Spring invites us to witness the spectacle of bird migrations. But have you ever wondered how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-flocks-social-relationships/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a> manage such precise, collective movement? A recent study from New York University (<a href="https://www.nyu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NYU</a>) offers fascinating insights into bird flocking and their aerodynamic mystery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bird-flocking-aerodynamics">Bird flocking aerodynamics</h2>



A team of mathematicians has recently illuminated the dynamics behind large, swirling flocks of birds. The research reveals that birds heavily depend on aerodynamics - the science of air movement around objects - to coordinate their seemingly effortless flight. 



Each <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-lead-flock-strongest-flyers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bird</a> functions as a compact, feathery powerhouse. Its wings do more than propel it forward; they also generate swirling air currents. These currents are crucial, as they enable birds to manipulate the airspace around them. This manipulation forms the intricate patterns and synchronized movements observed in flocks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-invisible-springs">Invisible springs</h2>



The scientists found that the air currents generated by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-birds-brains-evolved-to-enable-them-to-fly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a> are not random. They interact with each other in a highly organized manner. These interactions, which resemble the behavior of springs, create a network of unseen forces that link neighboring birds. 



The network helps maintain the positions of birds within the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-species-foraging-flocks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flock</a>. If birds drift from their spots, the interactive forces pull them back into place. This contributes to the overall stability and structure of the formation.



"If a flyer is displaced from its position, the vortices or swirls of flow left by the leading neighbor helps to push the follower back into place and hold it there," explained Leif Ristroph, a co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-small-bird-flocks">Small bird flocks</h2>



While these helpful air currents create a beautiful order in small groups of birds, the system breaks down as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-blend-in-to-adapt-to-diverse-environments/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flock</a> size increases. In larger flocks, the individual air currents from many birds start to clash and interfere with one another. This disruption weakens the stabilizing "spring" forces. 



As a result, the formation becomes chaotic. Imagine lots of swirling forces bumping into each other. This leads to a loss of the organized structure seen in smaller flocks.



"The very long groups seen in some types of birds are not at all easy to form, and the later members likely have to constantly work to hold their positions and avoid crashing into their neighbors," explained Ristroph.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flonons">Flonons</h2>



When a large flock is overwhelmed by these clashing air currents, the disruption doesn't hit all the birds at once. Instead, the scientists observed a ripple effect – the disorganized movement started with certain birds and then spread throughout the rest of the flock in a wave-like pattern. 



This chain reaction of jostling within the flock is a unique scientific phenomenon, and the researchers have given it a catchy name: "flonons." This term might become a new addition to our science vocabulary, especially as we learn more about the fascinating world of animal movement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-significance">Broader significance</h2>



The discovery of how birds flock reveals more than just the remarkable abilities of these creatures; it has significant potential implications for human-designed systems and technologies. 



The insights from studying aerodynamic interactions in bird flocks can enhance machine design. These insights could lead to more efficient, aerodynamically optimized machines. Possible improvements include better vehicle formation dynamics. 



This would reduce drag and lower energy consumption. There could also be advancements in deploying autonomous drones that need to operate effectively in swarms.



Additionally, the principles of bird flocking could enhance the design of wind turbines, optimizing them for better energy capture based on how air flows naturally around objects in motion. This research bridges the gap between natural phenomena and engineered solutions, offering a blueprint for innovation across various fields.



“This area of research is important since animals are known to take advantage of the flows, such as of air or water, left by other members of a group to save on the energy needed to move or to reduce drag or resistance,” explained Ristroph.



The next time you see a flock of birds painting the sky with their organized chaos, remember: you're witnessing some seriously complex engineering by Mother Nature. It's a symphony of aerodynamics, invisible springs, and perhaps some squawky arguments over who gets the best drafting position.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47525-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Bird flocking dynamics inspire advancements in technology

Spring invites us to witness the spectacle of bird migrations. But have you ever wondered how birds manage such precise, collective movement? A recent study from New York University (NYU) offers fascinating insights into bird flocking and their aerodynamic mystery. Bird flocking aerodynamics A team of mathematicians has recently illuminated the dynamics behind large, swirling flocks of birds. The research reveals that birds heavily depend on aerodynamics - the science of air movement around objects - to coordinate their seemingly effortless flight. Each bird functions as a...

The fragmentation of tropical rainforests is progressing much more quickly than expected, and the consequences for the global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/african-mountain-forests-store-huge-amounts-of-carbon/">carbon</a> cycle are alarming, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=33573">Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research</a> (UFZ).&nbsp;



By analyzing high-resolution satellite data, the researchers were able to accurately measure even the smallest change in tropical forest cover. The analysis has exposed a previously unknown increase in fragmentation that affects nearly one third of the world's rainforest area.&nbsp;



The experts report that as a result of increased tree mortality, large amounts of carbon are being released at the edges of fragmented forests. The only way to slow these emissions is through lower rates of deforestation.



The researchers used satellite data to pinpoint where intact tropical forests may still exist in Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. They found that the number of isolated forest areas increased by just over 20 million to 152 million between 2000 and 2010. This extent of tropical fragmentation is especially concerning because it has also increased the proportion of forest edges in the total forest area.&nbsp;



“This situation has deteriorated so much that now almost one third of the world’s tropical forest areas are in edge areas. If deforestation is not stopped, this trend will continue," said study lead author and Dr. Rico Fischer.&nbsp;



The accelerated rate of fragmentation was mainly found in the tropics of Africa, where the number of forest fragments increased from 45 to 64 million within 10 years. The study is one of the most detailed of its kind to investigate the carbon balance of tropical forest edges.



“The edge, unlike the forest interior, is subject to direct sunlight. It is more exposed to the wind. Humidity also decreases in the edge areas. The altered micro-climate particularly damages the large trees that depend on a good water supply," explained Dr. Fischer.



More trees die at the forest edge because they are more stressed there than trees that are in the protected interior of a forest. “This means that large amounts of carbon are released into the atmosphere at the edges of tropical forests," said Dr. Fischer.



The researchers estimated the carbon emissions caused by increased tree mortality for all forest edges. They determined that carbon emissions associated with forest fragmentation increased from 420 million tons in 2000 to 450 million tons in 2010.&nbsp;



“In the tropics, deforestation alone releases around 1,000 to 1,500 million tonnes of carbon every year. If we consider the additional effect of the forest edges, this is a worrying finding because the tropical rainforest should actually be a carbon sink - and not a carbon source," said study co-author Dr. Andreas Huth.&nbsp;



The fragmentation of tropical forests also affects biodiversity. The researchers found that the distances between the forest fragments are becoming progressively larger.&nbsp;



“This makes the long-term survival of animal species such as the jaguar, which depends on large, connected forest areas, more difficult," said study co-author Dr. Franziska Taubert.



“If the current dynamics of fragmentation continue at a constant rate, forest edges will release 530 million tons of carbon annually by 2100. Only if deforestation of the rainforest is stopped from 2050 onwards can emissions be limited to a maximum of 480 million tons of carbon," said Dr. Fischer.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</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

Tropical forest fragmentation is progressing at an alarming pace

The fragmentation of tropical rainforests is progressing much more quickly...

New research published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/2041210x">Methods in Ecology and Evolution</a> compared museum collection specimens to abundance in the wild. The research was the collaboration of 19 scientists from the United States and Europe. The researchers analyzed 1.4 million field observations and 73,000 museum records, comprising more than 22,000 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spotted-skunk-dna-helps-identify-new-species/">species</a>.



Surprisingly, the study showed that museum collections, despite almost never being standardized, are a good measure of species abundance in the wild.&nbsp;



“We can use this relationship to predict the relative abundance of species in the wild when field collections are not available or even possible," said study lead author Nicholas Gotelli of the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a>.



"It also means that we can estimate the relative abundance of species from earlier decades, even for species that are currently very rare or possibly extinct.”



The study was initiated in 2019 when two other researchers collaborated with Gotelli to analyze Florida ant records for the past 60 years.



“The Florida ant dataset offered an amazing window into the past and suggested that non-native species have gradually become ecological dominants over of a span of many decades. But I was concerned that a reviewer could knee-cap the entire analysis by simply questioning whether museum specimen records are related to species’ abundance in the field," explained Gotelli.



Not only does the new method offer a new tool for conservation scientists and ecologists, it upholds the importance of museum collections and a type of science often overshadowed by more ‘advanced’ techniques.&nbsp;



“This is really exciting," said study co-author Corrie Moreau of Cornell. "This is another example of the scientific importance of museum collections. I bet the people collecting these specimens decades or centuries ago had no idea all the ways they would be used.”&nbsp;



The tool, although useful and powerful, does have some important limitations. It seems that extremely rare species are overly represented and extremely common species are under represented in collections. This is basically because it’s more exciting to collect something rare and less interesting to collect something very abundant.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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

Museum collections reflect species abundance in the wild

New research published in the journal Methods in Ecology and...

In New Zealand, endemic flightless parrots, known as kākāpō, used to number tens of thousands and were widespread throughout the mainland and offshore islands. By 1995, however, these populations had undergone severe losses due mostly to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/north-americas-largest-mammals-were-a-casualty-of-climate-change/">overhunting</a> by humans and predation by introduced mammals. A total of only 51 birds survived. Fifty kākāpō inhabited Stewart Island, a small island off the south coast of New Zealand, and only one individual, named Richard Henry, survived on the mainland.



The species was considered critically endangered and management strategies were developed to promote breeding and enhance genetic diversity in order to protect the remaining birds.



Of the 51 individuals that survived the genetic bottleneck, only Richard Henry and 39 others reproduced; these 40 birds are thus the ancestors of all kākāpō hatched since 1995. Today, 204 individuals represent this species, most of them descendants of the kākāpō population on isolated Stewart Island.



In recent research conducted by scientists from Sweden and New Zealand,&nbsp;the genomes of 49 kākāpō were sequenced and analyzed to investigate the impact of inbreeding on the birds. Genetic material was obtained from 35 individuals in the Stewart Island population, from Richard Henry who survived on the mainland, and from a further 13 museum specimens that also represented the now-extinct population on the mainland.&nbsp;



Population genetics theory suggests that very small, inbred populations will suffer an accumulation of genetic mutations that will eventually reduce fitness and lead to extinction. Modern day kākāpō have reportedly lost 70 to 80 percent of their genetic diversity since the 1800s and show poor sperm quality and low hatching success, suggesting that they do indeed carry deleterious mutations in their genes.



However, the current study reported surprisingly positive results; despite 10,000 years of isolation and inbreeding on Stewart Island, the kākāpō there have fewer harmful mutations than were found in the genomes of the now-extinct populations on the mainland. The flightless parrots on Stewart Island appear to have lost mutations in their genes, rather than accumulated them.



“Even though the kākāpō is one of the most inbred and endangered bird species in the world, it has many fewer harmful mutations than expected,” says Nicolas Dussex, a researcher at the Center for Palaeogenetics and Stockholm University. “Our data shows that the surviving population on Stewart Island has been isolated for approximately 10,000 years and that, during this time, harmful mutations have been removed by natural selection in a process called ‘purging’ and that inbreeding may have facilitated it.”



“In small populations, this type of harmful mutation can lead to genetic diseases,” adds Love Dalén of the Center for Palaeogenetics and Swedish Museum of Natural History. “Our finding of a reduced number of harmful mutations is therefore important, since it means that inbreeding in the present-day population is likely to have less severe impact than we had initially thought.”



The authors state that their findings can be used to inform breeding programs in future, and to select breeding individuals that do not introduce harmful genetic mutations. Richard Henry, for example, is genetically distinct from the Stewart Island kākāpō and might be considered an important breeder in terms of improving genetic diversity. However, his genome carries more harmful mutations than the genomes of the Stewart Island birds and this means that he may not be the ideal father for future offspring after all.



The findings from this study can now be applied in the small and endangered populations of other species. “Our results are good news, not only for kākāpō but also for the conservation of other highly inbred and isolated species, because they suggest that it is possible, under some circumstances, for small populations to survive even if isolated for hundreds of generations,” says Bruce Robertson, University of Otago, who has studied kākāpō genetics for 25 years.



“While the species is still critically endangered, this result is encouraging as it shows that a large number of genetic defects have been lost over time and that high inbreeding alone may not necessarily mean that the species is doomed to extinction,” Dussex says. “It thus gives us some hope for the long-term survival of the kākāpō as well as other species with a similar population history.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-genomics/home">Cell Genomics</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

Inbreeding has led to genetic advantages in flightless parrots

In New Zealand, endemic flightless parrots, known as kākāpō, used...

Migrating land birds are capable of flying nonstop for hundreds or even thousands of kilometers over the open <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/95-percent-of-ocean-could-become-inhospitable-this-century/">ocean</a> by taking advantage of various atmospheric conditions, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the University of Konstanz.



Flying over the seas can be highly dangerous for land birds. Unlike seabirds, they are unable to stop or feed on the water, so they need to fly continuously until they reach land. For centuries, scientists thought that land birds only managed short sea crossings of less than 100 kilometers.



However, a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B has proven otherwise. The researchers placed GPS tracking devices on 65 birds across five species and analyzed 112 sea-crossing tracks over a period of nine years.&nbsp;



The data revealed that, contrary to popular belief, land birds are capable of flying for hundreds or even thousands of kilometers over open seas and oceans as regular parts of their migration patterns. The oriental honey buzzard, for instance, can cover 700 kilometers during an 18-hour nonstop flight over the East China Sea.



Scientists discovered that in order to accomplish such feats of strength and endurance, land birds take advantage of various atmospheric conditions, such as tailwind, a horizontal wind blowing in the direction of the bird’s flight, or the rising air thermals from the seas known as “uplift,” which help them soar up to one kilometer above the sea surface.&nbsp;



“Until recently, uplift was assumed to be weak or absent over the sea surface. We show that is not the case,” said lead author Elham Nourani, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biology at the University of Konstanz. “Instead, we find that migratory birds adjust their flight routes to benefit from the best wind and uplift conditions when they fly over the sea. This helps them sustain flight for hundreds of kilometers.”



Such a study can open research pathways to investigate how climate change may affect migration patterns. “Our findings show that many land birds are dependent on atmospheric support to complete their migrations over the open sea, indicating their vulnerability to any changes to the Earth’s atmospheric circulation patterns,” explained Dr. Nourani.&nbsp;



“Collaborative studies like this are important to unravel general patterns about how migratory birds depend on the weather patterns. This enables future studies to make robust predictions about how these birds will be impacted by climate 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

Land birds can fly hundreds of kilometers over open oceans

Migrating land birds are capable of flying nonstop for hundreds...

Climate change could have a significantly different impact on two species of seals in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-rate-of-melting-ice-in-antarctica-is-not-consistent/">Antarctica</a>, the crabeater and the Weddell seals, according to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>.



The researchers, based at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, studied and compared large populations of crabeater and Weddell seals using satellite images. “We found that Weddell and crabeater seals breed close to where they can find food,” said study lead author Dr. Mia Wege, a lecturer in Zoology at the <a href="https://www.up.ac.za/">University of Pretoria</a>, South Africa.



However, there are significant differences in these two species’ feeding and breeding patterns. Crabeater seals are picky eaters, with the majority of their diet consisting of Antarctic krill, and they prefer to breed on short-lived, unstable ice-floes drifting on the ocean. By contrast, Weddell seals have a more flexible diet, including fish, squid, and krill, and they breed on ice that is fastened to the shore.&nbsp;



“Because of climate change, crabeater seals will be increasingly challenged to find a place to rest and raise their young, in addition to having less food available to them. Very surprising of these results are that in the Weddell Sea, Weddell seals, on the other hand, are expected to be minimally affected in the near future, which is the opposite from what is happening elsewhere around Antarctica,” said Dr. Wege.



Having such a flexible and rich diet, and preferring to breed on more stable ground, the Weddell seals have a greater chances to adapt to climate change than the crabeater seals. The latter, being highly specialized predators that prefer to breed on ice-floes which are increasingly endangered by global warming, might have significant problems to survive in the near future.&nbsp; “Our takeaway message here is that if we want to mitigate population declines for ice-loving seals as the climate continues to warm, we need to be working now to set aside marine protected areas to ensure longevity of these species and their ecosystems,” concluded principal investigator Dr. Michelle LaRue.



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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

Some seals will struggle more than others to survive climate change

Climate change could have a significantly different impact on two...

Many different types of endothermic (“warm-blooded”) animals use their appendages, such as legs, ears or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/geckos-rely-on-their-tails-to-survive-a-crash-landing/">tails</a>, to help regulate their body temperature. This phenomenon is governed by Allen’s Rule, which states that animals in warm environments will have larger appendages to enable them to dissipate heat more effectively.



A recent review, published by bird researcher Sara Ryding of Deakin University in Australia, documents changes in the sizes of thermoregulatory appendages in many animal species. The study finds evidence that temperature can be a strong predictor of morphological change in a diverse array of animal species and over a wide geographical range.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“A lot of the time when climate change is discussed in mainstream media, people are asking ‘can humans overcome this?',&nbsp;or ‘what technology can solve this?' It’s high time we recognized that animals also have to adapt to these changes, but this is occurring over a far shorter timescale than would have occurred through most of evolutionary time,” says Ryding. “The climate change that we have created is heaping a whole lot of pressure on them,&nbsp;and while some species will adapt, others will not.”



It is known that a bird’s beak is well supplied with blood vessels and that heat is lost through this appendage. In addition, the unfeathered legs of birds and sparsely furred legs or tails of mammals are often used to dissipate heat and keep body temperature constant. Large ears that are typical of rabbits and elephants have also been associated with a heat exchange function due to their sizeable surface area. As the climate continues to warm, these appendages will assume an even more important adaptive role.&nbsp;



Ryder and her colleagues found evidence in the published literature of increasing appendage size in response to climate change. This was particularly noticeable in several species of Australian parrots that have shown an increase in bill size of between 4 and 10 percent since 1871. This increase correlates with the summer temperature each year. Other bird species that have shown increases in bill length in response to climate change include Galapagos finches, great tits and red knots.



Mammals such as wood mice have shown increases in ear size, while tail and leg length have increased in masked shrews. Great roundleaf bats have shown an increase in wing size in response to climate changes. In addition, changes in temperature conditions in experimental laboratories have resulted in longer tails in mice, longer tails and bigger ears in pigs, and longer bills in Japanese quails.



“The increases in appendage size we see so far are quite small - less than 10 percent - so the changes are unlikely to be immediately noticeable,” says Ryding. “However, prominent appendages such as ears are predicted to increase - so we might end up with a live-action Dumbo in the not-so-distant future.”



In the long run, changes in the size of appendages such as legs, ears and tails will lead to changes in the overall proportions of animals in warmer climates. The authors term this morphological change “shapeshifting,” and see it as a poorly recognized but important response to climatic warming.



“Shapeshifting does not mean that animals are coping with climate change and that all is ‘fine,’ says Ryding. “It just means they are evolving to survive it - but we’re not sure what the other ecological consequences of these changes are, or indeed that all species are capable of changing and surviving.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/home">Trends in Ecology &amp; Evolution</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

Animals are “shapeshifting” to survive climate change

Many different types of endothermic (“warm-blooded”) animals use their appendages,...

A new study led by the <a href="https://birdlabaustralia.com/">BirdLab research group</a> at <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a> discovered evidence of prenatal auditory learning in embryos of five bird species. Using non-invasive techniques, researchers found fluctuations in heartbeat responses to their parents’ calls in the embryos of three vocal learning species (the superb fairy-wren, the red-winged fairy-wren, and Darwin’s small ground finch), as well as two vocal non-learning species (the little penguin and the Japanese quail).



“By studying the capacity for sound learning in embryos, we are paving the way to new inroads into evolutionary and developmental timescales,” said study first author Dr. Diane Colombelli-Négrel. “Long before actual vocalization, we found that these tiny songbirds were also discriminating towards non-specific sounds and capable of ‘non-associative’ (not from parents) sounds, building on the complexity of vocal learning in songbirds.” &nbsp;



According to study co-author Professor Sonia Kleindorfer, vocal production learning is believed to occur in just seven lineages of birds and mammals: songbirds, hummingbirds, parrots, cetaceans, pinnipeds, bats, and, among primates, only humans.&nbsp;



“As a result of the rarity of vocal production learning, animals have been grouped into so-called ‘vocal learners’ (those that learn to imitate a vocalisation from a vocal tutor) and ‘vocal non-learners’ (animals that produce vocalisations without imitating a vocal tutor),” explained Professor Kleindorfer.



Surprisingly though, this new study found that embryos could grow accustomed to another bird’s call in both vocal learning and non-learning species, and may thus point to a phenomenon more widespread than initially thought.



“This research will hopefully inspire more study into the remarkable capacity of animals to learn sound,” said Professor Kleindorfer. “By moving the time window for sound learning to the prenatal stage, this research direction opens pathways to measure neurobiological downstream effects of early auditory experience on behaviour and information processing.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rstb.2020.0247?af=R">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B</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

Baby birds can learn sounds before birth

A new study led by the BirdLab research group at...

New research from <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">University of California, Riverside</a> (UCR) has found that, contrary to what scientists previously thought, hummingbirds have an active sense of smell which helps them make foraging decisions and avoid dangerous <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-from-jamaica-transmit-diseases-to-florida-palm-trees/">insects</a>.



Researchers have long been familiar with vultures’ strong sense of smell caused by their huge olfactory bulbs. However, until recently, no one knew that the tiny hummingbirds had the ability to smell things too.



In a study published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00265-021-03067-4">Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology</a>, a research team from UCR found that, regardless of the small size of their olfactory bulbs, hummingbirds are in fact highly sensitive to smells, an ability which keeps them safe while searching for food.



“This is pretty exciting, as it is the first clear demonstration of hummingbirds using their sense of smell alone to make foraging decisions and avoid contact with potentially dangerous insects at a flower or feeder,” explained study co-author Erin Wilson Rankin, an associate professor of entomology at UCR. 



In order to prove this, Professor Rankin and her team allowed over 100 hummingbirds to choose between two visually-identical feeders, one containing only sugar water, and the other sugar water plus one of several chemicals signaling the presence of an insects. These chemicals included the scent deposited on flowers by European honeybees, a chemical pheromone secreted by Argentine ants, and formic acid, a dangerous substance produced by some Formica ants that is harmful for both birds and mammals.&nbsp;



The hummingbirds avoided the ant-produced chemicals, particularly the formic acid, which was a very wise decision, according to Professor Rankin. “If a bird has any exposed skin on their legs, formic acid can hurt, and if they get it in their eyes, it isn’t pleasant. It’s also extremely volatile.”



To make sure that the hummingbirds were in fact capable of identifying dangerous chemicals and not just afraid of new smells, the researchers conducted an additional test with ethyl butyrate, an inoffensive food additive. Although its smell is not common in nature, the hummingbirds did not avoid it.&nbsp;



These findings prove the importance that the sense of smell plays in hummingbirds’ foraging decisions and can provide new directions of research in the field of trophic interaction, or as Professor Rankin calls it, the science of “who eats who” in nature.&nbsp;



“Hummingbirds and insects might be competing for floral resources,” said Professor Rankin. “Their foraging decisions help us understand how the ecosystem functions, and any actions that ultimately might be needed for conservation.”&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

Hummingbirds can smell dangerous insects

New research from University of California, Riverside (UCR) has found...

A new report from the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">International Union for the Conservation of Nature</a> (IUCN) highlights the growing pressures on the world's marine species, noting that 37 percent of sharks and rays are now threatened with extinction. While the primary issue is overfishing, sharks and rays are also vulnerable to habitat loss and climate change.&nbsp;



The Red List of Threatened Species was updated on Saturday at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille. Of the 138,374 species that are now included on the list, 28 percent are threatened with extinction.



The Komodo dragon has moved from Vulnerable to Endangered on the Red List. The experts found that the future effects of climate change and human activities pose the biggest threats to the species, which is endemic to Indonesia. Rising temperatures and sea levels are expected to reduce the Komodo dragon’s habitat by at least 30 percent in the next 45 years.



“Komodo dragons were first introduced to the British public by Sir David Attenborough just 60 years ago, on BBC’s iconic series Zoo Quest for a Dragon with ZSL," said Dr Andrew Terry, conservation director at the Zoological Society of London.



“The idea that these prehistoric animals have moved one step closer to extinction due in part to climate change is terrifying - and a further clarion call for nature to be placed at the heart of all decision making on the eve of the COP26 in Glasgow.”



The IUCN Red List update reveals some good news as well. Four commercially-fished tuna species, including the Atlantic bluefin tuna, Southern bluefin tuna, albacore and yellowfin tuna, are on the path to recovery. The enforcement of regional fishing quotas over the last decade have boosted some tuna populations.&nbsp;



Despite global improvement at the species level, however, the number of species that are at high risk continues to grow, according to the IUCN. The agency said that many regional tuna stocks remain severely depleted.&nbsp;



“These Red List assessments are proof that sustainable fisheries approaches work, with enormous long-term benefits for livelihoods and biodiversity. We need to continue enforcing sustainable fishing quotas and cracking down on illegal fishing,” said Dr. Bruce B. Collette, Chair of the IUCN SSC Tuna and Billfish Specialist Group. “Tuna species migrate across thousands of kilometers, so coordinating their management globally is also key.”



Dr. Malin Rivers of Botanic Gardens Conservation International heads the <a href="https://globaltreeassessment.org/">Global Tree Assessment</a> to compile extinction risk information on the 58,497 tree species worldwide. He says that thousands of trees species assessments have been added to the IUCN Red List this year, including trees from over 186 countries.&nbsp;



"In addition, more than 1,000 species identified as impacted by logging and wood harvesting, such as Dipterocarps, ebonies, rosewoods and many others, have also been assessed for the first time this year,” said Dr. Rivers.&nbsp;



"With every tree assessment, added to the IUCN Red List, we continue to tell the story for the word’s threatened tree species, and provide the essential information for taking effective conservation action.”



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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

IUCN Red List: 37 percent of sharks are threatened

A new report from the International Union for the Conservation...

The secrets of how animals manage to learn sounds have intrigued humans for thousands of years. Insight into this ability, known as vocal learning, could reveal new details about the evolution of human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbirds-and-humans-use-similar-speech-patterns/">speech</a> and language.&nbsp;



"Comparative work investigating this trait across different types of animals is particularly important," explained Sonja Vernes of the <a href="https://www.mpi.nl/">Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics</a>.



In their paper, the researchers propose a novel classification system, taking into account how accurately sounds are copied and the time it takes to learn them. Timing is important, explained the study authors, as animals differ in when and how quickly they learn. Parrots are known to mimic sounds throughout their life, while zebra finches can only learn a limited range of sounds while they are young.



The ability to learn sounds was once thought to be rare in the animal kingdom, but a growing collection of evidence reveals that many groups are capable of vocal learning.



"In addition to parrots and songbirds, evidence for vocal production learning has recently come to light in a number of other bird groups, showing that its occurrence is now more widespread than realized even a few years ago," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



Scientists have studied this phenomenon among seals, elephants, bats, dolphins, and whales, as the fascination for animal vocalizations has grown into a research tradition.



"Humans are of course the most-studied vocal learners of all, and the brain networks underlying our vocal abilities have been studied intensively in the 150 years since Paul Broca identified his eponymous brain area," noted the researchers.



Among animals that use vocal learning, the type and role of learning varies greatly. For example, zebra finches learn to copy their father’s song, while parrots pick up sounds from different species, including humans. According to Vernes, the complexity of vocal learning presents particular challenges to the field, but also provides clear opportunities.



"The neurobiology of vocal learning is well studied in some songbirds, such as zebra finches. However, in many bird and mammal species, because of the complexity of the question under study and behaviour involved, the neuroscientific basis of vocal learning remains unknown," said the researchers.



While studying spear-nosed bats, MPI lead author Ella Lattenkamp and her colleagues discovered that bats who could not hear had atypical vocalizations. This shows that bats need to hear the sounds of others to learn their normal calls, just like humans.&nbsp;



The research is published in a special issues of the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rstb">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B</a>, along with a collection of articles that raise fascinating questions about the development of animal communication and human speech and language.



"We hope that the current issue illustrates the vibrant and wide-ranging research approaches currently surrounding the topic of vocal learning. The increasing diversity of perspectives, methods and study species suggests that this field will continue to grow and innovate in the future, leading to exciting new avenues and a clearer understanding of vocal learning and its evolution.



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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

Scientists explore the fascinating topic of vocal learning in animals

The secrets of how animals manage to learn sounds have...

Data collected for more than 20 years in the Paraná River basin of Brazil has produced evidence of a drastic decline in the number of aquatic insects in the region. The research suggests that this decline is linked to the construction of over 180 dams on the Paraná basin and its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oysters-respond-to-stress-by-growing-less-meat-on-their-shells/">tributaries</a>.



“Our study analyzed data collected on a seasonal basis over a 20-year period. We detected a decline from thousands to tens of individuals per square meter,” said Professor Gustavo Romero.&nbsp;



The project was supported by the <a href="https://fapesp.br/en">FAPESP Research Program</a>, and the fieldwork was conducted by researchers with the State University of Maringá’s Center for Research in Limnology, Ichthyology and Aquaculture (NUPELIA-UEM).&nbsp;



The team studied a floodplain with an area of 40 square kilometers containing rivers, shallow lakes, channels, and backwaters.&nbsp;



According to Professor Romero, the drastic decline in insect populations is a global phenomenon and studies have shown its correlation with human activities.&nbsp;



“A sharp decline was observed not only in more susceptible species but in all aquatic insect orders and families that live in the area. These insects inhabit freshwater environments until they reach adulthood when they migrate to terrestrial environments. This includes dragonflies and water beetles, to mention only the most well-known,” explained Professor Romero.



Considering that some insects transmit diseases, many people assume that all insects are harmful to humans, but Professor Romero pointed out that the insects that are being wiped out in the Paraná River basin are extremely useful.&nbsp;



"They provide many ecosystem services, including pollination, biological control of crop pests and disease-transmitting insects, decomposition of organic matter, and nutrient cycling."



Professor Romero explained that dams have impacted aquatic insects in three ways. First, the dams make the water much clearer. Without the camouflage of murky water, insects are more vulnerable to predators.



In addition, the exotic fish species introduced into dam reservoirs eat insects as well as native fish. Furthermore, the researchers detected a chemical imbalance of the nutrients in the water, changing the proportions of nitrogen and phosphorus.&nbsp;



“The algae that proliferate in dam reservoirs fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and transfer it to the water. Part of the phosphorus is deposited on the reservoir bed. The water that flows through the dam spillway is poor in phosphorus and proportionally richer in nitrogen as a result. This changes its nutritional quality, affecting the animals that depend on a balanced quantity of these nutrients,” explained Professor Romero.



Changes in the ecosystems of the Paraná River sub-basin are significant for all of South America. This is because the river basin touches seven Brazilian states and is part of one of South America’s three main basins.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsbl">Biology Letters</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

Aquatic insects have drastically declined in Brazil

Data collected for more than 20 years in the Paraná...

A new study from the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University of Buffalo</a> suggests that whale songs are very different from the songs performed by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-involved-in-more-seed-dispersal-have-evolutionary-stability/">birds</a>. After years of research, Dr. Eduardo Mercado has found that whale songs have a dynamic nature that signifies much more sophisticated sound production.



“The analyses in this paper suggest that we shouldn’t be thinking about whale songs as language or musical notes,” explained Dr. Mercado. “What the singers are doing seems to be much more dynamic, both within songs and across years."



“Maybe it’s a matter of switching from thinking about whale songs as musical notes to something more freeform, like dancing.”



Most existing theories are based on the assumption that whales combine sounds, or units, into phrases to build songs that broadcast important information about their health and fitness to potential mates. From this perspective, said Dr. Mercado, single units are like individual quills in a peacock’s tail - each functionally equal and useful only as a collective.



However, according to the new study, the units of whale songs are not functionally equal. In collaboration with study co-author Professor Christina E. Perazio from the University of New England, Dr. Mercado explains that the units within whale songs are dynamic, changing through the years.



The researchers found that this unit morphing produces some units that are much less detectable than others. The findings of the study challenge previous conclusions regarding fitness. Instead, the new research supports the idea that whale songs reveal locations and movements - with each change making relevant units easier to hear across long distances.



“There are clear differences in the units when listening to whale songs from different years,” said Dr. Mercado. “They’re so different that it’s like switching from one musical genre to another. In any given year, the whales are using an altogether different set of sounds.”



Despite the irregularities, the morphing units are more likely to be random. According to Dr. Mercado, the changes appear evolutionary in nature, with the modifications adhering to a clear set of rules, such as maintaining the same pitch range as the previous unit.&nbsp;



The researchers said this could possibly increase the number of positions from which whales can reliably detect and track the signals. Overall, the research highlights the fact that whale songs are too sophisticated to be studied based on bird songs and other animal vocalizations.



“These labels are a bad idea,” said Dr. Mercado. “Shifts in pitch and duration might force an incorrect re-categorization of units. We might think we’re hearing something different, but the whale might be saying nothing has changed.”



“Humans are not the gold standard for distinguishing sounds, and we have to acknowledge and respect that when conducting research.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/10071">Animal Cognition</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

Whale songs are in a sophisticated league of their own

A new study from the University of Buffalo suggests that...

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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



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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

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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

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