NatureServe Explorer Species Reports &#8212; 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 &#8212; 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=6af7b47b706a421cbff7d45ac370e984&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.971j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.The Cicek Minnow (Acanthorutilus handlirschi) is a species of concern belonging in the species group &#8220;fishes&#8221; and found in the following area (s): Turkey. This species is also known by the following name (s): Pseudophoxinus handlirschi, Oreoleuciscus handlirschi, Phoxinellus handlirschi. Source: Federal Register, U.S. Fish &amp; Wildlife Service (various authors), series (version undefined) Acquired: 1996 : Notes: Various listings from the Federal Register on the legal status of species : Reference for: Acanthorutilus handlirschi, cicek [English] Source: NODC Taxonomic Code, database (
FWS Digital Media Library &#8212; The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service&#8217;s National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.This species is also known by the following name(s): Pseudophoxinus handlirschi, Oreoleuciscus handlirschi, Phoxinellus handlirschi.

Acanthorutilus handlirschi

California mountain lions continue to be threatened by human activities, despite being classified as specially protected mammals, according to a study led by the <a href="https://www.unl.edu/">University of Nebraska-Lincoln</a>.&nbsp;



The California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990 made it illegal to hunt mountain lions, but the researchers have determined that human-caused mortality is still more common than natural mortality among these animals. The biggest threats were found to be vehicle collisions and conflict with humans over <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/livestock-are-reservoirs-for-antimicrobial-resistant-pathogens/">livestock</a>.



For the investigation, experts from multiple universities, government agencies, and private organizations tracked hundreds of mountain lions across the state of California. The animals were located in many different study areas, including the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the city of Los Angeles.



“Population dynamics of large carnivores operate at large scales, making it critical for researchers to collaborate across broad geographic regions that go beyond typical study areas to better understand population processes and connectivity,” explained study co-lead author Professor John Benson.



The analysis revealed that mountain lions were at greater risk of human-caused mortality when they were closer to rural development. Mountain lions were found to be less threatened in areas where more voters favored pro-environmental initiatives.



“Ecologists believe that human tolerance is critical to conserving large carnivores in landscapes shared with humans. However, it is rare that data on tolerance are included in the models we use to understand mortality risk,” said Professor Benson. “Of course, we acknowledge that voting records on environmental issues are not a direct reflection of this tolerance, but the strength of this result suggests that human mindset may be an important driver of mortality risk for mountain lions.”



According to the experts, the new research highlights the importance of understanding interrelationships between different populations across California for long-term conservation of the species.



“Young male mountain lions often move and breed long distances from where they were born, and are largely responsible for maintaining gene flow between populations,” said study co-lead author Kyle Dougherty. “Immigration of mountain lions from adjacent or more distant populations can also help compensate for high rates of human-caused mortality and maintain population persistence through a process known as ‘source-sink’ dynamics.”



“We tend to focus on survival of adult females because of their strong influence on growth or decline of individual populations,” said study co-author Justin Dellinger. “However, young males are the ones that move between populations meaning that their mortality, combined with barriers to movement imposed by roads and development, could limit the utility of seemingly healthy populations to act as ‘sources’ of new animals and genes for small, isolated populations.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.&nbsp;



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



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California mountain lions are not fully protected from humans

California mountain lions continue to be threatened by human activities,...

Pet technologies have reached new heights in sophistication and pet owners can now purchase gadgets that monitor their pet’s activities, food intake, calorie use, sleep hours and location. Some of the apps allow the owner to observe the pet, talk to it in order to comfort it in their absence, or even activate toys that entertain it through the day. However, these apps may have a hidden cost in terms of cybersecurity.



Computer scientists from <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a> and Royal Holloway, University of London, have evaluated the privacy and security status of 40 popular Android apps for pets, companion animals and farm animals. The team presented the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3567445.3571102">results</a> at the&nbsp;2022 IEEE European Symposium on Security and Privacy Workshops conference, and published them in the Proceedings of this conference.



The researchers found that many of these apps, designed to put the minds of pet owners at ease, also put their privacy and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tighter-school-security-linked-to-lower-test-scores/">security</a> at risk in various ways by exposing their login or location details. The apps relate to the use of smart gadgets as diverse as cameras, water and food dispensers, GPS trackers, wearable devices that track pet activity, and toys that can be activated remotely. There are also apps and platforms that allow owners to track and manage their pets’ health records and connect with veterinary professionals.



Scott Harper is a PhD student at Newcastle University’s School of Computing and the lead author of the study. “Pet tech such as smart collars and GPS trackers for your cat or dog, is a rapidly growing industry and it brings with it new security, privacy, and safety risks to the pet owners," said Harper. "While owners might use these apps for peace of mind about the health of their dog or where their cat is, they may not be happy to find out about the risks the apps hold for their own cybersecurity.”



Password vulnerability&nbsp;was one of the areas exposed by the team. They identified three applications that had the user's login details visible in plain text within non-secure HTTP traffic.&nbsp;This means that anyone is able to observe the internet traffic of someone using one of these apps and will also be able to find out their login information. In addition to login information, two of the apps also showed user details, such as their location, which may enable someone to gain access to the devices and mount a cyber-attack.



Another area of concern identified in the study was the&nbsp;use of trackers.&nbsp;All but four of the applications were found to feature some form of tracking software.&nbsp;A tracker gathers information on the person using the application, on how they use it, or on the smartphone being used.



The scientists also warn that the apps perform very poorly in terms of notifying the user of their privacy policy. Their analysis shows that 21 of the apps are tracking the user in some way before the user even has a chance to consent to this, which violates current data protection regulations.



“We would urge anyone using these apps to take the time to ensure they are using a unique password, check the settings and ensure that they consider how much data they are sharing or willing to share,” said Harper.



“We are using modern technologies to improve several aspects of our lives. However, some of these (often) cheap technologies come at the price of our privacy, security, and safety," said study co-author Dr. Maryam Mehrnezhad. "Animal technologies can create complex risks and harms that are not easy to recognize and address. In this interdisciplinary project, we are working on solutions to mitigate such risks and allow the animal owners to use such technologies without risk or fear.”



In a second, related study, the research team surveyed almost 600 pet owners from the UK, USA and Germany. They asked questions about the technologies used, the incidents that have occurred or that participants believe may occur, and the methods used by participants to protect their online security and privacy and whether they apply these to their pet tech.



The results show that participants do believe they are vulnerable to a range of attacks that may target their pet tech. Despite this, they take few precautions to protect themselves or their pets from the possible risks and harms of these technologies.



“We would urge those developing these technologies to increase the security of these devices and applications to reduce risk of their personal information or location being shared," said study co-author Dr. Matt Leach.



The researchers also urge those who are using pet tech to ensure they are using a unique password, check the settings, and consider what data they are sharing. &nbsp;Users should be cautious about any new IoT (Internet of Things) devices they bring into their homes. They should download apps associated with animal tech from known app stores and constantly check the permissions of such apps and revoke any unnecessary permission from them. Guides such as&nbsp;<a href="https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/">Mozilla's `*Privacy Not Included' project</a>&nbsp;are available to help inform consumers of the potential security and privacy risks.



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



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Are our pets leaking information about us?

Pet technologies have reached new heights in sophistication and pet...

The latest <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> (IPCC) report was released today, and the message is abundantly clear - climate action is urgently needed to keep our planet habitable. The message is also somewhat hopeful, as the experts say there are feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change that are available now.



Erin Coughlan de Perez, a lead author of one of the underlying analyses, says the IPCC report serves as a stark reminder that climate change is driving humanitarian crises and human suffering around the world.&nbsp;



"The window is closing, but the report also shows that it is not too late yet. It is time for the international community to take urgent action to reduce emissions to stay below the 1.5 degrees warming limit and work with communities to adapt and prepare for climate change impacts."



While the 1.5-degree target seemed like a major hurdle when the 2018 IPCC report was released, the challenge has become even greater over the last five years as heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions have only increased. The experts say that the pace and scale of what has been done are insufficient to tackle climate change.



Climate warming is causing brutal weather extremes such as deadly storms and heatwaves, and these extremes will become much worse with every small increase in the average global temperature. The risks of food and water insecurity are also rising alongside temperatures.



The authors emphasize that the impacts of climate change are not evenly distributed, and the most vulnerable people are often hit the hardest. They say that urgent action is needed for a sustainable, equitable world.



“Climate justice is crucial because those who have contributed least to climate change are being disproportionately affected,” said Aditi Mukherji, one of the 93 authors of this Synthesis Report. “Almost half of the world’s population lives in regions that are highly vulnerable to climate change. In the last decade, deaths from floods, droughts and storms were 15 times higher in highly vulnerable regions."



According to the report, in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C, emissions will need to be cut by almost half by 2030. The experts say that accelerated action to adapt to climate change is essential to close the gap between existing adaptation and what is needed.&nbsp;



"What is interesting about this report is that we usually talk about different parts of the climate crisis separately - reducing emissions, adapting to save lives, or responding to losses and damages," said Coughlan de Perez.



"This report acknowledges that we need to do everything at once, and it gives a roadmap for how we can achieve this. That roadmap is not a simple one, where we just make a few minor changes and keep going with the status quo. Instead, it is a call to transformation - fundamentally altering society to achieve climate-resilient development."



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



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IPCC: Climate action urgently needed to end human suffering

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report was...

On March 20, 2023, at 5:24 p.m. ET, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spring-finally-arrives-this-weekend/">spring</a> begins in the Northern Hemisphere, marked by the so-called spring, or vernal, equinox – which, along with the autumn equinox in September, is one of the two moments in the year when the sun is directly above the equator. With days becoming longer and the weather warmer, flowers and trees starting to bloom, and birds and butterflies migrating back northward along the path of the sun, this period is celebrated by many cultures as a time of renewal and rebirth.&nbsp;



The word “equinox” comes from Latin, through the juxtaposition of the terms aequus (equal) and nox (night), signifying that days and nights are equal in length. While for our ancestors, whose timekeeping was less precise than ours, days and nights did seem perfectly equal at this time of the year, today we know that in fact we actually get a bit more daylight than darkness at the equinox, particularly at higher latitudes, since it takes the sun longer to rise and set the closer we get to the poles.



According to the website&nbsp;<a href="https://earthsky.org/?p=106531#:~:text=The%20March%202021%20equinox%20happens,autumn%20in%20the%20Southern%20Hemisphere.">EarthSky</a>, for sky watchers equinoxes are a perfect time to orient themselves since they are the only two times a year the sun rises due east and sets due west everywhere on our planet. As they put it, the equinox is “a good day for finding east and west from your yard or other favorite site for watching the sky. Just go outside around sunset or sunrise and notice the location of the sun on the horizon with respect to familiar landmarks.” 



Moreover, in both hemispheres, the sun sets faster during the equinoxes, since it hits the horizon at the steepest possible angle from the Earth. By contrast, during the winter and summer solstices, the Earth’s tilt is the most extreme, and the sun sets more slowly.



Since thousands of years, people all over the world have celebrated the spring equinox. For instance, at the Mayan site&nbsp;Chichén Itzá in today’s Mexico, the massive pyramid El Castillo was aligned in such a way that a shadow outlining the form of a so-called “snake of light” (Kukulcán) descends the steps at the equinoxes, while in England, Druids and Wiccans used to gather at Stonehenge before dawn to welcome to return of spring.



Nowadays, many cultures around the world have special celebrations at the equinox, such as the Persian New Year - also known as Nauryz, Navruz, or Nowrouz (meaning “new day”) - when people honor new beginnings by welcoming the future and shedding away the past. While the Chinese are trying to stand an egg upright during the equinox – which, according to an old tradition, will bring them good luck - in Japan the Vernal Equinox Day is a public holiday, with people visiting family graves and holding family reunions, in celebration of both past and future.&nbsp;



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



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Spring has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere

On March 20, 2023, at 5:24 p.m. ET, spring begins...

The link between obesity and severe Covid-19 infection may be explained by an underactive immune response, according to a study by scientists at the <a href="https://www.citiid.cam.ac.uk/">Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease</a> (CITIID) and Wellcome Sanger Institute. The researchers demonstrated that immune cells show a blunted inflammatory response in patients who are obese.&nbsp;



Nearly 6.9 million people have died from Covid-19, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-link-between-air-pollution-and-obesity/">obesity</a> is one of the major risk factors for severe infection. However, the underlying cause of the link between obesity and severe Covid has not been clear.&nbsp;



“During the pandemic, the majority of younger patients I saw on the COVID wards were obese. Given what we know about obesity, if you’d asked me why this was the case, I would have said that it was most likely due to excessive inflammation. What we found was the absolute opposite," explained Professor Menna Clatworthy.



The researchers analyzed blood and lung samples from 13 obese patients with severe cases of Covid that required mechanical ventilation. While studying the activity of cells in the samples, the experts discovered that the obese patients had underactive immune and inflammatory responses in their lungs.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“This was really surprising and unexpected," said Professor Clatworthy. "Across every cell type we looked at, we found that the genes responsible for the classical antiviral response were less active. They were completely muted.”



According to the researchers, the findings could have important implications both for the treatment of COVID-19 and in the design of clinical trials to test new treatments.



“What we’ve shown is that not all patients are the same, so we might need to tailor treatments," said study co-author Dr. Conway Morris. "Obese subjects might need less anti-inflammatory treatments and potentially more help for their immune system.”



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202204-0751OC">American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine</a>.



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



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Why does obesity increase the risk of severe Covid infection?

The link between obesity and severe Covid-19 infection may be...

Recently, the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a> in Australia has signed a contract with <a href="https://www.endurosat.com/">EnduroSat</a>, a major provider of micro-satellites and other space services, in order to explore the possibility of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-signals-identified-in-the-search-for-extraterrestrial-life/">extraterrestrial life</a>. The search will begin with our nearest neighbor star system, Alpha Centaury.&nbsp;



The mission is called TOLIMAN after the star’s ancient Arabic name and is funded by the&nbsp;<a href="https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/">Breakthrough Initiatives</a>, an organization in California searching for other habitable worlds in the universe. The experts will look for planets in the habitable zone around two Sun-like stars in the system (Alpha Centaury A and B), which are located only four light years away from Earth.



“That’s tantalizingly close to home. Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets outside our own solar system but most are thousands of light years away and beyond our reach,” said mission leader Peter Tuthill, an astrophysicist at Sydney who helped develop the technology behind the groundbreaking James Webb Space Telescope. “Modern satellite technology will allow us to explore our celestial backyard and perhaps lay the groundwork for visionary future missions spanning the interstellar voids to the Centauri system.”



Since discovering exoplanets is a significant technological challenge, even for large telescopes, the experts are using state-of-the-art methods for developing a small space telescope capable of extremely fine measurements which needs to fit the telescope within a limited volume of 12 liters, while maintaining its mechanical and thermal stability with exquisite precision. To do this, they will use EnduroSat’s flight-proven MicroSat technology, which can download payload data at a speed of over 125 Mbps. If this mini-satellite will manage to discover any exoplanets in the Alpha Centaury, other instruments can be further employed to analyze their atmospheres and surface chemistry in order to search for signs of possible biospheres.



“We are exceptionally proud to partner in this mission. The challenges are enormous, and it will drive our engineering efforts to the extreme. The mission is a first-of-its-kind exploration science effort and will help open the doors for low-cost astronomy missions,” said Founder and CEO of EnduroSat Raycho Raychev.



“It’s very exciting to see this program come to life. With these partnerships, we can create a new kind of astronomical mission and make real progress on understanding the planetary systems right next door,” concluded Executive Director of Breakthrough Initiatives Pete Worden.



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



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Scientists are searching for life in our neighbor star system

Recently, the University of Sydney in Australia has signed a...

In October 2021, South Korea experienced an unprecedented <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-activities-are-fueling-more-extreme-heatwaves/">heatwave</a>, with average temperatures of 19.9 degrees Celsius – a 3.9C increase above the normal. This event – expected to arise only once in a millennium – was triggered by a delayed appearance of an anomalous high pressure that usually occurs only in the summer, which led to daily maximum temperatures of over 30C in the southern regions of the country, and resulted in major socioeconomic and agricultural losses. A similar event occurred once more in November 2022, increasing public awareness of the increase in frequency of fall heatwaves.



According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.postech.ac.kr/eng/">Pohang University of Science and Technology</a> in South Korea (POSTECH), the record temperatures from October 2021 would not have occurred without the influence of global warming.&nbsp;



By using large datasets from <a href="https://www.climateurope.eu/a-short-introduction-to-climate-models-cmip-cmip6/">CMIP6 global climate models</a> and the U.K. <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/">Met Office</a>’s large ensemble simulations, the experts examined how anthropogenic global warming can increase the frequency of fall heatwaves. Moreover, they investigated how often such events may occur during future fall seasons under different greenhouse gas emissions scenarios.



The analysis revealed that, without the major increases in emissions after the industrial revolution, such fall temperatures would have been extremely unlikely to occur. Moreover, the scientists estimated that, if emissions are not urgently curbed, such events may occur once every two years by 2060. However, if the Paris Agreement’s goal of maintaining average global temperatures under 2C above pre-industrial levels is reached, extreme fall heatwaves would happen only once every 30 or 40 years.



“As unprecedented high temperatures during fall are occurring more frequently, it is necessary to provide an accurate prediction of their near-term occurrences and also prepare corresponding adaptation measures to minimize associated damages in all socioeconomic fields,” concluded co-author Seung-Ki Min, a professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at POSTECH.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-22-0124.1">Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society</a>.&nbsp;



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Global warming increases the frequency of fall heatwaves

In October 2021, South Korea experienced an unprecedented heatwave, with...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uef.fi/en">University of Eastern Finland</a> (UEF) has found that individuals with chronic low back pain may benefit from equine-facilitated therapy (EFT) – a range of treatments involving activities with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/horses-with-a-trusted-owner-remain-calm-in-new-situations/">horses</a> and other equines. Following a three-month intervention, participants reported decreased levels of pain and significant improvements in daily functioning.



The scientists enrolled a cohort of 22 Finish participants in order to evaluate the impact of EFT on level of pain, pain acceptance, perceived physical performance, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. After 12 weeks of therapy, the patients reported statistically significant improvements in reaching and bending forward, standing for a prolonged period of time, and sleep. Moreover, by gradually increasing the exercise load, it was possible to reduce participants’ perceived pain levels, increase their participation in social activities, and improve their overall psychological wellbeing by decreasing their levels of anxiety and depression.



“Chronic back pain is a multidimensional experience involving not only physical pain but also learned thinking patterns and emotional reactions,” said study lead author Sanna Mattila-Rautiainen, a doctoral student in Biomedicine at UEF. “Traditionally, physical therapy has been recommended for the rehabilitation of patients with chronic pain, as physical exercise has been found to be the most effective way to treat spinal pain. Hippocrates already recommended using equine movement as a form of physical and psychological rehabilitation for people, but the exact reason behind the rehabilitative effect has remained unknown thus far.”



According to the researchers, individuals with chronic pain tend to avoid the sensation of pain initiated by moving the affected parts of their bodies. Since incorrect movement maintains a vicious circle of pain, it decreases people’s physical, psychological, and social wellbeing. However, when riding a horse, people will move to the gait of the animal, encouraging the right kind of lumbar movement, particularly for those experiencing low back pain.



Although in Finland EFT is a form of medical intervention that has already been subsidized by the country’s Social Insurance Institution in 2019, it is not yet a fully established method in the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders. By highlighting its benefits for treating low back pain, this study – published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1085768">Frontiers in Veterinary Science</a> – is an important step forward in addressing a frequently debilitating condition and thus contributing to public health.



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Riding horses can reduce low back pain

A new study led by the University of Eastern Finland...

Several studies have indicated that drinking between three to five cups of coffee per day could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, most of this research has involved observational studies that cannot reliably establish causal effects due to other potentially influential factors, as well as the difficulty to disentangle any specific effects of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caffeine-boost-male-fertility/">caffeine</a> from the other components included in caffeinated drinks and foods.



Now, an international team of scientists led by the <a href="https://ki.se/en">Karolinska Institute</a> in Sweden has used Mendelian randomization – a technique employing genetic variants as proxies for a particular risk factor – to examine what effect higher blood caffeine levels have on body fat and the long-term risks of developing type 2 diabetes and various cardiovascular issues, including artery disease, atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythm), heart failure, and stroke.&nbsp;



The experts investigated the role of two common genetic variants of the CYP1A2 and AHR genes – which are associated with the speed of caffeine metabolism in the organism - in a cohort of 10,000 individuals of predominantly European ancestry who were involved in six long-term studies. They started with the assumption that people who carry genetic variants linked to slower caffeine metabolism usually drink less coffee but have higher levels of caffeine in their blood than those who metabolize it faster.



The analysis revealed that higher genetically predicted blood caffeine levels were associated with lower body weight and fat, as well as a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. By employing once more Mendelian randomization to further explore the extent to which caffeine effects on type 2 diabetes risk are driven by the concurrent weight loss, the researchers discovered that weight loss drove almost half (43 percent) of the effect of caffeine on diabetes risk. However, no significant associations between genetically predicted blood caffeine levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease emerged.



While these findings are limited by the use of only two genetic variants and the inclusion of only participants of European ancestry, they nevertheless suggest that caffeine plays a significant role in boosting metabolism, increasing fat burning, reducing appetite, and increasing energy expenditure, which could consequently lower the risk of developing obesity and thus type 2 diabetes.



“Our Mendelian randomization finding suggests that caffeine might, at least in part, explain the inverse association between coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to assess whether non-caloric caffeine containing beverages might play a role in reducing the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjmed-2022-000335">BMJ Medicine</a>.



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High caffeine levels reduce the risk of diabetes

Several studies have indicated that drinking between three to five...

Despite the fact that the term “birdbrain” is often used to denote a person who is silly or stupid, some birds actually have quite large brains. In fact, the brains of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magnetic-field-disturbances-can-lead-migratory-birds-astray/">birds</a> are often as large as, or even larger than those of mammals of similar body size. However, there are distinct differences in the brain-to-body ratio found in altricial and precocial bird species, and this has led scientists to question whether brain size may be linked to the degree of development of chicks at the time of hatching.&nbsp;



Precocial birds, such as ostriches, ducks, chickens and gamebirds commonly produce large clutches of eggs that hatch into chicks covered in down and ready to walk about and forage immediately. Adults of these bird species have relatively small brains compared to the size of their bodies.&nbsp;



In contrast, altricial birds, such as songbirds, produce smaller clutches of eggs that hatch into naked, blind and helpless chicks. Parents of these chicks have to provision them with food as they develop feathers, mature and fledge from the nest. Even after fledging, the chicks need to be fed for several weeks until they are independent. But once they are adults, these birds have relatively large brains and are often considered to be more intelligent.



Brains are very important organs and one might think that the bigger the brain, the better. Large brains support numerous cognitive adaptations and enable individuals to solve problems and make decisions that are innovative. However, large brains come with costs. They are slow to mature and expensive in terms of energy. In fact, they require a large and constant supply of energy in order to develop and function at full potential.&nbsp;



Biologists are aware that the helpless altricial chicks of large-brained birds would certainly not be able to supply themselves with enough food while their underdeveloped brains matured. They would face an impossible hurdle - unless their parents helped them by supplying food. This led researchers to question whether having a large brain is linked to the provision of energy by parent birds to their offspring.&nbsp;



A team of scientists led by behavioral and evolutionary biologist Michael Griesser of the <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/">University of Konstanz</a> has now compared the relative brain size in adults of 1,176 different bird species, with the extent of parental care. The researchers quantified how much energy parents invest in raising their offspring, including the egg size, clutch size and duration of post-hatching feeding and care. The results of the study have been published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2121467120">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> (PNAS).



According to Griesser, precocial species of birds, such as ostriches, chickens, geese and ducks, have large clutches and large eggs. “But that’s already the end of the parental energy input.” Since these chicks leave the nest shortly after hatching, and can walk around and peck up their own food, they do not require much more input of energy from the parents.&nbsp;



“In contrast, altricial birds, such as sparrows, parrots and crows, hatch underdeveloped. Their growing brains have a different neuronal structure compared to those of precocial species: brains of altricial young only need to be capable of supporting body growth, while brains of precocial species have to fully function right after birth,” explained Griesser. Furthermore, young altricial birds need to be fed both in the nest and often after fledging, and thus it takes several weeks, at times even months, until they are nutritionally independent from their parents.



The researchers made use of published datasets in the literature in order to study the relationship between avian brain size and parental provision of energy to the offspring. They conclude that the critical factor for the size of the brain is how much energy the parents invest in the growth of their young, via egg size and active feeding of the young after hatching.&nbsp;



“Large brains, in particular, grow at the expense of the parents,” said Griesser. The chicks of birds considered to be clever, such as parrots, crows, owls and other raptors, require a lot of energy for their brain growth. Corvids (members of the crow family) have the largest brains relative to their body size. Without an input of energy from the parents, the chicks of these large-brained species would be unable to grow to maturity.



Previous research has shown that large-brained species of birds are better able to find food sources and remember them, even after some time has elapsed. They are also more successful at living in urbanized habitats or settling into novel environments.&nbsp;



The results of this study might also explain differences in brain size in other animals. The parental energy provided by fish, amphibians and reptiles is largely limited to producing the eggs. These animals have much smaller brain-to-body ratios than birds or mammals. Thus, long provisioning by parents seems to be a general prerequisite for the evolution of large brains, as is also evident in humans.&nbsp;



“There is ample evidence suggesting that parental provisioning and brain size evolved together and that only lineages with extended parental provisioning have the ability to evolve larger brains,” concludes Griesser.



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



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Bigger bird brains grow at the expense of the parents

Despite the fact that the term “birdbrain” is often used...

Large underwater waves affect the ocean’s ability to store carbon, according to new research led by the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>. The study, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2022AV000800">AGU Advances</a>, details the effect that interior ocean turbulence has in transporting heat and carbon. While the existence of these giant waves is well known, their effect on climate change has been unexplored until now.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-noise-can-be-fatal-to-marine-invertebrates/">Ocean</a> circulation patterns carry warm tropical water from the tropics to the cooler North Atlantic, where the water cools, sinks, and returns south via the deep ocean. This circulation stores carbon deep in the ocean for thousands of years. However, the ocean’s interior is a dynamic environment.



“If you were to take a picture of the ocean interior, you would see a lot of complex dynamics at work,” explained study first author Dr. Laura Cimoli. “Beneath the surface of the water, there are jets, currents, and waves – in the deep ocean, these waves can be up to 500 meters high, but they break just like a wave on a beach.”



Turbulence caused by these giant waves deep in the ocean impact heat and carbon transport by causing the different layers of the ocean to mix, and researchers say these effects should be included in climate models.



“Climate models do account for turbulence, but mostly in how it affects ocean circulation,” said Dr. Cimoli. “But we’ve found that turbulence is vital in its own right, and plays a key role in how much carbon and heat gets absorbed by the ocean, and where it gets stored.”



“Many climate models have an overly simplistic representation of the role of micro-scale turbulence, but we’ve shown it’s significant and should be treated with more care,” added study co-author Dr. Ali Mashayek. “For example, turbulence and its role in ocean circulation exerts a control over how much anthropogenic heat reaches the Antarctic Ice Sheet, and the timescale on which that happens.”



The researchers say this work calls for a more careful representation of turbulence-induced vertical mixing within the Atlantic Ocean in climate models. They are calling for the installation of turbulence sensors to help scientists make more accurate predictions.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Deep ocean turbulence impacts carbon storage

Large underwater waves affect the ocean’s ability to store carbon,...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protecting-river-deltas-and-the-people-who-live-on-them/">River deltas</a> are created where large rivers reach the ocean and deposit their natural sediment load. Although they make up less than 0.5 percent of the Earth’s land area, deltas are highly productive, contributing over four percent of the global GDP and three percent of the global crop production, while being home to 5.5 percent of the world’s population. 



Unfortunately, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>, river deltas are currently highly vulnerable to imminent environmental change, and the livelihoods of the millions of people living there may be at risk.



“It is often not rising seas, but sinking land due to human activities that puts coastal populations most at risk,” said study lead author Rafael Schmitt, a postdoctoral fellow in Environmental Management at Stanford. “Our research highlights that this relevant global risk is grossly understudied for all but very few coastal regions.”



Deltas are usually subject to various factors creating dynamic yet stable systems. For example, the sediment supplied from upstream river basins creates new land even if sea levels are rising, while also offsetting the effect that recent, unconsolidated delta land compacts continuously under its own weight.&nbsp;



However, since today river deltas are cut off from their natural sediment supply by human-made dams and reservoirs – and the small amount of sediment that still manages to reach deltas cannot spread due to artificial dikes and levees - all the processes that occur naturally in undisturbed deltas are out of balance. 



Moreover, coastal vegetation is increasingly lost to make space for tourism and farmlands, while groundwater pumping and extraction of hydrocarbons creates subsidence (sinking of the ground caused by underground material movement).



Along with global sea level rise, these local factors lead to relative sea level rise, in which sinking lands amplify the effects of rising seas, possibly causing major parts of the world’s largest deltas to fall below sea level by the end of the century.



According to the experts, it is not sea level rise, but sinking land which puts deltas most at risk. Thus, while climate change mitigation remains important to curb global sea level rise, combating overuse of local natural resources in river deltas and their basins would likely provide greater and more immediate protection to deltas and their inhabitants.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2023.02.010">One Earth</a>.



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



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River deltas are threatened by human activities

River deltas are created where large rivers reach the ocean...

Date	Citation Page	Title
06/02/1970	35 FR 8491 8498	Part 17 - Conservation of Endangered Species and Other Fish or Wildlife (First List of Endangered Foreign Fish and Wildlife as Appendix A)
04/14/1970	35 FR 6069	Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Endangered Species Conservation); 35 FR 6069