Thirty‑five millennia may sound like a long time, yet for a mammal, it is practically yesterday. A new study uses whole‑genome data to show that the Norwegian lemming, Lemmus lemmus, split from its Siberian cousin only about 35,000 years ago.



“The Norwegian lemming is a key ecological species in the Fennoscandian tundra. Among other things, it serves as primary food for many predator <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-animals-evolved-in-different-ways-to-beat-the-cold/">species</a>, including some threatened ones such as the Arctic fox,” said David Díez del Molino, a researcher at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, <a href="https://www.su.se/">Stockholm University</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lemmings-shape-arctic-life">Lemmings shape Arctic life</h2>



Ecologists have tracked lemming booms and busts for decades because those <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2656.1999.00258.x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cycles</a> ripple through the tundra food web, shaping the breeding success of Arctic foxes, owls, and even geese. 



When rodent numbers crash, fox litters shrink, snowy owls skip nesting, and grasses rebound after seasons of heavy grazing.



Unlike most small <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-water-day-2025-preserving-glaciers-protecting-our-future/">mammals</a>, Norwegian lemmings overwinter aboveground by tunneling under snow, a habit that keeps them active when many rodents lie low. Their winter wanderings aerate soil, mix plant nutrients, and feed predators during the hungriest months.



During peak years, the species can reach densities of hundreds per acre. Yet its loud squeaks and bold charge‑and‑bite defense make predators think twice, granting the animal an outsized ecological voice relative to its three‑ounce frame.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lemmings-became-a-separate-species">Lemmings became a separate species</h2>



Researchers compared nine modern and two ancient lemming genomes and found a clean split from the Western Siberian lemming with no evidence of crossbreeding, even in areas where the two meet today. 



That result stands in sharp contrast to polar bears and brown bears, whose DNA still shows <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22517859/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ancient admixture</a> from repeated hybridization events.



“Our findings indicate that the Norwegian lemming is among the most recently evolved <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-otter-day-2025-on-the-front-lines-of-a-habitat-crisis/">mammals</a>, diverging from its sister taxon, the Western Siberian lemming, at a remarkably shallow time depth,” said <a href="https://palaeogenetics.com/people/edana-lord/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edana Lord</a>, a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Palaeogenetics.



The team’s high‑resolution sequencing also resolved relationships within the genus Lemmus, confirming that Eastern Siberian lemmings belong to a separate species and helping clean up a century of contested rodent taxonomy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-species-born-in-an-ice-age">A species born in an ice age</h2>



The divergence date places the split just before the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1172873" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Last Glacial Maximum</a>, when ice sheets peaked between roughly 26,500 and 19,000 years ago. 



Glacial barriers likely trapped an ancestral lemming population in a Scandinavian refuge, cutting gene flow with Siberian relatives and setting the stage for rapid speciation.



Once the ice retreated, the newly minted Norwegian lineage expanded westward, but climatic swings had already written separation into the animals’ DNA. Modern population genetics shows no trace of later contact, suggesting that geography and behavior together kept the young species distinct.



Because the entire living population coalesces to a common ancestor only about 6,400 years ago, every Norwegian lemming alive today shares surprisingly shallow roots, a reminder that dramatic evolutionary change can happen fast.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-color-blocks-crossbreeding">Color blocks crossbreeding</h2>



Hybridization often lingers for thousands of years after a split, yet these rodents seem to have slammed the door shut. 



One reason may be their vivid black‑and‑yellow coat, a pattern that functions as an <a href="https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/aposematism-warning-signals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aposematic warning</a> and an instant badge of identity, reducing mating mistakes with the drab Siberian form.



Aggressive ritual boxing, loud chirps, and high‑speed chases further isolate the species by favoring individuals that court their own kind and bully outsiders away from snow burrows.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-that-power-survival">Genes that power survival</h2>



Sequencing uncovered unique changes in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3093193/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LYST pigment gene</a> that help produce the lemming’s splashy jacket, a mutation class also linked to altered melanosome function in laboratory mice. 



The same region shows signs of a recent selective sweep, hinting at strong predator‑driven pressure for conspicuous colors.



Other <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30006135/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mutations</a> appear in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/53630" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BCO1</a>, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/apob/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">APOB</a>, and <a href="https://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=RELCH" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RELCH</a> - genes involved in fat transport and storage; in mice, knocking out BCO1 triggers fatty‑liver disease and shifts cholesterol pathways. Extra‑efficient lipid metabolism may keep lemmings fueled through subzero winters when seeds are scarce.



The researchers also found clusters of rapidly evolving olfactory receptor genes, suggesting that a refined sense of smell guides the rodents through deep snow tunnels to mates, food, and lurking stoats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-arctic-mammals">Lessons for Arctic mammals</h2>



Climate upheaval can spin off new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aquatic-robot-inspired-by-flatworms-can-swim-in-harmony-with-nature/">species</a> in a geological blink, and the lemming’s youth underscores how quickly isolation plus selection can rewrite a mammal’s genetic blueprint. 



Similar patterns play out in Arctic whales, foxes, and hares as shrinking ice opens and closes migration corridors.



“This work represents a big step in our understanding of lemming speciation and evolution,” said Love Dalén, a professor in <a href="https://utbildning.su.se/english/education/course-catalogue/bl/bl7082" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Evolutionary Genomics at Stockholm University</a>. 



Professor Dalén noted that tracing ancient DNA in more Pleistocene specimens could reveal exactly when each adaptive mutation took hold.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2424333122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



 n

How Norwegian lemmings rapidly evolved into a new species

Thirty‑five millennia may sound like a long time, yet for a mammal, it is practically yesterday. A new study uses whole‑genome data to show that the Norwegian lemming, Lemmus lemmus, split from its Siberian cousin only about 35,000 years ago. “The Norwegian lemming is a key ecological species in the Fennoscandian tundra. Among other things, it serves as primary food for many predator species, including some threatened ones such as the Arctic fox,” said David Díez del Molino, a researcher at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm University. Lemmings...

Climate change is significantly affecting a large number of wild populations, including many European <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-involved-in-more-seed-dispersal-have-evolutionary-stability/">bird</a> species. However, global warming’s relative importance compared to other causes of change is still unclear. A new study led by the <a href="https://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a> (ANU) has investigated the impact of climate change on over 60 different bird species from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.&nbsp;



The researchers found that half of all changes to major physical and behavioral bird characteristics since the 1960s can be linked to climate change. The other half is due to environmental factors that have changed at the same time as our climate, such as land use, urbanization, habitat loss, or the introduction of invasive species into ecosystems.



“We have shown that climate change is a major driver of these changes in the birds, but there is more at play here than we originally thought,” said study lead author Dr. Nina McLean, an expert in Climate Change Ecology at ANU.



“Not only were other unknown changes in the environment equally important in driving changes in the birds, surprisingly they generally did so in the same direction as climate change, such that their effects compounded.”



Dr. McLean and her colleagues analyzed three key traits: the timing of egg laying, the body condition of birds, and the number of offspring produced. While almost all the birds laid their eggs earlier due to climate change, in the case of the other two traits the scientists discovered a certain degree of variability.



“Some species are clearly increasing their body condition and offspring number, whereas others are suffering from it,” said Dr. McLean. “For example, garden warblers in the UK have experienced a 26 percent decrease in their average number of offspring over the past half century, which is really concerning for the long-term fate of this species, but only half of this reduction, 13 percent, can be attributed to climate change.&nbsp;By comparison, the redstart experienced a 27 per cent increase in offspring numbers over the past half century, but again only part of that increase is due to global warming.”&nbsp;



According to Dr. McLean, these findings clearly show that the impact of climate change does not act in isolation and that its effects occur in a world where wildlife resilience is already pushed to its limits due to other changes caused by humans. The compound effects of these factors pose significant threats to the livelihoods of various species that may already be endangered.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2105416119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&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

Climate is not the only thing changing the behavior of birds

Climate change is significantly affecting a large number of wild...

A new study published by Frontiers has identified a previously unrecognized impact that climate change has on endangered mountain gorillas. When <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/temperature-related-deaths-could-rise-exponentially/">temperatures</a> rise, mountain gorillas drink water much more frequently. 



Water plays a vital role in sustaining life. Understanding how various species use water is critical, especially as rising temperatures are expected to reduce water availability. This is a key concern for endangered species in small isolated populations vulnerable to drought and the risk of extinction.&nbsp;



Only two existing mountain gorilla populations exist. One population lives in the Virunga volcanic mountains that border Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the other lives in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.&nbsp;



They are classified as an endangered species on the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/">International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List</a>. Mountain gorillas continue to face threats from habitat destruction and poaching. There are only around 1,000 individuals left.



Mountain gorillas live in rainforests and rely on plants for water. They live in high elevations, which makes them susceptible to faster rises in temperature. As the climate warms, the gorillas will become increasingly dependent on free-standing water from streams, rivers or puddles.



“Understanding how animals obtain water is increasingly important in the face of climate change, as warmer temperatures and more extreme weather conditions are predicted to influence water availability, which could have implications for how they use their limited habitat,” said Dr. Edward Wright of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.&nbsp;



“This is particularly important in endangered species which are vulnerable to extinction, such as mountain gorillas.”



Existing research has shown that 22 percent of primate species are vulnerable to drought. Primate habitats will likely experience 10 percent more warming than the global average.&nbsp;



By 2050, temperatures in the habitats of mountain gorillas are projected to increase by 1°C to 2.5°C, which could result in more frequent drought conditions.&nbsp;



To understand how drinking water habits could be impacted by climate change, the researchers observed drinking water behavior in the two existing mountain gorilla populations over 10 years. The results showed that both populations drank more water at higher average temperatures than at cooler ones.



This behavioral change is a logical one. Mountain gorillas drink more water to cool down and maintain healthy body temperature, just as humans do.&nbsp;



However, a greater reliance on free-standing water could ultimately impact the survival of the endangered species. This is because mountain gorillas could face increased exposure to parasites and human diseases found in free-standing water. Additionally, water availability is not always guaranteed, especially for the very limited habitat range available to mountain gorillas.



Despite these increasing concerns, extensive conservation efforts successfully moved mountain gorilla populations from a classification of "critically endangered" to "endangered" on the IUCN Red List.&nbsp;



Yet, just as the study points out, climate change may bring negative consequences on the conservation and overall survival of the species. “Our results suggest that mountain gorillas may have to work harder to maintain water balance in the future.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://conservationbytes.com/2020/09/29/new-journal-frontiers-in-conservation-science/">Frontiers in Conservation Science</a>.



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

Mountain gorillas need more water in a warming climate

A new study published by Frontiers has identified a previously...

Fatu and Najin are the last two northern white rhinoceroses in the world, and they are both females. As a result, they can no longer reproduce naturally, and face an imminent threat of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/higher-levels-of-biodiversity-reduce-extinction-risks-in-birds/">extinction</a>. In order to assure that this subspecies will not disappear forever, the international <a href="http://www.biorescue.org/en/home-0">BioRescue</a> consortium is attempting to create artificial egg cells by using skin cells of these rhinos. 



The scientists aim to first convert the skin cells into stem cells, and then into germ cells, or gametes, which could finally be matured into functional egg cells. These could be implanted in surrogate female southern white rhinos - a species closely related to the northern white rhinos.



Although this method seems highly futuristic for many scientists, there is in fact a precedent: in 2016, Professor Katsuhiko Hayashi from <a href="https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/">Kyushu University</a> in Japan managed to successfully transform skin into egg cells in mice, and to successfully fertilize several females, which ultimately gave birth to 11 healthy and fertile offspring. Even if the percentage of offspring was lower than with conventional artificial insemination, the fact that they developed normally and did not die prematurely make scientists optimistic that the same method could soon save northern white rhinos from extinction.



“Considering that Hayashi spent many years researching this method, we can be proud if, in three years’ time, we understand the process and have managed to produce mature northern white rhino progenitor germ cells,” said the head of the research team Sebastian Diecke, a professor at the <a href="https://www.mdc-berlin.de/">Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association</a> (MDC) in Berlin. “If we are able to then mature these into functional egg cells, that would naturally be the crowning achievement of our research.”



In a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-07059-w">Nature Scientific Reports</a>, Professor Diecke and his team have revealed that they managed to take an important step in this direction by creating induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from northern white rhino skin cells, which could eventually develop into immature eggs cells, or oocytes.&nbsp;



“Our paper sheds new light on pluripotency – the ability of stem cells to differentiate into all cells of the body,” said lead author Dr.&nbsp;Vera Zywitza, a postdoctoral researcher at MDC. “It therefore represents an important milestone on the road to artificially generated rhino oocytes.”&nbsp;



Although the iPS cells cannot yet be used to create germline cells due to the fact that they contain persistent foreign genetic material that the scientists were forced to add in order to prevent cell death, they can still shed much light on the nature of rhino stem cells and help scientists understand the molecular mechanisms that take place in such cells.&nbsp;



“For example, we can study why the gestation period of a rhinoceros is 16&nbsp;months whereas that of a mouse is only 21&nbsp;days, or how organs develop in different species. This teaches us a lot about evolution,” Dr. Zywitza said.



Further research is needed to clear the iPS cells from the foreign genetic factors that they now contain and make them grow into egg cells. Once this process is complete, the northern white rhino is sure to be saved from extinction.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;



Image Credit: Jan Zwilling, IZW



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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

Scientists are one step closer to creating artificial rhino eggs

Fatu and Najin are the last two northern white rhinoceroses...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disposable-masks-are-increasingly-impacting-marine-animals/">Animals</a> form spectacular herds, flocks, schools and swarms that wheel and turn, collectively, in motion. A casual observer of these movements is forced to wonder how the individual animals know which direction to move in next, and how they don’t crash into one another on the way. A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/">University of Konstanz</a> has attempted to answer these questions by using programmable microrobots that act like a group of animals.



The researchers started with the premise that a group of animals faced with an imminent threat will try to move away from the threat, while at the same time trying to remain as close to the center of the group as possible. The group will then make an optimum flight response, even if some of the individual animals do not notice the threat, or react to it in the wrong way.&nbsp;



For their experiments, the researchers used a system of microrobots, consisting of programmable glass balls that move around actively and spread out thinly within a certain area. This scenario mimics a herd of antelope grazing peacefully on a savannah grassland. The unwelcome lion in this scene is represented by a laser beam that, when focused on the beads, warms them up from one side, causing them to move, like animals.&nbsp;



“We are able to target each individual bead and adjust its movement to fit that of its neighbors”, explained physicist and PhD student Chun-Jen Chen, who conducted most of the experiments. “The robots in our swarm are programmed to avoid collisions. They also received the information that they were to orient their motion based on the location of the approximate middle of the group. With the help of these rules, the robots organized themselves into a swirl."



According to Professor Clemens Bechinger, the microrobotic swarm reproduces the movements of animal swarms surprisingly well. As soon as a "predator" appears, the microrobots change their movements, said Bechinger. They begin to move differently, but the change in direction is only minimal and does not cause each member of the swarm to move directly away from the predator. It is striking that the group as a whole moves in a straight line away from the predator, even though individuals within the group do not necessarily move in such a direct manner.&nbsp;



“This feat in which individuals move in a way that is not ideal for each one of them, but where the group as a whole behaves optimally, is based on a collective decision-making process or ‘swarm intelligence’ where information is constantly being exchanged between different members of a group,” said Professor Bechinger. “One direct consequence of this behavior is that the efficiency of the flight response remains virtually unchanged, even if half of the microrobots - or animals - do not respond to the threat,” explained Chen. “This shows that missing or incomplete information from individual members of a group can be compensated for by other members.”&nbsp;



The physicists hypothesize that this may be a reason why animals organize themselves in groups, even though such groups are more obvious to predators than are individual animals.



While the study results will help scientists understand the basis for decision-making in groups of animals, they are also relevant for applications in the field of microrobotics. For future applications, in which multiple autonomous robots need to complete a useful task together but where there may be disruptions in communications, would benefit from the understanding gained in this study. With the knowledge gained here, a robotic swarm could work well even if, for example, the sensors in individual robots were to fail.&nbsp;



“The other microrobots would simply compensate for those with broken sensors, giving such systems a very high level of robustness," said Bechinger.



The study is published in the <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1367-2630">New Journal of Physics</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

Animal swarms make decisions using collective intelligence

Animals form spectacular herds, flocks, schools and swarms that wheel...

Around 85 percent of the world's vertebrates, including birds, live in mountainous areas. The lowland habits between mountains keep the populations and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invasive-species-can-hitchhike-on-ocean-plastic/">species</a> isolated from each other. For centuries, scientists have wondered, how do new species form in different mountain areas?



Some hypothesize that birds simply fly to other mountains, while others say they don't often colonize other peaks. Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> provide the first evidence of what happens, at least with birds living in the islands around Indonesia and Australia.



By collecting and analyzing genomes of various bird populations from the order Passeriformes in New Guinea, the scientists have learned that bird species emerge in the lowlands and then move up in elevation over time. They move higher over millions of years due to factors such as climate change and competition. Since most bird species exist for a few million years before going extinct, many species eventually die out while inhabiting mountainous areas.



"Our analyses demonstrate that the species living on mountain peaks are 5-10 million years old. So, the oldest and most specialized species live at elevations of 3-4 kilometers, and in small numbers. Climate fluctuations can accelerate the process, so that ancient species will go extinct faster. This will probably be a consequence of modern-day global warming as well," explained study lead author Knud Andreas Jønsson of the Natural History Museum of Denmark



Moreover, as bird populations move higher, they become more distinct from other populations. Jønsson further explains,



"We can see that the higher up in the mountains birds live, the greater the differences between populations of the same species," said Jønsson. "Some of the populations are so different, that one could make the case that they are distinct species. Conversely, there are greater similarities among lowland populations. This tells us that the spread of new species must have taken place from lowland habitats upwards."



This information is vital to conservationists. Currently, most conservation efforts in the region focus on lowland forests, and for a good reason. A large amount of these forests have disappeared, and with them, birds and many other animals. However, knowing that some of the longest-lived and genetically varied species live in the highlands, we should consider focusing conservation efforts there, especially since they are more vulnerable to global warming.&nbsp;



The study, "The formation of avian montane diversity across barriers and along elevational gradients," is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How mountains Influence bird evolution

Around 85 percent of the world's vertebrates, including birds, live...

Brandt’s voles are tiny rodents living in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grasslands-play-a-major-role-in-mitigating-climate-change/">grasslands</a> in Inner Mongolia, China, where they are usually hunted by birds called shrikes. A new study published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.074">Current Biology</a> has found that the voles often cut tall bunchgrass when shrikes are nearby so they can observe the approach of the predators and hide faster.&nbsp;



Since they never eat the grass or use it in any specific way, researchers argue that this behavior should be seen as an example of “ecosystem engineering” through which voles aim to keep themselves safe.



“When shrikes were present, the voles dramatically decreased the volume of bunchgrass,” said study co-author Dirk Sanders, a research fellow in Ecology at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. “This led to fewer visits from shrikes – which apparently recognize cut-grass areas as poor hunting grounds. An activity like this is costly for the voles in terms of energy, so there must be high ‘selection pressure’ to do it – cutting the grass must significantly improve their chances of survival.”



By putting up nets over certain areas, the scientists also tested what impact keeping the birds away has on voles’ behavior. They found that, with no shrikes overhead, the voles stopped cutting the bunchgrass.



“We sometimes underestimate the ability of wild animals to react to changes in their environment. In this case, the voles were able to change their behavior in response to the removal of predators,” explained Dr. Sanders. “Our findings are a reminder that species show remarkable adaptations. It also underlines that the loss of even a single species in a food web can result in unexpected changes to an entire habitat.”



These findings suggest that animals can actively modify their habitats to reduce predation risk through ecosystem engineering. Moreover, it could also have important implications for rodent management in pasture lands. In this particular case, keeping or even planting large bunchgrasses could help attracting avian predators such as shrikes and thus reduce the population density of voles.



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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

Voles cut grass to reduce their predation risk

Brandt’s voles are tiny rodents living in grasslands in Inner...

The Nordic diet is based on foods that are produced locally in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland. The ingredients are easily available and sustainably produced in these countries, and include berries, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fruits-vegetables-memory-loss-men/">fruits</a>, veggies, fish, whole grains and rapeseed oil. Following this diet has proven successful for people who are trying to lose weight. And now, a new study reveals that the Nordic diet produces health benefits beyond weight loss.



Previous studies have shown that the Nordic diet helps prevent obesity and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. These effects were assumed to be associated with the weight loss recorded by people following the diet. The new study - conducted by scientists from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland - indicates that these positive health benefits are irrespective of weight loss.



“It's surprising because most people believe that positive effects on blood sugar and cholesterol are solely due to weight loss. Here, we have found this not to be the case. Other mechanisms are also at play,” explained Lars Ove Dragsted, a researcher and head of section at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports.



The researchers asked 200 people, all over 50 years of age, and all with elevated BMI and increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, to eat either the Nordic diet or their own, unaltered diet (control diet), for a period of 18–24 weeks. In all instances, the participants were required to keep their weight stable during the research period, meaning that, if a participant began to lose weight, he or she was asked to eat more in order to remain weight stable.



Blood and urine samples were taken on a regular basis and were analyzed for the levels of blood glucose, lipoproteins, and triglycerides. The results, along with details of the study, are published in the journal <a href="https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/">Clinical Nutrition</a>, and they show a very clear pattern.&nbsp;



“The group that had been on the Nordic diet for six months became significantly healthier, with lower cholesterol levels, lower overall levels of both saturated and unsaturated fat in the blood, and better regulation of glucose, compared to the control group. We kept the group on the Nordic diet weight stable, meaning that we asked them to eat more if they lost weight. Even without weight loss, we could see an improvement in their health,” explained Dragsted.



Since the research design kept the weights of all participants stable, the positive health benefits measured were not the result of weight loss, as had been speculated in previous studies. Instead the researchers point to the unique composition of fats in a Nordic diet as a possible explanation for the significant health benefits.



“By analyzing the blood of participants, we could see that those who benefited most from the dietary change had different fat-soluble substances than the control group. These are substances that appear to be linked to unsaturated fatty acids from oils in the Nordic diet. This is a sign that Nordic dietary fats probably play the most significant role for the health effects seen here, which I hadn’t expected,” said Dragsted.



Fats in the Nordic diet come from fish, nuts, flaxseeds, sunflower and rapeseed oils, as well as from a small amount of low-fat dairy products. Red meat is not usually an ingredient in this diet. As a whole, the fats constitute a very beneficial mix, although the researchers have yet to understand why these fats seem to lower both blood sugar and cholesterol levels.



“We can only speculate as to why a change in fat composition benefits our health so greatly. However, we can confirm that the absence of highly processed food and less saturated fats from animals, have a very positive effect on us. So, the fat composition in the Nordic diet, which is higher in omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fats, is probably a considerable part of the explanation for the health effects we find from the Nordic diet, even when the weight of participants remains constant,” concluded Lars Ove Dragsted.



Other main ingredients of the Nordic diet include vegetables such as peas, beans, cabbage, onions and root vegetables, as well as fruits such as apples, pears, plums and berries.



The diet provides important fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and plant materials that have a positive effect on health and, among other things, reduce the risk of blood clots, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as cardiovascular disease in general. In addition, weight loss frequently results from following a Nordic dietary pattern and this is also beneficial for health.



"This study simply shows that it is not&nbsp;only&nbsp;weight loss that leads to the benefits of this diet. The unique composition of fats plays an important role as well," said Lars Ove Dragsted.



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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

Nordic diet provides health benefits beyond weight loss

The Nordic diet is based on foods that are produced...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00002-X/fulltext">Lancet Planetary Health</a> has found that climate change will pose a potentially devastating economic threat to low-income cattle farmers in poor nations, due to the increasing heat stress on their livestock caused by global warming. Major rises in temperature can significantly affect liveweight gain, milk yield, fertility, and animal welfare. Scientists estimate that, by the end of the 21st century, these farmers may face annual financial losses ranging between $15 and $40 million.



According to the researchers, escalating demands for livestock products in low- and middle-income countries, along with steady rises in global mean temperatures, is an uncomfortable combination. If livestock are to adapt to hotter environments and increase their productivity, infrastructural investments and adjustments – such as improving ventilation and cooling systems or switching to more heat-tolerant cattle breeds – will be necessary.



“Resource-poor farmers in low-income countries depend heavily on their livestock for their livelihoods,” said study lead author Philip Thornton, a scientist at the <a href="https://www.ilri.org/">International Livestock Research Institute</a> (ILRI). “The adaptation needs are even higher in these countries, and those farmers are the ones where the hit is even more severe.”



Thornton and his colleagues estimated that, in a high-greenhouse gas emissions scenario, cattle production losses from heat stress will be $39.94 billion annually - 9.8 percent of the production value of meat and milk from cattle in 2005, the researchers’ baseline year. Even when working with a low-emission scenario, the losses are estimated to reach $14.9 billion annually, or 3.7 percent of the 2005 value.



By the end of the 21st century, dairy and beef production in the United States is estimated to decline by 6.8 percent, while India, one of the world’s major dairy production countries, could lose over 45 percent of its dairy farming due to heat stress increases.



In order to avoid such massive losses, there is an urgent need to create equitable adaptation practices that could reach the most vulnerable sectors of global society, according to study senior author Mario Herrero, a professor of Sustainable Food Systems at <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a>.&nbsp;



“Sustainability is not only about the environment and protecting biodiversity, but the human component is fundamental to sustainability. We need to deal with climate change, leaving no one behind. That’s the only truth,” Professor Herrero concluded.



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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

The cattle industry could lose billions due to heat stress

A new study published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health...

Hair is important, and not just for humans, but for all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-mammals-play-a-role-in-combating-climate-change/">mammals</a>. Hair serves many functions. It keeps us warm, provides camouflage for both predator and prey, and many species even use hair for communication. Despite its significance, the evolution of wild primate hair is not very well understood.&nbsp;



In an effort to determine how climate, body size, and color vision may have influenced hair evolution, researchers with the <a href="https://cashp.columbian.gwu.edu/primate-genomics">Primate Genomics Lab at the George Washington University</a> looked at a wild population of Indriidae, a type of lemur endemic to Madagascar.&nbsp;



The experts found that Sifaka lemur hair is denser in arid, open habitats. They hypothesize that similar to its function in humans, this type of hair helps protect the lemur from the sun.&nbsp;



The researchers also discovered that lemurs that lived in cooler environments had darker hair. They believe that the animals adhere to Bogert’s Rule, which declares that animals who live in colder environments develop darker hair which helps them thermoregulate since darker hair absorbs more heat.



Interestingly, red hair in lemurs is more likely to be seen in populations that can perceive a more extensive range of colors. Nonetheless, several evolutionary pressures influence hair structure and color; this means that these effects will not be found in all lemur species.



Unfortunately, it is not easy to understand the evolution of human hair by looking directly at ancestral hair because it does not fossilize, which is why researchers turned to lemurs.&nbsp;



“The lemurs we studied exhibit an upright posture like humans and live in a variety of ecosystems like early humans, so our results provide a unique window into human hair evolution," said study lead author Elizabeth Tapanes,&nbsp; a postdoctoral scholar at UC San Diego.



The scientists hope that by studying non-human primates such as lemurs, we can gain a better understanding of our own evolutionary history.



“Most people are intrigued by the diversity of hair on their own bodies, and the variety of hair types among people around the world," said study co-author Professor Brenda Bradley.



“Understanding hair patterns in non-human primates, such as these lemurs, may provide a comparative context for understanding how variation arose in human hair.”



The study, “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajpa.24508">Hair phenotype diversity across Indriidae lemurs</a>,” is published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lemurs provide a window into the evolution of hair

Hair is important, and not just for humans, but for...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a> has looked at the role of large mammalian herbivores in combating climate change. This is an unusual approach, as large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disposable-masks-are-increasingly-impacting-marine-animals/">animals</a> are generally not considered in ideas of climate change mitigation.&nbsp;



“Conservation efforts usually focus on either trees and carbon or the broad conservation appeal of large mammals," said Professor Yadvinder Malhi, an expert in the Environmental Change Institute at the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>. "This study looked at whether it was possible to align these agendas - under what context could protecting and restoring large animal wildlife help us tackle and adapt to climate change.”



The research examined several ways in which large mammals can impact carbon storage, fire prevention and the reflection potential of the Earth’s surface. They do so by spreading seeds, clearing vegetation and fertilizing soil. Such activities boost the biodiversity of an area, which in turn makes an environment more resilient to climate change. These actions also increase the carbon storage of an ecosystem.&nbsp;



Trampling and grazing on vegetation in colder areas also reveals bare earth or earth covered in snow. Revealing the snow layer also makes the surface more reflective, bouncing solar radiation away, thus keeping Earth cooler. This also allows more cold air near the surface of the planet, which maintains permafrost in its frozen state and keeps its carbon stores locked away.&nbsp;



Finally, the research shows that grazing by zebras, rhinoceros, elephants and other large herbivores can lessen the risk of fire. This happens because the animals trample or graze natural fire breaks, making it harder for fires to spread. Less fires of course mean less carbon in our atmosphere and less climate change.&nbsp;



“Animals can also help with localized adaptation to climate change in these environments by diversifying vegetation and increasing habitat heterogeneity," said Dr. Tonya Lander, an expert in the Department of Plant Sciences at Oxford University. "Diversity of species and microhabitats can make the ecosystem as a whole more able to resist climate change, return to a stable state following a climate-related disturbance, or find a new stable state that functions within the changed and changing climate.”&nbsp;



While the study provides some insight into how animals can impact climate change, the scientists are calling for more research so we can more fully understand and mitigate the problem.&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

Large mammals play a role in combating climate change

A new study published in the journal Current Biology has...

Rising levels of carbon dioxide have led to warmer oceans, with a quarter of the atmospheric CO2 dissolving into the oceans and causing them to become more acidic. Such changes can have a negative impact on various marine ecosystems, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/corals-can-be-trained-to-endure-heat-stress/">corals</a>. However, a new study led by <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> (OSU) has found that some Hawaiian corals are surprisingly resilient to warmer, more acidic conditions.



The scientists collected samples of the three most common coral species in Hawaii - Montipora capitata,&nbsp;Porites compressa,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Porites lobata – and placed them in outside tanks with four different conditions: a control tank with current ocean conditions, an ocean warming condition (plus 2 degrees Celsius), an ocean acidification condition (minus 0.2 pH units), and a combination of both warming and acidification.&nbsp;



The tanks were designed to mimic ocean reefs by including sand, rocks, fish, crabs, starfish, and urchins, and were allowed natural variability in temperature and pH levels over the course of each day and during different seasons, as they would have in their natural habitat.



Although over the course of the 22-month study the three coral species did experience significant mortality under conditions simulating the ocean temperatures and acidity expected in the future, none of them completely died off, and some were even thriving by the end of the study.&nbsp;



“We found surprisingly positive outcomes in our study. We don’t get a lot of that in the coral research field when it comes to the effects of warming oceans,” said study lead author Rowan McLachlan, who conducted the study as a doctoral student at OSU.



Overall, 61 percent of the Hawaiian corals exposed to warming conditions survived (compared to 92 percent exposed to current ocean temperatures), with the two Porites species being more resilient than M. capitata in the combined warming and acidification condition. At the end of the study, the survival rates were 71 percent for P. compressa, 56 percent for P. lobata, and only 46 percent for M. capitata.



“Of the coral that survived, especially the&nbsp;Porites&nbsp;species, they were coping well, even thriving,” said Dr. McLachlan. “They were able to adapt to the above-average temperature and acidity.”&nbsp;



“We don’t know how corals will fare if changes in temperature and acidity are more drastic than what we used in this study,” he added. “Our results do offer some hope but the approximately 50 percent mortality we saw in some species in this study is not a small thing.”



Further studies that include local stressors such as pollution or overfishing - which may have additional negative impacts on corals in some regions - are needed in order to better understand the future effects of climate change on coral reefs.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06896-z">Nature Scientific Reports</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

Hawaiian corals are surprisingly resilient to ocean warming

Rising levels of carbon dioxide have led to warmer oceans,...

The Maldives, a group of 26 atoll islands in the Indian Ocean, are home to a stunning array of tropical reef <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-fish-have-lost-the-ability-to-grow-efficiently/">fish</a>, along with a diversity of other fish, including rays and sharks. The known fish fauna total over 1,100 different species, a biodiversity that far exceeds that found in other marine regions. And now there is a brand new species to add to the list – a rose-veiled fairy wrasse, Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa.



This brightly colored reef fish is remarkable not only for its stunning beauty, but also because its discovery marks some noteworthy "firsts." It is the first species to be given a name derived from the local Dhivehi language. Its specific name, "finifenmaa" means "rose," and refers both to its pink coloration and to the island nation’s national flower. It is also the first time that local Maldivian scientists have been involved in the formal description process of a new species from the local marine environment.



“It has always been foreign scientists who have described species found in the Maldives, without much involvement from local scientists, even those species that are endemic to the Maldives,” said study co-author Ahmed Najeeb, a biologist at the Maldives Marine Research Institute (MMI). “This time it is different and getting to be part of something for the first time has been really exciting, especially having the opportunity to work alongside top ichthyologists on such an elegant and beautiful species.” 



The new fairy wrasse species was actually first collected by researchers in the 1990s. However, at that time it was thought to be the adult form of a different species, Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis, which had been described in 1983 based on a single juvenile specimen from the Chagos Archipelago, an island chain 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) south of the Maldives. Subsequently, more specimens thought to be C. rubrisquamis were collected from the Maldives and, although scientists now assumed they had examples of adult males and females, there remained confusion about the appearance of the juvenile fish. 



In order to clear up the confusion, scientists from the <a href="https://www.calacademy.org/">California Academy of Sciences</a>, the University of Sydney, the MMRI, and the Field Museum collaborated to re-evaluate the species as part of the <a href="https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives/hope-for-reefs-phase-ii">Hope for Reefs</a> initiative, aimed at better understanding and protecting coral reefs around the world. 



The team conducted a very detailed analysis of the anatomy and morphology of both adult and juvenile examples of the beautiful, multicolored fish. This involved measuring the lengths of spines supporting the fins, counting scales on different body regions and measuring the dimensions of the body parts - including the head, jaw, and tail. 



The magenta and peach coloration was also described in detail for all the specimens. These data, along with genetic analyses, were then compared to data from the&nbsp;original C. rubrisquamis&nbsp;specimen to confirm that&nbsp;what the scientists had was indeed a unique species, C. finifenmaa.



One important consequence of describing C. finifenmaa as a new species is that the known ranges of the two different wrasse species now become greatly reduced. Instead of there being one species distributed all the way between the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago, 1,000 kilometers to the south, each fairy wrasse species is now known from only one of the island groups. This is a crucial consideration when planning conservation and management strategies.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“What we previously thought was one widespread species of fish, is actually two different species, each with a potentially much more restricted distribution,” said lead author and University of Sydney doctoral student Yi-Kai Tea. “This exemplifies why describing new species, and taxonomy in general, is important for conservation and biodiversity management.”&nbsp;



Sadly, populations of the beautiful rose-veiled fairy wrasse may already be under threat. Even though this species has only just been described to science, it is already being exploited for sale to aquarium enthusiasts around the world.&nbsp;



“Though the species is quite abundant and therefore not currently at a high risk of overexploitation, it’s still unsettling when a fish is already being commercialized before it even has a scientific name,” said senior author Dr.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calacademy.org/learn-explore/science-heroes/luiz-rocha">Luiz Roch</a>a, who co-directs the&nbsp;Hope for Reefs&nbsp;initiative. “It speaks to how much biodiversity there is still left to be described from coral reef ecosystems.”&nbsp;



Marine scientists from the MMRI have continued their collaboration with the Hope for Reefs&nbsp;researchers&nbsp;by conducting the first surveys of the Maldives’ "twilight zone" reefs. These virtually unexplored coral ecosystems are found between 50 and 150 meters (160–500 feet) beneath the ocean’s surface. Last month’s survey enabled the researchers to collect new specimens of C. finifenmaa,&nbsp;along with at least eight potentially new-to-science species yet to be described.&nbsp;



This sort of collaborative endeavor between international partners is key to understanding the Maldives’ coral reefs and ensuring they are adequately conserved into the future.&nbsp;



“Nobody knows these waters better than the Maldivian people,” said Dr. Rocha. “Our research is stronger when it’s done in collaboration with local researchers and divers. I’m excited to continue our relationship with MMRI and the Ministry of Fisheries, to learn about and protect the island nation’s reefs together.”



“Collaborating with organizations such as the Academy helps us build our local capacity to expand knowledge in this field. This is just the start and we are already working together on future projects,” said Najeeb. “Our partnership will help us better understand the unexplored depths of our marine ecosystems and their inhabitants. The more we understand and the more compelling scientific evidence we can gather, the better we can protect them.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://zookeys.pensoft.net/">ZooKeys</a>.



Image Credit: © Yi-Kai Tea



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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

Strikingly beautiful fairy wrasse discovered in the Maldives

The Maldives, a group of 26 atoll islands in the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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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?

[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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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



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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



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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



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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



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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

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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



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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



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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



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Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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