Humans often consider tool use a mark of intelligence. Yet many animals find creative ways to solve problems. A new study reveals how carrion crows - which seldom use tools in the wild - can learn to master them when trained.



Their performance suggests that with only small evolutionary changes, they might one day adopt tools as part of their natural behavior.



Researchers from the <a href="https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Tübingen</a> trained three carrion crows to handle sticks and retrieve food pellets placed inside a transparent Plexiglas box. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-beaks-to-borrowed-sticks">From beaks to borrowed sticks</h2>



The birds could not access the pellets with their beaks, so they had to explore with sticks. Success depended on careful manipulation: moving the pellet too quickly risked losing it from the platform.



"Tool use is very rare in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crows-hold-grudges-for-up-to-17-years/">animal kingdom</a>, but relatively common in dexterous generalists such as primates, parrots, and corvids," said lead author Felix&nbsp;Moll.



Only two crow species - the New Caledonian and Hawaiian crow - use tools regularly. This experiment tested whether carrion crows could, with training, refine similar skills.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crows-master-deliberate-tool-actions">Crows master deliberate tool actions</h2>



The crows did more than just copy actions. They aligned sticks carefully with their beaks and guided food into reach.



"The crows first picked up the stick from a holder and adjusted it until they were grasping it so that it was precisely aligned with their beak. Then they used it to guide the pellet within reach," said Moll. They even returned the stick to the holder before eating.



Recordings showed early awkwardness: sticks shoved pellets back and forth with little success. Over time, movements became refined, efficient, and highly repeatable.



"By comparison, recordings of later training sessions showed extremely precise movement patterns. The movements of the stick varied little in standard situations; the crows determinedly guided the food pellet to one side of the box and fished it out," said co-author Julius Würzler.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practice-reveals-hidden-intelligence">Practice reveals hidden intelligence</h2>



The study used pose estimation to analyze thousands of trials. It found that the crows improved through reinforcement learning, a trial-and-error process where variability early on helped them discover effective strategies. 



This variability mirrors processes seen in human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dopamine-fuels-learning-in-young-songbirds/">motor learning</a>, where exploration refines skill. 



Such parallels remind us that intelligence does not always require a complex evolutionary leap. Sometimes, it is about applying existing flexibility to new challenges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crows-show-flexible-problem-solving">Crows show flexible problem-solving</h2>



Each crow developed its own style - some preferred sliding pellets out to one side, while others adjusted depending on pellet position. 



These strategies were consistent and efficient, highlighting not just learned precision but also individuality in problem-solving. The presence of personal approaches suggests that tool use is not a rigid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crows-can-recognize-geometric-patterns-in-shapes/">behavior</a> but a dynamic process shaped by learning and constant feedback. 



Mistakes added another layer of insight: when a pellet slipped from control, the crows reacted within fractions of a second, adjusting stick movements to regain control. 



Such rapid corrections revealed continuous monitoring and flexibility, showing a level of awareness that goes beyond instinct and hinted at truly adaptive cognition.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/carrion-crows_precise-tool-use_infographic_UTubingen_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/carrion-crows_precise-tool-use_infographic_UTubingen_1s.webp" alt="Typical stick-tip trajectories during an early and late training session. The crow can’t reach the food reward without the stick-tool. Credit: University of Tübingen" class="wp-image-1986134"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Typical stick-tip trajectories during an early and late training session. The crow can’t reach the food reward without the stick-tool. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Tübingen</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tool-grip-reveals-hidden-intelligence">Tool grip reveals hidden intelligence</h2>



Another striking behavior was how they adjusted stick orientation before use. Often, the stick was misaligned when pulled from the dispenser. 



The crows tossed and re-gripped it until alignment was perfect. This fine motor adjustment revealed an advanced capacity to prepare tools for effective use.



"Animal tool use is supported by a number of enabling factors: motivation, conceptual knowledge and advanced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ravens-develop-sophisticated-cognitive-skills-by-the-age-of-four-months/">cognitive skills</a>, as well as fine motor control," said co-author Andreas&nbsp;Nieder.



The carrion crows displayed all of these, suggesting their brains integrate the stick as part of their own body. Similar processes occur in primates, where neurons adapt to represent the working end of tools.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crows-hint-at-evolution">Crows hint at evolution</h2>



The findings show that non-habitual tool users can still reach high levels of dexterity. This supports the idea of “tooling,” where animals treat body and object as one system. 



Such results deepen our understanding of cognition in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crows-count-out-loud-just-like-toddlers/">birds</a> and may guide future research into neural mechanisms.



"If woodpeckers didn't already - with their highly-specialized long tongues - fish beetle larvae out of their burrows in dead wood, this nutritious source of protein might one day be exploited by carrion crows using tools," Moll adds. 



These experiments suggest that with only small evolutionary nudges, carrion crows could naturally evolve into regular tool users. 



The work also invites reflection on intelligence across species: when given the right opportunities, animals may reveal skills that once seemed uniquely human.



Click here to <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)01100-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">watch videos of carrion crows using precision tools...</a>



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)01100-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Carrion crows can create, prepare, and use tools with great precision

Humans often consider tool use a mark of intelligence. Yet many animals find creative ways to solve problems. A new study reveals how carrion crows - which seldom use tools in the wild - can learn to master them when trained. Their performance suggests that with only small evolutionary changes, they might one day adopt tools as part of their natural behavior. Researchers from the University of Tübingen trained three carrion crows to handle sticks and retrieve food pellets placed inside a transparent Plexiglas box. From beaks...

Elusive birds can be hard to protect, especially when they move under cover of darkness and lie low in thick desert grass by day. That’s the challenge with the night parrot, a small green-and-yellow species long considered near-mythical across Australia’s interior. 



A focused effort on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngururrpa_Indigenous_Protected_Area" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ngururrpa Country</a> set out to answer three practical questions: where these parrots are living, what threatens them there, and what people can do now to keep them alive.



The approach was hands-on and methodical. Instead of waiting for chance sightings, the team paired local knowledge with tools that work while people sleep. 



The goal was simple: build a clear picture of the night parrot's daily needs and the pressures nibbling at its edges, find them, then save them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-search-of-the-night-parrot">In search of the night parrot</h2>



From 2020 to 2023, Indigenous rangers and scientists deployed rugged, weatherproof audio recorders across dozens of sites. 



Night parrots have distinctive calls, so detections on these devices acted like pins on a map. When recordings confirmed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parrots-that-learn-like-people-macaws-copy-without-being-taught/">parrots</a> at a location, camera traps followed to learn which predators showed up nearby. 



The team also collected predator scat to identify what those hunters had been eating, then added decades of satellite imagery to track how often fires rolled through the landscape.



Nick Leseberg, an ecologist at the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Queensland</a> and a co-author of the study, helped explain the soundscape these devices captured. 



“One of the night parrot’s diverse array of calls sounded like “didly dip, didly dip,” like a telephone, explains Leseberg. Another sounded like “dink dink,” resembling a bell."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-they-heard-on-tape">What they heard on tape</h2>



Monitors detected night parrots at more than half of the surveyed sites, stretched across a wide slice of desert. 



That pattern points to a real population, not a stray bird passing through. Follow-up work located the birds’ daytime roosts inside dense, older clumps of spinifex grass. 



In this region the key plant is bull spinifex, also known as <a href="https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/AusGrass/key/AusGrass/Media/Html/TRIODIA/TRILONC.HTML" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Triodia longiceps</a>, which forms tough, dome-like shelters where a parrot can stay cool and hidden.



These shelters aren’t interchangeable. Younger, sparse spinifex doesn’t offer the same cover. Night parrots depend on mature, tightly packed clumps that take time to form. When those clumps are lost, there’s no quick substitute.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-night-parrots-lost-their-shelters">Night parrots lost their shelters</h2>



The Great Sandy Desert sees <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lightning-is-zapping-forests-harder-than-we-thought/">lightning strikes</a> and long, dry spells that can set off fast-moving fires. When blazes return too often, older spinifex doesn’t get the years it needs to grow into protective domes. 



The study found that country around roosts tends to burn on a cycle of several years, which is quick in plant terms and risks keeping the habitat stuck in a youthful, thinner stage.



There’s a practical fix within reach. Cooler, well-planned burns at the right times can create a patchwork of fuel breaks. 



That mosaic reduces the odds that one high-intensity wildfire will sweep across the sandplains and erase parrot shelter in one go.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predators-and-balance">Predators and balance</h2>



Cameras frequently recorded dingoes near parrot habitat. At face value, a wild dog near a small bird sounds like trouble. But scat analysis told a different story: cat remains showed up often. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/feral-cats-kill-more-native-animals-than-expected/">Feral cats</a> hunt stealthily at night and can wipe out inexperienced fledglings. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/australian-dingoes-evolved-from-dogs-in-east-asia/">Dingoes</a> appear to keep cat numbers in check, either by direct predation or by making key areas less comfortable for cats.



This balance matters. Push down dingo presence and cats may surge; keep dingoes on the scene and cat pressure may fall. 



For a species that nests and roosts on the ground, fewer cats near those roosts can mean more chicks making it through their earliest weeks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-numbers-don-t-lie">Numbers don't lie</h2>



Based on where birds were heard and how many called at once, the team estimates there could be about 50 night parrots in this protected area. 



For a species with very few confirmed individuals across Australia, that figure carries weight. It points to Ngururrpa Country as an important stronghold.



A stronghold isn’t guaranteed safety. A single rough fire season could knock back the habitat. Predator control programs that harm dingoes could open the door for more cats. 



Fresh disturbances - vehicle tracks, new weeds that change fire behavior, or grazing stock - could tilt the system in the wrong direction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-save-night-parrots">How to save night parrots</h2>



The recommendations fit the place. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-have-identified-the-key-driver-of-severe-wildfires-in-canada/">Fire management</a> should lean on the rangers’ deep local knowledge and use modern mapping to guide cooler-season burns. 



Those burns can cut fuel, set natural breaks, and lower the odds of summer wildfires racing across roosting country. 



Predator control should avoid harming dingoes, since dingoes may be doing important work by suppressing cats. 



Keeping the landscape relatively quiet - limiting disturbances and keeping grazing stock out - will help the vegetation hold its form.



The team also pointed to tools that can sharpen future counts and maps. Genetic methods, such as DNA recovered from feathers, could give more precise estimates.



Tiny tracking tags could show how far these parrots travel at night to feed and which patches matter most during the dry months.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-have-we-learned">What have we learned?</h2>



This work shows what happens when Indigenous rangers and scientists align methods with the land. 



The night parrot needs old, dense spinifex for daytime cover, a fire rhythm that lets that grass mature, and a predator community where cats don’t run the show. 



With careful burns, smart predator management, and steady watchfulness, Ngururrpa Country can keep those needs on the table and give this shy bird a fair shot.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/WR/WR24083" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wildlife Research</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

Rare and beautiful bird, thought to be extinct, is rediscovered after 100 years of no sightings

Elusive birds can be hard to protect, especially when they...

Bees can turn awkward spaces into tidy hives. New research shows how they adapt their comb-building playbook when surfaces become irregular, using clever fixes that keep the hive functional.



The behavior resembles a distributed construction crew. It could even inspire better ways to print objects layer by layer.



A team of researchers at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Colora</a><a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">do Boulder</a> explored how bees coordinate to build usable honeycomb on imperfect foundations. Their experiments revealed robust, rule-like strategies that emerged from many tiny actions by individual bees.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beeswax-is-the-hive-s-concrete">Beeswax is the hive’s concrete</h2>



“Building a hive is a beautiful example of honeybees solving a problem collectively,” said Orit Peleg, an associate professor in CU Boulder’s Department of Computer Science. “Each bee has a little bit of wax, and knows where to deposit it, but we know very little about how they make these decisions.”



A colony builds on a precious budget. Bees spend warm months foraging nectar. Enzymes in saliva help convert that nectar into honey, which then dries and thickens inside cells. The economics are demanding: it takes roughly two million flower visits to make a pound of honey.



Then each worker eats about eight ounces of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natures-sweet-remedy-honey-is-a-microbial-marvel/">honey</a> to secrete a single ounce of wax. Wax is the concrete of the hive. The more efficiently bees use it, the more room they have for food and brood.



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



Under ideal conditions, bees favor near-perfect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bees-and-wasps-use-the-same-nest-building-tricks-despite-independent-evolution/">hexagons</a>. The geometry is famous for efficiently packing space while using minimal material.



Natural nest sites, however, rarely offer perfect planes. Hollow trees, attic voids, and box frames introduce ripples, gaps, and curves.



On rough terrain, ideal cells become costly. Irregular sizes require more wax and reduce storage and brood efficiency. The hive still has to function - so the bees adjust.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bees-tackle-structural-challenges">Bees tackle structural challenges</h2>



The team set out to observe how those adjustments unfold. “We wanted to find the rules of decision-making in a distributed colony,” said Golnar Gharooni Fard, the study’s lead author.



They 3D-printed comb “foundations” with shallow hexagon guides in several sizes - smaller than normal, larger than normal, and near average.



These panels were placed into live hives near Boulder Creek, where forager bees mingled with returnees and the walls of hexagons began to rise.



After the bees built, the researchers scanned the new comb with X-ray microscopy to map its fine structure. The result was a catalog of on-the-fly building tactics that allowed colonies to bridge mismatches between the guided pattern and what their bodies and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-bees-arrive-late-flowers-may-vanish/">behaviors</a> preferred.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bee-workarounds-keep-hives-thriving">Bee workarounds keep hives thriving</h2>



On small-cell guides, bees merged adjacent cells to recover usable volume. On larger guides, they tilted walls, layered cells, or introduced transitions to step down toward their favored size. Across patterns, the bees blended strategies. They didn’t abandon the site. They made it work.



“All those things happen in nature. If they're building honeycomb on a tree, and at some point they get to the end of the branch, the branch might not be super flat, and they need to figure that out,” said Fard.



The picture that emerges is not a top-down blueprint but a set of local rules distributed across many workers. Individuals add tiny wax deposits, sense geometry and neighbors, and adjust. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/science-is-giving-beekeepers-a-better-way-to-fight-colony-collapse/">colony</a>, in aggregate, solves the constraint.



The study stops short of pinning down the “why” behind each tactic. Some choices may balance strength, storage, and brood needs. Others may reflect limits of body size or heat flow. 



The authors want to probe the decision logic further - how bees switch tactics, how they partition labor, and how information spreads without a foreman.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beehive-wisdom-for-new-tech">Beehive wisdom for new tech</h2>



The implications extend beyond entomology. Honeycomb already inspires lightweight, stiff structures in aerospace and architecture. The new results add a dynamic twist: how to morph a repeating pattern across irregular boundaries without wasting material.



López Jiménez of CU Boulder’s Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department also sees lessons for additive manufacturing.



“The bees take turns, and they organize themselves, and we don't know how that happens,” he said. “Can we learn from how the bees organize labor or how they distribute themselves?”



If <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/walking-robots-can-step-right-off-the-3d-printer-powered-by-air/">3D printers</a> borrowed even a fraction of that adaptability - changing layer orientation or cell size on the fly to bridge defects - engineers could cut waste and improve reliability. The hive suggests a path: simple local rules scaled across many agents can yield resilient global structures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-architecture-born-from-evolution">Architecture born from evolution</h2>



Bees do not wait for perfect scaffolds. They treat irregular surfaces as puzzles and solve them with a toolkit of merges, tilts, and layers.



The work demonstrates how efficient architecture can emerge from countless small acts, each guided by limited information but tuned by evolution for thrift. That is good biology - and it might also be good engineering.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003253" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS Biology</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

From hives to high-tech: How bees are transforming 3D printing

Bees can turn awkward spaces into tidy hives. New research...

Imagine running a shop where you must hire both a guard and a salesperson. The guard keeps thieves away but may sometimes scare customers. The salesperson brings revenue but dislikes being interrupted. Balancing both roles can be tricky. 



Plants face a similar dilemma when they attract <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-many-ants-live-on-earth-at-any-point-in-time-total-number-is-astounding/">ants</a> for protection while also needing pollinators for reproduction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweet-deals-with-ant-allies">Sweet deals with ant allies</h2>



Plants rarely survive in isolation. They form alliances with many creatures, gaining protection, pollination, and nutrients. 



One of the most fascinating examples involves extrafloral nectaries - small glands on leaves, stems, or branches of around 4,000 plant species.



These glands release sugary nectar not to attract pollinators but to lure protective ants and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paleontologists-found-the-oldest-ant-species-on-earth-113-million-years-old-with-scythe-like-jaws/">insects</a>. In exchange for this reward, ants chase away herbivores. This partnership benefits plants, but it can complicate relationships with pollinators.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ant-guards-disrupt-pollinators">Ant guards disrupt pollinators</h2>



A new study published in the Journal of Ecology shows that ants can interfere with pollination when nectaries are located near flowers.



Bees, which need close contact with flowers, are disrupted. Their visits shorten or stop altogether when ants patrol nearby.



Yet the story shifts when extrafloral nectaries are found on leaves or stems farther away. In such cases, plants gain the protection of ants without losing pollination benefits, often achieving greater reproductive success.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-different-plant-visitors-different-risks">Different plant visitors, different risks</h2>



Not all flower visitors respond the same way. Butterflies, with their long feeding tubes, remain largely unaffected. They can sip nectar from a distance, safe from ant encounters.



Bees, however, must get close and linger, making them prime targets for interference. This contrast shows how visitor behavior shapes the outcome of plant–ant interactions.



“Bees, on the other hand, need to get very close to the flower to collect pollen and floral nectar, but ants don’t allow them to stay for long,” said Amanda Vieira da Silva, the lead author of the study.



“Not surprisingly, our analysis showed that the presence of ants is detrimental to pollination when extrafloral nectaries are close to flowers but has a positive effect on plant reproduction when they’re located farther away.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trade-offs-shape-plant-survival">Trade-offs shape plant survival</h2>



The study examined data from 27 experiments across 25 plant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-quiet-engineers-what-happens-when-common-ant-species-disappear/">species</a>. Overall, the average impact of ants on pollination was low but highly variable.



Ants consistently reduced floral visitation, especially by bees, but this did not always reduce reproductive success. In fact, plants with nectaries on vegetative tissues often benefited, producing more fruits and seeds.



Researchers suggest several reasons for the low costs. Protective benefits against herbivores may offset pollination losses. Some plants with reproductive nectaries gain more defense from florivores, balancing reduced pollinator visits.



Others reduce dependence on pollinators through self-pollination, making ant interference less harmful. Even reduced visits may not matter if short or fewer visits still transfer enough pollen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ant-guards-change-plant-futures">Ant guards change plant futures</h2>



Ant interference may have influenced the evolution of plant traits. Species with high reliance on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-bee-invasion-a-growing-threat-to-native-pollinators/">bee pollination</a> may lose nectaries over time. 



Others may evolve seasonal separation, producing leaves with active nectaries at one time and flowers at another, preventing conflict.



“We know that in some groups of plants with extrafloral nectaries and flowers pollinated by the vibration of bees, new leaves with active extrafloral nectaries and flowers are produced in different seasons throughout the year, which would avoid conflict between the two,” said Anselmo Nogueira, co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweetness-fuels-bigger-networks">Sweetness fuels bigger networks</h2>



Additional partnerships add complexity. Nitrogen-fixing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-bacteria-breathe-by-creating-electricity/">bacteria</a> in roots can boost plant productivity, supporting both pollinators and protective ants.



Resource quality also shapes interactions: plants with richer nectar attract more aggressive ants, which can either improve defense or worsen pollinator deterrence. Context, environment, and species traits all decide the balance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-protection-and-pollination-intertwined">Plant protection and pollination intertwined</h2>



Studies have typically focused on the effect of only one isolated interaction on plants. For example, they quantify how much ants favor the defense of plants against herbivores or how much <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollinators-face-extinction-risk-due-to-climate-change/">pollinators</a> favor plant reproduction. 



"But these interactions can occur at the same time," said Laura Carolina Leal, co-author of the paper. "So, to understand how these interactions influence plant growth and reproduction, we need to look at them in an integrated way.” 



The findings highlight how delicate balances shape ecosystems. Ants reduce visits but can still help plants thrive, depending on where nectaries sit and which visitors dominate. Long term, these dynamics may influence the evolution of floral traits and mating systems.



The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2745.70087" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Ecology</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Plants pay ants "sugar bribes" to act as their bodyguards to help them survive

Imagine running a shop where you must hire both a...

Plants protect themselves. They often produce chemicals that discourage animals from feeding on them. For herbivores, survival means eating enough food while avoiding dangerous toxins. This delicate balance shapes how animals forage and adapt to their environment.



The challenge is not only about survival in the present moment. It is also about long-term adaptation. Animals that fail to strike this balance risk starvation or poisoning, while successful ones pass on their strategies to future generations. 



This ongoing evolutionary tug-of-war between plants and herbivores defines much of the natural world.



<a href="https://www.usu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Utah State University</a> ecologist Sara Weinstein believes these choices reveal much about survival. “Understanding how these animals navigate these choices is fundamental to understanding what these creatures need to survive and how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/woodrats-duplicated-their-genes-to-survive-eating-poisonous-plants/">species</a> respond to changing conditions."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-woodrats-and-toxic-plants">Woodrats and toxic plants</h2>



Among the many plant eaters, woodrats offer a surprising case study. Native to North America, these rodents consume a wide range of plants.



“Woodrats are remarkable in their ability to eat truly awful, toxic plants,” said Weinstein. “If there are no other options, woodrats can consume plants like creosote bush, mesquite and juniper, which are full of disagreeable compounds like alkaloids and terpenes.”



Weinstein and colleagues from several universities recently published findings from an eight-year survey of woodrat populations across North America.



“Woodrats are a phenomenal model organism for understanding how wild <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-have-super-sized-domestic-animals-and-shrunk-wildlife/">animals</a> make choices about what to eat,” Weinstein explains. Their habitats provide varied food choices, allowing researchers to study how animals decide among safer or riskier plants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-analyzing-the-diets-of-woodrats">Analyzing the diets of woodrats </h2>



Unlike city-dwelling rats, woodrats avoid people. "Woodrats are very distant cousins of the better known, and omnivorous, New York pizza rat,” Weinstein noted. “You are unlikely to see woodrats, unless you’re in relatively undeveloped habitat.”



Despite their shy nature, woodrats are widespread across the United States. Their abundance makes them excellent research subjects, especially since multiple <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-survivors-dragonflies-face-their-toughest-test/">species</a> often share the same environment.



“Compared to large herbivores like deer, moose or elephants, woodrats are much easier to capture and handle,” said Weinstein. “They also readily provide us with material for diet analyses, because they tend to defecate in traps.”



These droppings become data-rich samples. Weinstein noted that each sample combines about a day of food choices. This allows scientists to capture a snapshot of their diets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-patterns-in-herbivore-diets">Patterns in herbivore diets</h2>



Advancements in DNA metabarcoding, using next-generation sequencing, have transformed diet research. 



“It’s a very powerful and accessible technique to characterize the unseen,” Weinstein said. This method has helped reveal important patterns in how herbivores eat.



Despite progress, dietary niche breadth remains poorly understood. The research shows that both specialization and generalization carry costs for herbivores.



“A longstanding notion is that if you’re highly specific in what you eat - you only eat one thing - then, if you lose access to that plant - say, it disappears because the ecosystem changes or an invasive species pushes it out - you’re going to be in trouble,” said Weinstein.



Generalists adapt more easily, shifting diets when needed. Yet the story is more complex. Most woodrat populations are generalists, but at the individual level, these generalists’ diets may not be as broad as we previously assumed, explained Weinstein.



“We tend to think of generalists as being a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. However, it looks like most generalists are more aptly described as jacks-of-all trades, master of some.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-ecosystems">Implications for ecosystems</h2>



Individuals often select consistent subsets of plants, helping them manage risks from toxins. These findings matter beyond woodrats.



“Ultimately, these constraints on animal diets have important implications for our understanding of food webs, species interactions and which populations are more likely to persist in changing ecosystems,” said Weinstein.



The study highlights how much we still have to learn about herbivores. By tracing dietary strategies across individuals, populations, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/not-just-birds-and-beetles-iridescence-found-in-unexpected-animals/">species</a>, scientists gain insight into resilience and vulnerability in a changing climate. 



In the end, the secret lives of woodrats remind us that even the smallest animals can unlock big lessons about survival.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2413556122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: Sara Weinstein



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Woodrats reveal how herbivores survive eating toxic plants

Plants protect themselves. They often produce chemicals that discourage animals...

Insects are everywhere - flying, crawling, buzzing, and doing far more for the Earth than most of us realize. They help plants grow by spreading pollen, recycle dead material, and keep ecosystems running smoothly.



Recently, however, scientists have noticed something troubling: insect populations are declining. This trend could become a serious problem.



What remains unclear is whether this is a new phenomenon or part of a longer pattern. A recent study explored this question using a surprising tool: ants from museum collections.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ants-unlock-insect-history">Ants unlock insect history</h2>



To determine how insects have changed over time, scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (<a href="https://www.oist.jp/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OIST</a>) looked to ants that inhabit <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-republic-of-fiji-in-the-south-pacific/">Fiji</a>, a cluster of tropical islands in the South Pacific.



The islands are remote and host unique species found nowhere else, making them ideal for researching long-term patterns of insect populations.



Instead of merely counting ants in the field, the team used a technique called “community genomics.” They analyzed old ant specimens from museum collections and sequenced their DNA. Although DNA degrades over time, scientists can extract enough from small, damaged fragments to reveal important information.



The goal was to reconstruct the ants’ family trees and track their population sizes over hundreds to thousands of years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ant-dna-reveals-hidden-insect-decline">Ant DNA reveals hidden insect decline</h2>



The results were troubling. Out of all the ant species that are native to Fiji, 79 percent are shrinking in population. These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-quiet-engineers-what-happens-when-common-ant-species-disappear/">ant species</a> have existed on the islands for thousands or even millions of years. 



Yet in the last few centuries - particularly since European contact and the advent of world commerce -their populations have drastically declined.



Meanwhile, ant species that have been <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/biotic-homogenization-human-impacts-diminish-biodiversity/">transported by humans</a>, either intentionally or inadvertently, are flourishing. These newcomers are spreading fast and outcompeting the native ants. Many of the worst declines seem to have happened in just the last few hundred years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-islands-face-decline-first">Islands face decline first</h2>



Fiji isn’t just a pretty group of islands - it’s a warning sign. Islands tend to be hit harder and faster when environmental disasters strike. 



They’re small, isolated, and their species often evolve in ways that make them more vulnerable. When something comes along - such as a predator, disease, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shipping-traffic-invasive-species/">invasive species</a> - it will produce an unbalancing effect on everything.



"Being closed, isolated ecosystems, islands are expected to feel the effects of human impact faster, so they are kind of a canary in the coal mine," said Dr. Cong Liu, the study’s lead author.



Getting the data wasn’t easy. Fieldwork on tropical islands is tough, and long-term monitoring isn’t always possible. So instead, the researchers turned to decades' worth of museum specimens - collected by their team and other scientists over many years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-the-ant-invasions">Tracking the ant invasions</h2>



Using a method known as “museumomics,” the scientists sequenced thousands of ants from more than 100 different insect species. This analysis allowed them to identify 65 separate colonization events in Fiji. 



Some species arrived naturally millions of years ago, while others were clearly introduced by humans more recently.



By comparing DNA from these samples, the team could determine which populations were growing and which were shrinking.



Native ants were declining. Invasive ants were on the rise. “Most recorded extinctions have historically been from island systems,” said Dr. Liu.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-global-insect-warning-sign">A global insect warning sign</h2>



This study wasn’t just about ants - or even just about Fiji. It’s about understanding what’s happening to insects worldwide, and using every tool available to figure that out.



“It can be difficult to estimate historical changes to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insect-populations-dramatically-declining-around-the-world-rising-temperatures/">insect populations</a>, because with few exceptions, we haven’t been directly monitoring populations over time,” said Dr. Evan Economo, a senior author of the study. 



The researchers used museum specimens to analyze multiple species’ genomes in parallel, revealing whether populations were growing or shrinking and enabling community-wide reconstructions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insects-reveal-hidden-biodiversity">Insects reveal hidden biodiversity</h2>



Conservation groups usually focus on big, charismatic animals like pandas, tigers, or elephants. But insects are just as important - and they’re harder to keep track of. 



That’s why this research matters. It shows that museum collections, some more than a century old, can be turned into data gold mines.



“This study also highlights the importance of biodiversity and museum collections,” said Professor Alexander Mikheyev. 



“As our scientific toolbox expands, we can capture more and more information from these collections, so it is essential that we continue investing in and maintaining these vital resources.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insects-aren-t-vanishing-silently">Insects aren’t vanishing silently </h2>



The same research team is also studying insects in Okinawa, Japan. There, they’re using real-time monitoring like sound sensors and traps to learn more about how insect populations change day by day.



“Insects are essential for the environment,” said Economo. “As scientists, we need to play our part in their protection, and provide and analyze the relevant data to ensure the long-term integrity of our ecosystems.”



The crash in insect populations isn’t just a scary headline. It’s a real shift happening across the globe, often out of sight. By turning to ants - and the museums that stored them - the researchers have found one way to see what’s been happening all along.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads3004" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Fiji’s ants reveal new clues about global insect collapse

Insects are everywhere - flying, crawling, buzzing, and doing far...

Some cats in central Finland show a rare coat that fades from dark at the base of each hair to white at the tip. Locals noticed it in 2007, and the look later picked up the nickname salmiak, a nod to a salty licorice candy popular there.



Scientists set out to learn whether this look was just a quirky fluke or a trait tied to a specific change in DNA. They ended up finding a clear genetic sign and a story that connects pet cats to basic biology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-makes-salmiak-cats-different">What makes salmiak cats different</h2>



In 2024, a peer reviewed study traced the salmiak pattern to a missing stretch of DNA about 95,000 bases long located roughly 65,000 bases beyond the <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/kit/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">KIT</a> gene. 



The work was led by <a href="https://www.wisdompanel.com/en-us/blog/contributor/heidi-anderson-phd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Heidi Anderson</a> of <a href="https://www.wisdompanel.com/en-us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wisdom Panel</a> in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Helsinki</a>.



The pattern does not behave like the common tuxedo or white spotting most people know. Each hair in colored areas starts pigmented at the base and becomes unpigmented at the tip, and the tail often ends in near white.



It shows up on several background colors, including black, blue, brown tabby, and tortoiseshell. The look is present at birth and stays consistent as the cat grows.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-the-gene-clue-points">Where the gene clue points</h2>



KIT helps guide the development and survival of pigment cells called melanocytes, which supply melanin to hair and skin. Changes that alter KIT activity can change where melanocytes end up or how well they function.



In many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-are-some-cats-orange-scientists-have-finally-found-the-answer/">cats</a>, white or spotted coats are linked to insertions from a feline endogenous retrovirus (<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4199695/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FERV1</a>) that sits inside KIT and disrupts normal pigment distribution. 



Those insertions help explain both dominant white coats and the classic white spotting pattern.



The white paws seen in <a href="https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/gloves-birman" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Birman</a> cats come from a different change in the KIT gene that breeders can identify with a genetic test. 



Salmiak cats do not have any of those known changes, which is why the pattern remained a mystery to researchers for so long.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmiak-cats-and-genetics">Salmiak cats and genetics</h2>



The team first genotyped salmiak cats for all known coat variants and saw nothing that explained the unusual white tipping. 



They then sequenced the whole genomes of two salmiak cats and spotted the 95 kb deletion downstream of KIT described above.



To check the match, they genotyped 183 Finnish domestic cats.



The team found the deletion was present in all five salmiak cats as two copies, present as a single copy in three non-salmiak cats, and absent in the other 175. 



That tight match points to a strong association between the deletion and the salmiak look.



The variant follows <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/genetics-dictionary/def/autosomal-recessive-inheritance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">autosomal recessive inheritance</a>, so a kitten must receive the salmiak allele from both parents to show the coat. Cats with just one copy are carriers and usually look normal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-inheritance-means-for-owners">What inheritance means for owners</h2>



A recessive trait can persist quietly in a population because carriers are hard to spot. That makes the salmiak allele rare, and the study did not find it outside the Finnish domestic cat sample tested.



White spotting in other settings can be linked to hearing issues, especially when large areas lack pigment in the inner ear. 



A comprehensive review notes that pigment related deafness is most common in animals with solid white coats and blue eyes, and it is confirmed with a <a href="https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/tests/baer-brainstem-auditory-evoked-response" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BAER</a> test that measures brain responses to sound.



The salmiak <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-prefer-sleeping-on-their-left-side-for-faster-threat-response/">cats</a> in the study did not show signs of deafness, but the authors recommended BAER testing to be sure. That is a sensible step any time a new white pattern is involved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmiak-cats-vs-other-patterns">Salmiak cats vs. other patterns</h2>



Two cats from Romania and the United Kingdom showed a similar coat pattern known as karpati, but genetic testing confirmed it was not linked to the salmiak gene. 



The karpati look has since been used to create the Transylvanian breed, though the exact genetic cause of the pattern is still unknown.



Salmiak and karpati both look similar to roan coloring seen in other animals, where white and colored hairs are mixed together. 



In farm animals like goats, changes near the KIT gene are also known to influence these kinds of patterns, with one <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1008536" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> linking them to solid white coats in one breed and white spotting in another.



That cross species echo matters because it points to a regulatory neighborhood near KIT that controls when and where pigment forms. Salmiak adds a feline example to that shared genetic map.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-matters-beyond-cats">Why this matters beyond cats</h2>



Patterns like salmiak help biologists see how small changes in noncoding DNA can shift gene expression without altering the protein itself. 



Here, the deletion sits outside the coding part of KIT, yet the effect on hair pigmentation is obvious in the mirror.



They also help vets and breeders make informed choices. As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cat-declawing-causes-permanent-nerve-damage/">cats</a> with salmiak are noticed and documented, testing can confirm carriers and avoid accidental loss of a rare variant.



“The discovery of the salmiak variant enriches our understanding of feline coat color genetics. This knowledge could also be valuable for breeding efforts, potentially contributing to the preservation of this trait in our feline companions in existing cat breeds,” Dr. Anderson concluded. 



The study is published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/age.13438" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Animal Genetics</a>.



-----



Like what you read?<a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/"> Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Genetic mutation in cats has given rise to a new coat color similar to salted licorice

Some cats in central Finland show a rare coat that...

Portrait,Of,A,Wild,Octopus,Under,Water.

The octopus is a creature that continues to surprise scientists and inspire engineers. With eight arms that move in ways no human limb can, it demonstrates flexibility and control that seem almost otherworldly. 



Each arm bends, twists, elongates, and shortens with unmatched precision, enabling these animals to hunt, hide, and explore with ease. 



Researchers hope that unlocking the secrets of these movements may guide the design of flexible robotic arms capable of lifesaving missions.



Imagine a robotic arm slipping through rubble after a building collapse, delivering food or medicine to someone trapped below. 



This vision has motivated scientists to study octopus arms in detail - both in the laboratory and in their natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-dumbo-octopus-species-carnarvon-flapjack-discovered-in-very-deep-ocean-waters/">environment</a>.



Until recently, most studies were limited to tanks, where behaviors may not reflect the complexity of life in the wild. That gap is now being addressed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-octopus-intelligence">Understanding octopus intelligence</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/octopuses-could-dominate-earth-if-humans-vanish/">Octopuses</a> are some of the most intelligent invertebrates on Earth. Unlike most animals without backbones, they can solve puzzles, open jars, and even escape from aquariums by remembering routes back to the ocean. 



Their brains are incredibly complex, with about 500 million neurons - similar to a dog. What makes them even more fascinating is that two-thirds of those neurons are in their arms. 



This means each arm can sense, move, and even make decisions on its own while still communicating with the central brain. It’s like having eight mini-brains working together with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/octopuses-are-tricked-by-the-rubber-hand-illusion-like-humans-suggesting-self-awareness/">one big brain</a>.



Their intelligence also shows up in how they hunt and survive. Octopuses use tools, like carrying coconut shells to hide inside when threatened, and they can change color and texture in an instant to camouflage perfectly against rocks or coral. 



They’ve been observed watching other animals and learning from them, which is rare in the animal kingdom.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flexible-octopus-arms-inspire-robotics">Flexible octopus arms inspire robotics</h2>



A new study from the <a href="https://www.mbl.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marine Biological Laboratory</a> in Woods Hole and Florida Atlantic University has provided the most comprehensive analysis of octopus arm movements in natural habitats. 



Researchers recorded 25 wild octopuses in six locations, ranging from the Caribbean to Spain. The footage captured thousands of arm movements across a variety of behaviors, including foraging, locomotion, and even defense.



“I’ve been trying for a long time to work out the natural behavior of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sea-octopus-footage-could-revolutionize-flexible-robot-design-eyeris/">cephalopods</a> in their natural habitat,” said MBL Senior Scientist Roger Hanlon, who led the project. 



“Studying and recording octopus behavior from wild octopuses in the field gave us the opportunity to analyze a larger behavioral repertoire and further understand how they use their arms to achieve such complex behaviors,” added Chelsea Bennice, research fellow at <a href="https://www.fau.eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FAU</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-guided-by-touch-not-sight">Guided by touch, not sight</h2>



Octopuses rely heavily on touch, guided by sensory organs in their arm suckers. “The octopus is a very tactile animal - it’s more tactile than visual,” said Hanlon. 



Each of their nearly 100 suckers per arm contains chemosensory-tactile receptors, combining functions similar to the human nose, lips, and tongue.



Finding octopuses to observe was not simple. Their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-squid-power-their-amazing-camouflage-abilities/">camouflage</a> skills make them almost invisible in coral reefs or sandy seabeds. Divers often relied on clues like discarded shells and food debris near their dens.



Once located, octopuses emerged briefly from hiding, offering precious opportunities to record their natural actions.



These moments revealed unique hunting strategies, arm movements, and subtle interactions with their environment otherwise impossible to witness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-arm-mechanics-of-octopuses">Complex arm mechanics of octopuses</h2>



The researchers identified 12 distinct arm actions across 15 behaviors, built from four fundamental deformations: shortening, elongating, bending, and torsion. They discovered a pattern of specialization within each arm. 



For instance, elongation and shortening were most common near the base, while bending occurred more at the tips. 



This functional partitioning allows octopuses to combine motions across arms for tasks like crawling, probing reef crevices, or launching sudden prey attacks.



“These are the actions that make up the whole complex of octopus <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/octopuses-and-squids-defy-the-slow-pace-of-evolution/">behaviors</a>,” said study co-author Kendra Buresch. 



In the wild, researchers observed octopuses using different combinations of arm actions - sometimes relying on a single arm for tasks like grabbing food, and other times coordinating multiple arms for behaviors such as crawling or launching a parachute attack.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-behavior-that-guides-technology">Behavior that guides technology</h2>



The findings go beyond understanding animal behavior. With nearly 7,000 observed arm deformations, the study highlights an extraordinary degree of control and flexibility. 



This knowledge may inform robotics research, where engineers seek to design soft, adaptable arms capable of both precise and exploratory tasks.



“Understanding these natural behaviors not only deepens our knowledge of octopus biology but also opens exciting new avenues in fields like neuroscience, animal behavior, and even soft robotics inspired by these remarkable creatures,” Bennice said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-in-flexibility-and-change">Lessons in flexibility and change</h2>



From the ocean floor to robotics labs, octopuses continue to inspire, offering lessons in both biology and technology. 



Their flexible arms not only influence the design of machines that could navigate disaster zones or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-deep-sea-crustacean-species-discovered-in-the-bahamas/">deep-sea environments</a>, but also remind us how problem-solving in nature often leads to solutions with real-world applications.



Beyond robotics, their adaptability symbolizes the broader principle that survival depends on innovation and change, a message equally relevant to ecosystems, human health, and future technologies.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-10674-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



-----



Like what you read?<a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/"> Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Octopus arms are probably the most complex and flexible structures in nature

The octopus is a creature that continues to surprise scientists...

In 2019, a Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) dive turned up something no one recognized: a small, bubblegum–pink snailfish cruising just above the seafloor more than two miles down.



A research team led by the <a href="https://www.geneseo.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">State University of New York at Geneseo</a> has confirmed that the mystery fish is a new species to science and has given it a name as memorable as its look: the bumpy snailfish (Careproctus colliculi).



<a href="https://www.mbari.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MBARI</a> Senior Scientist Steven Haddock, who led the expedition that filmed and collected the fish, sees this as exactly why sharing deep-sea data matters.



“We welcomed the opportunity to expand our understanding of life in the deep ocean, especially since documenting deep-sea <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-ocean-day-a-unified-approach-to-protect-biodiversity/">biodiversity</a> is critical to detecting any changes that may be occurring in this environment,” he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adapted-to-the-deep-sea">Adapted to the deep sea</h2>



Snailfishes (family Liparidae) are shape-shifters of the oceans, with more than 400 known species living everywhere from tidepools to trenches.



Many carry a suction disk on their bellies - handy for clinging to rocks, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-seaweed-day-2025-saving-the-oceans-sustainable-powerhouse/">seaweed</a>, or even hitching rides on larger animals. At depth, their bodies tend toward jelly-soft and loosely skinned, an anatomy built for cold, crushing pressure and perpetual night. A snailfish, in fact, holds the record for the deepest-dwelling fish ever seen.



Those extremes are what fascinate SUNY Geneseo biologist Mackenzie Gerringer, who studies how deep-sea fishes make a living under conditions that would crush almost anything else.



“The deep sea is home to an incredible diversity of organisms and a truly beautiful array of adaptations,” she said. “Our discovery of not one, but three, new species of snailfishes is a reminder of how much we have yet to learn about life on Earth and of the power of curiosity and exploration.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-one-dive-three-new-snailfish-species">One dive, three new snailfish species</h2>



Haddock and colleagues spotted the bumpy snailfish during a cruise aboard MBARI’s retired research vessel Western Flyer. They used the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts to explore the outer reaches of Monterey Canyon about 62 miles off central California.



At 10,722 feet, a small pink fish swept past the cameras. The team collected the adult female - 3.6 inches long - for careful study back on shore.



That specimen joined two other puzzling finds from 2019. Researchers collected a pair of unusual snailfishes using the submersible Alvin. The dive took place near Station M, MBARI’s long-running abyssal study site around 13,100 feet down.



Together, the trio became the centerpiece of a taxonomic investigation by scientists from SUNY Geneseo, the <a href="https://www.umt.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Montana</a>, and the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa</a>.



The result is a three-for-one. Alongside Careproctus colliculi, the team formally describes the dark snailfish (Careproctus yanceyi) and the sleek snailfish (Paraliparis em). Each carries a distinct set of traits.



The bumpy snailfish is unmistakably pink, with a rounded head and prominent eyes. It also has broad <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bizarre-fish-can-walk-and-thrive-on-land/">pectoral fins</a> with elongated upper rays and textured skin that inspired its common name.



The dark snailfish is, as advertised, jet black, with a rounded head and horizontal mouth. The sleek snailfish lacks a suction disk. Its body tapers into a long, laterally compressed, black form capped by a sharply angled jaw.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-naming-life-from-the-deep">Naming life from the deep</h2>



Proving a species is new takes more than a striking color. The team combined high-resolution imaging and genetics to make its case. They used microscopy and micro-CT (micro–computed tomography) scans to map bones and soft tissues, and DNA sequencing to place each fish on the Liparidae family tree.



Subtle measurements - fin ray counts, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-jaws-twist-to-feed-more-effectively-on-coral-reefs/">jaw</a> angles, body proportions - stacked up with genetic differences to separate the newcomers from lookalikes.



In a nod to place, the species name Paraliparis em honors Station M and the community of programs and people behind it. Their 30-year record has reshaped how scientists understand abyssal ecosystems and their links to climate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-a-deep-sea-snailfish-mystery">Tracking a deep-sea snailfish mystery</h2>



So far, Haddock’s 2019 encounter remains the only confirmed sighting of the bumpy snailfish, leaving its true range a mystery. But MBARI’s vast video archive may hold more clues.



A 2009 dive off Oregon shows a pink snailfish that could be C. colliculi - a clip previously logged as the related bigtail snailfish (Osteodiscus cascadiae). Re-examining older footage with fresh eyes is a quiet superpower of long-term ocean observatories.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-naming-species-matters">Why naming species matters</h2>



New species descriptions can sound esoteric, but they are the scaffolding of conservation and climate science. 



Without a name and a diagnostic description, a species effectively doesn’t exist on paper. This absence makes it difficult to track shifts in distribution or declines in abundance. It also hinders recognition of changes in life history as deep-sea environments warm and acidify.



They also spotlight the tools that make discovery possible. ROVs like Doc Ricketts, deep-diving submersibles like Alvin, and time-series sites like Station M give researchers the repeated, close-up looks that the deep sea has long resisted.



The bumpy snailfish exists in the literature because a camera happened to be rolling in the right place at the right time. A specimen was also collected gently enough to survive the trip to the lab.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-partnership-fuels-ocean-science">Partnership fuels ocean science</h2>



MBARI’s approach - openly sharing dives, specimens, and know-how - helped turn a curious pink <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-are-quietly-battling-climate-change-on-the-seabed/">fish</a> into a formal snailfish species. 



That pipeline, from video archive to taxonomic paper, is becoming more important as interest grows in activities like deep-sea mining. Knowing who lives on the abyssal plain is the first step toward protecting it.



This encounter is the only confirmed observation of the bumpy snailfish. It’s a reminder that even in well-studied waters, one pass of an ROV can change what we think we know. 



With every dive and every partnership, the map of deep-sea life gains another dot - and another story worth telling.



<figure class="wp-block-embed 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/hwsl-ebVVoU?si=Ns9onwl4yAMksJzv
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">MBARI's advanced underwater robot reveals a new species of deep-sea snailfish</figcaption></figure>



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://asih.kglmeridian.com/view/journals/cope/113/3/article-p487.xml" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ichthyology &amp; Herpetology</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Three new species of snailfish discovered in the deep Pacific Ocean

In 2019, a Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) dive...

In Florida, Burmese pythons swallow large animals whole, including deer and alligators. Scientists have now made a breakthrough discovery in their understanding of exactly how specialized cells in the guts of pythons are able to digest bones down to nothing.



The answer is a previously unknown intestinal cell that gathers calcium and phosphorus and helps push the excess out safely. That finding clarifies why bones never appear in python feces after a big meal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-python-gut-cells">Studying python gut cells</h2>



The work comes from <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jehan-Herve-Lignot" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jehan-Hervé Lignot</a> of the <a href="https://www.umontpellier.fr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Montpellier</a>, with collaborators in France and the United States. 



The study on captive juvenile Burmese pythons compared meals with and without bones to track how the intestine responded.



The team used light and electron microscopy along the gut and measured blood levels of calcium and key hormones. 



When bones or calcium were present, a specialized cell produced particles rich in calcium, phosphorus, and iron.



These particles formed inside a small pocket within the intestinal lining. In fasting snakes or those fed boneless prey, the pockets stayed mostly empty.



The authors also identified the same type of cell in other snake species that feed on vertebrates. 



This finding points to a broader digestive strategy among reptiles that consume their prey whole, suggesting it may be more widespread in nature than previously recognized.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bones-disappear-without-a-trace">Bones disappear without a trace</h2>



The intestine completely dissolved bone so no fragments passed out in feces. The specialized cell then packaged extra minerals and moved them toward excretion.



In the experiments, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-snake-day-2025-protecting-natures-silent-guardians/">snakes</a> fed boneless prey did not produce the mineral particles. That pattern links the cell’s activity directly to dietary calcium and phosphorus.



“We wanted to identify how they were able to process and limit this huge absorption of calcium through the intestinal wall,” said Lignot summarizing the goal of the project.&nbsp;



He also noted that the discovery raises questions about other animals. Marine predators that consume bony fish or aquatic mammals are likely to encounter the same challenge, according to Lignot.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cells-in-python-intestines">Cells in python intestines</h2>



The new cell sits among enterocytes, the cells that normally absorb nutrients. Unlike typical enterocytes, it is slender with short microvilli and holds a central mineral core inside the crypt.



When calcium supplements were added to boneless prey, large particles filled the intestinal pockets. In snakes on low calcium diets, hormone levels also shifted as the body tried to adjust.



Those signals fit the body’s checks and balances for calcium handling. They also help explain how snakes avoid calcium overload after bone heavy meals.



The study outlines a clean path for excess mineral waste that keeps blood chemistry stable. That is essential for nerve and muscle function after a large meal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-mouths-bigger-meals">Big mouths, bigger meals</h2>



A 2024 <a href="https://journals.ku.edu/reptilesandamphibians/article/view/21867" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paper</a> measured maximal gape at 26 centimeters, about 10.2 inches, in huge pythons captured in Florida. It also documented a 35 kilogram white tailed deer that was 93 percent of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/34-million-year-old-snake-fossil-hibernophis-breithaupti-changes-our-understanding-of-evolution/">snake</a>’s maximal gape area.



In the field, biologists filmed a 14.8 foot, 115 pound female python consuming a 77 pound deer in the Everglades. That single observation helps anchor the upper limits of what a python can swallow.



Florida’s wildlife agency notes that Burmese pythons are an invasive predator and can consume meals equal to 100 percent of their body mass. Adults in the state often reach 6 to 9 feet, and some exceed 18 feet.



These numbers frame the demand that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-long-necked-dinosaurs-struggled-with-fatal-bone-disease/">bone</a> heavy meals place on the gut. Without a mineral handling system, the animals would risk dangerous spikes in blood calcium.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-invasive-pythons-in-florida">Invasive pythons in Florida</h2>



Burmese pythons are firmly established across the Florida Everglades and in the wetlands and marshes that surround the area. 



They feed on wild mammals, many kinds of birds, and different reptiles, including some species that are legally protected.



Removal programs continue to expand. In 2025, the <a href="https://conservancy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Conservancy of Southwest Florida</a> reported a significant <a href="https://conservancy.org/conservancy-surpasses-20-ton-milestone-in-burmese-python-removal-sets-new-record-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milestone</a> of more than 20 tons of captured snakes since 2013.



Biology drives policy. Knowing that these snakes can absorb skeletons and return excess calcium safely explains why large prey remains off the landscape after a predation event.



It also clarifies why control teams often find little trace of what was eaten. Bones do not linger to flag a kill site.



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



Researchers are asking how widespread the cell is across reptiles and birds that eat bone rich diets. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/34-inch-creature-with-mustache-found-in-brazil-new-snake-species-leptophis/">Species</a> such as bearded vultures would be informative tests.



They also want to trace how the particles exit the body and whether any end up in feces as stable crystals. Answers could guide new ways to detect heavy predation.



Another open question sits at the gene level. The team is exploring what turns the crypt cell on and off when calcium levels change.



Comparative work may map how the cell evolved in different lineages. That could show whether the trait arose once or many times.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-findings-were-tested">How the findings were tested</h2>



The team fed whole rodents, boneless rodents, and boneless rodents injected with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-bacillus-megaterium-turns-co2-gas-into-calcium-carbonate-limestone/">calcium carbonate</a>. They mapped where particles formed along the small intestine and how fast they appeared.



Blood samples tracked calcium alongside hormones that regulate bone and mineral balance. The results fit the pattern of a system tuned to intercept and neutralize mineral surges from skeletal meals.



The work used juvenile snakes raised in controlled conditions. That choice removed confounding factors like prior diet and variable health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gut-cells-and-invasive-pythons">Gut cells and invasive pythons</h2>



Similar cells may exist in animals that consume bony fish or whole vertebrates. Pinpointing them could change how we read fecal mineral signatures in the wild.



If birds that rely on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oldest-bone-tools-suggest-early-humans-were-smarter-than-we-thought/">bone</a> heavy diets show the same mechanism, ecologists could gain a noninvasive marker of diet. It may also inform how captive animals should be fed to avoid calcium stress.



The cell could even shape how toxins bound to bone are handled after a meal. That is a practical question for wildlife managers working in polluted wetlands.



The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/228/14/jeb249620/368391/Diet-dependent-production-of-calcium-and" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Experimental Biology</a>.



-----



Like what you read?<a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/"> Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Unknown cell type explains the 'supernatural' digestive power of invasive pythons

In Florida, Burmese pythons swallow large animals whole, including deer...

Sargassum seaweed is piling up on Florida’s beaches, and it’s making a dangerous journey for sea turtle hatchlings even riskier.



Every summer, the sand becomes a highway as thousands of tiny turtles burst from their nests and scramble toward the ocean. For most of them, this short sprint is the difference between life and death.



They’ve already beaten the odds just by hatching. Now, they must avoid predators, stay cool under the rising sun, and find the water before their strength runs out.



But this growing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sargassum-seaweed-a-growing-problem-could-become-a-sustainable-solution/">seaweed problem</a> is more than just beach clutter - it’s a new threat that’s slowing them down at a time when every second counts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-just-smelly-beach-junk">More than just smelly beach junk</h2>



Sargassum seaweed often washes up along Florida’s coast. It’s that brown, leafy stuff that starts to smell after a while. Out in the Atlantic, it floats in huge mats that provide habitat for marine life.



But when too much piles up on shore, sargassum seaweed creates a thick, tangled mess that’s hard for anything small to get through - including baby sea turtles.



Over the past few years, sargassum levels have exploded. Summer beachgoers aren’t the only ones frustrated. 



Sea turtle <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rainfall-impacts-the-size-of-sea-turtle-hatchlings/">hatchlings</a> are now struggling to cross these growing piles to reach the ocean. It’s not just an inconvenience. It’s a survival threat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-how-turtles-navigate-the-sargassum">Testing how turtles navigate the sargassum</h2>



Until recently, no one had looked closely at how sargassum affects sea turtle hatchlings. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University (<a href="https://www.fau.edu/science/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FAU</a>) set out to investigate.



The team tested three species common in Florida: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/leatherback-sea-turtles-where-the-worlds-largest-turtles-go-to-eat/">leatherbacks</a>, loggerheads, and green turtles. These are the same turtles that nest on beaches from Boca Raton to Juno Beach.



The researchers built 50-foot (15 meter) crawlways in the sand and placed mats of loose sargassum up to 7.5 inches (19 centimeters) high - roughly the height of a large shoebox on end - at the finish line.



A dim light at the far end mimicked the natural glow over the ocean that hatchlings instinctively head towards. Then the team observed how the turtles responded.



The team measured how long it took for the turtles to reach the water, tracked whether they got flipped over while crawling through the seaweed, and even checked their blood sugar levels to see how much energy they were burning.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sargassum-slows-turtles-down">Sargassum slows turtles down </h2>



The results were clear. All three species took much longer to reach the ocean when sargassum was in the way. Leatherbacks were slowed by 54% with lighter sargassum, and 158% with heavier coverage.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loggerhead-turtles-migrate-using-a-secret-thermal-corridor/">Loggerheads</a> saw a 91% delay in light coverage and 175% in heavy seaweed. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reintroduction-of-green-turtles-has-been-a-success-in-the-cayman-islands/">Green turtles</a> slowed by 75% and 159%, respectively.



Some turtles couldn’t even finish the crawl in time. The biggest delay came when hatchlings had to climb over the thick seaweed, which slowed them down to a crawl - literally.



“The longer a hatchling stays on the beach, the more at risk it becomes - not just from predators like birds and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-did-billions-of-crabs-vanish-from-the-bering-sea/">crabs</a>, but also from overheating and dehydration, especially after sunrise,” said Dr. Sarah Milton of the FAU Department of Biological Sciences.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7xqe2C6RR6I?feature=share"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/leatherback-hatchling_sargassum-seaweed-obstacles_FAU_1s.webp" alt="A leatherback hatchling navigates over sargassum on Juno Beach in July 2021. Credit: Abbey M. Appelt, Florida Atlantic University" class="wp-image-1986078"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A leatherback hatchling navigates over sargassum on Juno Beach in July 2021. Click image for video. Credit: Abbey M. Appelt, Florida Atlantic University</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-getting-stuck-and-flipped">Getting stuck and flipped</h2>



The sargassum didn’t just slow the turtles down. It threw them off balance. Hatchlings kept flipping over while trying to climb the mats. In some cases, it happened over and over.



One unlucky turtle flipped more than 20 times in a single trial. Every time that happened, it wasted time and energy, and made hatchlings easy targets for predators.



These juveniles only have a small window to make it to the water before heat and dehydration kick in.



“When sargassum piles are higher - some can be over a meter high on South Florida beaches in the summer and extend for hundreds of meters down the beach - we can expect more failed attempts, particularly when hatchlings have to cross multiple bands of <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sargassum/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seaweed</a> just to reach the ocean,” said Milton.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-sign-of-burnout-yet">No sign of burnout - yet</h2>



Even with all that effort, the turtles didn’t show signs of physical exhaustion - at least not in their blood sugar levels. Glucose remained in normal ranges for all three species, no matter how much seaweed they faced. 



Only leatherbacks in the no-crawl control group had noticeably higher glucose, which researchers say shows that crawling itself is demanding - but the sargassum didn’t drain them any faster, at least in the short term.



Still, that doesn’t mean it’s harmless.



“For sea turtle hatchlings, reaching the ocean is already a race against time – and survival. Now, increasingly large mats of sargassum are adding new challenges to this critical journey,” said Milton.



“As these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/robot-discovers-surprising-food-source-sargassum-for-deep-ocean-creatures/">seaweed accumulations</a> grow taller and more widespread, they risk blocking hatchlings entirely, draining their limited energy or leaving them stranded. Beyond impeding movement, sargassum may also reduce nesting space and alter incubation conditions.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sargassum-management-and-turtles">Sargassum management and turtles</h2>



Sargassum isn’t going away anytime soon. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-warming-broke-records-for-450-straight-days/">Warmer oceans</a> and nutrient runoff are fueling massive blooms across the Atlantic, and more of it is expected to hit Florida’s shores every year.



This growing issue isn’t just about beach aesthetics. It's quietly making a tough journey even tougher for baby turtles trying to survive their first few minutes of life.



Without changes in how beaches are maintained, these seaweed mats could keep getting in the way - and turtle populations may suffer down the line.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-24-00092.1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Coastal Research</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Sargassum seaweed is a deadly obstacle course for baby sea turtles

Sargassum seaweed is piling up on Florida’s beaches, and it’s...

A peer-reviewed report has documented a new animal species - a small marsupial, found at 8,740 feet (2,660 meters) in the eastern Andes of Peru. Turns out this is not just a variant of something already known, but a new species in its own right.



The animal was collected inside <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/548" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Río Abiseo National Park</a>, which is a <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNESCO World Heritage</a> site. The Park protects cloud forests, high grasslands, and a trove of archaeological heritage.



The new marsupial, Marmosa chachapoya, is a mouse opossum and belongs to a group that is represented by many species across the Americas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discovering-marmosa-chachapoya">Discovering Marmosa chachapoya</h2>



The work was led by Silvia E. Pavan, museum curator at <a href="https://www.humboldt.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cal Poly Humboldt</a>, in collaboration with colleagues in Peru and the American Museum of Natural History (<a href="https://www.amnh.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AMNH</a>). 



Her team documented the specimen’s features and sequenced specific DNA regions to test whether they matched any named species.



The holotype was captured in 2018, in an upper montane rainforest site within the Park. Rather than rely on a glance and a hunch, the researchers paired careful measurements with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/landmark-study-reveals-275-million-new-genetic-variants/">genetic data</a> to reach a clear conclusion.



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



DNA <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1691236/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">barcoding</a> is a method, widely adopted since 2003, that uses short DNA sequences to identify species with consistency across labs and continents. It supports, rather than replaces, traditional anatomy by adding a measurable genetic line.



In this study, the scientists looked at a piece of DNA that codes for the protein cytochrome b, along with other parts of the animal’s DNA. They then compared these genetic pieces to samples kept in museum collections.



The results showed that the animal from Peru is related to <a href="https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1000042/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marmosa lepida</a> and <a href="https://www.gbif.org/species/119360389" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marmosa andersoni</a>, but is clearly a different species.



“The animal from Abiseo is very different in its DNA, about 8% different from Marmosa lepida,” wrote Pavan. For small mammals, that much difference is considered a big gap and shows that this species has been separate for a long time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-sets-marmosa-chachapoya-apart">What sets Marmosa chachapoya apart</h2>



Species status does not rest on DNA alone. The researchers documented a long, narrow face and a tail that is longer than the head and body combined, which is typical for these agile climbers.



The animal also had “a remarkably narrow and long rostrum with a very long premaxillary process; absence of postorbital processes,” wrote Pavan. 



The belly fur is orange with a gray base, and the facial mask is dark but does not stretch back to the ears.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-andes-keep-turning-up-surprises">Andes keep turning up surprises</h2>



The eastern Andes is home to many species that only exist in small, separate areas, a pattern known as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/endemism" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">endemism</a>. 



Scientists consider this region one of the richest biodiversity zones in South America. Many species of animals occur here that are both unique and threatened.



The discovery of Marmosa chachapoya also revises the altitudinal limits of its group. While its close relatives have only been found as high as about 5,187 feet (1,580 meters), this new species was recorded at 8,740 feet (2,660 meters) in the cloud forests of Río Abiseo.



Cloud forest bands change quickly with height, and species often swap out along the slope. That patchwork helps explain why short field windows can still turn up animals that science has not yet named.



Río Abiseo is not just scenic. It is a protected landscape with archaeological sites and intact ecological processes that allow small mammals to persist in pockets that are hard to reach.



The Park’s legal status limits access, so surveys depend on careful planning and permits. That makes each specimen count, especially when populations are small or scattered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-one-marmosa-specimen-gives-solid-evidence">One Marmosa specimen gives solid evidence</h2>



Describing a species from a single specimen can sound thin. In this case, the authors backed the designation with multiple lines of evidence, from cranial features to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-study-changes-what-we-knew-about-irelands-oldest-graves/">DNA</a> from four genes. 



They also anchored the comparisons in museum collections across the Americas.



The researchers noted traits that might vary with age, such as glands and skull ridges. 



They also explained why those would not erase the clear differences they had documented. It is a cautious approach that invites follow-up while making the data usable now.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-marmosa-chachapoya-matters">Why Marmosa chachapoya matters</h2>



Every time a species is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colorful-aquarium-creature-cherax-pulverulentus-is-new-crayfish-species-never-catalogued/">named</a> and positioned on the tree of life, it becomes easier to track, protect, and study. 



Laws, park plans, and conservation funding work better when the organisms have names and documented ranges.



There is also a local story here. The species epithet honors people of the Chachapoya culture, whose legacy is part of the same landscape that shelters this animal today.



Future trips will aim to find more of these animals and figure out exactly where they live between the Marañón and Huallaga rivers. 



Teams will search at the same heights and in similar forests to learn if the species is limited to one small area or spread across more of the cloud forests.



New DNA studies could help show how it fits in with its closest relatives. Collecting more animals will also reveal details about its size, behavior, and how much it varies in different places.



The study is published in <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2025/issue-4037/4037.1/A-New-Species-of-Marmosa-Mammalia--Didelphimorphia--Didelphidae/10.1206/4037.1.full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Museum Novitates</a>.



-----



Like what you read?<a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/"> Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

New species of mouse opossum discovered that has a tail longer than its body

A peer-reviewed report has documented a new animal species -...

In the wild mountain ranges of Morocco and northeast Algeria, there’s a small, shimmering butterfly that most people have never heard of. It flutters through cedar forests and scrubby hillsides, unnoticed by nearly everyone. But deep inside its cells, this insect is doing something no other animal has ever been seen to do.



This butterfly, called the Atlas blue, just set a world record. And scientists are paying attention - not just because it’s rare, but because its strange biology could help us understand one of the most complex problems in science: how species evolve, and even how cancer works.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-butterfly-with-chopped-up-chromosomes">Butterfly with chopped up chromosomes </h2>



Inside every living thing, from a mushroom to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-whale-species-is-already-threatened-with-extinction/">whale</a>, there’s DNA - the instruction manual of life. That DNA is packaged into structures called chromosomes. Humans have 23 pairs, and most butterflies have 23 or 24 pairs.



The Atlas blue butterfly carries 229 pairs of chromosomes - more than any other multicellular animal. Scientists had long suspected it held the record, and new genome sequencing has now confirmed it.



And here’s what’s even more surprising: the butterfly's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-analysis-can-predict-which-animals-are-at-risk-of-extinction/">DNA</a> hasn’t been duplicated. Instead, the chromosomes have been chopped up into smaller pieces - like taking 24 books and ripping them into 229 booklets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-peek-into-evolution-s-toolbox">A peek into evolution’s toolbox</h2>



The researchers behind the new study came from the <a href="https://www.sanger.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wellcome Sanger Institute</a> in the UK and the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona. They produced the first-ever high-quality genome for the Atlas blue and discovered that its extra chromosomes were not caused by copying, but by splitting.



This process happened fast in evolutionary terms. In about three million years, the butterfly went from 24 to 229 chromosomes. That’s like a blink of an eye for species development.



The cuts happened in parts of the DNA that were loosely packed. That means the total genetic information didn’t really change, it was just reorganized. All of the chromosomes, except for sex chromosomes, were broken up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-rapidly-evolving-butterfly">A rapidly evolving butterfly </h2>



Changes in chromosome number are one way that species evolve. They can affect how genes are turned on or off, how traits are passed down, and how well an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genomics-can-help-farm-animals-adapt-to-climate-change/">animal adapts</a> to its environment. The Atlas blue butterfly belongs to a group that evolved rapidly, creating lots of closely related species.



This new research helps explain how that might have happened. The split chromosomes may have allowed more mixing and matching of DNA, possibly helping the species survive in tough environments.



But that same complexity could also come with risks. Too many chromosomes might make a species more vulnerable over time. And unfortunately, the Atlas blue is already in trouble. Climate change, overgrazing, and destruction of cedar forests are putting pressure on its populations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-butterfly-chromosomes-and-cancer">Butterfly chromosomes and cancer</h2>



The implications go far beyond butterflies. Professor Mark Blaxter noted that genomes hold the key to how a creature came to be, but also, where it might go in the future.



“To be able to tell the story of our planet, we must have the story of each species and see where they overlap and interact with each other. It also allows us to apply learnings from one genome to another."



"For example, rearranging <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animal-chromosomes-have-conserved-specific-elements-for-600-million-years/">chromosomes</a> is also seen in human cancer cells, and understanding this process in the Atlas blue butterfly could help find ways to limit or stop this in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-scientist-discovers-that-common-non-cancer-drugs-when-combined-can-kill-cancer-cells/">cancer cells</a> in the future.”



That might seem like a stretch - a tiny insect helping us battle a major disease - but it’s happened before. From bacteria to mice and worms, scientists have used all kinds of living things to understand human health. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-extreme-atlas-blue-butterfly">The extreme Atlas blue butterfly</h2>



There are still big questions to answer. What benefits, if any, come from having so many chromosomes? Are there specific genes that make this butterfly more adaptable? Could this give clues about how life responds to a changing planet?



“When we set out to start to understand <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unraveling-the-story-of-early-animal-evolution/">evolution</a> in butterflies, we knew we had to sequence the most extreme, and somewhat mysterious, Atlas blue butterfly,” said Dr. Charlotte Wright, first author of the study. 



She noted that it was thanks to Dr. Roger Vila, who had previously worked with his colleague to find and identify this elusive butterfly, that the team was able to sequence this species.



"Being able to see, in detail, how the Atlas blue butterfly chromosomes have been split over time in specific places, we can start to investigate what benefits this might have, how it impacts their ability to adapt to their environment, and whether there are any lessons we can learn from their DNA that might aid conservation in the future.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-species-evolution">Understanding species evolution</h2>



This kind of research is just the beginning. The team now has a “gold-standard” genome to compare with other butterflies and moths, opening the door to understanding more about how species split, adapt, or vanish.



“Breaking down chromosomes has been seen in other species of butterflies, but not on this level, suggesting that there are important reasons for this process which we can now start to explore," said Dr. Vila, senior author of the study. 



"Additionally, as chromosomes hold all the secrets of a species, investigating whether these changes impact a butterfly’s behavior could help form a full picture of how and why new species occur."



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)01098-X?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS096098222501098X%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">Current Biology</a>.



Image Credit: Roger Vila



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Butterfly sets an astonishing  chromosome record

In the wild mountain ranges of Morocco and northeast Algeria,...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-astrobiology">Implications for astrobiology</h2>



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



—–



Like what you saw and read?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a>&nbsp;for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



—–



Check us out on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth.com</a>.



—–

Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



-----

What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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



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.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

News coming your way