, museums, and classrooms, the production links the epic scene to the tools and methods astronomers use to study <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-molecule-detected-in-space-where-stars-are-born/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stellar birth</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-century-of-planetarium-storytelling">Century of planetarium storytelling</h2>



The Munich event that hosts the debut honors one hundred years since the first public planetarium opened in the same city. 



Today almost two hundred U.S. sites run <a href="https://viewspace.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ViewSpace</a>, a free video exhibit from NASA’s Universe of Learning.



The Cosmic Cliffs fly‑through will join that platform along with an online resource page dedicated to the Carina Nebula Complex. 



Interactive tools let visitors zoom into telescope images and compare wavelengths, bringing space science into local communities far from observatory domes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-birth-inside-the-cosmic-cliffs">Star birth inside the cosmic cliffs</h2>



Gum 31, formed of hydrogen, helium, and cosmic dust, sits about 7,600 light‑years away in the southern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-carina-nebula-like-weve-never-seen-it-before/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">constellation Carina</a>. Within it, the stars of NGC 3324 are only a few million years old.



Their radiation blasts the surrounding cloud, carving the void above the cliffs. Where gas is denser, pillars endure. 



At their tips, gravity squeezes material until new stars ignite. Webb’s infrared sensitivity reveals these hidden embryos, blanketed in cooler dust that once made them invisible to optical telescopes.



The visualization translates scientific data into a sculpted digital mesh. Color layers from Webb’s detectors wrap the mesh, while particle systems simulate drifting gas.



To keep the rendering faithful, artists consulted astrophysicists about distances, densities, and light scattering. The result is not a literal map but a guided impression that honors the physics behind the picture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-webb-changes-cosmic-understanding">Webb changes cosmic understanding</h2>



NASA’s Universe of Learning draws on missions such as Webb, Hubble, Chandra, Spitzer, and others. 



The program blends expert interviews, data sonifications, and visual effects to answer core questions: how do stars form, how do galaxies evolve, what lies beyond our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spiral-structure-discovered-at-the-edge-of-our-solar-system-oort-cloud/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar system</a>.



It belongs to <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA’s Science Activation network</a>, which links scientists with educators to “activate minds” through authentic content.



The James Webb Space Telescope continues to redefine what we know about the cosmos. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://youtu.be/dEnHVL0FjhI" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cosmic-cliffs_carina-nebula_webb-space-telescope_1s.webp" alt="The landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” known as the Cosmic Cliffs is actually a portion of the nebula Gum 31, which contains a young star cluster called NGC 3324. Both Gum 31 and NGC 3324 are part of a vast star-forming region known as the Carina Nebula Complex. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI" class="wp-image-1969298"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” known as the Cosmic Cliffs is actually a portion of the nebula Gum 31, which contains a young star cluster called NGC 3324. Both Gum 31 and NGC 3324 are part of a vast star-forming region known as the Carina Nebula Complex. Click image to watch 3D video. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI</figcaption></figure>



Since launch in late 2021, it has probed the atmospheres of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exoplanet-discovery-nasa-identifies-over-5500-distant-worlds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exoplanets</a>, spotted some of the earliest galaxies, and detailed the architecture of star‑forming regions.



The Cosmic Cliffs image was part of Webb’s first public showcase and quickly became an icon. Converting that single frame into a flight experience deepens public engagement and underscores Webb’s power to reveal structures hidden by dust.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-webb-visuals-planned">Future Webb visuals planned</h2>



The AstroViz team plans similar 3D treatments for other Webb highlights, each tailored to different learning settings. 



As tools evolve, future versions may let viewers steer their own path through nebulae using virtual‑reality headsets.



For now the new sequence will roll out to planetariums worldwide, inviting audiences to soar above a stellar cliff face, watch hot gas billow skyward, and glimpse newborn suns firing jets into the dark.



Webb’s images already inspire awe. With depth added, they can also nurture intuition about scale and process, turning distant astrophysical drama into an immersive story that anyone can feel as well as see.



<a href="https://youtu.be/dEnHVL0FjhI" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to watch the full 3D video of the "Cosmic Cliffs" by JWST...</a>



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Webb's iconic 'Cosmic Cliffs' image transformed into stunning 3D video tour of a star nursery

A famous James Webb Space Telescope portrait has recently gained...

Science has been chasing a single rulebook for nature ever since people realized the same laws that guide apples also steer planets. Three of the four known forces - electromagnetism, the strong force, and the weak force - comfortably share pages in that quantum physics manual. 



Gravity, though vital to everything from tides to timekeeping, insists on speaking a different dialect inspired by Einstein’s theory of general relativity.



That mismatch keeps physicists up at night. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-form-of-quantum-entanglement-discovered-will-transform-next-gen-technology/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Quantum ideas</a> describe particles and fields in tiny, jumpy packages, while general relativity paints gravity as smooth curves in space‑time. 



Fit those viewpoints together, and the math usually blows up into useless infinities. A fresh effort now claims to tame those infinities without bending the facts we already trust.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bridging-gravity-field-and-quantum-forces">Bridging gravity field and quantum forces</h2>



Researchers Mikko Partanen and Jukka Tulkki at <a href="https://www.aalto.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aalto University</a> believe they have found common ground. They place gravity inside a type of gauge theory, the same broad framework that lets photons mediate light and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atomic-nucleus-made-of-quarks-and-gluons-reproduced-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gluons glue quarks</a>. 



“If this turns out to lead to a complete quantum field theory of gravity, then eventually it will give answers to the very difficult problems of understanding singularities in black holes and the Big Bang,” he says. 



The pair argue that the payoff could stretch far beyond pure curiosity; without <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cosmic-glitch-in-gravity-expands-the-theory-of-general-relativity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Einstein’s gravity</a>, for instance, GPS satellites would drift miles off course in a day.



Their proposal, published in Reports on Progress in Physics, introduces an eight‑dimensional mathematical space that hosts gravity alongside the other forces. 



In everyday life we move through three dimensions plus time, yet the extra four directions allow the equations to behave properly. 



By choosing a symmetry that mirrors the Standard Model, they avoid clashing with proven particle physics. The plan looks daring, but the researchers are convinced it keeps both feet on solid ground.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spinors-and-symmetry">Spinors and symmetry</h2>



Inside the eight‑dimensional arena, spinors - exotic objects that keep track of how particles twist - carry gravity’s information. 



“The main idea is to have a gravity gauge theory with a symmetry that is similar to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-entanglement-spooky-action-at-a-distance-persists-between-top-quarks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Standard Model</a> symmetries, instead of basing the theory on the very different kind of spacetime symmetry of general relativity,” says Partanen, the study’s lead author. 



Using a shared symmetry lets gravity slot into the same style of equations that already explain how electrons interact with light.



That symmetry also dictates a new kind of gravitational field. 



“The most familiar gauge field is the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invisible-electric-field-discovered-surrounding-earth-nasa-says-its-as-crucial-as-gravity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">electromagnetic field</a>. When electrically charged particles interact with each other, they interact through the electromagnetic field, which is the pertinent gauge field,” explains Tulkki. 



“So when we have particles which have energy, the interactions they have just because they have energy would happen through the gravitational field.” 



In short, energy - not mass alone - becomes the charge that gravity responds to in this setup.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-space-time-gravity-dimension-field">Space‑time gravity dimension field</h2>



Extra dimensions sound abstract, yet the theory never asks anyone to live in them. Instead it builds a “space‑time dimension field” that quietly translates eight‑dimensional math into the four‑dimensional universe people occupy. 



That bridge preserves the equivalence principle, the observation that a feather and a hammer fall together in a vacuum, even though the calculations chug away behind the curtain in higher‑dimensional space.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gravity-quantum-field_theory-of-everything_illustration_credit-Aalto-University_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gravity-quantum-field_theory-of-everything_illustration_credit-Aalto-University_1s.webp" alt="The gravity quantum field is calculated in flat spacetime. The curved classical metric is calculated using the expectation value of the gravity quantum field. Credit: Aalto University" class="wp-image-1968436"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The gravity quantum field is calculated in flat spacetime. The curved classical metric is calculated using the expectation value of the gravity quantum field. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Aalto University</figcaption></figure>



Because the field emerges from strict symmetry rules, the resulting gravity still pulls objects along the familiar paths predicted by Einstein, at least in calm conditions like those near Earth. 



Where things heat up - think black‑hole edges or the newborn universe - the new math starts to reveal effects that classical relativity misses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantum-gravity-field-and-renormalization">Quantum gravity field and renormalization</h2>



Previous attempts to quantize gravity ran aground when higher‑order calculations spiraled into infinite answers. The Aalto approach leans on a tool called renormalization, which systematically sweeps those infinities into measurable constants. 



“If renormalization doesn’t work for higher order terms, you’ll get infinite results. So it’s vital to show that this renormalization continues to work,” explains Tulkki. So far, first‑order checks look solid; the team is pushing deeper to prove the pattern holds.



Keeping infinities in line would let physicists compute reliable probabilities for violent cosmic events. It also means gravity can be treated with the same respect as the other forces - in short, no more special exemptions that break the rules when the math gets messy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-black-holes-big-bangs-quantum-gravity">Black holes, big bangs, quantum gravity</h2>



“A quantum theory of gravity is needed to understand what kind of phenomena there are in cases where there’s a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unraveling-gravity-quantum-nature-entanglement-mechanics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gravitational field</a> and high energies,” says Partanen. 



Such conditions prevail near the edges of black holes and during the first instants after the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-than-one-big-bang-may-explain-cosmic-expansion-without-dark-matter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Big Bang</a>, places where current theories shrug. 



A working quantum gravity model could clarify whether singularities truly exist or whether new physics softens the infinities predicted by Einstein’s equations.



Deeper still, the theory might speak to nagging puzzles about why <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/higgs-boson-god-particle-still-remains-quantum-mystery-after-12-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">matter outnumbers antimatter</a>. 



“A theory that coherently describes all fundamental forces of nature is often called the Theory of Everything,” says Partanen, although he doesn’t like to use the term himself. 



“Some fundamental questions of physics still remain unanswered. For example, the present theories do not yet explain why there is more matter than antimatter in the observable universe.” Unifying gravity could offer fresh angles on that imbalance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-we-go-from-here">Where do we go from here?</h2>



Partanen and Tulkki openly admit the work is not finished. They must prove the renormalization machinery survives every level of the calculation and make sure no hidden contradictions lurk in the symmetry choices. 



Independent teams will also test whether the new gravity predicts subtle deviations - tiny shifts in particle behavior or cosmic signals - that future experiments can check.



For now, the duo have invited the wider community to kick the tires. 



“Like quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity before it, we hope our theory will open countless avenues for scientists to explore,” Partanen concludes. 



Success would finally let gravity pull its weight in the quantum club, tightening the threads that tie the universe together.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6633/adc82e" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reports on Progress in Physics</a>.



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Long-sought 'Theory of Everything' takes a big step closer to becoming reality

Science has been chasing a single rulebook for nature ever...

Sub-Neptunes may not orbit our Sun, but they are everywhere in our galaxy. These planets - bigger than Earth, smaller than Neptune - make up the most common type of exoplanet we’ve found so far. 



Despite their abundance, much about them remains a mystery. That’s especially true when it comes to their thick, cloudy atmospheres.



But thanks to NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), that’s starting to change. A new observation of one of these planets, TOI-421 b, is offering an unusually clear view - literally - of what lies inside a sub-Neptune’s skies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breakthrough-in-exoplanet-research">Breakthrough in exoplanet research</h2>



Scientists from the <a href="https://umd.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Maryland</a> have been waiting a long time for this. With Webb’s advanced technology, they finally have the tools to study sub-Neptune atmospheres in detail.



“I had been waiting my entire career for Webb so that we could meaningfully characterize the atmospheres of these smaller planets,” said Eliza Kempton. 



“By studying their atmospheres, we’re getting a better understanding of how sub-Neptunes formed and evolved, and part of that is understanding why they don't exist in our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-the-delicate-balance-of-our-solar-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar system</a>.”



These planets were first spotted by NASA’s Kepler space telescope. At the time, they were a surprise. Now, astronomers are racing to figure out why they’re so common, and what their thick atmospheres are hiding.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rare-clear-atmosphere-on-toi-421-b">Rare, clear atmosphere on TOI-421 b</h2>



Sub-Neptunes are difficult to observe. They’re <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-earth-planets-are-more-common-than-previously-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">larger than Earth</a> but much smaller and cooler than gas giants like Jupiter. Their faint signals make it hard to see what’s in their skies.



Before Webb, almost every sub-Neptune that researchers looked at returned what’s called a flat transmission spectrum. 



That means no chemical fingerprints were visible - just a blank line. Scientists believed that haze or clouds were blocking their view.



That’s why TOI-421 b stood out. It looked like it might be different.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-atmospheric-composition-of-toi-421-b">Atmospheric composition of TOI-421 b</h2>



“Why did we observe this planet, TOI-421 b? It's because we thought that maybe it wouldn't have hazes,” confirmed Kempton. 



“And the reason is that there were some previous data that implied that maybe planets over a certain temperature range were less enshrouded by haze or clouds than others.”



That temperature threshold is around 1,070 degrees Fahrenheit (577 degrees Celsius). Below that, methane reacts with sunlight to form haze. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/exoplanet_TOI-421-b_hot-neptune_atmosphere-chart_NASA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/exoplanet_TOI-421-b_hot-neptune_atmosphere-chart_NASA_1s.webp" alt="A transmission spectrum captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals the presence of water (H2O) and the possible presence of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), but no signs of carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4), in the atmosphere of the hot sub-Neptune exoplanet TOI-421 b. The observations support the hypothesis that planets this hot (TOI-421 b is about 1,340°F) have clear atmospheres that are not obscured by clouds and haze. Credit: NASA" class="wp-image-1969294"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A transmission spectrum captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals the presence of water (H2O) and the possible presence of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), but no signs of carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4), in the atmosphere of the hot sub-Neptune exoplanet TOI-421 b. The observations support the hypothesis that planets this hot (TOI-421 b is about 1,340°F) have clear atmospheres that are not obscured by clouds and haze. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NASA</figcaption></figure>



But above it, planets should be too hot for methane to exist - and that could mean a clearer atmosphere.



TOI-421 b is hotter than that. Its surface temperature is about 1,340 degrees Fahrenheit (727 degrees Celsius). That gave researchers hope, and Webb confirmed it: this planet’s atmosphere is indeed clear.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexpected-gases-detected">Unexpected gases detected</h2>



Once they had a clear view, the team spotted signs of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-of-water-vapor-may-be-involved-in-planet-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water vapor</a> in the atmosphere. They also saw hints of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. 



Some gases, including methane and carbon dioxide, were absent. And the most surprising element of all? A lot of hydrogen.



“We saw spectral features that we attribute to various gases, and that allowed us to determine the composition of the atmosphere,” said Brian Davenport, a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland who led the data analysis. 



“Whereas with many of the other sub-Neptunes that had been previously observed, we know their atmospheres are made of something, but they're being blocked by haze.”



The discovery of a hydrogen-rich atmosphere contradicted the researchers’ expectations.



“We had recently wrapped our mind around the idea that those first few sub-Neptunes observed by Webb had heavy-molecule atmospheres, so that had become our expectation, and then we found the opposite,” said Kempton.



This suggests TOI-421 b may have taken a different path during its formation and evolution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-and-planet-match">Star and planet match</h2>



The composition of TOI-421 b’s atmosphere also looked similar to gases present in the star it orbits.



“If you just took the same gas that made the host star, plopped it on top of a planet's atmosphere, and put it at the much cooler temperature of this planet, you would get the same combination of gases,” said Kempton.



This is more like what we see in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-gas-planets-are-cosmic-wrecking-balls-that-wreak-havoc-in-habitable-zones/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gas giants</a> of our own solar system, not other sub-Neptunes observed by Webb.



Another difference is that TOI-421 b orbits a Sun-like star. Most previously observed sub-Neptunes have orbited much smaller red dwarfs. That might explain some of the differences - or maybe TOI-421 b is simply unique.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finding-more-planets-like-toi-421-b">Finding more planets like TOI-421 b</h2>



To figure out if TOI-421 b is a one-off or part of a bigger pattern, scientists want to observe more sub-Neptunes in similar temperature ranges. 



If more hot, clear-skied sub-Neptunes turn up, that could give us a new window into how these planets form and what they’re made of.



“We've unlocked a new way to look at these sub-Neptunes,” said Davenport. “These high-temperature planets are amenable to characterization. So by looking at sub-Neptunes of this temperature, we're perhaps more likely to accelerate our ability to learn about these planets.”



One thing’s clear: TOI-421 b is no ordinary planet. But, with Webb’s help, scientists are just beginning to uncover the secrets hidden behind the haze.



The full study was published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adcd76" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Astrophysical Journal letters</a>.



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Webb telescope gets a clear view of a very hot alien world

Sub-Neptunes may not orbit our Sun, but they are everywhere...

When most people think of the Cretaceous Period, salmon probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. Towering dinosaurs and steamy tropical landscapes usually steal the spotlight. 



But in what is now northern Alaska, the picture was very different - and surprisingly familiar. Freshwater rivers and streams, instead of being dominated by dinosaurs or reptiles, teemed with ancient versions of fish we still see today, including early forms of salmon and pike.



In a recent study from the <a href="https://www.uaf.edu/uaf/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Alaska Fairbanks</a>, researchers identified three new species of fish from 73 million years ago. 



One of them, Sivulliusalmo alaskensis, has taken the spotlight as the oldest known member of the salmon family ever found in the fossil record.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-first-for-salmon">A new first for salmon</h2>



“This is not only a new species; it’s the oldest salmonid in the fossil record,” said Patrick Druckenmiller, director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North. 



The name Sivulliusalmo alaskensis combines the Inupiaq word for “to be first” with the Latin word for salmon.



Before this, the earliest known salmonid fossils came from British Columbia and Washington. This new find pushes the lineage back by around 20 million years. 



The researchers also found fossils of two new species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/northern-pike-are-sneaking-through-the-ocean-to-invade-new-lakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pike</a>, as well as the earliest Arctic example of the fish group that includes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/controlling-invasive-carp-with-sound-waves/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carp</a> and minnows.



“Many of the fish groups that we think of as being distinctive today in the high-latitude environment in Alaska were already in place at the same time as dinosaurs,” said Druckenmiller.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warm-world-cold-loving-fish">Warm world, cold-loving fish</h2>



The presence of salmonids in such ancient, northern waters may seem surprising. After all, salmon today are known for thriving in cold environments.



But even during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colossal-new-dinosaur-was-hidden-in-spains-early-cretaceous-fossils/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cretaceous</a> - a time known for its warm global temperatures - the Arctic still experienced sharp seasonal changes.



“Salmon were already the kind of fish that do well in a place where those dramatic shifts were happening,” said Andrés López, curator of fish at the UA Museum of the North. 



“Despite all of the changes that the planet has gone through, all of the changes in the geography and the climate, you still had the ancestors of the same groups of species that dominate the fresh waters of the region today.”



The researchers believe these fish adapted well to fluctuations in temperature and daylight. This resilience could explain how their descendants still thrive in the far north today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmon-and-dinosaurs-shared-rivers">Salmon and dinosaurs shared rivers</h2>



The fossilized fish remains came from the Prince Creek Formation, a site in northern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/in-alaska-dinosaurs-lived-where-rainfall-was-optimal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alaska</a> known for its rich collection of dinosaur bones. 



But while dinosaurs steal the headlines, it's the tiny fossils that often hold the most detailed stories of the ecosystem.



“These types of fossils are often overlooked,” said Druckenmiller. “You couldn’t begin to understand a modern Arctic ecosystem without understanding the smallest animals that live there.”



That same principle, he argued, applies to ancient ecosystems. To better understand Cretaceous life, the team studied even the tiniest vertebrate fossils - especially those of ancient fish.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finding-the-oldest-salmon-fossil">Finding the oldest salmon fossil</h2>



Finding those fossils wasn’t easy. Fish fossils are common in the Prince Creek Formation, but they’re often too small to spot during fieldwork. So the researchers hauled back buckets of sediment to their lab, where they sifted through them under microscopes.



The key fossils that revealed the new salmon species were tiny jaws, some small enough to rest on a pencil eraser. 



To see them in detail, the research team - including scientists from Western University in Ontario and the University of Colorado Boulder - used micro-computed tomography. This technology let them digitally reconstruct the fossils in 3D.



“We found a really distinct jaw and other parts that we recognized as a member of the salmon family,” Druckenmiller said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-born-in-dinosaur-era-rivers">Born in dinosaur-era rivers</h2>



The team’s findings suggest that salmon may not have migrated north, as some previously thought. Instead, their evolutionary roots may lie in the North from the very beginning.



“Northern high latitude regions were probably the crucible of their evolutionary history,” said Druckenmiller.



That idea fits with the absence of lower-latitude fish species in the same rock layers. For now, the story of salmon seems to have started in the shadow of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-nursery-discovered-in-the-arctic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic dinosaurs</a> - in rivers that once flowed through a polar world that was cold, warm, and ever-changing all at once.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70014" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Papers in Palaeontology</a>.



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When dinosaurs roamed, salmon swarmed in Arctic rivers

When most people think of the Cretaceous Period, salmon probably...

Rivers worldwide now carry an invisible but potent threat - antibiotic pollution. A new study from McGill University uncovers the staggering extent of this contamination.



Researchers estimate that rivers annually receive approximately 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics - nearly a third of human consumption. Wastewater systems, designed to purify, fail to prevent these residues from infiltrating natural waterways.



As a result, antibiotic traces linger, endangering both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-water-day-2025-preserving-glaciers-protecting-our-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aquatic</a> ecosystems and public health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rivers-carry-antibiotic-residues">Rivers carry antibiotic residues</h2>



The flow of antibiotics through river <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">systems</a> remains relentless. Wastewater treatment plants struggle to eliminate these compounds effectively. Residues from hospitals, households, and pharmaceutical facilities continue to infiltrate rivers, accumulating over time. 



Heloisa Ehalt Macedo is a postdoctoral research fellow at <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">McGill</a> and lead author of the study.



"While the amounts of residues from individual antibiotics translate into only very small concentrations in most rivers, which makes them very difficult to detect, the chronic and cumulative environmental exposure to these substances can still pose a risk to human health and aquatic ecosystems," said Macedo.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antibiotics-rivers-and-human-health">Antibiotics, rivers, and human health</h2>



Even at low concentrations, antibiotic residues disrupt aquatic life. Fish, algae, and microbial communities all face risks from chronic exposure. 



The accumulation of these residues alters natural microbial diversity, potentially fostering antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Over time, these changes ripple through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-plastic-pollution-lurks-beneath-the-surface-of-rivers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a>, affecting entire food webs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-amoxicillin-a-leading-contaminant">Amoxicillin: A leading contaminant</h2>



Amoxicillin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic, emerges as the primary contaminant in rivers. Researchers utilized a global model, corroborated by data from 877 river sites, to identify hotspots of contamination. 



Southeast Asia, where antibiotic use continues to rise, faces particular risk. Poor wastewater treatment facilities fail to mitigate the amoxicillin surge, allowing residues to reach dangerous levels in river systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unintended-environmental-consequences">Unintended environmental consequences</h2>



Antibiotics, though vital for treating infections, carry unintended environmental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-face-serious-threats-from-chemical-pollution-and-ocean-warming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consequences</a>. The researchers stress that the study does not discourage antibiotic use. Instead, it highlights the unforeseen impacts on river ecosystems. 



"This study is not intended to warn about the use of antibiotics - we need antibiotics for global health treatments - but our results indicate that there may be unintended effects on aquatic environments and antibiotic resistance, which calls for mitigation and management strategies to avoid or reduce their implications," said study co-author Bernhard Lehner.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unaccounted-sources-of-contamination">Unaccounted sources of contamination</h2>



Livestock farms and pharmaceutical factories, major sources of antibiotic residues, remain unaccounted for in the study. Despite their exclusion, the findings reveal extensive contamination from human antibiotic consumption alone. 



"Our results show that antibiotic pollution in rivers arising from human consumption alone is a critical issue, which would likely be exacerbated by veterinarian or industry sources of related compounds," said Jim Nicell, an environmental engineering professor at McGill.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-highest-river-antibiotic-contamination">Highest river antibiotic contamination</h2>



The consequences of antibiotic pollution do not spread evenly. India, China, and Pakistan account for 47% of rivers with the highest antibiotic dose concentrations. 



Rivers in densely populated regions suffer the most, as inadequate wastewater systems struggle to cope with rising antibiotic use. The study estimates that 750 million people live in close proximity to these contaminated rivers, facing the risk of exposure to antibiotic-laden water.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monitoring-and-mitigation">Monitoring and mitigation</h2>



Monitoring programs play a pivotal role in combating river contamination. Identifying hotspots of antibiotic pollution enables targeted intervention, preventing further environmental degradation. 



"Monitoring programs to detect antibiotic or other chemical contamination of waterways are therefore needed, especially in areas that our model predicts to be at risk," said Nicell.



However, detection alone is not enough. Upgrading wastewater treatment facilities becomes imperative, particularly in low-income regions where untreated waste flows directly into rivers. 



Implementing advanced filtration systems could significantly reduce antibiotic concentrations, safeguarding both aquatic life and human health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-global-challenge">A global challenge</h2>



Antibiotic pollution in rivers represents a pressing environmental crisis. The McGill study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive mitigation strategies. 



Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach, encompassing both monitoring programs and wastewater treatment upgrades.



Unchecked, antibiotic residues will continue to accumulate in river systems, threatening biodiversity and public health. Effective solutions must target the root causes - rising antibiotic consumption, inadequate waste management, and insufficient regulation.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/4/pgaf096/8113371" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PNAS Nexus</a>.



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Human antibiotics detected in hundreds of rivers worldwide

Rivers worldwide now carry an invisible but potent threat -...

In the hidden corners of our world, insects buzz, flutter, and crawl through shrinking habitats - playing roles that sustain life. Yet, while we look away, their numbers are dwindling at an alarming rate. Since the 1970s, studies suggest a jaw-dropping 50% decline in insect biomass.



The culprits? Habitat destruction and climate change. But what happens when these forces collide?



At the intersection of rising temperatures and vanishing habitats, a new and more lethal threat emerges. Researchers at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) set out to unravel this intricate web. 



Led by Professor Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter as part of the LandKlif research cluster, the team conducted a sweeping study across 179 locations in Bavaria. Their findings offer a chilling glimpse into a world where insects struggle to survive in a rapidly changing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/modern-farming-is-causing-many-insect-species-to-collapse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">landscape</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urban-heat-slashes-bee-populations">Urban heat slashes bee populations</h2>



Picture this: a world without bees. Crops wither, habitats shrink, and the hum of life falls silent. The JMU study reveals that bees - crucial pollinators - are bearing the brunt of this environmental assault.



In forests, bees adapted to the heat and maintained their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/very-little-is-known-about-99-of-all-insects-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">populations</a>. But in cities, the story took a darker turn. Urban bee populations plunged by 65% - a staggering drop that spells disaster for pollination.



Dr. Cristina Ganuza, a biologist on the project, highlighted the overlooked role of nighttime temperatures. “The fact that night-time temperatures have such an impact on diurnal insects is significant. Precisely because average night-time temperatures rise even faster than daytime temperatures."



Days sear with heat, and nights fail to cool. Bees, already displaced from their natural habitats, cannot escape the relentless warmth. For them, the city becomes a death trap.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insects-struggle-in-agricultural-habitats">Insects struggle in agricultural habitats</h2>



Higher up the food chain, predators and parasitoids told a different story. These natural pest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-are-still-disappearing-and-there-are-hundreds-of-reasons-why/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">controllers</a> showed surprising resilience in forests and grasslands. But in open agricultural areas, they faced an uphill battle.



“This can have a negative impact on agricultural production because insects that contribute to natural pest control should be similarly affected,” said Dr. Sarah Redlich.



Without these predators to keep pests in check, agricultural losses could mount. However, in areas where agricultural land and natural habitats intermingled, predator populations fared better. This highlights a crucial lesson: not all landscapes are created equal in a warming world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-night-heat-worsens-insect-declines">Night heat worsens insect declines</h2>



As the sun dips below the horizon, insects should find respite. But the night now offers little relief. The JMU study uncovers a hidden enemy - rising nighttime temperatures that hammer diurnal insects like bees.



Bee diversity dropped across all habitat types, from cities to grasslands. This previously unnoticed threat could spell catastrophe for pollinators struggling to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pests-are-moving-to-cooler-regions-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adapt</a>.



“This previously unknown negative effect of warmer nights on insects reveals a new threat that requires further research to uncover the underlying physiological mechanisms,” said Steffan-Dewenter.



Night after night, the heat persists, robbing insects of the chance to recover. As temperatures rise, even the dark becomes dangerous.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-natural-habitats-protect-insects">Natural habitats protect insects</h2>



Not all habitats shelter insects equally. The JMU study highlights a stark contrast between natural and urbanized landscapes. Forests and grasslands emerged as safe havens, providing refuge and resources.



Warmer daytime temperatures, surprisingly, increased bee diversity in these areas. But in cities, the same heat wave proved deadly, causing bee populations to nosedive.



Researchers emphasize the importance of connecting natural habitats within urban and agricultural areas. Without green corridors, insects lose not just their homes but their pathways to survival.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insect-habitat-loss-disrupts-pollination">Insect habitat loss disrupts pollination</h2>



When insects vanish, the consequences ripple outward. Bees disappear, and flowers go unpollinated. Predators decline, and pests multiply unchecked. Food webs wobble, and entire ecosystems falter.



“Their different responses could disrupt food webs and important ecosystem functions such as pest control and pollination,” said Ganuza.



Insects may be small, but their absence creates a void that echoes throughout the ecosystem. Each disappearance is a thread pulled from the intricate web of life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-comes-next">What comes next? </h2>



The JMU study sounds a stark warning: climate change and habitat loss don’t just coexist - they amplify each other. Yet the findings also point to a way forward.



Maintaining green corridors within agricultural and urban landscapes could provide vital refuges for insects. Implementing strategies that reduce nighttime heat might offer a lifeline to diurnal species struggling to adapt.



Understanding why some insects resist climate change better than others could inform targeted conservation efforts. In a world that’s heating up fast, every degree matters.



The world of insects teeters on the brink. The time to act is now - before the silence grows deafening.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.3053" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.



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Rising heat, shrinking habitats: Insects face hidden threats

In the hidden corners of our world, insects buzz, flutter,...

Centuries ago, embalming traditions varied from place to place. In some cultures, bodies of the deceased were carefully prepared for spiritual reasons, while in others they were simply buried where they passed.



A surprising discovery in a small Austrian village has sparked a renewed fascination with these practices. The research was led by Dr. Andreas Nerlich, a pathologist at <a href="https://www.lmu.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität</a> and first author on a publication about the find. 



His team studied a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-egyptian-mummies-still-carry-their-original-scents/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mummy</a> believed to be the body of a priest who died in 1746.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-identifying-the-austrian-mummy">Identifying the Austrian mummy</h2>



Analyses suggested the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-cheese-discovered-alongside-ancient-mummies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mummified</a> body was that of a local parish vicar named Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg. Experts used radiocarbon dating to pin down a likely mid-18th century timeframe for his death.



Stable isotope evaluations shed light on his eating patterns, and revealed that he enjoyed better ood resources than an average laborer of his time. Further tests found no signs of heavy or rough manual work in his skeleton.



The overall condition of his trunk astounded many who viewed it. Researchers confirmed that the man’s face and lower limbs were not as well preserved, but his torso and vital internal areas were in unexpectedly good shape. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-a-priest-s-body-was-embalmed-for-centuries">How a priest’s body was embalmed for centuries</h2>



”Our investigation uncovered that the excellent preservation status came from an unusual type of embalming, achieved by stuffing the abdomen through the rectal canal with wood chips, twigs and fabric, and the addition of <a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Zinc-Chloride" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">zinc chloride</a> for internal drying, ”said Dr. Nerlich.&nbsp;



Radiological scans confirmed that his torso was filled with foreign materials. The body walls had not been opened in the usual fashion, which made the investigation more challenging. 



It took modern tools like CT imaging to unravel exactly how far these packing techniques extended inside.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-possible-cause-of-death">Possible cause of death</h2>



Experts detected signs that the vicar may have had <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tuberculosis</a>. The condition was suggested by calcifications in the right lung and patterns seen on the radiographs.



In earlier centuries, severe lung infections often proved fatal, especially when no advanced treatments existed.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mummy_embalming-method-unusual_chaplain_front-back-photos_credit-Andreas-Nerlich_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mummy_embalming-method-unusual_chaplain_front-back-photos_credit-Andreas-Nerlich_1s.webp" alt="External appearance of the mummy from the ventral (A) and dorsal side (B) showing a completely intact body wall. Credit: Andreas Nerlich" class="wp-image-1969252"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">External appearance of the mummy from the ventral (A) and dorsal side (B) showing a completely intact body wall. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Andreas Nerlich</figcaption></figure>



Historical records from the era note that conflicts like the <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-War-of-Austrian-Succession-1740-1748/Anderson/p/book/9780582059504?srsltid=AfmBOoqSXHu1Kltxpk4zrebbiUS6htmWKzvt4PVh7FoMrprvw31hBnzS" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">War of the Austrian Succession</a> sometimes led to food shortages and stress. 



Such hardships might have worsened health problems toward the end of his life. Isotope signals hinted at possible nutritional strain as his final months progressed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mysterious-glass-bead-found">Mysterious glass bead found</h2>



Researchers found a glass sphere with tiny holes resting in the pelvis. 



Some wondered if it had anything to do with a ritual or special rite. The small orb might have been part of a church adornment or garment that slipped inside. No other decorative beads were discovered in the body cavity.



Toxicological <a href="https://www.pjoes.com/pdf-87604-21463?filename=Analytical%20Methods%20for.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tests</a> indicated high levels of zinc. Experts concluded that zinc chloride helped dry out internal tissues, allowing them to remain remarkably stable over hundreds of years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-embalming-story-of-the-vicar">Embalming story of the vicar</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mummified-baby-saber-toothed-cat-found-with-fur-and-toes-intact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">well-preserved</a> trunk showed no major signs of external tampering. 



Specialists saw no incision across the chest or abdomen. Instead, it appears the embalming materials were inserted from below, which is <a href="https://assets.cambridge.org/97805218/18261/sample/9780521818261ws.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rarely documented</a> in European contexts.



Local writings had long whispered about the identity of this vicar, although nobody could prove it until now. For many years, the mummy drew the curious who wanted to see its surprisingly intact skin and ribcage. 



Scientific methods have finally solved the mystery of how it stayed in such a stable condition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reflections-on-embalming-practices">Reflections on embalming practices</h2>



In many regions, the word embalming brings to mind elaborate procedures known from places like ancient Egypt. 



Yet Europe had its own diverse methods, some of which faded from memory once more modern burial standards took hold. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mummy_embalming-method-unusual_chaplain_credit-Andreas-Nerlich_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mummy_embalming-method-unusual_chaplain_credit-Andreas-Nerlich_1s.webp" alt="The mummy of the 'air-dried chaplain' in his coffin in the church crypt of St. Thomas am Blasenstein, Austria. Credit: Andreas Nerlich" class="wp-image-1969250"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The mummy of the 'air-dried chaplain' in his coffin in the church crypt of St. Thomas am Blasenstein, Austria. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Andreas Nerlich</figcaption></figure>



Specialists suspect that other examples may exist, though they remain concealed in closed crypts or have disintegrated from natural processes.



This mummy’s case stands out due to its treatment with a combination of simple items and a well-chosen drying agent. 



With the trunk effectively sealed and its interior thoroughly dried, even centuries later it has not collapsed. The face and legs, which did not receive the same care, decayed more quickly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insights-for-future-study">Insights for future study</h2>



Researchers now wonder if there are other mummified clergy or aristocrats tucked away in hidden vaults. Many remains have not been examined with current technology, so older embalmers’ tricks might have gone unnoticed.



As knowledge spreads, archaeologists and pathologists could have a better chance of spotting the subtle signs.



While some might find the practice unsettling, it also provides a window into historical beliefs. People in the past often worried about harmful vapors, or <a href="https://www.rxlist.com/miasma/definition.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">miasma</a>, from decaying bodies. 



Methods like these might have been a practical way to ensure a safer environment for mourners.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-embalming-method-preserved-the-body">Why this embalming method preserved the body</h2>



Evidence suggests that the vicar was deliberately prepared for reasons tied to cultural customs of his time. This single case reveals that not all European mummies were created by happenstance. 



Careful internal treatment, coupled with the region’s climate, preserved the dead man’s form to a striking degree.



His story shines a light on local history and gives clues to a simple but effective embalming option. Although it was never widely recorded in textbooks, the approach in this Austrian crypt still defies decay after nearly three centuries.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1560050/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Medicine</a>.



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Unknown embalming technique discovered in very well-preserved mummy

Centuries ago, embalming traditions varied from place to place. In...

McDermitt Caldera in Oregon is attracting attention for what could be one of the largest lithium deposits ever identified in the United States. Many view it as a potential boost for domestic battery production, while local communities voice concern over the impact on wildlife and cultural sites.



The excitement stems from <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01273-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a> that value the deposit at about $1.5 trillion. Some geologists say these ancient volcanic sediments could contain between 20 and 40 million metric tons of lithium.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lithium-deposit-exposes-priorities">Lithium deposit exposes priorities</h2>



“This feature is 16 million years old, and we’re making decisions in a matter of years,” said <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sammy-Castonguay" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sammy Castonguay</a>, a geologist at Treasure Valley Community College. 



Castonguay’s statement has stirred local debate over how the development might reshape the high desert.



Industry advocates see a path to addressing the ballooning need for electric vehicle batteries. 



Neighbors around the caldera and the <a href="https://mcdermittlithium.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">McDermitt deposit</a> worry that large-scale extraction could damage an ecosystem that supports pronghorn antelope, sage-grouse, and other sensitive species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-environmental-dilemma">The environmental dilemma</h2>



A <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/2025844/200559254/20083724/250089906/HiTechPlanOfOperations_Presentation.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proposal</a> from HiTech Minerals Inc. seeks to add roads and hundreds of wells to test for lithium in Malheur County. 



The Bureau of Land Management (<a href="https://www.blm.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BLM</a>) once offered a brief window for public comment, which drew criticism from groups who say that’s not enough time to evaluate lasting changes.



The Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club indicates they support cleaner energy but believe drilling must not come at the expense of fragile habitats.



Some see parallels to disputes in Nevada, where communities have fought lithium ventures they say <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invention-turns-toxic-e-waste-into-22-carat-gold-nuggets-instead-of-trash/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">threaten water sources</a>. 



Malheur County is among Oregon’s poorest areas, and certain residents hope new jobs might brighten its economic outlook. “We need to do this the Oregon way - with full accountability and shared benefits,” said <a href="https://repgregsmith.com/about/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greg Smith</a>, director of economic development in Malheur County.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-lithium-deposits-are-so-valuable">Why lithium deposits are so valuable</h2>



Cleaner transportation and renewable energy storage have skyrocketed demand for lithium. Its light weight and excellent electrochemical properties make it key in modern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electric-car-batteries-may-soon-be-made-of-rock/">battery</a> production. 



Global interest in ramping up supply has fueled both exploration and debate. Many want a homegrown source to cut reliance on overseas materials, but critics stress that extracting metals can have lasting ecological implications.



Mining typically means large excavations, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/promethium-rare-earth-element-elusive-properties-finally-decoded-after-80-year/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chemical processing</a>, and water usage. Press releases and early studies mention concerns about dust, vehicle exhaust, and possible leakage of industrial byproducts.



Meanwhile, some economists argue that lithium’s high market price presents an opportunity to jump-start local development. Balancing those perspectives can be tough for rural communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unique-volcanic-origins">Unique volcanic origins</h2>



Past eruptions formed the caldera and left mineral-rich clays across a wide basin. The environment eventually became a semi-arid habitat that’s important for migrating wildlife. 



One <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0360544278900312" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> found high levels of lithium in these sediments, suggesting an unusually concentrated resource. Analysts say that if extraction methods prove efficient, the U.S. could rank among the top global suppliers of this metal.



The caldera lies near the Oregon-Nevada border. Projects on both sides have followed a similar pattern: geological surveys, land modification, and pilot drilling. 



Some scientists emphasize that claystone deposits differ from salt brine operations found in South America. 



Processing claystone may require more complex techniques, including acid leaching, which can raise questions about waste disposal and water safety.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-concerns-for-wildlife-and-culture">Concerns for wildlife and culture</h2>



Habitat for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunting-regulations-have-helped-safeguard-the-sage-grouse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sage-grouse</a> is already shrinking, and many local groups fear the consequences of losing more desert terrain.



The region also holds deep cultural value for several Indigenous tribes. 



Tribal leaders in nearby areas have contested past proposals by pointing to sites sacred for ceremonies and important for traditional ways of life. As the push for lithium grows, local voices want to remain central in discussions about land use.



Opponents argue that insufficient environmental reviews could harm unique species such as <a href="https://westernnativetrout.org/what-are-western-native-trout-and-char/lahontan-cutthroat-trout/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lahontan cutthroat trout</a>. 



Past drilling in high desert regions showed that groundwater tables can be affected by large-scale operations. Proponents, though, say modern techniques and strong oversight may mitigate many risks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mixed-signals-on-lithium-s-future">Mixed signals on lithium’s future</h2>



Experts note that the caldera deposit could give the U.S. a competitive advantage in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-electric-car-battery-charges-in-just-4-5-minutes/">battery</a> supply. At the same time, non-governmental organizations believe short-term profit shouldn’t overshadow the ecological and historical wealth found in Oregon’s high desert. 



Mining companies emphasize their intent to follow federal standards and incorporate feedback from local communities. Yet friction persists over whether that outreach is genuine.



<a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/oregon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sierra Club Oregon</a> suggests it’s possible to develop lithium alternatives or find better ways to source the metal. Advocates of the project maintain that these clays represent a crucial resource in an era when every major carmaker is transitioning to electric models.



Disagreements arise from how fast these projects roll out, and whether rural populations have a real say in shaping them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-this-lithium-deposit">What's next for this lithium deposit?</h2>



Local debates often center on water needs for drilling and processing. Some scientists point out that advanced recycling and new battery chemistries might alleviate the environmental strain. 



Others say U.S. projects reduce dependence on foreign supply chains, which could lower geopolitical risks. 



The trade-off is that most lithium deposits, wherever they are, carry <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/huge-lithium-deposit-from-volanic-ash-found-in-pennsylvania/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">certain environmental implications</a>. A few watchers say this moment holds a chance to reevaluate how to conduct resource extraction.



As these Oregon proposals move ahead, investors are confident that demand for lithium won’t dip anytime soon, but local communities want to ensure they aren’t left with the mess once the initial excitement fades.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/1/68" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Minerals</a>.



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Volcanic white gold: A lithium deposit valued at $1.5 trillion has been discovered in the U.S.

McDermitt Caldera in Oregon is attracting attention for what could...

The Step Pyramid rises taller than a 20‑story building on the edge of Egypt’s desert plateau, about 15 miles south of the modern sprawl of Giza. Built roughly 4,650 years ago, it was the first gigantic structure ever assembled entirely from carved stone blocks. 



Yet for all its fame, scholars have long puzzled over how its builders coaxed more than 11 million cubic feet of limestone into perfectly symmetrical positions with the tools of their day.



A fresh study now hints that the secret may have flowed through channels and pools rather than up crumbling earthen ramps. 



By tracing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/egypts-pyramids-were-built-along-a-buried-branch-of-the-nile-river/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ancient watercourses</a> visible in satellite radar images and matching them with clues cut into bedrock, researchers suggest that water power - a type of hydraulic elevator - did most of the work of raising the pyramid, tier by tier.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-king-djoser-s-step-pyramid">King Djoser's Step Pyramid</h2>



Half a century before the better‑known pyramids at Giza, Pharaoh Djoser ordered his chief architect, Imhotep, to design a tomb like no other -- The Step Pyramid of Djoser.



The result was a six‑stepped monument that still stands between 197 ft and 203 ft tall. 



Instead of a single-level structure, Imhotep stacked six <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/3800-year-old-hexagonal-pyramid-discovered-possibly-a-royal-tomb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">layers of stone</a>, creating a striking staircase to the heavens. For the first time, Egyptian builders used large, carved limestone blocks.



In the decades that followed, the know‑how refined at Saqqara sparked a construction sprint in the region. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/great-pyramids_Djoser_Saqqara-plateau_water-course_Volcano-hydraulic-lift_Paleotechnic_PLOS-One_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/great-pyramids_Djoser_Saqqara-plateau_water-course_Volcano-hydraulic-lift_Paleotechnic_PLOS-One_1s.webp" alt="Map of the Saqqara plateau showing the water course from the Gisr el-Mudir dam to the water treatment facility near Djoser pyramid. The water is then transferred to the pyramid's network of pipes to power the hydraulic elevator. Credit: Paleotechnic of Paris, France" class="wp-image-1968267"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Map of the Saqqara plateau showing the water course from the Gisr el-Mudir dam to the water treatment facility near Djoser pyramid. The water is then transferred to the pyramid's network of pipes to power the hydraulic elevator. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Paleotechnic of Paris, France</figcaption></figure>



Stones ballooned in size from 660 pounds apiece to more than 5,000 pounds, and roughly 28 million tons of masonry went into building just seven royal pyramids.



Surrounding the pyramid was an elaborate complex of courtyards, temples, and ceremonial spaces, all designed to serve the pharaoh in the afterlife. 



These spaces weren’t just symbolic - they were functional parts of a belief system that saw the king as a god on Earth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finding-clues-etched-in-stone">Finding clues etched in stone</h2>



Leading the latest push towards unraveling this mystery is Dr. Xavier Landreau of the <a href="https://www.cea.fr/english/Pages/Welcome.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CEA Paleotechnic Institute</a>. 



His French team combed through decades of excavation notes and paired them with high‑resolution radar scenes. 



“Satellite imagery clearly shows that a rectangular stone enclosure known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gisr_el-Mudir" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gisr el‑Mudir</a>, located west of the Saqqara necropolis, has all the technical characteristics of a check dam," explains Dr. Landreau. 



"This feature would have been used to control the flow of flash floods and capture heavy objects coming from upriver.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vanished-lake-purpose-built-moat">Vanished lake, purpose‑built moat</h2>



On the lee side of the dam, the landscape bows into a shallow basin. Soil chemistry there hints at a lake that swelled during seasonal Nile surges. 



When the water dropped, channels funneled the remaining flow into a rock‑cut trench now nicknamed the Dry Moat ringing the pyramid precinct. 



Its southern arm contains a line of chambers whose stepped floors resemble today’s sedimentation basins at municipal water plants.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/great-pyramids_Djoser-complex_North-Saqqara_water-course-map_credit-Airbus_PLOS-ONE_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/great-pyramids_Djoser-complex_North-Saqqara_water-course-map_credit-Airbus_PLOS-ONE_1s.webp" alt="North Saqqara map showing the relation between the Abusir water course and the Step Pyramid construction process (Inset). The arrows figuring the flow directions are approximate and given for illustrative purposes based on the Franco-Egyptian SFS/IGN survey. Satellite image: Airbus Pléiades" class="wp-image-1968271"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">North Saqqara map showing the relation between the Abusir water course and the Step Pyramid construction process (Inset). The arrows figuring the flow directions are approximate and given for illustrative purposes based on the Franco-Egyptian SFS/IGN survey. Click image to enlarge. Satellite image: Airbus Pléiades</figcaption></figure>



“Together, the Gisr el‑Mudir and the Dry Moat’s inner south section work as a unified hydraulics system that improves water quality and regulates flow for practical purposes and human needs,” the authors write. 



The cleaned runoff, they argue, arrived just in time to solve a pressing construction headache.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-and-the-step-pyramid-stones">Water and the Step Pyramid stones</h2>



Inside the pyramid, stone corridors angle upward from a central shaft. Their shape and wear patterns nudge the imagination toward a liquid‑powered lift. 



“The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-buildings-used-passive-cooling-methods-to-reduce-heat-with-out-air-conditioning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ancient architects</a> likely raised the stones from the pyramid center in a volcano fashion using the sediment‑free water from the Dry Moat’s south section,” the authors write. 



Picture buoyant barges - or perhaps sealed sleds - nudged ever higher as fresh water flowed beneath them.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/great-pyramids_Djoser-complex_subterranean-layout_credit-PLOS-One_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/great-pyramids_Djoser-complex_subterranean-layout_credit-PLOS-One_1s.webp" alt="Overview of Djoser’s complex subterranean layout, focusing on the Latvian mission’s discoveries (orange parts)–courtesy of Monnier. Credit: PLOS One" class="wp-image-1968273"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Overview of Djoser’s complex subterranean layout, focusing on the Latvian mission’s discoveries (orange parts)–courtesy of Monnier. Click image to enlarge. Credit: PLOS One</figcaption></figure>



Numbers support the idea. With a column of water roughly 30 ft deep, upward pressure could cancel out two‑thirds of a limestone block’s weight, leaving workers on terraced ledges to guide the payload into place. 



Such a system would sidestep the need for massive ramps long thought to encircle early pyramids yet never found in situ.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-floods-first-droughts-later">Floods first, droughts later</h2>



“Before the Fourth Dynasty, there were more problems with floods than with a lack of water,” Dr. Landreau noted, highlighting why the Saqqara workforce might have embraced hydraulic engineering. 



Annual inundations could swallow work sites, rot timber, and strand supplies. Turning surplus water into a construction ally would have converted a hazard into free labor.



The shift paid off quickly. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-eclipse-may-have-changed-the-architecture-of-ancient-egypt-forever/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stone sizes doubled</a> within a generation, and by the time Khufu’s Great Pyramid went up around 2550 B.C., individual blocks tipped the scales at more than 5 tons. 



Specialists calculate that hauling such loads up a mile‑long ramp would have required at least 4,000 men at any given moment. A water‑driven elevator could slash that headcount and keep quarry teams ahead of schedule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-all-of-that-work-for-what">All of that work for what?</h2>



Yet the Step Pyramid keeps one trick buried deep: its burial chamber is empty. No royal mummy, no treasure, no wall texts. 



Where is Pharaoh Djoser?



Some archaeologists have floated the idea that the hollow core acted less as a tomb and more as a pressure vessel, a technical heart that made the water lift possible. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/great-pyramids_Djoser-complex_rock-cut-trench_workers_credit-PLOS-One_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/great-pyramids_Djoser-complex_rock-cut-trench_workers_credit-PLOS-One_1s.webp" alt="View of compartment-1 of the rock-cut deep trench (1943), 27m deep, 3m wide. a: View from the west; b: View from the east. The workers in the background provide a sense of the structure’s immense scale and technicity. Credit: PLOS One" class="wp-image-1968277"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">View of compartment-1 of the rock-cut deep trench (1943), 27m deep, 3m wide. a: View from the west; b: View from the east. The workers in the background provide a sense of the structure’s immense scale and technicity. Click image to enlarge. Credit: PLOS One</figcaption></figure>



The maze of tunnels, hinged stone doors, and drop‑block traps hint at mechanical ingenuity as sophisticated as any irrigation canal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-step-pyramid-and-modern-engineers">Step Pyramid and modern engineers</h2>



Today, Saqqara’s mastery of fluid dynamics may sound eerily familiar to civil engineers who harness controlled floods to build delta land in Louisiana or raise entire houses atop pneumatic lifts. 



If ancient builders truly manipulated water columns to float stones skyward, they pulled off a feat that resonates with modern efforts to work with natural forces rather than fight them.



The findings don't close every gap in the long saga of Egypt’s pyramids, but they do open an inviting corridor for future digs. 



Drill cores from the Dry Moat’s silt layers could confirm lake deposits; mineral stains on interior shafts might betray repeated wet cycles. 



Either way, the Step Pyramid is an engineering marvel that continues to teach us that even in antiquity, people were willing to tackle colossal challenges with solutions as fluid as the Nile itself.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0306690" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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Ancient high-tech machines were used to build Egypt's pyramids, study claims

The Step Pyramid rises taller than a 20‑story building on...

A massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jaw-fossil-reveals-fruit-eating-mammal-from-the-dinosaur-age/">dinosaur</a> once roamed ancient Central Asia, overshadowing the smaller ancestors of well-known tyrants. Its fossilized jaw left behind clues about a predator that was anything but ordinary.



This imposing creature, recently named as Ulughbegasaurus uzbekistanensis, opens a window into a time when early tyrannosaurs could not challenge its size. 



The scientist who examined this forgotten beast, <a href="https://trios.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/researcher/0000004240" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Kohei Tanaka</a> from the University of Tsukuba, spotted something unusual in the decades-old jawbone, and that observation sparked new studies on this remarkable meat-eater.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giant-lurking-in-the-shadows">Giant lurking in the shadows</h2>



The fossil came from rock layers dated to about 90 million years ago. These layers capture a world that existed long before towering tyrannosaurs rose to the top of the food chain.



<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667119303611" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Evidence</a> suggests that this new predator had blade-like dentition, a feature that made it adept at slicing prey. Researchers believe these sharp edges distinguished its feeding style from the crushing jaws of later giants like T. rex.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-signs-of-an-earlier-hierarchy">Signs of an earlier hierarchy</h2>



While early <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8424376/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tyrannosaurs</a> of that period measured only around 10 feet (3 meters) long, the newly identified dinosaur was significantly larger, with a body length of around 26 feet (8 meters), and a mass of over 2,205 pounds (1,000 kilograms). 



Paleontologists see this as a strong indication that, at that time, these smaller tyrants were not the apex hunters of their environment. Instead, Ulughbegasaurus was likely to have dominated with its large dimensions and fearsome teeth.



They propose that once the bigger competitor disappeared, tyrannosaurs seized the chance to grow. That growth ultimately paved the way for colossal species like T. rex, which eventually spanned more than 40 feet (12 meters) in length, in later eras.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-separate-oddity-from-the-desert">A separate oddity from the desert</h2>



Another intriguing discovery involves <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(25)00401-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Duonychus</a>, an herbivore unearthed in the Gobi desert. This dinosaur, believed to have roamed parts of Asia, displayed an unusual hand with two large claws, each measuring about a foot (30 centimeters) in length.



“The claws on this one are about a foot long,” said <a href="https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/darla-zelenitsky" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Darla Zelenitsky</a>, an associate professor at the University of Calgary. 



A research team found one fossil with the nail still attached, which is a rare occurrence because keratin does not usually survive for millions of years. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-northern-cousin-with-a-fierce-name">A northern cousin with a fierce name</h2>



A separate species named Thanatotheristes degrootorum once lived in what is now Alberta, Canada, approximately 79.5 million years ago. It measured around 26 feet (8 meters) and likely preyed on large, plant-eating dinosaurs.



This new tyrannosaur is described in academic <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667119303611" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> on Canada’s paleontological record, and is recognized for having a more elongated snout than some of its relatives. That feature sets it apart and places it in a newly named subgroup of robust dinosaurs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-teeth-with-an-edge">Teeth with an edge</h2>



Each discovery highlights how varied these theropod dinosaurs could be. Their dentition revealed that some species depended on crushing power, while others leaned on slashing capabilities.



Paleontologists link such variety to changes in local climate, food sources, and competitive pressures. They suggest that these shifting conditions across the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233904673_A_New_Genus_And_Species_Of_Tyrannosauroid_From_The_Late_CretaceousMiddle_Campanian_Demopolis_Formation_Of_Alabama" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Late Cretaceous</a> allowed different predator shapes and strategies to flourish.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-competitive-times-and-sudden-exits">Competitive times and sudden exits</h2>



Fossils like these reveal that large carnivores and smaller tyrannosaurs coexisted, at least briefly. This coexistence set the stage for intense interactions when resources ran low.



The bigger hunters appear to have enjoyed a moment in the spotlight until their extinction opened the path for smaller species to expand and diversify. That opportunity shaped the next wave of colossal predators that dominated for millennia thereafter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-constant-hunt-for-clues">A constant hunt for clues</h2>



The search for remnants of these forgotten giants is ongoing, with new sites turning up evidence of their feeding habits, growth stages, and dominance in prehistoric ecosystems. Bits of bone often sit in museum collections for years before anyone recognizes their significance.



Teams around the globe continue to refine the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/collagen-discovered-in-70-million-year-old-dinosaur-fossil/">dinosaur</a> family tree. Each major find has a story to tell about adaptation and survival in a constantly changing environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-balance-in-prehistoric-power-struggles">Shifting balance in prehistoric power struggles</h2>



Paleontologists believe that ecosystem shifts may have determined which predators came out on top. When Ulughbegasaurus vanished around 89 million years ago, its disappearance left a vacuum that smaller <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/juvenile-t-rex-fossils-belong-a-distinct-tyrannosaur-species/">tyrannosaurs</a> were quick to fill.



These shifts may have involved climate patterns, declining populations of certain prey species, or changes in vegetation that disrupted food chains. Whatever the trigger, the fall of one apex predator helped carve the path for another to rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-filling-the-puzzle-of-dinosaur-diversity">Filling the puzzle of dinosaur diversity</h2>



Experts stress that many gaps remain in our knowledge of Late Cretaceous life. New skeletons from places such as Central Asia, Canada, and Mongolia are expanding our understanding of prehistoric habitats and their inhabitants.



They predict that future work may reveal more species that briefly overshadowed early tyrannosaurs. Such discoveries show that dinosaur evolution was never straightforward or predictable.



The study is published in <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.210923" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cretaceous Research</a>.



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With teeth like knives, this giant kept the young tyrannosaurs at bay 

A massive dinosaur once roamed ancient Central Asia, overshadowing the...

This might sound surprising, but certain nose shapes in dogs could open new lines of thought about a serious birth defect. Scientists who study inherited traits are exploring a rare hunting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-and-dogs-share-genes-linked-to-obesity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">breed</a> to see why some humans are born with structural gaps in their lip or palate.



Experts have found an unusual pattern in the PDGFRA gene, which is key in guiding facial tissues to fuse during <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1003851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">embryonic development</a>. 



The analysis points to the same gene in the formation of a dog’s split nose and the development of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10454293/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">orofacial clefts</a>, which are malformations in the lip or roof of the mouth. Peter Savolainen, from <a href="https://www.kth.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">KTH</a> Royal Institute of Technology, notes that further study might help clarify this genetic link.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rare-dog-nose-shape">Rare dog nose shape </h2>



Bifid noses are uncommon in dogs, yet one hunting breed showcases them naturally. Researchers believe that this striking feature might come from a small change in the sequence of the PDGFRA gene.



<a href="https://ia801303.us.archive.org/35/items/pointerhispredec00arkw/pointerhispredec00arkw.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pointing dogs</a> with forked noses were recorded in parts of Europe hundreds of years ago. Historical reports mention distinctive nasal formations that some owners considered helpful for sniffing out game.



Some veterinary specialists suggest that bifid noses do not reduce a dog’s basic ability to thrive. They see this trait as a window into how small mutations can influence head shape without severely affecting general health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dog-nose-shape-and-human-birth-defects">Dog nose shape and human birth defects</h2>



Facial development in mammals hinges on precise alignment of tissue during early growth. When segments do not merge, a gap can appear, causing complications in appearance, feeding, and speech.



“While there are several genetic and environmental reasons behind orofacial clefts in humans, this study offers a clue to another factor. This indicates that the gene might be involved in some cases of human orofacial clefts,” said Savolainen.



Researchers point out that in the United States, about one in 1,600 babies is born with a combination of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/birth-defects/about/cleft-lip-cleft-palate.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cleft lip</a> and palate. They believe studying these specialized <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-do-cats-outlive-dogs-clues-found-in-their-genes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dog</a> lineages could hint at new genetic angles for preventing or treating these craniofacial conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gene-variants-affecting-facial-structure">Gene variants affecting facial structure</h2>



Investigators noticed a forked-nose trait appeared in different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-are-evolving-to-fit-the-modern-lives-of-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lineages</a>, which hints at more than one variant causing it. They suspect that heterozygous states of such alterations might give rise to distinctive facial patterns without severely harming the dog’s overall health.



Studies in laboratory animals show that disruptions to this gene can interfere with normal fusion of mouth and nose structures. Researchers are curious about whether humans who carry similar genetic shifts might be at higher risk for these anomalies.



Teams in various countries are examining how these nasal differences pop up outside of a single breed. Such occurrences hint that there could be multiple PDGFRA mutations with comparable effects on the face.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexpected-gene-variants">Unexpected gene variants</h2>



Another part of the project examined additional genes involved in body size and head shape. A mutation related to larger stature was documented, adding evidence that small genetic tweaks can produce noticeable differences.&nbsp;



Genetic <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16341006/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> in dogs reveal how a narrow gene pool can highlight rare traits in ways large, mixed populations cannot. This selective breeding within certain lines can sharpen our insight into how genes affect form and function.



Other investigations are uncovering how certain gene disruptions might link to minor skull changes. Such findings may broaden scientists’ view of how cranium shape evolves in different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/from-wolves-to-dogs-did-domestication-begin-without-human-help/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">canine</a> groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-insights-from-dog-nose-genetics">Health insights from dog nose genetics</h2>



Pinpointing the roots of these dog traits may help guide new research on human birth defects. Animal models are a valuable resource for pinpointing genes that contribute to structural issues.



Investigators remain cautious about jumping to quick conclusions, given the number of factors that influence these conditions. Yet they see a promising opportunity to expand genetic testing in different dog breeds.



Some are interested in examining the long-term effects of these mutations on overall health. Data on dog lifespans and medical outcomes could clarify whether any hidden risks accompany these facial differences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dog-dna-and-birth-defect-patterns">Dog DNA and birth defect patterns</h2>



Many hope that by uncovering how certain canine DNA segments shape the muzzle, parallels in human facial formation will become clearer. This approach uses fewer distracting genetic variables than those found in people, who have vast diversity across populations.



Dog-focused <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22270221/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> have led to major discoveries in traits like coat color and disease risk. These projects illustrate how our four-legged companions may hold clues for tackling issues that also affect us.



Veterinary genetics can sometimes reveal single-gene influences that are masked in humans. That streamlined insight could help pinpoint the right spot in the genome when researching cleft conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-collaboration-on-genetic-research">Global collaboration on genetic research</h2>



Dogs are bred worldwide under various cultural traditions, which often intensifies certain desired traits. This results in inbred populations that can bring hidden genetic factors to light.



Tracking these lineages across countries also helps researchers trace the movement of genetic variants. Collaborations among <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30940804/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experts</a> in Europe, the Americas, and Asia have been key to piecing together what shapes canine and human development.



Some communities cherish these unusual physical features and continue breeding for them. Scientists respect the cultural value but remain interested in the broader medical lessons.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dog-nose-genes-and-facial-deformities">Dog nose genes and facial deformities</h2>



More consistent collection of canine DNA samples could keep shedding light on overlooked deformities. Once found, these same changes might guide deeper inquiries into specific birth defects in families.



Comparing canine and human genetic data has sometimes revealed shared genetic themes. Investigators are eager to see how further analysis of the PDGFRA gene may improve understanding of orofacial clefts.



Many believe further attention on bifid noses will highlight unexpected genetic pathways. Tapping into global databases of dog genomes might confirm or refute patterns suspected in early trials.



Labs that combine veterinary science, human genetics, and developmental biology stand at the forefront of these efforts. Efforts to unravel the genetic code of dogs with unique features could spark a new outlook on facial anomalies in humans.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://genome.cshlp.org/content/35/5/1080" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Genome Research</a>.



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Dog nose shapes could help explain human birth defects

This might sound surprising, but certain nose shapes in dogs...

A new global assessment has identified 25 primate species that are now the most endangered on Earth. Many survive as only a few hundred - or even a few dozen - individuals, and without swift intervention several could vanish within the next decade.



The biennial list, “Primates in Peril 2023-2025,” was prepared by the <a href="https://iucn.org/our-union/commissions/group/iucn-ssc-primate-specialist-group" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group</a>, the <a href="https://internationalprimatologicalsociety.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Primatological Society</a> and <a href="https://www.rewild.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Re:wild</a>, working with more than one hundred scientists.



The report replaces 15 names from the previous roster to spotlight equally desperate cases and spreads the alarm of endangered primates across Asia, Africa, Madagascar, and South America.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changes-on-the-endangered-list">Changes on the endangered list </h2>



The editors emphasize that dropping a species does not mean its outlook improved. Instead, the panel wanted to highlight relatives facing the same grim future.



Indonesia and Madagascar each host four of the newly listed species, while China, Vietnam, and Nigeria follow with three apiece. Habitat loss, hunting, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/primates-face-an-uncertain-future-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>, and the illegal wildlife trade remain the shared drivers of decline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-endangered-species-in-peril">The endangered species in peril</h2>



In Sumatra’s upland Batang Toru forest only about 767 Tapanuli <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-unlock-the-mysteries-of-orangutan-communication/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">orangutans</a> endure, making this ape the rarest great ape ever recorded. 



Researchers calculate that the species now occupies barely 2.5 percent of its nineteenth-century range, and even that sliver is being chipped away by mining and a hydro-electric dam.



West Africa’s Cross River <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-gorillas-get-sick-from-being-too-social/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gorilla</a> is in even steeper trouble. Fewer than 250 mature animals survive in eleven hill sites straddling the Nigeria-Cameroon border, where renewed civil unrest adds to logging and farming pressures. 



Conservation plans have created new reserves and cross-border patrols, but the loss of one adult can erase years of local progress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smallest-endangered-primate">Smallest endangered primate </h2>



Madagascar adds the world’s smallest endangered primate to the list. Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur weighs a mere thirty grams yet has lost more than eighty percent of its population in ten years as slash-and-burn agriculture fragments its dry forest home.



“This species has also disappeared from most of the remaining intact forests, which points to frightening consequences for possible conservation measures," said Peter Kappeler, head of the field station in the Forêt de Kirindy. "This could be the first <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/visually-striking-primate-features-ease-tension-and-reduce-conflict/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">primate</a> we lose forever in the 21st century, as there are no captive populations either."



Even endangered species once thought safe enough to drop from the list can slip back. The limestone-dwelling Cao-vit gibbon of China and Vietnam, revived to public attention this year, actually numbers closer to ninety individuals than the hundred-plus once assumed, because older surveys double-counted groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shared-threats-different-landscapes"><a></a>Shared threats, different landscapes</h2>



Forest conversion for timber, farms, mines, and dams erases habitat on every continent. In Sumatra, satellite data show that lowland forest below 500 meters - prime orangutan territory - shrank sixty percent between 1985 and 2007.



In Madagascar’s Menabe region, forest cover has fallen more than thirty percent since 2012, splitting lemur populations into isolated fragments. For Cross River gorillas, a patchwork of villages, roads, and fields now separates once-connected sub-populations by distances no animal can safely cross.



Hunting and trafficking add a second blow. Although the Tapanuli orangutan lives in steep country, juveniles are still caught for the pet trade, and adults die in crop conflicts or snare traps. In West Africa gorilla poaching had fallen, but political violence since 2016 may be reviving the market for bushmeat.



Climate change lurks behind every local crisis. Longer dry seasons stress fruit-bearing trees, and fiercer storms flatten coastal forests - effects already noted in gibbon and lemur habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urgent-action-is-needed">Urgent action is needed</h2>



“The situation is dramatic. If we don't act now, we will lose some of these species forever," warned Christian Roos, a geneticist at the <a href="https://www.dpz.eu/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">German Primate Center</a>. “But there is hope - if science, politics, and society take action together.”



The report demands rapid expansion of protected areas, but equally stresses enforcement on the ground, where illegal logging and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-parrots-in-the-illegal-wildlife-trade-with-dna-technology/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife trade</a> still thrive. It calls on governments to tighten laws, stop land grabs, and involve Indigenous and local communities as full partners.



Funding must move beyond short grants. Long-term patrol salaries, ecological restoration and, where numbers crash, carefully managed translocations or ex-situ colonies are all needed.



“Every primate species that we lose not only means an irreparable loss for nature, but also for us humans,” Roos said. “Because primates are not only fascinating animals - they are also key species of our ecosystems.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hope-for-endangered-species">Hope for endangered species</h2>



Conservation can still tip the balance. Cooperative work by China and Vietnam secured two reserves for the Cao-vit gibbon and involved villagers in patrol jobs; the tiny population is now stable and even forming new groups.



In Nigeria camera-trap images of Cross River gorilla infants prove that, when forests are left standing and snares removed, the apes will breed again.



Success stories share three traits: local stewardship, legal implication, and money that lasts long enough to rebuild forests. The new list shows exactly where those ingredients must be applied first. 



It is not a roll-call of hopeless cases. It is an emergency action plan, and the next edition will reveal whether the global community has chosen rescue over remembrance.



The report can be found <a href="http://www.primate-sg.org/storage/pdf/Top_25_Primates_2023-2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.



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Most endangered primate species identified in new report

A new global assessment has identified 25 primate species that...

In the remote, misty highland forests straddling Vietnam and Laos, a rare creature may still roam unseen. Known as the saola, this elusive animal was only discovered by scientists in 1992 and has since earned the nickname "Asian unicorn" due to its near-mythical status. 



The saola looks like an antelope but is more closely related to cattle. Both males and females have a pair of long, straight horns that may be reminiscent of a unicorn's single spike, when seen side on.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mystery-of-the-asian-unicorn">Mystery of the Asian unicorn </h2>



Even at the time of its discovery, the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) was already in trouble. Today, fewer than 100 are thought to remain - if they’re alive at all.



"Right now, the existence of live saolas can neither be proven nor disproven. The last evidence we have was from 2013, when one was captured on a camera trap," said Nguyen Quoc Dung from the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute in Vietnam.



"But given the remoteness of its habitat, it is extremely difficult to say for sure whether there are still a few out there. There are some signs and indications that still give us hope."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-surprising-genetic-discovery">A surprising genetic discovery </h2>



Dung is part of an international research team that has now achieved something remarkable. Scientists from the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Copenhagen</a> and institutions across the globe have, for the first time, mapped the genome of the saola. 



Until now, there was virtually no genetic data on this critically endangered species. The researchers worked with saola remains gathered from hunter households in the region. 



Using fragments from these remains, they assembled complete genomes for 26 individuals. What they found reveals a new chapter in the Asian unicorn's story - and possibly, a path forward for its survival.



“We were quite surprised to find that the saola is split into two populations with considerable genetic differences. The split happened between 5,000 and 20,000 years ago," said Genís Garcia Erill, lead author of the study.



"That was completely unknown before, and there was also no way we could have known without genetic data. It is an important result because it affects how the genetic variation in the species is distributed."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-loss-of-genetic-diversity">Loss of genetic diversity </h2>



The analysis also showed that both populations have been shrinking since the end of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disastrous-climate-changes-of-the-last-ice-age-could-happen-again/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">last Ice Age</a>. 



Over the past 10,000 years, the total number of saolas likely never exceeded 5,000 individuals. This long decline has caused a gradual loss of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/african-leopards-have-surprisingly-high-genetic-diversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genetic diversity</a> in both groups - but not the same genetic diversity.



“This means that the genetic variation lost in each population complements the other. So, if you mix them, they could compensate for what the other is missing,” said Garcia Erill.



In short, the key to saving the saola might lie in bringing these two populations back together.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-plan-for-saola-survival">A plan for saola survival</h2>



The researchers used computer models to explore different scenarios for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wildlife-conservation-day-2024-saving-species-from-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conservation</a>. Their results suggest that mixing individuals from both populations in a captive breeding program could give the species its best shot at survival.



“If we can bring together at least a dozen saolas - ideally a mix from both populations - to form the foundation of a future population, our models show the species would have a decent chance of long-term survival," noted Rasmus Heller, senior author of the study.



"But it hinges on actually locating some individuals and starting a breeding program. That has worked before when species were on the brink of extinction."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-hope-for-the-asian-unicorn">New hope for the Asian unicorn </h2>



The researchers hope that the newly mapped genome will make it easier to locate any remaining saolas.



Until now, teams have searched using <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmental-dna-can-help-track-endangered-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental DNA</a> (eDNA) - traces of genetic material left behind in water, soil, or even inside leeches. These techniques depend on detecting tiny DNA fragments, which has proven difficult.



“Many researchers have unsuccessfully tried to find traces of saola through methods like environmental DNA in water and even in leeches, the blood suckers inhabiting the same habitat," said study co-author Minh Duc Le of Vietnam National University.



"These techniques all rely on detecting tiny DNA fragments, and now that we know the complete saola genome, we have a much larger toolkit for detecting those fragments."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-asian-unicorns">The future of Asian unicorns</h2>



Even if none of the enigmatic Asian unicorns are ever found, this new information could still play a role in the future.



“Our results could, in theory, be used if we were ever to succeed in bringing the saola back through genetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rna-recovered-from-an-extinct-species-tasmanian-tiger-for-first-time-ever/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">de-extinction</a> technologies, which are a hot topic right now," said Heller.



"In that case, our new insights into saola genetic variation could make a huge difference in creating a viable population."



Still, there’s a sense of urgency and realism behind the hope. Heller noted that scientists have been searching for saolas since the 1990s, and it’s only gotten harder, because there were more of them back then. 



"I’m not overly optimistic, I have to admit - but I really hope the saola is still out there,” concluded Heller.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0092867425003903" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



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Search for the mythical Asian unicorn: New genetic clues emerge

In the remote, misty highland forests straddling Vietnam and Laos,...

It appears that poems hold more than just literary merit. They can also show how porpoise and other wildlife populations have changed over time.



The <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/yangtze-finless-porpoise" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yangtze Finless Porpoise</a>, a critically endangered freshwater porpoise, has captured the attention of ecologists and history buffs alike. Its story highlights how research can bridge <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/enduring-earth-mystery-partially-solved-artificial-intelligence-nazca-geoglyphs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cultural</a> heritage and conservation science.



“Art, like poetry, can really spark an emotional connection, making people realize the harmony and respect we should have between people and nature,” says Zhigang Mei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (<a href="https://english.cas.cn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CAS</a>), who first noticed that old poems might hold clues about where and when these porpoises lived. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-poems-documented-porpoise-habitats">Old poems documented porpoise habitats</h2>



The Yangtze river is about 3,915 miles long, flowing from the Tibetan Plateau to the East China Sea near Shanghai. It has supported trade, travel, and local livelihoods for many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-played-a-spiritual-role-in-prehistoric-cave-art/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dynasties</a>, including the Tang (618–907 CE) and the Qing (1636–1912 CE).



Ancient travelers often wrote poems describing landscapes and any remarkable animals they saw. That is how 724 poems referencing the porpoise were discovered, some dating back over 1,400 years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-poems-reveal-porpoise-sightings">Poems reveal porpoise sightings</h2>



These records shine a light on the Yangtze finless porpoise when cameras or formal surveys were unavailable. Some poets portrayed the porpoise as frolicking and active, indicating that it was frequently visible in large parts of the river at different points in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/beauty-in-art-lifts-the-mind-and-awakens-higher-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">history</a>.



The poetic evidence correlates with other data about wildlife decline over the centuries. It also reinforces the power of integrating cultural insights with scientific methods to uncover long-term environmental changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-habitat-loss-using-ancient-poems">Mapping habitat loss using ancient poems</h2>



Based on these poems, the researchers found that the porpoise species’ <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-egyptians-may-have-seen-their-goddess-in-the-milky-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">historical</a> range has shrunk by at least 65%. 



The biggest losses happened in tributaries and lakes connected to the Yangtze, where dam construction has blocked the porpoises’ ability to migrate, as the poems reveal.



These developments echo the plight of other river life. Two native species, the Baiji dolphin and the Chinese paddlefish, have gone functionally <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2007.0292" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extinct</a> in recent decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-poetry-filled-a-scientific-gap">How poetry filled a scientific gap</h2>



Traditional wildlife surveys usually rely on fossils, DNA, or recent data. but these sources leave a huge blind spot when it comes to mid-range historical timelines.



That's where literature helped. The poems offered insight into a period that’s typically hard to document, filling the 1,000-year gap between ancient fossils and modern science with surprisingly detailed environmental clues.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impacts-of-human-activities">Impacts of human activities</h2>



Hydraulic engineering projects, particularly since the 1950s, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/7/908" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">altered parts</a> of the Yangtze and cut off vital pathways for the porpoise. Changes in water flow and increased boat traffic also likely contributed to fewer safe habitats.



Similar habitat pressures pushed the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19470453/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese sturgeon</a> closer to reliance on artificial stocking, especially after the gezhouba dam was completed in 1988. 



The porpoise is now confined mostly to a smaller segment of the main channel, highlighting how fast things have shifted in modern times.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-validating-poems-as-historical-evidence">Validating poems as historical evidence</h2>



Not every poem could be taken at face value. Some poets exaggerated animal traits for effect, while others wrote with scientific precision that mirrored firsthand observation.



To make sure their conclusions were sound, the researchers studied each poet’s life and writing style. They used this biographical context to sort realistic descriptions from imagined ones, strengthening the accuracy of their geographic mapping.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insights-from-an-ancient-art-form">Insights from an ancient art form</h2>



One of the most revealing parts of this study is how it merges modern ecology with records from a different era. 



A freshwater porpoise is not something most people associate with poetry, but these poems captured vivid notes about the animal’s behavior, distribution, and local folklore.



The Qing Dynasty alone produced 477 poems mentioning the porpoise, showing how popular the topic was among traveling poets of that period. This underscores the deep bond between people and their environment in traditional Chinese culture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-poetry-to-guide-porpoise-conservation">Using poetry to guide porpoise conservation </h2>



Experts now hope that protecting the porpoise means respecting the lessons of both history and science. 



The next steps include refining details from the poems to glean more about the porpoises’ social behavior, breeding grounds, and ideal habitat conditions.



These historical insights might help conservation programs address the porpoise’s remaining strongholds. They also challenge us to be mindful of how future infrastructure and urban development will affect other freshwater species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-old-texts-to-track-species">Using old texts to track species</h2>



There is growing interest in using historical documents - poems, journals, and even paintings - to spot shifts in biodiversity over millennia. 



Researchers want to understand which measures can effectively preserve species and which human activities are most damaging in the long run.



The Yangtze finless porpoise story suggests that culture, science, and poems should work together to shape a more thoughtful approach to conservation. 



Protecting a species is never just a scientific endeavor; it also involves celebrating the traditions, poems, and stories that connect people to that species.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00266-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Ancient poems tell the story of how this rare porpoise reached the brink of extinction

It appears that poems hold more than just literary merit....

Leiden,,The,Netherlands,-,April,30,,2022:,Closeup,Of,The

The idea of a sharp‑witted Tyrannosaurus rex prowling through Cretaceous forests, planning ambushes with the cunning of a primate, has stirred public fascination for years. 



A fresh debate erupted in 2023 when neuron counts - those microscopic processors in every brain - were promoted as the new yardstick for dinosaur intelligence. 



Could tallying fossilized brain cells really tell us whether T. rex was closer to a crocodile or a clever <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baboons-may-offer-clues-to-early-human-social-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">baboon</a>?



That question matters because neurons do more than fire signals; they set the stage for learning, memory, and even social complexity. 



If a seven‑ton predator had primate‑level <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/from-genes-to-genius-what-makes-the-human-brain-unique/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neuron numbers</a>, our picture of dinosaur life would need a radical rewrite. As it turns out, the story is more complicated - and far more intriguing - than a single metric suggests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-t-rex-brain-power-claim-stirs-debate">T. rex brain power claim stirs debate</h2>



The spark came from neuroscientist Suzana Herculano‑Houzel of <a href="https://www.vanderbilt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vanderbilt University</a>. In a 2023 <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cne.25453" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Comparative Neurology paper</a>, she proposed that by measuring fossil skull cavities and comparing them with living birds and reptiles, researchers could estimate dinosaur neuron counts. 



Her calculations suggested that large theropods might boast totals on a par with monkeys, hinting at problem‑solving abilities, tool use, and cultural behaviors.



Popular media embraced the possibility of a “smart” tyrant lizard. Yet many specialists felt the hype skipped a few steps. 



Paleoneurologists quickly noted that reptile brains fill only part of the cranial cavity, leaving cerebrospinal fluid to occupy the rest. Misreading that gap, they warned, inflates neuron estimates and, by extension, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/optimal-decision-making-is-a-balance-of-experience-and-knowledge/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">perceived intelligence</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-examining-t-rex-fossil-brains">Examining T. rex fossil brains</h2>



To test the claim, an international coalition of paleontologists, neuroanatomists, and cognitive psychologists re‑analyzed the data. 



<a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/en/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Alberta</a> research associate Cristian Gutierrez‑Ibanez helped steer the effort. “There were a lot of people who thought the record needed to be set straight,” he explained.



“Particularly because it did make it into the press. You end up with this popular idea that T. rex was super smart and could use tools and have culture and you go, ‘Whoa!’”



Instead of eight separate rebuttals, the group pooled expertise. “We said there is no point in eight different things being written to say this is wrong. Why don't we just put them all together?” 



Their review, published in The Anatomical Record, swapped rough cavity volumes for high‑resolution CT scans of fossil braincases. 



The new approach pulled neuron counts sharply downward, placing T. rex in a cognitive bracket closer to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-lizards-are-saving-australian-sheep-farms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">today’s large reptiles</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-neuron-counts-aren-t-crystal-balls">Why neuron counts aren’t crystal balls</h2>



Counting cells may look objective, but brains are more than piles of neurons. Connection patterns, circuit density, and metabolic rates all influence what an animal can do with those cells. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-croc-day-embracing-the-mighty-reptile/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alligator</a> dissections illustrate the pitfalls. 



“The first time I dissected an alligator brain, I took the top of the skull off and I went, ‘Where is the brain?’” recalls University of Alberta professor Doug Wylie. 



Plenty of space sits empty inside reptile skulls, so cavity volume exaggerates brain tissue size.



Body mass muddies the water, too. “We don't know why it's true, but it is true. A larger animal needs more neurons.” 



An adult male baboon tips the scale at roughly 30 to 90 lb, while a mature T. rex weighs around 14,000 lb. Many of its neurons merely kept those massive muscles, eyes, and sensory organs running. 



With so much neural real estate devoted to basic physiology, little would remain for the advanced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-have-remarkable-spatial-memory-and-sense-of-direction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cognition seen in primates</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brains-bodies-and-t-rex-math">Brains, bodies, and T. rex math</h2>



Herculano‑Houzel had argued that high neuron counts implied warm‑blooded metabolisms in predatory dinosaurs. The rebuttal team disagrees. 



Reptile brains pack neurons more loosely than bird or mammal brains, so raw totals alone can’t reveal metabolic style. “She's focused on the neuron number, and they are too high anyway,” Wylie says.



Recent bone histology supports a middle‑ground view: many dinosaurs likely <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-may-have-become-warm-blooded-180-million-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">maintained body temperatures</a> through a blend of behavioral basking and elevated internal heat production, rather than strict cold‑bloodedness or full mammalian endothermy. That nuance highlights why single‑factor models fall short.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-t-rex-like">What was T. rex like?</h2>



Gutierrez‑Ibanez and colleagues suggest looking at trackways, tooth wear, growth rings, and isotope chemistry to piece together behavior. 



Evidence points to a sensorily acute predator with good vision, a powerful sense of smell, and the ability to coordinate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/robopteryx-dinosaur-feather-secrets-revealed-by-a-robot-dinosaur/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pack‑style hunting</a> now and then - but not the foresight to fashion tools or pass down cultural traditions. 



“We are not dissing T. rex,” Gutierrez‑Ibanez says. “We are just saying that claiming T. rex had the intelligence of a baboon and culture might be taking it too far.”



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crocodile-evolution-was-influenced-by-environmental-factors/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Crocodiles</a> provide a sober benchmark. They solve simple problems, show limited parental care, and learn from routine, yet they don’t build societies or share knowledge across generations. 



A Cretaceous apex hunter operating at that level would still have been formidable without needing a primate‑grade intellect.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-we-go-from-here">Where do we go from here?</h2>



Neuron counting remains a valuable technique, especially when paired with modern imaging and rigorous scaling laws. But brains never work in isolation; they evolve alongside bodies, behaviors, and environments. 



The next wave of research will likely blend biomechanics, climate modeling, and even ancient DNA proteins to refine dinosaur life histories.



T. rex may not have been a reptilian Einstein, yet it ruled <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/qunkasaura-pintiquiniestra-new-sauropod-dinosaur-discovered-in-spain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Late Cretaceous</a> ecosystems for nearly two million years - a success record most species never achieve. 



Sorting out how it did so requires many lines of evidence, and that scientific detective work is just getting started.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19328494" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Anatomical Record</a>.



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Was T. rex as smart as modern primates? Another study weighs in on the debate

The idea of a sharp‑witted Tyrannosaurus rex prowling through Cretaceous forests,...

Scientists have taken a close look at certain reef fish and found something that no one expected. These underwater inhabitants can shift their jawbones in more ways than just up and down. The fish use a quick jaw twist in order to feed more effectively.



Peter Wainwright from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Davis</a> and his colleagues discovered this unusual trait while studying the <a href="https://www.fishbase.se/summary/zanclus-cornutus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moorish idol</a> (Zanclus cornutus), a striking species known for its long dorsal fin and bold stripes. 



The experts saw swift sideways motions that differ from the typical jaw movements of most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-illuminates-fish-interactions-in-coral-reefs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fish</a> - a finding that might explain how certain fish became successful herbivores.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fish-use-the-jaw-twist-to-feed-better">Fish use the jaw twist to feed better</h2>



High-speed video helped <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2418982122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">researchers</a> detect a rapid shifting motion in the mouth region of this coral reef species.



Two-dimensional footage does not capture the complexity of the action, so cameras operating at hundreds of frames per second were crucial for seeing the sideways glide that is rarely seen in vertebrates.



The research team examined the mouth structures using scans and dissections, and spotted the unique anatomical elements that permit the jaws to move in multiple directions without slowing down. "I thought, holy cow, that’s not something we expected!” said Wainwright.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jaw-movement-helps-to-scrape-algae">Jaw movement helps to scrape algae</h2>



This side-to-side movement appears to boost the way in which the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reef-fish-populations-are-boosted-by-ocean-connectivity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fish</a> remove bits of algae from rocks on coral reefs. 



Many reef environments feature hard surfaces where edible plant material clings stubbornly, so efficient techniques for scraping and plucking food may be especially important.



Surgeonfish, which share a close kinship with the Moorish idol, also display a version of this sliding jaw function. This capacity helps them graze on tough patches of algae, which supports their diets and possibly contributes to the dominance of certain fish species in these habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fish-jaw-adaptations-for-targeted-grazing">Fish jaw adaptations for targeted grazing</h2>



These mouth maneuvers seem to offer a quick way to yank food free. Fish that rely on suction feeding typically aim for items drifting in the water, but <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226413625_The_trophic_status_of_herbivorous_fishes_on_coral_reefs_II_Food_processing_modes_and_trophodynamics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">grazing species</a> face different challenges when their meals grow attached to stones or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-coral-reef-fish-survive-in-the-worlds-warmest-waters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral</a>.



Lateral jaw movement might allow them to target specific chunks of algae, while leaving the rest of the body steady. 



Staying still in choppy waters can reduce energy waste, so subtle mouth motion alone may make feeding smoother and more successful.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-fish-feeding-affects-coral-reef-health">How fish feeding affects coral reef health</h2>



By adopting this method, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0801946105" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">herbivorous</a> fish may help regulate algal overgrowth. Large algal blooms can sometimes crowd out coral species, so hungry fish that trim back the vegetation are often vital for the health of reefs.



“For Zanclus, this adaptation seems to relate to where they feed,” said Michalis Mihalitsis, now at the <a href="https://www.uog.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Guam</a>, who worked on the study. His comment highlights the link between physical traits and the specific environmental niches that fish occupy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fish-evolution-and-the-jaw-twist">Fish evolution and the jaw twist</h2>



Vertebrate <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7672094/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">jaws</a> have undergone countless modifications since the first fish appeared, over 400 million years ago. Each structural shift opens up new dietary options, supporting the rise of new species with unique ways of eating.



Sideways jaw movement is familiar to mammals that chew the cud, such as cows and goats. In fish, this trait is much less common, making its discovery in the Moorish idol and <a href="https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/holomua/surgeonfish/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surgeonfish</a> particularly surprising.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-ahead-in-reef-research">Looking ahead in reef research</h2>



Scientists plan to explore whether other families of benthic-feeding fish also possess some degree of sideways jaw rotation. As more species are examined, other hidden techniques that have allowed various fish lineages to flourish could come to light.



Understanding fine-scale feeding approaches can reveal how fish keep reefs in balance. Each specialized adaptation for cropping algae may have influenced which species thrived in these colorful yet competitive underwater neighborhoods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jaw-adaptations-impact-fish-feeding">Jaw adaptations impact fish feeding</h2>



Researchers are starting to see the big picture of how a single trait may drive broad ecological shifts. A fish that can chomp algae in a quick and strategic manner might help shape community dynamics, protect coral structures, and boost biodiversity.



This mouth movement breakthrough raises questions about what else fish mouths can do. It also shows how delicate mechanical tweaks can transform an animal’s role in its ecosystem.



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



Future work could involve close analysis of mouth ligaments, muscles, and bone joints across diverse reef species. Pinpointing the underlying genetics might allow scientists to trace how such mobility spread among related fish groups.



New knowledge might spark investigations into how environmental pressures push mouth features to evolve. As climate change affects reef conditions, fish that are able to adapt their feeding methods could prove more resilient, and help preserve vital coastal ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fish-jaws-reveal-ecosystem-dynamics">Fish jaws reveal ecosystem dynamics</h2>



Exploring these jaw movements offers a view into the interplay of form and function within marine life. When tiny physical details align with dietary demands, entire ecosystems may shift toward richer variety or greater stability.



Observations of how fish navigate algae-laden surfaces broaden our appreciation of the ties between animals and their habitats. Investigators plan to continue searching for morphological secrets that aid survival in the swirling waters of tropical reefs.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2418982122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Fish use a 'jaw twist' to access more food on coral reefs

Scientists have taken a close look at certain reef fish...

Monk parakeets stand out for their lively chatter in city parks. They are originally from South America but have adapted well to urban environments, often roosting and breeding in large communal nests.



After watching these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ecuadors-rare-red-faced-parrot-gets-a-new-home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a> for a while, it is hard not to notice the range of sounds they produce. They seem to greet each other with whistles, screeches, and abrupt squawks that vary from one bird to the next, and they interact across tree canopies and open lawns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parakeet-vocal-diversity-and-social-bonds">Parakeet vocal diversity and social bonds</h2>



Many people might think that parrots squawk randomly. Yet <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241717" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">researchers</a> discovered that an individual with more companions also has a more varied set of sounds.



“This research is a really important first step,” said Simeon Smeele from the <a href="https://www.ab.mpg.de" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior</a>. He and his team studied hundreds of monk parakeets over a two-year period in Barcelona.



The experts mapped how each <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-parrots-in-the-illegal-wildlife-trade-with-dna-technology/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bird</a> connected with the others, noting which individuals spent time together and which ones nested side by side. The group found that birds living in larger social units tended to use a broader mix of call types.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-female-calls-in-social-settings">Female calls in social settings</h2>



One detail turned heads. Females produced more types of calls than males did.



“It really looks like there are some call types that are used uniquely in social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elusive-bird-night-parrot-pezoporus-occidentalis-thought-to-be-long-extinct-rediscovered/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">situations</a>. And it’s really interesting to see that females appear to produce more of these, suggesting they are the more social sex,” stated Smeele.



The data showed that these calls are not only about attracting attention. Some might help them manage interactions within the nest or signal identity among neighbors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parakeet-friends-sound-distinct">Parakeet friends sound distinct</h2>



Parrots might share nest trees, but that does not mean they mimic each other’s voices. In many species, birds within the same group often sound more alike, yet in these monk parakeets the result was flipped.



“What I find really exciting is that we were able to link what individuals say to very specific levels of sociality," said Smeele.



"For example, close friends that allowed each other to approach within pecking distance sounded less like each other, as if they were trying to sound unique in their little gang."



Such individuality may help them coordinate tasks around nest building or recognize each other’s calls in busy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/infanticide-or-adoption-why-parrots-kill-each-others-chicks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">groups</a>. It might also allow certain birds to stand apart if they are higher in the pecking order.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bigger-groups-more-vocalizations">Bigger groups, more vocalizations</h2>



Scientists have long noticed that species living in bigger teams often have more complex communication. Research on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16866738/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carolina chickadees</a> has shown that groups of greater size can trigger richer call structures.



Monk parakeets follow a similar pattern. According to the new study, a bird nested in a big colony made a greater variety of sounds, possibly to handle the daily hubbub of communal living.



This diversity might even scale up as more parrots settle in crowded parks, resulting in a creative environment where many types of calls are shared or invented.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decoding-parakeet-calls-further">Decoding parakeet calls further</h2>



Each call likely serves a function, whether it signals an alarm, a greeting, or a social bond. Figuring out these functions is trickier than it sounds because parakeets often chatter in large flocks.



“The next big step is to better understand what each of the sounds mean, a real mammoth task, since most of the social squawking happens in large groups with many individuals talking at the same time!” said Smeele.



Pinpointing who is calling to whom could help decode a chaotic scene that appears random but might contain important social signals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insights-for-human-language-studies">Insights for human language studies</h2>



Parrot behavior offers an interesting peek at how complexity arises in social communication. Humans certainly lean on language for the same reason: many relationships call for many ways to express ourselves.



Experts suggest that the parakeets’ varied calls might operate much like a nuanced social toolkit. When a bird needs to defend a favorite perch or greet a nest mate, it can tweak its calls as needed.



The findings echo ideas about how social pressures in our own evolutionary past might have nudged human language toward more vocabulary and flexible ways to share information.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unresolved-questions-about-parakeets">Unresolved questions about parakeets</h2>



While the study shines a light on parrot chatter, many questions remain about how these calls arise in the nest. Scientists wonder whether younger birds learn from their parents or peers, or if they pick up new call elements whenever they meet fresh faces.



Some also want to see if parakeets in other cities behave the same way. The birds have spread widely across Europe and North America, so there may be subtle differences in how they talk in each region.



Investigations like these could reveal a chain of learning that might shape entire populations of monk parakeets over many generations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-ties-shape-vocal-patterns">Social ties shape vocal patterns</h2>



Many examples in the animal kingdom show that bigger families and more interactions spur new forms of communication. 



Monk parakeets highlight how even everyday chatter can reflect deeper relationships. They show that social ties can shape the sound of voices, with friend groups forging their own acoustic style. 



Individual acoustic style might be a simple tool for sorting out personal space or forming alliances in a bustling colony.



As these bright green birds continue to thrive in city parks, they remind us that nature’s best talkers often lead the busiest social lives.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241717" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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Monk parakeets develop a unique voice to navigate social life

Monk parakeets stand out for their lively chatter in city...

Illegal wildlife trade in North Korea is a shadowy yet thriving enterprise. Beneath the state’s stringent regulatory framework, a dark undercurrent flows - one where endangered species become mere commodities. 



This silent crisis has been investigated by experts at University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>). The research reveals the stark reality of a nation where economic desperation and government complicity intertwine to ravage <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wildlife-day-2025-a-global-call-to-protect-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a>.



The study is the first in-depth examination of North Korea’s wildlife trade. Researchers interviewed defectors, including former hunters, middlemen, and buyers, exposing a network of illegal trade that stretches from the country’s dense forests to the bustling markets of China. 



The findings are chilling: endangered species are being hunted, skinned, and sold while the state profits from their suffering.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-rise-of-black-markets">The rise of black markets</h2>



The collapse of North Korea’s economy in the 1990s reshaped the country’s social and economic fabric. A once-centralized distribution system crumbled, pushing citizens into the shadows of the black market. 



Food shortages forced families to fend for themselves, and in the absence of state support, wildlife became both a lifeline and a lucrative trade.



Hunting, a desperate act of survival, turned into a thriving underground economy. Deer, wild boar, and red fox became prime targets, not just for their meat but for their skins and bones. These products were not only consumed locally but also sold to middlemen, who then smuggled them across the border to China.



Dr. Joshua Elves-Powell, the study’s lead author, connects economic hardship to the surge in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-civet-day-2025-reveals-the-dark-side-of-a-luxury-coffee/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife</a> exploitation. 



“The widespread harvesting of North Korea’s wildlife, driven by the economic limitations of the North Korean state and the shortages of food, medicine and basic goods experienced by many of its citizens, is an important threat to the biodiversity of North Korea and the wider region,” he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-china-s-role-in-the-wildlife-trade">China’s role in the wildlife trade</h2>



Wildlife trade in North Korea doesn’t end within its borders. China has become a voracious consumer of North Korean <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-honors-success-in-clean-energy-and-wildlife-recovery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife</a> products. 



The study reveals that middlemen capitalize on economic desperation, offering substantial sums for tiger bones, bear bile, and deer antlers.



One former hunter, now a defector, described how deer antlers from large stags could fetch a price that would sustain a family for months. Some antlers, smuggled into China, were ground into medicinal powders and sold as luxury health supplements.



The study also exposes the intricate network of middlemen who facilitate this trade. These brokers navigate a labyrinth of border patrols and bribes, disguising wildlife products as everyday goods. 



Despite international sanctions, the illicit flow of animal products continues, driven by insatiable demand and unchecked corruption.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-state-sanctioned-wildlife-exploitation">State-sanctioned wildlife exploitation</h2>



North Korea’s wildlife trade laws ostensibly protect endangered species. Yet the state itself is a key player in the trade of protected <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/un-report-disturbing-details-about-the-state-of-earths-wildlife/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animals</a>. 



The study uncovers how government-run farms raise otters, pheasants, and Asiatic black bears, ostensibly for domestic consumption but ultimately to fuel the black market.



Bear bile farming, a practice condemned globally for its cruelty, continues unabated. North Korea began farming bears in the 1970s, a practice that later spread to China and South Korea. Despite mounting international pressure, the country persists, extracting bile to supply a market that prizes its medicinal properties.



One defector recounted how households were forced to submit <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pet-dogs-severely-harm-wildlife-even-when-leashed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal</a> skins to meet state quotas. Failure to comply could result in severe repercussions. Even children were tasked with raising rabbits, their skins later harvested to produce winter clothing for the military.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-traditional-medicine-drives-wildlife-exploitation">Traditional medicine drives wildlife exploitation</h2>



Traditional Korean medicine (TKM) reveres wildlife products for their supposed healing properties. In North Korea, the use of deer antlers, bear bile, and badger oil extends beyond folklore. It is an industry that thrives amid scarcity and desperation.



Participants in the study reported that deer antlers, once reserved for high-ranking officials, are now sold to the highest bidder. Smuggled antlers are processed into powders and pills, marketed as potent health supplements in China.



The trade in badger oil, used to treat ailments ranging from skin conditions to joint pain, is another thriving enterprise. Asian badgers, once common, have become targets of relentless hunting. 



One participant described how wildlife like badgers were captured, killed, and traded for their oil, the resulting product sold as a cure-all in local markets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-north-korea-s-vanishing-wildlife">North Korea’s vanishing wildlife</h2>



In North Korea, the sable is a creature of myth and memory. Once abundant in the country’s forests, this small carnivore is now all but extinct. 



The study details how sable skins, once a common sight in markets, have become so rare that traders refer to them as “ghost pelts.” The report paints a grim picture of a species driven to the brink by relentless hunting.



Sables, valued for their luxurious fur, were trapped, skinned, and smuggled into China, where their pelts fetched exorbitant prices. The trade was so lucrative that some hunters risked their lives crossing frozen rivers to transport their illegal haul.



Amur tigers and leopards face a similar fate. Their skins, bones, and claws are traded as status symbols, used in traditional medicine or displayed as trophies. One defector recounted how a single tiger pelt could fetch a price that would feed a family for a year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-dark-side-of-wildlife-breeding">The dark side of wildlife breeding</h2>



Wildlife farms in North Korea are a paradox — legal yet inherently cruel. Bears are caged for bile extraction, otters are bred for their pelts, and deer are farmed for their antlers.



The study highlights how these state-run farms operate under a thin veneer of legality. While their stated purpose is to provide a sustainable source of animal products, in reality, they supply a black market that thrives on animal suffering.



Coypu, a non-native species introduced for its fur, now roams the countryside, an invasive consequence of escaped farm stock. Meanwhile, rabbits, raised under Kim Il Sung’s directives, are now a staple in state-run farms.



One defector described how children in schools were tasked with raising rabbits, their skins later collected by government officials. The meat, considered a “gift” from the state, was a rare protein source in a country where food is perpetually scarce.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildlife-trade-threatens-biodiversity">Wildlife trade threatens biodiversity</h2>



The consequences of North Korea’s wildlife trade extend beyond its borders. Amur tigers, rebounding in parts of China, risk being poached if they cross into North Korea. 



Deer populations, already decimated, may soon disappear entirely. Dr. Elves-Powell emphasized the need for regional cooperation.



“China can counter this threat by continuing to reduce domestic demand for illegal wildlife and putting diplomatic pressure on its economically dependent neighbour to disengage from state-sanctioned illegal wildlife trade,” he stated.



China’s role is pivotal. Despite being a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the country remains a major market for North Korean wildlife products. 



Strengthening border controls and enforcing stricter penalties for smugglers could significantly curb the flow of illicit goods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildlife-trade-and-protection-laws">Wildlife trade and protection laws</h2>



The study concludes with urgent recommendations for North Korea and its neighbors. First, the researchers call for immediate enforcement of existing wildlife protection laws, targeting both state-run farms and private traders.



Second, they advocate for a total ban on bear bile farming, a practice that has been condemned by conservationists for decades. North Korea’s continued participation in this trade not only endangers its bear populations but also tarnishes its international reputation.



Third, the study recommends that China strengthen its efforts to curb demand for illegal wildlife products. Without a crackdown on black market networks, North Korea’s endangered species will continue to vanish, one animal at a time.



Finally, the report emphasizes the need for international pressure. Diplomatic efforts, coupled with targeted sanctions, could compel North Korea to curb its exploitation of wildlife. Yet, as long as economic desperation persists, the allure of quick profits from animal products may prove too strong to resist.



In a land where economic hardship, cultural tradition, and state control converge, North Korea’s wildlife is running out of time. The silent extinction continues, unnoticed, unchecked, and utterly devastating.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320725001399" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Biological Conservation</a>.



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North Korea's wildlife trade targets endangered animals

Illegal wildlife trade in North Korea is a shadowy yet...

A virus doesn’t need wings to travel. It just needs a ride - and sometimes, that ride is a cage packed into the back of a truck. That’s what scientists are now suggesting about the ancestor of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic.



New research suggests that the ancestor of this virus likely originated in Western China or Northern Laos. But it showed up nearly 2,700 kilometers away in Central China just a few years later - too far for its natural host, the horseshoe bat, to cover on its own.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-journey-of-the-covid-virus">Hidden journey of the COVID virus</h2>



The study comes from scientists at the <a href="https://medschool.ucsd.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California San Diego School of Medicine</a>, working with collaborators from other institutions. 



The team concluded that the virus was likely transported by other animals involved in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-sunscreens-lose-effectiveness-and-become-harmful/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife trade</a> - similar to what happened during the SARS outbreak in 2002.



Horseshoe bats are known carriers of sarbecoviruses, the virus family that includes both SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. 



These viruses don’t make bats sick, but they can jump to humans through a process called “zoonotic spillover.” It’s still debated how that spillover happens and which animals might be involved beyond bats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-evolution-of-viruses">Complex evolution of viruses</h2>



To trace the virus's path, the researchers looked at viral genomes shared online and mapped out how these viruses evolved over time. 



That task wasn’t easy. These viruses tend to recombine - shuffling their genetic material like a deck of cards when two viruses infect the same bat.



“When two different viruses infect the same bat, sometimes what comes out of that bat is an amalgam of different pieces of both viruses,” said Dr. Joel Wertheim from UC San Diego School of Medicine. 



“Recombination complicates our understanding of the evolution of these viruses because it results in different parts of the genome having different evolutionary histories.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bats-carrying-the-covid-virus">Bats carrying the COVID virus</h2>



To work around the recombination issue, the scientists identified parts of the virus genomes that had not recombined. These stable sections allowed them to paint a clearer picture of the virus’s evolutionary path.



The analysis showed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vaccine-resistant-coronavirus-discovered-in-russian-bats/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sarbecoviruses</a>, including those related to SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, have been circulating in Western China and Southeast Asia for a long time. As the bats moved across the landscape, the viruses moved with them - at roughly the same pace.



“Horseshoe bats have an estimated foraging area of around 2-3 kilometers and a dispersal capacity similar to the diffusion velocity we estimated for the sarbecoviruses related to SARS-CoV-2,” said Dr. Simon Dellicour from Université Libre de Bruxelles and KU Leuven.



But that wasn’t the case for the specific ancestors of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. These viruses showed up far from their point of origin, and they did it fast - less than 10 years before the outbreaks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-to-the-wildlife-trade">Looking to the wildlife trade </h2>



Dr. Jonathan E. Pekar is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh and a graduate of the UC San Diego School of Medicine.



"We show that the original SARS-CoV-1 was circulating in Western China - just one to two years before the emergence of SARS in Guangdong Province, South Central China, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-surprising-mutations-in-sars-cov-2-virus/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SARS-CoV-2</a> in Western China or Northern Laos - just five to seven years before the emergence of COVID-19 in Wuhan,” said Dr. Pekar.



That timeline makes it highly unlikely that bats alone moved the virus such a long distance. More likely, the viruses hitched a ride through the wildlife trade - moving with infected animals sold for food or fur.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-following-the-trail-of-infected-animals">Following the trail of infected animals</h2>



This theory isn’t new. Previous research suggested that palm civets or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/raccoon-dogs-may-be-a-growing-threat-to-waterbirds-in-finland/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">raccoon dogs</a> helped carry SARS-CoV-1 from Yunnan Province to Guangdong Province. The latest study strengthens the idea that SARS-CoV-2 traveled in the same way.



“The viruses most closely related to the original SARS coronavirus were found in palm civets and raccoon dogs in southern China, hundreds of miles from the bat populations that were their original source,” said Dr. Michael Worobey from The University of Arizona. 



“For more than two decades the scientific community has concluded that the live-wildlife trade was how those hundreds of miles were covered. We’re seeing exactly the same pattern with SARS-CoV-2.”



The findings challenge claims that SARS-CoV-2 might have come from a lab leak.



“At the outset of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-virus-lingers-body-two-years-after-infection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COVID-19</a> pandemic, there was a concern that the distance between Wuhan and the bat virus reservoir was too extreme for a zoonotic origin,” said Dr. Wertheim. “This paper shows that it isn't unusual and is, in fact, extremely similar to the emergence of SARS-CoV-1 in 2002.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-virus-movement">Understanding virus movement</h2>



The frequency of zoonotic spillover events is rising. Wildlife trade, urban growth, and habitat loss are bringing humans and animals into closer contact than ever before. 



Scientists believe that keeping tabs on wild bat populations and tracking the viruses they carry could help us predict where the next pandemic might start.



Understanding how viruses move through the world - whether by wing or by wagon - could be a key step in keeping us safer in the years to come.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0092867425003538" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



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COVID virus spread too quickly for bats alone to be responsible

A virus doesn’t need wings to travel. It just needs...

Marine life, including algae, can present a kaleidoscope of color, sometimes produced by microstructures rather than pigments. This unique method, known as structural color, is a topic scientists have explored in creatures from fish to seaweeds.



Recent findings show that certain red <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-algae-in-lake-erie-may-be-hiding-toxic-deadly-compounds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">algae</a> use structural color in ways that go beyond simple aesthetics. One researcher who has observed this phenomenon for years is Hiroshi Kawai, an expert in marine biodiversity and ecology at <a href="https://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kobe University</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-algae-s-unexpected-color-shift">Algae’s unexpected color shift </h2>



“Being a diver, I have long been aware that some red <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/algae-that-thrives-on-ice-plays-an-unexpected-role-in-glacier-melting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">algae</a> have a much whiter appearance than their usual red when observed in water,” said Kawai. While exploring coastal waters, experts came across young shoots with a blueish tint near their tips.&nbsp;



Further sampling required specialized gear due to the algae’s fragile nature and deep location. Still, enough specimens were gathered for close inspection with advanced imaging methods.



Researchers classify Asparagopsis taxiformis in the <a href="https://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&amp;id=146314" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bonnemaisoniales</a> order, placing it among seaweeds that show diverse structures. Its delicate branches can break under minor stress, prompting careful handling techniques.



A qualified phycologist, someone who studies <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/algae-revived-after-7000-years-beneath-the-baltic-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">algae</a>, can notice subtle traits that casual observers miss. Long hours underwater revealed more than just color variations, including the potential for chemical defenses within the tissues.



Field research in deeper zones sometimes requires special permits for scuba operations and environmental guidelines. Strict adherence to these rules ensured minimal disturbance to local ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-algae-reflect-light">How algae reflect light</h2>



Scientists observed that certain <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1529-8817.2006.00226.x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gland cells</a> in the algae contain tightly packed spheres of reflective materials, each measuring about the same size. Uniform spheres reflect light of a single color, which explains why the tips appear blue.



As the algae mature, the sphere sizes vary and scatter multiple wavelengths of color. That color shift results in a whitish tint that can mask the original red tone.



<a href="https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/protista/rhodophyta.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rhodophyta</a>, the broader group of red algae, includes species that rely on pigments like phycoerythrin. Structural color adds another layer of visual effects beyond the red shades typically seen.



Different wavelengths bounce off micro-scale structures, producing colors without relying on traditional pigments. This phenomenon has also been recorded in certain land plants and insects.



Some marine biologists stress that structural color is often more stable than pigment-based hues. Changes in water clarity or sunlight intensity can still influence how it appears to observers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-colors-protect-algae-from-predators">Colors protect algae from predators</h2>



At the site of these color shifts, researchers found <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22404468/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">anti-herbivory chemicals</a> that may deter hungry fish. Some experts propose that the bright hue signals a warning, making the algae less appetizing to potential grazers.



Where the algae’s fruiting structures develop, the lighter tones may help it blend in. This trick could be beneficial in waters where vision-based predators roam.



The presence of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721038444" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bromides</a> in certain algae species has been documented as a possible deterrent. Some analyses suggest these substances can interfere with fish digestion, encouraging them to seek meals elsewhere.



A shift in shading at different growth stages points to complex interactions between the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-algae-play-an-unexpected-role-in-cooling-the-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">algae</a> and its environment. Defensive strategies might change as the algae transitions from young shoots to fruiting bodies.



Anti-herbivory strategies in algae can vary, with some relying on tough external layers instead of chemicals. The dual approach of color and substances is less common, drawing renewed interest in laboratory studies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impact-of-warming-seas">Impact of warming seas</h2>



“As warm-water fish migrate further north, they might pose a significant threat to the algae there that are not protected by such coloration,” explained Kawai. 



Global warming can shift tropical fish populations into cooler regions, increasing grazing pressure on algae not prepared for such threats. 



Such color shifts could lead to reduced numbers of red algae without these visual defenses. This raises concerns about ecosystem changes in regions previously free from tropical fish.



Rising temperatures can alter marine habitats faster than some organisms can adapt. Species with built-in protective traits might outcompete those lacking similar adaptations.



Marine ecologists suggest ongoing surveys to track how expanded grazing ranges affect underwater forests of algae. In some spots, these forests also serve as shelters for small <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-emerged-zygnema-star-algae-conquer-earths-landmass/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine</a> animals, amplifying the impact of fish movement.



Warmer conditions also affect the reproductive cycles of many algae species. Faster or altered reproductive phases can intersect with shifting fish populations, compounding the stress on these underwater communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-structural-color-of-algae">Structural color of algae</h2>



Researchers from <a href="https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hokkaido University</a> contributed to the effort, hinting that structural color might be more prevalent in marine plants. Some brown algae were also found to display similar optical features in earlier work.



Such color patterns may serve multiple roles, from camouflage to signaling. Future studies may uncover additional strategies across other algae groups.



Chemical compounds linked to defense could attract interest from various industries. Discoveries about unusual pigments or reflective properties sometimes pave the way for new materials or pharmaceuticals.



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



Stronger global collaboration may spur further research on deep-water algae and their hidden qualities. Closer ties between institutions also help support the extensive fieldwork required to observe these species in their natural habitats.



Collaboration between universities offers a broader perspective on how widespread algae color phenomena may be. Sharing data across continents can reveal patterns that single-site studies might overlook.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09670262.2025.2483980" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Journal of Phycology</a>.



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Red algae use color tricks to warn fish they taste bad

Marine life, including algae, can present a kaleidoscope of color,...

Why do cats often outlast dogs? The answer may lie deep within their genes. Scientists from the University of Bath explored evolutionary patterns in mammals, uncovering how brain size and immune system complexity might hold the key to extended lifespans.



Unlike earlier studies that focused on single genes, this research highlights broader genomic changes that shape <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/124-year-old-crocodile-challenges-everything-we-know-about-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">longevity</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bigger-brains-immune-genes-and-lifespan">Bigger brains, immune genes and lifespan</h2>



The researchers examined the maximum lifespan potential (MLSP) of 46 mammal species.



They focused on the longest recorded life span in each species, eliminating factors like predation, food scarcity, and environmental stress. This approach offered a clearer view of genetic influences on longevity.



The team found that mammals with larger brains and longer lifespans carried more immune-related genes. Dolphins, with their complex cognitive abilities, can live up to 39 years. Whales, boasting even larger brains, can reach a remarkable 100 years. 



Meanwhile, mice, with much smaller brains, rarely live beyond two years. This pattern reinforces the link between cognitive complexity, immune resilience, and extended life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-immune-genes-expand-to-boost-lifespan">Immune genes expand to boost lifespan</h2>



The researchers identified gene family size expansion as a significant predictor of MLSP in mammals.



They analyzed 4,136 gene families and discovered 236 that showed positive correlations with longevity. Most of these expanding gene families contained immune system genes, highlighting the immune system’s central role in regulating lifespan.



Body mass did not significantly impact gene family expansion. Instead, relative brain size emerged as the primary factor. 



The findings suggest that cognitive development and immune resilience may share an evolutionary path, linking brain complexity with immune function in the quest for longer life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-small-brained-animals-live-longer">Some small-brained animals live longer</h2>



Not all species followed the big brain-long life pattern. Mole rats, despite their small brains, can live up to 20 years. Bats, known for their small brain size, also exhibit extended lifespans. Researchers found that both species carried an unusually high number of immune-related genes.



This discovery raises intriguing questions: Can immune complexity offset cognitive limitations in extending lifespan? 



The data indicate that while a large brain often correlates with longevity, a sophisticated immune system might offer a different route to a longer life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-immune-system-the-guardian-of-longevity">Immune system: The guardian of longevity</h2>



The study reveals the immune system’s crucial role in promoting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-did-humans-get-big-brains-fossil-teeth-reveal-new-clues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">longevity</a>. By removing aging cells, managing infections, and preventing tumor growth, immune-related genes act as protectors against aging’s damaging effects.



“It’s been known for a while that relative brain size is correlated to longevity – the two characteristics have a shared evolutionary path, and having a larger brain potentially offers behavioural advantages,” noted Dr. Benjamin Padilla-Morales from the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/research-centres/milner-centre-for-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milner Centre for Evolution</a>.



”However, our study also highlights the surprising role of the immune system not just in fighting disease, but in supporting longer life across mammalian evolution.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gene-splicing-enhances-lifespan-potential">Gene splicing enhances lifespan potential</h2>



MLSP-associated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organ-aging-can-predict-diseases-decades-in-advance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genes</a> in humans exhibited higher gene expression and increased alternative splicing. This mechanism allows a single gene to produce multiple proteins, effectively expanding its functional repertoire.



Why does this matter? In the context of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-old-are-you-really-new-tool-measures-aging-from-the-inside-out/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aging</a>, alternative splicing may offer an adaptive advantage. It enables cells to respond more effectively to stress, repair damage, and maintain tissue integrity. 



The findings suggest that evolutionary pressure not only favors more immune-related genes but also promotes genes capable of producing diverse proteins.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-lifespan-advantage-for-some-animals">A lifespan advantage for some animals</h2>



While immune genes dominated the findings, brain size remained a critical factor in determining lifespan. 



Researchers noted that species with larger brains showed both higher gene expression and more extensive gene family expansions. This pattern suggests that cognitive development and longevity share a genetic foundation.



Dolphins, for example, exhibit both advanced cognitive abilities and long lifespans, living up to 39 years. Elephants, with their complex social structures and memory capabilities, can live even longer. These examples illustrate a broader evolutionary trend: cognitive complexity and life extension often go hand-in-hand.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dna-repair-key-longevity-mechanism">DNA repair: Key longevity mechanism</h2>



While immune genes captured the spotlight, researchers also identified significant links between MLSP and DNA repair genes. Species with extended lifespans, such as whales and elephants, exhibited notable expansions in gene families related to DNA repair.



The researchers also found that DNA repair genes exhibited higher levels of alternative splicing. 



This dual mechanism - gene family expansion and transcript diversification - may provide a multi-layered defense against cellular damage, preserving tissue function over longer lifespans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-resistance-the-next-frontier">Cancer resistance: The next frontier</h2>



The research team plans to investigate cancer-related genes further. They aim to uncover how specific genes contribute to both longevity and cancer resistance. 



By analyzing long-lived species like whales and bats, researchers hope to pinpoint genetic targets that might help mitigate cancer risk in humans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-immune-genes-and-longevity">Evolution, immune genes, and longevity</h2>



The study reveals a complex evolutionary narrative. Longevity in mammals appears to hinge not only on brain size but also on immune system complexity. 



Gene family expansions, especially in immune-related genes, suggest that natural selection may have prioritized immune resilience as a critical component of extended lifespan.



The researchers propose that further exploration of cancer-related genes and DNA repair pathways may offer deeper insights into how some species achieve exceptional longevity. 



The implications extend beyond the animal kingdom, opening potential avenues for aging research in humans.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-98786-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



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Why do cats outlive dogs? Clues found in their genes

Why do cats often outlast dogs? The answer may lie...

It has long been accepted that dinosaurs had dwindled in numbers before the asteroid hit. Many people believed they were already on their way out, based on the fact that fewer fossils turned up from that period.



<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/earth-sciences/people/research-staff/dr-chris-dean" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Christopher Dean</a> from University College London, along with an international research team, now challenges that storyline. 



Their new study indicates that dinosaurs were not fading away prior to the asteroid’s impact, and that a biased fossil record skewed the data we’ve relied on for years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revisiting-old-assumptions">Revisiting old assumptions</h2>



Previous ideas about declining dinosaur populations came from simple fossil counts. Researchers saw fewer remains toward the last part of the <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/dino-directory/timeline/early-cretaceous/gallery.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cretaceous</a> and interpreted that as the dinosaurs’ slow fade. That conclusion stuck around for decades.



Yet these authors suggest that many fossils went undiscovered because rock layers in certain regions are difficult to access or simply not preserved. 



They point out that the world was changing in big ways, with mountain formations and receding inland seas reshaping the land.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-occupancy-modeling-approach">Occupancy modeling approach</h2>



This work centers on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780124071971/occupancy-estimation-and-modeling" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">occupancy modeling</a>, an ecological method that helps scientists estimate the presence of species, even when evidence is incomplete. 



The researchers took thousands of fossil records covering hadrosaurs, ceratopsians, ankylosaurids, and tyrannosaurids. They then calculated how likely it was to find traces of these animals across North America.



The results were surprising. Instead of confirming a genuine decline in dinosaur variety, the team found that the apparent reduction lined up with spots where fossils had a slim chance of surviving or being unearthed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-numbers-looked-off">Why the numbers looked off</h2>



The study singled out geological factors as the real culprits behind the missing dinosaur evidence. Changes in land elevation and the retreat of a shallow sea reduced places where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jaw-fossil-reveals-fruit-eating-mammal-from-the-dinosaur-age/">dinosaur</a> bones could be buried and preserved. 



Much of that land is now covered by vegetation, buildings, or other features that hide potential fossil sites.



The researchers learned that certain dinosaur groups seemed to be more easily detected than others. Some, like the duck-billed hadrosaurs, might show up better in formations we’ve explored. 



Others, like the armored ankylosaurids, often turned up less, possibly because their favored habitats didn’t fossilize so well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-extinction">Rethinking extinction</h2>



This fresh perspective also implies that dinosaurs were not globally struggling before the asteroid impact. They appear to have maintained strong populations up until a <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.208.4448.1095" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">catastrophic event</a> ended everything at once. 



If the asteroid had missed Earth, it’s possible that these creatures might have continued to do just fine for a much longer stretch of time.



By focusing on areas where remains had little chance to form fossils, the investigators highlight how easily scientists can be misled by blank spots in the data. 



The old narrative of dinosaurs in gradual decline could be more a reflection of Earth’s changing terrain than of genuine biological trends.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-outlook-on-extinction-risk">An outlook on extinction risk</h2>



These findings show that surviving or vanishing isn’t always tied to a group’s natural trajectory. Sometimes it’s a wild card event, like an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-that-once-threatened-earth-may-target-the-moon/">asteroid collision</a>, that seals a species’ fate. The difference between lasting millions more years and disappearing overnight might boil down to pure luck.



This insight resonates with discussions around present-day biodiversity. Many modern species could be widespread and healthy, yet vulnerable to sudden environmental disasters. Fossil records teach us that success can flip to extinction if a global-scale shock arrives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bridging-past-and-present">Bridging past and present</h2>



Scientists are now more cautious when interpreting gaps in ancient records. The notion of consistent and smooth data through time is flawed. 



Much like detectives, paleontologists have to piece together scattered clues, aware that some bits are missing or distorted.



Occupancy modeling and related methods give researchers a sharper toolset. They can spot hidden patterns that once escaped notice, reshaping our view of iconic events such as the dinosaur die-off.



It appears that dinosaurs were thriving until the sky quite literally fell on them. The mismatch between earlier fossil counts and the true state of dino populations may indicate a biased rock record. 



By accounting for that bias, the team provides a picture of a world that was still teeming with dinosaur life right up to the final curtain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-means-for-future-fossil-research">What this means for future fossil research</h2>



This study opens the door for broader use of occupancy modeling in paleontology. By estimating how likely it is to detect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-some-animals-become-fossils-while-others-just-disappear/">fossils</a> under different conditions, scientists can now better separate real biological changes from sampling artifacts. 



That help will help sharpen the accuracy of diversity estimates across different regions and time periods.



Going forward, this approach could reshape how researchers investigate other extinction events or global biodiversity shifts. 



If similar sampling biases exist elsewhere in the fossil record, entire chapters of Earth’s history might need to be rewritten through this updated lens.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00310-0?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982225003100%3Fshowall%3Dtrue" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Study claims that dinosaurs thrived until the asteroid hit, debunking decades of accepted beliefs

It has long been accepted that dinosaurs had dwindled in...

For decades, farming has chipped away at insect biodiversity, often in ways less obvious than bulldozing forests. Frequent mowing, pesticide use, and habitat loss converge to create a hostile landscape for countless insect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pests-are-moving-to-cooler-regions-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a>.



Now, a research team from the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (<a href="https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JMU</a>) has thrown new light on just how severe the damage really is.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insect-decline-in-farmlands">Insect decline in farmlands</h2>



In Bavaria, a team led by Professor Jörg Müller wanted to look past assumptions. From forests to farmland, the researchers studied 400 insect families. But they didn’t just count what they saw.



They used DNA metabarcoding - a technique that scans genetic material from environmental samples. Combined with precise statistical tools, this allowed the team to detect not only the insects themselves but also the hidden patterns in their decline.



The results, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, revealed a stark contrast between agricultural and near-natural habitats. What they found changes the story on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-are-still-disappearing-and-there-are-hundreds-of-reasons-why/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insect</a> loss - and sharpens its urgency.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farming-and-insect-diversity">Farming and insect diversity</h2>



The researchers used Malaise traps to catch insects from a range of environments. Farmland samples, surprisingly, gave the clearest data. 



These landscapes, open and simplified, make it easier to catch and identify insect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/very-little-is-known-about-99-of-all-insects-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a>. Yet even with this advantage, the results were grim.



After adjusting for how completely each sample captured the existing diversity, the researchers recorded a 44 percent decline in total insect species diversity on farmland. 



This isn’t a seasonal dip. It’s a structural collapse, cutting across species lines. Farmland has become less of a home for insects and more of a barrier to their survival.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unseen-collapse-in-insects">Unseen collapse in insects</h2>



Counting species wasn’t enough. The team introduced a new method to standardize how completely each habitat’s insect community had been sampled. That meant creating fair comparisons across very different environments.



They filtered out sequencing errors, focused on real trends in species presence, and sharpened the lens on insect biodiversity. 



The method accounted for both how many different kinds of insects were present (taxonomic diversity) and how distantly related those insects were from one another (phylogenetic diversity).



What they saw was not just fewer insects - but fewer kinds of insect lineages, going back through evolutionary time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farming-erases-insect-history">Farming erases insect history</h2>



When insects disappear, ecosystems don’t just lose pollinators or prey. They lose deep genetic history. The JMU team found nearly a 30% reduction in evolutionary diversity in farmland <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insect-populations-dramatically-declining-around-the-world-rising-temperatures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insects</a>.



This means entire branches of the insect family tree are vanishing - lineages shaped over millions of years, wiped away in a few decades. Such a loss affects ecosystem resilience, narrowing the genetic pool that might once have buffered against future environmental shifts.



"This study underscores the urgent need for biodiversity-sensitive land use. A continued decline in insect diversity could have far-reaching consequences for the health and stability of ecosystems," stated Dr. Mareike Kortmann, the study’s lead author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biodiversity-crisis-in-agriculture">Biodiversity crisis in agriculture</h2>



Forests and semi-natural habitats still support varied insect life. They offer shade, cover, and food webs rich with interactions. Agricultural lands, in contrast, have become biodiversity hotspots in reverse. Instead of buzzing life, they teem with absence.



Dominant insect species - those you’d expect to be hardy survivors - are dropping fastest in taxonomic diversity. 



Meanwhile, rare species face a deeper erasure. Their entire evolutionary lineages are disappearing. Farmland is not just hostile to insects. It’s selectively erasing their past, present, and future.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-action-needed-for-insects">Action needed for insects</h2>



This study introduced a powerful new toolkit for understanding insect decline and extinction. By combining genetic analysis, statistical rigor, and evolutionary context, researchers can now draw a clearer map of biodiversity loss and fragmentation.



But the view it reveals is bleak. Knowing more means little if it doesn’t drive action. The researchers call for focused conservation efforts - especially in farmlands where both common and rare <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/future-of-farming-insect-waste-reshapes-soil-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insects</a> edge closer to disappearance.



They have made the warning unmistakable. The question now: will we change course before the silence spreads?



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.2927" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B Biological Sciences</a>.



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Modern farming is causing many insect species to collapse

For decades, farming has chipped away at insect biodiversity, often...

Hummingbirds normally patrol the scarlet blooms of the western United States, sipping nectar and carrying pollen from one monkeyflower to the next.



Yet along the outer edges of that crimson range botanists once noticed something odd: scattered stands of Mimulus cardinalis and Mimulus verbenaceus (two monkeyflower species) had traded their fiery petals for butter-yellow ones.



Earlier fieldwork hinted that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bumblebees-show-surprising-adept-teamwork-skills/">bumblebees</a>, not hummingbirds, seemed drawn to these rare morphs, but decades ago researchers lacked the genomic and biochemical tools to learn why.



A team led by Kelsey Byers at the <a href="https://www.jic.ac.uk/">John Innes Center</a> has now reopened the case. In a recent study, the group combined controlled pollinator trials, floral chemistry, and comparative genetics. 



The findings reveal how color, scent, and shape interact when a plant begins shifting from one pollination strategy to another. Researchers documented an adaptive walk - evolution’s slow path from ancestral traits to new ecological niches.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bees-prefer-a-yellow-color">Bees prefer a yellow color</h2>



Inside climate-regulated glasshouses, the researchers offered captive bumblebees paired arrays of yellow and red flowers from both species.



The insects showed a clear preference, visiting yellow twice as often as red. 



Chemical analysis then uncovered a clue: the yellow morphs emitted higher volumes of volatile compounds, a likely adaptation because bees, unlike <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hummingbirds-have-an-incredible-strategy-to-survive-food-shortages/">hummingbirds</a>, rely heavily on scent when foraging.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bees-struggle-despite-color">Bees struggle despite color</h2>



Color and fragrance alone do not guarantee reproductive success. High-speed video revealed that bees wrestled awkwardly with the tubular corollas, structures sculpted through millennia of hummingbird visitation.



Many bees tore the delicate petals while probing for nectar and often failed to brush against the floral reproductive organs, a prerequisite for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-is-transforming-pollen-science-and-health-planning/">pollen</a> transfer. As a result, the bees’ frequent visits did not translate into efficient pollination.



The researchers interpret this mismatch as evidence that the yellow monkeyflowers represent an early stage in the switch from bird to bee service: color mutation and heightened scent have arisen first, but corolla architecture has yet to catch up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-different-genes-same-traits">Different genes, same traits</h2>



A long-standing question was whether the yellow trait in the two Mimulus species emerged through the same molecular pathway. The team’s genomic scans show the answer is partly yes and partly no.



Both species boosted yellow and orange carotenoid pigments by changes to the same suite of genes, a textbook example of convergent evolution. Yet other alterations - loss of red anthocyanin pigments and shifts in scent chemistry - arose through different genetic tweaks in each lineage.



“Even though these species are closely related, they have followed different paths to the same endpoint for many of their traits,” Byers said.



“We have identified ways that flowers can change and affect pollinator visitation, as well as some genetic pathways that can underlie these changes and how they have evolved in different but closely related species.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-timeline-for-trait-evolution">A timeline for trait evolution</h2>



Because floral color strongly influences pollinator choice, mutations in pigment genes may surface first during a pollinator shift. Secondary adjustments, such as boosted scent emission or re-shaped petals, could then fine-tune the interaction.



The Mimulus data support that sequence. Large-effect color mutations preceded subtler changes in odor bouquet, while corolla morphology still lags behind, leaving the bee–flower fit imperfect. 



The researchers argue that this hierarchy of changes - big steps followed by smaller refinements - may be typical whenever plants embark on new mutualisms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bee-friendly-color-affects-farming">Bee-friendly color affects farming</h2>



Pollinator partnerships underpin terrestrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/effective-conservation-efforts-key-to-saving-biodiversity/">biodiversity</a> and sustain many food crops. By dissecting how wild species recalibrate those relationships, scientists gain conceptual tools for conservation and agriculture.



“By understanding how traits evolve in the wild, we understand biodiversity better, and by understanding how these traits can be affected by plant genetics, we have the foundation of the ability to engineer traits to impact pollinator preference and thus crop yield,” Byers said.



Tuning color and scent may let breeders align crops with local pollinators, improving output without extra chemicals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-on-the-research-agenda">Next on the research agenda</h2>



The team plans gene-editing and transgenic experiments to verify the precise functions of the carotenoid biosynthesis genes that acted convergently and the anthocyanin regulators that diverged.



They are also surveying another yellow population of Mimulus cardinalis to see whether it repeated the same genetic tricks or invented new ones. Such comparative work will refine our picture of how predictable - or idiosyncratic - evolutionary innovation can be.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-floral-traits-still-changing">Floral traits still changing</h2>



For now the yellow monkeyflowers stand as living waypoints on an evolutionary journey not yet complete. Bumblebees like their color and perfume, but the floral entrance still suits a hovering hummingbird more than a burrowing bee.



With time and mutations, petal tubes may evolve to guide bees directly to stamens and stigmas. Should that happen, future botanists might find a fully bee-adapted Mimulus lineage where once only hummingbirds ruled - and they will have these early studies to trace how the transformation began.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57639-3">Nature Communications</a>.



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These wildflowers changed color to attract bees

Hummingbirds normally patrol the scarlet blooms of the western United...

Snow leopards roam the vast, rugged terrains of northern India, concealed by their elusive nature. A team of researchers set out to track the snow leopard population in this region across a sprawling 59,000 km² landscape.



The comprehensive study was led by Pankaj Raina, from the <a href="https://leh.nic.in/department/wildlife-department/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Department of Wildlife Protection</a> in Ladakh. Identifying the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snow-leopards-tracing-the-evolution-of-an-apex-predator/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">secretive cats</a> demanded meticulous research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-elusive-snow-leopards">Tracking elusive snow leopards</h2>



The researchers looked for footprints, feces, and scratch marks to spot snow leopards. They also watched for brown bears and lynx and counted wild herbivores and livestock too.



Next, 956 camera traps were deployed over 8,500 km² (3,282 square miles), strategically positioned to maximize <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snow-leopards-the-carnivores-that-eat-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">leopard</a> sightings.



Artificial intelligence analyzed the captured images, identifying individual snow leopards by the unique pattern of spots on their foreheads - a method aptly termed “fingerprinting.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-population-density-and-distribution">Population density and distribution</h2>



In Ladakh, researchers estimated 477 snow leopards, representing 68% of India’s total <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snow-leopard-day-2024-honoring-the-elusive-mountain-ghost/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">population</a>. Density varied, with 1 to 3 individuals per 100 km² (39 to 116 square miles). 



Hemis National Park stood out, showcasing the highest density of snow leopards globally. Surprisingly, 61% of Ladakh’s snow leopards coexisted with human communities. 



Grasslands rich in resources, areas with moderate climates, and complex terrains harbored higher leopard populations. Abundant prey with minimal human interference.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-counting-snow-leopards">Counting snow leopards </h2>



Capturing these elusive creatures on camera required inventive strategies. "To photograph snow leopards' foreheads, we had to make them pose in front of our cameras," said Raina.



"This was done by spraying a small amount of perfume just below the cameras that were deployed near their favored scent marking rocks on the high ridge tops. The curious leopards lower their heads to smell the novel smell and we have our prized photos!"



The challenge didn’t end with taking photos. Identifying individuals was another story. The team used a specialized pattern recognition program.



"Fingerprinting snow leopards: A special pattern recognition software that fits a three dimensional model on the snow leopards forehead image extracts the spot patterns and stores them in a database for comparing it with other snow leopard photographs, and comes up with close matches," said the researchers.



"This reduced our work many fold and improved the accuracy of correct individual identification that is crucial for population estimation using statistical models."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gaps-in-snow-leopard-research">Gaps in snow leopard research </h2>



Beyond the clever use of cameras, the study’s methodology addressed existing gaps in snow leopard research. Researchers implemented a double-sampling approach, covering areas with varying densities to form a comprehensive population estimate.



Over 26,130 images of 126 unique leopards were captured. These images became part of India’s first national photo library of snow leopards - a digital archive aimed at monitoring population changes, tracking poaching incidents, and understanding snow leopard movements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cultural-reverence-and-ecological-realities">Cultural reverence and ecological realities</h2>



Ladakh’s snow leopard <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snow-leopards-tracing-the-evolution-of-an-apex-predator/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">population</a> thrives not only due to rugged landscapes but also due to the cultural reverence locals hold for wildlife.



"The deep-rooted reverence for wildlife among Ladakh’s communities, combined with the economic benefits from snow leopard tourism and conflict management strategies, helps sustain some of the world’s highest snow leopard densities - a model that could be adapted and upscaled across the species' range," noted the study authors. 



While Hemis National Park reported the highest densities, multi-use areas also emerged as critical habitats. These regions, characterized by higher prey density and less human disturbance, supported substantial snow leopard populations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-challenges-and-adaptive-strategies">Future challenges and adaptive strategies</h2>



Despite the success, emerging threats loom. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/melting-glaciers-pose-great-threat-to-biodiversity-in-mountain-ranges/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Habitat loss</a> due to infrastructure projects. Climate change altering prey distribution. Poaching, still a pressing concern.



Researchers advocate for scalable monitoring techniques that can be applied globally. In Ladakh, integrating local knowledge with advanced technology could serve as a blueprint for snow leopard conservation worldwide.



Ladakh’s snow leopard conservation framework weaves together traditional practices and modern science. 



As human-wildlife interactions increase, balancing conservation with community needs becomes more urgent. In Ladakh, this delicate equilibrium holds the key to sustaining one of the world’s largest snow leopard populations.



Adapting this model to other regions could redefine global snow leopard conservation.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0322136" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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Ghost cats: Scientists used a clever trick to count snow leopards

Snow leopards roam the vast, rugged terrains of northern India,...

Imagine a world where animals, like humans, form friendships that endure for years. A world where alliances are forged not through blood ties but through acts of mutual aid. 



This world exists all across Earth, but especially with a bird species called African starlings. They engage in reciprocal "helping" behavior, a concept once thought exclusive to humans.



A new study led by Alexis Earl, a former PhD student at <a href="https://www.columbia.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Columbia University</a> in Professor Dustin Rubenstein’s lab, has cracked open the complex social world of these birds. The findings challenge long-held assumptions that kinship alone drives cooperative behavior.



Instead, the study reveals that starlings form lasting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sparrows-have-fewer-friends-as-they-age-just-like-most-people/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">friendships</a>, built on the expectation that help given today will be returned tomorrow.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-african-starlings-more-than-family-groups">African starlings: More than family groups</h2>



African starling societies are anything but simple. These aren’t just tight-knit family groups. They’re intricate networks of related and unrelated individuals, living together, helping each other, and occasionally switching roles. 



“Starling societies are not just simple families,” Rubenstein said. “They’re much more complex, containing a mixture of related and unrelated individuals that live together, much in the way that humans do.”



The research team observed these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-birds-are-at-great-risk-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a> over 20 years at the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya. During 40 breeding seasons, they documented thousands of interactions among hundreds of birds. By collecting genetic data, they could trace familial ties and map out the social networks within each group.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-birds-help-non-relatives">Birds help non-relatives</h2>



The data revealed a striking pattern. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-extinctions-shatter-the-harmonious-balance-of-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Birds</a> weren’t just helping relatives, they were helping non-relatives too.



And not just once - over and over again. These birds were forming relationships based on reciprocity, where the expectation wasn’t immediate repayment but long-term support.



Rubenstein emphasized the significance of these findings. “Many of these birds are essentially forming friendships over time,” he said. 



But why help a non-relative when a relative is nearby? For the starlings, the answer appears to lie in building a network of allies, a safety net that extends beyond family bonds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-role-reversals-and-unexpected-alliances">Role reversals and unexpected alliances</h2>



Starlings don’t stick to one role. They don’t remain helpers or breeders for life. Instead, they switch roles throughout their lifetimes, a phenomenon rarely seen in cooperative breeders. 



The researchers found that individuals frequently moved between helper and breeder roles, sometimes even after raising their own offspring.



This role-switching opened the door for reciprocal helping. A bird that helped another during one breeding season might later become a breeder and receive help from that same individual. 



The study tracked 528 helper-breeder pairs, and in 142 pairs, the same two birds swapped roles and helped each other over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bird-friendships-form-through-reciprocal-helping">Bird friendships form through reciprocal helping</h2>



Kin selection is a well-established concept in evolutionary biology. Helping family members ensures the survival of shared genes. But the researchers observed a different kind of bond in starlings - one based on reciprocity, not kinship.



Resident males typically helped relatives. Immigrant males, however, helped both kin and non-kin. In fact, the researchers found that the helping rate for reciprocating pairs was 242 percent higher than for non-reciprocating pairs. 



Clearly, these birds were forming alliances that went beyond genetic ties.



But kinship wasn’t entirely irrelevant. Resident females rarely became breeders, so they had fewer opportunities for reciprocal helping. Immigrant females, on the other hand, often moved between helper and breeder roles, forming bonds with specific non-relatives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-power-of-long-term-data">Power of long-term data</h2>



The depth of this study lies in its duration. Twenty years of observations, over 12,000 recorded helping interactions and more than 500 individual birds. 



This long-term dataset allowed the researchers to detect subtle patterns that would have been invisible in a shorter study.



Rubenstein believes these findings have broader implications. “I think this kind of reciprocal helping behavior is likely going on in a lot of animal societies, and people just haven’t studied them long enough to be able to detect it,” he said.



Without such extensive data, the role of reciprocal helping might have remained hidden beneath the more obvious kin-based helping patterns. The study underscores the importance of sustained observation in uncovering the intricacies of animal behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-animal-social-networks">Implications for animal social networks</h2>



Why would a bird help a non-relative, even when a relative is nearby? The answer may lie in the unpredictability of life in the African savannah. Food scarcity. Predator threats. Uncertain breeding success.



In such an environment, forming bonds with non-relatives could serve as a form of insurance. Birds that help today may receive help tomorrow when conditions worsen. It’s a strategy that maximizes survival, not just for the individual but for the entire group.



The researchers observed that these reciprocal bonds sometimes lasted for years. And in some cases, they were even stronger than bonds formed through kinship. 



By maintaining these alliances, birds could increase their chances of receiving support during critical breeding periods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reciprocal-helping-in-other-birds">Reciprocal helping in other birds</h2>



This phenomenon isn’t limited to African starlings. Other bird species, such as green woodhoopoes and white-fronted bee-eaters, also exhibit reciprocal helping. However, the evidence of such behavior in non-relatives is rare.



The researchers argue that reciprocal helping may be more common than previously thought. The problem is that detecting it requires long-term observation - years, even decades. And that kind of data is difficult to obtain.



In the case of African starlings, the data revealed that reciprocal helping relationships sometimes persisted for multiple breeding seasons. Birds that helped each other one year often maintained that relationship, swapping roles and continuing to support one another over time.



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



What drives birds to choose specific partners for reciprocal helping? How do they recognize reliable allies? Are there cues - vocal signals, visual displays, prior interactions - that indicate trustworthiness?



The study raises more questions than it answers. The researchers plan to expand their observations to other species within the same environment. By doing so, they hope to determine whether reciprocal helping is a widespread strategy among cooperative breeders or a unique trait of African starlings.



Additionally, they aim to explore the impact of environmental factors on reciprocal helping. Does food scarcity strengthen these bonds? Do predator threats prompt birds to seek new allies?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-redefining-animal-cooperation">Redefining animal cooperation</h2>



The findings of this study challenge the conventional view that cooperative behavior in animals is driven solely by kin selection. While helping relatives remains a vital strategy, reciprocal helping may play an equally significant role in stabilizing social groups.



For the African starlings, reciprocal helping is a way to build alliances, secure support, and hedge against future uncertainties. It’s a strategy that mirrors human friendships - complex, enduring, and sometimes unpredictable.



“I think this kind of reciprocal helping behavior is likely going on in a lot of animal societies, and people just haven’t studied them long enough to be able to detect it,” Rubenstein said.



The study, published in Nature, provides a rare glimpse into the hidden world of animal friendships. It shows that even in the harsh and unpredictable environment of the African savannah, social bonds can form, endure, and evolve. 



And in the end, the birds that help today may just be the ones receiving help tomorrow.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08958-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Birds observed exhibiting many behaviors that resemble human friendships

Imagine a world where animals, like humans, form friendships that...

Owls are famous for their ability to hear exactly where their prey is hiding, even in complete darkness. But a surprising new study shows that owls aren’t the only raptors with this impressive skill. Harriers, a type of hawk found around the world, also have specialized hearing abilities that help them locate prey by sound.



An international team led by researchers from the <a href="https://www.ulethbridge.ca/">University of Lethbridge</a> in Canada and <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a> in Australia has uncovered unexpected owl-like traits in the ears and brains of several harrier species. 



The findings reveal that harriers have independently evolved several adaptations that allow them to hunt more effectively by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-mammals-recognize-the-sound-of-killer-whales-on-the-hunt/">sound</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hunting-prey-by-sound-and-sight">Hunting prey by sound and sight</h2>



“Until recently, it was assumed that all their hearing adaptations were unique to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/photographer-captures-a-rare-snowy-owl-orange-color-genetic-mutation/">owls</a>. However, our study shows that harriers have independently evolved several key adaptations for finding prey by sound,” said Sara Citron, a PhD student at the University of Lethbridge, who led the study.



Scientists have long praised owls for their fine-tuned hearing, which allows them to zero in on small prey like mice in total darkness.



Harriers, on the other hand, primarily hunted by sight - much like most hawks were believed to do. But the new research reveals that harriers are much more attuned to sound than previously believed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ha-wks-with-exceptional-hearing">Hawks with exceptional hearing</h2>



The research team focused on harriers because of their distinctive hunting style. Andrew Iwaniuk, senior author of the study, is an associate professor at Canada’s Center for Behavioral Neuroscience. 



“Hawks tend to hunt primarily by sight. But unlike other hawks, harriers fly low over tall grass with their beak pointed to the ground,” said Iwaniuk. “During this so-called ‘quartering flight,’ they are not only looking for prey, they are also listening for it.”



“The Australian Spotted Harrier is a great example. When you look at this species’ face, you can see a distinctive disc-shaped face, which may improve their prey localization just like owls,” added co-author Aubrey Keirnan, a PhD student at Flinders University.



Older behavioral studies had already shown that harriers can locate sounds with surprising accuracy, much like owls. But the anatomical reasons behind this ability had remained a mystery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brains-tuned-for-prey">Brains tuned for prey</h2>



To investigate further, the researchers examined skulls and brains of harriers. They compared them to other hawks, using specimens from wildlife rehabilitators and museums in Canada and Australia. Researchers also looked at close relatives, such as the wedge-tailed eagle.



They found harriers, like owls, have large ear openings and two brain areas vital for pinpointing sound location.



“These auditory nuclei are found in the brainstem and compare the time at which sounds arrive at the left or right ear,” said co-author Vera Weisbecker, an associate professor at Flinders University. 



“If a sound arrives at both ears at the same time, then the sound is coming from directly in front of an animal. If there is a delay, this indicates that the prey is more to the left or right.”



The hawks have enhanced hearing thanks to expanded brain regions, giving them an edge in detecting hidden prey.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-separate-species-same-solution">Separate species, same solution</h2>



“Harriers have therefore evolved an auditory system similar to owls, enabling them to target sounds as accurately as owls in a remarkable example of convergent evolution of both brain and behavior in animals separated by over 60 million years,” Citron said.



However, the researchers are careful to note that these hawks are not quite on par with owls when it comes to hearing.



“There are several other features that help owls with their keen hearing which we did not find in harriers,” Citron explained.



“For example, some owl species have asymmetric ears that allow them to locate sound with greater acuity, and these owls also have several other enlarged brain regions that were not enlarged in harriers.”



This explains why owls can hunt in complete darkness, while harriers remain daytime hunters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conservation-strategies-for-harriers">Conservation strategies for harriers</h2>



The researchers believe their findings could help guide future studies on bird anatomy and behavior, especially when it comes to conservation.



“Anatomical studies like ours are a window into how a bird perceives the world around it, which can be extremely useful for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-are-declining-fastest-where-they-were-once-common/">bird</a> conservation,” Iwaniuk said.



“For example, harriers’ reliance on sound for prey location means that they are likely more sensitive to traffic and industrial noise. This could be contributing to the large decreases in Northern Harrier populations we have seen in Canada.”



By better understanding how these birds detect prey, scientists can learn more about the challenges they face in modern environments. This knowledge could help design conservation strategies that account for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/noise-pollution-is-increasingly-disrupting-whale-migration/">noise pollution</a> and other threats that interfere with their finely tuned senses.



The study adds to a growing body of research showing how diverse species can evolve similar traits when facing similar challenges - highlighting nature’s remarkable ability to find common solutions across vast evolutionary distances.



The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joa.14264">Journal of Anatomy</a>.



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Some hawks evolved super hearing abilities to locate prey

Owls are famous for their ability to hear exactly where...

A new study led by UCL researchers has traced the roots of Tyrannosaurus rex back to Asia. Before ruling North America as a colossal predator, T. rex likely crossed a land bridge from Asia more than 70 million years ago, according to the team.



Published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the study not only examines T. rex’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-change-their-minds-about-tyrannosaurus-rex-dinosaur-intelligence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">migration</a> but also explores the evolutionary rise of megaraptors, suggesting that climate played a significant role in their development.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cooler-earth-bigger-dinosaurs">Cooler Earth, bigger dinosaurs</h2>



Global temperatures peaked around 92 million years ago, but a cooling trend soon followed. This climatic shift coincided with the rapid growth in size of tyrannosaurids and megaraptors. 



Despite the cooling climate, Morrison’s team found no direct link between temperature and body mass. Instead, they suggest that climatic shifts may have indirectly fueled gigantism by altering predator-prey <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/t-rex-was-about-70-percent-bigger-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dynamics</a>.



“Our modelling suggests the ‘grandparents’ of T. rex likely came to North America from Asia, crossing the Bering Strait between what is now Siberia and Alaska,” said lead author Cassius Morrison, a PhD student in Earth Sciences at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-t-rex-came-from-asia">T. rex came from Asia</h2>



The debate surrounding T. rex’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mammals-ground-dwellers-survived-the-asteroid-impact-that-killed-the-dinosaurs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">origins</a> is as fierce as the predator itself. Some researchers argue that T. rex originated in Asia, while others claim North America as its birthplace.



Morrison’s findings suggest that T. rex’s direct ancestor likely migrated from Asia to North America, aligning with earlier studies linking T. rex to Asian cousins like Tarbosaurus.



But despite the wealth of T. rex fossils in North America, Morrison speculates that the direct ancestor’s fossils remain undiscovered in Asia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-mexico-fossil-in-doubt">New Mexico fossil in doubt</h2>



Last year, a study proposed that Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis from New Mexico predated T. rex by three to five million years. Morrison’s team disputes this, arguing that the fossil’s dating is unreliable.



Their biogeographical model instead positions T. rex as a North American genus, evolving in Laramidia, a western region that once stretched from Alaska to Mexico.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-megaraptors-mysterious-hunters">Megaraptors: Mysterious hunters</h2>



While T. rex dominated the northern continents, megaraptors thrived in Gondwana, an ancient southern supercontinent that included South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and India. 



With slender heads, long arms, and 35-centimeter claws, these predators took a different evolutionary path.



Morrison’s team traced megaraptors to Asia around 120 million years ago. From there, they spread to Europe, Africa, and the southern continents of Gondwana. Despite this wide distribution, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-extinction-theories-are-challenged-by-new-research/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fossils</a> remain scarce, leaving gaps in the evolutionary timeline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-megaraptor-s-hunting-strategy">Megaraptor’s hunting strategy</h2>



Unlike the bone-crushing jaws of T. rex, megaraptors relied on their massive claws to dispatch prey. In southern Gondwana, they likely targeted juvenile sauropods, while T. rex hunted giants like Triceratops and Edmontosaurus in Laramidia.



Both predator groups reached colossal sizes as temperatures dropped and carcharodontosaurids - another group of large predators - vanished.



Morrison’s team suggests that the extinction of these giants opened the apex predator niche, allowing tyrannosaurids and megaraptors to expand their size.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cold-climates-new-predators">Cold climates, new predators</h2>



Despite the apparent link between cooler climates and bigger dinosaurs, the study found no direct correlation between temperature and body size. 



Instead, Morrison’s team proposes that climatic shifts may have indirectly driven gigantism by reshaping ecosystems and altering prey availability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giants-rose-after-rivals-fell">Giants rose after rivals fell</h2>



By the end of the Cretaceous, T. rex weighed up to nine tonnes, comparable to a large African elephant. Meanwhile, megaraptors stretched over 10 meters in length.



Charlie Scherer, co-author and a UCL Earth Sciences graduate, connects this size surge to the extinction of carcharodontosaurids. 



“They likely grew to such gigantic sizes to replace the equally giant carcharodontosaurid theropods that went extinct about 90 million years ago,” he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-continents-shaped-predators">Ancient continents shaped predators</h2>



Dr. Mauro Aranciaga Rolando from the Natural Sciences Argentine Museum underscores the role of Gondwana in shaping megaraptor evolution.



As continents drifted apart, megaraptors adapted to diverse environments, evolving into apex predators in Australia and Patagonia.



“While in regions like Asia, megaraptors were eventually replaced by tyrannosaurs, in areas such as Australia and Patagonia, they evolved to become apex predators, dominating their ecosystems,” Rolando said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rise-of-t-rex-and-megaraptors">Rise of T. rex and megaraptors</h2>



Morrison’s study emphasizes that more fossil evidence is essential to refining the evolutionary timeline of megaraptors. 



Regions like Africa and Antarctica, largely unexplored, may hold crucial clues to understanding megaraptor dispersal and gigantism.



For now, the study concludes that T. rex likely evolved as a North American genus, with Asian roots still shrouded in mystery. Meanwhile, megaraptors remain enigmatic, their evolutionary story far from complete.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10.1098/rsos.242238" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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T. rex’s ancestors may have walked from Asia to North America

A new study led by UCL researchers has traced the...

Termites are often overlooked in rainforest restoration, where the focus is usually on planting trees. But what if the key to a thriving forest lies not in the canopy above, but in the soil below - and in the insects that crawl through it?



A new study reveals that termites, often seen as pests, might actually be essential allies in helping young rainforests flourish. 



Scientists from the <a href="https://www.caryinstitute.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies</a> and the University of Queensland in Australia have found that these tiny decomposers are missing - or at least lagging behind - in forests that have been replanted, even more than a decade after restoration began.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-need-more-than-trees">Forests need more than trees</h2>



“People tend to think that by just planting a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-species-diversity-makes-forests-more-productive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diversity of trees</a>, these rainforests will regenerate,” said Baptiste Wijas, a postdoctoral fellow at Cary Institute and visiting academic at the University of Queensland. 



“But it's worth thinking about, should we actually be putting in other organisms as well, to restore other ecosystem processes that help the forest function? In the context of rainforest regeneration, no one really thinks about it at all.”



That question matters more than ever. As more land is reforested in efforts to combat climate change and restore ecosystems, it’s crucial to understand what makes a forest actually function. 



Decomposers like termites and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fungi-can-think-and-make-smart-decisions-without-a-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fungi</a> play a critical role in cycling nutrients and carbon. Without them, the soil might lack the resources young trees need to grow.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-the-forest-floor">Testing the forest floor</h2>



To understand how well decomposers were rebounding, the research team set up a simple but telling experiment. They placed wooden blocks in three different forest settings in Australia’s Daintree Rainforest. One was a pristine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forest-microclimates-impact-bird-species-diversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">old-growth forest</a>. 



The other two were replanted sites - one restored in 2010, the other in 2014 - on land that had been cleared for agriculture decades ago and later abandoned. The replanting was carried out by a nonprofit organization called Rainforest Rescue.



For four years, the team checked on the wooden blocks every six months. They looked for signs of fungi, termites, or both, and tracked how fast the wood was breaking down.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-wet-and-wild-challenge">A wet and wild challenge</h2>



The fieldwork was anything but easy. “You’re sweating all the time, and there are plants that want to attack you everywhere,” said Wijas. 



In one year alone, the team faced a series of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/droughts-and-extreme-weather-events-are-escalating/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extreme weather events</a> - drought, floods, fires, and “a zombie cyclone that caught us twice,” said Cary Institute senior scientist Amy Zanne. “It was an epic, biblical year.”



Despite these challenges, the team made a surprising discovery. They expected that termites would be thriving in all the rainforests and that fungi would struggle more in the younger sites. But the results were the opposite.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fungi-thrive-while-termites-struggle">Fungi thrive while termites struggle</h2>



Fungi were resilient. They performed almost as well in the replanted forests as in the old-growth site, though they were a bit slower in the youngest forest. 



Termites, however, were another story. While they were present at all three sites, they decomposed wood at a much slower rate in the replanted forests. Even 12 years after <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/success-story-reforestation-has-helped-keep-the-eastern-us-relatively-cool/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reforestation</a> began, the termite-driven decay lagged behind.



The researchers suggest several possible reasons: termite colonies in the replanted areas may be fewer, smaller, less diverse, or less mature.



That’s a problem, because slow decomposition can mean nutrients and carbon aren’t returning to the soil quickly enough. And that could stunt forest growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-radical-idea-importing-insects">A radical idea: Importing insects</h2>



To fix the problem, the scientists have a bold proposal. They suggest bringing logs from old-growth forests into younger forests to introduce decomposers and give existing ones more to eat.



“A young, regenerating forest doesn’t have a lot of deadwood in it,” Zanne explained. “So if you bring in these logs, you’re giving them some food to tide them over while they wait for parts of trees to start falling down.”



They’re also thinking even bigger: what about transplanting entire termite mounds? “That’s something that no one's really thought about either,” said Wijas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-termites-in-forests">Rethinking termites in forests</h2>



Convincing forest managers to welcome termites into their restoration plans won’t be easy.



“Many people - forest managers included - don’t really like termites,” said Wijas. “But they play an important role in having a healthy forest.”



Zanne pointed out that most termites get a bad rap for no reason. "Only about 3% of termites are known to damage human homes. Very little is known about the other 97%.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-just-decomposers">More than just decomposers</h2>



In fact, termites might be doing even more good than we think. 



“We think termites might be locking up carbon in their nests,” said Wijas. “When they eat wood, they’re not able to digest all of it, and so the feces they use to build their nests could be quite carbon-rich. They may even lock up more carbon than they emit, but we just don’t know yet.”



Termites may also help trees grow by partnering with nitrogen-fixing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-pass-down-memories-to-future-generations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a>, which convert nitrogen into a form plants can use.



“Termites and fungi are absolutely critical to forest function,” said Zanne. “It would be interesting to see who else returns to the regenerating forests if the termites are there - perhaps ants, lizards, and gliders that eat termites. Right now we just don't have any idea whether these organisms are coming back in these systems.”



As the search continues for ways to speed up rainforest recovery, termites may prove to be unlikely but vital allies. The next time we think about rebuilding a forest, we might want to think beyond trees—and start thinking about termites too.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/7974/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Applied Ecology</a>.



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Termites play an unexpected role in rainforest revival

Termites are often overlooked in rainforest restoration, where the focus...

Many people believe that small skin injuries heal quickly. Recent findings suggest that compared to certain other primates, human skin heals at a much slower pace.



Researchers measured how quickly skin edges moved together after injuries in humans and discovered a rate about one-third of what they saw in non-human primates. 



Their work indicates that humans might have traded rapid recovery for other unique <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/future-tech-will-track-emotions-through-changes-in-our-skin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">characteristics</a>.



Dr. Akiko Matsumoto-Oda, an evolutionary scientist with the <a href="https://www.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of the Ryukyus</a>, conducted these investigations with collaborators from the Kyoto University <a href="https://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wildlife Research Center</a>. 



They studied volunteers undergoing medically required skin procedures, as well as various primates in structured environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-human-skin-heals-slower-than-primates">Why human skin heals slower than primates</h2>



Scientists have long recognized that different species rely on diverse strategies for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teen-skin-bacteria-could-hold-the-secret-to-acne-prevention/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tissue</a> repair. Some rely on quick wound contraction, while others regenerate skin through careful layering of new cells.



Hair follicles play a big part in healing because each follicle can hold stem cells that jump into action once the skin is injured. 



Humans, however, lack the dense covering seen in many fur-bearing mammals, which can mean a smaller pool of helpful cells.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweat-glands-impact-skin-healing-in-humans">Sweat glands impact skin healing in humans</h2>



Sweat glands help <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-bodies-begin-breaking-down-two-very-precise-ages/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">people</a> stay cool in hot conditions, but they might not support tissue repair as efficiently as follicles. Researchers think that a shift toward more sweat glands and fewer follicles could have slowed healing.



Perspiration lets people remain active for longer in warm regions. This advantage may have outweighed the slower closure of skin wounds, giving humans better odds in harsh environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-structures-compensate-for-slow-healing">Social structures compensate for slow healing</h2>



Reduced healing speed might seem problematic. Yet humans have social systems that can compensate for a delayed rate of repair.



Community care, shelter, and shared resources ensure that a slow recovery does not always threaten survival. 



Archaeological <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199909023411006" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> points to the fact that ancient groups cared for individuals with injuries, allowing them to live despite physical challenges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-skin-healing-differs-from-other-primates">Human skin healing differs from other primates</h2>



Chimpanzees showed a wound-closure pace similar to monkeys, suggesting they all share a roughly similar rate. Humans were the clear exception in this investigation.



Experts noted that a thicker epidermis and a more elaborate sweat duct system could be part of the reason. These <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0914628107" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">traits</a> likely emerged as humans evolved larger brains and better heat management.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-drives-human-skin-s-structure">What drives human skin’s structure</h2>



Dermatologist teams often examine how genes shape the surface of our bodies. Emerging <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12822721/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> suggests that specific genetic switches influence sweat gland formation, hair density, and wound repair.



Variations in these pathways likely pushed ancient humans toward less body hair. Over time, the result was a distinctive type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/skin-may-play-a-hidden-role-in-ebola-infection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">skin</a> that protects us while sacrificing rapid recovery from damage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-slow-skin-healing-is-a-concern">Why slow skin healing is a concern</h2>



Slow wound repair remains a challenge in modern clinics. Specialists are searching for therapies that might encourage faster closure, especially in older adults and those with illnesses.



Looking to primates and other mammals could inspire new approaches. If scientists can figure out what helps non-human species regrow skin so effectively, they might adapt those tools for human medicine.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-toward-future-solutions">Toward future solutions</h2>



Gene editing, advanced dressings, and novel cell-based treatments hold potential. Combining these discoveries with an understanding of natural healing in primates might shorten recovery times.



Some <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30890574/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">researchers</a> hope to replicate the healing strategy of smaller mammals that close cuts quickly. Although it is still experimental, progress in stem cell therapy could transform patient outcomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-doctors-approach-slow-skin-healing">How doctors approach slow skin healing</h2>



Recognizing that human skin mends more slowly can alter how surgeons and doctors manage postoperative care. Extra monitoring of sutures and incisions might prevent complications.



People with chronic wounds could benefit from therapies tailored to overcome certain genetic hurdles. Targeted interventions might address the biology behind slower healing in humans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-medicine-still-lags-behind-nature">Modern medicine still lags behind nature</h2>



Despite advances in medical care, human wound healing often relies on external help like stitches, antibiotics, and dressings to prevent infection and speed recovery. 



These interventions, while effective, highlight how dependent we’ve become on tools to make up for our slower natural response.



In contrast, non-human primates and rodents typically heal without assistance, suggesting that their bodies are still better wired for independent repair. 



This contrast points to an evolutionary gap between our biological abilities and the environments we've built to support them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-research-on-human-skin-healing">New research on human skin healing</h2>



Additional insights from comparative biology might identify subtle differences that set human skin apart. Continued experiments may reveal fresh angles on how hair follicles, sweat glands, and immune responses interplay.



Clues from ancient fossils hint that humans have coped with injuries for centuries. Groups likely shared information about wound treatments, shaping our medical traditions.



The study is published in <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2025.0233" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.



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Medical oddity: Human skin heals three times slower than our primate relatives

Many people believe that small skin injuries heal quickly. Recent...

Marine animals often travel more than a thousand miles across open ocean waters, surprising many scientists who study their wanderings. These long oceanic journeys create unexpected links between countries and continents.



Scientists from The University of Queensland (UQ) and <a href="https://duke.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Duke University</a> have introduced an interactive database called <a href="https://mico.eco/system" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MiCO</a> to map these movements. 



The work was led by Dr. Lily Bentley from <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UQ</a>’s Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science. The goal was to show policymakers and everyday people how these creatures use our shared <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-dolphin-day-2025-honoring-the-oceans-most-playful-minds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seas</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-connections-of-marine-animals">Hidden connections of marine animals</h2>



MiCO collects data for 109 animal species, such as whales, sea turtles, and certain fish. Each entry in this system showcases patterns that connect national <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-animals-swim-at-the-perfect-depth-to-save-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">waters</a> with areas beyond them.



“Covering 109 species including birds, mammals, turtles, and fish, MiCO brings together thousands of records from over 1,300 sources to map how marine animals traverse the world's oceans,” said Dr. Bentley. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-marine-migration">Tracking marine migration </h2>



Many migratory animals move across national boundaries, so efforts in one country might be undone by gaps in another. <a href="https://highseasalliance.org/treaty-negotiations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">High Seas Treaty</a> negotiations, which address waters beyond national limits, add to the urgency of cooperating on global management practices.



MiCO’s models spotlight <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3258" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecological connectivity</a>, a term describing how different parts of the ocean are linked through the movements of living beings. This connectivity shows that no one nation can safeguard migratory species on its own.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-movements-of-ocean-animals">Global movements of ocean animals</h2>



Partners from across the world contributed tagging and tracking results to feed into this new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-impacting-marine-life-more-than-we-realized/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">system</a>. Tagged animals helped researchers identify important foraging and nesting sites, along with areas where different species overlap.



Users can explore interactive maps to see how a shark off the coast of one region might eventually pass near a fishing zone run by another. 



This information is key for <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-sheets/2012/02/23/faq-what-is-a-regional-fishery-management-organization" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Regional Fisheries Management Organizations</a>, which guide sustainable fishing agreements between multiple countries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revealing-key-ocean-animal-habitats">Revealing key ocean animal habitats</h2>



Some of the species in MiCO rely on two or three very distinct environments during their lives. A few go from the tropics to colder waters, while others roam across entire <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/23-new-marine-bacteria-species-discovered-that-influence-global-ocean-cycles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean</a> basins before returning to breed. 



Data from animal-borne tags reveal how an individual might roam thousands of miles and then end up near the same nesting spot it used in past years.



“This tool connects almost 2,000 crucial habitats and spotlights the importance of cross-boundary cooperation,” said Dr. Bentley. It helps non-scientists appreciate how each small area fits into a much larger picture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-conservation-agreements">Global conservation agreements</h2>



International efforts, like the <a href="https://www.cms.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Convention on Migratory Species</a>, often struggle with incomplete data. Dr. Bentley’s team hopes MiCO can fill some of these gaps by presenting a global picture of animal movements.



“MiCO's freely available models have already been identified as a valuable asset to inform the implementation of this treaty,” said Professor Daniel Dunn, the Centre’s director.



Dunn sees promise in integrating these findings with emerging legal frameworks that govern open waters.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-data-coverage">Expanding data coverage</h2>



MiCO now highlights 109 species, but that number may grow. A broad range of migratory life remains untracked, including those in remote habitats that few people ever visit.



Some species, such as sharks, remain only partially studied due to their high mobility and deep-ocean behaviors. Researchers believe that more collaborations across scientific institutions could fill these knowledge gaps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-of-tracking-ocean-animals">Challenges of tracking ocean animals</h2>



Working with wild animals in rough oceans is difficult, and tag-based methods can be costly. Researchers must handle strict guidelines that weigh the potential harm to individual animals against the value of the information gained.



Despite these hurdles, MiCO’s team emphasizes that shared data benefit everyone. More countries are signing on to share location information from new tagging projects to ensure that no important route goes unnoticed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-future-migrations">Protecting future migrations</h2>



Each species has its own migratory cycle, and these cycles are vulnerable to threats such as fishing bycatch, pollution, and habitat loss. 



By identifying precisely where and when species might travel, conservation groups can craft measures that reduce the risk of accidental harm.



MiCO supports standard tools like environmental impact assessments by helping planners account for key habitats. Even a single busy shipping lane can pose new hazards if it cuts across a major corridor used by whales or turtles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-global-team-effort">A global team effort</h2>



Many people, including biologists, oceanographers, and government agencies, contributed research to MiCO. 



Nations that share coastal habitats, as well as those that manage large oceanic zones, can reference the database to see if an animal frequenting their waters depends on areas under another’s management.



This knowledge encourages more unified action, where protection plans can be coordinated among neighboring countries. Nations can also monitor potential overlap in fishing grounds and threatened species hotspots.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conservation-initiatives-for-marine-animals">Conservation initiatives for marine animals</h2>



MiCO hopes to drive new discussions around marine protection and policy changes. The ability to see exact areas of use for species that cross borders should help reduce confusion among policymakers. It can also strengthen shared projects under the High Seas Treaty.



Researchers say that many questions remain about how climate shifts will alter migration patterns. But with more open-access data, global management strategies will be better equipped to handle these changes in the long run.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59271-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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How ocean animals connect countries and continents

Marine animals often travel more than a thousand miles across...

Fishing pots are a mainstay for many coastal communities. They are often used to capture shrimp and other crustaceans for the dinner table while keeping habitat damage in check. A new study shows how simple lights can make certain catches bigger.



The findings arrive at a time when many coastal regions are eager for fresh methods that help preserve marine habitats.



“We think that the light attracts zooplankton - like moths around a flame - which in turn attracts shrimp (which eat zooplankton), and that entices larger fish predators into the pots to gobble up the shrimp,” said Dr. Robert Enever from <a href="https://www.fishtekmarine.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fishtek Marine</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lights-attract-shrimp-to-pots">Lights attract shrimp to pots</h2>



Bright beams inside standard pots sound odd. Yet researchers discovered that these small LED devices create a steady draw for zooplankton - tiny sea creatures that float in open water.



Shrimp seem to follow, which then draws in bigger fish on the hunt. Some fishers around the world have tried using conventional bait. Now, these lights could offer a fresh angle by reducing the need for bait while also bringing in a different mix of catch.



Potting for northern shrimp has been around for decades in certain places. According to a <a href="https://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/pdf-content/MFR/mfr743/mfr7431.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> on shrimp pots in the Gulf of Maine, potting can yield multiple pounds of shrimp at a time. That is no small haul.



This new work used pots modified with lights, aiming to see if shrimp counts might rise further. Early signs point to possibilities for bigger yields, but the location of fishing and pot design both matter a lot. Not all areas teem with these shrimp, so trial runs in new spots would be wise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bycatch-and-habitat-disturbance">Bycatch and habitat disturbance </h2>



Trawling often means dragging heavy gear across the seabed. That can disturb habitats and risk higher levels of bycatch, which are unintended species snagged in nets.



Study lead author Dr. Tom Horton is an expert in the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University ofExeter</a>’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.



“Shrimp and cod are often fished by trawling, which can result in high bycatch (accidental catching of other species), and habitat disturbance. Finding lower-impact alternatives - including static gear such as pots - is essential for more sustainable fisheries,” said Dr. Horton. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fish-that-are-drawn-to-shrimp">Fish that are drawn to shrimp</h2>



Oddly enough, the lights also attracted certain small fish. Some juveniles were caught while chasing shrimp in the pots. That might be a setback if the goal is purely shrimp, or an option for fishers who want to adapt the design to target bigger fish.



Still, the entire concept may provide a path to reduce unwanted catch. Past findings suggest that specialized pots can improve the selection of which fish or crustaceans come onboard. The trick is matching the shape, size, and mesh of the pot to the intended species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-light-affects-fish-behavior">How light affects fish behavior </h2>



One striking takeaway from the study is how underwater lighting may trigger an "attraction cascade." This means a small light draws in plankton, which then brings in shrimp, and finally attracts larger fish that feed on the shrimp.



It’s not just the shrimp that seem curious - gadoid species like <a href="https://www.fishbase.se/summary/trisopterus-minutus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">poor cod</a> were often found with shrimp in their stomachs, suggesting they were lured in by the buffet.



This pattern changes how we think about baitless fishing. Instead of relying on dead fish or synthetic lures, the pot becomes its own miniature food chain. 



But the effectiveness depends on species behavior, water depth, and even how shrimp respond to light at different stages of their life. That makes future testing in other ecosystems all the more important.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-pots-with-led-lights">Testing pots with LED lights</h2>



Future tests are needed before any large-scale rollout. Widespread use of lit pots would call for monitoring of battery use and potential ecological disturbances from extra light. But it could also replace or trim down the use of bait, lowering costs for many fishers.



There is also a chance that these glowing pots might reduce harm to sensitive ocean floors. Instead of dragging big nets, fishers might rely on static gear that has less contact with seabed communities. A switch like that could help keep local ecosystems healthier while still supporting a decent catch.



Towing giant nets for shrimp puts pressure on fuel, labor, and fish populations that get scooped up by accident. Pots with lights might use less bait and damage fewer habitats. But they also need repeated checking, which can become time-consuming.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-lit-fishing-gear">The future of lit fishing gear</h2>



Testing new fishing gear goes beyond science labs. Skippers need to trust that these pots will bring in enough shrimp or fish to cover costs. Balancing gear investment, labor, and local rules can make or break whether lighted gear stays afloat in the long run.



One clear advantage is the simple attraction strategy. If lighting triggers a steady cycle of shrimp and fish, then that changes how pots are used. It might open up new fisheries or reduce side-catches in existing ones.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569125001255?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ocean &amp; Coastal Management</a>.



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Simple lights help fishers catch more shrimp with less damage

Fishing pots are a mainstay for many coastal communities. They...

Digger wasps exhibit remarkable memory skills when managing their nests. These wasps create separate burrows for each egg, storing food inside and returning after a few days to provide more. 



They can remember the locations of up to nine nests simultaneously, despite the chaotic surroundings filled with hundreds of other females' nests. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unexpected-find-inside-the-eye-of-a-tiny-wasp-megaphragma-viggianii/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wasps</a> rarely make mistakes, ensuring that each offspring receives adequate nourishment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-digger-wasps-manage-multiple-nests">Digger wasps manage multiple nests</h2>



Mother <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parasitic-wasp-had-a-flytrap-for-snatching-its-victims/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wasps</a> feed their young in age order, adjusting the sequence if one larva dies. 



They can also delay feeding larvae that received more food during the first visit. This intricate scheduling prevents starvation and ensures all larvae get sufficient food. 



“Our findings suggest that the miniature brain of an insect is capable of remarkably sophisticated scheduling decisions,” said Professor Jeremy Field, from the&nbsp;<a href="https://ecologyconservation.exeter.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centre for Ecology and Conservation</a>&nbsp;on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.



“We tend to think that something so small couldn’t do something so complex. In fact, they can remember where and when they have fed their young, and what they fed them, in a way that would be taxing even to human brains.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-episodic-memory-in-wasps">Episodic memory in wasps</h2>



Humans use episodic memory to recall past actions and adjust future plans. Professor Field suggests that wasps may use a similar mechanism to remember where and when they last fed each larva. 



Although the exact process remains unknown, the study indicates that these wasps can track multiple nests, the food given, and the timing of each feeding.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caterpillar-hunting-and-feeding-strategy">Caterpillar hunting and feeding strategy</h2>



Digger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-wasp-species-named-after-famous-thieves/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wasps</a> hunt caterpillars on heather plants, paralyzing them before placing them in burrows with eggs. The larva consumes the caterpillar as its first meal. 



Mothers then seal the burrow entrance and leave to either start a new burrow or continue feeding existing offspring. They return after two to seven days to check on the larvae. 



If a larva is dead, the mother lays a new egg and reorders the feeding schedule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-navigating-hundreds-of-nests">Navigating hundreds of nests</h2>



Despite nesting in nearly featureless sand with hundreds of other nests, mother wasps maintain exceptional spatial awareness. 



They use visual landmarks like stones to locate their nests with impressive accuracy. The study recorded just 1.5% of 1,293 food deliveries going to the wrong nest, emphasizing the precision of their navigation skills.



The researchers also tested the wasps by swapping caterpillars as mothers prepared burrows.



Wasps given larger caterpillars waited longer before providing more food, indicating a flexible feeding strategy based on larval needs. This adaptability helps manage resources effectively and supports the survival of the young.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wasp-memory-nests-and-scheduling">Wasp memory, nests, and scheduling</h2>



Professor Field noted that memory is energetically expensive, requiring neural machinery to store and process information.



While many lab-based studies explore memory in controlled settings, this study demonstrates the ecological relevance of memory in the wild, showing why natural selection may have favored these capabilities.



The researchers used various experiments to explore wasp memory and scheduling. One experiment involved replacing food items in nests, testing whether wasps adjusted feeding schedules based on food size. 



Mothers given larger prey items delayed further feeding, initiating new nests sooner. This behavior allowed them to increase reproductive output without compromising larval survival.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-wasps-adjust-after-losing-a-nest">How wasps adjust after losing a nest</h2>



Mothers could remember up to nine active nests and adjust feeding schedules without revisiting nests. 



However, when larvae died, mothers replaced them with new eggs, moving these nests to the back of the feeding order. This strategy minimized energy loss and prevented resource wastage.



Fieldwork at Witley Common, UK, revealed that digger wasps evolved cognitive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/an-8-year-olds-backyard-discovery-of-ants-wasps-changed-science/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strategies</a> to counter parasitism and food scarcity. 



Parasitic flies pose a significant threat, laying eggs on wasp larvae. To minimize exposure, mother wasps avoid revisiting nests unless parasitism risk is low. This reduces the chances of parasites accessing vulnerable offspring. 



Additionally, food scarcity prompted wasps to develop efficient nest management. By remembering up to nine nests, mothers allocate food based on larval age without resampling, conserving time and resources. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-cognitive-traits">Evolution of cognitive traits </h2>



Researchers suggest that these memory and scheduling abilities may have laid the foundation for social behaviors seen in more advanced insect lineages. 



Managing multiple offspring, tracking nest locations, and adjusting feeding schedules align with the caregiving patterns observed in social insects like ants and bees. 



The study highlights how ecological pressures can drive the evolution of complex cognitive traits even in insects with tiny brains.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00509-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Wasp moms manage multiple nests with remarkable memory

Digger wasps exhibit remarkable memory skills when managing their nests....

species in Phyllomeniidae

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