Acipenser transmontanus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=d55013d210f7439f8ca981b3b73576f2&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j69i59.492j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) is a species of sturgeon in the family Acipenseridae of the order Acipenseriformes. They are an anadromous fish species ranging in the Eastern Pacific; from the Gulf of Alaska to Monterey, California. However, some are landlocked in the Columbia River Drainage, Montana, and Lake Shasta in California, with reported sightings in northern Baja California, Mexico.Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) &gt; Acipenseriformes (Sturgeons and paddlefishes) &gt; Acipenseridae (Sturgeons) &gt; Acipenserinae Etymology: : Latin, = sturgeon, 1853 (Ref. 45335); transmontanus: The specific name is derived from the Latin acipenser (sturgeon), trans (beyond), and montanus (mountain) (Ref. 27436).More on author: Richardson.

Acipenser transmontanus

Acipenser transmontanus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation...

Camelus bactrianus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and<a href="https://www.earth.com/image/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-canada/"> Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video. The Bactrian camel, also known as the Mongolian camel or domestic Bactrian camel, is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of Central Asia. It has two humps on its back, in contrast to the single-humped dromedary camel. Its population of two million exists mainly in the domesticated form. Their name comes from the ancient historical region of Bactria.

The Bactrian camel shares the <a class="mw-redirect" title="Genus (biology)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genus_(biology)">genus</a> <a class="mw-redirect" title="Camelus" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelus">Camelus</a> with the <a title="Dromedary" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dromedary">dromedary</a> (C. dromedarius) and the <a title="Wild Bactrian camel" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Bactrian_camel">wild Bactrian camel</a> (C. ferus). The Bactrian camel belongs to the family <a title="Camelidae" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelidae">Camelidae</a>. The <a title="Ancient Greece" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greece">ancient Greek</a> philosopher <a title="Aristotle" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle">Aristotle</a> was the first to <a title="Species description" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_description">describe</a> the species of Camelus: in his 4th-century-BC <a title="History of Animals" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Animals">History of Animals</a> he identified the one-humped Arabian camel and the two-humped Bactrian camel. The Bactrian camel was given its current binomial name Camelus bactrianus by Swedish zoologist <a title="Carl Linnaeus" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus">Carl Linnaeus</a> in his 1758 publication <a title="10th edition of Systema Naturae" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_edition_of_Systema_Naturae">Systema Naturae</a>.

In 2007, Peng Cui (of the <a title="Chinese Academy of Sciences" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Academy_of_Sciences">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>) and colleagues carried out a <a class="mw-redirect" title="Phylogenetic" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylogenetic">phylogenetic</a> study of the evolutionary relationships between the two <a title="Tribe (biology)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribe_(biology)">tribes</a> of Camelidae: <a title="Camelini" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelini">Camelini</a>—consisting of the three Camelus species (the study considered the wild Bactrian camel as a <a title="Subspecies" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subspecies">subspecies</a> of the Bactrian camel)—and <a title="Lamini" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamini">Lamini</a>—consisting of the <a title="Alpaca" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca">alpaca</a> (Vicugna pacos), the <a title="Guanaco" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanaco">guanaco</a> (Lama guanicoe), the <a title="Llama" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llama">llama</a> (L. glama) and the <a title="Vicuña" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicu%C3%B1a">vicuña</a> (V. vicugna). The study revealed that the two tribes had <a title="Genetic divergence" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_divergence">diverged</a> 25 million years ago (early <a title="Miocene" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miocene">Miocene</a>), notably earlier than what had been previously estimated from North American fossils. <a title="Speciation" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speciation">Speciation</a> began first in Lamini as the alpaca came into existence 10 million years ago. Nearly two million years later, the Bactrian camel and the dromedary emerged as two independent species. However, the fossil record suggests a far more recent divergence between the Bactrian camel and the dromedary because despite a moderately rich fossil record of camelids, no fossil that fits within this divergence is older than middle Pleistocene (about 0.8 Ma)

Camelus bactrianus

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Campeloma decampi NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports --Campeloma decampi ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=f9204481b33d487d9bc8c7231a1c964c&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i57j69i60l3j0l2.794j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.Slender Campeloma Campeloma decampi. Rare. Endemic to small region of Tennessee River drainage in north-central Alabama. Extant in Limestone, Piney, and Round Island Creeks, Limestone County.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

The slender campeloma, scientific name Campeloma decampi, is a species of freshwater snail with an <a title="Operculum (gastropod)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operculum_(gastropod)">operculum</a>, an aquatic <a class="mw-redirect" title="Gastropod" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastropod">gastropod</a> <a class="mw-redirect" title="Mollusk" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mollusk">moll</a>u<a class="mw-redirect" title="Mollusk" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mollusk">sk</a> in the family <a title="Viviparidae" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viviparidae">Viviparidae</a>.Members of the order Architaenioglossa are mostly gonochoric and broadcast spawners. Life cycle: Embryos develop into planktonic trocophore larvae and later into juvenile veligers before becoming larger.

This species is <a title="Endemism" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endemism">endemic</a> to <a title="Alabama" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama">Alabama</a> in the <a title="United States" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States">United States</a>, where it is known only from <a title="Limestone County, Alabama" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limestone_County,_Alabama">Limestone County</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender_campeloma#cite_note-hag-2">[2]</a>

This snail is a federally listed <a title="Endangered species" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species">endangered species</a> of the United States.

Campeloma decampi

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Campephilus imperialis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Campephilus imperialis ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=f9204481b33d487d9bc8c7231a1c964c&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i57j69i60l3j0l2.794j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The imperial woodpecker is a woodpecker species endemic to Mexico. If it is not extinct, it is the world's largest woodpecker species, at 56–60 cm long. Researchers have discovered that the imperial woodpecker has slow climbing strides and a fast wing-flap rate compared with other woodpeckers. Owing to its close taxonomic relationship, and its similarity in appearance, to the ivory-billed woodpecker, it is sometimes called the Mexican ivory-billed woodpecker, but this name is also used for the extant pale-billed woodpecker. The large and conspicuous bird has long been known to the native inhabitants of Mexico and was called cuauhtotomomi in Nahuatl, uagam by the Tepehuán, and cumecócari by the Tarahumara.

Campephilus imperialis

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Campephilus principalis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) is a <a title="Woodpecker" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodpecker">woodpecker</a> native to the <a title="Bottomland hardwood forest" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottomland_hardwood_forest">bottomland hardwood forests</a> and <a title="Temperate coniferous forest" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_coniferous_forest">temperate coniferous forests</a> of the <a title="Southeastern United States" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeastern_United_States">Southeastern United States</a> and <a title="Cuba" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba">Cuba</a>. <a title="Habitat destruction" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_destruction">Habitat destruction</a> and hunting have reduced populations so thoroughly that the species is listed as <a class="mw-redirect" title="Critically endangered" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critically_endangered">critically endangered</a> by the <a title="International Union for Conservation of Nature" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Union_for_Conservation_of_Nature">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory-billed_woodpecker#cite_note-IUCN-1">[1]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory-billed_woodpecker#cite_note-2">[2]</a> and as "definitely or probably extinct" by the <a title="American Birding Association" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Birding_Association">American Birding Association</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory-billed_woodpecker#cite_note-3">[3]</a> The last universally accepted sighting of an American ivory-billed woodpecker occurred in <a title="Louisiana" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana">Louisiana</a> in 1944, and the last universally accepted sighting of a Cuban ivory-billed woodpecker occurred in 1987. Sporadic reports of sightings and other evidence of the birds' persistence have continued since then. In the 21st century, reported sightings and analyses of audio and visual recordings have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals as evidence that the species persists in <a title="Arkansas" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas">Arkansas</a>, Louisiana, and <a title="Florida" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida">Florida</a>. Various land purchases and <a title="Habitat" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat">habitat</a> restoration efforts have been initiated in areas where sightings and other evidence have suggested a relatively high probability the species exists, to protect any surviving individuals.

Campephilus principalis

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Canis lupus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Canis lupus ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=f9204481b33d487d9bc8c7231a1c964c&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i57j69i60l3j0l2.794j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> North America</a> and the world.fter being listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1976, the United States and Mexico collaborated to capture all lobos remaining in the wild. This extreme measure prevented the lobos.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video. The Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), also known as the lobo, is a subspecies of gray wolf native to southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and northern Mexico; it also previously ranged into western Texas. It is the smallest of North America's gray wolves, and is similar to C. l. nubilus, though it is distinguished by its smaller, narrower skull and its darker pelt, which is yellowish-gray and heavily clouded with black over the back and tail. Its ancestors were likely the first gray wolves to enter North America after the extinction of the Beringian wolf, as indicated by its southern range and basal physical and genetic characteristics. Though once held in high regard in Pre-Columbian Mexico, it is the most endangered gray wolf in North America,

Canis lupus

Canis lupus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Canis lupus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Canis lupus ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=e3f8a51192a847bebf502b9fedc6ec3e&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0l2.444j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world. Also used to produce fertile hybrids with them. The banded fur of a wolf is usually mottled white, brown, gray, and black, although subspecies in the arctic region may be nearly all white

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The wolf (Canis lupus ), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus have been recognized, and gray wolves, as colloquially understood, comprise non-domestic/feral subspecies. The wolf is the largest extant member of Canidae, males averaging 40 kg (88 lb) and females 37 kg (82 lb). Wolves measure 105–160 cm (41–63 in) in length and 80–85 cm (31–33 in) at shoulder height. The wolf is also distinguished from other Canis species by its less pointed ears and muzzle, as well as a shorter torso and a longer tail.

Canis lupus baileyi NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-canada/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Canis lupus baileyi ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=f9204481b33d487d9bc8c7231a1c964c&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i57j69i60l3j0l2.794j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), also known as the lobo, is a subspecies of gray wolf native to southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and northern Mexico; it also previously ranged into western Texas. It is the smallest of North America's gray wolves, and is similar to C. l. nubilus, though it is distinguished by its smaller, narrower skull and its darker pelt, which is yellowish-gray and heavily clouded with black over the back and tail. Its ancestors were likely the first gray wolves to enter North America after the extinction of the Beringian wolf, as indicated by its southern range and basal physical and genetic characteristics. Though once held in high regard in Pre-Columbian Mexico, it is the most endangered gray wolf in North America,

Canis lupus baileyi

Canis lupus baileyi NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer...

Canis rufus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Canis rufus ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.The red wolf is a canine native to the southeastern United States which has a reddish-tawny color to its fur. Morphologically it is intermediate between the coyote and gray wolf, and is very closely related to the eastern wolf of eastern Canada.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The red wolf's proper taxonomic classification (in essence, whether it is <a title="Coywolf" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coywolf">an admixture of wolf and coyote</a>, a subspecies of the gray wolf, or a third, distinct species) has been contentious for well over a century, and is still under debate. Because of this, it is sometimes excluded from endangered species lists, despite its critically low numbers.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_wolf#cite_note-paradiso1972-9">[9]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_wolf#cite_note-woodward1980-10">[10]</a> Under the <a title="Endangered Species Act of 1973" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act_of_1973">Endangered Species Act of 1973</a>, the <a class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Fish_and_Wildlife_Service">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> currently recognizes the red wolf as an <a title="Endangered species" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species">endangered species</a> and grants protected status.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_wolf#cite_note-Red_wolf_Canis_rufus-11">[11]</a> Canis rufus is not listed in the <a title="CITES" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CITES#Appendices">CITES Appendices</a> of endangered species.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_wolf#cite_note-IUCN-2">[2]</a> Since 1996 the <a class="mw-redirect" title="IUCN" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUCN">IUCN</a> has listed it as a <a title="Vulnerable species" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulnerable_species">critically endangered species</a>

Canis rufus

Canis rufus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Canis rufus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Canis rufus ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

The red wolf (Canis lupus rufus is a <a title="Canis" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canis">canine</a> native to the <a title="Southeastern United States" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeastern_United_States">southeastern United States</a> which has a reddish-tawny color to its fur. <a title="Morphology (biology)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphology_(biology)">Morphologically</a> it is intermediate between the <a title="Coyote" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote">coyote</a> (Canis latrans) and <a class="mw-redirect" title="Gray wolf" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_wolf">gray wolf</a> (Canis lupus), and is very closely related to the <a title="Eastern wolf" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_wolf">eastern wolf</a> (Canis lupus lycaon) of eastern Canada.

The red wolf's proper taxonomic classification (in essence, whether it is <a title="Coywolf" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coywolf">an admixture of wolf and coyote</a>, a subspecies of the gray wolf, or a third, distinct species) has been contentious for well over a century, and is still under debate. Because of this, it is sometimes excluded from endangered species lists, despite its critically low numbers. Under the <a title="Endangered Species Act of 1973" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act_of_1973">Endangered Species Act of 1973</a>, the <a class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Fish_and_Wildlife_Service">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> currently recognizes the red wolf as an <a title="Endangered species" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species">endangered species</a> and grants protected status. Canis rufus is not listed in the <a title="CITES" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CITES#Appendices">CITES Appendices</a> of endangered species. Since 1996 the <a class="mw-redirect" title="IUCN" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUCN">IUCN</a> has listed it as a <a title="Vulnerable species" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulnerable_species">critically endangered species</a>.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Canis simensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changing-ocean-soundscapes-impact-animals-worldwide/">animals</a> too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports --Canis simensis ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=e3f8a51192a847bebf502b9fedc6ec3e&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0l2.444j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.Due to the physical appearance of the Ethiopian Wolf it is often mistaken for either a fox or a jackal. They are a medium sized wolf with very long legs and a muzzle that is more pointed and elongated than other species. They can have a variety of colors including reds, browns, and some white. The color often gets darker with age.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video. The Ethiopian wolf, also known as the Simien jackal or Simien fox, is a canine native to the Ethiopian Highlands. It is similar to the coyote in size and build, and is distinguished by its long and narrow skull, and its red and white fur. Unlike most large canids, which are widespread, generalist feeders, the Ethiopian wolf is a highly specialised feeder of Afroalpine rodents with very specific habitat requirements. It is one of the world's rarest canids, and Africa's most endangered carnivore.

Canis simensis

Canis simensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Capra falconeri (=aegragrus) chiltanensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and<a href="https://www.earth.com/image/mistastin-lake-in-labrador-canada/"> Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=551b74f12d8744cdb3994f63b4a4d5c4&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i57j0l2j69i60l3.1074j0j1&amp;pglt=43&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world. North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Capra falconeri (=aegragrus) chiltanensis

Capra falconeri (=aegragrus) chiltanensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe...

Capra falconeri megaceros NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-canada/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=e3f8a51192a847bebf502b9fedc6ec3e&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0l2.444j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world. The Sulieman or straight-horned markhor(Capra falconeri jedrdoni) is a near-threatened goat-antelope endemic to Pakistan.Formerly from the vicinity of Kabul, Afghanistan, eastward to the Indus River south of Saidu, Pakistan, and southward in Pakistan to the Gumal River.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video. The Markhor (Capra falconeri) is the largest of the goat family and is found in the rugged mountains of central Asia, from Southern Russia to the sparse woodland of the West Himalayas. The Kabul markhor or straight-horned markhor(Capra falconeri megaceros) is an endangered goat-antelope native to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Capra falconeri megaceros

Capra falconeri megaceros NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer...

Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-populations-dropped/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=e3f8a51192a847bebf502b9fedc6ec3e&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0l2.444j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video. The Iberian ibex, also known as the Spanish ibex, Spanish wild goat, or Iberian wild goat, is a species of ibex endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. Four subspecies have been described; two are now extinct. The Portuguese subspecies became extinct in 1892, and the Pyrenean subspecies became extinct in 2000. An ongoing project to clone to the Pyrenean subspecies resulted in one clone being born alive in July 2003. This is the first taxon to become "un-extinct", although the clone died a few minutes after birth due to physical defects in lungs.

Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica

Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer...

Capra walie NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-canada/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Capra walie ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=80be9f0fef91455d8b1f8b1725e10fba&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i57j69i60l3j0l2.781j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video. The walia ibex is an endangered species of ibex. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Alpine ibex. Threats against the species include habitat loss, poaching, and restricted range; only about 500 individuals survived in the mountains of Ethiopia, concentrated in the Semien Mountains, largely due to past poaching and habitat depletion. If the population were to increase, the surrounding mountain habitat would be sufficient to sustain only 2,000 ibex. The adult walia ibex's only known wild predator is the hyena. However, young ibex are often hunted by a variety of fox and cat species. The ibex are members of the goat family, and the walia ibex is the southernmost of today's ibexes. In the late 1990s, the walia ibex went from endangered to critically endangered due to the declining population. The walia ibex is also known as the Abyssinian ibex.

Capra walie

Capra walie NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Caprimulgus noctitherus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and<a href="https://www.earth.com/image/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-canada/"> Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Caprimulgus noctitherus ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world. Puerto Rican nightjars, whose song is composed of rapid "whip" notes, are small birds about 22–23 cm in length, weighing 39-41 g. Similar to the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=Antillean%20nighthawk%20wikipedia&amp;form=WIKIRE">Antillean nighthawk</a><span title=", the species has a mottled, black, brown and gray colored plumage which serves as camouflage while the bird is perched on the ground. Males have a black throat with a white thin horizontal line. There are white spots on the lower part of the tail which are visible in flight. Females are of a buff rather than white coloration. Puerto Rican nightjars have large, dark black eyes, a short gray bill, and gray ">, the species has a mottled, black, brown and gray colored plumage which serves as camouflage while the bird is perched on the ground. Males have a black throat with a white thin horizontal line. 

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The Puerto Rican nightjar or Puerto Rican Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus noctitherus) is a bird in the <a title="Nightjar" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightjar">nightjar</a> family found in the <a class="mw-redirect" title="Puerto Rican dry forest" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican_dry_forest">coastal dry scrub forests</a> in localized areas of southwestern <a title="Puerto Rico" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico">Puerto Rico</a>. It was described in 1916 from bones found in a cave in north central Puerto Rico and a single skin specimen from 1888, and was considered <a title="Extinction" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction">extinct</a> until observed in the wild in 1961. The current population is estimated as 1,400-2,000 mature birds. The species is currently classified as <a title="Endangered species" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species">Endangered</a> due to pressures from habitat loss.

Caprimulgus noctitherus

Caprimulgus noctitherus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Caprolagus hispidus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-canada/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Caprolagus hispidus ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=e3f8a51192a847bebf502b9fedc6ec3e&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0l2.444j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video. The hispid hare, also called Assam rabbit and bristly rabbit, is a leporid native to South Asia, whose historic range extended along the southern foothills of the Himalayas. Today, its habitat is highly fragmented with an area of occupancy estimated at less than 500 km² extending over an area of 5,000 to 20,000 km². Populations experienced a continuing decline in suitable habitat due to increasing agriculture, flood control, and human development. It is therefore listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1986.

Caprolagus hispidus

Caprolagus hispidus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Capromys angelcabrerai NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-canada/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Capromys angelcabrerai ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=80be9f0fef91455d8b1f8b1725e10fba&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i57j69i60l3j0l2.781j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.the coast near Jucaró, but no confirmed specimens are known. This species and M. nanus are the two smallest hutias in Cuba.species of concern belonging in the species group "mammals" and found in the following area(s): Cuba.This species is also known

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Cabrera's hutia (Mesocapromys angelcabrerai) is a species of <a title="Rodent" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodent">rodent</a> in the family <a class="mw-redirect" title="Capromyidae" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capromyidae">Capromyidae</a>. It is <a class="mw-redirect" title="Endemic" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endemic">endemic</a> to <a title="Cuba" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba">Cuba</a>. Its natural <a title="Habitat" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat">habitats</a> are subtropical or tropical mangrove <a title="Forest" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest">forests</a> and <a title="Swamp" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp">swamps</a>. It is threatened by <a class="mw-redirect" title="Habitat loss" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_loss">habitat loss</a>.

Its species name is in honour of Spanish zoologist <a title="Ángel Cabrera (naturalist)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81ngel_Cabrera_(naturalist)">Ángel Cabrera</a>.

Capromys angelcabrerai

Capromys angelcabrerai NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Capromys auritus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-canada/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Capromys auritus ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=80be9f0fef91455d8b1f8b1725e10fba&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i57j69i60l3j0l2.781j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.Facts Summary: The Large-eared Hutia (Capromys auritus) is a species of concern belonging in the species group "mammals" and found in the following area(s): Cuba.This species is also known

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video. The eared hutia or large-eared hutia is a species of rodent in the family Capromyidae. It is endemic to the island of Cayo Fragoso off the northern coast of Cuba. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical mangrove forests and swamps. This species is threatened by habitat loss, with IUCN Red List Endangered species status.U.S. ESA – Endangered as Capromys auritus; IUCN – Critically Endangered. Comments: This form is known only from mangrove habitats along the edge of canals passing across Cayo Fragoso.

Capromys auritus

Capromys auritus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Age matters in forests. A new study tracks how the world’s trees shifted in age from 2010 to 2020 and what that means for the carbon they hold.



Forests help pull carbon dioxide from the air every year, but that help depends on how many stands are young, middle-aged, or old. A global carbon assessment found land ecosystems absorbed roughly 3.5 petagrams of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-in-the-tropics-cool-earth-more-than-anywhere-else/">carbon</a> per year in the 2010s, with wide swings from place to place.



The research was led by Simon Besnard at the <a href="https://www.gfz.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GFZ</a> Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, Germany.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-trees-hold-more-carbon">Old trees hold more carbon</h2>



Young <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-are-lagging-centuries-behind-in-climate-adaptation/">trees</a> grow fast, yet older stands hold far more carbon per acre. In the new analysis, old forests above 200 years averaged about 98 megagrams of carbon per hectare, while stands under 20 years held about 43.5.



Old stands are not carbon idle, either. Decades of research show many old growth forests keep accumulating carbon - just at steadier rates - and they store large amounts in wood and soils.



Stock and flow differ. A young stand can add carbon quickly year by year, but a large, old stand already holds a deep reservoir that took centuries to build.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-the-age-of-forests">Measuring the age of forests</h2>



The team used a high-resolution forest age map and paired it with satellite-based estimates of aboveground biomass to estimate aboveground carbon. They relied on the European Space Agency’s Biomass CCI v4 dataset for 2010 through 2020.



The researchers also tracked stand replacement - cases where fire or harvest removed most trees and a new cohort took over. Satellite maps of forest loss and regrowth were combined with machine-learning age estimates to pinpoint when and where these events occurred.



To link age-related forest changes with the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-weaker-ocean-will-release-more-carbon-into-the-atmosphere/">atmosphere</a>, the team compared shifts in forest dynamics with atmospheric inversion estimates of net ecosystem exchange. 



This method uses measured CO₂ concentrations to infer how much carbon regional landscapes absorb or release, providing a way to connect local changes with broader carbon flux patterns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-trees-are-maturing">Where trees are maturing</h2>



Several regions added older forests over the decade. Europe, China, and parts of North America showed net aging, which reflects long-running reforestation and managed regrowth.



Large areas moved the other way. The Amazon, the Congo Basin, Southeast Asia, and parts of Siberia saw more young stands as disturbances replaced older cohorts.



Patterns were patchy inside countries and biomes. Some grids showed strong aging while neighbors trended younger, a sign that local fire history and logging shaped the mosaic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-younger-forests-less-carbon">Younger forests, less carbon</h2>



“We estimate a net global loss of 140 million metric tons of carbon each year from aboveground biomass,” said Besnard. The shift from older to younger stands reduced the carbon stored above ground at a planetary scale.&nbsp;



When old forests were replaced by young ones, those areas accounted for roughly 0.10 to 0.16 petagrams of the annual global loss in aboveground carbon. That was a small slice of forest area, but a large share of the stock change.



The sink can still look stronger for a few years after a big replacement event. Young stands often pull in carbon quickly, yet they start from a smaller store and do not rebuild centuries of stock on policy relevant timelines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-trees-are-irreplaceable">Old trees are irreplaceable</h2>



Secondary forests can accumulate biomass at impressive rates. A large synthesis paper in 2016 found tropical secondary forests recover a big fraction of their biomass within decades, though exact speeds vary by climate and land-use history.



High growth does not equal high storage right away. Many services linked to older, complex canopies, including deep carbon pools, take far longer to return.



Fast growing plantations can help with uptake, but uniform stands usually store less carbon and support less <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-biodiversity-crisis-is-actually-worse-than-we-thought/">biodiversity</a> than naturally regenerating, diverse forests. That tradeoff matters when the goal is both climate mitigation and durable ecosystem function.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-forest-ages-worldwide">Shifting forest ages worldwide</h2>



The study’s age maps indicate a clear global pattern. In the tropics, stand replacement shifted age classes toward younger forests, while large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warming-climate-triggers-major-changes-in-the-temperate-rainforest/">temperate zones</a> nudged toward maturity.



In boreal regions, vast stretches kept their older structure, yet fire hotspots created younger pockets. Those pockets may grow fast, but they also highlight vulnerability to repeated burns.



Mature forests, between 81 and 200 years old, expanded in area over the decade. This expansion points to regrowth catching up in places where disturbance slowed or management favored retention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-age-alters-carbon-balance">Age alters carbon balance</h2>



Net ecosystem exchange can strengthen in regions where old stands were recently replaced by young ones. 



The analysis reported that for every one-percent annual increase in old to young replacement, the carbon sink trend deepened by about 34 grams of carbon per square meter per year.



That correlation does not mean replacement is a climate strategy. The apparent boost leans on legacies old stands leave behind, like fertile soils, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/buried-seeds-in-soil-help-forests-recover-faster-after-damage/">seed banks</a>, and structural remnants.



As inversion tools improve, we will get cleaner signals that separate mixed-age patches. For now, the link between age transitions and regional flux changes is strong enough to inform policy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-forests-preventing-carbon-loss">Protecting forests, preventing carbon loss</h2>



The researchers tested two simple futures out to 2050. Under business as usual, total aboveground carbon stayed roughly flat due to ongoing turnover, with losses in some regions balanced by gains in others.



Under a conservation scenario that halts stand replacement after 2030, total aboveground carbon rose by roughly 0.55 to 0.63 petagrams per year relative to 2020 levels. That gain came mostly from forests aging into mature and maturing classes.



“Forests are among our most important natural climate regulators," said Besnard. "Protecting old forests is essential to prevent further carbon losses, while careful management of younger forests can help maximize carbon uptake."



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-025-02821-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.



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Old-growth forests remain Earth’s strongest carbon vaults

Age matters in forests. A new study tracks how the...

For a long time, the story of evolution has centered on chance - mutations arrive without a plan, and natural selection keeps the winners. That view isn’t wrong, but it’s incomplete.



A recent study shows that parts of evolution look orderly. Not every genetic outcome is a coin toss. Some genes tend to show up together while others stay separate. 



Those tendencies add structure to how genomes change over time, making evolution predictable to a certain extent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deciphering-the-pangenome">Deciphering the pangenome</h2>



Bacterial species carry two kinds of genes: a core set shared by all members and an accessory set that changes from strain to strain. The full collection is called a pangenome.



Accessory genes matter because bacteria can exchange them through horizontal gene transfer. That process spreads useful traits quickly, including resistance to antibiotics, new ways to use nutrients, and tools to handle stress.



The study was led by Professor James McInerney and Dr. Alan Beavan from the School of Life Sciences at the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/life-sciences/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Nottingham</a>, and Dr. Maria Rosa Domingo-Sananes from <a href="https://www.ntu.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nottingham Trent University</a>.



"The implications of this research are nothing short of revolutionary," enthused Professor McInerney, the lead author of the study. 



"By demonstrating that evolution is not as random as we once thought, we've opened the door to an array of possibilities in synthetic biology, medicine, and environmental science."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-ai-to-make-gene-predictions">Using AI to make gene predictions</h2>



The researchers compiled thousands of E. coli genomes and recorded which accessory genes each strain carries. They turned this into a large presence-absence matrix, with rows for strains and columns for genes.



They trained a machine-learning method called a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/random-forest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">random forest</a> to predict whether a gene is present based on the rest of a genome’s accessory gene profile. They trained and tested the model many times to guard against chance splits.



The model succeeded for a substantial portion of the accessory genome. It could reliably predict the presence or absence of many genes based on the broader gene pattern. 



Some genes tend to co-occur, likely because they work on connected steps of the same task. Others seldom appear together, often because they overlap in function or interfere with one another.



"We found that some gene families never turned up in a genome when a particular other gene family was already there, and on other occasions, some genes were very much dependent on a different gene family being present," explained Dr. Domingo-Sananes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gene-interactions-and-evolution">Gene interactions and evolution</h2>



The study does not claim that every gene is predictable. Many accessory genes still look erratic, either because local history matters or because there isn’t yet enough data to capture their rules. 



A correct forecast does not imply fate. It points to structure - constraints and tendencies - inside which change still happens.



The patterns held across different parts of the species’ family tree, supporting the idea that selection and gene-gene interactions - not just shared ancestry - shape these outcomes. 



"These interactions between genes make aspects of evolution somewhat predictable, and furthermore, we now have a tool that allows us to make those predictions," added Dr. Domingo-Sananes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-genes-and-healthcare">Evolution, genes, and healthcare</h2>



Public health teams track antibiotic resistance genes to stay ahead of infections. If certain accessory genes tend to accompany a resistance gene, tests can scan for that supporting set. 



That approach can flag trouble earlier, because partner genes may appear before the main gene becomes common.



In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/applied-microbiology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">applied microbiology</a>, teams build strains that make medicines, recycle waste, or capture pollutants. Knowing which gene combinations tend to work well together - and which combinations tend to clash - saves time and money. 



"From this work, we can begin to explore which genes 'support' an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-fueling-antibiotic-resistance-in-our-soils/">antibiotic resistance</a> gene, for example. If we are trying to eliminate antibiotic resistance, we can target not just the focal gene but also its supporting genes," Dr. Beaven concluded.



"This approach can help synthesize new genetic constructs that may lead to new drugs or vaccines. Knowing what we now know has opened the door to many other discoveries."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-read-results">How to read results</h2>



Across many genomes, some genes keep showing up together. That’s co-occurrence, and it usually means the genes work on the same job.



Other pairs almost never share a genome. That’s mutual exclusion. They likely clash or do duplicate work. These patterns leave a fingerprint across the whole pangenome, and a computer model can learn that fingerprint.



Methods matter. Scientists group related genes into families and adjust for how closely strains are related.



They also test distant branches of the E. coli family tree. When the patterns still hold, it points to selection and real gene interactions - not just inheritance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-evolution-and-future-studies">Genes, evolution, and future studies</h2>



Practical tools can build on this framework. Diagnostic panels can add partner genes that often travel with targets of concern. 



Surveillance can watch for early warning signs in hospital isolates and wastewater. Engineering teams can map friendly and unfriendly gene pairings before they build strains.



The broader takeaway remains consistent. In bacteria, a significant slice of the accessory genome behaves in patterned ways. 



Those patterns reflect how genes interact and how selection keeps useful partnerships while avoiding costly overlaps. Evolution still surprises, but it also leaves tracks that careful analysis can read.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2304934120" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Study shows evolution isn't random and can be predicted: 'nothing short of revolutionary'

For a long time, the story of evolution has centered...

A two year carcinogenicity study in rats reports increased benign and malignant tumor rates after continuous exposure to glyphosate or glyphosate-based herbicides



The exposure levels studied in this research are considered low or acceptable, including 0.5, 5, and 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day, with exposure beginning before birth and continuing through two years.



Glyphosate is the most widely used <a href="https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/research/topics/glyphosate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">herbicide</a> worldwide, spread across farms, parks, and roadsides.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-herbicides-the-basics">Understanding herbicides - the basics</h2>



Glyphosate is the main ingredient in many popular herbicides, including the well-known product <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundup_(herbicide)">Roundup</a>. Farmers, gardeners, and even city maintenance crews use it to kill unwanted plants, especially weeds that compete with crops. 



Glyphosate works by blocking a specific enzyme that plants need to grow, which means the plant eventually withers and dies. 



Since animals and humans don’t have this enzyme, glyphosate was originally considered relatively safe for people. That’s one reason it became so widely used across agriculture and landscaping over the last few decades.



Some weeds have developed resistance, meaning they no longer die when sprayed, which forces farmers to use more herbicide or stronger mixes. 



Researchers have also debated whether glyphosate might <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-soil-day-2024-protecting-our-planets-lifeline/">harm soil health</a>, reduce biodiversity, or pose long-term risks to people, though studies don’t all agree.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-the-dangers-of-glyphosate">Studying the dangers of glyphosate</h2>



The study was led by the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center at the Ramazzini Institute (<a href="https://www.istitutoramazzini.it/about/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CMCRC</a>) in Italy, a research center with more than fifty years of experience studying the health effects of chemicals. 



The institute coordinated the project and collaborated with universities and public health organizations in Europe and the United States.



The design started exposure in pregnancy and continued through 104 weeks in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/sprague-dawley-rat" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sprague-Dawley</a> rats. That approach captures sensitive windows of development that adult only studies can miss.



Animals received either pure glyphosate or two commercial <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36274693/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">formulations</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/herbicides-are-disrupting-plant-insect-interactions/">Roundup BioFlow</a> in the European Union and RangerPro in the United States, via drinking water at 0.5, 5, or 50 milligrams per kilogram per day. 



These doses align with the acceptable daily intake and the no observed adverse effect level used by European regulators.



The researchers examined dozens of organs using standardized pathology and peer review. Survival, body weight, and feed and water intake looked similar to controls, so tumor differences were not explained by general sickness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glyphosate-and-leukemia">Glyphosate and leukemia</h2>



Leukemia stood out, with a significant dose-related trend and no cases in concurrent controls.



The study reported organ specific increases spanning skin, liver, thyroid, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-black-widow-venom-attacks-the-nervous-system/">nervous system</a>, ovaries, male mammary gland, adrenal glands, kidneys, urinary bladder, bone, and endocrine pancreas.



“Early life onset and mortality were observed for multiple tumors,” wrote Panzacchi and colleagues. 



About 40 percent of leukemia deaths in treated animals occurred before 52 weeks of age, a strikingly early onset for this strain in long term bioassays. 



Patterns differed by product, suggesting that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/herbicide-exposure-linked-to-brain-inflammation-and-cognitive-decline/">co-formulants</a> may change toxicity compared with glyphosate alone. 



That point is consistent with broader evidence showing that formulated mixtures can act differently than the nominal active ingredient.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-vs-animal-studies">Human vs. animal studies</h2>



In 2015 the International Research on Cancer (<a href="https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MonographVolume112-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IARC</a>) concluded there is “sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals” for glyphosate. 



The Working Group reviewed animal, human, and mechanistic data, citing signals that include genotoxicity and oxidative stress.



In the U.S. Agricultural Health <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article/110/5/509/4590280" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Study</a>, the highest exposure group showed an elevated, though imprecise, risk of acute myeloid leukemia among pesticide applicators, even as most site specific associations were null. 



That pattern keeps attention on blood cancers while acknowledging the limits of exposure reconstruction in large cohorts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-regulators-stand">Where regulators stand</h2>



Europe’s food safety authority issued a 2023 peer review supporting renewal of glyphosate while noting data gaps in areas such as risks to some aquatic organisms and full disclosure of formulation ingredients. 



Regulatory opinions can diverge because agencies weigh animal, human, and mechanistic evidence differently.



In 2022 the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/epa-withdraws-glyphosate-interim-decision" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EPA</a>) withdrew its interim decision after a federal appeals court vacated the human health portion and ordered the agency to redo parts of its analysis. 



That reset left open questions about hazard classification and risk assumptions that future updates will need to address.



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



The prenatal start to exposure in this work matters, because early development can be more vulnerable than adulthood. 



Separate research in a California birth cohort links higher childhood biomarkers of glyphosate exposure to increased odds of elevated liver enzymes and metabolic syndrome by late adolescence.



A practical question now is how low dose, long duration exposures interact with formulation ingredients across different organs. 



The answer will influence how acceptable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/corn-found-to-have-genetic-vulnerability-to-common-tolpyralate-herbicide/">daily intake values</a> are interpreted against animal bioassay signals and how risk managers handle glyphosate versus formulated products in food and non food uses.



The study is published in <a href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-025-01187-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Health</a>.



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Most widely used herbicide in the world is now linked to leukemia and tumors

A two year carcinogenicity study in rats reports increased benign...

For decades, young quaking aspen struggled to grow beyond waist high in Yellowstone. Elk snipped off tender shoots year after year, and the forest’s understory stayed bare.



That pattern is finally changing as a new wave of young trees pushes upward toward the canopy. The shift is not subtle either, and it carries lessons about predators, plants, and how ecosystems reset after long pressure.



Wolves came back to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/upload/2023-Wolf-Report-final_web.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yellowstone</a> in 1995 and, over time, elk behavior and distribution shifted, with winter counts showing most elk north of the park boundary and fewer inside where aspen stands are concentrated. 



The new study was led by <a href="https://fwcs.oregonstate.edu/users/luke-painter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Luke E. Painter</a>, an ecologist at Oregon State University (<a href="https://oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OSU</a>).



Ecologists call this a <a href="https://trophiccascades.forestry.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/Beschta2023_foodwebs.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trophic cascade</a>, the indirect, systemwide effects that follow the loss or return of an apex predator, and Yellowstone has become a clear test case for that idea.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-wolves-impact-on-aspens">Measuring wolves impact on aspens</h2>



Across 87 aspen stands, researchers documented, in 2020 to 2021, the first new overstory cohort since the 1940s, with 43 percent of stands now containing young trees about 2 to 4 inches in DBH (Diameter at Breast Height).



That's an average of 1,460 stems per hectare, about 590 per acre, and a 152 fold jump in sapling and young tree density relative to the late 1990s.



Height matters here because trees taller than roughly 6.6 feet are far less likely to be clipped, and lower browsing rates lined up with more saplings making it above that escape height.



Field teams combined random plots with stand wide checks to avoid missing scattered pockets of tall saplings. 



That approach captured places where a few sheltered stems, sometimes protected by fallen logs, had finally slipped past the nibbling zone.



Earlier work had hinted at this turn, showing young aspen getting taller in the late 2000s as herbivory eased in parts of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstone-aspen-trees-are-growing-again-thanks-to-reintroduction-of-wolves/">Northern Range</a> and aspen began to rebound.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-aspens-and-wolves-matter">Why aspens and wolves matter</h2>



<a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/pubs_rm/rm_gtr119.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aspen</a> stands act like biodiversity magnets, supporting shrubs, wildflowers, birds, insects, and mammals, including beavers that use aspen for food and building.



Their open canopy lets more light reach the ground, which boosts understory growth and, in turn, the wildlife that depends on it.



The picture is not uniform across the landscape, and one reason is bison. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.10369" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Research</a> shows bison can physically break young aspen and flatten progress in sites they frequent, creating a local bottleneck on tree recruitment even where elk pressure has dropped.



“The reintroduction of large carnivores has initiated a recovery process that had been shut down for decades,” said Painter. 



Some stands now bristle with tall saplings, while others still lag as browsers concentrate or as woody debris barriers shift and decay.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-ripple-effects">Broader ripple effects</h2>



The resurgence of aspen in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstone-supervolcano-eruption-study-sparks-new-debate-on-where-and-when-it-will-erupt/">Yellowstone</a> is not happening in isolation. Stands that have regained height are also improving conditions for riparian zones, with more shade over streams helping regulate water temperatures that support aquatic species. 



Insects tied to willow and cottonwood habitats are benefiting as well, creating more food sources for fish, amphibians, and birds.



Scientists note that these indirect benefits can extend far beyond the immediate forest edges. As more diverse vegetation takes hold, soil stability improves, reducing erosion during heavy rains and spring runoff. 



This interconnected chain of changes underscores how apex predator restoration can set off physical and biological adjustments that reshape entire landscapes.



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



If browsing stays moderate and fire continues to reset patches of conifers, aspen coverage could keep expanding in more places. 



Warmer, drier summers and bison pressure may counter that expansion in others, so the future likely holds a mix of thriving and stubborn stands.



Either way, the northern range is no longer locked in the old pattern of elderly aspen with empty understories. Young trees are finally stepping up to replace the fading overstory.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112725004499" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forest Ecology and Management</a>.



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The return of wolves revives trees that had not grown for 80 years

For decades, young quaking aspen struggled to grow beyond waist...

Botanists have formally described a new parasitic plant from the Canary Islands, Orobanche andryalae, after two decades of field work and very patient verification.



It is a tiny member of the <a href="https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/141300/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">broomrape group</a> that taps the roots of other plants for water and nutrients, then blooms with understated charm on harsh volcanic ground. It took time, care, and a steady hand to show it really was something new.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orobanche-andryalae-is-different">Orobanche andryalae is different</h2>



Broomrapes are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/holoparasite" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">holoparasites</a>, plants that lack green leaves and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/newly-discovered-fairy-lantern-species-thismia-aliasii-cant-photosynthesize/">do not photosynthesize</a>, so they attach to hosts underground and siphon resources quietly until they flower. 



That life strategy, effective yet discreet, helps explain why species can be missed or misnamed for years.



The species stands out by a distinctive set of floral traits, including a markedly cernuous, or nodding, corolla and a high point where the filaments attach inside the flower, features that hold steady even when cultivated.



It grows on thermophilous, or heat loving, volcanic substrates and shows a tight association with Andryala species as hosts, a combination recorded in northern Lanzarote, northwest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-camera-technology-vtt-captures-the-most-detailed-images-ever-taken-of-the-sun/">Tenerife</a>, and the Jandía area of Fuerteventura.



The authors also provide an identification key for the Canary Islands’ broomrapes, a practical step that will reduce future mix ups in this tricky genus.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-field-notes-to-greenhouse-proof">From field notes to greenhouse proof</h2>



Researchers watched Orobanche andryalae in the wild for 23 years, logging five plants at a population near Yé and about 40 near Haría on Lanzarote between 2020 and 2022, which helped map its patchy presence and year to year swings.



They then <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-manage-to-grow-plants-from-ancient-seeds-that-are-2000-years-old/">raised the parasite from seed</a> on its host at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden to confirm that the key traits remain constant in cultivation, an important check when field conditions can blur the picture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-identification-took-so-long">Why identification took so long</h2>



Orobanche andryalae sits in a cluster of small flowered species where fine details of floral shape and hair patterns matter, and where different names have historically been applied to similar faces. 



Taxonomists have long flagged that this subsection is hard to resolve with morphology alone, especially when pressed herbarium specimens lose color and nuance.



Past <a href="https://www.biology.ox.ac.uk/publication/41327/europe-pubmed-central" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> on broomrape biology shows why confusion arises. Local lineages can evolve to prefer particular hosts, which leads to look alike plants with different genetic backstories.



Experimental work has also documented host specific races in Orobanche minor, a close relative, offering a useful model for how host choice can shape divergence in parasitic plants.



In that context, the authors’ combined approach, blending stable floral characters, host identity, and ecology, makes the case for species status without waiting on a perfect phylogeny. The careful cultivation step further strengthens it, because it shows the defining traits are not just environmental artifacts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-orobanche-andryalae">Protecting Orobanche andryalae</h2>



Based on today’s records, the species occurs in few localities and in low numbers, so the authors recommend treating it as “Data Deficient” until long term surveys reveal more, a cautious call that respects limited data while flagging potential concern.



<a href="https://treatment.plazi.org/GgServer/html/9D4999B2BB8A52749E9914F6898766F1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orobanche</a> seed banks can, however, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-wollemi-pine-from-the-jurassic-period-is-the-most-protected-tree-on-earth/">remain viable for decades</a>. Apparent absences may hide dormant populations that can reappear when conditions swing in their favor.



The main host, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270066891_Andryala_perezii_Asteraceae_a_New_Species_from_the_Canary_Islands" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Andryala perezii</a>, is locally common within a narrow range on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, which hints that more parasite sites may be found as surveys intensify and as botanists check associated Asteraceae more closely.



Seed ecology studies in related broomrapes indicate that prolonged viability is plausible, which bolsters the case for multi-year monitoring before firm threat assessments are made.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parasitic-plants-in-the-spotlight">Parasitic plants in the spotlight</h2>



Taxonomy can feel like naming for naming’s sake, yet here it unlocks clear signals for conservation, survey priorities, and basic biology. 



A stable name tied to diagnostic traits lets land managers, herbaria, and local botanists speak the same language when they report new finds.



It also puts a spotlight on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-orchids-turn-parasitic-when-conditions-allow/">parasitic plants</a>, a group that quietly shapes plant communities by redistributing resources underground. 



That influence is often overlooked because the action happens at the root, out of sight and away from casual paths.



Finally, this story shows why patience matters in field botany. Twenty three years is a long haul, yet this timescale fits a plant that can vanish for seasons, return in small bursts, and test how carefully we look.



The study is published in <a href="https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/141300/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PhytoKeys</a>.



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Leafless and mysterious parasitic plant survives by stealing water from other plants

Botanists have formally described a new parasitic plant from the...

When we picture Earth’s ancient landscapes, it’s easy to imagine vast braided rivers sprawling across barren land. For decades, geologists believed this was the norm until plant life colonized land about half a billion years ago. 



Vegetation, experts argued, gave <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-river-systems-suggest-that-mars-was-much-wetter-than-previously-believed/">rivers</a> the stability needed to curve gracefully into meandering paths. A new study from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a> now turns this long-held assumption on its head.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-origins-of-meandering-rivers">Origins of meandering rivers</h2>



The research shows that unvegetated meandering rivers can leave behind deposits that closely resemble those of braided rivers. This finding suggests that geologists may have misread the rock record, leading to the conclusion that braided <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-about-earths-bending-rivers-could-help-us-find-water-on-other-planets/">rivers</a> dominated most of Earth’s first 4 billion years.



“With our study, we’re pushing back on the widely accepted story of what landscapes looked like when plant life first evolved on land,” said lead author Michael Hasson, a PhD student at the <a href="https://sustainability.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability</a>. 



“We’re rewriting the story of the intertwined relationship between plants and rivers, which is a significant revision to our understanding of the history of the Earth.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-floodplains">The role of floodplains</h2>



Meandering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-arabia-was-once-green-and-lush-with-rivers-lakes-and-grasslands/">rivers</a> create floodplains, which are among the most abundant non-marine carbon stores on the planet. Overflows deposit mud and organic matter, locking carbon into the land for thousands of years. 



These natural reservoirs influence atmospheric carbon dioxide, Earth’s thermostat. A better grasp of their history could refine models of climate, both ancient and future.



“Floodplains play an important role in determining how, when, and whether carbon is buried or released back into the atmosphere,” Hasson said. 



“Based on this work, we argue carbon storage in floodplains would have been common for much longer than the classic paradigm that assumes meandering rivers only occurred over the last several hundred million years.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-modern-rivers">Tracking modern rivers</h2>



To test their idea, the team analyzed satellite imagery of about 4,500 bends in 49 present-day meandering rivers. Roughly half lacked vegetation, while the rest were vegetated to varying degrees. 



The researchers focused on point bars, sandy features that form along inside bends. Unlike braided rivers’ mid-channel bars, point bars migrate laterally, driving meandering forms over time.



Geologists have long tracked these sandy structures in ancient rocks to reconstruct river paths. If the bars seemed to shift downstream, the conclusion was a braided system. This method led to the assumption that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-are-releasing-a-massive-amount-of-carbon-dioxide-into-the-air/">rivers</a> transformed when plants first evolved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-geology-lessons-were-mistaken">Old geology lessons were mistaken</h2>



“In our paper, we show that this conclusion - which is taught in all geology curricula to this day - is most likely incorrect,” said study senior author Mathieu Lapôtre, assistant professor at the Doerr School of Sustainability.



The team found that without vegetation, point bars often drift downstream, mimicking braided behavior. Using standard geological techniques on such rivers today would misclassify them as braided.



“In other words, we show that, if one were to use the same criterion geologists use in ancient rocks on modern rivers, meandering rivers would be miscategorized as braided rivers,” Lapôtre said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meandering-rivers-shaped-climate">Meandering rivers shaped climate</h2>



The implications are sweeping. If meandering rivers, with their carbon-rich floodplains, existed long before plants, then Earth’s carbon cycle operated differently than once thought. 



This insight could reshape models of ancient climate shifts and sharpen predictions about current climate change.



“Understanding how our planet is going to respond to human-induced climate change hinges on having an accurate baseline for how it has responded to past perturbations,” Hasson said. “The rock record provides that baseline, but it’s only useful if we interpret it accurately.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revising-earth-s-story">Revising Earth’s story</h2>



The study suggests that carbon cycling tied to river style has been misunderstood. By correcting this, scientists can gain clearer insight into both the deep past and the uncertain future.



“We’re suggesting that an important control on carbon cycling - where carbon is stored, and for how long, due to river type and floodplain creation - hasn’t been fully understood,” Hasson said. “Our study now points the way to better assessments.”



Researchers from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unipd.it/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Padova</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ubc.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of British Columbia</a>&nbsp;also contributed to the study.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv4939" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Meandering rivers shaped early landscapes before plants arrived

When we picture Earth’s ancient landscapes, it’s easy to imagine...

A sweeping analysis of the “tree of life” finds that most living species belong to a relatively small number of lineages that diversified unusually quickly.



Across plants, animals, and other kingdoms, most branches have not grown evenly through time. Instead, a few have exploded into dense thickets of species, while many others remain sparsely populated.



The British evolutionary biologist J.B.S. Haldane is said to have quipped that any divine being evidently had “an inordinate fondness for beetles.” 



The joke contains a truth biologists have wrestled with for decades: some groups dominate the ledger of life, while others are comparatively species-poor.



More than 40 percent of extant insects are beetles, 60 percent of birds are passerines, and more than 85 percent of plants are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-of-life-created-for-flowering-plants-using-400-million-specimens/">flowering plants</a> - an unevenness that begs an explanation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spanning-earth-s-many-species">Spanning Earth's many species</h2>



To move beyond anecdotes, researchers compiled a vast cross-taxonomic dataset. They then asked whether the concentration of species in a few very large groups is a general feature of life on Earth.



The team analyzed the distribution of <a href="http://v">species richness</a> and diversification rates across clades - lineages that share a common ancestor - spanning land plants, insects, vertebrates, all animals, and a synthesis “across life.”



For land plants, the tally included 10 phyla, 140 orders, and 678 families, together representing more than 300,000 species. For insects, 31 orders and 870 families covered over one million known species.



Vertebrates made up 12 classes encompassing more than 66,000 species, while animals overall accounted for 28 phyla and 1,710 families, totaling more than 1.5 million species.



A final roll-up across 17 kingdoms and 2,545 families included more than two million species. The team compared species counts, clade ages, and diversification rates for each clade.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-diversity-comes-from-rare-explosions">Earth's diversity comes from rare explosions</h2>



“Here we show for the first time that most living species do indeed belong to a limited number of rapid radiations," said John Wiens, a professor at the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Arizona</a>. "That is, they form groups with many species which evolved in a relatively short period of time.” 



“If we look among the kingdoms of life, among animal phyla, and among plant phyla, we find that more than 80 percent of known species belong to the minority of groups with exceptionally high rates of species diversification.”



The result stayed consistent no matter how researchers sliced the tree - by high-level phyla, mid-level orders, or family-level groupings. They found that most species cluster in a few branches with above-average diversification rates, while the majority of branches remain comparatively species-poor.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-spark-behind-biodiversity-surges">The spark behind biodiversity surges</h2>



So-called rapid radiations can follow the opening of new ecological opportunities or the evolution of key innovations.



When a small founding flock of grassquit birds reached <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-around-the-world-are-helping-save-galapagos-iguanas/">the Galápagos</a> roughly 2.5 million years ago, it diversified into Darwin’s finches.



When powered flight evolved in early bats about 50 million years ago, it unlocked a rich set of niches. Such episodes don’t just add species; they reset the balance of diversity across the tree.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-traits-that-tip-the-scales"><a></a>Traits that tip the scales</h2>



“Our results imply that most of life's diversity is explained by such relatively rapid radiations," Wiens said. "We also suggest key traits that might explain these rapid radiations, based on our results and results of earlier studies."



“These traits include multicellularity in plants, animals, and fungi across the kingdoms of life; the invasion of land and the adoption of a plant-based diet in arthropods among animal phyla; and the emergence of flowers and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urbanization-causes-massive-decline-in-insect-pollinators/">insect pollination</a> in flowering plants among plant phyla.”



These innovations changed the rules of engagement with the environment, allowing lineages to exploit new resources, spread into new habitats, and diversify faster than their relatives.



The statistical signal is not unique to one group or one rank. It appears from the vast diversity of insects to the great branches of land plants and vertebrates.



In practical terms, most of the species we encounter - and most of the biodiversity we aim to conserve - sit within a minority of lineages. These lineages experienced unusually fast growth spurts through evolutionary time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bacteria-remain-a-vast-unknown">Bacteria remain a vast unknown</h2>



One major caveat is the kingdom <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-bacteria-get-hungry-they-turn-on-each-other/">Bacteria</a>. Scientists have formally described only about 10,000 bacterial species, yet they estimate true bacterial diversity to be in the millions to trillions.



At the same time, bacteria originated roughly 3.5 billion years ago, which spreads speciation events across immense time and implies a low overall diversification rate.



The authors point out that if bacteria actually have far more species than we currently know, then bacteria would make up most of life on Earth - very different from what their study found. They emphasized that their results mainly apply to the species we’ve already identified.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conserving-earth-s-species-diversity">Conserving Earth’s species diversity</h2>



Recognizing that most species are concentrated in a handful of fast-diversifying clades reframes both evolutionary theory and conservation practice. It sharpens questions about the ecological triggers and genetic innovations that spark radiations.



It also helps triage conservation priorities: protecting the engines of diversification may conserve not only many species today but also the capacity for future diversity.



Haldane’s quip about a deity’s “inordinate fondness for beetles” captured the pattern with wit. This analysis shows the pattern is not an exception but a rule written across much of life. The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2025.1596591/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.



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Just a few explosive lineages account for most species on Earth

A sweeping analysis of the “tree of life” finds that...

Chef,Preparing,Olive,Oil,In,A,Pan,For,Making,Rosemary

If you've ever wondered whether changing your cooking oil could affect cancer growth, you're not alone. New research shows that the types of fats we eat might influence the rate at which cancer cells multiply. However, it is not as simple as avoiding certain foods.



Picture this: you have cancer, and your doctor advises doing nothing for now. Not yet. That may sound counterintuitive. But that’s exactly what happens to thousands of men with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-proteins-in-blood-may-predict-cancer-years-before-symptoms/">prostate cancer</a> every year. 



Their tumors grow so slowly that surgery or radiation would hurt more than help. So they wait and undergo regular tests to monitor for changes.



This approach, known as “<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/active-surveillance-for-prostate-cancer/about/pac-20384946" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">active surveillance</a>,” makes medical sense but can be stressful for patients. Men in this situation often ask the same question: Can I do anything to help myself? 



A recent study reports part of an answer, and it involves dietary fats found in common cooking oils.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fats-cooking-oils-and-cancer-cells">Fats, cooking oils, and cancer cells</h2>



In the typical American diet, we consume too much of one type of fat and not enough of another. 



Omega-6 fats are common in vegetable oils, fried foods, and many packaged products. Omega-3 fats are abundant in salmon and sardines. 



Most Americans eat 15 to 20 times more <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8308533/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">omega-6 than omega-3</a>. Scientists think a ratio closer to 4:1 would be healthier. This imbalance may increase inflammation, creating conditions that allow cancer cells to grow.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-study-was-done">How the study was done</h2>



<a href="https://www.uclahealth.org/cancer/members/william-aronson" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. William Aronson</a>, a urology professor at UCLA’s <a href="https://medschool.ucla.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Geffen School of Medicine</a>, tested whether modifying dietary fat intake could slow cancer growth. 



“This is an important step toward understanding how diet can potentially influence prostate cancer outcomes,” said Aronson. 



His team enrolled 100 men with early prostate cancer who were already on active surveillance, then they assigned the men to two groups. 



Half ate their regular diet. The other half worked with a dietitian to eat less omega-6 and more omega-3, and to take fish oil supplements daily. No calorie counting or weight loss was required.



“Many men are interested in lifestyle changes, including diet, to help manage their cancer and prevent the progression of their disease," Aronson explained.



"Our findings suggest that something as simple as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/want-to-slow-down-aging-add-these-foods-to-your-diet/">adjusting your diet</a> could potentially slow cancer growth and extend the time before more aggressive interventions are needed."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-tumor-growth">Tracking tumor growth</h2>



The researchers needed a way to measure whether cancer cell growth was slowing. They used a marker called <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/ki-67-proliferation-index" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ki-67</a>, which indicates how quickly cells are dividing. High Ki-67 means cells are multiplying rapidly. Low Ki-67 indicates slower cell division.



Each participant received a biopsy at the start and another one year later. Notably, they used MRI guidance to sample the same spot in the tumor both times. Earlier studies often sampled non-targeted areas, making comparisons less precise.



After one year, the results diverged. Ki-67 levels dropped in the diet change group but rose in the regular diet group. 



In other words, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-scientist-discovers-that-common-non-cancer-drugs-when-combined-can-kill-cancer-cells/">cancer cells</a> in the diet change group were dividing more slowly, while cells in the regular diet group were dividing faster.



However, some measures did not change: <a href="https://news.cuanschutz.edu/cancer-center/explaining-psa-numbers-prostate-cancer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PSA levels</a> and tumor grades remained similar in both groups. That is not unexpected; these measures rarely change over one year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fish-oil-and-cancer-cells">Fish oil and cancer cells</h2>



Some participants left the study due to gastrointestinal side effects from fish oil. Fish oil can interact with blood thinners and other medications. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-oil-omega-3-capsules-have-been-found-to-help-control-aggression/">Use fish oil</a> only under medical guidance.



More importantly, this study does not prove that eating fish will keep you out of the operating room. 



“This significant difference suggests that the dietary changes may help slow cancer growth, potentially delaying or even preventing the need for more aggressive treatments,” Aronson continued. 



This is a suggestion, not proof; larger, longer studies are needed.



The study was small and conducted at one hospital. That is enough to prompt interest but not to change clinical guidelines. Still, the researchers examined tumor tissue rather than relying solely on blood tests.



For those on active surveillance, the practical advice is straightforward. Cut back on fried foods and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americas-addiction-to-ultra-processed-foods-is-getting-worse/">ultra-processed snacks</a>. Eat salmon or sardines twice a week. Consider eggs from hens fed flaxseed. Add chia seeds to breakfast. Small changes can add up.



Talk to your doctor before starting fish oil supplements. Product quality varies by brand; choose third-party tested products to minimize contaminants such as heavy metals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-first-step-of-many-to-come">First step of many to come</h2>



Scientific progress is gradual. First, research shows how something works; then clinical studies determine whether it helps patients. 



This study addressed the first step - showing that adjusting fat intake by changing oils in your diet was associated with slower cancer cell proliferation in tumor tissue. 



The next step - demonstrating that it prevents cancer spread or delays treatment - remains to be shown.



In the meantime, improving diet is unlikely to cause harm. Unlike radiation or surgery, adjusting fat intake generally carries fewer side effects. Even if cancer benefits are modest, cardiovascular and cognitive health may also improve.



For men on active surveillance, taking constructive steps can feel better than inaction. The psychological boost of taking control might be just as valuable as any biological benefit. 



Diet isn’t magic, and it won’t replace your regular cancer monitoring. According to this research, what you put on your plate may matter more than previously assumed.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.24.00608" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Clinical Oncology</a>.



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Many common cooking oils are now being linked to certain types of cancer

If you've ever wondered whether changing your cooking oil could...

conciertos-madrid-2026-fechas-artistas-entradas - 1

New analysis of ancient household burners from Qurayyah in northwest Saudi Arabia points to smoke from Peganum harmala seeds being inhaled in daily life nearly 2,700 years ago. 



The work opens a window onto how Iron Age communities used scent, smoke, and bioactive plants to manage health and mood without leaving written manuals.



The <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12102341/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> comes from residues preserved inside clay fumigation devices recovered in domestic courtyards and storage areas. Researchers report plant signatures that hold up even after centuries of heat and decay.



<a href="https://www.gea.mpg.de/person/100725/2944" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Barbara Huber</a>, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI GEA), and <a href="https://uha.univie.ac.at/en/about-us/staff-members/scientific-staff/associate-and-assistant-professors/marta-luciani/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prof. Marta Luciani</a>, University of Vienna, led the study with the Heritage Commission of the Saudi Ministry of Culture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peganum-harmala-residue">Peganum harmala residue</h2>



The team detected two beta-carboline alkaloids, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-arabians-burned-harmal-plants-to-heal-and-protect/">harmine and harmane</a>, inside three Iron Age burners from Qurayyah. These molecules are hallmarks of Peganum harmala, a hardy desert shrub often called Syrian rue.



One additional burner from the same settlement lacked those alkaloids but held a different class of plant compounds, α-amyrin and β-amyrin. That pattern hints at alternating or mixed substances burned in the same kinds of devices.



“Our findings represent chemical evidence for the earliest known burning of harmal, not just in Arabia, but globally,” said Barbara Huber, lead author of the study.



The devices were not found in graves or temples, but in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/home-fragrances-impact-indoor-air-quality-and-the-health-risks-are-alarming/">houses</a>. That domestic context suggests ordinary uses tied to health, sanitation, or mood rather than large public rites.



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



The study used targeted <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2359828/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HPLC-MS/MS</a> to read a molecular fingerprint from residue trapped in the clay matrix. In short runs, the instrument looked for specific ion transitions that match harmine and harmane with high confidence, even at low abundance.



“The integration of biomolecular analysis with archaeology has allowed us to identify not just what kind of plants people were using, but also where, how, and why,” said Prof. Luciani. 



In archaeology, this kind of precise mass spectrometry helps answer not only what plant was there, but also how it was used.&nbsp;



Three burners carried harmine and harmane, while a fourth did not. That contrast matters because it rules out random contamination and points to intentional selection of materials for specific effects.



The context also matters. One burner with harmala signatures sat in a household courtyard, and another was linked to food production areas. Those findspots align with routine, indoor smoke use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-peganum-harmala-does">What Peganum harmala does</h2>



Harmine and harmane are reversible inhibitors of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antidepressants-may-help-the-immune-system-fight-cancer/">monoamine oxidase A</a>, an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine. 



Temporarily slowing that enzyme can lift neurotransmitter levels, which helps explain mood and sensory shifts.



These alkaloids occur in several plants, but regional distribution narrows the list of plausible sources for Iron Age Arabia. 



Reviews catalog harmala alkaloids across taxa, including South American vines and some Passiflora species, yet those grow far from ancient Qurayyah.



Dose and route shape the experience. Small exposures can relax or mildly stimulate, while larger exposures can bring on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-humans-were-drinking-beer-in-china-over-10000-years-ago/">vivid effects</a>. 



High amounts may cause sickness, which modern case <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4075715/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a> document in clinical settings after ingestion of concentrated seeds.



Smoke is a different route than tea or tincture. Inhalation can deliver a quick, shorter-lived exposure in rooms where airflow, fuel, and seed load all change the outcome.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-signals-from-other-residues">Signals from other residues</h2>



The amyrin-rich burner adds another layer. Pharmacology reviews note anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions for these isomers in preclinical models.



Finding amyrins without harmala alkaloids in one device, and together in another, suggests people alternated recipes or blended resins with seeds depending on purpose. That kind of flexibility lines up with practical home use.



These chemical signatures do not name a resin to species. They do, however, flag a class of botanicals that humans have burned for centuries for their scent and perceived health effects.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Peganum-harmala_psychoactive-plant_arabians_2700-years-ago_Nature-journal_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Peganum-harmala_psychoactive-plant_arabians_2700-years-ago_Nature-journal_1s.webp" alt="The oasis settlement of Qurayyah, in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Dried fruits of Peganum harmala, which, as shown here, were already used 2,700 years ago for their therapeutic and psychoactive properties. One of the old fumigation devices used to inhale harmal. Credit: A. M. Abualhassan/Barbara Huber/Hans Sell" class="wp-image-1982804"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The oasis settlement of Qurayyah, in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Dried fruits of Peganum harmala, which, as shown here, were already used 2,700 years ago for their therapeutic and psychoactive properties. One of the old fumigation devices used to inhale harmal. Click image to enlarge. Credit: A. M. Abualhassan/Barbara Huber/Hans Sell</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-wider-cultural-thread">A wider cultural thread</h2>



Ethnobotany and pharmacognosy track how communities use plants both as medicine and as part of everyday life. <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4075715/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reviews</a> of Peganum harmala describe continued roles in West Asia and North Africa, including pain relief, calming, and household fumigation traditions.



The antimicrobial angle has support, too. A laboratory study of smoke condensates from P. harmala seeds reported clear antibacterial activity and identified harmine as a major constituent in the smoke matrix.



Households in an oasis settlement needed tools to manage pests, odors, and illness in tight quarters. A pungent seed with antimicrobial constituents and mood effects would be a practical choice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peganum-harmala-adds-to-arabian-history">Peganum harmala adds to Arabian history</h2>



Written sources for medicinal plants in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-used-lava-tubes-for-homes-middle-east-saudi-arabia/">Arabia</a> become richer much later. For the Iron Age, physical residues tell the story. 



They show people selecting a local shrub with psychoactive and antibacterial properties, then burning it in domestic spaces.



The <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6575/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Qurayyah</a> finds help to push beyond broad claims about ancient drugs. They connect a plant to a device, a device to a room, and a room to routines that touch health and emotion.



This work also shows how careful chemistry can recover silent practices. Even when seeds are gone and recipes are lost, compounds cling to clay and speak for themselves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-the-research-goes-next">Where the research goes next</h2>



Future work can test more burners from other rooms and towns to see if this pattern holds. It can also examine how resin mixtures changed the experience, from scent to smoke quality to perceived relief.



The method can scale. Each new residue map helps reconstruct a more precise history of household care, sanitation, and sensory life across ancient Arabia.



Modern science can also reevaluate forgotten botanicals. Some may carry leads for safe, targeted therapies, while others serve as cautionary tales about dose and context.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-08096-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Biology</a>.



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People were getting high and hallucinating from smoking this psychoactive plant 2,700 years ago

New analysis of ancient household burners from Qurayyah in northwest...

Slimy layered microbial mats in Shark Bay are more than seaside oddities. They are living laboratories where bacteria and archaea still work side by side, much as they may have done long ago.



A new co-culture from these mats shows a bacterium and an archaeon physically connecting through tiny tubes while trading metabolites in ways that make both partners tick. That kind of teamwork fits neatly with ideas about how complex <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-was-thriving-before-earths-greatest-mass-extinction/">cells</a> arose.



<a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/brendan-burns" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brendan P. Burns</a> at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) led the study with colleagues including <a href="https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Iain.Duggin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iain G. Duggin</a> at the University of Technology Sydney.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shark-bay-microbes-survive-extremes">Shark Bay microbes survive extremes</h2>



Shark Bay, Western Australia, holds thriving stromatolites, the rock-like piles that grow when layered microbial communities trap and bind sediments in harsh, salty water. 



In Malgana language, Shark Bay is called <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep46160" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gathaagudu</a>, which means two waters, a name still used by Traditional Owners and regional agencies.



The southern basin can be roughly twice as salty as the open ocean, and the mats ride out heat, desiccation, and intense UV under those conditions. 



Modern mats are not time capsules, but they are useful stand-ins for ancient ecosystems where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rocks-reveal-the-turning-point-when-oxygen-changed-earth-forever/">microbes</a> built layered structures and forged partnerships that shaped the planet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbial-mat-microbes-team-up">Microbial mat microbes team up</h2>



Back in the lab, researchers enriched a two-member community from those mats: the bacterium Stromatodesulfovibrio nilemahensis and a newly named Asgard archaeon, Nerearchaeum marumarumayae. 



<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5875740/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Asgard archaea</a> are widely viewed as the closest known prokaryotic relatives of eukaryotes, the lineage that includes animals, plants, and fungi.



The team sequenced both genomes and grew the partners under high-salt, low-oxygen settings that fit the mats’ tough environment. 



Each partner seems to cover what the other lacks, a classic sign of syntrophy, where two microbes share metabolic tasks to make <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/timeline-of-lifes-evolution-extended-by-nearly-1-5-billion-years/">life</a> work.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-show-nutrient-sharing">Genes show nutrient sharing</h2>



Genome analysis indicates the archaeon releases hydrogen, acetate, formate, and sulfite, while the bacterium supplies amino acids and vitamins that the archaeon needs. 



These characteristics and interactions may represent an early step in the symbiotic evolution of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/eukaryote" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eukaryotic</a> cells.



That statement does not claim a perfect replay of early evolution. It argues that the features they see line up with long-standing models that link archaeal hydrogen producers and bacterial sulfate reducers to the rise of complex cells.



Those models gained traction after the first enrichment and later formal isolation of an Asgard archaeon, <a href="https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.006435" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prometheoarchaeum syntrophicum</a>, a slow-growing anaerobe that depends on partner microbes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbial-mat-shows-nanotube-connections">Microbial mat shows nanotube connections</h2>



With cryotomography, the researchers observed chains of budded vesicles attached to the archaeal cell by extracellular fibers, plus internal tube and cage-like elements inside the archaeon. 



They also saw intercellular nanotubes apparently assembled by the bacterium that contact the archaeal surface, hinting at direct physical links during resource sharing.



Archaea in other systems build similar connections, and a 2024 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-51159-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> reported nanotubes in a co-culture that bridged cytoplasms and appeared to serve as conduits for molecular exchange. 



That study counted an average of 4.4 nanotubes per host-symbiont contact, showing how dense and structured these links can become under the microscope.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hints-at-complex-cells">Hints at complex cells</h2>



If partners swap metabolites through persistent contacts, selection can push them toward tighter dependence. 



That is the kind of ratchet some researchers think nudged early archaea and bacteria toward the cell-in-cell <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/third-state-of-existence-beyond-life-and-death-confirmed-by-scientists/">arrangement</a> that defines eukaryotes.



The new Shark Bay culture does not show one cell engulfing the other. It does, however, put plausible building blocks on the table: complementing metabolisms, physical tethers, and vesicle traffic that could knit cells into a more integrated unit over time.



That interpretation sits alongside earlier work that first enriched and then formally described Prometheoarchaeum, strengthening the case that Asgard lineages sit near the root of eukaryotic features.



More broadly, archaeal communities are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10117752/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">known</a> to trade vesicles and tube-like structures, which can shuttle proteins, lipids, and genetic material and may help build cooperative networks in extreme habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-steps-in-research">Next steps in research</h2>



First, replication matters. Independent teams will want to reproduce the nanotube contacts and metabolite exchanges and test whether those tubes move specific molecules in real time, not just correlate with growth.



Second, comparative context helps. Asgard cultures and co-cultures are slowly expanding, and every new system gives biologists another angle on the relationship between archaeal cell biology and eukaryotic traits.



Finally, place still matters. Shark Bay’s mats are rugged, hypersaline, sunlit, and dynamic, a mix of stresses that can reward tight microbial alliances and keep them around across seasons and storms.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.22.663070v2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bioRxiv</a>.



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Strange microbial bedfellows offer clues to how complex life evolved

Slimy layered microbial mats in Shark Bay are more than...

Forests from the Amazon lowlands to the high Andes are failing to adjust quickly enough to rising temperatures. Populations are not moving upslope at the pace of climate change, and entire communities are not reorganizing to match the new normal.



The gap threatens <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-plantations-have-hidden-impacts-on-tropical-biodiversity/">tropical biodiversity</a> and the ecosystem services people rely on - from climate regulation to pollination.



“These forests are simply not keeping up with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-forests-are-struggling-to-keep-pace-with-climate-change/">climate change</a>,” said lead author William Farfan-Rios of <a href="https://www.wfu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wake Forest University</a>. “The result is a growing climatic debt that threatens the integrity and functioning of the most diverse forests on Earth.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-four-decades-of-first-monitoring">Four decades of first monitoring</h2>



The study draws on more than four decades of forest monitoring in Peru and Bolivia. Researchers tracked over 66,000 trees spanning about 2,500 species across 66 permanent plots. 



Those plots run from a few hundred feet above sea level in the Amazon to more than 12,000 feet in the Andes.



The team expected to see warm-adapted species becoming more common over time. Ecologists call that shift thermophilization. Instead, they found little to no evidence that communities are warming in step with the climate along the elevation gradient.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-growing-climatic-debt"><a></a>A growing climatic debt</h2>



The analysis shows that the rate at which warm-adapted forests replace cool-adapted ones is far slower than the regional rate of warming.



That mismatch is the “climatic debt” - the amount of change that should have occurred to keep pace with rising temperatures but has not.



If the debt keeps growing, forests will edge closer to thresholds from which they may not recover. The risk is highest where species live near their thermal limits and have limited options for movement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cloud-forests-show-most-change">Cloud forests show most change</h2>



Mid-elevation forests near the cloud base at roughly 3,900 to 6,600 feet showed the strongest signs of reshuffling. The signal there is driven largely by higher death rates among cool-adapted trees. Mortality is doing more of the work than the arrival of new warm-adapted species.



By contrast, the lowland Amazon plots showed no consistent directional change. That stability may appear resilient in the short term - but it also signals vulnerability. As heat and drought intensify, communities with few hotter-adapted species waiting in the wings may struggle to cope.



Higher in the Andes, many communities remain effectively stuck. Populations are not moving uphill quickly enough to keep within their historical climate envelopes.



Tropical forests in the Andes-Amazon harbor the planet’s highest concentration of life. They store vast amounts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-mystery-emerges-in-the-southern-ocean/">carbon</a> and generate rainfall. They support <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollinators-face-extinction-risk-due-to-climate-change/">pollinators</a> and seed dispersers that keep the system running.



If tree communities fail to adjust, the carbon sink will weaken. Habitats shrink or vanish. The odds of ecosystem collapse rise, especially in cloud forests where drought and heat push trees past their limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-reveals-forest-shifts">Time reveals forest shifts</h2>



“You have to be there for long periods of time to understand how these forests change,” said co-author Miles Silman, chair of conservation biology at Wake Forest.



“If we lose these climate observatories, these natural labs, we blind ourselves to our future. What we found is that forests are changing, but they’re not changing in the ways that make them resilient to climate change.”



Trees can adapt over millennia. But individuals die quickly, and new trees recruit and grow slowly. Dispersal adds another constraint.



“They also need the full complement of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-at-risk-as-seed-spreading-animals-disappear/">animal dispersers</a> and pollinators to help expand their range - and loss of habitat is shrinking their ranks,” Silman explained.



“If you look at the magnitude of changes happening in the Andes-Amazon, the forest communities likely are not going to keep up. That’s why research like this is important.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-tropical-constraint"><a></a>The tropical constraint</h2>



The results align with a growing pattern: tropical species often have narrow heat tolerances and already live close to their maximum temperatures.



Unlike in temperate systems, there may be few hotter-adapted taxa ready to move in as heat rises. In the lowlands, there is literally nowhere cooler upslope to go.



In the Andes, topography offers ladders for movement. But climbing those ladders requires time, intact habitat, and healthy animal partners to carry seeds. Fragmentation and defaunation remove those rungs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-can-t-keep-up">Forests can’t keep up</h2>



Protecting continuous elevational forests gives species a path to track their climates. Safeguarding pollinators and seed dispersers keeps the engine of range expansion running. Reducing local stressors - selective logging, fire, and overhunting - buys time.



Still, cutting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-reach-another-all-time-high/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> remains the decisive lever. Slower warming reduces the debt and gives forest communities a chance to catch up.



The study’s core message is simple yet sobering: the world’s richest forests are changing, but not quickly enough in the directions that would make them safer. Thermophilization is lagging far behind warming, and mortality - rather than recruitment - is driving most of the turnover. 



Cloud forests are showing strain, and although the Amazon lowlands are quiet for now, that quiet may not last. “These forests are simply not keeping up with climate change,” Farfan-Rios concluded.



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World’s most diverse forests are failing to adapt to climate change

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