In a fascinating new study, scientists documented 34 attempts by wild killer whales to give food to humans. These rare cases spanned four oceans and 20 years. Some happened near boats, others in open water or even from the shore. 



The events highlight the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/killer-whales-use-kelp-to-massage-and-groom-each-other/">orcas</a>’ possible interest in humans and raise important questions about whale intelligence, communication, and social behavior.



“Orcas often share food with each other - it’s a prosocial activity and a way that they build relationships with each other,” said study lead author Jared Towers, of <a href="https://baycetology.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bay Cetology</a> in British Columbia, Canada. “That they also share with humans may show their interest in relating to us as well.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-lives-of-killer-whales">Social lives of killer whales</h2>



Orcas live some of the most complex social lives in the animal kingdom. They stick together in tight-knit family groups called pods, usually led by an older matriarch. 



These family units aren’t just casual gatherings - they’re lifelong bonds. Calves stay with their mothers for life, swimming, hunting, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/photographer-captures-killer-whales-wearing-fish-hats/">playing together</a>. 



In some regions, pods form larger communities or clans that share unique vocal dialects, kind of like cultural accents passed down through generations. This tight social structure helps them coordinate during hunts and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/killer-whales-use-kelp-to-massage-and-groom-each-other/">protect each other</a> from threats.



But it’s not all business. Orcas socialize for the joy of it too. They engage in what clearly looks like play - tossing kelp, breaching dramatically, or nudging one another during underwater games. 



They form friendships beyond their pods and even flirt, showing preferences and personalities. These interactions suggest that orcas have emotional lives and a sense of identity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-orcas-gave-humans">What orcas gave humans</h2>



The 34 incidents involved six distinct populations of killer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-helps-humans-have-20-minute-conversation-with-humpback-whale-named-twain/">whales</a>. They offered humans a total of 18 species: six fish, five mammals, three invertebrates, two birds, one reptile, and even one piece of seaweed.



In 97 percent of these cases, the orcas waited for a human response. Some hovered for several minutes. 



On several occasions, they tried again when the humans ignored or returned the offering. In two especially curious cases, whales retrieved birds after humans returned them, only to offer them again.



This behavior could be a form of interspecies curiosity, communication, or even social learning. As the authors suggest, these events might represent "generalized altruism" - an advanced trait observed in only a few social animals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploration-more-than-play">Exploration more than play</h2>



Though play was observed in 38 percent of the interactions, the researchers argue most cases were not playful. The age of the whales varied widely, and many offered whole, fresh prey. 



In over 75 percent of ignored cases, the whales later used the prey for themselves or their group. This suggests the offerings had purpose and value, not just entertainment.



Curiosity-driven behavior, distinct from play, seemed a stronger motivator. As the study explains, animals often explore to reduce uncertainty. 



Offering food to humans might help orcas learn how we respond, just as they would with unfamiliar members of their own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/whales-blow-bubble-smoke-rings-near-humans-to-communicate/">species</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deep-social-intelligence-at-work">Deep social intelligence at work</h2>



Some whales returned the same item to humans multiple times. Others acted in pairs or small groups. 



Most of the 34 events involved a single whale separating from a larger group. This suggests the act was not for show. Rather, it might reflect the whale's individual decision to interact.



Interestingly, killer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-dolphin-brains-evolved-to-see-underwater-by-using-sound-echolocation/">whales</a> have also been documented cooperating with human fishers in places like Australia and Russia. The authors noted that this history could influence modern interactions, especially as human activity increases near their habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-whales-may-view-humans-as-companions">Whales may view humans as companions</h2>



Killer whales rank second only to humans in brain-to-body ratio. They also show advanced emotional and social behavior. 



These traits support complex social learning, reciprocal behavior, and possibly even empathy.



“Offering items to humans could simultaneously include opportunities for killer whales to practice learned cultural behavior, explore or play and in so doing learn about, manipulate or develop relationships with us,” the researchers wrote.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-humans-should-not-approach-whales">Humans should not approach whales</h2>



Despite the remarkable nature of these encounters, the researchers urge caution. Orcas can show complex and sometimes unpredictable behavior. 



While no wild killer whale has killed a person, some interactions have been intense. They warn against seeking out such encounters or encouraging the behavior without proper permissions.



Most of these whales belonged to populations that hunt near the surface and share prey frequently. 



No deep-water, fish-only populations were involved. This suggests that cooperative surface hunting may lead to more frequent and visible interspecies interactions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-minds-of-whales-and-humans">Complex minds of whales and humans</h2>



The findings challenge our assumptions about human-animal relationships. If orcas are experimenting with ways to relate to us, it means they recognize us not as threats, but as potential social partners.



These whales are not just predators. They are thinkers, observers, and maybe, in some way, explorers of culture, curiosity, memory, learning, and emotion. 



Their actions suggest complex minds in both whales and humans, capable of choice, empathy, and communication.



The study is published in the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-29805-001.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Comparative Psychology</a>. 



-----



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Killer whales are attempting to bond with humans, according to scientists

In a fascinating new study, scientists documented 34 attempts by wild killer whales to give food to humans. These rare cases spanned four oceans and 20 years. Some happened near boats, others in open water or even from the shore. The events highlight the orcas’ possible interest in humans and raise important questions about whale intelligence, communication, and social behavior. “Orcas often share food with each other - it’s a prosocial activity and a way that they build relationships with each other,” said study lead author Jared...

A team of conservation scientists led by <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">UNSW Sydney</a> has managed to bring a group of wallabies back from the brink of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-third-of-oak-tree-species-are-threatened-with-extinction/">extinction</a> using a strategy known as "headstarting."

The wallabies were placed within a protected area to grow into adulthood without the threat of their main predators,  feral cats, and then released back into the wild.

Study lead author Alexandra Ross explained that juvenile wallabies under three kilograms, which is smaller than a rugby football, are easy prey for feral cats.

"Previous studies have shown that more than half of these young bridled nailtail wallabies were killed by feral cats before they could reach adulthood," said Ross.

"But when you look at the numbers of adults, the survival rate goes up to 80 percent - which shows that size is a good predictor of survival."

"So we figured if we can just get them through that tough period - when they're still little and an easy size for a cat to prey on - by putting them in feral-free protected areas, then we could make a positive difference to the population numbers."

Out of 56 wallabies that were raised within the protected area between 2015 and 2018, 89 percent survived long enough to be released back into the wild. 

Study co-author Professor Mike Letnic said that headstarting is a cost-effective intervention when compared to other, more complex strategies that involve the creation of large nature reserves, like the one created in Sturt National Park in 2019.

"Aly's headstarting project involved fencing off an area about 10 hectares which was big enough to hold about 30 or 40 wallabies at a time," said Professor Letnic.

"We're basically growing them from football size to medicine ball size before releasing them back into the wild, which can take anywhere from a few months to a year."

"For the most part they're fending for themselves in the headstart exclosure just like they do in the wild, except without the threat of feral animals. But they're not completely protected - they can still get eaten by eagles which means there is still some predator recognition."

According to Ross, the population of bridled nailtail wallabies more than doubled following the three years of headstarting in Avocet Nature Refuge, which is the largest increase that had been observed in this particular population since monitoring began in 2011.

"Before we started the headstarting strategy, we estimated the core Avocet population at 16 individuals," said Ross. "When we did a recount in 2018 after three years of gradually releasing headstarted wallabies that had reached the right size, the estimate of the total population of bridled nailtail wallabies - both inside and outside the headstarting exclosure - was 47."

"This clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the headstart exclosure as a conservation strategy."

The researchers calculated how the wallaby population would fare with or without varying lengths of headstarting scenarios. The projections showed that, if headstarting was ceased, the population would become extinct within two to 52 years.

"What this tells us is that until we find a way to eliminate feral cats in the wild, headstarting may be the only way to keep this population at a sustainable level."

The wallaby headstarting project was the very first of its kind for a land-based mammal, and raises new hope for other potential endangered species among which the size of juveniles may be a factor in population survival.

"One of the great things about headstarting is it's relatively cheap, doesn't interfere too much with animals' awareness of predators, and can get good results in a short time," said Ross.

"And there are plenty of other mammal species around the world that could benefit. Any species that is particularly vulnerable in the early life stage could potentially thrive under a headstarting strategy."

Up until now, headstarting has been used with some success with birds, fish, reptiles, and seals, and there is no reason why it shouldn't also be implemented for terrestrial mammals, concluded the researchers.

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

Headstarting strategy saved an endangered wallaby population

A team of conservation scientists led by UNSW Sydney has...

Heat-induced male infertility will cause some species to fall victim to <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/zombie-fires-becoming-more-common-as-the-climate-warms/">climate</a> change earlier than expected, according to an alarming new study from the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a>. The experts report that male fertility losses at high temperatures may affect as many as half of all species. 

"Our work emphasizes that temperature-driven fertility losses may be a major threat to biodiversity during climate change," said Dr. Tom Price. "We already had reports of fertility losses at high temperatures in everything from pigs to ostriches, to fish, flowers, bees, and even humans. Unfortunately, our research suggests they are not isolated cases, and perhaps half of all species will be vulnerable to thermal infertility."

Previous research on temperature tolerance has been primarily focused on identifying the heat thresholds that are lethal to organisms, rather than investigating the temperatures at which organisms can no longer breed.

"Our findings strongly suggest that where species can survive in nature is determined by the temperature at which males become sterile, not the lethal temperature," explained lead researcher Dr. Steven Parratt.

"Unfortunately, we do not have any way to tell which organisms are fertile up to their lethal temperature, and which will be sterilised at cooler temperatures. So, a lot of species may have a hidden vulnerability to high temperatures that has gone unnoticed. This will make conservation more difficult, as we may be overestimating how well many species will do as the planet warms."

The study was focused on 43 fruit fly species. The experts found that in nearly half of the species, male fertility was lost at temperatures that were below lethal thresholds. For example, Drosophila lummei males were found to become sterile at four degrees below their lethal limit. 
The researchers constructed a model for one of the Drosophila species using temperatures projected for 2060. The study revealed that more than half of areas with temperatures below the lethal level will still be hot enough to compromise male fertility.
"We now urgently need to understand the range of organisms likely to suffer thermal fertility losses in nature, and the traits that predict vulnerability," explained Dr. Price. "We must understand the underlying genetics and physiology, so we can predict which organisms are vulnerable, and perhaps produce breeds of livestock more robust to these challenges."

Dr. Simon Kerley is the of the Head of Terrestrial Ecosystems at the Natural Environment Research Council. He said the study turns our thinking of the role, rate, and impact of climate change on its head. 

"It really starts to shed light on the hidden and subtle impact of the changing conditions on the myriad of animals that we perhaps take for granted and have not previously considered 'at risk' from our changing climate. Importantly, it alerts us to the understanding this risk could occur sooner than we thought."

"This piece of work takes biology, at its most fundamental level, and explores it in a well-known and understood laboratory animal, but then takes that crucial extra step of relating it to the real world and the potential impact if may have on global biodiversity."

"With the COP15 and COP26 conferences taking place this year, this study serves as a timely reminder of the need to research and better understand the relationship between climate change and biodiversity loss. The Natural Environmental Research Council will continue to fund this vital research, and UKRI as a whole will work as part of the global effort to safeguard the natural environment for generations to come."

The study involved collaborators from the University of Leeds, University of Melbourne, University of Zürich, and Stockholm University and was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

The work is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Heat poses a hidden threat to male fertility in many species

Heat-induced male infertility will cause some species to fall victim...

A new study from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a> has uncovered the mating secrets of honeybee drones. The researchers used radar technology to reveal that male honeybees, also known as drones, swarm together in specific aerial locations to mate with queens.

The lifetime goal of a male honeybees is to mate with a queen bee in mid-air. These drones are believed to gather in massive groups of up to 10,000 individuals in mating congregation areas.

The tracking data showed that drones alternated between periods of straight and convoluted looping flight patterns within a single flight. Upon further investigation,  the researchers discovered that phases of looping flight were associated with four distinct aerial locations where drones congregated. Remarkably, the specific congregational sites were consistent over a two year period.

It remains a mystery how the drones find these congregation areas. Considering that their average lifespan is only around 20 days, new generations of bees could not find these areas by simply following older drones. 

"Our findings suggest drones locate congregation areas as early as their second ever flight, without apparent extensive search. This implies that they must be able to get the information required to guide them to a congregation from observing the landscape close to their hive. In the future, we will look at how they accomplish this feat," explained study co-author Professor Lars Chittka.

The researchers propose that drone congregation areas could function like 'leks,' mating systems in which large numbers of males gather solely in an attempt to mate. Lek systems are most well known in vertebrates like deer, and males typically stick with a location.

"By using harmonic radar technology to track the bees, we found that individual flight paths show a clear change of behavior from straight flight to looping flight," said study lead author Dr. Joe Woodgate. "Periods of looping flight were clustered in particular locations and repeatable over two years, confirming that stable drone congregation areas, similar to 'leks' in other species, do exist."

"We show that drones frequently visited more than one congregation area on a single flight. This is the first evidence for males of any species routinely moving between lek-like congregations and may represent a new form of lek-like mating system in honeybees."

Within these congregation areas, the experts noted some similarities between the behavior of drones and swarms of mosquitoes. 

The researchers observed that when drones are making looping flight in one congregational area - the farther they go from the center, the harder they accelerate back toward it. This creates an apparent force, drawing bees toward the center and leading to a stable, coherent swarm.

"We believe that bee-inspired robotics will play a role in improving robotics and artificial intelligence in the future," said Dr. Woodgate. "Understanding how bees select and find distant goals based on their explorations of their surroundings will be important for this."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Honeybee drones have congregational sites for mating

A new study from Queen Mary University of London has...

A new study from <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">UC Santa Cruz</a> has revealed that 33 percent of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-did-not-hold-modern-mammals-back-from-evolving/">mammal</a> species respond negatively to human presence and struggle to live alongside people. By contrast, 58 percent of mammals were found to live successfully in places with higher levels of human disturbance.

The researchers analyzed data from 3,212 camera traps to show how human activities may be shifting the makeup of mammal communities across North America.

The team was particularly interested in understanding how mammals respond to different types of human disturbance, and whether these responses are linked to traits such as body size, diet, and reproductive success. 

In previous work, the researchers observed how wildlife in the Santa Cruz Mountains respond to human disturbance. They found that species like pumas and bobcats are less likely to be active in areas where humans are present, while deer and wood rats become bolder and more active. 

The experts set out to investigate which mammals are best equipped to live alongside humans on a larger scale. They combined their local camera trap data with that of researchers throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 

Overall, the team tracked 24 species across 61 regionally diverse camera trap projects to look for trends on a continental scale.

"We've been very interested for a long time in how human disturbance influences wildlife, and we thought it would be interesting to see how wildlife in general are responding to similar anthropogenic pressures across North America," said study senior author Professor Chris Wilmers.

The findings showed that grizzly bears, lynx, wolves, and wolverines were less likely to be found in more developed areas, and were less active at these sites. Moose and martens were also less active in areas with a higher development footprint.

On the other hand, raccoons and white-tailed deer were more likely to spend time in developed areas, and were also more active in these spaces. 

Overall, mammals that were smaller, faster-reproducing, and had generalist diets were the most positively associated with human disturbance. Black bears, bighorn sheep, and wolverines were more likely to be found in areas frequented by humans, while deer, bobcats, grey foxes, pumas, and wolves were more active in these sites. 

The study results indicate that most mammals are willing to tolerate some level of human recreation in order to remain in high quality habitats. 

However, the research also shows that there is a limit to how much human disturbance animals can withstand. For example, red foxes were the only animals in the study that seemed to continue to be more active or present at medium to high levels of human disturbance.

In order to maintain suitable habitats that support diversity in mammal populations for the future, it will be important to understand the cutoff at which the costs of having humans nearby outweigh the benefits, explained the researchers.

"From a management perspective, I think the thresholds that we've started to identify are going to be really relevant," said Suraci. "This can help us get a sense of how much available habitat is actually out there for recolonizing or reintroduced species and hopefully allow us to more effectively coexist with wildlife in human-dominated landscapes."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some mammals actually benefit from human disturbance

A new study from UC Santa Cruz has revealed that...

A study published by <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us">Wiley</a> has found extremely high levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tap-water-contaminants-2/">contaminants</a> in killer whales. The researchers identified new types of flame retardants that accumulate in the tissues of killer whales near Norway and are also passed on to nursing offspring.

"The study is shedding new light on how predators in the top of the food chain are affected by environmental contaminants, which has remained largely unknown," wrote the study authors.

"Little is known of the movement or presence of unregulated, emerging contaminants in top predators. The aim of the present study was to conduct the first screening of legacy and emerging contaminants in multiple tissues of killer whales from Norway and investigate tissue partitioning and maternal transfer." 

"Blubber was collected from 8 killer whales in 2015 to 2017, in addition to muscle from 5 of the individuals, and kidney, liver, heart, and spleen from a neonate."

In addition to flame retardants, the experts detected man-made chemicals called perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the tissues of adult killer whales. This chemical has been linked to reproductive and endocrine effects in wildlife. 

The researchers also found polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the blubber of 7 of the 8 killer whales in the study. PCBS were detected at levels that exceeded the proposed threshold for toxicological effects in marine mammals. The manufacturing of PCBs was banned in 1979.

"Top predators such as the killer whale (Orcinus orca) are considered sentinel species for marine ecosystem health, and many killer whale populations have been evaluated as being at risk from the harmful effects of legacy POPs, such as PCBs," wrote the study authors. 

"Levels of pollutants in top predators give not only an indication of ecosystem health, but of the persistence of chemicals, passive mobility in the environment, and active biotransport with migrating animals."

"Our results are relevant for the continued environmental monitoring of contaminants in the Arctic."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15528618">Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Killer whales are accumulating high levels of contaminants

A study published by Wiley has found extremely high levels...

Common swifts <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fruit-flies-can-travel-six-million-times-their-body-length/">travel</a> more than 350 miles on an average day and have the capacity to travel even farther, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>. The researchers recorded a maximum distance of more than 500 miles per day over nine days.

"We have discovered that common swifts breeding in the most northern part of the European breeding range perform the fastest migrations of swifts recorded so far, reaching above the predictions," said Susanne Åkesson of Lund University in Sweden. 

When they are not breeding, common swifts stay in the air most of the time up to 10 months of the year. Prior to this study, scientists estimated that the birds travel an average of about 500 kilometers, or 310 miles, per day. The new research suggests that this is a conservative estimate.

"The swifts seem to achieve these high speeds over substantial distances - on average about 8,000 kilometers one way - in spring by using a mixed migration strategy, with fueling at stopover and a fly-and-forage strategy, meaning they feed and fuel a bit each day."

The researchers used miniature tracking devices to monitor adult breeding swifts from one of the most northern breeding locations in Europe. The team was able to recover many of the tracking devices after one migration season. 

The tracking data confirmed that northern breeding swifts reach exceptionally high migration speeds. But the researchers did not expect to find that the birds could travel at the rates that were recorded. 

Swifts manage to travel quickly by using a fly-and-forage strategy, which works for species that can easily find food along their journey, such as flying insects. 

"The strategy will substantially reduce the cost of transport since they do not need to carry so much fuel, which will increase the realized speed of migration," explained Åkesson.

According to the researchers, the swifts also have another trick - they seem to time their departures for migration so that they coincide with favorable winds. 

"This means they do not react directly to local winds but to what they expect to find along the route ahead during the next few days."

While it is not yet clear how the swifts can forecast the wind and make decisions based on it, Åkesson suggests that they may rely on air pressure associated with passing weather systems. The wind strategy helps the swifts gain an extra 20 percent of support from tailwinds in the spring compared to the fall. 

"The airspeed of common swifts is not exceptional (about 10 meters/second) as compared to other bird migrants," said Åkesson. "But these strategic adaptations contribute to the high overall migration speeds."

"In addition, their selective use of tailwinds promotes even higher migration speeds, which may explain how they reach above the predicted maximum speed during spring migration."

The experts noted that pesticide use may pose a threat to swifts, considering their reliance on insects. Climate change and shifting weather patterns may also have unknown effects on the birds. 

Åkesson said her team will continue to study swifts in different parts of the world. The researchers hope to learn more about the physiological adaptations that support the swifts' highly mobile lifestyle.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Common swifts are even faster than previously realized

Common swifts travel more than 350 miles on an average...

Scientists have discovered a new type of coronavirus in human patients hospitalized with pneumonia that originated in dogs. If confirmed as a pathogen, this may be the eighth unique coronavirus known to cause disease in humans.

According to a report from <a href="https://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a>, the researchers tested nasal swab samples taken from 301 pneumonia patients at a hospital in the east Malaysian state of Sarawak. Eight of the samples came back positive for a canine coronavirus.

Genetic testing showed that the new virus, known as CCoV-HuPn-2018, shares characteristics with other coronaviruses known to have infected cats and pigs. However, the strain was found to be mostly similar to one that is known to have infected dogs.

The experts report that the coronavirus also contained a genetic deletion, or mutation, that was not found in any known canine coronaviruses but was present in human strains such as SARS-COV and SARS-COV-2. The source of SARS-COV-2, which causes COVID-19, has not yet been identified.

While the findings indicate that the virus likely jumped from animals to humans, and did so recently, the researchers stress that more studies are needed to determine whether it can be transmitted between people.

“At this point, we don’t see any reasons to expect another pandemic from this virus, but I can’t say that’s never going to be a concern in the future,” said Professor Anastasia Vlasova of The Ohio State University.

She conducted the study with Professor Gregory C. Gray at the Duke University School of Medicine, and Professor Teck-Hock Toh of SEGi University in Sarawak, Malaysia.

The study authors emphasize that it is unclear whether the virus can make people sick, noting that it is possible it was merely "carried" in the patient's airways without causing disease.

“We don’t really have evidence right now that this virus can cause severe illness in adults,” said Professor Vlasova, who noted that only one person in the study found to have been infected with the new coronavirus was an adult. 

“I cannot rule out the possibility that at some point this new coronavirus will become a prevalent human pathogen. Once a coronavirus is able to infect a human, all bets are off.”

“If you had mentioned this 20 years ago, that a virus that affects dogs could change to be able to infect people, many would have been skeptical." 

Professor Vlasova added that even though this new coronavirus comes from a dog, it may not be necessary for people to change how they interact with their dogs in light of this study.

“We are likely missing important animal viruses that are beginning to adapt to humans,” said Professor Gray. 

“We need to conduct such virus discovery work among people with pneumonia and also among people who have intense exposure to animals so that we get early warning of a new virus which may become a future pandemic virus.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid">Clinical Infectious Diseases</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New coronavirus identified that has originated in dogs

Scientists have discovered a new type of coronavirus in human...

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>.

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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

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>.

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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

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>.

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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

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...

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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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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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