Chimpanzees are not the usual suspects when we think about musical beats. Yet recent work suggests they use patterns that might rival the rhythms many of us tap with our fingers. 



Researchers have been eavesdropping on these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-select-the-best-materials-for-termite-fishing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">apes</a> as they drum on tree roots in forests across Africa. They believe this drumming could shed light on the roots of our own musical traits.



This investigation was steered by lead author Vesta Eleuteri, who is affiliated with the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vienna</a>, Austria. She explains that the team set out to see whether certain groups had distinct drumming styles..



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chimpanzees-drum-rhythmic-beats-in-forests">Chimpanzees drum rhythmic beats in forests</h2>



One part of their <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00448-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a> showed that different chimpanzee populations developed regular percussive timing. 



They were intrigued to discover that these patterns varied sharply between eastern and western <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-share-alcoholic-fruit-to-increase-social-bonding/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">groups</a>, which was unexpected.



“We didn't expect to see such clear differences in rhythm,” said Eleuteri. She noted the parallels between these drumming traits and human music.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-groups-have-unique-drumming-patterns">Groups have unique drumming patterns</h2>



These apes often strike large aboveground roots with their hands or feet. Observers report that the resulting pulses can be heard deep in the surrounding forest.



<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31918501/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Experts</a> suggest they use these low-frequency beats to alert others to their location. Each community’s pattern seems to have its own identity, offering subtle cues to group members who might be far away.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chimpanzees-use-distinct-drumming-styles">Chimpanzees use distinct drumming styles</h2>



Scientists noticed that western chimpanzees appear to drum more quickly. Their eastern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bonobos-and-chimps-express-empathy-much-like-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">relatives</a> tend to insert short and long intervals, creating a different pulse.



Some researchers think these differences might help chimps manage their social spacing. They point out that each group’s drumming style could reflect unique communication needs.



“Making music is a fundamental part of what it means to be human - but we don’t know for how long we have been making music,” said Catherine Hobaiter, from the <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of St. Andrews</a>. 



She suggests that seeing such rhythmic organization in our closest relatives gives us clues about our shared past.



Some <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-abstract/68/1/201/1041058?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">specialists</a> believe these percussive qualities hint that musical roots stretch back millions of years. If chimps have intrinsic timing, our own ancestors might have tapped out beats before speech ever existed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recording-chimp-drumming-poses-challenges">Recording chimp drumming poses challenges</h2>



Gathering these recordings in thick forests was tough. Teams dealt with patchy visibility and had to sift through hours of audio to isolate each drumming event.



Yet the acoustic clarity of those root strikes appears to carry well. Investigators suspect that might let group members stay aware of each other without daily face-to-face gatherings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drumming-reveals-cultural-insights">Drumming reveals cultural insights</h2>



Some think these varied beats could reveal how social structures shape cultural practices. Others see it as a window into early rhythmic skill that later blossomed into music.



Apes may not be forming bands, but they do offer glimpses into the building blocks of melodic expression. 



Observers hope this will spark fresh conversations about when and why our ancestors first started making organized noise.



Humans have always puzzled over how our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-brain-doesnt-just-hear-music-it-becomes-the-rhythm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">musical talents evolved</a>. If an ape that shares much of our DNA relies on steady beats, then we might be tapping into a very ancient groove.



That possibility might open the door to deeper research on how rhythmic ability supports <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-chimp-nests-can-tell-us-about-early-independence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">group cohesion</a>. Song, dance, and shared drumming could have bridged gaps long before languages took shape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-chimpanzee-drumming-patterns">Studying chimpanzee drumming patterns</h2>



Several labs aim to capture more detailed measurements of these drumming sequences. They want to see if local environments or group sizes lead to special patterns that differ from one site to another.



There is also interest in exploring how individual chimps learn these rhythms. If youngsters pick them up by mimicking adults, that might confirm a transmission process much like our own cultural traditions.



Experts emphasize that these findings are not about turning chimps into rock stars. They simply want to understand how drumming has evolved and how it connects to our musical identity.



Scientists suspect this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-use-rapid-gestures-in-conversations-like-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">beat-based communication</a> could explain how early hominins might have adapted similar behaviors for more complex messages. Those messages could have eventually led to chanting or vocal music.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-all-of-this-mean">What does all of this mean?</h2>



No one knows exactly why certain groups seem to sync their hits, while others favor a shifting tempo. Future work may focus on the social payoffs of uniform or varied drumming.



Many suspect the chatter of buttress drumming helped shape chimp interactions for ages. Knowing how those beats work might decode an ancient puzzle about the roots of music.



Plenty of folks wonder if we will ever see chimps expanding this behavior into new activities. Time will tell if there is more complexity lurking behind these drum-like signals.



For now, these revelations remind us that humans are not the only ones with a sense of rhythm. Chimps have a knack for turning tree roots into a forest-wide broadcast. There remains a world of possibility still truly waiting to be uncovered.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00448-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Chimpanzees use rhythmic drumming to communicate in forests

Chimpanzees are not the usual suspects when we think about musical beats. Yet recent work suggests they use patterns that might rival the rhythms many of us tap with our fingers. Researchers have been eavesdropping on these apes as they drum on tree roots in forests across Africa. They believe this drumming could shed light on the roots of our own musical traits. This investigation was steered by lead author Vesta Eleuteri, who is affiliated with the University of Vienna, Austria. She explains that the team set...

Footprint,Of,Dinosaur,On,Phoo-luang,loei,thailand

Around 50 years ago, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-reveal-a-previously-unknown-mass-extinction-event/">fossil</a> footprints of what was assumed to be a "raptor-like" predatory dinosaur were found in an Australian coal mine. However, new research from the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> has discovered that the fossil was in fact of a long-necked herbivore.



Upon re-analyzing the footprints, paleontologist Dr. Anthony Romilio was able to conclude that they belonged to the vegetarian Prosauropod and could be dated back to around 220 million years ago, around the end of the Triassic Period.



“For years it’s been believed that these tracks were made by a massive theropod predator that was part of the dinosaur family Eubrontes, with legs over two meters tall,” explained Dr. Romilio. “This idea caused a sensation decades ago because no other meat-eating dinosaur in the world approached that size during the Triassic period."



However, it was expected at the time that there was something incorrect about this conclusion. “Unfortunately, most earlier researchers could not directly access the footprint specimen for their study, instead relying on old drawings and photographs that lacked detail,” explained Dr. Romilio.



The new conclusion made a lot more sense as the legs of the Prosauropod were in fact smaller, with legs around 1.4 meters in length and a body length of six meters.



The prosauropod dinosaur footprints are known scientifically as ‘Evazoum’ and were made on the water-sodden layers of ancient plant debris.



“After millions of years, the plant material turned into coal which was extracted by the miners to reveal a ceiling of siltstone and sandstone, complete with the natural casts of dinosaur footprints," explained study co-author Hendrik Klein. "This explains why today they occur in an upside-down position right above our heads,”



Whilst the mine closed many years ago, the fossil was mapped and preserved through plaster casts by geologists at the Queensland Museum in 1964. “We made a virtual 3D model of the dinosaur footprint that was emailed to team members across the world to study,” said Klein.



“The more we looked at the footprint and toe impression shapes and proportions, the less they resembled tracks made by predatory dinosaurs – this monster dinosaur was definitely a much friendlier plant-eater."



The findings are published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ghbi20/current">Historical Biology</a>, and the Prosauropod footprint can be seen at the Queensland Museum in Brisbane.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Triassic’s “largest meat-eating dinosaur” was actually a vegetarian

Around 50 years ago, fossil footprints of what was assumed...

A new study led by the <a href="https://vu.nl/en">Free University of Amsterdam</a> has found traces of <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/understanding-the-effects-of-microplastics-on-our-environment/">microplastics</a> in the blood of cows and pigs, sparking concern about how these harmful particles might move through the food chain. Although this discovery could have serious implications for public health, more research is needed to assess the toxicity levels of these substances and the potential risks of exposure.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Microplastics, small non-biodegradable particles produced from the breakdown of plastic materials, are increasingly widespread in nature, polluting large portions of marine and terrestrial ecosystems.&nbsp;



The plastic particles are present in our water, food and surfaces that we touch, and scientists are only recently starting to understand their impact.&nbsp;They have been linked to harmful health effects, including inflammation. Microplastics are also believed to cause potentially dangerous immune overreactions, and can increase the risk of various diseases.&nbsp;



Although microplastics have been found in many marine animals and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seabirds-are-damaging-their-health-by-eating-plastic/">birds</a>, this is the first time they have been discovered in the bloodstream of farm animals. The discovery was made by a team of researchers led by Dr. Heather Leslie, an expert in microplastics. The researchers analyzed blood samples from 12 cows and six pigs and detected traces of microplastics.&nbsp;



“We have uncovered preliminary evidence of trace amounts of plastic particles in farm animals' bloodstreams,” said Dr. Leslie.&nbsp;“We already know that hundreds of other animals also have microplastics in their bodies. But in cows and pigs, it had not been discovered before.”&nbsp;



Dr. Leslie’s hypothesis is that microplastics in the soil probably ended up in the crops eaten by farm animals. These particles cannot be broken down by the intestines and end up in manure, continuing thus to be disseminated through the environment.&nbsp;



“If you want to assess the risks, you first have to know what the actual exposure is and how toxic it is.&nbsp;If we are above the values ​​that are still safe and responsible, then we have to do something about it,” said Dr. Leslie.



“It is in the interest of&nbsp;animal and human health protection to further explore this nascent signal of plastic pollution exposure in the food chain."



The research was presented at Amsterdam's <a href="https://www.plastichealthsummit.org/">Plastic Health Summit</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

Microplastics discovered in the blood of livestock

A new study led by the Free University of Amsterdam...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> (UGA) has managed to create functional sperm cells by using embryonic stem cells collected from rhesus macaque monkeys. This important scientific breakthrough could lead to innovative human infertility treatments.



“This is a major breakthrough towards producing stem cell-based therapies to treat male infertility in cases where the men do not produce any&nbsp;viable sperm cells,” said lead researcher Charles Easley, an associate professor in UGA’s <a href="https://publichealth.uga.edu/">College of Public Health</a>.&nbsp;



The scientists used embryonic stem cells from rhesus macaque monkeys in order to generate immature sperm cells (known as round spermatids) which they showed to be capable of fertilizing a rhesus macaque egg. According to the study authors, since rhesus monkeys share similar reproductive mechanisms to humans, they are an&nbsp;“ideal and necessary model for exploring stem cell-based therapies for male infertility.”



Although a few years ago researchers have managed to produce sperm-like cells using mouse stem cells, it was not yet clear whether this technology could prove successful in humans, due to vast differences between mice’s and humans’ reproductive systems. With the recent replication of this technology in monkeys, more hope emerges that humans will soon be able to benefit from these findings too.



“This is the first step that shows this technology is potentially translatable. We’re using a species that’s more relevant to us, and we’re having success in making healthy embryos,” said Professor Easley.



In a future study, the researchers aim to implant the embryos into a surrogate rhesus macaque monkey in order to asses whether embryos from in vitro spermatids could ultimately produce healthy babies.&nbsp;



“This is a significant step in establishing whether sperm created in the lab could, one day, be used for human reproduction,”&nbsp;said Sarah Norcross, the director of fertility and genomics charity <a href="https://www.progress.org.uk/">Progress Educational Trust</a>.



“We will be watching closely as the researchers carry out this work in macaques, first seeing whether eggs fertilized with this type of sperm can lead to a pregnancy, and then seeing whether a pregnancy can be achieved with sperm derived from skin cells.&nbsp;Even if all of these things are achieved in macaques, it will still take many years and much more research before such techniques are fit for use in human treatments,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.fertstertscience.org/article/S2666-335X(21)00066-5/fulltext">Fertility and Sterility Science</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

Monkey sperm cells could treat human infertility

A new study led by the University of Georgia (UGA)...

There has been a puzzling gap in our understanding of the evolutionary history of crabs on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/frequent-asteroid-strikes-delayed-oxygen-growth-on-earth/">Earth</a>. The oldest fossilized remains of land crabs, mostly pieces of claws, date to somewhere between 75 and 50 million years ago. But DNA analysis suggests that land crabs diverged from their marine ancestors more than 125 million years ago.&nbsp;



It was against this background that Javier Luque,&nbsp;a post-doctoral researcher in the Harvard Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, became aware of an unusual specimen of a modern-looking crab that had been collected by local miners in Myanmar in 2015.&nbsp; The specimen was suspended in fossilized amber and is currently housed at the Longyin Amber Museum in China.



Luque worked on the specimen for three years, starting in 2018. In collaboration with a team of international scientists,&nbsp;Luque <a href="https://science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abj5689">reported the findings</a> in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



The fossilized amber, which formed from the resin of an ancient tree, has been dated to 100 million years, making the tiny crab the oldest known fossil of a “true crab." The crab is only 5 millimeters in size, and was walking along a tree trunk at the time it became engulfed in resin. It represents the oldest evidence of incursions into non-marine environments by true crabs.



“If we were to reconstruct the crab tree of life – putting together a genealogical family tree – and do some molecular DNA analysis, the prediction is that nonmarine crabs split from their marine ancestors more than 125 million years ago,” said Luque.



"But there’s a problem because the actual fossil record – the one that we can touch – is way young at 75 to 50 million years old. So, this new fossil and its mid-Cretaceous age allows us to bridge the gap between the predicted molecular divergence and the actual fossil record of crabs.”



Moving from a marine to a nonmarine habitat involves many significant adaptations and has not happened commonly in most animal groups. The physical and physiological requirements for animals living in saltwater are different from those in fresh water, making invasion of terrestrial aquatic habitats very challenging. In addition, there are different predators and competitors in freshwater habitats.&nbsp;



True crabs, or Brachyura, are among the animal groups that have conquered land, brackish water, and freshwater multiple times over the history of their evolution, but the crab in amber gives evidence of the earliest land invasion made by the true crabs.



The researchers now believe that an event known as the Cretaceous Crab Revolution – when crabs diversified worldwide and started evolving their characteristic body forms – happened more times than previously thought. This new research brings the number of times that different crab species independently evolved to live outside their marine habitat to at least 12.&nbsp;



The new fossil was named Cretapsara athanata, meaning “the immortal Cretaceous spirit of the clouds and waters.” The name was given to honor its origin in the Cretaceous period as well as the South and Southeast Asian mythological spirits. The researchers say it is the most complete fossilized crab ever discovered.



The specimen was examined using micro-CT scans, that enabled the scientists to see extraordinary detail of the crab’s delicate tissues, including antennae, legs, mouthparts, compound eyes and gills. Based on the crab’s exceptional preservation in amber, and the researchers’ phylogenetic analysis, it has been placed in a new family with a unique mixture of primitive and advanced characters.



The study was a collaboration between Harvard and the China University of Geosciences, and included authors from 10 institutions including Yale University, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institution Panama, University of Alberta, UC Berkeley, Yunnan University, and the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.



The work is part of a larger National Science Foundation funded project with Javier Ortega-Hernández, an assistant professor in OEB and curator of invertebrate paleontology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Joanna Wolfe, a researcher in Ortega-Hernández’ lab, and Heather Bracken-Grissom from Florida International University, to investigate the evolution of crabs over 200 million years.



The authors acknowledge the socio-political conflict in northern Myanmar and say they have limited their research to material predating the 2017 resumption of hostilities in the region. They hope acknowledging the situation in the Kachin State will serve to raise awareness of the current conflict in Myanmar and the human cost behind it.



“They are all over the world, they make good aquarium pets, they’re delicious for those of us who eat them, and they’re celebrated in parades and festivals, and they even have their own constellation," said Luque, who has been studying crab evolution for more than a decade.



"Crabs in general are fascinating, and some are so bizarre looking – from tiny little pea-shaped crabs to humongous coconut crabs. The diversity of form among crabs is captivating the imagination of the scientific and non-scientific public alike, and right now people are excited to learn more about such a fascinating group that are not dinosaurs. This is a big moment for crabs.”



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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

Tiny crab found in 100-million-year-old amber

There has been a puzzling gap in our understanding of...

Humans often leave for work early or walk an alternative route to avoid awkward social encounters, and surprisingly this behavior is also found in carnivorous mammals. However, as opposed to avoiding social encounters, the avoidance instead plays a role in negotiating essential resources and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/developed-countries-counterterrorism-efforts/">territory</a> for survival.



This interesting observation was made by researchers at <a href="https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en">Hiroshima University</a>, monitoring mammal behavior through 73 infrared sensor cameras across six years in the Malaysian state of Sabah.



“Approximately 20 percent of the world’s mammal species face the risk of extinction, mainly due to threats such as habitat loss and overexploitation,” said study lead author Professor Miyabi Nakabayashi. “The status of mammals in the Indomalayan realm - one of Earth’s eight biogeographic regions, covering most of South and Southeast Asia - is among the world’s worst.”



A lack of basic ecological information is one of the biggest obstacles blocking conservation efforts of endangered species across Indomalayan regions.



“Information regarding temporal activity patterns of animals is crucial to assess responses to anthropogenic disturbances and to allow the implementation of proper conservation measures,” explained Professor Nakabayashi. “Camera trapping is one of the most useful techniques to study cryptic and rare animals.”



By collecting 37,379 photographs from camera traps, the researchers were able to capture and categorize activity patterns of nine distinct carnivore species. Whilst closely related animals such as wild cats presented behaviors of temporal segregation, three species of civets were active all night, with this behavior emerging due to limited competition resulting from varying diets.



Furthermore, the researchers discovered that mammal behaviors vary depending on levels of tourism in the area. The one tourist site included in the study demonstrated that nocturnal tourism resulted in temporal movement amongst nearby mammals.



“The potential benefits of ecotourism may include reduced threats to wildlife,” said Professor Nakabayashi. “But our results indicate that the temporal activity pattern of a species might be directly affected by tourism activity. The effect of tourism on animal behavior should be evaluated, even though it is non-lethal ecotourism.”



To further improve conservation efforts, the researchers are recommending that the study be extended by three years in order to gather more data on the carnivore activities.



“Current information is too limited and sporadic to understand basic behaviors of mammals, which may affect the progress in evaluating and improving the threatened status,” said Professor Nakabayashi. “We should accumulate more information on rare species to determine their basic ecology and to reassess whether current conservation management strategies are appropriate.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Carnivores modify their behavior to avoid each other

Humans often leave for work early or walk an alternative...

Researchers looking at Pacific salmon populations have found that declines are related to 40 years of change in both their marine and freshwater <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/three-important-reef-building-coral-habitats-are-vanishing/">habitats</a>. The research looked at declining numbers of five salmon species in the Keogh River on Vancouver Island.&nbsp;



“It’s not just the ocean that is driving declines," said lead researcher Kyle Wilson. "The combination of marine and freshwater stressors effectively ‘squeezes’ some salmon populations by lowering survival in both the river and the sea.”&nbsp;



There are multiple causes of change in both environments, including logging in watersheds (and associated erosion), increases in seal populations along coasts, changing ocean climate, and other competing salmon.



"Collectively, these changing environments limited juvenile production and lowered future adult returns," wrote the study authors. "These results reveal how changes in freshwater and marine environments can jointly shape population dynamics among ecological communities, like Pacific salmon, with cascading consequences to their resilience."



When it comes to which factors are the most detrimental to salmon, the results from previous studies are mixed. This new study puts the blame on both freshwater and marine environmental declines.



“Some research attributes the decline to worsening ocean conditions while others point to climate change or overfishing," said Wilson. "There has even been great uncertainty about which is more responsible, freshwater or marine processes, for salmon and steelhead declines.”&nbsp;



Such a deep analysis of salmon populations is not possible everywhere and required analysis of long-term data collected over decades. This shows the importance of keeping a close eye on salmon everywhere, noted research collaborator Jonathon Moore, a professor at <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/">Simon Fraser University</a>.



“This study showcases the power and importance of careful monitoring of both adult and juvenile life-stages of salmon and steelhead in order to understand what parts of their life-cycles are driving overall population change,” said Professor Moore.



The research will help guide Canada’s federal government policy on salmon management and allocation of $647.1 million through the recently announced Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI). It could also guide other nations to look at the declines of their own salmon populations, such as those in parts of the United States.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>.&nbsp;



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

Declining salmon populations linked to environmental decline

Researchers looking at Pacific salmon populations have found that declines...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aba9584">Science</a> investigated how the brains of Egyptian fruit bats process complex group interactions. The researchers found that, within individual brains, different sets of neurons were used to distinguish between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-birds-can-learn-sounds-before-theyve-even-hatched/">vocalizations</a> made by oneself and others, as well as among different individuals in the group. Across the brains of multiple bats, vocalizations often elicited neuronal synchronization patterns that remained stable over weeks of interaction.&nbsp;



Egyptian fruit bats are highly social creatures, passing the daylight hours packed together with hundreds or thousands of other bats into tight caves or crevices. During these hours, they vocalize to squabble over food, mating partners, or sleeping spaces.



“These bats are very long-lived - they live about 25 years - and basically their entire lives are spent in this group social living. So, the ability to live together in a group and communicate with each other is an inherent feature of their lives,” explained senior author Michael Yartsev, an assistant professor of Neurobiology and Bioengineering at the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a>.



By using wireless neural recording devices, the scientists tracked the brain activity of bats as they freely interacted within groups and communicated with each other. They found that within each bat’s frontal cortex (a brain area known to mediate social behaviors in mammals), different sets of neurons were activated depending on which of the bats in the group vocalized.&nbsp;



“What these individual neurons cared about was, ‘Am I making the call? Or is somebody else making the call?’ no matter what type of vocalization it was. Other neurons were only sensitive to when one specific bat within the group was talking,” explained co-author Boaz Styr, a postdoctoral fellow in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.michaelyartsev.com/">NeuroBat Lab</a>&nbsp;at UC Berkeley.



Moreover, the scientists found that the brains of different bats tended to synchronize when they socialized. This degree of correlation among the group members’ brains depended upon which bat was vocalizing, with some bats having stronger synchronization with specific individuals. These inter-brain patterns lasted for weeks, presumably representing stable social relationships among bats.&nbsp;



Both the intra- and inter-brain activity patterns were modulated by the social preference of individual group members: bats preferring to spend more time with others elicited stronger neural identity representation and higher levels of brain synchrony. Understanding the neural bases of why some individuals can smoothly engage in social interactions, while others are constantly misunderstood or ostracized, could have major implications for improving human mental health.&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

Bats have brains that synchronize when they socialize

A new study published in the journal Science investigated how...

We are all well aware that increasing brain capacity has been a defining characteristic of the human lineage. Our oldest hominin ancestors, for example <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature00879">Sahelanthropus</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19810194">Ardipithecus</a>, who lived about 4 million years ago, boasted brain sizes comparable with those of modern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-give-us-clues-about-early-human-evolution/">chimpanzees</a>.&nbsp;



Since then, cranial capacity has increased dramatically, with maximum values reached around 130,000 years ago in populations of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.



What is not as well advertised is that, since the end of the Pleistocene Epoch around 12,000 years ago, the brain size of modern humans has decreased by approximately 10 percent. Some say the decrease has been associated with a slight reduction in body size and robustness, related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/203138">warmer conditions</a>&nbsp;of the Holocene, but this hypothesis has met with resistance.



In order to identify the pattern of cranial capacity decrease in modern humans and shed light on the potential reasons, a team of researchers from different academic fields set out to study the historical patterns of human brain evolution, and to compare their findings with what is known in ant societies.&nbsp;



“A surprising fact about humans today is that our brains are&nbsp;smaller&nbsp;compared to the brains of our Pleistocene ancestors. Why our brains have reduced in size has been a big mystery for anthropologists,” explained co-author Dr. Jeremy DeSilva, from Dartmouth College.



“A biological anthropologist, and a behavioral ecologist and evolutionary neurobiologist, began sharing their thoughts on brain evolution and found bridging research on humans and ants might help identify what is possible in nature,” said co-author Dr. James Traniello from Boston University.



Previous research has shown that ants with specialized tasks that require learning and memory can have enlarged regions within the mushroom body of the brain, a phenomenon that becomes more pronounced as colony size increases. The scientists wondered whether there were any parallels between the evolution of ant and human brains.



They applied a change-point analysis to a dataset of 985 fossil and modern human crania. The results showed that human brains increased in size 2.1m years ago and again 1.5m years ago, during the Pleistocene. However, cranial capacity underwent a noticeable decrease in size around 3,000 years ago, during the Holocene Epoch, which is more recent than previously thought.



“Most people are aware that humans have unusually large brains - significantly larger than predicted from our body size. In our deep evolutionary history, human brain size dramatically increased,” said Dr. Traniello. “The reduction in human brain size 3,000 years ago was unexpected.”



Although the increases in brain size can be correlated with the early evolution of the genus Homo, and the associated technical advances that led, for example, to the manufacture of more complex tools, to better diet and larger social groups, the timing of the decrease in brain size has not yet been explained.&nbsp;



The interdisciplinary team involved in the current study proposes a new hypothesis to explain the decrease in brain size, based on clues and comparisons within ant societies.&nbsp;



“We propose that ants can provide diverse models to understand why brains may increase or decrease in size due to social life. Understanding why brains increase or decrease is difficult to study using only fossils,” explained Dr. Traniello.



Studying patterns of worker ant brain size, structure, and energy use in some ant clades, such as the&nbsp;weaver ants (Oecophylla),&nbsp;leafcutter ants (Atta), and common garden ants&nbsp;(Formica), showed that group-level cognition and division of labor may select for adaptive brain size variation. This means that within a social group where knowledge is shared or individuals are specialists at certain tasks, brains may adapt to become more efficient, sometimes by decreasing in size.



“Ant and human societies are very different and have taken different routes in social evolution,” said Dr. Traniello. “Nevertheless, ants also share with humans important aspects of social life such as group decision-making and division of labor, as well as the production of their own food (agriculture). These similarities can broadly inform us of the factors that may influence changes in human brain size.”



The study authors propose that, since brains use up a lot of energy, it would be advantageous to have a smaller brain if not all of its potential is needed for survival. The externalization of knowledge in human societies (relying on other sources and other people for information), as well as the division of labor, means that individual humans do not need to store or use all potentially useful information.&nbsp;



Thus, the experts hypothesize that increases in the complexity of human societies, along with increased labor division may have favored a decrease in brain size.



“We propose that this decrease was due to increased reliance on collective intelligence, the idea that a group of people is smarter than the smartest person in the group, often called the ‘wisdom of the crowds,’” explained Dr. Traniello.



“We look forward to having our hypothesis tested as additional data become available," said Dr. DeSilva.



Their paper is published in the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution">journal&nbsp;Frontiers in Ecology and 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

Ants help explain why the human brain shrank 3,000 years ago

We are all well aware that increasing brain capacity has...

Two new studies led by the <a href="https://institutducerveau-icm.org/en/mission-en/">Paris Brain Institute</a> aim to clarify how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmental-change-makes-animals-alter-their-behavior/">animals</a> interact with one another within social groups. The researchers are investigating how animals perceive the social interactions of other members of their species, as well as how they experience their own interactions with other members of their group.&nbsp;



The experts want to identify the brain mechanisms that constitute collective intelligence. Moreover, instead of analyzing interactions between only two animals, the studies are focused on all interactions that emerged within certain social groups.



All animals that live in social groups, from ants and birds to apes and humans, adapt their behavior to the group. Being part of a group represents a significant evolutionary advantage for a large number of species. It allows them to accomplish tasks that are impossible to achieve alone, such as building complex habitats, and to solve complex problems in order to avoid predation or find reliable food sources. Such behaviors arise from social interaction, which can range from verbal and non-verbal communication to mimicry, memorization, or other signaling processes.



Previous research in ethology has already investigated in great depth collective decision-making in animal groups. Such decisions are often made by individuals without them realizing that they are in fact collective efforts, as in the case of birds synchronizing their flight. Until recently, animal neuroscience has focused on how animal intelligence and decision-making function at the level of individual brains in isolation.



The new studies explore what happens to animal brains when they are embedded in social groups. The experts propose that the brains of animals change their functioning when they are evolving within social groups.&nbsp;



With new technological advances in brain imaging, EEG recordings can now be made using portable machines, allowing the scientists to study animal social interaction not only in the laboratory, but also in the wild.



It is known that, in humans and many other mammals, the brain activity of individuals belonging to a certain group can be synchronized during various social interactions. However, it is not yet clear how this synchronization process functions.&nbsp;



The researchers at the Paris Brain Institute are starting to uncover these mechanisms, together with other crucial aspects of social intelligence, such as some mammals’ ability to individually represent group decisions. Further research is needed to fully understand the complex interplay between individual cognition and group thinking in social animals.



The studies are published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abm3060">Science</a>. &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

How do animals interact within social groups?

Two new studies led by the Paris Brain Institute aim...

Dinosaurs are often portrayed to have been aggressive and territorial, suggesting that they would generally live in solidarity. However, a new research study has come to a very different conclusion that some of the earliest dinosaurs flourished by living <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brazilian-jaguars-have-an-unexpected-diet-and-social-life/">socially</a> within herds.



Whilst past studies have already revealed that some dinosaurs lived in herds during the late stage of the Cretaceous Period, it has never been known exactly how and when this behavior emerged.



The research was carried out within a large fossil site in Patagonia, with fossilized eggs being analyzed with the <a href="https://www.esrf.fr/">ESRF</a> (European Synchrotron) tool. The 190-million-year-old nesting ground was discovered in the early 2000s, with scientists discovering skeletons belonging to Mussaurus patgonicus. “Such a preserved site was bound to provide us with a lot of information about how early dinosaurs lived," explained Diego Pol, the paleontologist who initially discovered the site.



The team used the ESRF tool to analyze 30 fossilized eggs containing embryos. The goal was to confirm whether the eggs were laid by Mussaurus or not. “We use high-energy X-rays to penetrate in the sample without destroying it and get a full view inside it," explained ESRF scientist Vincent Fernandez.



Ultimately, the high-resolution computed tomography confirmed that Mussaurus embryos were present in some of the eggs. Furthermore,&nbsp; it was concluded that the fossils belonged to a communal breeding site of a singular dinosaur species, showing that Mussarus would return to the same area (on the dry margins of a lake) to form breeding colonies.



The fossils were not scattered randomly but instead grouped according to their age, demonstrating the strategic grouping of eggs to form schools of young dinosaurs. While adults and subadults were more commonly found in pairs or alone, they were always within one square kilometer of each other.&nbsp;&nbsp;



In order to determine dinosaur age and conclude these results, the ESRF scientists had to cut thin bone samples and scrutinize them under a microscope. “The bones of these dinosaurs grew in annual cycles, much as the tree rings, so by counting the growth cycles we could infer the age of the dinosaur," explained Pol.



Considering that the Mussaurus species belonged to the first successful family of herbivorous dinosaurs, the research has presented clear evidence that dinosaurs developed strategic and well-organized herd structures over 40 million years before initial estimates.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“These are not the oldest dinosaurs, but they are the oldest dinosaurs for which a herd behavior has been proposed," said Pol. "Mussaurus belongs to the first successful family of herbivorous dinosaurs, so we postulate that being social and protecting their young together as a herd may have been part of the reason these long-necked dinosaurs were so common in all continents."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Social behavior helped early dinosaurs thrive

Dinosaurs are often portrayed to have been aggressive and territorial,...

A new study highlights the dangers of the ongoing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/delta-variants-could-further-prolong-the-covid-pandemic/">COVID-19</a> pandemic for mountain gorillas, particularly those in Volcanoes National Park. The researchers determined that there is a very high probability that a COVID-19 outbreak would lead this population of wild mountain gorillas to collapse.



"Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, have been the focus of intense study on the potential effects of diseases, particularly given that a significant percentage of the population is habituated and in close contact with humans on a daily basis for ecotourism, protection and research programs," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"Respiratory outbreaks occur on almost an annual basis - between 1990 and 2020, 18 outbreaks were recorded in the groups within Volcanoes National Park - and pneumonia is considered the second highest cause of mortality, although in only a few cases have illness be directly linked to human origins due to limited molecular data."



Even though COVID infections have been found in captive western lowland gorillas, the potential health risk that COVID-19 poses to mountain gorillas and other wild apes is not yet clear.&nbsp;



"The current COVID-19 pandemic has created unmeasurable damages to society at a global level, from the irreplaceable loss of life, to the massive economic losses. In addition, the disease threatens further biodiversity loss," wrote the researchers.



"Due to their shared physiology with humans, primates, and particularly great apes, are susceptible to the disease. However, it is still uncertain how their populations would respond in case of infection."



To investigate, a research team led by Fernando Colchero from the University of Southern Denmark obtained data on 396 gorillas from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. The information was collected between 1967 and 2018 in Volcanoes National Park.&nbsp;



Taking into consideration the yearly variations in the size of the gorilla group, the experts used computer models to simulate the probability that a COVID-19 outbreak would lead to a population collapse.&nbsp;



The researchers also accounted for epidemiological factors that influence COVID-19 in humans, including the probability of death after infection and the probability of developing immunity.



Overall, the study authors ran 2,000 simulations in which the size and structure of the population in the park varied at different rates. The analysis revealed that 71 percent of these simulated populations would collapse within 50 years.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, the outlook could be even more grim due to the fact that mortality could be higher among gorillas with a limited availability of treatment options.&nbsp;



On the other hand, the experts noted that the tendency of gorilla groups to naturally socially distance from each other likely decreases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.&nbsp;



"The most evident and urgent goal is to avoid infection with COVID-19," wrote the researchers. "This requires that both, park personnel and tourists are vaccinated promptly, monitored for evidence of infection before they come in proximity of the mountain gorillas, and that mask wearing, hygiene measures and daily health checks before visiting gorillas are strictly followed."



"Similarly, it is fundamental to establish a monitoring protocol that allows testing regularly gorillas for possible infections."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</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

A COVID-19 outbreak could be devastating for mountain gorillas

A new study highlights the dangers of the ongoing COVID-19...

According to a new <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.10.463851v3.full">study</a> led by the <a href="https://www.soken.ac.jp/">Graduate University for Advanced Studies</a>, an extinct Japanese wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax) may hold clues to the origins of modern dogs. Genomic analyses indicate that the two might share a common ancestor, and that up to 5.5 percent of modern dog genomes throughout East Eurasia are derived from Japanese <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wolf-populations-are-expanding-across-europe/">wolf</a> ancestry.



The Japanese wolf was a subspecies of the gray wolf which inhabited the Japanese Archipelago until approximately 120 years ago. At least since they appeared in written records in the first century AD, these wolves were seen as pests, preying on horses and other livestock.&nbsp;



More recently, rabies outbreaks and habitat loss forced Japanese wolves into increased conflict with humans, making their eradication a national priority towards the end of the 19th century. The last known Japanese wolf was hunted and killed by humans in 1905.&nbsp;



By studying the genomes of nine Japanese wolves from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and 11 Japanese dogs (including popular breeds such as shiba inus), and comparing the results of the analysis to both modern and ancient wolves and dogs, the scientists found that both the Japanese wolves and modern dogs came from a vanished population of gray wolves in East Asia.



According to study senior author Yohei Terai, an evolutionary biologist at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, the Japanese wolf appears to be a unique, genetically distinct subspecies of the gray wolf, different from both ancient and modern gray wolves. Surprisingly though, the Japanese wolf seemed to share significant genetic affinities to East Eurasian dogs. “It’s a sister relationship,” Terai said.



“If true, this is very important,” added Laurent Frantz, an evolutionary geneticist at the<a href="https://www.lmu.de/en/">&nbsp;Ludwig Maximilian&nbsp;University of Munich</a>. “It’s the first time we’ve seen a wolf population that’s close to dogs.”&nbsp;



However, not all dogs have a significant genetic overlap with the Japanese wolf. Western dogs such as Labradors or German Shepherds, for example, shared far less genetic material than eastern dogs, such as modern Japanese breeds, or ancient canines including the dingo or the New Guinea singing dog. Terai and his colleagues speculate that Japanese wolves bred with dogs that were moving east after a hypothesized east-west split of canine lineages.&nbsp;



Nevertheless, the discovery of these significant affinities between the Japanese wolf and eastern dogs is a crucial step forward in understanding the origins and evolution of modern dogs.



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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

Mysterious wolf may hold clues to the origins of modern dogs

According to a new study led by the Graduate University...

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

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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

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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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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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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