Persian,Golden,Chinchilla,Cat,In,A,Grassy,Garden

Cat species have had a wild journey through time. One living cat species is domesticated while all others are not. Some species are long extinct, while others walk our planet today in need of protection from human development. 



They pepper the internet, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fear-of-predators-can-damage-prey-as-much-as-predation-itself/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prowl in windowsills</a> and in the wild landscapes from Africa to Europe, to Asia, and the Americas. They hunt in the jungle or amongst the house plants. They are a vast group of fascinating creatures that enchant, mystify, and terrify - depending on their size and ferocity.



The most popular pet in the world is the house cat. Known for their elusive personalities, more than 600 million cats live among humans worldwide. According to <a href="https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/79421" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell University</a>, "Nearly three-quarters of U.S. households own pets". So while some species, such as the lynx of North America, is almost impossible to spot, house cats (or feral ones) are nearly impossible to avoid if you live in a developed area. 



Today we are going to explore these categories - from wildcats, tabby, feral cats, to domestic cats to understand the nuances between the groups and better understand the evolutionary process of domestication that takes place when certain species come into close proximity to Homo sapiens over generations.&nbsp;



These stories and biological examples stretch the breadth of the globe - from the fertile crescent of antiquity to the high rise apartments of New York City, cats are a sneezingly, meowingly, purringly prevalent animal in our societies that have possibly shaped us as much as we've shaped them.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-evolution-of-cats-nbsp">The Evolution Of Cats&nbsp;</h2>



The evolution of cats on planet earth is a story told in the fossil record and through our own inherited imaginations - and it plays out today in our own homes and in ecosystems around the world.&nbsp;



Felidae is a family of mammals <a href="http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp?id=14000003" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in the order Carnivora</a> - these are the cats, big and small. Members of this family are also known as felids, and people also use the term feline to describe these creatures. They are terrestrial carnivores with various fur patterns, muscular body shapes, and claw and teeth sizes. 



The earliest cats in the archeological record date back somewhere between 30 million and 28.5 million years ago.  Proailurus is the oldest known cat we know of. It roamed the landmass we now designate as Eurasia and we've found fossil remains of this species <a href="https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/3156" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in France and Mongolia</a>. 



Today, there are 36 species of wild cats. This includes the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica), European wildcat, lynx, lions, and tigers. Further subdivisions into subspecies are, at best, controversial. We will touch more on these wild species later on. 



Either way, they are a far cry from the house cats (felis catus) at your grandmother's house. So what happened in between and how did one species of cat come to be domesticated? 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/shutterstock_141217435.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1904053"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Sombra">Sombra</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-defining-domestication-nbsp">Defining Domestication&nbsp;</h2>



Domestication is the "sustained multi-generational relationship in which one group of organisms assumes a significant degree of influence over the reproduction and care of another group to secure a more predictable supply of resources from that second group." It is a process of innovation that has defined our societies and is ranked with similar importance as making fire and the development of language.  



While individuals of an animal species can be "semi-domesticated" in the sense that someone has endeavored in taming a particular individual (like a pet leopard for example), this is different than domestic animals within human society - an evolutionary process we can see right down to the DNA sequencing of species and subspecies.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-domesticating-cats-across-the-globe">Domesticating Cats Across The Globe</h2>



We can see the fingerprints of this process in the gene sequencing of cats today. According to <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1139518" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a 2007 study published in Science</a>, the world's domesticated cats " carry patterns of sequence variation in their genome that reflect a history of domestication and breed development" and explains that cats were "domesticated in the Near East". 



One theory is that this happened in conjunction with early human settlements of farming in the Middle east. Most cats today, no matter where they are found on the globe, are descendants of 5 "founders" from this region. 



In the case of cat domestication specifically, it was a hotly contested issue for many years, but with the development of science and our ability to look at the cat genome, we now know that "all domestic cats [house cats] are descended from Felis silvestris lybica.&nbsp;



This dates the relationship between humans and at least semi-domesticated cats to over 10,000 years ago. Pretty wild when you consider the fact that the house cat contributes so little to human survival - a factor that evolutionary biologists and sociologists have been scratching their heads over for years.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/shutterstock_392382514.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1904054"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/gvictoria">gvictoria</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



There is also evidence to suggest that a species of cat became domesticated on the continent of Asia simultaneously. Cat remains in China may be evidence of a domesticated leopard species that occurred independently of the domestication process that took place in the Fertile Crescent and was later accelerated in Ancient Egypt. However, scholars did not find evidence to link any modern-day house cats to leopards, so the species did not last.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-did-cats-domesticate-themselves-nbsp">Did Cats Domesticate Themselves?&nbsp;</h2>



Now here's an entertaining tidbit that probably won't be too shocking to any cat owners out there: there's evidence to suggest that cats actually domesticated themselves, in a sense.&nbsp;



Scholars theorize based on certain findings that cats essentially invited themselves to human settlements 10,000 years ago - taking advantage of the mice in the grain stores and food scraps that they were sure to find nearby. 



Which, of course, begs the question: did cats <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-mentally-track-their-owners-whereabouts-based-on-sound/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">domesticate us?</a> It's an entertaining twist to ponder. Either way, humans and felids have been living domestically for a long, long time. 



Scholars argue that cat domestication has shifted in the last 200 years - to the detriment of house cat health, unfortunately. Nowadays, most cats are kept indoors, neutered, and aggressively selected for specific traits. 



<a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/daf9/5acc1a4ab58b5ffe49a0e347bec1b4fdfa23.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A study in Denmark</a> found that "purebred" cats have significantly higher rates of disease. Their study also showed that neutered cats are more likely to display behavior abnormalities. Overall, it appears as though our current practices of cat breeding are no longer beneficial for the cats, instead escalating their negative welfare. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cat-worship-nbsp">Cat Worship&nbsp;</h2>



Scholars long believed that the Ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate and keep cats as pets before more recent studies revealed an even longer history dating back to neolithic farming communities in the near eastern fertile crescent. 



Even if the timeline of domestication has shifted with more information, we know that 3,600 years ago or so, Ancient Egypt was indeed a cat-enthusiast culture as communicated by what remains of Egyptian murals and texts - and even mummified felines. 



Egypt isn't the only nation-state with a history of cat worship and cat burial, however. Other Mediterranean regions also took part. In 2001, archeologists discovered the grave of a human and their pet cat on the Island of Cyprus, buried together <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.304.5668.189a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in ceremony some 9,500 years ago.&nbsp;</a>



In India today there is a widespread belief in a cat-diety named Waghoba. This is a deity connected to the power of protection and linked to tigers and leopards. There are not many studies surrounding this spirituality and framework or others similar to it. 



Cultural scholars continue to encourage ecologists to take these spiritual philosophies into consideration, however, explaining that these mythological understandings might be the foundation for effective, lasting collaborations and co-adaptions with local indigenous communities. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/shutterstock_202297768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1904055"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/TospornPreede">lavoview</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cats-today-wild-or-domesticated-nbsp">Cats Today - Wild Or Domesticated&nbsp;</h2>



Some cats are wild, some cats are domesticated. It depends on the species and the history of that species in tandem with humans.&nbsp;



While people may dream of having a pet tiger or leopard, these animals are not domesticated and to keep these wild cats in captivity is in most instances a cruel fate for these majestic creatures. The documentary series "Tiger King" which took the western world by storm during the early days of the Coronavirus pandemic is an excellent, intriguing, and somewhat horrifying example and discussion around the topic.&nbsp;



And plus, there is a wide variety to house cats to chose from if you are wanting to incorporate a feline into your life. There are about 42 cat breeds recognized by veterinarians. Cat owners delight in various personality traits - a comforting purr, a tabby cat's distinctive "M" on the forehead, or an affinity for catching and killing vermin to name a few. 



And as it turns out, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-older-women-match/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">house cats are a big business</a>. The most expensive cat breed is the Ashera cat. This breed is a genetic combination of wild cat breeds and domestic cats. The price for this feline friend can be upwards of $125,000. And the spending doesn't stop when you buy a new furry friend - animals cost money to care for, as well. 



The pet industry saw an especially dramatic boom during the pandemic as affluent consumers were home full-time with their pets. This industry surpassed a whopping 100 billion dollars in 2020 alone. This includes expenditures such as food and vet visits. For individuals, the average amount spent on a cat will go up along with the cat's age. 



There are also many instances of feral cats - these are domesticated cats that are unowned and avoid contact with humans. They might live individually or operate in large colonies.



 Feral cats can be a massive challenge for city planners. Their numbers are sprawling in some parts of the world and can cause serious problems via pathogens and also pose a threat to bird populations in the area. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protection-for-wild-cats-today-nbsp">Protection For Wild Cats Today&nbsp;</h2>



We've touched on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/savannah-cats-vs-servals-theyre-not-the-same/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wild cats a bit today</a>. And while focusing in on the domestic cats we consider family members is a fun and fascinating look at a particular species, the truth of the matter is that wild cats are threatened by human development and climate crisis. 



Domestic cats might make our houses feel like home, but wild cats are often keystone species within an ecosystem and balanced ecology is bleak without them. 



Without a functioning food chain or available food sources, our interactions and overlaps with wild animals become dangerous and untenable. Many are on the brink of extinction. Examples include tigers, Iberian lynx, Borneo Bay cat, and the Andean cat. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/shutterstock_1108801895.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1904056"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/tonymills">tony mills</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



As we learn about the quirks of our pets, we must also mobilize and organize habitat conservation and restoration on behalf of their wild animal cousins and the landscapes they inhabit. We must cultivate protected ecosystems and animal sanctuaries instead of tiger king horror shows. 



Human development is speeding up, not slowing down - even as our predictive science paints a dire portrait of our fate should we continue on this path. 



The journey that cats and humans have shared is long, with many chapters, twists, and turns. In our modern age, the story continues. 



As we unfold into the future, we have to decide what to do as a species and in doing so, determine the fate of the wondrous cats, and the wide kingdom of other creatures whose lifecycles swing delicately in the balance of our human ability to shift and restore.



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Are Cats Domesticated?

Cat species have had a wild journey through time. One...

Exotic,Kittens,Sleeping,With,A,Ball,Of,Wool

A cat’s purr comes from the vibrations of the vocal cords, resonating against the bones of the voice box. Most cat vocalizations (all the meows, mews, and hisses) happen in the same way humans talk. However, a purr is more of a curiosity. Learn how cats purr and some more interesting facts about their vocalizations here!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-voicebox-works">How The Voicebox Works</h2>



To understand how cats purr, we need to start with an anatomy lesson. In general cats make noise similarly to humans - using the larynx or voice box. A combination of cartilage, muscle, and bone, the larynx sits in our respiratory tract at the back of our throat and above the trachea. 



The bones from the lower jaw, in conjunction with the cartilage from the thyroid and epiglottis, create a chamber for the sound to reverberate. The center of the epiglottis is called the glottis. Perpendicular muscles line the glottis region and control the expansion and contraction of the airway. 



One function of the epiglottis is to ensure food goes into the stomach and air goes into the lungs! On an inhale, these muscles open to create a wide opening for plenty of oxygen to pass through to the trachea. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/shutterstock_1172373601-1024x661.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1900802"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/gritsalak+karalak">gritsalak karalak</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meow-meow-meow">Meow, Meow, Meow!</h3>



A cat meows in the same way a human sings! To produce sound, two of the<a href="https://www.rit.edu/ntid/slpros/sites/rit.edu.ntid.slpros/files/tv_obj1.pdf"> laryngeal muscles</a> will actually touch together and vibrate, also known as the vocal cords.&nbsp; These vibrations happen when air forces its way through on the exhale. Simultaneously, another muscle group controlling the size of the opening creates varying pitches. Your cat’s determined meow literally looks different in their throat than their demure mew.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-cats-purr">How Do Cats Purr?</h2>



Purring, on the other hand, doesn’t happen in quite the same way.&nbsp; While meows and yowls can only happen while the cat breathes out, the purring sound can come from both the inhale and exhale. The purr starts from the vibrating muscles of the vocal cords as air pushes in and out with the cat’s breath. But the true sound comes from the bones!&nbsp;



All cats have something called a hyoid bone (humans have one too!). The bone sits in the back of your throat and supports the tongue and larynx. When the vibrations from the cat’s vocal cords hit the hyoid bone, it begins to rumble. That low-frequency reverberation is purring!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/shutterstock_1635613207.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1900804"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sand cats are wild cats that purr. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/g/slowmotion.pro">slowmotiongli</a>/<a href="http://shutterstock.com">Shutterstock.com</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-cats-purr">Which Cats Purr?</h2>



While you’ve probably grown to expect purring from your house cats, not all cats purr! While all kitties, big and small, belong to the family Felidae, two subfamilies delineate a difference between two distinct groups: the purring cats and the roaring cats. Interestingly, these groups are separated by the noises they can make!



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-purring-kitties">Purring Kitties</h3>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-domesticated-10000-years/">Domestic cats</a> are obviously among the purring group, but others in the subfamily Felinae may surprise you. Many wild cats purr including cheetahs, servals, bobcats, and pumas (aka mountain lions or cougars). While purring cats are generally smaller, they don’t have to be. Pumas, for example, can weigh over 200 pounds!



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-roaring-kitties">Roaring Kitties</h3>



On the other hand, members of the subfamily Pantherinae can’t purr, regardless of how happy they feel or what snuggles they get.&nbsp; This group includes all the classic big cats like jaguars, leopards, lions, and tigers. But while they can’t purr, they have another sonic superpower… roaring!&nbsp;



The difference? It all comes back to the hyoid bone. For purring cats, the hyoid bone is rigid and completely ossified. For big cats, the hyoid is not completely ossified, allowing the <a href="http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/104_2012_web_projects/Jessalyn_Ginnaty/Slide03.htm">vocal tract to elongate</a> and create a roar.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/shutterstock_1824790283.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1900805"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Asmakhan992">Asmakhan992</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-cats-purr">Why Do Cats Purr?</h2>



This question has remained a bit of a mystery, but there are a few dominant theories. While the generally accepted idea is that cats purr to show contentment, that is not always the case. Many kitties also purr right before being fed or on the way to the vet. 



We won’t entirely discount the affection a cat owner may feel while snuggling with your furry friend, but it’s safe to say that cats sometimes also purr when they are hungry and when they are nervous. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-purring-for-health">Purring for Health</h3>



From an evolutionary perspective, there’s a whole different theory. Based on research from Elizabeth von Muggenthaler, a bio-acoustician who studies animal sounds, it seems likely that purring is a form of self-healing. The frequency of cat purring lies between <a href="https://asa.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1121/1.4777098">25 and 150 Hertz</a>. 



Those are the very frequencies that have also been shown to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5243970/#:~:text=Several%20studies%20have%20suggested%20that,11%2C%2014%2D17).">stimulate bone growth</a> and <a href="https://asa.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1121/1.4777098">reduce pain</a>. As they purr, they are essentially doing a health and wellness practice! Since cats spend much of their time being sedentary, incorporating purring into their daily routine keeps them fit and healthy while conserving energy. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-purr-fect-friend">The Purr-fect Friend</h2>



Whether cats purr as a form of communication or as a deeply ingrained way to stay fit, it’s safe to generalize that they do it for comfort. But that comforting sound doesn’t have to be all for them. Studies indicate that cat owners benefit from purring as well. Not only is it simply destressing to pet a purring kitty, being around a purr-box correlates with lower blood pressure and a decreased risk of heart disease in their human counterparts. Maybe that means you should add adopting a kitty to your list of health goals for the year! 



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Okay… How Do Cats Purr?

A cat’s purr comes from the vibrations of the vocal...

Tigers are among the most charismatic creatures that roam our Earth. They are popular school and sports mascots. They are the namesake for fish, types of stones, birds and various insects. No matter how you cut it, tigers are a species of legendary recognition around the world. How is this culturally and naturally important creature doing in the 21st century? Are tigers endangered?  

In short, yes, tigers are endangered. But to answer this more completely, let's first define the term ‘endangered.’

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1875467" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/tiger-shaking-water-off-of-itself.jpg" alt="" width="3826" height="1920" />

&nbsp;
<h2>What Does Being ‘Endangered’ Mean?</h2>
The term ‘Endangered Species’ is a relatively recent term. It was first used in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s. The most simple definition of the term is ‘a species at risk of extinction.’ Various groups can designate a plant or animal as an endangered species. The United States federal government is perhaps the most well-known entity. They use the Endangered Species Act to designate protections. State governments also have the ability to pronounce an endangered species within their state. 

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the most prominent authority for listing species internationally. The <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IUCN Red List</a> is the definitive guide to the conservation status of species globally.

The conservation status of a species is broken into categories. The most common species are of ‘Least Concern.’ These are species like crows and dandelions. ‘Threatened’ species are at risk of extinction, ‘Endangered Species’ are at a high risk of extinction, and ‘Critically Endangered’ species are on the brink of extinction. The IUCN has reviewed nearly 100,000 species, and determined that about 27,000 of these are ‘Threatened’, ‘Endangered’, or ‘Critically Endangered.’ 

&nbsp;
<h2>What Makes a Species at Risk of Extinction?</h2>
There are a few factors that make some species more likely to go extinct than others. We will explore these factors, and then examine how they relate to tigers. 

&nbsp;
<h3>Long Reproductive Cycle</h3>
Species that take a longer time to reproduce and care for their young are more likely to be endangered. Animals like house mice are a classic (and sometimes pesky) example of creatures that have resilient populations. 

Mice can increase their populations rapidly, due to:
<ol>
 	<li>Quick pregnancy of three weeks</li>
 	<li>Large litters of 6-10 pups</li>
 	<li>Short time to sexual maturity, at six weeks from birth</li>
 	<li>Their ability to become pregnant less than a month after giving birth</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;

Tigers, on the other hand, exhibit:
<ol>
 	<li>Slow pregnancy of 100+ days</li>
 	<li>Moderate litter size of three pups</li>
 	<li>Slow to reach sexual maturity, at four years old.</li>
 	<li>Mothers care for young for two years before mating again</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1875461" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/tiger-586031_1280.jpg" alt="Tiger, cub" width="1280" height="924" />

&nbsp;

Compared to mice, tigers are very slow to reproduce. Tigers are inherently more vulnerable to extinction than most animals because of this long reproductive cycle. They simply can’t establish populations quickly, even when given the opportunity. 

&nbsp;
<h3>Large Home Range</h3>
A Home Range is the amount of space a species needs to live its life. Animals that need less space to perform their daily tasks are less likely to go extinct. When an animal needs lots of space, it is more likely that humans will invade its habitat.

A barnacle is an example of an animal that has a tiny home range. These animals can perform all of their functions from one point on a rock. Tigers, on the other hand, have enormous home ranges of 27-115 square miles. For perspective, the island of Manhattan is 22 square miles. This huge home range means that tigers need large tracts of undisturbed land to succeed. Wild lands are turning into farms and urban areas across the globe, especially in Asia. This doesn’t bode well for our tiger friends. 

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1875462" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/tiger-2535888_1280.jpg" alt="Tiger" width="1280" height="853" />

&nbsp;
<h3>Specific Habitat Requirements</h3>
Species that require very specific habitats are much more likely to go extinct than species that can do well in a variety of habitats. The Mission Blue Butterfly is an endangered butterfly around San Francisco. It lives only in the San Francisco Bay Area at elevations around 700 feet on two species of plants. Since the butterfly can’t live anywhere else, it is at a high risk of extinction due to development in its small habitat. When people develop this land, the butterfly has nowhere else to go. 

Fortunately, tigers can live in a broad variety of landscapes. Their historical range was from the frozen tundra of Russia to the steaming island jungles of Southeast Asia, and out to the deserts of the Middle East. Tigers can also adapt to eating different kinds of prey, making them resilient in regards to habitat requirements. 

&nbsp;
<h2>So What Does This All Mean for the Tiger?</h2>
Tigers have long reproductive cycles and require large home ranges. These two traits make them more vulnerable than most creatures. Their ability to live in many kinds of habitats is likely the only reason they are not currently extinct. 

The tiger's habitat has been severely impacted by human deforestation and development in Asia. This loss of habitat makes it difficult for tigers to find home ranges large enough to sustain a population. Poaching tigers for their fur and organs is another huge problem for the species. Due to their long reproductive cycle, it takes years to replace any hunted tiger. 

The global population of wild tigers is about 4000 individuals. This is 7% of the historical population. This small population, combined with large human pressures caused the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15955/50659951" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IUCN to declare the tiger ‘Endangered’ in 1986</a>. So yes, the tiger is ‘Endangered.’ 

&nbsp;
<h2>What Are the Different Subspecies of Tiger? How Are They Doing?</h2>
<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tigers-species/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">There are nine distinct subspecies of tigers</a>. A subspecies is a geographically distinct group that does not breed with other subspecies. Three of the nine tiger subspecies have goon extinct. The Balinese and Javan tigers were subspecies that both lived on relatively small islands. They were more likely to go extinct that other subspecies because their habitat areas were the smallest to begin with. This feature made them more vulnerable to extinction than their mainland counterparts. 

The Caspian tiger is the third extinct subspecies. This central-Asian subspecies went extinct because the Russian army selectively hunted it for decades in the early 20th century. Furthermore, this subspecies hunted in wetlands. These wetlands were converted to crops, leaving few places for the tiger to call home.

&nbsp;

<img class="size-full wp-image-1875464" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Tiger-distribution-1.png" alt="Tiger range" width="508" height="397" />

Here is the conservation status of the six remaining subspecies:

<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15956/5333650" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amur Tiger - Endangered</a>

<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136853/4346984" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indochinese Tiger - Endangered</a>

<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136899/4348945" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bengal Tiger - Endangered</a>

<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136893/50665029" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Malayan Tiger - Critically Endangered</a>

<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15966/5334836" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sumatran Tiger - Critically Endangered </a>

South China Tiger - Functionally Extinct. No individual has been seen since 2007

&nbsp;
<h2>Is There Hope for Tigers?</h2>
A glimmer of hope exists in for the tiger. There have been modest gains in the tiger population over the last few years. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nepals-tigers-double-population/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The global population is at 4,000, which is about 1,000 more than in 2006.</a> This increase is due to massive, international conservation efforts. <a href="http://tigers.panda.org/tx2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The goal of these efforts is to increase the tiger population to 6,000 by 2022</a> (the next Year of the Tiger in China). 

While it seems that the conservation community may fall short of that goal, the tiger population could be on the rise. Let’s hope that we can look back in 50 years and call tiger conservation a success. 

&nbsp;

Are Tigers Endangered? What Does Endangered Even Mean?

Tigers are among the most charismatic creatures that roam our...

Alert,Serval,Cat

Savannah cats are all the rage in the world of cat breeds and pet fads. And perhaps less popularized on Instagram but innumerably more precious to thriving ecosystems are servals. 



Both are incredibly beautiful animals. And the truth of the matter is that while they are distinctly different, they are also related. A serval is a wild animal, native to Africa. On the other hand, a savannah cat is a hybrid of a wild serval and a domestic cat - a cat breed. 



Ever wonder what is the difference between savannah cats and servals?



Both are highly intelligent and have similar colors and patterns, but they are generations removed.&nbsp;



Crosses between a small wild cat and domestic breeds are not novel and are bought and bred as a valuable commodity. In fact, Bengals (a cross between a domestic cat and an Asian leopard cat) rank as The International Cat Association’s (TICA) <a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cat-breeds/bengal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">top breed</a>. 



The opportunity of having a pet that looks like a fierce wild cat but has the temperament of a sweet house kitty is quite alluring to many people's socialized conceptions of the 'exotic" and unique. 



But we have to ask ourselves - what are the distinguishing elements between wild and domestic? What do we really want from the animals in our homes? And how do the stories around these wild and domestic animals reflect our own history?



Here, we’ll look at the key differences and similarities between savannah cats and their wild cousins, starting with servals.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-servals">What are Servals?</h2>



Slender, small, and lanky, servals (serval&nbsp;Leptailurus serval) stand out as feline beauties even though their coats keep them camouflaged on the African savannah and tall grasses. Servals are the ultimate pouncer, powered by their long legs. After a couple of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/serval" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">derivations</a>&nbsp;through Portuguese and French, their name means “the wolf that hunts the stag.”



Servals have the&nbsp;<a href="https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/serval" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biggest ears and longest legs</a>&nbsp;in proportion to their bodies of any species in the cat family (Felidae).



Fun Fact: If our ears were in the same proportions as this African wild cat's ears, they would be as big as a dinner plate!



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-servals-appearance">Servals Appearance</h3>



With a beautiful tawny coat, decorated with black spots and stripes, it comes as no surprise that they became so popular as a tourist attraction and within our collective imaginations. Yellow eyes are emphasized by a dark line streaking from the ears down to the nose, similar to a cheetah. 



Their have long necks and gigantic ears both look charming and help them on the prowl. Long legs and a slender body are another good identifying factor. Finally, they have a beautiful yellow tail with several black rings. This coloration is often compared to "black smoke."



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-body-nbsp-size">Body&nbsp;Size</h4>



A medium-sized cat, servals weigh between&nbsp;<a href="https://wildkratts.fandom.com/wiki/Serval" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">18-40 lbs</a>. Their shoulders stand about<a href="https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/serval" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;two feet high</a>, and they are about<a href="https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/serval" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;three feet long</a>. Additionally, females tend to be smaller and more slender than males. Within the discipline of biology, we call this occurrence sexual dimorphism.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-servals-habitat">Servals Habitat</h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-distribution">Distribution</h4>



Native to the African continent, servals are more commonly found in&nbsp;<a href="https://wildcatconservation.org/wild-cats/africa/serval/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sub-Saharan countries</a>. Except in the Sahara, the rainforest, and southern Africa, these creatures are widely distributed throughout parts of Africa. They are an important member of the vast landscape of the world's second-largest landmass. While you won't find wild servals in the region of South Africa, their habitats do stretch all the way out to east Africa.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-home-on-the-grassy-range">Home on the Grassy Range</h4>



While servals are found in 34 different countries, they have their favorite habitats. These wild cats love the grass - especially the grassed areas of the river and surrounding areas. Think savannas, reed beds, high-altitude moorlands, wetlands, and bamboo thickets. These <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/7-of-the-coolest-savanna-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a> are distinct with long savannah grasses and reeds - all playing a part in the serval survival and life cycle. 



Servals don’t just enjoy the <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/what-are-riparian-ecosystems/">riparian</a> plants… These cats love playing in the water! Additionally, if there are water and prey available, servals have even adapted well to agricultural land - a growing factor as human development spreads across less developed countries on the continent that will surely have marked impacts. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diet">Diet</h3>



All Felidae family members are carnivorous and the serval is no different. Its carnivore&nbsp;<a href="https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/serval" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diet</a>&nbsp;is primarily small rodents, though it will also eat birds, amphibians, reptiles, and other small mammal invertebrates. &nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-servals-behavior">Servals Behavior</h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hunting"> Hunting</h4>



The serval’s distinctly long legs and large ears are key to its hunting strategy. These traits have been passed down from many a serval ancestor. These cats are most active during crepuscular hours (dawn and dusk). They will listen and wait for prey before subsequently going for the dramatic pounce. And dramatic it is! Serval can leap<a href="https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/serval" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> 9 feet</a> into the air to snatch a bird. Long, flexible toes allow them to swiftly hook a frog out from the reeds. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-servals-reproduction">Servals Reproduction</h4>



Quite the solitary animals, these African serval cats will rarely be seen in groups. They will mark their territories with scents and scratches, and they mostly give each other space. Male and female home ranges will overlap, and while they will come together to breed, they soon go their separate ways. 



The female will usually have 2-3 savannah kittens, and she acts as the sole care provider for the young. She’s a good mother too! In fact, female serval hunting success <a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Leptailurus_serval/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">increases</a> while she has cubs, perhaps because she must be on the hunt more often to feed the hungry mouths. Their gestation period is 68-74 days long. Their lifespan average is 11 years in the wild and up to <a href="https://www.catsforafrica.co.za/serval-leptailurus-serval/serval-life-cycle/">22 years in captivity</a>.  



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-note-on-exotic-pets-nbsp">A Note On Exotic Pets&nbsp;</h4>



In most places, it is illegal to keep exotic cats as pets. Reporting and protecting those individual cats living as exotic pets is important - in both ending animal abuse as well as ensuring human and animal safety.&nbsp;



In the beginning days of the coronavirus pandemic, many people of the western world became infatuated with the documentary series "Tiger King" which took a closer look at some particularly entertaining and horrific examples of exactly this sort of industry abuse. 



When learning about the facts of wild cats such as servals, it's important to also weigh the nuances of these sorts of conversations. What's commodification and abuse and what is conservation? When we are all glued to our TV or visiting a local "safari", where do we fall on the scale of learning and/or extracting? 



With awareness and education comes change and accountability - and maybe just this sort of cultural fixation will lead to positive things. A hopeful thing indeed!&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-savannah-cats">What are Savannah Cats?</h2>



Now that we're all on the same page with servals, let's turn our attention to the savannah cat - a less wild descendent and popular animal companion.&nbsp;



In contrast their wild cousins, savannah cats are bred to be pets. While they do have serval blood, domestication has made them very different animals. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/are-cats-domesticated/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Domestication</a> can be a slightly confusing concept for some people working to understand how a domesticated species is different from a domesticated wild animal. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word is defined as "the process of taming an animal and keeping it as a pet or on a farm." 



Domestication of a whole species however is a multi-generational process where humans select for desirable traits over and over again. In doing so, often, some animal species eventually ceases to exist in the wild, or are bred yet again with other wild animals that are close relatives and still untamed. 



There are endless versions, attempts, and variations in our history. It is a process that we humans have undertaken time and time again, changing our fate and societies in monumental ways and carrying the descendants of certain animals along with us as we go.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-savannah-cats-a-history-of-hybrid-house-kitties">Savannah Cats -- A History of Hybrid House Kitties</h3>



Unsurprisingly, humans have long been fascinated with wild cats. They are prominent aspects of our mythology, songs, and pop culture. With that in mind, it comes as no further surprise that there have been many attempts to breed domestic cats (Felis catus) with species of wild cats. 



Besides servals, breeds that humans have attempted crosses with include: caracals, Asian leopard cats, fishing cats, and ocelots. The goal of any cross is to capture the aesthetic of a wild cat with the disposition of a house kitty. 



These attempts have had varying amounts of success. If people do succeed in their attempts, this work of breeding can be an extremely lucrative business endeavor. The price tag on many of these specialty wild-infused cat breeds sell for over 100,000 dollars. 



The savannah cat is one of the success stories. The first hybrid was bred in the <a href="https://tica.org/breeds/browse-all-breeds?view=article&amp;id=870:savannah-breed&amp;catid=79" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1980s</a>. The kitten was named Savannah, giving the breed its identifier. However, it wasn’t until 2001 that the breed was accepted by The International Cat Association (TICA).



Today, this breed of cat is beloved for their distinct features. And they sometimes sell for up and over $50,000. 



That is an undeniably large lump of money - and many people will, rightfully so, balk at a number so large. People sure love their pets, though - and cats are one of the most popular furry companions in the world. 



Even with an average barn cat as a beloved four-legged roommate, most pet owners will spend over $1,000 a year on average in care and food for that animal. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-savannah-cats-generations">Savannah Cats Generations</h4>



It can be quite challenging to breed wild cats with house cats. While more savannah cat breeders are developing respectable practices, the initial cross is rare. More commonly, the relationship to a serval will be more distant. 



These are tracked by filial generations. For example, an F1 savannah cat has a serval cat as a parent, and an F2 savannah cat has a serval as a grandparent. In general, generations F4,5,6 are easier to find. And easier to afford. 



The F1 and F2 generations can be some of the most expensive kittens in the world as the rapper <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70XMW2fxHtQ&amp;list=PLhIBvHsb9MWZD2rK-uoJjGGZNLLuU5GjW&amp;index=5&amp;ab_channel=GQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2 Chainz</a> discovered on his show.



Experts warn that you shouldn’t be suckered in by a “deal”  when trying to acquire a Savannah cat for your own home and daily life. Often, if the cat is much less expensive, there were too many shortcuts taken in the breeding process. A good tip is to make sure the breeder is TICA registered. This can result in long-term health issues for savannah cats. Do your research before investing in your potential kitten!



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-savannah-cats-temperament">Savannah Cats Temperament</h3>



Besides their alluring appearance, one of the reasons for the savannah cat’s popularity is their dog-like character. These kitties form close bonds with their family. They will greet you at the door, play fetch, and even go on leashed walks! They even will <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-recognize-name/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">come</a> when called! 



Notorious for being mischievous and high energy, don’t be surprised if they knock around knickknacks, learn to turn on the faucet, or open doors! And remember serval’s amazing jumping ability? This isn’t lost on the savannah cat. They can jump incredible horizontal and vertical distances. They love cat trees and bookshelves! 



One wonders if in leaping from shelf to shelf, the domesticated cat senses a genetic echo of their reed-bed weaving, savannah traversing ancestors still roaming the landscapes of sub-Saharan Africa.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-related-but-different">Related but Different</h2>



While savannah cats do have serval blood, they are domestic. Servals are wild. This is an important distinction to remember. And it is worth repeating: wild animals have a distinct set of needs that are met through distinct habitats, diets, and behaviors, and are not suited to life in a living room. 



Wildness exists, even within the domestic. This is true of the savannah cat as well as many other examples that surround us all the time - whether you have a cool 50 grand to spend or simply a moment to pause and take in the world around you, you'll see relationships between the two in enchanting ways. 



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Savannah Cats vs. Servals: They're Not the Same!

Savannah cats are all the rage in the world of...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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