Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features Capitol Reef National Park, located in south-central Utah in the heart of red rock country.



"It was named instead for two geologic features: the prominent white domes of Navajo Sandstone, which reminded early settlers of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.; and a formidable ridge of rocky cliffs that presented a barrier to travel," explains NASA.



"The settlers (some likely traveling in prairie schooners) likened it to the maritime navigational hazard of an ocean reef."



The ridge, which is known as Waterpocket Fold, runs north to south for 90 miles. Waterpocket Fold is a monocline, a a step-like fold in rock layers that have been folded up or down on one side.&nbsp;



"Between 75 million and 35 million years ago, the tectonic forces that uplifted the Rocky Mountains also buckled older rocks below Capitol Reef," reports NASA. "The rock layers above did not break, but bent, like a tablecloth draped over a table edge. The bend in this drape forms the Waterpocket Fold. More recently, rains, flash floods, and freeze-thaw cycles have eroded and sculpted the cliffs, canyons, bridges, and domes into what we see today."



"Capitol Reef tells a geologic story of hundreds of millions of years of deposition, uplift, and erosion - punctuated by episodes of volcanism and glaciation. The park boasts a nearly complete series of rock layers spanning from the late Permian Period (about 290 million years ago) to the end of the Mesozoic Era (66 million years ago). Deposited along and in a shallow sea and ancient delta, these rocks hold a nearly continuous record of life and environments here from before the rise of the dinosaurs through their demise."



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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

Capitol Reef National Park in south-central Utah

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

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features a cluster of supercell thunderstorms that charged across the Great Plains on the morning of May 15, 2022. The storms carried strong winds, hail, torrential rainfall and extreme lightning through parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas.



"When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired the natural-color image, a line of strong thunderstorms stretched from eastern Kansas to Little Rock, Arkansas," reports NASA.



"The weather front included multiple storm cells with features called overshooting tops and above-anvil cirrus plumes, key signs of particularly severe storms."



"Overshooting tops are dome-like protrusions rising from thunderstorm clouds and driven by convective updrafts. These cloud top features can rise past the tropopause and the anvil portion of a thunderstorm cloud, sometimes punching into the lower stratosphere."



"Above-anvil cirrus plumes are comparatively warm patches of cirrus clouds that get dragged into the lower stratosphere by intense updrafts and the gravity waves that they can generate. Cirrus plumes are typically warmer than the underlying anvil cloud because they mix with the air in the stratosphere, where air temperature warms with height."



Overshooting tops and above-anvil cirrus plumes are not produced by all thunderstorms. They are usually associated with storms that create the most severe weather.&nbsp;



“Overshooting tops and above-anvil cirrus plumes are often a sign that a thunderstorm will produce hail, tornadoes, extreme lightning, and destructive winds,” said NASA atmospheric scientist Kristopher Bedka. “We know this because an especially intense updraft produced the patterns we see in the satellite imagery.”&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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

Supercell thunderstorms over the Great Plains

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features a severe dust storm in Iraq. Dust storms are most common in this region in the late spring and summer, triggered by seasonal winds such as the “shamal” that blows in from the northwest.&nbsp;



In the past two weeks in the Middle East, poor air quality from two major storms has sent thousands of people to the hospital for asthma and other respiratory diseases.



"The skies above Baghdad, Najaf, Sulaimaniyah, and other cities turned orange as visibility dropped to a few hundred meters. Several airports were closed during the dust events, and schools were closed nationwide. Government offices were shuttered in seven of the Iraq’s 18 provinces, and several governors declared states of emergency,' reports NASA.



According to news media reports, Iraq has endured at least eight dust storms in the past six weeks. Recent studies have shown that these events have become more frequent in Iraq.&nbsp;



"The country has been facing drought conditions in recent years, as well as land-use changes and overuse that mean there is more loose soil available to be lofted into the atmosphere," says NASA. "The World Bank cited Iraq as one of the countries most vulnerable to desertification and climate change."



The image was captured on May 16, 2022 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on NASA’s Aqua satellite.&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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

Iraq faces an increasing number of severe dust storms

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features an astronaut photograph of the San Luis Valley along the border of Colorado and New Mexico. At an altitude of 8,100 feet, the San Luis Valley is one of the largest high desert valleys in the world.&nbsp;



"Extinct volcanoes speckle the southern margin of the valley - an area known as the Taos Plateau Volcanic Field. Free-standing mountains in the volcanic field, such as San Antonio and Ute, are lava domes that were formed during eruptions almost 3 million years ago," reports NASA.



The Rio Grande flows from the San Juan Mountains through the center of the valley and continues south. According to NASA, the river has provided water and irrigation to people in the American Southwest for thousands of years, including the community of Native Americans that live in Taos.&nbsp;



The Taos Plateau has served as a primary field training area since the 1960s during the Apollo era.&nbsp;



"The San Luis Valley served as a planetary analog for the Apollo 15 lunar landing site at Hadley Rille," says NASA. "The southern area of the valley contains igneous rock structures similar to those on the lunar surface. Such field training prepares current and future astronauts for exploration of the Moon and Mars."



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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

The San Luis Valley of Colorado

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features Māʻalaea Bay on Maui’s southern shore, an area that is known for its large waves.&nbsp;



Two of Maui’s most iconic waves, known as “Freight Trains” and “Jaws,” are famous among surfers. While Freight Trains is considered one of the fastest surfable waves in the world, Jaws is known for big-wave surfing.



"The large waves, or swells, are typically generated in the southern hemisphere during winter, when large storms brew in the southern Pacific Ocean," reports NASA.



"The waves can travel thousands of miles, crossing the equator and eventually reaching Maui’s southern shore, where it is summer. But the waves can lose energy along the way as they encounter numerous island chains in the South Pacific."



"The foam produced by breaking waves shows up in satellite images as a white band close to the shore."&nbsp;



The image was captured on October 3, 2018 by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8. A small amount of foam is visible near the harbor. According to NASA, theses late season waves were likely produced by Hurricane Walaka, a category-4 storm centered about 750 miles west of Māʻalaea.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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

The iconic waves of Maui’s southern shore

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features the Manitoba Great Lakes - Winnipeg, Winnipegosis, and Manitoba.



According to NASA, 43 percent of the land area of the province of Manitoba, Canada, is covered by bogs, fens, marshes, swamps, and open shallow water.



The wetlands and lakes appeared approximately 8,000 years ago just after the last ice age. The Manitoba Great Lakes are actual remnants of glacial Lake Agassiz, which formed about 14,500 years ago.&nbsp;



The image was captured on November 3, 2021 by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/ Norman Kuring/NASA's Ocean Color Web



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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

The Great Lakes of Manitoba, Canada

Caring for insects as pets may sound strange, but thousands of people all over the world already have praying mantises and other stick <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-found-a-terrifying-decline-in-flying-insects/">insects</a> as pets, according to a new report from <a href="https://pensoft.net/">Pensoft Publishers</a>.



Praying mantises are gaining popularity and fueling a largely unknown market. They are sold at fairs and pet markets, or collected in the wild and then reared by amateurs or professionals.&nbsp;



Some are elegant, with flower-like coloration (the Orchid Mantis, Hymenopus coronatus), and some resemble Pokémons (the Jeweled Flower Mantis, Creobroter wahlbergii). Surprisingly, some of these creatures can even be cuddled (the Giant Shield Mantis Rhombodera basalis).



When selecting an insect as a pet, features such as shape, size, colors, and behaviors are considered. Customers also shop for species that are rare or easy to care for.&nbsp;



It is important to understand how this market, which is largely unregulated, is changing. This could be crucial to conserve rare species and promote awareness of their habitat and place in the ecosystem.



Now, researchers have published a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3897/jor.31.71458">first overview</a> of the praying mantis pet market. The research team includes Roberto Battiston of Museo di Archeologia e Scienze Naturali G. Zannato (Italy), William di Pietro of the World Biodiversity Association (Italy) and entomologist Kris Anderson (USA).&nbsp;



The study authors surveyed 200 hobbyists, professional sellers in the mantis community from 28 different countries. The results showed that the targets of this market are indeed predictable. The typical mantis breeder or enthusiast is 19 to 30 years old, prefers beautiful species over rare ones, and is willing to spend over $30 per insect.&nbsp;



The researchers identified buyers as “mostly curious enthusiasts with poor knowledge of the market dynamics and the laws behind it, even if they seem to generally care about their pet.”



But the data suggests the trade is not always legal. One out of four instances lack permits or transparency from the seller. To ensure these species are conserved in nature, the researchers emphasize that collaboration between scientists and the insect pet community should be considered.&nbsp;



The biology, distribution, and threats to insects are largely unknown. Many species are still waiting to be discovered. This is a big limit to conservation, since you cannot protect what you don’t know.



“Hobbyists and pet insect enthusiasts are producing and sharing a huge quantity of observations on the biology and ecology of hundreds of species, even rare or still undescribed ones, a priceless heritage for the scientific community,” said the researchers.&nbsp;



“Strengthening the dialogue between them, promoting a white market over a black one, may be a crucial help for the conservation of these insects, fundamental parts of the biodiversity of our planet, that are replacing our traditional pets at home.”



The research is published in the <a href="https://jor.pensoft.net/">Journal of Orthoptera Research</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Praying mantises are becoming more popular as pets

Caring for insects as pets may sound strange, but thousands...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acv.12788">Animal Conservation</a> has provided the first global evaluation of all terrestrial vertebrate species that have not been declared <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pink-pigeons-need-a-genetic-rescue-to-survive-extinction/">extinct</a> in order to identify which of these species have not been spotted for at least 50 years, and are thus considered to be “lost,” but perhaps not yet fully extinct. By reviewing information on 32,802 species from the IUCN Red List, the experts have identified 562 such lost species.



The IUCN considers a species as extinct “when there is no reasonable doubt the last individual of a species has died,” and declared a total of 311 terrestrial vertebrate species as extinct since 1500. However, according to the study authors, extinction declarations are rare, partly due to inherent uncertainties in knowing when the last individual of the species has died. 



"This has led to the growth of a group of ‘lost’ species that have not been observed in decades or even centuries, yet are not declared extinct, and as such possess an uncertain conservation status," said the researchers.



From the 562 species that are considered lost, the Red List categorizes 75 as “possibly extinct.” Among this list, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-in-five-reptiles-is-currently-at-risk-of-extinction/">reptiles</a> lead the way with 257 lost species, followed by 137 species of amphibians, 130 of mammals, and 38 of birds. Most of these species were last spotted in megadiverse countries such as Indonesia (69 species), Mexico (33), and Brazil (29).



While not surprising, this distribution of lost species is particularly worrying. “The fact most of these lost species are found in megadiverse tropical countries is worrying, given such countries are expected to experience the highest numbers of extinctions in the coming decades,” explained study lead author Thomas Martin from the <a href="https://www.paigntonzoo.org.uk/">Paignton Zoo</a> in the United Kingdom.



According to study senior author Arne Mooers, a professor of Biodiversity at the<a href="https://www.sfu.ca/"> Simon Fraser University</a>, future survey efforts concentrated on the identified “hotspots” where the existence of many species is uncertain are needed to either rediscover lost species or to remove the reasonable doubt that a particular lost species actually still exists. 



“While theoretical estimates of ongoing ‘extinction rates’ are fine and good, looking hard for actual species seems better,” Professor Mooers concluded.&nbsp;



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

More than 500 animal species are lost, but are they extinct?

A new study published in the journal Animal Conservation has...

Recently, a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza – commonly known as bird flu – has been spreading across North America. In order to control such devastating outbreaks, which have the potential of spilling over into humans and other mammals, identifying which bird species carry the virus and how they spread it is highly essential.&nbsp;



A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://vet.tufts.edu/">Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine</a> at Tufts University has now provided a detailed assessment of which <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-report-confirms-that-bird-species-are-steadily-declining/">bird species</a> drive avian influenza spillover and global spread.&nbsp;



“The scientific community has become accustomed to speaking about influenza viruses in birds as a group, but birds are an incredibly diverse taxa of animals with&nbsp;different natural history, physiology, and anatomy,” said study senior author Jonathan Runstadler, an expert in infectious diseases and global health at the Cummings School.



According to Professor Runstadler and his team, the lineage of bird flu circulating now in the US originated around 1996 and was first identified in a domestic goose in China. After several mutations, it caused the first big wild bird outbreak in 2005 in a major wetland in central Asia, and was introduced in the US via the Pacific Northwest in 2014, causing major losses to the poultry industry and forcing the culling of over 40 million chickens and turkeys.



“It was a big blow,” said study lead author Nichola Hill, an assistant professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, who previously worked in Professor Runstadler’s lab.&nbsp;



“After it ended, we knew that we were between outbreaks and there was a high probability of an outbreak happening again. We felt we needed to look at long-term, historical data to find patterns and determine which birds are really driving global spread. So we compared birds at a finer taxonomic scale than prior studies, such as wild ducks, gulls, land birds, and geese versus domestic poultry like chickens, and we came up with some really interesting findings.”



Historically, duck species such as mallards have been considered super-spreaders of bird flu, infecting both wild and domestic birds. However, other species such as wild geese or gulls are particularly good at amplifying the virus and spreading it widely in animal populations.&nbsp;



While the 2014 outbreak was most likely initiated by ducks which carried the virus via the Pacific, the current outbreak – which already spread through 40 different bird species, including crows, sparrows, owls, and hawks - was possibly brought about by black-backed gulls flying over the Atlantic.



“Knowing that gulls, geese and ducks may be moving this virus in different ways is a big contribution to understanding or eventually modeling with more accuracy how we expect a virus like this to spread. Ultimately, we could put this data into a model that allows us to predict if there’s a virus emerging, when that virus might enter North America, and what bird populations we might target for surveillance to detect it,” Professor Runstadler concluded.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1010062">PLoS Pathogens</a>.



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

Experts identify the super spreaders of bird flu

Recently, a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza – commonly...

Cold-water corals, just like their tropical counterparts, build three dimensional reef structures that offer complex habitats for many different species, including commercially important fish. They form <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-impacts-biodiversity-in-protected-areas-worldwide/">biodiversity</a> hotspots and are considered important in deep-sea ecosystem functioning, food web structure and nutrient cycling. Today, cold-water coral reefs are considered vulnerable ecosystems because they are exposed to threats from destructive fishing techniques, such as bottom trawling and towed dredges.



In addition, these corals are expected to suffer dramatically from future environmental changes in the oceans due to global warming, which may bring food shortages, decreases in oxygen availability, and acidification. However, it is difficult to predict how cold-water corals will respond to future climate changes because there is a complete lack of any data documenting local extinction events involving these corals.&nbsp;



To get around this problem, a team led by Rodrigo da Costa Portilho-Ramos of the University of Bremen made use of ancient evidence of past climate change captured in the sediments of the seabed. They analyzed sediments collected at or near six sites of cold-water coral ecosystems in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, applying standard techniques to reconstruct ocean conditions and the abundance of the common coral species&nbsp;Lophelia pertusa&nbsp;over the last 20,000 years. This period encompasses Earth’s last major global warming event.



This approach allowed the researchers to reconstruct paleoceanographic conditions and link the proliferation or reduction of cold-water corals with changes in environmental conditions. This was possible because of the fact that cold-water coral ecosystems take a long time to develop and then are persistent over long time periods.&nbsp;



The results of the analysis are published today in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLoS Biology</a>. They show that the abundance of the cold-water coral L. pertusa&nbsp;in times gone by was most strongly correlated with changes in food supply, the tiny suspended organisms that arrive either from shallower waters above, or by lateral water flow along the seafloor. Low oxygen concentration also appeared to be a key stressor for&nbsp;L. pertusa. In contrast, changes in ocean temperature and salinity did not appear to be significantly associated with the proliferation or disappearance of&nbsp;L. pertusa&nbsp;over time.



The findings suggest that cold-water coral ecosystems are most likely to be affected in future by climate change-driven alterations to ocean processes that affect their food and oxygen supplies. In some cases, the data suggest, high abundance of food may compensate for low oxygen levels.



“Marine sediment records from the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea reveal that events of growth and mortality of cold-water corals induced by climatic changes over the last 20,000 years were mainly triggered by food supply, controlled by export production and turbulent hydrodynamics, rather than by changes in the bottom-water temperature," said Portilho-Ramos.



"Therefore, climate-driven changes in oceanic processes concerning food supply are also likely to be the determining factors of life and death of cold-water coral species in the coming decades.”



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

Ancient sediments predict future stressors for cold-water corals

Cold-water corals, just like their tropical counterparts, build three dimensional...

New research shows that snow will melt earlier in the Colorado River Basin, filling <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-is-the-climate-impacting-aquatic-life-in-mountain-streams/">streams</a> sooner and changing how reservoirs and irrigation are managed.&nbsp;



“Because of global climate change, areas of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming could have much less water, and future hydrologic conditions may more closely resemble those of the arid Southwest regions of the basin today,” said study co-author Katrina Bennett, a hydrologist at <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/">Los Alamos National Laboratory</a>.



The Colorado River Basin is massive, encompassing 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado to sea level deserts near the Gulf of California. Water from the basin is channeled to supply cities such as Albuquerque, Denver, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Diego and Santa Fe.&nbsp;



To predict the future of the river basin, the researchers used historical data. Entering drought indicators into a database and analyzing it with AI, the scientists created several climate models covering a thirty year period.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The AI let us disentangle the complicated relationships in space and time between drought-indicators and the factors that influence them,” said Bennett. “We were able to demonstrate a new capability to automatically isolate where these key indicators contribute to drought and where and how behavior will change in the future.”



However, the modeling isn’t perfect.“We observed significant uncertainty in drought behavior among the several climate models we used,” explained Bennett.



The models show an overall large loss of snowpack, especially in high elevations of the upper river basin mountains. Parts of the Green River Valley near the borders of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming are set to see drier soils - as are the mountains of Arizona.&nbsp;



The scientists hope that using this AI technology in a new way, will speed up future climate analysis and modeling.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/23335084">Earth and Space Science</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Major changes ahead for the Colorado River Basin

New research shows that snow will melt earlier in the...

Scallops are usually caught by dredging, a destructive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphin-bycatch-from-fishing-activities-is-unsustainable/">fishing</a> method that tears up the seafloor and harms other life. Now, a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/fisheries-research">Fisheries Research</a>, shows there may be a better way.&nbsp;



A team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> fitted lobster pots with LED lights, and used them experimentally with fishermen off the coast of Cornwall in the UK. The lights did not seem to make a difference in the amount of lobster or crabs caught in the traps. Scallops on the other hand, swam into the pots in droves.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"We were working on lights for crab and lobster pots and I gave some to a fisherman for testing," said Dr. Rob Enever of Fishtek. “He told me the lights made no difference to crabs or lobsters, but he noticed quite a lot of scallops in his pots. We decided to test this properly in this study."



"When I saw the results, I couldn't believe my eyes. Boats that would only see two or three scallops in their pots annually were now seeing 20 or more in a single pot. We have found something really astonishing here. This could be a real opportunity for crab and lobster fishers, because the lights don’t seem to reduce the number of crabs and lobsters they can catch – they just bring in an extra haul of scallops."



More than 500 scallops were caught. Of those, 99.6 percent were caught in lobster pots with lights in them. The researchers believe this breakthrough could ultimately lead to a widespread, improved method for catching scallops.



"We are delighted to be working with an excellent local company to do the science that underpins innovation that could be good for fishers and the environment," said Dr. Phil Doherty.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Breakthrough study reveals that scallops are attracted to light

Scallops are usually caught by dredging, a destructive fishing method...

In 2018, during an archeological survey in a remote area in Laos, an international team of researchers from Laos, Europe, the United States, and Australia discovered a human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-complicated-story-of-tooth-evolution-among-reptiles/">tooth</a> dating 164,000 -131,000 years ago. After detailed analyses of the shape of this molar tooth, the scientists concluded that it belonged to a group of ancient hominins called Denisovans, which diverged from Neanderthals about 400,000 years ago, and went extinct only about 20,000 years ago. 



While Denisovan fossils have previously been found in the Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia and on the Tibetan Plateau, this is the first time that remnants of this population were discovered in Southeast Asia.



“After all this work following the many clues written on fossils from very different geographic areas our findings are significant,”&nbsp;said study lead author Fabrice Demeter, an assistant professor of Paleoanthropology at the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a>. “This fossil represents the first discovery of Denisovans in Southeast Asia and shows that Denisovans were in the south at least as far as Laos. This is in agreement with the genetic evidence found in modern day Southeast Asian populations.”



The tooth was discovered in Tam Ngu Hao 2, also known as the Cobra Cave, located close to the famous Tam Pà Ling Cave, where the fossils of a 70,000-year-old human (Homo sapiens) had been previously found.&nbsp;The cave sediments also contained teeth of giant herbivores known to live in woodland environments, such as ancient elephants and rhinoceros.&nbsp;



Although the humid conditions in Laos did not allow for the preservation of ancient DNA – unlike in the much colder and drier Denisova Cave – the scientists managed to find ancient proteins suggesting the fossil belonged to a young, likely female Denisovan, aged between 3.5 and 8.5 years old. The fossils were probably scattered on the landscape when they were washed into the cave during a flooding event.&nbsp;



These findings suggest that Southeast Asia was a hotspot of diversity for early humans, with at least five different species known to have lived there at different times: H. erectus, H. florensiensis, H. luzonensis, H. sapiens, and the Denisovans/Neanderthals.&nbsp;



Further archeological studies focused on Southeast Asian caves are needed to better understand the complex demographic relations established between ancient hominins.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29923-z">Nature Communications</a>.



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

Denisovan tooth suggests Southeast Asia was a human diversity hotspot

In 2018, during an archeological survey in a remote area...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Bonn, a city in western Germany that straddles the Rhine river. The city is located in the Rhine-Ruhr region, the country's largest metro area with over 11 million inhabitants.



Bonn is one of the oldest cities in Germany, and is the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven. The memorial and museum honoring the composer’s birthplace, Beethoven House, is one of the most visited music museums in the world.



In 2022, ESA’s Living Planet Symposium is being held May 23 to 27 in Bonn. This is one of the largest Earth observation conferences.



"Held every three years, the symposium brings together scientists and researchers, as well as industry and users of Earth observation data, from all over the world to present and discuss the latest findings on Earth science," explains ESA.



"Organized with the support of the German Aerospace Center, the week-long event focuses on how Earth observation contributes to both science and society. With over 240 scientific sessions on Earth observation science and satellite missions, there will also be a wide range of sessions focusing on advances in artificial intelligence, digital twins of Earth, commercial opportunities thanks to the space industry, the upcoming ESA Ministerial Council in 2022, and much more."



Video 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

Bonn, Germany: Host of this year's Living Planet Symposium

[sendtonews key="7pHO8ZsCuB-1995789-12187" 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.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> explores how rising sea levels and increasing levels of salinity are impacting coastal wetlands.



The salinity of ocean water is 400 times that of fresh water, and the salt water that is left behind after an ocean intrusion can lead to intolerable salt levels for the plants and animals in a wetland ecosystem.&nbsp;



The Discovery Files video focuses on the work of Dr. Sparkle Malone, a professor in the Department of Biological Science at Florida International University.&nbsp;



In the Florida Everglades, Dr. Malone is taking measurements to assess how plants and animals are responding to changes in salt levels. High salt levels reduce vegetation cover and have a negative effect on productivity throughout the entire wetland ecosystem.&nbsp;



Video &amp; Image Credit: National Science Foundation/Florida International University



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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

Coastal wetlands are threatened by salt water intrusion

[sendtonews key="nnFRMoxfJX-1822440-12187" 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.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> (NSF) describes the discovery of a second Earth Trojan. Earlier this year, an international team of astronomers confirmed that 2020 XL5 is the second Earth trojan asteroid, and is much larger than the first.



A Trojan is an asteroid that shares an orbit with a planet. These space rocks are difficult to find because they are small and dark. 



While Earth only has two confirmed trojan asteroids, Jupiter has nearly 10,000. These asteroids have also been found for Venus, Mars, Uranus, and Neptune. 



The experts analyzed images obtained by telescopes at NSF's NOIRLab in Chile to map the new Earth Trojan's orbit. 



"XL5 is nearly three times the size of 20-10 TK7, the first confirmed Earth Trojan, and could provide extraordinary insight into the building blocks of our solar system," reports NSF.



"Asteroids swoosh through the cosmos at phenomenal speeds. Yet, Earth trojan asteroids might someday become ideal bases to explore our solar system and mine for natural resources."



Video Credit: NSF



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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

Existence of a second Earth trojan asteroid confirmed

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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Blue,Macro,Eye,Close,Up

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://healthcare.utah.edu/">University of Utah Health</a> describes groundbreaking research by scientists who have managed to revive cells in organ donor eyes and restore communication between them.



A team of researchers at the John A. Moran Eye Center used the retina as a model of the central nervous system to investigate how neurons die. This led to the development of new methods to revive specialized neurons, known as photoreceptors, in organ donor eyes.



“We were able to wake up photoreceptor cells in the human macula, which is the part of the retina responsible for our central vision and our ability to see fine detail and color,” explained study lead author Dr. Fatima Abbas. “In eyes obtained up to five hours after an organ donor’s death, these cells responded to bright light, colored lights, and even very dim flashes of light.”



Once the experts had managed to revive the photoreceptors, they found that the cells had lost their ability to communicate with other cells in the retina. The researchers determined that this was due to a lack of oxygen.&nbsp;



Dr. Anne Hanneken of Scripps Research overcame this challenge by obtaining organ donor eyes in under 20 minutes from the time of death. In addition, Dr. Frans Vinberg designed a transportation unit to restore oxygenation and other nutrients to organ donor eyes.



Dr. Vinberg also designed a new device to stimulate the retina and measure the electrical activity of its cells. For the first time ever, the team was able to restore a specific electrical signal seen in living eyes - the “b wave.”&nbsp;



“We were able to make the retinal cells talk to each other, the way they do in the living eye to mediate human vision,” said Dr. Vinberg. “Past studies have restored very limited electrical activity in organ donor eyes, but this has never been achieved in the macula, and never to the extent we have now demonstrated.”



“The scientific community can now study human vision in ways that just aren’t possible with laboratory animals. We hope this will motivate organ donor societies, organ donors, and eye banks by helping them understand the exciting new possibilities this type of research offers.”



Dr. Hanneken said the ability to produce viable patches of human retinal tissue could lead to new therapies for blinding diseases.



“Until now, it hasn’t been possible to get the cells in all of the different layers of the central retina to communicate with each other the way they normally do in a living retina,” explained Dr. Hanneken. “Going forward, we’ll be able to use this approach to develop treatments to improve vision and light signaling in eyes with macular diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration.”



Video Credit: John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah



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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

Experts give human eyes new life after death

[sendtonews key="0eGz4kMHID-1986684-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video 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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

[sendtonews key="JrMLDXHmjl-1911953-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...