At the lab, the archaeologists ran numerous tests on the object, examining the strange-shell like structure. Although it took a while, they finally announced that the 2-ton object had been identified. But it was neither an extra-terrestrial object, egg, or a stone. Finally, they had an explanation.

The Truth Is Finally Revealed

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features a portion of the Rosetta Nebula, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.



The Rosetta Nebula is a vast cloud of gas and dust located in the constellation Monoceros, also known as the Unicorn. Shaped like a blooming rose in deep space, it lies about 5,200 light-years from Earth and spans roughly 100 light-years in diameter.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-image-of-the-rosetta-nebula-nbsp">Image of the Rosetta Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



“<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/35-years-of-hubble-the-telescope-that-changed-our-view-of-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble</a> zooms into a small portion of the nebula that is only four light-years across (the approximate distance between our Sun and the neighboring Alpha Centauri star system),” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“Dark clouds of hydrogen gas laced with dust are silhouetted across the image. The clouds are being eroded and shaped by the seething radiation from the cluster of larger stars in the center of the nebula.”&nbsp;



“An embedded star seen at the tip of a dark cloud in the upper right portion of the image is launching jets of plasma that are crashing into the cold cloud around it. The resulting shock wave is causing a red glow. The colors come from the presence of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-distinct-appearance-of-rosetta">Distinct appearance of Rosetta</h2>



Stellar winds and ultraviolet light are gradually carving out a cavity in the nebula’s center while simultaneously triggering new waves of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluffy-molecular-clouds-may-change-our-understanding-of-star-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a> along its dense edges.&nbsp;



The Rosetta Nebula is often studied to understand the life cycle of stars and the complex interactions between radiation and interstellar material.&nbsp;



Its intricate structure and visual appeal have made it a favorite target for both professional astronomers and astrophotographers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nebulae-that-are-similar-to-rosetta-nbsp">Nebulae that are similar to Rosetta&nbsp;</h2>



Compared to other famous nebulae, the Rosetta Nebula stands out for its symmetry and floral appearance, which give it a distinct, iconic look. It's often compared to the Orion Nebula, which is much closer to Earth at about 1,300 light-years away and far brighter in the night sky.&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/orion-nebula-destroys-an-oceans-worth-of-water-every-month/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orion Nebula</a> is a bustling stellar nursery visible even to the naked eye, while the Rosetta requires a telescope and is more diffuse and fainter despite being larger in actual size.



The Eagle Nebula, home to the famous "Pillars of Creation," shares a similar process of star formation and sculpting by radiation, but the Eagle has more dramatic, finger-like structures.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stellar-feedback-and-cosmic-evolution">Stellar feedback and cosmic evolution</h2>



The Lagoon Nebula and the Trifid Nebula, both in the constellation Sagittarius, also resemble the Rosetta in that they are active star-forming regions, but they lie in a denser part of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-found-something-strange-at-core-of-milky-way-galaxy-webb-meerkat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a> and are often surrounded by a rich starfield.



What makes the Rosetta Nebula particularly interesting scientifically is the clear interaction between its central star cluster and the surrounding gas, offering a textbook example of how massive stars influence their environment.&nbsp;



It may not be as visually iconic as the Orion or as dynamic as the Eagle, but it's a beautiful and instructive example of stellar feedback and cosmic evolution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-history-of-the-rosetta-nebula-nbsp">History of the Rosetta Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



The history of the Rosetta Nebula, like many deep-sky objects, is a blend of observational discovery and increasing scientific understanding over time.&nbsp;



Although it was likely spotted by earlier astronomers, its first documented observation was in the late 17th century by John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal of England.&nbsp;



However, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-rogue-worlds-discovered-inside-a-young-star-forming-nebula/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nebula</a> itself was not fully recognized as a distinct object until the advent of astrophotography and improved telescopes in the 19th and 20th centuries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-clusters-of-the-enormous-cloud">Star clusters of the enormous cloud</h2>



The central star cluster, NGC 2244, was cataloged separately by William Herschel in the 18th century. Over time, astronomers realized that this cluster was embedded in a much larger, complex nebular structure.&nbsp;



As telescope technology advanced, astronomers identified several parts of the Rosetta Nebula and gave them separate designations, including NGC 2237, NGC 2238, NGC 2239, and NGC 2246 - essentially referring to different regions of the same enormous cloud.



Observations from space-based telescopes like Chandra (X-rays) and Spitzer (infrared) helped map the energetic processes inside the nebula, revealing how radiation and stellar winds from NGC 2244 are triggering the birth of new stars in its surrounding regions.



Image Credit: ESA



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Rosetta Nebula: Sculpted by starlight over millions of years

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the spiral galaxy NGC 5643, which is located roughly 40 million light-years away in the constellation Lupus.&nbsp;



NGC 5643 belongs to the Hubble classification SBc, indicating that it is a barred spiral galaxy with loosely wound arms.&nbsp;



Its orientation, nearly face-on to Earth, provides astronomers with an exceptional view of its detailed spiral structure and central bar.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ngc-5643-a-grand-design-spiral-nbsp">NGC 5643: A grand design spiral&nbsp;</h2>



“NGC 5643 is what’s known as a grand design spiral, referring to how the galaxy’s two large, winding spiral arms are clear to see,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images">ESA</a>. “The spiral arms are defined by bright blue stars, lacy reddish-brown dust clouds and pink star-forming regions.”



“As fascinating as the galaxy appears at visible wavelengths, some of NGC 5643’s most interesting features are invisible to the human eye.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-intense-activity-in-ngc-5643">Intense activity in NGC 5643</h2>



This galaxy is notable for its Seyfert 2 nucleus, a type of active galactic nucleus (AGN). The intense activity in its core is powered by a supermassive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/awakening-of-a-black-hole-witnessed-for-the-first-time/">black hole</a> that accretes surrounding material, emitting energy across a wide range of wavelengths.&nbsp;



“When a supermassive black hole ensnares gas from its surroundings, the gas collects in a disc that heats up to hundreds of thousands of degrees. The superheated gas shines brightly across the electromagnetic spectrum, but especially at X-ray wavelengths,” said ESA.



Observations have revealed jets and outflows of material emanating from the nucleus, likely driven by the black hole’s activity.&nbsp;



NGC 5643’s AGN has been studied extensively for its role in galactic evolution, particularly in how its energetic processes interact with the galaxy’s interstellar medium.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-mystery-of-ngc-5643-x-1">The mystery of NGC 5643 X-1</h2>



ESA pointed out that NGC 5643’s active galactic nucleus isn’t the brightest source of X-rays in the galaxy. 



“Researchers using ESA’s XMM-Newton discovered an even brighter X-ray-emitting object, called NGC 5643 X-1, on the galaxy’s outskirts. What could be a more powerful source of X-rays than a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-black-holes-become-supermassive/">supermassive black hole</a>?”&nbsp;



“Surprisingly, the answer appears to be a much smaller black hole! While the exact identity of NGC 5643 X-1 is not yet known, evidence points to a black hole that is about 30 times more massive than the Sun.”&nbsp;



“Locked in an orbital dance with a companion star, the black hole ensnares gas from its stellar companion, creating a superheated disc that outshines the galactic center,” said ESA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-formation-in-ngc-5643">Star formation in NGC 5643</h2>



NGC 5643 also exhibits prominent regions of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-rogue-worlds-discovered-inside-a-young-star-forming-nebula/">star formation</a> within its spiral arms. These areas are rich in gas and dust - the raw materials for birthing new stars - and glow brightly in ultraviolet and infrared light.&nbsp;



Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Very Large Telescope (VLT) have helped uncover the complex interplay between star formation and the galaxy's central activity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extended-ionized-gas-regions-nbsp">Extended ionized gas regions&nbsp;</h2>



A defining feature of NGC 5643 is the presence of its extended ionized gas regions, which are shaped by the galaxy's AGN activity and star-forming regions.&nbsp;



These structures have been mapped through optical spectroscopy, revealing intricate patterns that help astronomers understand the physical conditions of the gas, such as density, temperature, and composition.



The galaxy also has a dust lane that crosses its nucleus, partially obscuring direct observations of the central region in visible light.&nbsp;



Overall, NGC 5643 offers a fascinating glimpse into the dynamics of barred <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-mesmerizing-beauty-of-spiral-galaxies/">spiral galaxies</a> with active nuclei, serving as a valuable resource for studying the interactions between supermassive black holes, star formation, and galactic evolution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-constellation-lupus">The constellation Lupus</h2>



Lupus is a constellation located in the southern sky, its name meaning "wolf" in Latin. It has been known since antiquity and was cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy.&nbsp;



Once part of the larger constellation Centaurus, Lupus was later recognized as a distinct constellation. It is relatively faint but holds historical significance in mythology, often associated with a sacrificial wolf in ancient stories.



Lupus is bordered by other constellations like Scorpius, Centaurus, and Libra. Its stars do not form a particularly striking pattern, but it contains a variety of interesting astronomical features. Among them are numerous double stars, globular clusters, and other deep-sky objects, visible through telescopes.&nbsp;



For observers in the Southern Hemisphere, Lupus is best seen in the winter and spring months, while it appears closer to the horizon for those in northern latitudes.



This constellation also lies along the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stars-at-the-edge-of-our-milky-way-galaxy-travel-more-slowly/">Milky Way</a>, offering a rich field of stars and nebulae for stargazers. Despite its modest brightness, Lupus holds a special place in the science of astronomy.



Image Credit: NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope



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Secrets of a spiraling galactic powerhouse

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features NGC 1333, a reflection nebula located in the Perseus molecular cloud about 960 light-years away from Earth. The photo is a mosaic of images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.



“Webb’s superb sensitivity allows astronomers to investigate young objects with extremely low masses. Some of the faintest ‘stars’ in the picture are in fact newly born free-floating brown dwarfs with masses comparable to those of giant planets,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



The same cluster was featured in the 33rd anniversary image of the Hubble Space Telescope in April 2023. 



According to ESA, Hubble’s image just scratched the surface of this region, because clouds of dust obscure much of the star formation process. 



"Observing with larger aperture and in the infrared part of the spectrum, Webb is capable of peering through the dusty veil to reveal newborn stars, brown dwarfs and planetary mass objects."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-webb-s-view-of-ngc-1333">Webb’s view of NGC 1333</h2>



ESA noted that the center of the image presents a deep peek into the heart of the NGC 1333 cloud.&nbsp;



“Across the image we see large patches of orange, which represent gas glowing in the infrared. These so-called Herbig-Haro objects form when ionized material ejected from young stars collides with the surrounding cloud. They are hallmarks of a very active site of star formation."



The disks of gas and dust that surround the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/newly-discovered-stars-milky-way-are-old-as-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a> in this image may eventually produce planetary systems.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stars-in-the-sun-s-birth-cluster">Stars in the Sun's birth cluster</h2>



“Similar to the young stars in this mosaic, our own Sun and planets formed inside a dusty molecular cloud, 4.6 billion years ago. Our Sun did not form in isolation but as part of a cluster, which was perhaps even more massive than NGC 1333,” explained ESA.



Over time, the stars in the Sun's birth cluster would have drifted apart due to gravitational interactions and the dispersion of gas in the region.



Astronomers have been studying certain clues, such as isotopic signatures in meteorites, that hint the Sun may have formed near massive stars. These stars likely produced supernovae, which could have influenced the early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-objects-spotted-in-the-outer-solar-system-beyond-pluto/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar system</a> by injecting heavy elements like iron-60.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-formation-in-ngc-1333">Star formation in NGC 1333</h2>



NGC 1333 is a vibrant example of a stellar nursery, where active <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-stars-release-sneezes-of-gas-and-dust-as-they-develop/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a> is ongoing. It is known for its chaotic appearance, shaped by the interactions between newborn stars and the surrounding material.



Within NGC 1333, astronomers have observed a high level of turbulence, which makes the region dynamic and complex. 



These disturbances are caused by the outflows of young stars as they eject material into their surroundings, creating shock waves and influencing further star formation.&nbsp;



These outflows are often seen as jets, which are visible in multiple wavelengths of light, especially infrared, as the surrounding dust absorbs visible light.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-stages-of-planet-formation">Early stages of planet formation </h2>



NGC 1333 is also an area of interest for studying the early stages of star and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planet-formation-new-insights-mechanics-physics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planet formation</a>, as many of the stars within the cluster are in their infancy.



These stars are still in the process of gathering material and developing protoplanetary disks. 



In images, NGC 1333 is marked by bright patches of blue and red, representing reflection <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-rogue-worlds-discovered-inside-a-young-star-forming-nebula/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nebulae</a> and the ionized gas created by energetic young stars.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-perseus-molecular-cloud-nbsp">The Perseus molecular cloud&nbsp;</h2>



The Perseus molecular cloud is a vast region of cold gas and dust located about 600 light-years away from Earth in the constellation <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/1500-billion-orphan-stars-discovered-in-the-perseus-galaxy-cluster/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Perseus</a>.&nbsp;



It is one of the most studied star-forming regions in our galaxy due to its relative proximity and the diversity of its young stellar objects. This cloud spans several hundred light-years and contains dense pockets of gas where new stars are actively forming.&nbsp;



These areas are often enshrouded in thick dust, which obscures them in visible light but allows astronomers to study them using infrared and radio wavelengths.



The Perseus molecular cloud is particularly interesting because of the chemistry taking place within it, including the formation of complex organic molecules that could be precursors to life.&nbsp;



Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA &amp; CSA



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Stellar nursery shines in the Perseus cloud

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the star-forming region NGC 604. The nebula is located 2.73 million light-years away from Earth in the Triangulum Galaxy (M33). 



By studying regions like NGC 604, astronomers can gain insights into the complex interactions between stars and the interstellar medium, as well as the conditions that lead to the birth of stars. This, in turn, helps in understanding the evolution of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/galaxies-like-our-own-milky-way-are-not-unique/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> and the universe as a whole.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-massive-stars-of-ngc-604">Massive stars of NGC 604</h2>



"Sheltered among NGC 604’s dusty envelopes of gas are more than 200 of the hottest, most massive kinds of stars, all in the early stages of their lives," said <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



"These types of stars are known as B-types and O-types, the latter of which can be more than 100 times the mass of our own Sun. It’s quite rare to find this concentration of them in the nearby universe. In fact, there’s no similar region within our own Milky Way galaxy."



According to ESA, this concentration of massive stars, combined with its relatively close distance, means that NGC 604 gives astronomers an opportunity to study these objects at a fascinating time early in their life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gigantic-region-of-ionized-hydrogen">Gigantic region of ionized hydrogen</h2>



NGC 604 is one of the largest known regions of ionized hydrogen, also known as an H II region. This nebula is significantly larger than the Orion Nebula, which is one of the most well-known H II regions in our own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-amount-of-dark-matter-may-be-missing-from-the-milky-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way galaxy</a>.&nbsp;



NGC 604 spans about 1,500 light-years across, making it one of the largest H II regions in the Local Group of galaxies. This group includes the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, and about 54 other smaller galaxies.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ngc-604-starburst-phenomenon">NGC 604 starburst phenomenon </h2>



Within NGC 604, there are hundreds of young, hot, massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stars-at-the-edge-of-our-milky-way-galaxy-travel-more-slowly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a>. These stars have ionized the surrounding gas, causing it to glow and creating the nebula. The region is a prime example of a starburst phenomenon, where stars form at a much higher rate than in typical galactic conditions.



“The bright orange streaks in this image signify the presence of carbon-based molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs," explained ESA.



"As you travel further from the immediate cavities of dust where the star is forming, the deeper red signifies molecular hydrogen. This cooler gas is a prime environment for star formation. Ionized hydrogen from ultraviolet radiation appears as a white and blue ghostly glow."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-star-formation">More about star formation </h2>



Star formation is crucial for the evolution of galaxies and the synthesis of heavy elements. In the cores of stars, elements heavier than helium are created.



The elements are spread throughout the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-stars-shakti-shiva-shaped-milky-way-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy</a> when stars reach the end of their lives and expel their material - either gently through winds or violently via supernova explosions. 



This enriching process allows for the formation of new stars and planets, and ultimately, the potential for life.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cloud collapse</h3>



The process begins when part of a molecular cloud becomes unstable and starts to collapse under its own gravity. This can be triggered by events like shock waves from nearby <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-explosions-could-damage-distant-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernovae</a>, galactic collisions, or the influence of other massive stars.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Formation of a protostar</h3>



As the cloud collapses, it fragments into smaller clumps. Each clump will eventually form one or more stars. 



The material within these clumps continues to fall inward, heating up as it does so, eventually forming a warm core called a protostar. At this stage, the protostar is not yet hot enough for nuclear fusion (the process that powers stars) to occur.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Accretion disk</h3>



Around the protostar, material from the surrounding cloud continues to fall inward, forming a rotating disk. This material slowly accretes onto the protostar, increasing its mass.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Nuclear fusion begins</h3>



Once the core of the protostar reaches a high enough temperature and pressure, hydrogen atoms begin to fuse into helium, releasing energy in the process. This marks the transition from a protostar to a main sequence star, like our sun.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Main sequence and beyond</h3>



The star will spend the majority of its life in the main sequence stage, where it balances the gravitational forces trying to collapse it and the outward pressure from nuclear fusion. 



Eventually, the star will exhaust its hydrogen fuel. Its subsequent evolution will depend on its initial mass, leading to various end stages such as red giants, supernovae, neutron stars, or black holes.



Image Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope



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Young, massive stars in the Triangulum Galaxy

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features an astronaut view of Mount Nemrut, a volcano located in eastern Turkey near Lake Van.



Mount Nemrut is notable for its immense caldera, which was formed through a series of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-eruptions-play-an-overlooked-role-in-earths-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eruptions</a>. The caldera, one of the largest in the world, now contains several lakes such as Lake Nemrut.&nbsp;



"The eastern half of the caldera is partially filled by solidified lava flows from past eruptions. Snow cover present at the time of this photo accentuates pressure ridges that formed as the lava was flowing and cooling," noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>.



"These pressure ridges vary in size, thickness, and orientation due to the varying viscosity and flow direction of the lavas during eruptions."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-formation-of-lake-nemrut">Formation of Lake Nemrut</h2>



"Lake Nemrut (Nemrut Gölü) occupies the western half of the caldera, creating a rough crescent shape that partially submerges the old lava flows," said NASA.



"This freshwater lake, reaching up to 176 meters deep, is accompanied by a smaller lake at the upper-center of the caldera."



The lake was formed after the collapse of the Nemrut volcano's summit. This collapse created a massive crater, which gradually filled with water over time, forming the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alarming-study-most-of-the-worlds-largest-lakes-are-quickly-losing-water/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lake</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unesco-world-heritage-site">UNESCO World Heritage Site </h2>



Mount Nemrut and its surroundings are part of a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site due to their ecological and geological significance.



The site is home to diverse wildlife, including various bird species that use the lake as a stopover during migration. The caldera also contains smaller lakes and wetlands, adding to the area's biodiversity.



Lake Nemrut is a popular destination for tourists, hikers, and nature enthusiasts, offering stunning views of the volcanic landscape.



Despite its popularity, the lake remains relatively remote and unspoiled, contributing to its appeal as a natural wonder.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mount-nemrut-has-shaped-the-landscape">Mount Nemrut has shaped the landscape</h2>



Geologically, Mount Nemrut is interesting because its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-research-enhances-predictions-on-volcanic-eruptions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eruptions</a> have played a key role in shaping the local landscape. 



Its last major eruption occurred around 1441 AD, which indicates that it's not currently active.



The area around Nemrut is known for its geothermal activity, including hot springs and fumaroles, suggesting that there is still significant heat beneath the surface.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tribute-to-a-king">Tribute to a king</h2>



Over thousands of years, various civilizations have inhabited the region around Nemrut, leaving behind a wealth of archaeological sites.



The summit of Mount Nemrut is dominated by a vast funerary mound constructed by King Antiochus I Theos, who ruled the Kingdom of Commagene in the 1st century BCE. 



The site was intended to serve as his tomb sanctuary and a place to commemorate the king's vision of divine kingship and unity between Eastern and Western cultures.



The mound, made of loose crushed stones, measures about 50 meters (164 feet) in height and spans a diameter of 150 meters (492 feet), creating an imposing feature visible from afar.



Surrounding the mound are terraces on the eastern, western, and northern sides, each adorned with colossal statues and reliefs. The statues, ranging in height from 8 to 10 meters (26 to 33 feet), represent various deities, including Zeus, Apollo, Hercules, and the goddess Tyche, alongside King Antiochus himself. 



The heads of the statues, many of which have toppled over due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-map-shows-75-percent-of-the-u-s-at-risk-of-damaging-earthquakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earthquakes</a> and erosion, lie scattered around the site.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spiritual-and-religious-practices">Spiritual and religious practices</h2>



In addition to the statues, inscriptions at Mount Nemrut provide valuable historical information about the kingdom, the king's lineage, and the religious practices of the time.



The site is not only a marvel of ancient engineering but also a spiritual and astronomical center. Scholars believe the terraces were aligned with celestial events, serving as an observatory for solstices and equinoxes.



In addition to its natural and historical significance, the Nemrut volcano has been the subject of scientific study, as researchers aim to understand more about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-eruptions-play-an-overlooked-role-in-earths-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">volcanic activity</a> in the region, the history of its eruptions, and the potential risks it may pose in the future.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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Mount Nemrut: Ancient mysteries and natural marvels 

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the world's largest iceberg currently in existence, known as Iceberg A-23a. It is a colossal tabular iceberg that originated from Antarctica’s Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf.&nbsp;



“The ice mass is currently lodged on the seabed 73 kilometers (45 miles) from the remote island of South Georgia, which can be seen just poking out from beneath the cloud cover,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/05/Earth_from_Space_World_s_biggest_iceberg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“Although the size of the island is not clearly visible in this image, it is only marginally bigger than the iceberg.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-largest-active-iceberg">Largest active iceberg</h2>



This massive chunk of ice initially calved off the ice shelf in 1986, making it not only the largest active iceberg today but also among the oldest still afloat.



For decades, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-largest-iceberg-a23a-undergoing-major-erosion/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A-23a</a> remained grounded in the Weddell Sea, lodged against the seafloor and relatively immobile. However, in recent years - particularly in 2020 - it began to drift again, having finally dislodged.&nbsp;



Since then, it has slowly but steadily been moving northward, driven by ocean currents and winds. By late 2023, A-23a had entered the open waters of the Southern Ocean and was heading toward the region around South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic - a typical path for icebergs from the Weddell Sea. 



This drift raised concerns about possible ecological impacts, especially if the iceberg were to run aground near South Georgia, potentially disrupting local marine ecosystems and wildlife, such as seals and penguins that rely on open access to the ocean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-enormous-chunk-of-ice">An enormous chunk of ice</h2>



A-23a is enormous in scale. At its peak size, it covered an area of around 3,900 square kilometers - that’s larger than the U.S. state of Rhode Island or roughly one-and-a-half times the size of Luxembourg.&nbsp;



It’s around 400 meters thick, about the height of the Empire State Building, and the portion visible above water represents only a fraction of its total size, as most of the iceberg lies below the surface.&nbsp;



“A23a has started to disintegrate and many smaller blocks of ice are visible in the dark blue ocean, particularly to the north of the berg. The disintegration is typical of icebergs that reach this far north and is caused by the warmer sea temperatures and weather conditions,” said ESA.



Despite these losses, however, it has retained much of its original bulk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-iceberg-a-23a-nbsp">Significance of Iceberg A-23a&nbsp;</h2>



Iceberg A-23a carries significance not just due to its size but also for what it tells scientists about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-are-losing-the-battle-against-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> and ocean dynamics.&nbsp;



Iceberg drift patterns are closely monitored via satellite imagery to study how changing climate conditions affect calving rates, iceberg longevity, and meltwater inputs into the ocean.&nbsp;



As it continues its journey, A-23a will gradually shrink, releasing vast quantities of freshwater into the sea, which can affect local salinity levels and nutrient distribution.



While icebergs this large are rare, they’re not unprecedented. In 2000, an even larger iceberg, B-15, broke away from the Ross Ice Shelf and initially covered more than 11,000 square kilometers. But that iceberg has long since broken into smaller fragments and dissipated.&nbsp;



What makes A-23a remarkable is its longevity and recent reactivation, allowing researchers to witness the slow transformation of a giant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-ecosystem-sea-creatures-never-before-seen-revealed-antarctica-iceberg-breakup/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">frozen relic</a> that had remained stationary for most of its existence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-large-icebergs-and-potential-collisions">Large icebergs and potential collisions</h2>



Large icebergs, particularly those calved from Antarctica’s vast ice shelves, can span hundreds to thousands of square kilometers and weigh billions of tons. When they break away, they typically drift into the Southern Ocean, carried by wind and powerful ocean currents like the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.&nbsp;



These icebergs gradually melt as they travel into warmer waters, but some, like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-largest-iceberg-a23a-breaks-free-from-ocean-cyclone/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A23A</a> or the infamous B-15, can persist for years or even decades.



As they drift, large icebergs can become hazards - primarily to the environment but occasionally to shipping lanes. Potential collisions usually involve these ice masses grounding on continental shelves or crashing into islands or seafloor ridges.&nbsp;



When such collisions occur, they can damage benthic ecosystems, which are sensitive and often host slow-growing, endemic species. The scraping of a massive iceberg across the seabed disrupts sediments and organisms, potentially changing that habitat for years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ecological-chain-reactions">Ecological chain reactions</h2>



Additionally, when a large iceberg grounds near biologically rich areas like South Georgia Island, it can block access to feeding zones used by marine mammals and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nearly-all-seabirds-have-ingested-microplastics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seabirds</a>, forcing them to take longer, more exhausting foraging trips.&nbsp;



This can lead to increased mortality, especially during breeding seasons when animals are tethered to colonies or nurseries.&nbsp;



These disruptions highlight how icebergs, though natural parts of the cryosphere, can trigger ecological chain reactions as they interact with biologically productive and topographically complex regions.



The image was captured on April 5, 2025 by the Ocean and Land Color Instrument on <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Copernicus Sentinel-3</a>.



Image Credit: ESA



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Satellite captures a glimpse of the world's largest iceberg

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features UGC 5460, a spiral galaxy that is located about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.&nbsp;



“This image combines four different wavelengths of light to reveal UGC 5460’s central bar of stars, winding spiral arms and bright blue star clusters. Also captured in the upper left-hand corner of this image is a far closer object: a star just 577 light-years away in our own galaxy,” said <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“UGC 5460 has hosted two recent supernovae named SN 2011ht and SN 2015as. It’s because of these two stellar explosions that Hubble targeted this galaxy, collecting data for three observing programmes that aim to study various kinds of supernovae.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-core-collapse-supernova-nbsp">A core-collapse supernova&nbsp;</h2>



SN 2015as is an example of a core-collapse supernova. This type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-explosions-could-damage-distant-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernova</a> occurs when the core of a massive star - typically with more than 8 times the mass of the sun - can no longer support its own gravity after exhausting its nuclear fuel. 



This causes the core to collapse under its own weight, leading to an extremely violent explosion. The collapse triggers the release of an enormous amount of energy, expelling the outer layers of the star into space.



In the aftermath of the explosion, a dense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shockingly-bright-carbon-monoxide-detected-in-supernova-remnant/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">remnant</a> is created. This is often a neutron star or black hole, depending on the mass of the original star. Core-collapse supernovae are some of the most powerful events in the universe.



According to ESA, Hubble observations of SN 2015as will help researchers understand what happens when the expanding shockwave of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-dandelion-year-1181-leaves-behind-zombie-star-defying-death/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernova</a> collides with the gas that surrounds the exploded star.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rare-stars-with-large-eruptions-nbsp">Rare stars with large eruptions&nbsp;</h2>



“SN 2011ht might have been a core-collapse supernova as well, but it could also be an impostor called a luminous blue variable. Luminous blue variables are rare stars that experience eruptions so large that they can mimic supernovae,” noted ESA.



“Crucially, luminous blue variables emerge from these eruptions unscathed, while stars that go supernova do not. Hubble will search for a stellar survivor at SN 2011ht’s location, and the explosion’s identity may be revealed at last.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-spiral-galaxy">What is a spiral galaxy?</h2>



Spiral galaxies are some of the most recognizable and beautiful structures in the universe. They are known for their distinctive arms that spiral outward from a central bulge.&nbsp;



These galaxies are typically composed of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter. The arms are often sites of intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluffy-molecular-clouds-may-change-our-understanding-of-star-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a>, where clouds of gas collapse to form new stars. 



In the center of a spiral galaxy lies a dense concentration of older stars and, often, a supermassive black hole.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-structure-of-a-spiral-galaxy-nbsp">Structure of a spiral galaxy&nbsp;</h2>



The structure of a spiral galaxy is generally divided into three main components: the disk, the bulge, and the halo.&nbsp;



The disk is where the spiral arms are located and contains most of the galaxy's visible stars and interstellar medium.&nbsp;



The bulge is a tightly packed region of older stars at the core, and the halo consists of a sparse collection of stars and globular clusters that surround the galaxy.&nbsp;



Spiral galaxies can be classified into different types based on the tightness and number of their spiral arms, as well as the size of their central bulge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-milky-way-galaxy">The Milky Way galaxy</h2>



Our solar system is located within a large spiral galaxy known as the Milky Way. The name refers to its appearance as a dim, milky band of light stretching across the night sky.&nbsp;



The term "Milky Way" comes from ancient Greek mythology, where it was associated the goddess Hera's milk spilling into the sky. In Greek, it was called "Galaxias Kyklos," meaning "milky circle."&nbsp;



Spanning about 100,000 light-years in diameter, the Milky Way is composed of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter. The galaxy has a distinct disk shape with spiral arms that wind outward from a central bulge, which houses a supermassive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-ways-black-hole-unleashes-mysterious-flares/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black hole</a>. 



Our sun is located in one of the spiral arms - known as the Orion Arm - positioned roughly halfway from the center to the outer edge.&nbsp;



The Milky Way is part of a small group of galaxies called the Local Group, which includes the Andromeda Galaxy and several smaller galaxies.



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Hubble views a spiral galaxy with stellar explosions

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a blanket of dust over the Tarim Basin - a vast, arid region in northwestern China. 



Mountain peaks are visible through a break in the dust. These peaks are part of Tekilik Shan, a subrange of the Kunlun Mountains.



Though not as widely known as some other mountain ranges in the area, Tekilik Shan plays a significant role in shaping local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-weather-is-pushing-nature-toward-a-breaking-point/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weather</a> patterns and geography.



Its snow-covered peaks can rise above 13,000 feet, contributing to the dramatic elevation differences that define the basin’s borders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dust-storms-in-the-tarim-basin-nbsp">Dust storms in the Tarim Basin&nbsp;</h2>



Spring marks the height of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sahara-desert-dust-storms-carry-harmful-bacteria-and-fungi-around-the-globe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dust storm</a> activity in the Tarim Basin, particularly in its southern region.&nbsp;



“It’s a time of year when regional wind patterns shift in ways that cause winds and storm systems to sweep in from the northwest,” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154126/a-curtain-of-dust-over-the-tarim-basin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>.



“In early spring, when landscapes in this region are especially dry and have minimal vegetation, land surfaces warm rapidly under the Sun’s heat every morning, fueling convection that can help loft dust upward by the afternoon.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fingerlike-dust-formations-nbsp">Fingerlike dust formations&nbsp;</h2>



Satellite images revealed dust formations with fingerlike shapes that mirrored the landscape below. These projections aligned with valleys, which channeled and directed the airborne dust.&nbsp;



Ralph Kahn is an atmospheric scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder and scientist emeritus at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.



According to Kahn, the dust may have been “self-lofting.” In this process, sunlight heats recently stirred-up surface dust, creating pockets of convection that lift it even higher into the air.



This interpretation is supported by hourly observations from Japan’s Himawari-9 geostationary satellite, which showed dust gradually rising into the Tekilik Shan throughout the day. By late afternoon, the storm had grown dense enough to obscure the mountains.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decline-in-atmospheric-dust">Decline in atmospheric dust</h2>



Long-term satellite data from MODIS suggest that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-storms-in-the-gulf-of-alaska-help-shape-the-global-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atmospheric dust</a> levels in this region have declined by about 1.5 percent each year since the early 2000s.&nbsp;



NASA researcher Hongbin Yu attributes this trend mainly to springtime changes - such as altered wind speeds, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-soil-moisture-can-predict-severe-storms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soil moisture</a>, or vegetation cover - rather than shifts in other seasons.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rainfall-in-the-tarim-basin-nbsp">Rainfall in the Tarim Basin&nbsp;</h2>



“The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Takla-Makan-Desert" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Takla Makan Desert</a> is one of the driest, most barren expanses on Earth. Flanked by mountain ranges on three sides and parched by the resulting <a href="https://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Rain_shadow" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rain shadow</a>, parts of the Tarim Basin receive no more than 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) of rain per year,” noted NASA.



“Dust storms can lead to public health problems in populated areas downwind by transporting small particles, bacteria, and viruses that infiltrate human respiratory systems.”&nbsp;



NASA added that dust storms can also affect Earth’s climate by scattering and absorbing incoming solar radiation and changing the properties of clouds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-landscape-of-the-tarim-basin-nbsp">Landscape of the Tarim Basin&nbsp;</h2>



The Tarim Basin is one of the largest endorheic basins in the world, meaning that its rivers do not drain into the sea but instead flow into interior lakes or evaporate.&nbsp;



The basin is encircled by three mountain ranges: the Tien Shan to the north, the Kunlun Mountains to the south, and the Pamirs to the west. These ranges create a powerful rain shadow effect, making the region exceptionally dry.



At the heart of the Tarim Basin lies the Taklamakan Desert, one of the most extreme deserts on Earth. The desert is known for its high dunes, intense temperature swings, and minimal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-rainfall-will-wreak-havoc-on-mountain-ranges-as-warming-climate-turns-snow-to-rain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rainfall</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-history-and-geology">History and geology</h2>



Despite its harsh environment, the basin has been historically significant. It was a key section of the ancient Silk Road, with several oases such as Kashgar, Khotan, and Loulan serving as vital trading and cultural centers for centuries.



Geologically, the basin is rich in natural resources, particularly oil and natural gas, and has become a focal point for China's energy exploration and development.&nbsp;



The region’s challenging climate and remote location, however, make infrastructure development and human habitation difficult.&nbsp;



The image was captured on March 27, 2025 by the Operational Land Imager instrument on Landsat 8.



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Blanket of dust covers China’s Tarim Basin

The MODIS instrument, short for Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, is a key instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. MODIS is playing a vital role in the development of Earth ecosystem models, able to predict global changes, which then assist policy makers in making informed decisions about the protection of the global environment.

Heavy snow and cloud cover in the Alps are seen in this Image of the day&nbsp;from the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at heavy snow and low clouds in the Alps. Wildlife such as ibex live in the higher peaks to elevations of 3,400 m (11,155 ft), and plants such as Edelweiss grow in rocky areas in lower elevations as well as in higher elevations.

Heavy snow and cloud cover in the Alps

Monitoring Earth Changes with MODIS

Aqua is a NASA scientific research satellite that studies precipitation, evaporation, and water cycles. Terra and Aura make up the Earth Observing System. It's the second component of the system.

A frozen Lake Erie in February Today’s Image of the Day comes from the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at a frozen <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/icy-lake-erie/">Lake Erie</a>, which is currently 93.3 percent iced over. A frozen Lake Erie in February
This false-color image was created using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the Aqua satellite to differentiate between snow, ice, and clouds.
Lake Erie /ˈɪəri/ (French: Lac Érié) is the fourth-largest lake (by surface area) of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the eleventh-largest globally if measured in terms of surface area.It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. At its deepest point Lake Erie is 210 feet (64 metres) deep. 
Situated on the International Boundary between Canada and the United States, Lake Erie&#8217;s northern shore is the Canadian province of Ontario, specifically the Ontario Peninsula, with the U.S. states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York on its western, southern, and eastern shores. These jurisdictions divide the surface area of the lake with water boundaries. 
The lake was named by the Erie people, a Native American people who lived along its southern shore. The tribal name &#8220;erie&#8221; is a shortened form of the Iroquoian word erielhonan, meaning long tail
&#8212;
By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Image Credit: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

A frozen Lake Erie in February

Aqua Earth Observing Satellite

This beautiful photo gallery contains 50 incredible images of Earth from Space. These images were taken by astronauts onboard the International Space Station, as well as by a multitude of NASA satellites orbiting the earth.

Today’s Image of the Day comes thanks to the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=90654&amp;eocn=home&amp;eoci=iotd_readmore">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at Super Typhoon Noru in the Pacific Ocean just south of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-blue-chrysanthemums-created/">Japan</a>.
This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on July 31, 2017. 
At the time the photo was taken, Typhoon Noru was located just 250 kilometers south of Iwo Jima. Maximum sustained winds hit 150 miles per hour.
The storm briefly became a category 5 on July 30, before being downgraded to a category 4 one day later.
&#8211;
By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Source: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=90654&amp;eocn=home&amp;eoci=iotd_readmore">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

Super Typhoon Noru in the Pacific Ocean

Incredible Images of Earth from Space

Photos from the International Space Station are found in this awesome Earth.com image gallery. Flat-earthers won't agree, but these incredible photos of the Earth were taken by astronauts onboard the International Space Station. The International Space Station is a modular space station in low Earth orbit.

Northern Italy from the space station is seen here in this Image of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> (ESA). The view includes the top half of the Italian Peninsula, along with <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/wildfires-burn-northern-corsica/">Corsica</a> and Sardinia off the coast. This image was captured by ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli on his third and final mission to the Space Station.

Northern Italy from the Space Station

Photos from the International Space Station

Yellowstone’s seething terraces and steaming pools draw visitors for their color and heat, but to microbiologists they offer something else: a peek at the sort of place where the earliest stirrings of life may have taken hold in the form of giant viruses.



One acidic creek in the park, forever gurgling around 112 °F, has now revealed an unexpected cast of microbial giants that could have nudged evolution along.



Giant viruses found in Yellowstone's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hot-springs-may-have-played-a-key-role-in-the-emergence-of-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hot springs</a> - organisms so large they sometimes escape standard filters - have been turning up in many odd corners of the planet. Yet their role in shaping early ecosystems has remained hazy. 



A fresh look at a green algal mat in Yellowstone suggests these outsized invaders were not latecomers but long-standing residents whose presence dates back a billion-plus years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-yellowstone-s-living-time-capsules">Yellowstone’s living time capsules</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shanay-timpishka-river-amazon-rainforest-is-so-hot-that-it-literally-boils-destroying-nearby-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hot springs</a> change, dry up and reappear over geological time, but each one preserves chemical and physical traits once common on early Earth. 



The creek known as Lemonade runs through a narrow channel lined with bright-green filaments of red algae, or Rhodophyta. In water that hits pH 2, those algae thrive alongside sulfur-loving microbes that shrug off toxins such as arsenic.



After skimming DNA from the mat, nearby soil and the spaces between stones, researchers filtered out familiar bacterial, archaeal and algal sequences. 



Roughly 3,700 potential viral fragments remained, and almost two-thirds belonged to the giant class. Computer sleuthing pieced together most of the genomes of about 25 distinct viruses. 



“The connections between the viruses and [their hosts] are ancient,” <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rutgers University</a> genome scientist Debashish Bhattacharya explains, pointing to proteins whose tightly packed shapes suit a habitat that seldom cools below 112 °F.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giant-viruses-and-yellowstone-hot-springs">Giant viruses and Yellowstone hot springs</h2>



Giant-virus DNA carries the same three-letter code preferences as other creek dwellers, signaling a long residence rather than a recent arrival from cooler pools. 



When the team built a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-microbial-ancestors-developed-virus-defenses-one-billion-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">viral family tree</a>, the Lemonade Creek line split near the very base, implying the partnership with red algae may stretch back 1.5 billion years. 



“Understanding ancient virus evolution may be key to our understanding of [life’s] early developments,” notes Simon Roux, a microbiologist at the Department of Energy’s <a href="https://jgi.doe.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joint Genome Institute</a> who was not involved in the work.



Many hot-spring inhabitants borrow genes to cope with heat and toxins. Exactly how a complex eukaryote such as algae grabs DNA from simple bacteria has puzzled biochemists. 



Andreas Weber, a biochemist at <a href="https://www.hhu.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf</a>, calls hot springs “time capsules that provide a window into early eukaryotic life.” 



He suspects giant viruses act as middlemen, grabbing genes from bacteria or archaea, then handing them to the algae they infect. 



In that shuttle role, “the viruses likely play an important role in the long-term stability of the hot spring communities,” he adds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-separate-worlds-inches-apart">Separate worlds inches apart</h2>



Sampling revealed three viral neighborhoods: one on the algal mat, one in adjacent soil and one wedged between rocks. 



“I would have thought that there would be more exchange between neighboring sites that are sometimes only a few centimeters apart,” Weber admits. 



Their isolation “points out how little we really know about the diversity and role of viruses in microbial communities,” observes Mark Young, an environmental virologist emeritus at <a href="https://www.montana.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Montana State University</a> who was not involved with the work.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-yellowstone-s-giant-viruses-matter">Why Yellowstone's giant viruses matter</h2>



Giant viruses are not the only curiosities to surface in the park. Scientists George Rice and Mark Young spotted another virus drifting among heat-loving archaea in the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/places/000/midway-geyser-basin-trailhead.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Midway Geyser Basin</a>. 



Archaea are thermophiles that flourish in pools between 158 °F and 197 °F and at pH values as low as 1; they have yielded just 36 viruses out of more than 5,000 known. 



"Anywhere there's life, we expect viruses," Young says, stressing how protected reserves aid such finds. 



"This is a stellar example of why we need places that are protected for scientists to come in and look for new discoveries," park geologist Hank Heasler agrees.



Rice’s team reported that the Yellowstone virus’s protein shell resembles coats from viruses that infect bacteria and animals. 



"Thermophiles are deeply rooted in the tree of life," Young notes, hinting that the virus predates the split between bacteria, archaea and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-oldest-organisms-ever-discovered-show-dazzling-diversity-and-complexity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eukaryotes</a> roughly 3.5 billion years ago. Genetic work backs the idea. 



"The genes look different [from those of other viruses] so they probably do different things," Rice says.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-viruses-and-the-search-for-alien-life">Viruses and the search for alien life</h2>



Viruses shuttle genes with abandon. "They're not just a passenger," Young emphasizes. "They are the major source of biological material on this planet. They have a huge role in moving genes around." 



That talent intrigues astrobiologists: "If we're going to go to non-Earth-based bodies to look for life, this discovery gives <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a> an approach for looking for life in hot-temperature environments, which we know to exist off of Earth," Young points out. 



Enzymes that stay stable in boiling water could also feed medical diagnostics or industrial reactions that now falter under heat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-learned-from-yellowstone-s-giant-viruses">Lessons learned from Yellowstone's giant viruses</h2>



The story flowing from a modest creek in Yellowstone widens our picture of life’s early days. 



Giant viruses, once dismissed as curiosities, appear to have stood shoulder to shoulder with the first eukaryotes, swapping genes, recycling nutrients and carving out niches even when resources were scarce. 



On a planet where every drop of hot water seems to shelter a unique community, each discovery reminds us how much more waits beneath the steam.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-05931-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Biology</a>.



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Giant viruses found in Yellowstone's hot springs may be near the root of all life on Earth

Yellowstone’s seething terraces and steaming pools draw visitors for their...

James,Webb,Telescope,In,Outer,Space,On,Orbit,Of,Earth.

Astronomers have been searching for water ice outside of our solar system for years. They expected to find it. They knew it existed on moons and dwarf planets around Jupiter, Saturn, and beyond. But they couldn’t confirm it around other stars. Until now.



The James Webb Space Telescope just changed everything. Researchers aimed its Near-Infrared Spectrograph (<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/nirspec/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NIRSpec</a>) at HD 181327, a Sun-like star 155 light-years away. What they found was crystalline <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-might-have-formed-long-before-galaxies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water</a> ice swirling in a dusty debris disk around the star.



Chen Xie is the lead author of the study and assistant research scientist at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a>.



“Webb unambiguously detected not just water ice, but crystalline water ice,” said Xie. “It’s also found in locations like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-earth-had-planetary-rings-like-saturn-466-million-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn’s rings</a> and icy bodies in our solar system’s Kuiper Belt.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-ice-around-distant-stars">Water ice around distant stars</h2>



Astronomers have long suspected <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-may-have-existed-in-the-universe-far-earlier-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water</a> ice in these distant disks. Spitzer, a retired space telescope, hinted at it back in 2008. But its instruments weren’t sensitive enough to confirm it. That’s where Webb comes in.



<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Webb</a> can detect the faintest traces of ice, dust, and rock. Its instruments can pick up on tiny particles that other telescopes miss. This level of precision allowed researchers to confirm the presence of crystalline water ice around HD 181327.



Xie emphasized the significance of the discovery. “The presence of water ice helps facilitate planet formation,” he said. “Icy materials may also ultimately be ‘delivered’ to terrestrial planets that may form over a couple hundred million years in systems like this.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-chaotic-debris-disk">A chaotic debris disk</h2>



HD 181327 is young. Just 23 million years old. Compare that to our Sun, which is 4.6 billion years old. This star is hotter and more massive than the Sun, and its system is a mess. Dust, rock, and icy bodies collide and scatter, creating a chaotic debris disk.



Christine Chen, co-author and associate astronomer at the <a href="https://www.stsci.edu/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Space Telescope Science Institute</a>, described the scene. 



“HD 181327 is a very active system. There are regular, ongoing collisions in its debris disk. When those icy bodies collide, they release tiny particles of dusty water ice that are perfectly sized for Webb to detect,” noted Chen.



Webb detected a significant gap between the star and its debris disk. A wide, empty zone. This gap could indicate the presence of forming planets, sweeping up debris as they orbit. Beyond that gap, the disk resembles our Kuiper Belt - a region filled with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-arrived-on-earth-gradually-not-in-one-big-event/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">icy</a> bodies, comets, and dwarf planets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-ice-everywhere-almost">Water ice everywhere - almost</h2>



Water ice isn’t spread evenly in the HD 181327 system. In the outer disk, where temperatures are colder, ice particles make up more than 20% of the material.



Move closer to the star, and the amount of ice drops to around 8%. Here, icy particles form faster than they break apart. But the inner disk? Almost no water ice - ultraviolet light from the star likely vaporizes it, or rocky planetesimals might be trapping it inside their cores.



“When I was a graduate student 25 years ago, my advisor told me there should be ice in debris disks,” said Chen. “But prior to Webb, we didn’t have instruments sensitive enough to make these observations.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-ice-and-planet-formation">Water ice and planet formation</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/enough-water-to-fill-trillions-of-earths-oceans-found-circling-black-hole-quasar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Icy</a> bodies do more than drift through space. They collide, break apart, and scatter particles. These particles can clump together, forming the seeds of new planets. Over millions of years, icy debris could deliver water and other vital compounds to rocky worlds.



Researchers think this is how Earth got its water - icy comets and asteroids crashing into a young, molten planet. Now, they’re looking at HD 181327’s disk and asking the same questions. 



Could icy bodies there deliver water to forming planets? And if so, could these planets develop habitable conditions?



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



Webb has only just begun its mission. It’s equipped to scan more debris disks around other stars, searching for signs of water ice. Each discovery adds a new piece to the puzzle of how icy bodies evolve and interact in young planetary systems.



NASA, ESA, and CSA built Webb to answer the big questions: How do stars and planets form? Where does water come from? And could <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-captures-best-view-ever-of-icy-objects-from-the-early-solar-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">icy bodies</a> in distant systems deliver the same life-sustaining molecules that once fell to Earth?



For now, researchers are focused on HD 181327. They’re mapping the distribution of water ice, measuring its concentration, and tracking how it moves. Webb’s instruments are sensitive enough to detect the tiniest particles, revealing hidden dynamics in these faraway systems.



The presence of crystalline water ice around HD 181327 marks a turning point. For the first time, astronomers can study icy debris disks beyond our solar system with clarity and precision. And as they do, they’re not just looking for water. They’re looking for the building blocks of life itself.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08920-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Webb telescope finds water ice around distant star for the first time

Astronomers have been searching for water ice outside of our...

A walk through a park, a moment of quiet under a tree, a glimpse of green spaces from a window - these small encounters with nature might be more than just pleasant distractions. They could be changing people's lifestyle choices.



Researchers from the University of Exeter have found a link between nature and health habits. The study, part of the BlueHealth <a href="https://bluehealth2020.eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">project</a> funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020, tracked smoking and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-social-drinking-feels-so-different-from-drinking-alone/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drinking patterns</a> across 18 countries.



The results were clear. People living in the greenest neighborhoods were 13 percent less likely to smoke and 31 percent less likely to drink daily than those in less <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-green-spaces-are-urgently-needed-across-the-global-south/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">green areas</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-visits-reduce-smoking">Nature visits reduce smoking</h2>



The study didn’t stop at measuring green space. It also looked at intentional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cities-in-the-global-south-have-far-less-green-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nature</a> visits. People who made it a habit to spend time in nature - at least once a week - were less likely to smoke. The effect on drinking wasn’t as strong.



“We don’t think it’s simply a coincidence those who are exposed to nature smoke and drink less. A growing number of studies are showing that when people are exposed to nature, they have fewer cravings for substances like alcohol and nicotine,” noted Dr. Mat White from the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vienna</a>.



“In part, we think this is because they tend to be calmer and don’t need that 'hit,' which helps them give up smoking, for instance.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-counts-as-green-space">What counts as green space?</h2>



The study defined residential green space as land with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-what-were-really-fighting-for/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">natural elements</a> within 250 meters of a person’s home. That includes private gardens, parks, and patches of greenery. Data came from the BlueHealth International Survey, which involved 18,838 adults from 18 countries.



Study lead author Dr. Leanne Martin emphasized that the benefits of nature cut across income levels and educational backgrounds.



“Our finding that nature seems to be beneficial to all in society is hugely important because it goes some way to leveling the playing field in terms of reducing health inequalities,” noted Dr. Martin.



“We've accounted for a wide range of socioeconomic factors in our research and found the benefits are not determined by things like having a higher income or living in more affluent areas. For those people who don’t live in areas with high green space, we’ve found those intentional visits to nature also have huge benefits.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-green-spaces-can-assist-public-health">Green spaces can assist public health</h2>



The study suggests that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/surprising-mental-health-benefits-of-living-near-green-spaces/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">green</a> spaces could serve as a public health tool. Nature’s calming effect may reduce cravings for cigarettes. The tranquility of a park, the rhythm of a river, or the rustle of leaves could all play a role in easing the urge to smoke. 



But what about alcohol? The study found that while living near green spaces was linked to less daily drinking, the effect was not as strong as it was for smoking. 



Researchers think social habits may be a factor. Drinking often happens in social settings, and those settings might still be present, even in green areas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-nature-help-you-break-a-habit">Can nature help you break a habit?</h2>



Public health programs could use these findings. Instead of conventional quit-smoking strategies, they could promote nature visits. A weekly walk through a forest or a park might offer the same calming effect as nicotine - without the health risks.



But what about those without easy access to green spaces? The study suggests that intentional nature visits work, even for people in urban areas. Programs could organize nature outings or create small green spaces in city centers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-study-stands-out">Why this study stands out</h2>



Previous studies often focused on one country or one type of nature exposure. This study expanded the scope. It covered 18 countries and looked at both residential green space and intentional nature visits.



Despite the cultural and environmental differences across countries, the findings remained consistent. The link between green spaces and lower smoking rates held up across the board. This suggests that nature’s influence isn’t tied to one place or culture - it’s universal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-just-green-space">More than just green space</h2>



The study lays the groundwork for future research. It opens questions about how much nature is needed to see a health effect. Would a short walk through a park have the same impact as a day spent hiking? Would sitting by a lake offer more benefits than a walk through a garden?



And what about other health risks? If nature can lower smoking rates, could it also reduce other unhealthy habits? More research could explore these questions and refine the role of nature in public health strategies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-green-spaces-and-healthier-habits">Green spaces and healthier habits</h2>



The <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Exeter</a> study offers a simple message: green spaces might help people smoke and drink less. Living near greenery or visiting nature regularly seems to make people less likely to reach for a cigarette or a drink.



For public health officials, the findings suggest a low-cost, accessible intervention. Create more green spaces. Promote nature visits. Make nature a regular part of daily life.



For individuals, the takeaway is even simpler. Spend time in nature. Visit a park. Walk through a garden. It could be more than just a relaxing break - it could be a step toward a healthier life.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1353829225000693?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Health &amp; Place</a>.



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Living near nature helps reduce bad habits like smoking

A walk through a park, a moment of quiet under...

In Uganda’s Budongo Forest, chimpanzees are doing more than just surviving. They’re treating their wounds with plants, cleaning each other’s injuries, and pulling snares off their companions’ limbs. 



These behaviors, documented in a new study, hint at something profound. Perhaps the roots of human medicine run deeper than we thought.



Elodie Freymann, a researcher from the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oxford</a> and the study’s lead author, believes these findings offer a fresh perspective on how our ancestors might have first learned to care for wounds. 



“<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-mix-vocal-calls-to-create-new-meanings-like-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Animals</a> are helping each other out. They’re capable of identifying others in need and then addressing those specific needs,” Freymann said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-chimpanzees-treat-wounds">How chimpanzees treat wounds</h2>



For eight months, researchers watched two chimpanzee communities in Budongo - Sonso and Waibira. Injuries were common, from bites and scratches to deadly snares left by humans.



In Sonso alone, nearly 40% of the chimps bore snare scars. Freymann and her team saw twelve injuries in Sonso and five in Waibira during the study period. The injured chimps weren’t just tending to their own wounds. They were also helping each other.



A male chimp named KT managed to pull a nylon snare off his wrist. Another <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-use-rhythmic-drumming-to-communicate-in-forests/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chimpanzee</a>, HW, licked the wound of a female after she had been attacked. 



In yet another case, a juvenile female chewed leaves, dabbed them onto her mother’s wounds, then licked her fingers and pressed them onto the injured area. This behavior wasn’t isolated to relatives. In four instances, chimps helped others unrelated to them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chimpanzees-recognize-medicinal-plants">Chimpanzees recognize medicinal plants </h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-wild-chimpanzees-can-teach-us-about-parenting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chimpanzees</a> don’t just grab any leaf when they get hurt. They seem to know which plants help wounds heal. 



Freymann’s team documented several plant species used in wound care. Acalypha sp., for example, is known for its antimicrobial properties. Pseudospondias microcarpa has a reputation for soothing pain and reducing inflammation.



One chimp chewed Acalypha leaves, then pressed the pulp onto a cut. Another used Lasiodiscus pervillei leaves to wipe away dirt and blood. 



A juvenile male named KO even mashed the stem bark of Argomuellera macrophylla and rubbed it into a wound on his leg. The behavior mirrored traditional African medicine, where these plants treat everything from skin infections to digestive issues.



“It’s likely that our shared common ancestor also would have been capable of these care behaviors as well,” Freymann noted. If chimps know which plants heal wounds, maybe early humans learned from them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-social-side-of-care">The social side of care</h2>



Prosocial care - helping others - is rare among non-human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-share-alcoholic-fruit-to-increase-social-bonding/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animals</a>. But Budongo’s chimps are doing it. During the study, researchers documented seven cases of one chimp helping another. In three of these instances, the caregiver and the injured chimp were unrelated.



A male chimp named ZG licked the blood off a female’s wound after she was attacked by other chimps. In another case, NT, a juvenile female, watched her mother chew leaves and press them onto a wound. NT then did the same, imitating her mother’s technique.



Freymann sees this as evidence that chimps aren’t just mimicking; they’re actively learning. 



“Our research helps illuminate the evolutionary roots of human medicine and healthcare systems,” said Freymann. “By documenting how chimpanzees identify and utilize medicinal plants and provide care to others, we gain insight into the cognitive and social foundations of human healthcare behaviors.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-threats-to-chimpanzee-healthcare">Threats to chimpanzee healthcare</h2>



Chimpanzees in Budongo face a constant threat from human snares. Nearly 40% of the Sonso chimps bear scars from these traps. 



Freymann’s team observed multiple instances of snare removal, some self-directed and others involving help from group members. But the danger remains.



The findings also suggest that chimpanzees in Budongo, Gabon, and other regions might share similar care behaviors. This could mean that these practices are widespread, not isolated. But there’s still much to learn.



For Freymann, the implications extend beyond chimpanzees and their use of plants. Observing how these primates use plants for healing might provide clues for new medicinal compounds. 



“If we want to hone in on these amazing medicinal resources, watching and learning from the animals is an incredibly effective way to do it if it’s done ethically and responsibly,” she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-plant-medicine-from-chimpanzees">Learning plant medicine from chimpanzees</h2>



The study doesn’t just document chimpanzee healthcare. It challenges how we think about the origins of medicine. Watching chimps chew leaves and press them onto wounds, it’s easy to imagine early humans doing the same. Maybe they learned from the chimps. Maybe they figured it out together.



Budongo’s chimpanzees aren’t doctors, but they are healers. And in their actions, we might find the echoes of our own ancient medical traditions.



Freymann’s work reminds us that medicine is not just a human invention. It might be a shared legacy, passed down from ancestors who walked the forests long before us.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2025.1540922/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Evolution and Ecology</a>.



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Chimpanzees know which plants to use for healing wounds

In Uganda’s Budongo Forest, chimpanzees are doing more than just...

The origin of reptiles on Earth has been pushed back by an astonishing 40 million years. Fossilized tracks unearthed in Australia provide compelling evidence that reptile-like animals existed far earlier than previously thought. 



This finding challenges long-held assumptions about the evolution of tetrapods, the group that includes amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.



A team led by John Long, a professor at <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flinders University</a>, discovered fossilized tracks of an amniote with clawed feet, dating to approximately 350 million years ago.



The tracks, found in the Mansfield district of northern Victoria, indicate that amniotes – a group that includes reptiles – were present in the Carboniferous period, much earlier than established <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-modern-fossils-will-be-the-most-surprising-to-future-explorers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">records</a> in the Northern Hemisphere.



“Once we identified this, we realised this is the oldest evidence in the world of reptile-like animals walking around on land – and it pushes their evolution back by 35-to-40 million years older than the previous records in the Northern Hemisphere,” said Professor Long.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-first-clawed-reptile-tracks-in-gondwana">First clawed reptile tracks in Gondwana</h2>



The track-bearing slab, discovered in Taungurung Country, belonged to the Snowy Plains Formation. 



The animal that left these tracks likely resembled a small, stumpy Goanna-like creature. With its clawed feet, this primitive sauropsid walked across what was once part of the ancient southern supercontinent, Gondwana.



“The implications of this discovery for the early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-discovery-shifts-the-origin-of-lizards-back-35-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolution</a> of tetrapods are profound,” noted Professor Long. The finding suggests that stem-tetrapod and stem-amniote lineages began evolving in the Devonian period, much earlier than previously thought.



The rapid evolution of tetrapods during this period, combined with an incomplete fossil record, has obscured the true timeline of their emergence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reptile-evolution-timeline-shifts-nbsp">Reptile evolution timeline shifts&nbsp;</h2>



The fossil <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plesiosaur-fossil-contains-soft-tissue-preserved-for-183-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">record</a> of crown-group amniotes, which includes modern reptiles, birds, and mammals, was previously thought to begin in the Late Carboniferous, around 318 million years ago. 



Earlier estimates placed the emergence of crown-group tetrapods at 334 million years ago, with the oldest trackways dating back 353 million years.



However, the newly discovered Australian tracks, securely dated to the early Tournaisian, push the origin of crown-group amniotes back by 35 to 40 million years. This revised timeline suggests that tetrapod evolution proceeded faster and earlier than previously thought.



“We now present new trackway data from Australia that falsify this widely accepted timeline,” said Professor Long. The implications extend beyond the Australian site, challenging assumptions about the broader evolutionary history of tetrapods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossil-slab-holds-oldest-reptile-tracks">Fossil slab holds oldest reptile tracks</h2>



The sandstone slab, measuring about 50 cm across, carries the oldest known clawed footprints. The slab was discovered by two amateur palaeontologists, Craig Eury and John Eason, who initially thought the tracks belonged to early amphibians.



“When I saw this specimen for the first time, I was very surprised. After just a few seconds, I noticed that there were clearly preserved claw marks,” said Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki of <a href="https://www.uu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uppsala University</a>, co-author of the study.



According to Niedźwiedzki, claws are a distinct feature of early amniotes, almost never seen in other tetrapod groups. This characteristic suggests the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/largest-ever-marine-reptile-ichthyotitan-severnensis-discovered-by-11-year-old-girl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal</a> that left these tracks was a primitive reptile, marking the earliest known evidence of clawed feet among tetrapods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reptile-tracks-in-australia-and-poland">Reptile tracks in Australia and Poland</h2>



In addition to the Australian tracks, similar trackways have been identified in Silesia, Poland. These tracks, dated to the mid-Serpukhovian to early Bashkirian, are slightly younger than the Australian finds but also display claw impressions.



The Polish tracks extend the known range of Notalacerta into the early Carboniferous. This suggests that amniotes were present across both Gondwana and Euramerica much earlier than previously thought.



The Snowy Plains Formation likely dates to the early Tournaisian, approximately 358.9 to 354 million years ago. This pushes the origin of crown-group amniotes back significantly, indicating that tetrapods evolved more rapidly than previously estimated.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossils-reveal-faster-reptile-evolution">Fossils reveal faster reptile evolution</h2>



To refine the evolutionary timeline, researchers combined fossil evidence with DNA analysis. Molecular data provide valuable insights into the relative timing of evolutionary events, particularly when the fossil record is incomplete.



“It’s all about the relative length of different branches in the tree,” said Per Ahlberg of Uppsala University. “This method helps us pinpoint evolutionary phases with a poor fossil record.”



By overlaying DNA branch lengths onto known fossil dates, the team estimated the age of the tetrapod crown-group node to be in the Devonian, contemporaneous with transitional 'fishapods' like Tiktaalik. This finding suggests that tetrapods diversified earlier and faster than previously thought.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenging-previous-theories">Challenging previous theories</h2>



The Snowy Plains Formation trackway slab is more than just a piece of stone. It represents a pivotal moment in the history of life on Earth, a moment when reptiles first set clawed feet on land.



“A single track-bearing slab, which one person can lift, calls into question everything we thought we knew about when modern tetrapods evolved,” said Per Ahlberg. The slab, found in Taungurung Country, is now housed in Museums Victoria.



The tracks show a consistent foot morphology, with five slender digits splayed out in a fan shape. Claws are present on four digits, with the fifth digit carrying a shorter claw. 



The trackmaker’s hip-to-shoulder distance suggests a body length of approximately 80 cm, similar to that of a modern water monitor.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-search-for-evidence-in-gondwana">Search for evidence in Gondwana</h2>



Mansfield, Victoria, has long been a hotspot for fossil discoveries. Since 1980, researchers have uncovered fossilized fish and sharks in the area, but finding terrestrial vertebrate tracks had remained elusive.



“The Mansfield area has produced many famous fossils, beginning with spectacular fossil fishes found 120 years ago, and ancient sharks. But the holy grail that we were always looking for was evidence of land animals,” explained Professor Long.



The Snowy Plains Formation trackways provide crucial evidence that reptiles and other amniotes were already present in Gondwana during the early Carboniferous. This challenges previous theories that placed the origin of amniotes solely in the Northern Hemisphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reptile-evolution-a-broader-timeline">Reptile evolution: A broader timeline</h2>



The discovery of clawed tracks from the early Carboniferous has profound implications for the timeline of tetrapod evolution. It suggests that the tetrapod crown-group node must be located deep within the Devonian, not the Carboniferous as previously thought.



The findings also reveal that tetrapod evolution was a more rapid and complex process than previously recognized. The appearance of clawed amniotes in both Gondwana and Euramerica indicates that these groups may have evolved in parallel across different regions.



“This discovery rewrites this part of evolutionary history,” said Dr. Jillian Garvey of La Trobe University. “It indicates there is so much that has happened in Australia and Gondwana that we are still yet to uncover.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-fossil-research">The future of fossil research </h2>



While the Australian tracks provide valuable insights, they also raise new questions about the evolutionary history of reptiles. The fossil record in Gondwana remains incomplete, and future discoveries may further alter our understanding of when and where reptiles first emerged.



“The most interesting discoveries are yet to come and that there is still much to be found in the field,” said Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki. “These footprints from Australia are just one example of this.”



The Snowy Plains Formation slab stands as a powerful reminder that even a single piece of rock can reshape our understanding of the past. 



As researchers continue to search the Devonian and Carboniferous formations of Gondwana, the story of reptile evolution may undergo even more dramatic revisions.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08884-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



Image Credit: Marcin Ambrozik.



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Animal evolution theory turned upside down by new fossil discovery

The origin of reptiles on Earth has been pushed back...

Imagine spending hours on the couch, feeling good about the morning’s workout. You ran, you lifted, you stretched. You believe you've done enough to protect your health. But new research says that may not be true. 



Sitting for extended periods, regardless of exercise, can harm the brain. Even the most active older adults face the risk of faster brain shrinkage if they sit too much.



The study, led by researchers from <a href="https://www.vanderbilt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vanderbilt University</a>’s Memory and Alzheimer’s Center, tracked older adults for seven years. They examined how long participants sat, how often they moved, and how much their brains shrank over time. 



The results were troubling. Exercise didn’t fully counteract the effects of prolonged <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sedentary-behavior-sitting-for-hours-health-risk-early-death/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sitting</a>. The more hours spent sitting, the greater the brain decline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sitting-for-hours-shrinks-the-brain">Sitting for hours shrinks the brain</h2>



The study showed that even those who exercised for 150 minutes a week still experienced brain shrinkage if they sat for long hours. Memory declined, and the hippocampus lost volume.



Participants wore wrist monitors that tracked every move. On average, they sat for 13 hours a day. That’s a lot of time spent sitting - at the desk, on the couch, in the car. And it took a toll.



Those who sat more had thinner brains in areas linked to memory and Alzheimer’s disease. Reducing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sitting-too-much-can-cause-premature-aging-even-if-you-exercise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sitting</a> time might help protect brain health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-risk-and-sitting">Genetic risk and sitting</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sitting-too-much-can-raise-blood-pressure-even-in-kids/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sitting</a> is bad enough. But for those carrying the APOE-ε4 gene, it’s worse. This gene already raises the risk of Alzheimer’s. The researchers found that it also amplifies the impact of sitting.



People who carry the APOE-ε4 gene lost more gray matter in specific parts of the brain. These areas include the frontal and parietal lobes, which are important for making decisions and remembering information.



Because these brain regions became smaller, APOE-ε4 carriers had more trouble with memory tasks. They couldn’t remember words as easily as others. They also found it harder to name objects quickly. The damage in these brain areas made simple memory tasks more difficult.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-sitting-hurts-the-brain">Why sitting hurts the brain</h2>



When you sit for a long time, blood flow to the brain slows down. This means the brain gets less oxygen and fewer nutrients, which are essential for keeping brain cells healthy. 



With less blood flow, the brain struggles to maintain strong connections between its cells. Over time, this can cause the hippocampus – the part of the brain that manages memory – to shrink.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/walking-can-counteract-the-health-risks-of-sitting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sitting</a> can also lead to more inflammation in the body. Inflammation involves chemicals that can harm brain cells. For people with the APOE-ε4 gene, which is linked to Alzheimer’s, this inflammation could cause even more damage to the brain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sitting-and-brain-decline">Sitting and brain decline</h2>



The study didn’t just look at brain volume once. It tracked changes over seven years. The findings were clear. More sitting meant faster brain shrinkage, especially in those with genetic risk.



Participants sat for an average of 13 hours a day. Even those who exercised regularly couldn’t escape the damage. They still lost brain volume in areas tied to memory, language, and processing speed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-can-t-erase-the-damage">Exercise can’t erase the damage </h2>



You can’t undo hours of sitting with a morning run - the study made that clear. Exercise helps, but it doesn’t erase the damage from hours of inactivity. Movement throughout the day matters more.



Researchers suggest breaking up sitting time with frequent walks, stretches, or standing breaks. Stand during phone calls. Walk around while reading emails. The brain needs regular movement to stay healthy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sitting-brain-size-and-health">Sitting, brain size, and health</h2>



The researchers also used wrist monitors to measure real movement - not self-reported activity. Participants wore them for seven days, 24 hours a day. The data was precise.



MRI scans provided another layer of insight. The experts measured cortical thickness in regions linked to Alzheimer’s. They tracked changes in brain volume over time, focusing on the hippocampus, frontal lobe, and parietal lobe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-memory-loss-and-language-decline">Memory loss and language decline</h2>



The findings weren’t just about brain volume. They were about memory too. Those who sat more performed worse on naming tasks. They couldn’t recall names or objects as quickly. They struggled to remember words.



For APOE-ε4 carriers, the decline was steeper. As discussed above, they lost brain volume faster and showed more severe memory loss. The researchers believe sitting speeds up age-related brain changes in those already at genetic risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sitting-less-protects-the-brain">Sitting less protects the brain</h2>



Sitting for long hours can damage the brain, especially in older adults. Even if you exercise, the harm from sitting too much doesn’t go away. You need to keep moving throughout the day to protect your brain.



Most people sit for around nine hours a day. In the study, people sat for 13 hours daily. Cutting down on sitting time can help prevent brain damage. Every step you take could make a difference.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/alz.70157" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s &amp; Dementia</a>.



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Sitting for hours daily shrinks your brain, even if you exercise

Imagine spending hours on the couch, feeling good about the...

Around 3.7 billion years ago, early molecules on the young Earth learned to copy themselves. Over time, this simple act of replication - with help from chance and chemistry - blossomed into the plants and animals we see today.



Charles Darwin later explained how slow, steady change - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animal-intelligence-did-not-evolve-due-to-natural-selection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">natural selection</a> acting on isolated populations - could split one species into two.



Yet in the plant kingdom, an alternative route to diversity exists. It is called autopolyploidy, and a new theoretical study of a woodland herb known as beetleweed (Galax urceolata) shows just how powerful - and complicated - this mechanism can be.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dna-mistake-sparks-new-species">DNA mistake sparks new species</h2>



Most organisms, humans included, are diploid: they carry two complete sets of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-animals-balance-their-sex-chromosomes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chromosomes</a>, one from each parent.



In autopolyploidy, something unusual happens during the production of sperm or egg cells. Instead of halving the chromosome count, the cell leaves the full complement intact. When such a gamete meets another, the resulting embryo inherits double - or even triple - the usual DNA.



The newcomer may still manage to reproduce with its diploid relatives, but the hybrid offspring generally fare poorly. That mismatch in fertility often pushes the polyploid lineage to mate among its own kind, launching an instant reproductive barrier and, effectively, a new species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-three-types-one-plant">Three types, one plant</h2>



For decades botanists assumed these chromosome copycats were evolutionary curiosities - unlikely to survive, let alone thrive, alongside their diploid parents.



Field surveys later overturned that view: autopolyploids are widespread and resilient. 



The lingering mystery was whether several cytotypes - diploids, triploids, tetraploids - could share the same patch of ground without one eventually eliminating the others through sheer competition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mountain-herb-with-three-identities">Mountain herb with three identities</h2>



Beetleweed, a low evergreen that carpets portions of the Appalachian Mountains, provided the perfect natural experiment. Earlier surveys revealed that some stands contain plants with two, three, or four chromosome sets.



“Through my fieldwork, I discovered that a single population could have a mishmash of cytotypes, which fascinated me,” remarked Shelly Gaynor, lead author of the new study that she&nbsp;completed at the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Florida</a>.



“With this study, I set out to understand if these populations could persist over time. Would one cytotype eventually outcompete the others, or could all three cytotypes persist?”



Answering that required tools beyond the transect tape and microscope. Gaynor and colleagues designed a mathematical framework that treats population change as inherently noisy - subject to random swings in birth, death, climate, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-is-transforming-pollen-science-and-health-planning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollen</a> flow.



Their model tracks how diploids, triploids, and autotetraploids form, spread, and interact when gene flow keeps tossing new genetic combinations into the mix.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chromosomes-coexist-in-plants">Chromosomes coexist in plants</h2>



Two ingredients emerged as critical for long-term coexistence. First, self-fertilization rates matter. 



The more often a plant can pollinate itself, the easier it becomes for an odd-ploidy seedling to find a genetically compatible mate - sometimes its own flowers - without relying on scarce partners.



Second, partial reproductive isolation improves balance. If crosses between cytotypes rarely succeed, each form can maintain its numbers without being swamped by unfit hybrids.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stress-favors-the-strongest">Stress favors the strongest</h2>



Environmental hardship then tilts the playing field. Under harsh conditions and intense competition, the model predicts that autotetraploids gain an edge over their diploid ancestors.



Extra chromosome copies may buffer them against stress, confer broader ecological tolerance or fuel faster adaptation. Triploids, by contrast, often act as a genetic bridge, forming when diploids and tetraploids interbreed but typically suffer lower fertility.



Because Gaynor’s simulations embed both demographic randomness and shifting weather, they reveal outcomes conventional equations might miss.



Sometimes all three cytotypes coexist for centuries; other times one prevails after a long stalemate. The key lesson is that stochasticity - the roll of the “evolutionary dice” - cannot be ignored when forecasting which lineages persist.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impacts-beyond-one-plant">Impacts beyond one plant</h2>



Although the work focuses on a single Appalachia endemic plant, its reach extends far. Crop breeders deliberately create autopolyploids to enlarge fruit, boost resilience, or break <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crop-disease-experts-discover-how-bacteria-hijack-plant-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">disease</a> cycles.



Understanding how mixed-ploidy fields behave over time could help manage gene flow between improved varieties and their wild relatives.



Conservationists, meanwhile, wrestle with how best to protect rare plants that harbor multiple chromosome races within the same reserve; the new model offers a scaffold for predicting viability under climate stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenging-evolutionary-assumptions">Challenging evolutionary assumptions</h2>



The research also nudges evolutionary theory. Instant speciation via autopolyploidy sits at one extreme of the continuum of reproductive isolation. 



By showing that such sudden splits can persist even when parents and offspring rub shoulders, the beetleweed study challenges the tidy notion that new species must always occupy distinct niches or territories to survive.



Gaynor’s findings do not close the book on polyploid dynamics; rather, they open new chapters. 



Field experiments that monitor marked plants through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/droughts-and-extreme-weather-events-are-escalating/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">droughts</a>, fires, and pathogen outbreaks could test whether tetraploids really weather adversity better.



Genetic analyses might uncover which genes, duplicated in extra copies, underpin that resilience. And satellite imagery paired with ecological modelling may reveal whether mixed-cytotype populations correlate with particular microclimates across the Appalachian ridges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-evolutionary-pathways">New evolutionary pathways </h2>



For now, the humble beetleweed stands as living proof that life need not wait for continental drift or glacial cycles to carve new evolutionary pathways.



Sometimes a single cellular hiccup - one missed step in plant chromosome division - is enough to spin off an enduring lineage. 



In the grand narrative that began with rogue molecules self-assembling eons ago, autopolyploidy writes its own rapid-fire chapter, reminding us that the processes that generate biodiversity can be as swift as they are surprising.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/734411" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The American Naturalist</a>.



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Plant chromosome glitch fast-tracks evolution

Around 3.7 billion years ago, early molecules on the young...

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



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



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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