Did you know you can read a chicken's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-can-now-decipher-the-emotional-states-of-chickens/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotions</a>? It turns out our feathered friends have a surprising way of showing their feelings - their faces blush a deeper red when they're distressed. 



A revolutionary study has confirmed this, opening up new ways to understand how chickens feel and build better relationships with them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-chickens-express-their-emotions">How do chickens express their emotions?</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chicken-psychology-birds-smart-complex/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chickens</a>, like many animals, experience a spectrum of emotions ranging from joy and excitement to frustration and fear. However, their ways of expressing these emotions differ from ours. They don't rely on facial expressions like smiling or frowning to communicate how they feel.



Instead, changes in chickens' facial coloration offer clues about their inner state. The skin around their faces, including the comb and wattle, is particularly sensitive. These areas maintain a lighter red hue when chickens are relaxed and content. 



When chickens experience negative emotions, the blood flow to these areas increases significantly. This causes a visible change as their faces become flushed with a much brighter scarlet shade.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-chickens-blush">Why do chickens blush?</h2>



Researchers from <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">INRAE</a> (France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment) embarked on a detailed investigation to decipher how a chicken's blush reveals its emotions. They focused on Sussex hens, a popular breed of laying chickens. 



To ensure accuracy, the research team employed advanced camera technology and specialized software. This allowed them to precisely measure and analyze subtle changes in facial redness.



The researchers exposed hens to various stimuli and carefully documented the changes in coloration. When presented with appetizing feed such as mealworms, the hens did get a bit red but their entire face became scarlet red during negative experiences such as capture. This demonstrated a clear connection between the hens' emotional state and the intensity of their flushing.



Intriguingly, the study also shed light on how chickens perceive humans. Hens who had been gradually accustomed to the presence of a friendly researcher over time showed a reduced stress response. 



This was evident in their calmer demeanor and the less intense flushing of their faces in the researcher's presence. In comparison, hens without this positive exposure exhibited a more pronounced stress response when near humans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emotions-in-chickens-and-humans">Emotions in chickens and humans</h2>



The ability to accurately interpret chicken emotions provides invaluable insights for farmers, animal scientists, and veterinarians. Using this knowledge, they can tailor environments and care practices to promote positive emotional states in chickens. 



This includes minimizing stressful situations, providing opportunities for enrichment, and fostering a sense of security. Such changes in animal management can lead to improvements in overall chicken well-being and health.



While chickens and humans may seem worlds apart, this study highlights a shared emotional language. By learning to recognize the subtle cues chickens use to express their feelings, we can develop greater empathy and understanding towards them. 



This awareness can promote more respectful and compassionate interactions, potentially transforming our relationship with these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/zebra-finches-use-both-calls-and-vision-to-coordinate-flight/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a> even in backyard settings or small-scale farming.



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



The study serves as a springboard for numerous exciting avenues of future research. Scientists are keen to delve deeper into the diverse ways chickens might communicate their emotions.



Beyond facial flushing, changes in the position or movement of head feathers could hold clues to a chicken's emotional state. For instance, during moments of excitement, a hen might rapidly raise and lower her head feathers. 



Conversely, fear or stress might be signaled by flattened or ruffled feathers. Careful observation and analysis are needed to decode this potential new emotional language.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-tech-uses-chicken-feathers-to-generate-clean-electricity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chickens</a> live within complex social structures, often with clear dominance relationships. Researchers want to understand how emotional signals play a role in these interactions. 



For example, a dominant hen might display specific feather patterns or facial coloration changes to assert her position, while a subordinate hen might exhibit different signals to indicate submission. Understanding these nuances could unlock secrets about chicken communication and social dynamics.



The next time you see a chicken, take a good look at its face. Is it pale, relaxed, and content? Or is it flushed, indicating the chicken might be feeling stressed or worried?



Remember, our awareness and empathy can make all the difference in the lives of animals around us, even backyard chickens.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159124001163?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Applied Animal Behaviour Science</a>.



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Chickens' faces change color depending on their emotions

Did you know you can read a chicken's emotions? It turns out our feathered friends have a surprising way of showing their feelings - their faces blush a deeper red when they're distressed. A revolutionary study has confirmed this, opening up new ways to understand how chickens feel and build better relationships with them. How do chickens express their emotions? Chickens, like many animals, experience a spectrum of emotions ranging from joy and excitement to frustration and fear. However, their ways of expressing these emotions differ from...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> has found that, at night, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hummingbirds-can-smell-dangerous-insects/">hummingbirds</a> drastically lower their body temperature and metabolism, entering into an energy-saving state of inactivity called torpor. According to the researchers, hummingbirds can switch between different levels of torpor - shallow, deep, plus several transitional stages as well as normal sleep.



By using infra-red thermal imaging to track the body temperature of three hummingbird species from Arizona (the Blue-throated Mountain-gem, the Black-chinned Hummingbird, and Rivoli’s Hummingbird), the scientists discovered that the differences in heat generation at various stages of torpor were substantial.



While the normal daytime body temperature of hummingbirds is, even in cold weather, over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, during shallow torpor this temperature drops by 20 degrees, and during deep torpor by a staggering 50 degrees. If human body temperature were to drop by only three degrees from its average of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, we would enter hypothermia and need outside help to warm up again.



“There have been a few hints that this ability to fine-tune thermoregulation was possible,” said study lead author Anusha Shankar, Postdoctoral Fellow at the <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>. “But the studies were done under laboratory conditions, not the conditions a bird would encounter in the wild. It was really exciting to see that hummingbird torpor could be variable and flexible.”



Dr. Shankar and her colleagues also found that, while the smallest hummingbirds entered deep torpor each night, larger ones did this more rarely, and relied mostly on shallow torpor. According to the researchers, shallow torpor may have evolved to balance energy-saving with the steep costs of deep torpor – including immune suppression, and thus increased vulnerability to disease, as well as risk of predation or sleep deprivation.



Further research is needed to clarify what is taking place in the birds’ brains during torpor, how levels of body fat can trigger torpor, and how the birds can generate the heat to warm up again.



“At least 42 bird species use torpor. But only hummingbirds, nightjars, and one species of mousebird go into deep torpor. Studying the range of torpor could help us understand the evolution of thermoregulation in birds,” concluded Dr. Shankar.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.243208">Journal of Experimental Biology</a>.



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

Hummingbirds are experts at regulating body temperature

A new study led by Cornell University has found that,...

The changing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-dog-color-patterns-existed-long-before-dogs-themselves/">patterns</a> of differently colored scales on a lizard’s skin can be modeled mathematically. A multidisciplinary research team did just that in an attempt to better understand the evolution of skin patterns. 



The researchers looked at the changing green and black patterns of the ocellated lizard. The experts found that the patterns may change but they always facilitate the lizard’s survival.&nbsp;



"The ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus) exhibits an intricate skin color pattern made of monochromatic black and green skin scales, whose dynamics of color flipping are known to be well modeled by a stochastic cellular automaton," wrote the study authors.



The scientists discovered that scales change depending on the color of nearby scales based on a mathematical rule. The ocellated lizard scales can be explained by the Lenz-Ising model, an important model in modern condensed matter physics.



This model was initially used to elucidate the behavior of magnetic particles, which could be in one of two states and interact only with their immediate neighbor.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



"The elegance of the Lenz-Ising model is that it describes these dynamics using a single equation with only two parameters: the energy of the aligned or misaligned neighbors, and the energy of an external magnetic field that tends to push all particles toward the +1 or -1 state," explained Szabolcs Zakany, an expert in the Department of Genetics and Evolution at the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/">University of Geneva</a>.



The scientists adapted the Lenz-Ising model to the ocellated lizard. While it originally used a square lattice, this was modified to a rectangular lattice for lizards. The experts found that the favored pattern with ocellated lizards was a labyrinthine one rather than one of lines, spots, etc.&nbsp;



"These labyrinthine patterns, which provides ocellated lizards with an optimal camouflage, have been selected in the course of evolution," explained Michel Milinkovitch.



"These patterns are generated by a complex system, that yet can be simplified as a single equation, where what matters is not the precise location of the green and black scales, but the general appearance of the final patterns."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://prl.aps.org/">Physical Review Letters</a>.&nbsp;



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

Ocellated lizard camouflage explained by a simple equation

The changing patterns of differently colored scales on a lizard’s...

An unprecedented study led by scientists at <a href="https://www.swansea.ac.uk/">Swansea University</a> (UK) has used GPS collars to analyze the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dangerous-bee-behavior-may-be-linked-to-appearance/">behavior</a> of a group of baboons living on the edges of Cape Town, South Africa.&nbsp;



"Owing to the challenges involved in tracking the behaviors of many individuals simultaneously, we are only just beginning to understand the collective behavior of wild social groups and know little about whether and how it changes in anthropogenic environments," wrote the study authors.



"This is an important gap in knowledge given the critical influence collective behaviors exert on group dynamics, individual fitness and social evolution and the increasing spatial overlap between wildlife and humans worldwide."&nbsp;



The researchers collected GPS data every second to compare the behavior of urban baboons with those in more traditional settings.&nbsp;



The analysis showed that urban baboons were less likely to coordinate their behaviors with each other. Instead, each baboon acted as smaller groups and moved more quickly to escape threats of traffic and obtain high calorie foods.&nbsp;



Even though urban baboons did not coordinate their efforts as much, the same social hierarchy seemed to be in place, with dominant animals having greater influence.&nbsp;



"We expected dominant baboons to have less influence on others' movements in urban space because the troop social dynamics break down. But we were surprised that the males continued to play an important role," said study lead author Anna Bracken.



The research is important for baboon rangers, people who work minimizing conflict between baboons and people.&nbsp;



"The baboon rangers are tasked with keeping baboons out of the city, and by focusing on adult males, they indirectly deter most of the group from urban space, because these males tend to be followed," explained study co-author Professor Justin O'Riain of the University of Cape Town.



Now that the scientists have a basic understanding of baboon collective behavior in cities, where the social cohesion is loose but social hierarchy maintained, they want to use their data to understand why these wild animals move into cities in the first place.&nbsp;



The study is published in <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>



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

Baboons behave differently in urban areas

An unprecedented study led by scientists at Swansea University (UK)...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/">University of Vienna</a> has found that, as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/revolutionary-treatment-approved-for-cat-arthritis/">cats</a> became domesticated over the past 10,000 years, their brains have shrunk significantly in size. According to the scientists, the discovery adds further evidence to what is known as “the domestication syndrome” hypothesis. 



This theory argues that natural selection for tameness in domestication leads to the production of fewer neural crest cells in the animals’ brains. Neural crest cells are linked to fear and excitability and their reduction likely contributes to changes in brain size, stress responses, and overall body morphology.



The scientists compared the cranium sizes of domestic cats (Felis catus) and several species of wild cats from Africa and Europe that are genetically related to the ancestral species that domestic cats have been evolving from over the past millennia. They found that domestic cats, as well as hybrids of wild and domestic cats, have smaller craniums (and thus brains) than their wild counterparts.



"Our data indicates that domestic cats indeed, have smaller cranial volumes (implying smaller brains) relative to both European wildcats (Felis silvestris) and the wild ancestors of domestic cats, the African wildcats (Felis lybica), verifying older results. We further found that hybrids of domestic cats and European wildcats have cranial volumes that cluster between those of the two parent species,” reported the study authors.



According to the researchers, the main reason behind the reduction in brain size is the fact that domestic cats lead an easier life, in more comfortable surroundings, while facing significantly less threats and risks from predators.



Earlier studies have also shown similar reduction in brain size in other domesticated mammals, such as dogs or rabbits, compared to their wild ancestors.&nbsp;



Even human brains appear to have shrunk over the past 28,000 years, being currently five percent smaller than those of Neanderthals. Experts suggest that the gradual change from hunter gatherers, who needed to face a wide range of threats during their peregrinations, to sedentary farmers leading more peaceful lives may have contributed to this reduction in brain size.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.210477#d1e1620">Royal Society Open Science</a>.&nbsp;



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

Cat brains shrank in size as a result of domestication

A new study led by the University of Vienna has...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/">Monterey Bay Aquarium</a> has revealed that extreme heat has become the "new normal" for the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/southern-ocean-outgassing-affects-the-global-carbon-budget/">ocean</a>. Based on 150 years of data, the researchers found that the majority of the ocean’s surface has regularly exceeded a historical heat extreme threshold for the last seven years.



Heat extremes can destroy critically important marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and kelp forests. Thermal stress alters the functioning of these ocean habitats, and gradually compromises their ability to adapt and survive.&nbsp;



“Climate change is not a future event,” said Dr. Kyle Van Houtan, who led the research team. “The reality is that it’s been affecting us for a while. Our research shows that for the last seven years more than half of the ocean has experienced extreme heat.”



“These dramatic changes we’ve recorded in the ocean are yet another piece of evidence that should be a wake-up call to act on climate change. We are experiencing it now, and it is speeding up.”



By mapping 150 years of sea surface temperatures, the experts established a historical benchmark for ocean heat extremes. The study revealed that 2014 was the first year that this threshold was exceeded throughout more than half of the ocean. By 2019, 57 percent of the ocean experienced excessive heat.



For comparison, only two percent of the ocean surface was experiencing extremely&nbsp; at the end of the 19th century.



“Today, the majority of the ocean’s surface has warmed to temperatures that only a century ago occurred as rare, once-in-50-year extreme warming events,” said Dr. Van Houtan.



According to the researchers, the new normal of extreme heat across the majority of the ocean’s surface is further evidence for the urgent need to drastically reduce emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, which are the driver of climate change.



“When marine ecosystems near the tropics experience intolerably high temperatures, key organisms such as corals, seagrass meadows, or kelp forests can collapse,” said Dr. Van Houtan.&nbsp;



“Altering ecosystem structure and function threatens their capacity to provide life-sustaining services to human communities like supporting healthy and sustainable fisheries, buffering low-lying coastal regions from extreme weather events, and serving as a carbon sink to store the excess carbon put in the atmosphere from human-generated greenhouse emissions.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/climate/">PLOS Climate</a>.



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

Extreme heat is the "new normal" for the ocean

A new study led by the Monterey Bay Aquarium has...

Imagine a world in which animals were not farmed for protein and all people consumed only plants. The authors of a new study from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford</a> recognize that this would involve a huge change in attitudes, but say their research indicates that a dietary shift away from meat would effectively halt the increase of atmospheric greenhouse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gases-threaten-arctic-ozone-layer/">gases</a> for 30 years while countries phased out the use of fossil fuels.



“We wanted to answer a very simple question: What would be the impact of a global phase-out of animal agriculture on atmospheric greenhouse gases and their global-heating impact?” said study co-author Professor <a href="https://profiles.stanford.edu/patrick-brown">Patrick Brown</a>.



For their model, the researchers used publicly available data on livestock production and livestock-linked emissions. They examined four dietary scenarios: an immediate replacement of all animal agriculture with plant-only diets; a more gradual and more realistic 15-year transition to a global plant-only diet; and versions of each where only ruminants were replaced with plant-only products.



The authors assumed that all non-agricultural gas emissions would remain constant and that the land formerly used for livestock production would be converted back to grasslands, prairies, forests and scrublands that would absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2).



The experts then used a simple climate model to project how these changes would impact the evolution of atmospheric greenhouse gas levels and warming for the rest of the century.



“The combined effect is both astoundingly large, and – equally important – fast, with much of the benefit realized by 2050,” said Professor Brown. “If animal agriculture were phased out over 15 years and all other greenhouse-gas emissions were to continue unabated, the phase-out would create a 30-year pause in net greenhouse gas emissions and offset almost 70 percent of the heating effect of those emissions through the end of the century.”



The results of the modeling exercise showed that phasing out animal agriculture over the next 15 years would have the same effect as a 68 percent reduction of CO2 emissions through the year 2100. This would provide 52 percent of the net emission reductions necessary to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, which scientists say is the minimum threshold required to avert disastrous climate change.



The changes would stem, the authors say, from the spontaneous decay of the potent greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide, and the recovery of biomass in natural ecosystems on the more than 80 percent of humanity’s land footprint currently devoted to livestock.



“Reducing or eliminating animal agriculture should be at the top of the list of potential climate solutions,” said Professor Brown. “I’m hoping that others, including entrepreneurs, scientists and global policymakers, will recognize that this is our best and most immediate chance to reverse the trajectory of climate change, and seize the opportunity.”



While many other scientists have recognized that emissions from animal agriculture contribute significantly to global warming, what has not been emphasized before is the much more impactful “climate opportunity cost” – the potential to reduce the presence of&nbsp;current greenhouse gases by eliminating livestock.



“As the methane and nitrous oxide emissions from livestock diminish, atmospheric levels of those potent greenhouse gases will actually drop dramatically within decades,” said Professor Brown. “And the CO2 that was released into the atmosphere when forests and wild prairies were replaced by feed crops and grazing lands can be converted back into biomass as livestock are phased out and the forests and prairies recover.”



It would certainly be challenging to get billions of people to change their attitudes towards eating meat, but the model also shows that even phasing out the use of ruminants alone (cattle, sheep) would achieve a 90 percent reduction in the gas emissions from livestock agriculture.&nbsp;



The scientists acknowledge that 15 years is a short time for people to adopt dietary changes, but they point out that many other revolutionary changes have been accepted in shorter time spans. “We went from having no cell phones to cell phones being ubiquitous in less time than that. Electricity, cars, solar panels – all became common in a relatively short period of time,” said study co-author Professor Michael Eisen.



Professor Brown noted that societal attitudes toward food are far from fixed. “Five hundred years ago, nobody in Italy had ever seen a tomato.&nbsp;Sixty years ago, nobody in China had ever drunk a Coke.&nbsp;Mutton was once the most popular meat in America. People around the world readily adopt new foods, especially if they are delicious, nutritious, convenient and affordable.”



The authors acknowledge that the economic and social impacts of a global transition to a plant-based diet would be acute in many regions and locales. They added that substantial global investment will likely be required to ensure that people who make a living from animal agriculture do not suffer when it is reduced or replaced.&nbsp;



However, they write, “in both cases, these investments must be compared to the economic and humanitarian disruptions of significant global warming.”



Professor Brown is the founder and CEO of Impossible Foods, a company that has developed alternatives to using animals in food production, and Professor Eisen is an advisor to the company.&nbsp;



The scientists have made all of the raw data they used, as well as their calculations and the computer code used to carry out the calculations, publicly available so that others can make up their own minds.



“The great thing about science is that, in the end, it all comes down to whether the conclusions are supported by the evidence,” said Professor Brown. “And in this case, they are.”



The study is published today in the open-access journal&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.plos.org/climate/">PLoS Climate</a>,



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

Dietary shift away from meat could prevent climate catastrophe

Imagine a world in which animals were not farmed for...

Coral reefs all over the world are threatened by the warming oceans associated with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caribou-help-rare-plants-survive-climate-change/">climate</a> change. Management of these iconic ecosystems often involves protecting climate refugia where cooler upwelling conditions or strong ocean currents help to maintain thermal safe havens for coral reef organisms, even when surrounding areas become inhospitable.&nbsp;



Predictions about the future of coral reefs have repeatedly stressed the importance of protecting these “thermal refugia," but climate change models are often too coarse to capture the smaller-scale oceanographic features that characterize these areas. In addition, it has not been clear whether these safe havens would actually persist as Earth continues to warm.&nbsp;



With this in mind, Adele Dixon of the University of Leeds, UK, and colleagues from the US and Australia, made use of the most up-to-date global climate projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) to investigate the projected changes to coral reef refuges at an unprecedented resolution.



Using a technique known as statistical downscaling, the team combined CMIP6 projections with one-kilometer resolution satellite data on daily sea surface temperatures around the world to identify the locations of refugia in the future.



The researchers found that, whereas about 84 percent of the world’s coral reefs currently lie within a thermal refuge, this will decrease to a mere 0.2 percent if temperatures rise 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.&nbsp;



The model also predicts that, if temperatures rise by 2°C, none of the current refuges will be suitable for coral reef ecosystems any more. Very small areas of refugia may remain, particularly in the East Indian Ocean Sumatra-Java region, but only rarely, suggesting that coral reef ecosystems are likely to suffer catastrophic or total losses.



This analysis, published today in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/climate/">PLOS Climate</a>, highlights different effects in different regions. For instance, thermal refugia are predicted to disappear first from higher-latitude reefs. At 1.5°C of warming, thermal refuges will disappear from all but two of the twelve regions worldwide: Polynesia and the Coral Triangle in the western Pacific Ocean. Refugia will be lost from regions such as Oman, the Caribbean, Colombia, and Indonesia.



Although reef communities show various levels of tolerance to heat stress, most of them take a decade or more to recover from a warming event. As warm events are set to increase in frequency, it is unlikely that reef communities will be able to recover from them. And with the suitability of thermal refugia being compromised as ocean waters heat up, it is probable that coral reef species will experience catastrophic extinctions.



The findings provide new information that could help guide efforts to manage reefs and help them survive. In particular, efforts that focus on protecting thermal refugia alone may become less effective as climate change progresses and refugia disappear. Instead, the authors note, multiple types of efforts will be needed to help coral adapt to higher temperatures and migrate to more favorable locations. Prioritizing the management of current thermal refugia may, however, help them act as stepping stones for migrating corals to move to more suitable habitats.



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

Coral reef refuges could soon be completely lost

Coral reefs all over the world are threatened by the...

One of the negative consequences of globalization is the inadvertent spread of invasive plants and <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/our-warming-climate-is-changing-how-animals-hibernate/">animals</a>, far from their point of origin. Some of the most disruptive invasive animals are land flatworms, which spread all over the globe mainly through plant trade. Until now, researchers have identified over ten widespread species, including Obama nungara&nbsp;(originally from Argentina),&nbsp;Platydemus manokwari&nbsp;(from New Guinea), and&nbsp;Bipalium kewense&nbsp;(from Southeast Asia).



Land flatworms are predators of soil animals, such as slugs, snails, or earthworms, and represent a significant threat to soil biodiversity and ecology when they are introduced into a new environment. Hammerhead flatworms are a sub-species of land flatworms characterized by their broadened heads. Some of them can reach impressive dimensions of up to one meter in length.&nbsp;



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.mnhn.fr/en">National Museum of Natural History</a> in France has recently identified and described two new species of potentially invasive hammerhead flatworms, Humbertium covidum (discovered in two gardens in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France and Veneto, Italy), and Diversibipalium mayottensis (discovered in Mayotte, a French island in the Mozambique Channel from the Indian Ocean).&nbsp;



Humbertium covidum is a small (30 mm) flatworm, originating most probably in Asia. Unlike most other flatworm species, it has a uniformly metallic black color. Diversibipalium mayottensis has similar dimensions, but it exhibits a spectacular green-blue iridescence over its brown ground color. According to the scientists, its origin could be Madagascar. Both species appear to prey upon small snails, thus potentially placing local snail populations at risk in their current environment.&nbsp;



“Due to the pandemic, during the lockdowns most of us were home, with our laboratory closed. No field expeditions were possible. I convinced my colleagues to gather all the information we had about these flatworms, do the computer analyses, and finally write this very long paper. We decided to name one of the species “covidum,”paying homage to the victims of the pandemic,” said study lead author Jean-Lou Justine, a professor of Zoology and Parasitology at the National Museum of Natural History.



Besides providing classical anatomical and morphological descriptions, Professor Justine and his colleagues have also described in great detail these flatworms’ mitochondrial genomes, allowing them to provide a comprehensive molecular study of the relationships between sub-species of the hammerhead flatworms.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12725">PeerJ</a>. 



Image Credit: Pierre Gros



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

Two new species of invasive flatworms discovered

One of the negative consequences of globalization is the inadvertent...

In a recent study, experts have found that human presence is a major contributing factor in lynx habitat selection. The researchers noted that large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predators-help-prevent-biodiversity-loss/">predators</a> require more space, which makes them especially sensitive to human disturbance.



Led by Dr. Marco Heurich and Joseph Premier, conservation biologists at the <a href="https://uni-freiburg.de/">University of Freiburg</a>, the team studied the process of habitat selection in Eurasian lynx.&nbsp;



"Habitat selection is a multi-scale process driven by trade-offs between benefits, such as resource abundance, and disadvantages, such as the avoidance of risk. The latter includes human disturbances, to which large carnivores, with their large spatial requirements, are especially sensitive," explained the study authors.



"We investigated the ecological processes underlying multi-scale habitat selection of a large carnivore, namely Eurasian lynx, across European landscapes characterized by different levels of human modification."



The researchers analyzed data on 125 lynx from nine areas throughout Europe. The team looked at locations that were available to lynx, and compared them to sites that were actually being used by the wild cats.



The experts used a machine learning approach called the random forest to examine lynx habitat selection on two scales: the landscape scale and the home range scale. The landscape scale shows how the animals adopt their home range in the larger landscape, and the home range scale shows how lynx select habitats within their range.&nbsp;



The study showed that, on the landscape scale, lynx avoid roads and human settlements. On the home range scale, the cats seemed to prioritize the availability of prey and hiding places.&nbsp;



The greatest differences in lynx habitat selection were apparent at the landscape level, where it became clear that lynx sought out areas that provided protection from human disturbance.



According to the experts, their research will provide important information for the conservation of lynx in human-dominated landscapes. "Through this study, we can generalize the habitat selection behavior of a large carnivore species on a continental scale for the first time," explained Dr. Heurich.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biological-conservation">Biological Conservation</a>&nbsp;



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

Lynx habitat selection is heavily influenced by human disturbance

In a recent study, experts have found that human presence...

A British scientist from <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> has recently discovered a new species which belongs to a group of insects so rare that its closest relative was last spotted in 1969. During field work with his students in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/illegal-gold-mining-dumps-mercury-in-the-peruvian-rainforest/">rainforest</a> of the Kibale National Park in western Uganda, Dr. Alvin Helden, an expert in Animal and Environmental Biology, found a new type of leafhopper. Dr. Helden named the species Phlogis kibalensis and described it in the journal <a href="https://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/">Zootaxa</a>.



Leafhoppers are closely related to cicadas, but they are much smaller. These insects feed mainly on plant sap, which they suck directly from the phloem, and are preyed on by invertebrates such as spiders, parasitic wasps, and beetles, as well as some species of birds.



The newly discovered leafhopper is only 6.5 mm long, has a distinctive metallic sheen, pitted body, and – as most other leafhoppers – bizarre, leaf-shaped male sexual organs.



“It’s the first time I’ve ever discovered a newly described species. Personally, it’s one of those things you aspire to do as an entomologist and I’ve managed to do it now,” said Dr. Helden. “To find this new species is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, particularly as its closest relative was last found in a different country over 50 years ago.&nbsp;I knew it was something very special as soon as I spotted it.”



“Phlogis kibalensis&nbsp;is a member of the leafhoppers. Most people are familiar with cicadas, and leafhoppers are related to cicadas. I usually describe them as much, much smaller. They all have the same overall structure; their head end is held slightly higher than their back end and they are quite colorful.”



“Leafhoppers of this genus, and the wider tribe, are very unusual in appearance, and are rarely found. In fact, they are so incredibly rare that their biology remains almost completely unknown. We know almost nothing about&nbsp;Phlogis kibalensis,&nbsp;the new species I found, including what plants it feeds on or its role in the local ecosystem.”



According to Dr. Helden, there are many other animal species waiting to be discovered. However, due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coordinated-efforts-needed-to-slow-deforestation/">deforestation</a> and habitat loss, a large number of these species may sadly become extinct before we will even know they exist. Urgent measures to protect the rainforests and other endangered ecosystems are necessary in order to avoid the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-sixth-mass-extinction-is-currently-in-progress/">extinction</a> of numerous species.



Image Credit: Dr. Alvin Helden, Anglia Ruskin University



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

Rare insect with leaf-shaped genitals discovered in Uganda

A British scientist from Anglia Ruskin University has recently discovered...

According to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/beheco/advance-article/doi/10.1093/beheco/arab137/6454996">Behavioral Ecology</a>, human-related concepts such as intergenerational wealth and inequality can also be used to understand and explain the behavior of some <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/our-warming-climate-is-changing-how-animals-hibernate/">animals</a>. Inheritance of non-genetic commodities such as nests, territories, or tools can contribute to animals’ fitness and thus to their survival and reproductive success.



The idea for this study emerged early in the pandemic, when Dr. Jennifer Smith, a behavioral ecologist at <a href="https://www.mills.edu/">Mills College</a>, started discussing health disparities and inequalities caused by COVID-19 with her colleagues at <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">UCLA</a>. The researchers began to wonder whether inequality exists in animals too and could be studied in order to shed more light on human inequality.



“When we started looking for it, we found lots and lots of examples,” said Dr. Smith. For instance, young red grouse have more chances to succeed in establishing their own territories when their fathers or other relatives are nearby, while female North American red squirrels can be the lucky recipients of large quantities of nuts from their mothers, helping them survive longer and reproduce earlier. Hyena daughters with high-ranking mothers inherit their status and have access to better food, and some chimpanzees and capuchin monkeys inherit stone tools from their parents, which they use to crack nuts.



“Humans pass on material wealth like silverware, a home, or land to the next generation,” said Dr. Smith. &nbsp;“Animals do this too. It occurs in many species: some individuals have priority of access to resources while others do not.”



“'Humans have language, and therefore such things as cultural traditions, rules, norms, etc.; so the possibilities for transmitting material wealth, and intellectual wealth - knowledge that can be used to improve one's well-being - are tremendously greater. But at a more abstract level, many other species have 'property rights' in the form of territorial claims that are recognized, as well as contested, by other members of the population,” added Eric Alden Smith, a professor emeritus of Anthropology at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>.&nbsp;



While using ideologically-loaded terms such as “privilege” and “inequality” when describing animal behavior can have its dangers, according to Dr. Smith and her colleagues, a deeper understanding of the biological roots of these concepts could help us clarify aspects of human behavior too.&nbsp;



However, she emphasized that finding inequality in nature is not the same as justifying it. The research findings “could be misinterpreted as saying,&nbsp;‘Well, it exists everywhere, so we can do nothing about it,’” said Dr. Smith. Unlike other animals “we’re able to understand this phenomenon and then explicitly act to choose how we use that knowledge to create social change.”



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

Wealth inequality exists in the animal kingdom too

According to a new study published in the journal Behavioral...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> has identified the genetic characteristics relevant to the behavior of two nuisance western honey <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-it-comes-to-bee-colonies-size-matters/">bee</a> subspecies. The “killer bee” or “Africanized honey bee” is a light-colored bee known for its highly defensive, territorial nature, and the “cape honey bee” is a darker colored social parasite, capable of colonizing bee hives of other subspecies.



Both species are invasive bees that can easily take over colonies of managed honey bees, with costly consequences for beekeepers. Although the cape bees appear to be more docile than the Africanized bees, they are capable of an extraordinary feature that helps them overtake bee hives: they can clone themselves, producing female eggs without mating.



“More amazing than the cape bee worker’s ability to clone itself is the rate at which it can take over other colonies,” said study senior author James Ellis, a professor of Entomology and Nematology. “We are working to ensure these bees do not make their way to the United States because in most cases, when these bees take over a colony, the colony is doomed.”&nbsp;



Professor Ellis and his colleagues analyzed genetic data related to these subspecies in order to better understand what genetic traits contribute to their appearance and behavior.&nbsp;



“We found really interesting variations in the genes of these bees that can help explain why they look and behave differently,” said study co-lead author Laura Patterson Rosa.



“There are a lot of implications to what we found. We have not yet been able to verify these new discoveries in additional populations, but if our findings stand the test of time, it could partially explain why we see behavioral changes, why they do not acknowledge the existence of queens of other subspecies and why they can clone themselves when other bees cannot.”



The research findings suggest that the darker color of cape bees could be genetically correlated to their cloning and colony takeover behavior. Further research is needed to assess whether this correlation holds for other subspecies of bees.



“There are potentially over 30 subspecies of honey bees. We investigated only two in the published study. Does this finding hold true for the other dark colored honey bee subspecies? It would be interesting to look for these mutations across all western honey bee subspecies to determine if this is the case,” Professor Ellis concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260833">PLoS One</a>.



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

Dangerous bee behavior may be linked to appearance

A new study led by the University of Florida has...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.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



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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



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



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

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

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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;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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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;



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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"

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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;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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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



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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



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



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

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

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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)



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...