Digger wasps exhibit remarkable memory skills when managing their nests. These wasps create separate burrows for each egg, storing food inside and returning after a few days to provide more. 



They can remember the locations of up to nine nests simultaneously, despite the chaotic surroundings filled with hundreds of other females' nests. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unexpected-find-inside-the-eye-of-a-tiny-wasp-megaphragma-viggianii/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wasps</a> rarely make mistakes, ensuring that each offspring receives adequate nourishment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-digger-wasps-manage-multiple-nests">Digger wasps manage multiple nests</h2>



Mother <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parasitic-wasp-had-a-flytrap-for-snatching-its-victims/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wasps</a> feed their young in age order, adjusting the sequence if one larva dies. 



They can also delay feeding larvae that received more food during the first visit. This intricate scheduling prevents starvation and ensures all larvae get sufficient food. 



“Our findings suggest that the miniature brain of an insect is capable of remarkably sophisticated scheduling decisions,” said Professor Jeremy Field, from the&nbsp;<a href="https://ecologyconservation.exeter.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centre for Ecology and Conservation</a>&nbsp;on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.



“We tend to think that something so small couldn’t do something so complex. In fact, they can remember where and when they have fed their young, and what they fed them, in a way that would be taxing even to human brains.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-episodic-memory-in-wasps">Episodic memory in wasps</h2>



Humans use episodic memory to recall past actions and adjust future plans. Professor Field suggests that wasps may use a similar mechanism to remember where and when they last fed each larva. 



Although the exact process remains unknown, the study indicates that these wasps can track multiple nests, the food given, and the timing of each feeding.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caterpillar-hunting-and-feeding-strategy">Caterpillar hunting and feeding strategy</h2>



Digger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-wasp-species-named-after-famous-thieves/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wasps</a> hunt caterpillars on heather plants, paralyzing them before placing them in burrows with eggs. The larva consumes the caterpillar as its first meal. 



Mothers then seal the burrow entrance and leave to either start a new burrow or continue feeding existing offspring. They return after two to seven days to check on the larvae. 



If a larva is dead, the mother lays a new egg and reorders the feeding schedule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-navigating-hundreds-of-nests">Navigating hundreds of nests</h2>



Despite nesting in nearly featureless sand with hundreds of other nests, mother wasps maintain exceptional spatial awareness. 



They use visual landmarks like stones to locate their nests with impressive accuracy. The study recorded just 1.5% of 1,293 food deliveries going to the wrong nest, emphasizing the precision of their navigation skills.



The researchers also tested the wasps by swapping caterpillars as mothers prepared burrows.



Wasps given larger caterpillars waited longer before providing more food, indicating a flexible feeding strategy based on larval needs. This adaptability helps manage resources effectively and supports the survival of the young.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wasp-memory-nests-and-scheduling">Wasp memory, nests, and scheduling</h2>



Professor Field noted that memory is energetically expensive, requiring neural machinery to store and process information.



While many lab-based studies explore memory in controlled settings, this study demonstrates the ecological relevance of memory in the wild, showing why natural selection may have favored these capabilities.



The researchers used various experiments to explore wasp memory and scheduling. One experiment involved replacing food items in nests, testing whether wasps adjusted feeding schedules based on food size. 



Mothers given larger prey items delayed further feeding, initiating new nests sooner. This behavior allowed them to increase reproductive output without compromising larval survival.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-wasps-adjust-after-losing-a-nest">How wasps adjust after losing a nest</h2>



Mothers could remember up to nine active nests and adjust feeding schedules without revisiting nests. 



However, when larvae died, mothers replaced them with new eggs, moving these nests to the back of the feeding order. This strategy minimized energy loss and prevented resource wastage.



Fieldwork at Witley Common, UK, revealed that digger wasps evolved cognitive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/an-8-year-olds-backyard-discovery-of-ants-wasps-changed-science/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strategies</a> to counter parasitism and food scarcity. 



Parasitic flies pose a significant threat, laying eggs on wasp larvae. To minimize exposure, mother wasps avoid revisiting nests unless parasitism risk is low. This reduces the chances of parasites accessing vulnerable offspring. 



Additionally, food scarcity prompted wasps to develop efficient nest management. By remembering up to nine nests, mothers allocate food based on larval age without resampling, conserving time and resources. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-cognitive-traits">Evolution of cognitive traits </h2>



Researchers suggest that these memory and scheduling abilities may have laid the foundation for social behaviors seen in more advanced insect lineages. 



Managing multiple offspring, tracking nest locations, and adjusting feeding schedules align with the caregiving patterns observed in social insects like ants and bees. 



The study highlights how ecological pressures can drive the evolution of complex cognitive traits even in insects with tiny brains.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00509-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Wasp moms manage multiple nests with remarkable memory

Digger wasps exhibit remarkable memory skills when managing their nests. These wasps create separate burrows for each egg, storing food inside and returning after a few days to provide more. They can remember the locations of up to nine nests simultaneously, despite the chaotic surroundings filled with hundreds of other females' nests. The wasps rarely make mistakes, ensuring that each offspring receives adequate nourishment. Digger wasps manage multiple nests Mother wasps feed their young in age order, adjusting the sequence if one larva dies. They can also...

The current biodiversity crisis in freshwater ecosystems is worse than that associated with the mass extinction event that killed the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-lizards-were-thriving-during-the-age-of-dinosaurs/">dinosaurs</a>. 

In a new report from the <a href="https://www.naturalis.nl/en">Naturalis Biodiversity Center</a>, researchers warn that the damage being done today - in a relatively short timescale of decades to centuries - will take millions of years to recover from. 

One of the most urgent challenges of this century is the ongoing biodiversity crisis, which is often referred to as the 6th mass extinction. According to the researchers, the rate at which we lose species today is unprecedented and has not been reached during major extinction crises in the past. 

Both directly and indirectly, humans are pushing species beyond the limits of what they can survive. The major drivers of the biodiversity crisis include habitat destruction, climate change, overexploitation, pollution, and the introduction of invasive species.

An international team of experts led by the Justus Liebig University Giessen set out to investigate the extent of today's biodiversity crisis by comparing it with the Cretaceous extinction event, which resulted from an asteroid impact 66 million years ago. 

The Cretaceous extinction event wiped out about 76 percent of all species on the planet, including the dinosaurs. 

The researchers focused on the impacts to freshwater animals. They analyzed a large dataset containing 3,387 fossil and living snail species of Europe covering the past 200 million years.

The study showed that the extinction rate for freshwater biota during the 5th mass extinction was considerably higher than what was previously believed. At the same time, the researchers found that this rate was drastically lower than what is predicted for the current 6th mass extinction event. 

On average, the projected rate for the 6th mass extinction is three orders of magnitudes higher than during the time the dinosaurs went extinct. By 2120, a third of all living freshwater species are expected to have vanished.

"Losing species entails changes in species communities and, in the long run, this affects entire ecosystems. We rely on functioning freshwater environments to sustain human health, nutrition and fresh water supply," said study lead author Dr. Thomas A. Neubauer.

The experts uncovered an alarming pattern in the 5th mass extinction event that could have dire consequences implications for the ongoing biodiversity crisis. After the asteroid impact, the extinction rate remained high for approximately five million years, and this was followed by an even longer period of recovery that lasted for millions more years. 

According to the researchers, it took nearly 12 million years until the balance was restored between species emerging and going extinct.

"Even if our impact on the world's biota stops today, the extinction rate will likely stay high for an extended period of time," explained Dr. Neubauer. 

"Considering that the current biodiversity crisis advances much faster than the mass extinction event 66 million years ago, the recovery period may be even longer."

"Despite our short existence on Earth, we have assured that the effects of our actions will outlast us by millions of years."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsenv/">Communications Earth &amp; Environment</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ongoing biodiversity crisis will take millions of years to recover from

The current biodiversity crisis in freshwater ecosystems is worse than...

A study from <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">AAAS</a> is shedding new light on the negative impacts of human activities on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extraordinary-biodiversity-found-in-ancient-asian-rainforest/">biodiversity</a>. The researchers found that after European colonists arrived on the Guadeloupe Islands in the Caribbean, up to 70 percent of the local reptiles went extinct.

The study was focused on 43,000 fossilized bones of reptiles from six islands. The results of the analysis suggest that Indigenous populations who lived on the islands for thousands of years before the colonists' arrival did not diminish the diversity of local reptiles. 

According to the experts, the research highlights the importance of considering fossil data when investigating how humans have impacted biodiversity. 

"Large-scale extinction is one of the defining challenges of our time, as human processes fundamentally and irreversibly reshape global ecosystems," wrote the researchers.

"While the extinction of large animals with popular appeal garners widespread public and research interest, the importance of smaller, less 'charismatic' species to ecosystem health is increasingly recognized." 

"Benefitting from systematically collected fossil and archaeological archives, we examined snake and lizard extinctions in the Guadeloupe Islands of the Caribbean."

The fossilized remains originated in 31 different sites on the Guadeloupe Islands, and were sorted into four groups: the Late Pleistocene, the Holocene before the arrival of humans, the Indigenous habitation period, and the modern period, beginning 458 years ago. 

The team reconstructed the evolutionary history and diversity of the reptiles over the past 40,000 years. The study revealed that mass extinction of the islands' reptiles occurred over only the last 500 years. 

The researchers determined that tree-dwelling species were less impacted by the European settlers than ground dwelling reptiles, and that medium-sized lizards and snakes were more vulnerable than smaller ones. 

There was also evidence that the colonists introduced predators, including cats, mongooses, rats, and raccoons, that may have been responsible for the extinctions.

"These results demonstrate that failure to consider fossil-derived data, especially regarding poorly studied lineages, probably contributes to a substantial underestimation of the magnitude of the human impact to global biodiversity," wrote the study authors. 

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Human settlement of the Guadeloupe Islands wiped out many reptiles

A study from AAAS is shedding new light on the...

Monitoring the outcomes of two Ethiopian bird species could help validate the predictive ability of widely used climate models, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>.

The White-tailed Swallow and the Ethiopian Bush-crow are threatened with extinction under similar circumstances. The birds are living in "climatic lifeboats," with their tiny habitat ranges restricted on all sides by temperature and rainfall patterns. 

The experts report that, even under moderate levels of warming, models predict a severe loss of suitable climate for both bird species within the next 50 years. This will drastically increase their risk of extinction.

The research suggests that tracking the response of these birds to climate change will be crucial for preventing other species from going extinct in the wild.

Conservation measures such as assisted migration and captive breeding may be the only options available to safeguard the White-tailed Swallow and the Ethiopian Bush-crow now that climate change has eliminated their habitats. Understanding the birds' ranges will inform conservation management plans for them in the newly formed Yabello National Park in Ethiopia.

"To find that two species are both limited by temperature at every edge of their global distribution is really quite remarkable," said study first Dr. Andrew Bladon. "These completely unrelated species are influenced very similarly by aspects of the local climate. As the temperature rises due to climate change, they will struggle to survive."

The researchers considered the potential impacts of future climate change projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). These conditions ranged from the best case scenario - in which carbon emissions are reduced - to the worst case scenario with no change change in carbon emissions. In the worst case scenario, temperatures will rise by three to five degrees Celsius this century.

The experts found that, in all scenarios, both species are at severe risk of extinction in the next 50 years as the climate is predicted to become unsuitable for their survival.

The foraging ability of Ethiopian Bush-crows is impacted by temperature. The scientists expect them to start disappearing quickly once their range gets too hot.

The mechanism by which warming causes the decline of the White-tailed Swallows is not yet clear, but it seems to have a negative impact on breeding success.

"Climate change-driven increases in temperature are terrible for the long-term survival of these two bird species. But if they do go extinct in the next fifty years, they are at least a useful test case to validate climate models that inform a lot of conservation work," said Dr. Bladon.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The fate of two bird species could help save others

Monitoring the outcomes of two Ethiopian bird species could help...

Experts at <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> have revealed how extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-is-controlled-by-weather-in-the-northern-hemisphere/">weather</a> events can impact wild bee populations. Professor Rufus Isaacs says the research highlights the need for more long-term studies.

"There are few bee studies in the U.S. that have sampled bees for many years at the same location. There are even fewer that use the same methods over more than a decade," said Professor Isaacs.

In collaboration with Kelsey Graham, a former postdoctoral researcher who is now with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, the researchers examined 15 years of data on wild bees visiting blueberry fields.

The bees were collected using brightly colored bowls of soapy water located at 15 farms across southwest Michigan. 

Bee species vary in the time of the year they are active and have different host plants. They nest either in the ground or in the stems of plants.

The study was focused on specific samples of wild bees who were active during May to June and visited blueberry bushes while they were blooming. 

An unusually warm spring and hot summer in 2012 provided the researchers with an opportunity to examine how bee populations responded to the extreme weather in subsequent years.

"The very advanced spring in 2012 was so unique, and flowers were open when the frosts came in April and May," said Professor Isaacs. "This wasn't what we were trying to study but this helps explain the patterns we found."

Overall, the study involved 162 of the 465 wild bee species in Michigan from 2004 to 2018. The researchers found that the extreme temperatures of 2012 led to a 61 percent decline in the number of bees between the first and second sampling periods.

Some bee species recovered, but others - such as the blueberry specialist bee, Andrena carolina - experienced a dramatic decline and slow recovery in the third sampling period.

"We also looked at the use of pesticides and found that the environmental affects had a bigger impact on the bee population," said Professor Isaacs. 

"We were fortunate to combine the work of three separate projects for this analysis. If you only look at the short periods of time, you might come to different conclusions, but long-term over multiple samples we can see the bigger trends."

The study findings emphasize the need to develop programs for monitoring wild bees across the United States in an effort to help preserve their valuable ecosystem services.

"Our data will contribute to the national efforts to understand how to protect these beautiful and essential insects," said Professor Isaacs.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/agriculture-ecosystems-and-environment">Agriculture, Ecosystems &amp; Environment</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wild bees struggle to recover after extreme weather events

Experts at Michigan State University have revealed how extreme weather...

Young male and female orangutans focus their social attention on different individuals to gain knowledge they can use later in life, according to a new study published by PLOS. Sex-specific social learning is needed to prepare the immature orangutans for adulthood. 

Young orangutans must acquire an extensive set of skills and knowledge through years of observational social learning, just like humans. There are notable behavioral differences between adult male and female orangutans, including sex-specific foraging patterns. In addition, males are far more solitary as adults compared to females. 

The researchers set out to investigate how the different life trajectories of adult orangutans relate to social interest and emerging ecological knowledge in juveniles. 

The team analyzed 15 years of detailed observational data, which included the social learning and dietary patterns of 50 immature orangutans in two wild Sumatran populations. 

Social interest was measured by the number of "peering events" directed at others, as well as the amount of time the juveniles spent in close proximity to others.

The study showed that young females direct most of their social attention toward their mothers, while young males prefer individuals other than their mothers. The experts report that by the end of the dependency period, females show a larger dietary overlap with their mothers than males. 

When it comes to individuals aside from their mothers, males are most interested in immigrants, and females prefer neighbors.

According to the researchers, it may be more beneficial for the females to focus on acquiring local knowledge and skills because they tend to stay in the areas where they were born and settle in the same home range as their mothers. 

By contrast, knowledge from immigrants could be relevant in the areas to which young males will eventually disperse. 

"In our study we showed that immature orangutans show sex specific attentional preferences when observing role models other than their mothers," said study lead author Dr. Caroline Schuppli of the Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior.

"Our results also provide evidence that these biases result in different learning outcomes and may thus be an important way for orangutans to learn sex-specific foraging patterns." 

"All in all, these results highlight the importance of fine-grained social inputs during development for orangutans - the least sociable of all ape species, and thus likely also for other primates."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sex-specific social learning patterns found in young orangutans

Young male and female orangutans focus their social attention on...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a> has revealed how invasive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-have-a-memory-of-drought/">plants</a> are posing a new threat to critically endangered flying foxes on Christmas Island. The researchers found that introduced plant species reduce the nutritional value of the flying foxes' diets.  

The researchers collected and analyzed 125 native and non-native plant samples, representing the most common plants on which the Christmas Island flying fox feeds. The analysis showed that the nutritional content of the flying foxes' diets do not provide a balanced meal.

"Compared to native fruit, introduced fruit had significantly more carbohydrates but lower mineral concentrations," said study lead author Laura Pulscher from the Sydney School of Veterinary Science.

"Flying foxes may prefer to feed on introduced plants, as it makes it easier for them to meet their energy requirements in a shorter amount of time. They may also favor these plants as some - including papaya and Japanese cherry - fruit year-round on Christmas Island, when other food may be scarce. If this happens, flying foxes' nutritional requirements may not be met."

Pulscher explained that the flying foxes likely feed on fruit and nectar to meet their energy requirements, and pollen and native foliage like fig leaves to meet their protein and essential mineral needs. A diet that includes a variety of native food plants is nutritionally optimal.

The Christmas Island flying fox is critically endangered, with a population of just 3,800 individuals. This population has been dramatically reduced in recent decades as a result of human-induced habitat loss, invasive animal species, cadmium poisoning, and altered habitats.

When habitats are altered, they are often re-vegetated with introduced plant species like mango, banana, soursop, breadfruit, and Japanese cherry trees. The new study suggests that these introduced species may further threaten the survival of flying foxes by not meeting their nutritional needs. 

"Our findings suggest that preserving these animals' complex foraging habitats is key to their conservation," said Pulscher. "If they went extinct, not only would we lose a native mammal, but the local ecosystem would be devasted, as they are a key pollinator and seed disperser on the island."

The results of the study can be applied to all flying foxes, also known as fruit bats, that feed on native and introduced vegetation. 

"The study results also support the need to include analyses of animals' diets in conservation plans generally," said Pulscher. "Animals that could benefit from such analyses include endangered primates, like the Eastern lowland gorilla."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Invasive plants threaten the survival of flying foxes

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

Colorful,Butterfly

A team of researchers at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> has found that tropical pollinators are more than 70 percent less abundant in areas with intensive agriculture compared to wild sites. The experts report that more sustainable agricultural practices are needed to prevent widespread losses of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-quarter-of-all-bees-no-longer-appear-in-public-records/">bees</a> and other valuable insects.

"Pollinating species are thought to be in decline globally due to combined pressures of habitat loss and climate change. Here, we found that pollinators in tropical regions are the most likely to decline as croplands continue to expand and intensify, and as animals in the tropics are also particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change," said study lead author Joe Millard.

The researchers set out to investigate the impact of various land-use types and intensities on pollinator biodiversity worldwide. The analysis was focused on 12,170 sites and 4,502 pollinating species, including insects, birds, and bats.

The study revealed that low levels of land use intensity appear to have beneficial effects for pollinators, even compared to natural vegetation. By contrast, the diversity of pollinator species suffered as the intensity of different land uses increased. 

In the tropics, species richness was reduced by 44 percent and total abundance of all pollinators combined decreased by 49 percent in high-intensity agricultural sites compared to natural vegetation. Furthermore, the overall abundance of tropical pollinators declined by at least 70 percent in high-intensity croplands.

"More than three quarters of globally important food crops are at least partly reliant on animal pollination, including nuts, berries, and fruits grown in tropical areas," said study senior author Dr. Tim Newbold.

"Croplands are expected to continue expanding rapidly in the tropics, which could pose a serious risk to local pollinators. As a result, we may see reduced yields of the many tropical crops that depend on animal pollination."

"Agricultural land management needs to take a long-term outlook to avoid harming pollinators. While maintaining wilderness spaces, so that not all land in a region is given over to human uses, is vital, agriculture can also be done more sustainably without reducing crop yields."

According to Dr. Newbold, this could mean planting different crops close together, using biocontrol agents instead of insecticides to control pests, planting hedgerows, or agroforestry. He added that consumers can also play their part by choosing more sustainably farmed products.

"Our finding that low intensity urban areas, like villages and green spaces, actually had greater pollinator biodiversity than wilderness areas, shows that urban areas can be good habitats for pollinators, with careful management," explained Millard. "Planting flowers in gardens, without using insecticides, can help out our local pollinators."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tropical pollinators are suffering from high-intensity agriculture

A team of researchers at University College London has found...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> has revealed that, before they vanished from Earth, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/anteosaurus-was-a-killing-machine-millions-of-years-before-the-dinosaurs/">dinosaurs</a> were not the main competitors of modern mammals. The research indicates that distinct mammal groups were in greater competition with each other. 

"There were lots of exciting types of mammals in the time of dinosaurs that included gliding, swimming and burrowing species, but none of these mammals belonged to modern groups, they all come from earlier branches in the mammal tree." said study co-author Dr.  Elsa Panciroli, a researcher from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. 

"These other kinds of mammals mostly became extinct at the same time as the non-avian dinosaurs, at which point modern mammals start to become larger, explore new diets and ways of life." 

"From our research it looks like before the extinction it was the earlier radiations of mammals that kept the modern mammals out of these exciting ecological roles by outcompeting them."

Most of the modern mammal species have origins in groups that expanded in a big way 66 million years ago, after a mass extinction wiped out non-avian dinosaurs. It has been widely assumed that mammals lived in the shadow of the dinosaurs prior to the extinction event. 

Mammals were thought to have been held back by the dinosaurs, remaining small and unspecialized in terms of diet and lifestyle. It appeared that mammals did not begin to thrive until the niches of dinosaurs were made available after the extinction. 

But now, the Oxford team has used new statistical methods to identify the evolutionary "limits" placed on different groups of mammals. The results suggest that closely related mammals were placing the biggest constraints on each other, and not the dinosaurs.

The researchers analyzed the anatomy of all the different mammals which lived alongside dinosaurs, including the ancestors of modern groups, also known as therians. The team examined how frequently new features appeared, such as changes in the size and shape of their teeth and bones, and the pattern and timing of their appearance before and after the mass extinction.

Based on the analysis, the researchers determined that modern mammals were more constrained during the time of the dinosaurs than their close relatives. In other words therians were being shut out of certain niches as their relatives explored larger body sizes, different diets, and new strategies such as climbing and gliding.

"This result makes very little sense if you assume that it was the dinosaurs constraining the therians," said Dr. Neil Brocklehurst, who led the research. "There is no reason why the dinosaurs would be selectively competing with just these mammals and allowing others to prosper. It instead appears that the therians were being held back by these other groups of mammals."

According to the experts, the extinction of other mammals helped the most to pave the way for the success of modern mammals.

"Most of the mammals that lived alongside the dinosaurs were less than 100g in body mass - that's smaller than any non-bird dinosaur. Therefore, these smallest mammals would probably not have been directly competing with dinosaurs," said study co-author Dr. Gemma Benevento.

Despite this, small mammals show diversity increases after the extinction which are just as profound as those seen in larger mammals, explained Dr. Benevento. 

"Palaeontology is undergoing a revolution. We have greatly expanded the toolkit available to analyse large datasets and directly test our ideas about evolution," said Dr. Brocklehurst. "Most studies of the mammal radiation have focused on how fast they evolved, but analysing what limits there were on the evolution provides new perspectives. We have had to rethink many of our theories using these state-of-the-art approaches."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dinosaurs did not hold modern mammals back from evolving

A new study from the University of Oxford has revealed...

A new big data study from <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">UNSW Sydney</a> has calculated that there are 50 billion birds in the world, which is about six birds for every <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-and-livestock-create-the-perfect-storm-for-pandemics/">human</a>. By combining citizen scientist observations with detailed algorithms, the experts estimated the number of birds that belong to 9,700 different bird species worldwide.

The researchers found that many iconic Australian birds are numbered in the millions, including 19 million Rainbow Lorikeets and 10 moon Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. By contrast, the rare Black-breasted Buttonquail is down to around 100 individuals.

"Humans have spent a great deal of effort counting the members of our own species - all 7.8 billion of us," said study co-senior author Professor Will Cornwell. "This is the first comprehensive effort to count a suite of other species."

The study was focused on almost a billion bird sightings documented on eBird, an online database of bird observations from citizen scientists. The researchers developed an algorithm to analyze the data and estimate the global population of each species.

"While this study focuses on birds, our large-scale data integration approach could act as a blueprint for calculating species-specific abundances for other groups of animals," said study lead author Dr. Corey Callaghan.

"Quantifying the abundance of a species is a crucial first step in conservation. By properly counting what's out there, we learn what species might be vulnerable and can track how these patterns change over time - in other words, we can better understand our baselines."

The dataset included records for 92 percent of all existing bird species. The experts noted that it is unlikely the remaining 8 percent, which are extremely rare,  would have much impact on the estimate.

Four bird species belong to what the researchers call "the billion club," which are species with an estimated global population of over a billion. The House Sparrow came out on top with 1.6 billion individuals, followed by the European Starling, the Ring-billed Gull, and the Barn Swallow.

"It was surprising that only a few species dominate the total number of individual birds in the world," said Dr. Callaghan. "What is it about those species, evolutionarily, that has made them so hyper-successful?"

Overall, about 12 percent of bird species analyzed for the study have an estimated global population of less than 5,000, including the Chinese Crested Tern, Noisy Scrub-bird, and Invisible Rail.

"We'll be able to tell how these species are faring by repeating the study in five or 10 years," said Professor Cornwell. "If their population numbers are going down, it could be a real alarm bell for the health of our ecosystem."

The study was made possible with the help of more than 600,000 citizen scientists who recorded their sightings in the eBird dataset between 2010 and 2019. The eBird site is run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the data is freely available.

"Large global citizen science databases such as eBird are revolutionising our ability to study macroecology," said Professor Cornwell. "This type of data simply wasn't available a decade ago."

The research is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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

Birds outnumber people six to one with a global population of 50 billion

A new big data study from UNSW Sydney has calculated...

Decades after the Griffon Vulture vanished from its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-bonds-are-key-to-breeding-success-among-pelicans/">breeding</a> ground in the Eastern Balkan Mountains, the bird has made a remarkable return to the region, according to a study published by <a href="https://pensoft.net/">Pensoft</a>.  

Three local conservation organizations, including the <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/policy-insight/species/birds-of-prey-in-the-uk/why-should-we-protect-birds-of-prey/">Birds of Prey Protection Society</a>, have been working on a long-term restoration program to bring vultures back to their former breeding range in Bulgaria since 2009.

"The Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus is a Western Palearctic cliff-nesting social obligate scavenger and one of the largest birds of prey in Europe. It used to be widespread and numerous in Bulgaria up to the 1940s, but became less frequently observed and likely became extinct as a breeding species around the 1970s," wrote the researchers.

"The Eastern Balkan Mountains and the area of the town of Kotel were amongst the last sites where breeding of the species was reported."

Between 2009 and 2020, a total of 153 Griffon Vultures were tagged and released from five sites in Bulgaria. The first successful reproduction was reported as early as 2016. 

By December of 2020, the local population had grown to more than 80 permanently present individuals, including about 25 breeding pairs and more than 30 chicks.

"Why vultures of all creatures? Because they were exterminated, yet provide an amazing service for people and healthy ecosystems," explained Elena Kmetova-Biro, initial project manager for the Green Balkans NGO.

According to the experts, many of the vultures were killed shortly after release  due to electrocution. 

"The birds predominantly forage on feeding sites, where the team provides dead domestic animals collected from local owners and slaughterhouses," said the researchers.

"We, however, consider the establishment phase of the reintroduction of Griffon Vulture in this particular site as successfully completed."

"The population is still dependent on conservation measures (supplementary feeding, isolation of dangerous power lines and accidental poisoning prevention), but the area of the Eastern Balkan Mountains can currently be regarded as a one of the only seven existing general areas for the species in the mainland Balkan Peninsula and one of the five which serve as population source sites."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://bdj.pensoft.net/">Biodiversity Data Journal</a>.

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Griffon Vultures have made a remarkable recovery in Bulgaria

Decades after the Griffon Vulture vanished from its breeding ground...

A new study from <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts University</a> has identified the gene that controls sexual preference in male corn borer moths. The researchers were surprised to find that mating preference in the male is driven by a protein that changes pheromone detection in the brain, rather than affecting the pheromone receptors themselves. 

The research complements a previous study which pinpointed the gene expressed in the sex glands of females that regulates the production of pheromones.

The identification of these two genes will ultimately provide a better understanding of how the pheromones of 160,000 moth species have evolved. The research may also help experts answer the long-standing question of why mating preferences evolve and change in the first place, considering that any change could reduce the chances of reproductive success.

One of the most obvious explanations that mating preferences evolve is that males and females of the same species rely on pheromone signals to find each other. The European corn borer has been used as a model for how one species can split into two ever since two different pheromone types were discovered 50 years ago.

"That means we now know - at the molecular level - how chemical matchmaking aids in the formation of new species. Similar genetic changes to pheromone preference could help explain how tens of thousands of other moth species remain separate," said study co-author Professor Erik Dopman.

"This is the first moth species out of 160,000 in which female signaling and male preference genes have both been identified," said study co-author Astrid Groot of the University of Amsterdam. "That provides us with complete information on the evolution of mate choice and a way to measure how closely these choices are linked to evolving traits and populations."

The ability to predict mating preferences could also help control reproduction in pest insects. The European corn borer is a significant agricultural pest that is known to feed on 250 different kinds of plants. In the United States alone, nearly $2 billion is spent each year to monitor and control these moths. 

One method of controlling the European corn borer moth is genetically modified "Bt corn," which expresses insecticidal proteins. However, moths in Nova Scotia are now evolving resistance to Bt corn.

"Our results can help to predict whether Bt resistance could spread from Nova Scotia to the Corn Belt of the U.S., or whether assortative mating could prevent or delay it," said study co-author David Heckel at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology.

"Bt corn has enabled a huge reduction in the use of chemical insecticides, and it should be a high priority to preserve its ecological benefits as long as possible."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</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

Mating secrets uncovered in European corn borer moths

A new study from Tufts University has identified the gene...

More than 50 years after jaguars vanished from the United States, a team of conservation biologists led by the <a href="https://www.wcs.org/">Wildlife Conservation Society</a> (WCS) is proposing a plan to reintroduce them. 

According to the experts, there is a stretch of two million acres in the central mountains of Arizona and New Mexico where up to 150 jaguars could live.

“The jaguar lived in these mountains long before Americans did,” said study lead author Eric Sanderson, WCS senior conservation ecologist.

In 2018, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the potential for reintroducing jaguars, but did not look far enough north. The investigation concluded that there was only enough space for six jaguars in the entire country.

There are still some jaguar populations in Mexico, and the cats occasionally cross the border. However, the researchers explained that due to factors such as habitat destruction, transport infrastructure, and constrictions in the landscape, the natural re-establishment of jaguars from Mexico is not possible any time soon. 

“The Southwest’s native wildlife evolved with jaguars," said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity. “They have a storied and vital place in our canyons and forests, so we should plan an intelligent and humane reintroduction program.”

The researchers suggest that bringing jaguars back to the United States could provide the species with an important refuge in the face of climate change.

“The Central Arizona and New Mexico Recovery Area is vast, covered with suitable vegetation, and well populated with potential prey," wrote the experts.  "Given its elevation and latitude, it may provide an important climate refuge for the species in the future, though further research is required."

Bringing endangered jaguars back to the country could boost their overall numbers. The study authors also noted that recent reintroduction efforts, such as the rewilding of jaguars in Argentina’s Iberá wetlands, have demonstrated the potential for success.

"This represents a turning point for this iconic wild cat, identifying a path forward for restoration of the jaguar to its historic range in the United States," said Dr. Sharon Wilcox of the Defenders of Wildlife. “It should serve as the starting point for a renewed conversation among stakeholders.”

“Restoring jaguars to the northernmost portions of their historic range is an issue of importance for both the US and Mexico," said Juan Carlos Bravo of Wildlands Network Mexico and Borderlands.

“Our paper provides an initial step for both countries to draft together a roadmap of what that major rewilding effort may look like.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/25784854">Conservation Science and Practice</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Jaguars could be reintroduced to the United States

More than 50 years after jaguars vanished from the United...

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?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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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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