Sharks have survived for hundreds of millions of years. They outlived the dinosaurs, Ice Ages, and major climate shifts. Yet today, they are disappearing rapidly - not because of nature, but because of us.



Since the 1970s, their global numbers have fallen by more than 70 percent. The causes are not mysterious: overfishing, finning, bycatch, and growing demand for shark meat. 



The International Union for Conservation of Nature (<a href="https://iucn.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IUCN</a>) now lists nearly 40 percent of shark species as threatened. Laws and trade bans set rules, but sellers still put sharks on the market.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shark-meat-trade-uncovered">Shark meat trade uncovered</h2>



A team at the <a href="https://www.unc.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> decided to check what is actually on sale in the United States. 



They bought shark products from grocery stores, seafood markets, and online shops. Using DNA barcoding, they tested the species. The results were shocking.



“We found critically endangered sharks, including great hammerhead and scalloped hammerhead, being sold in grocery stores, seafood markets, and online," said study co-author Dr. Savannah Ryburn.



"Of the 29 samples, 93 percent were ambiguously labeled as ‘shark,’ and one of the two products labeled at the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-white-sharks-survived-the-ice-age-but-it-changed-them-forever/">species</a> level was mislabeled,” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-misleading-labels-everywhere">Misleading labels everywhere</h2>



Most of the products carried only the word “shark.” Sellers even mislabeled some as safer species. Out of 30 samples, just one had a correct and clear label.



The rest included a mix of 11 species, three of which were critically endangered. Nearly a third came from species already at serious risk of extinction.



This problem isn’t limited to the United States. Around the world, shark meat appears under names like “cazón” in Brazil, “flake” in Australia, and “rock salmon” in the UK. In Peru, most people eating “tollo” did not even know it was shark.



These vague labels hide what consumers are really buying and make it almost impossible to track trade in threatened species. 



Sellers put <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/endangered-sharks-study-reveals-hidden-crisis-of-overfishing/">endangered sharks</a> in plain sight, deny scientists the ability to track catches, and prevent buyers from making safe, informed choices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meat-sold-at-low-prices">Meat sold at low prices</h2>



Researchers also pointed to the price. Endangered sharks were selling for less than $5 a pound in U.S. grocery stores.



By comparison, red snapper sold for $27 a pound. The numbers show how little the market values these predators, even though they play a critical role in ocean ecosystems.



“The legality of selling shark meat in the United States depends largely on where the shark was harvested and which species are involved, under regulations from CITES and the Endangered Species Act,” Ryburn explained.



“However, by the time large shark species reach grocery stores and markets, they are often sold as fillets with all distinguishing features removed, making it unlikely that sellers know what species they are offering.”



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/endangered-shark-meat_false-labels_Frontiers_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/endangered-shark-meat_false-labels_Frontiers_1s.webp" alt="Photos exemplifying how some of the samples were labeled and displayed when purchased. (A) Dusky smooth-hound sold whole, missing the head, labeled as “shark” in English and Chinese at an Asian grocery store in Orlando, FL. (B) Shortfin mako shark sold as jerky and purchased online from the Newport Jerky Company in Rhode Island labeled as “mako shark jerky”. (C) Common thresher shark sold as “fresh shark [steak]” at an Asian grocery store in Duluth, GA. The label also included “wild caught/USA”. (D) Blacktip shark labeled as “wild blacktip shark, fresh never frozen” from a Publix grocery store in Cary, NC. The label also included that it was a “product of Florida” and that it was “responsibly sourced”. Credit: Frontiers in Marine Science" class="wp-image-1985976"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photos exemplifying how some of the samples were labeled and displayed when purchased. (A) Dusky smooth-hound sold whole, missing the head, labeled as “shark” in English and Chinese at an Asian grocery store in Orlando, FL. (B) Shortfin mako shark sold as jerky and purchased online from the Newport Jerky Company in Rhode Island labeled as “mako shark jerky”. (C) Common thresher shark sold as “fresh shark [steak]” at an Asian grocery store in Duluth, GA. The label also included “wild caught/USA”. (D) Blacktip shark labeled as “wild blacktip shark, fresh never frozen” from a Publix grocery store in Cary, NC. The label also included that it was a “product of Florida” and that it was “responsibly sourced”. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Frontiers in Marine Science</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eating-shark-meat-is-dangerous">Eating shark meat is dangerous</h2>



This issue isn’t only about conservation. Sharks such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-some-great-hammerhead-sharks-rarely-leave-home/">hammerheads</a> and makos carry high levels of mercury and arsenic in their tissues. These metals damage the nervous system, harm unborn children, and increase cancer risks.



Mislabeled products strip consumers of their ability to make safe choices and put families at risk without their knowledge.



The danger grows because heavy metals accumulate over time, meaning even small, repeated servings of shark meat can cause long-term health effects that no label warns about.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clear-labels-protect-sharks">Clear labels protect sharks</h2>



The United States still allows “shark” as a generic market name. In contrast, the European Union requires far more detail, including the scientific name and catch area. 



Without clear <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dont-say-vegan-food-labeling-should-focus-on-health-and-sustainability/">labeling</a>, the public cannot know whether their dinner is harmless dogfish or a critically endangered hammerhead.



“Sellers in the United States should be required to provide species-specific names," Ryburn said. "And when shark meat is not a food security necessity, consumers should avoid purchasing products that lack species-level labeling or traceable sourcing."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shark-extinction-risks-ocean-collapse">Shark extinction risks ocean collapse</h2>



Sharks have been around for half a billion years. If we continue to treat them as cheap, nameless meat, we may be the generation that sees them vanish. Their loss would not be just another statistic on the list of endangered species.



It would mean oceans without their top predators, seas where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-are-quickly-losing-ability-to-support-fish-due-to-plankton-loss/">fish populations</a> explode or collapse without balance, and ecosystems that unravel in ways we cannot easily repair. Communities that depend on healthy oceans for food and livelihoods would also suffer.



Sharks have shaped marine life for millions of years, and their future now depends on the choices we make today.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1604454/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.



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How endangered shark meat ends up on grocery shelves despite global bans

Sharks have survived for hundreds of millions of years. They outlived the dinosaurs, Ice Ages, and major climate shifts. Yet today, they are disappearing rapidly - not because of nature, but because of us. Since the 1970s, their global numbers have fallen by more than 70 percent. The causes are not mysterious: overfishing, finning, bycatch, and growing demand for shark meat. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) now lists nearly 40 percent of shark species as threatened. Laws and trade bans set rules, but sellers...

The Hell Creek Formation, a rock unit stretching across Montana, the Dakotas, and Wyoming, holds some of prehistory’s most enduring icons. Triceratops, duck billed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-were-already-in-trouble-before-extinction/">dinosaurs</a>, and Tyrannosaurus rex all roamed this region 66 million years ago. Now arid and dry, it was once a lush subtropical swampland, where some of the last dinosaurs lived out their days before the group’s extinction at the end of the Cretaceous.&nbsp;



Uncovering the diversity and ecology of Hell Creek attracts researchers near and far. This year, the <a href="https://www.burkemuseum.org/">UW Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture</a> has unearthed four dinosaur specimens, concluding a successful field season.&nbsp;



The four animals include an unidentified ostrich-like dinosaur, the shovel-billed Edmontosaurus, the three-horned Triceratops, and a possibly-new species of oviraptorid - a critter that would have somewhat resembled a modern cassowary, except with giant hand claws. While none of the specimens are complete, their discovery helps build a more complete picture of the Hell Creek ecosystem. To a paleontologist, every fossil holds potential research value.&nbsp;



The Triceratops earned the nickname “Flyby Trike,” as its bones were discovered by a nearby rancher who was flying his plane at the time. Though only thirty percent of the skull has been recovered, Flyby Trike can help researchers understand the life history of this charismatic fossil species. Dubbed a “grandparent trike” by lab manager Kelsi Abrams, it shows how this animal matured and entered senescence.&nbsp;



“The triangular bones along the frill, called ‘epi occipitals,’ are completely fused and almost unrecognizable on the specimen, as compared to the sharp, noticeable triangular shape seen in younger individuals," said Abrams. "In addition, the brow horn curves downwards as opposed to upwards, and this feature has been reported to be seen in older animals as well.”&nbsp;



Plant remains found among these larger vertebrates are also useful to scientists. “Plant fossil remains from this time period are crucial for our understanding of the wider ecosystem. Not only can plant material tell us what these dinosaurs were perhaps eating, but plants can more broadly tell us what their environment looked like,” said Paige Wilson, a UW graduate student.&nbsp;



“Each fossil that we collect helps us sharpen our views of the last dinosaur-dominated ecosystems and the first mammal-dominated ecosystems," said Gregory Wilson Mantilla, a Burke Museum curator.



The Hell Creek lies right below the K/Pg boundary, the demarcation between the extinction that heralded the end of the age of dinosaurs and the beginning of the age of mammals.



For now, these new finds are undergoing the laborious process of fossil preparation at the Burke Museum. As each scrap of dirt and rock falls off the bone, new data is waiting for paleontologists, both present and future, to examine.



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By <a href="mailto:rugerpaleo@gmail.com">Alex Ruger</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Four new dinosaur specimens found at the Hell Creek Formation

The Hell Creek Formation, a rock unit stretching across Montana,...

Cooperative breeding in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cyclones-are-killing-thousands-of-seabirds-each-year/">birds</a> has long fascinated evolutionary scientists. This reproductive strategy involves a single breeding pair that lay eggs and are then assisted in chick rearing by a number of helpers. The helpers forgo the opportunity to reproduce in favor of helping raise their siblings.&nbsp;



A recent study of white-browed sparrow weavers in the Kalahari Desert casts new light on the possible evolutionary origins of this apparently selfless behavior. White-browed sparrow weavers occur in the semi-arid regions of southern Africa where rainfall is unpredictable. They form family groups of up to 12 individuals and each group builds a number of scruffy nests in a single tree. One nest will be used by the breeding pair while the other nests are used by the “helpers” for roosting. 



The research is based on 12 years of field work conducted in the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve by scientists from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. The findings show that families with larger numbers of helpers manage to raise more chicks than families with fewer helpers, but only during dry conditions when rainfall is poor. During wet conditions, families with more helpers actually fare worse in terms of reproductive success.&nbsp;



This means that cooperative breeding does not improve overall reproductive success but may protect birds from total reproductive failure when weather conditions are more severe. "We were really surprised – our findings suggest that the birds co-operate to cope with the unpredictability of their environment," said&nbsp;<a href="https://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/staff/profile/index.php?web_id=andrew_young">Dr Andrew Young</a>, of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/cornwall/research/facilitiesandcentres/cec/">Centre for Ecology and Conservation</a>&nbsp;on Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.



"This is an exciting discovery, because other studies have found that cooperative behaviour among birds is associated with unpredictable environments worldwide, especially those with variable rainfall.”



For most animal species, genes are passed on to future generations through reproduction. However, in cases where some individuals do not breed but help to raise the offspring of relatives, they may still be passing on a significant proportion of their own genes.&nbsp;



In white-browed sparrow weaver families, the helpers are offspring of the breeding pair, which means that they are improving the survival rate of their younger siblings. On average, animals share 50 percent of their genes with their siblings, just as a parent shares 50 percent of its genes with an offspring. Therefore, by helping siblings to survive, white-browed sparrow weaver helpers are also ensuring that copies of their genes are passed on. This process is known as “kin selection.”



Since the presence of helpers in white-browed sparrow weaver families does not increase the overall reproductive success of the breeding pair, however, cooperative breeding in this species cannot be explained simply by classical evolutionary theory. Instead, it appears that co-operation helps the birds to cope with the unpredictability of their environment. 



"Bet-hedging strategies like this are all about reducing the risk of total failure when you can’t predict what is going to happen,” explained <a href="https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/bahcm/staff/pablocapillalasheras/">Dr. Pablo Capilla-Lasheras</a>. "Our findings suggest that co-operation may serve that purpose – it allows sparrow weaver families to enjoy some breeding success whatever rainfall conditions they experience."



Interestingly, it was the number of female helpers that correlated in particular with enhanced reproductive success during dry conditions. Females, rather than males, were the ones that fed the chicks most often. "It is specifically the number of female helpers that affects a family’s ability to cope with unpredictable rainfall conditions; the number of male helpers is less important," Dr Young said.



"This observation allows us to be more confident that having more helpers – rather than simply living in bigger groups – is the cause of the effects we witnessed."



The authors conclude that, as global climate change leads to more unpredictable and extreme weather patterns in the future, species with co-operative breeding systems may be better placed to cope.&nbsp;



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



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cooperative breeding protects desert birds from reproductive failure

Cooperative breeding in birds has long fascinated evolutionary scientists. This...

The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is an extremely common research animal for biologists. Thus, it may not be much of a surprise that scientists know a lot about the humble little worm’s sensory abilities. Shawn Xu’s research lab has been working with C. elegans for years and found some interesting things.&nbsp;



The worm was discovered to react to light, without eyes. Now, in a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>, the scientists have established that the worm can hear without ears.&nbsp;



"There was just one more primary sense missing - auditory sensation, or hearing," said Xu. "But hearing is unlike other senses, which are found widely across other animal phyla. It's really only been discovered in vertebrates and some arthropods. And the vast majority of invertebrate species are thus believed to be sound insensitive."



The researchers showed that when a noise was played for the worms, the little creatures moved away from it, showing that they could hear and discern where the sound was coming from. The research has important implications in our understanding of other animals.



"Our study shows that we cannot just assume that organisms that lack ears cannot sense sound," said Xu.



After the researchers confirmed that the worms were responding to air borne sounds, not vibrations in the substrate they were resting on, they discovered hearing neurons attached to the worms’ skin. This points to the difference in how these worms hear compared to both vertebrates and arthropods, suggesting that each evolved the sense of hearing separately.&nbsp;



"Based on these differences, which exist down to the molecular level, we believe the sense of hearing has probably evolved independently, multiple times across different animal phyla," said Xu. "We knew that hearing looks very different between vertebrates and arthropods."



"Now, with C. elegans, we have found yet another different pathway for this sensory function, indicating convergent evolution. This stands in sharp contrast to the evolution of vision, which, as proposed by Charles Darwin, occurred quite early and probably only once with a common ancestor."



As exciting as this discovery is, Xu expects that it will lead to more research and more interesting conclusions about sensory biology.&nbsp;



"This opens a whole new field for studying auditory sensation, and mechanosensation as a whole. With this new addition of auditory sensation, we have now fully established that all primary senses are found in C. elegans, making them an exceptional model system for studying sensory biology."



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

Worms without ears can hear through their skin

The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is an extremely common research animal...

A recent assessment of the extinction risks of Australian shark and ray species has found that, without urgent action, 39 out of the country’s 328 species are at risk of extinction. The <a href="https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/system/files/Shark_Action_Plan_FINAL_Aug30_2021_WEB_RGB.pdf">Action Plan for Australian Sharks and Rays</a> provides not only a benchmark from which changes in population and extinction risk can be measured, but also guidelines for their conservation.



Australia is home to over a quarter of the world’s shark species, out of which 12 percent face the risk of extinction. “While Australia's risk is considerably lower than the global level of 37 percent, it does raise concern for the 39 Australian species assessed as having an elevated risk of extinction,” said study lead author Peter Kyne.&nbsp;



According to Kyne and his colleagues, for iconic species such as the Great White Shark or the Grey Nurse Shark, there are “positive signs” that protection and management measures are working, although they still remain threatened. In the case of other species, however, there is currently not enough effort being made to save them.



“Around Australia, many of our threatened sharks and rays are not commercially important so these are largely 'out of sight, out of mind', but they require protection at national, state and territory levels,” explained Kyne.&nbsp;



However, the report indicates that 80 percent of the Australian shark species are not threatened. “In Australia, comprehensive fisheries management along with vast areas that are unfished or lightly fished and the marine protected area network have helped secure the status of many species,” said study co-author Michelle Heupel.



Moreover, Australia is also a refuge for 45 species that are threatened in other parts of the globe, including the Giant Guitarfish or the Spotted Eagle Ray. “But while we should celebrate the secure status of many species, we urgently need to increase our research and management efforts for Australia's threatened sharks and rays,” concluded Kyne.



The study was funded and published by the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program <a href="https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/">Marine Biodiversity Hub</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Many Australian sharks and rays face extinction

A recent assessment of the extinction risks of Australian shark...

Hoverflies migrate south based on a combination of the sun and their body clock, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. The experts report that the insects keep the sun on their left in the morning, then gradually adjust to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-magnetic-field-navigate/">navigate</a> in the right direction. 



Pied and yellow-clubbed hoverflies are important pollinators that spend their summers in places like the UK and Scandinavia, and then fly to the Mediterranean and North Africa in the fall.



While it was known that the hoverflies migrate on sunny days, the new study is the first to show that the hoverflies use a "time-compensated sun compass."



"Simply flying towards the sun would lead them south, but this would create a winding, inefficient route," said study lead author Richard Massy of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.



"Our study shows that hoverflies account for the sun's movement using their circadian rhythm. Other animals, including certain birds and butterflies, are known to have this ability. Our work suggests that it has independently evolved across multiple insects."



For the investigation, the researchers captured migrating hoverflies at a mountain pass in the Pyrenees. The insects were placed in a type of flight simulator that confined them to one place but allowed them to freely move their bodies.



The hoverflies were positioned so that they could see the sun but not the ground, which prevented them from using landmarks for navigation. The study revealed that the flies adjust their migration route based on the position of the sun.



"Understanding how these insects navigate can help us predict their movements," said Dr. Karl Wotton. "This could be useful for conservation measures, such as limiting the use of pesticides at key migration times."



"Hoverflies are also important predators of crop pests such as aphids, so understanding their migrations could help us use them as natural pest controllers."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological 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

Hoverflies navigate by aligning their bodies with the sun

Hoverflies migrate south based on a combination of the sun...

Over 80 human languages employ whistling to communicate over long distances. The whistling form of languages often develops in cultures based in rugged terrain such as mountains or thick forests. In these places, whistles carry further than speech or even shouting, which makes this an effective way for people to communicate over distances.&nbsp;



In fact, whistle forms of languages are usually understood quite well by those familiar with them. For instance, the whistle form of Turkish can be understood 90 percent of the time. Scientists see parallels between whistling in the human language and bottlenose dolphin communication.&nbsp;



Dolphins and humans clearly communicate differently. However, some of the ways people use whistling may provide insight into how dolphins convey information with their whistles. Sonograms that capture an image based on sound are not broken into parts by silences between words.&nbsp;



“By contrast, scientists trying to decode the whistled communication of dolphins and other whistling species often categorize whistles based on the silent intervals between whistles," noted Dr. Diana Reiss, a psychology professor focusing on dolphins and other cetaceans.



This means that scientists may have to reconsider how they look at dolphin communication. A better approach might be to use a sonogram to look at dolphin communications, comparing it to what sonograms reveal about human communications.&nbsp;



In order to use human language to decode dolphin whistles, the researchers plan on creating a database. “On these data, for example, we will develop new algorithms and test some hypotheses about combinatorial structure," explained study lead author Dr. Julien Myer.



There is also the possibility of using AI algorithms to decipher the dolphin language, but further research is needed.



"One of the most striking aspects of this whistled transformation of words is that it remains intelligible to trained speakers, despite a reduced acoustic channel to convey meaning," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"It constitutes a natural traditional means of telecommunication that permits spoken communication at long distances in a large diversity of languages of the world."&nbsp;



"Historically, birdsong has been used as a model for vocal learning and language. But conversely, human whistled languages can serve as a model for elucidating how information may be encoded in dolphin whistle communication."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology">Frontiers in Psychology</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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

Human whistling may decode dolphin language

Over 80 human languages employ whistling to communicate over long...

Elephants form close-knit matrilineal family groups traditionally contain genetically related siblings. Interactions between siblings in these groups, as in most mammalian families, may come with costs and benefits. The costs usually relate to competition between siblings for limited parental resources, while the benefits include sharing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reef-food-webs-threatened-by-the-loss-of-picky-eaters/">food</a>, increased protection, and enhanced growth and survival rates through the assistance of sibling helpers.&nbsp;



In elephant families, sibling relationships are complex and have not been studied intensively, partly due to the fact that elephants live for many decades and are not easy to follow in their natural surroundings. In a study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, researchers from Finland, the UK and Myanmar report that Asian elephant calves in semi-captive conditions benefit from having older siblings, especially when those siblings are female.&nbsp;



The study was based on data collected from a herd of government-owned timber elephants in Myanmar. These elephants work during the day as riding, transport and draft animals but are left unsupervised in the forests during the night. There they select their own forage and can interact and mate “Because the elephants live in their natural habitats, there are many similarities to wild elephants, such as natural foraging and no assistance in breeding," said study co-author Dr. Mirkka Lahdenperä researcher at the <a href="https://www.utu.fi/en">University of Turku</a>. "While there are differences – in the wild, family groups are probably bigger – there are more similarities than differences and we could assume that some of the associations found in our study would also hold true for wild elephants. But of course, these should be studied.”



The elephants belong to the Myanmar Timber Enterprise, which keeps detailed records of all aspects of their life histories. The records include data on the reproduction, body mass and longevity of 2,344 Asian elephant calves born between 1945 and 2018. This information was used by the researchers to assess the impacts that older siblings of both sexes have on the body mass, reproductive rate and survival of subsequent calves.&nbsp;



The findings confirm that, compared with having no older sibling, the presence of an older sibling of either sex increases a calf’s long-term survival rate. In addition, sibling effects were observed for calf body mass (which was higher) and for female calf age at first reproduction (which was earlier) in calves with older siblings. Interestingly, older sisters had a more pronounced effect on calf life history than older brothers.&nbsp;



Female elephants raised with older sisters survived for longer and reproduced for the first time an average of two years earlier, than did those who were raised with older brothers. Male elephants raised with older sisters, however, had higher body weights but lower survival rates than those raised with older brothers. The authors explain this unexpected effect as the result of a ‘live-fast, die young’ strategy that proposes that young male calves with increased body mass may be involved in more conflict later in life and that this may come with survival costs.



“Our research confirms that sibling relationships shape individual lives, particularly in social species, such as the elephants, where cooperative behaviors are essential to the development, survival and reproductive potential of individuals," explained study lead author Dr. Vérane Berger.



Since the study made use of correlational analysis, the influence of other, external factors, such as the quality of maternal care, maternal body condition and elephant workload, cannot be evaluated. The researchers hope to collect more data in future so that sibling effects on calf life history can be separated from maternal effects.&nbsp;



“By collecting more information on the body mass of mothers at birth, we hope to disentangle maternal effects from sibling effects," said Dr Berger. "More data will also let us explore the effects of the environment on sibling relationships and go into more detail on the effects siblings have on specific aspects of a younger calf’s health, such as immunity, muscular function and hormonal variations.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

For Asian elephant calves, big sisters are better than big brothers

Elephants form close-knit matrilineal family groups traditionally contain genetically related...

Coral reefs are threatened by the loss of picky-eating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-vampire-fish-that-doesnt-suck-blood/">fish</a> species, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">UT Austin</a>. The experts report that coral reef food webs are more delicate than what was previously realized.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed the stomach contents of most fish species found on six coral reef systems all over the world. The study revealed that reef fish networks are remarkably similar, and that the predators in these food webs are picky eaters.&nbsp;



The study showed that the vast majority of reef fish species are very particular when it comes to what they eat, and do not simply eat what they can find.&nbsp;



The findings also suggest that reef communities could tolerate the loss of several prey species, but the loss of a single predator fish species could potentially cause the ecosystem to collapse.&nbsp;



“It’s remarkable that we see similar patterns in coral reef systems all over the world. Extinctions, particularly of larger fish species, may have significant impacts for coral reef systems,” said study co-author Professor Jordan Casey.



Fish species are threatened with extinction locally as a result of many stressors, including climate change, pollution, and overfishing. As the number of large fish decline, an increasing number of their prey will survive uneaten, which creates an imbalance in the food web.&nbsp;



“Reefs rely on the efficient utilization of all creatures,” explained study co-author Professor Simon Brandl. “If a fish specializes on eating a certain type of snail and that fish disappears, the snail might not be eaten and live happily ever after. This creates a dead end for the food it could provide to other coral reef creatures. Good news for the snail. Bad news for everything else living there.”



The researchers examined the feeding habits of more than 600 species of reef fish near Okinawa, Hawaii, the West Indies, New Caledonia, Madagascar and the Marshall Islands. The food webs had a strikingly similar structure in which 67 percent of species were specialized feeders with strong preferences for specific prey - despite an incredibly diverse selection of prey available.



“Coral reefs are important to humans for a number of reasons,” said Casey. “They are a critical source of food for many people. They are also popular tourist destinations and economic engines for a number of countries. However, coral reefs can only provide these key ecosystem services if food webs remain intact.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</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

Coral reef food webs threatened by the loss of picky eaters

Coral reefs are threatened by the loss of picky-eating fish...

Dogs have been important to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/indigenous-people-demonstrate-the-value-of-controlled-fire/">indigenous</a> people in Arctic Siberia for thousands of years. In addition to being a source of food, Siberian dogs have been used to pull sleds, herd reindeer and hunt.



Although Arctic dogs evolved in isolation up until about 7,000 years ago, they were subsequently bred with dogs imported from other regions and this has given rise the modern breeds of Siberian dogs, such as the samoyed.



In a recent research project, the genomes of 49 dogs from sites in Siberia and Eurasia were analyzed and compared by a team of international scientists led by paleogeneticist Laurent Frantz from the <a href="https://www.lmu.de/en/">Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich</a>. The samples dated from between 60 and 11,000 years ago.&nbsp;



In particular, four of the dogs originated from an archaeological site known as Ust’-Polui, on the Yamal Peninsula in northwestern Siberia. Russian and Canadian archeologists had previously uncovered the remains of more than 100 dogs at this site, dating back to about 2,000 years.



The results of the DNA analysis showed evidence that dogs were imported from Eurasia into Arctic Siberia by at least 2,000 years ago.&nbsp;



"Whereas Arctic dogs evolved in isolation prior to at least 7,000 years ago, genomic DNA isolated from Siberian dogs dated to between the Iron Age and medieval times shows that there were increasing portions of genetic material derived from dogs from the Eurasian steppes, as well as Europe," said study lead author Dr. Tatiana Feuerborn of the University of Copenhagen.



Archaeological finds from the site at Ust’-Polui had shown that people in the region were already using long-range trade routes for commercial purposes 2,000 years ago. Some of the artefacts discovered there included glass beads and metal objects that could only have been manufactured in far afield areas such as the steppe zone, the Black Sea region or the Near East. The earliest evidence of reindeer domestication has also been found at this important site.&nbsp;



It is clear from the genetic evidence that dogs were also traded during this time. The percentage of non-Siberian ancestry among dogs on the Yamal peninsula increased significantly during this time, indicating the early importation of dogs from distant locations.



“Dogs were potentially valuable possessions, and they were bought and sold,” said Frantz. “The first dogs domesticated in the Arctic served primarily as sledding dogs, but when Siberian populations turned to pastoralism, they may well have required dogs that had other useful behavioral traits, which were better suited for reindeer herding."&nbsp;



"The mixing of Arctic dogs with other populations potentially led to the establishment of dog lineages that were both suited to herding and also adapted to the harsh climatic conditions.”



Interestingly, human genomes in Arctic Siberia remained very stable over this stretch of time, with little indication of genetic input from non-Arctic populations.



The cross-breeding and artificial selection of Arctic dogs for desirable traits eventually led to the development of modern canine breeds such as the samoyed. “A large fraction of the samoyed genome can be traced back to ancestral Arctic bloodlines, but it also shows far more Western influence than the husky, for instance," said Frantz.



Because samoyed bloodlines tend to be kept pure and hybridization with other breeds is rare, these dogs have remained largely unchanged since the Middle Ages.&nbsp; This is in contrast with most other modern dogs of the 19th and 20th centuries, that have arisen from the specific mixing of breeds to produce dogs that have useful characteristics.&nbsp;



The results of this study are published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> (PNAS).



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Siberian dogs were shaped by long-distance trade routes

Dogs have been important to indigenous people in Arctic Siberia...

In their search to understand what makes a good wildlife <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/three-important-reef-building-coral-habitats-are-vanishing/">habitat</a>, conservation specialists from <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/928709">Michigan State University</a> (MSU) surprisingly found that optimal conditions are not necessarily the best. They discovered that maximum gene flow in giant panda populations occurred not when the entire area in which they lived was habitable, but when only about 80 percent of it was.



According to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15231739">Conservation Biology</a>, animals should be happy enough to thrive in their habitat, but not so content that they will give up moving around in search of new mates. Being too happy within a habitat and thus unwilling to leave it increases the chances of inbreeding and thus cause a significant loss of genetic diversity.



In our contemporary world, many things can cause habitat disruptions, including humans building new roads and houses, wildfires burning forests, or climate change causing unsuitable temperature and precipitation patterns. In the past decades, scientists all over the globe have worried that habitat loss and fragmentation can be extremely damaging for animal populations.



However, by showing that ecological sustainability is not necessarily correlated with perfect habitat conditions, this new study offers a glimmer of hope for conservation experts.&nbsp;



“As opposed to the potential interpretation of our results that maximizing the amount of habitat in a landscape can be bad for connectivity, I think that our research suggests a message of hope,” explained lead study author Thomas Connor, a postdoctoral fellow at the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkley</a>.&nbsp;



“We can effectively manage panda populations by conserving and restoring habitat to intermediate levels. In other words, we don’t have to create perfect habitat to keep protecting pandas.”&nbsp;



According to the researchers, the fact that very picky animals such as pandas – with their singular reliance on bamboo as a source of nourishment, a preference for cool temperatures and shallow slopes, and their shyness that drives them away from humans – can thrive in less-than-perfect habitats, makes this study highly relevant for other species too.



“This work provides hope to balance needs for ecological sustainability and human well-being,” concluded study co-author Jianguo “Jack” Liu, Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability at MSU. “Our results show it is possible for both pandas and humans to thrive across coupled human and natural systems.”&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pandas can thrive in less-than-perfect environments

In their search to understand what makes a good wildlife...

In 2006, New Zealand school children in the Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club were out looking for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-reveal-that-monkeys-were-in-asia-6-4-million-years-ago/">fossils</a> in Kawhia Harbour, a natural inlet in the Waikato region. Led by the club’s fossil expert, Chris Templer, they discovered the bones of a giant. extinct penguin.&nbsp;



In a paper published in the <a href="https://vertpaleo.org/journal-of-vertebrate-paleontology/">Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology</a>, scientists have now confirmed that what the children found was a new species that has been named Kairuku waewaeroa. The penguin was given a Māori scientific name, rather than Latin or Greek.&nbsp;



In 2017, the junior naturalists donated the penguin fossil to the Waikato museum. Recently,&nbsp; American researchers visited the museum to examine the specimen and make 3-D scans.&nbsp;



The scans allowed the Junior Naturalist Club to have their own replica of the fossil. The examination of the specimen confirmed that it is a new species to science.&nbsp;



Dr. Daniel Thomas, a researcher at Massey University, estimated the age of the fossil from 27.3 to 34.6 million years old, a time when Waikato was under water.&nbsp;



"The penguin is similar to the Kairuku giant penguins first described from Otago but has much longer legs, which the researchers used to name the penguin waewaeroa – Te reo Māori for ‘long legs,'" explained Dr. Thomas.&nbsp;



"These longer legs would have made the penguin much taller than other Kairuku while it was walking on land, perhaps around 1.4 metres tall, and may have influenced how fast it could swim or how deep it could dive."



"It’s been a real privilege to contribute to the story of this incredible penguin. We know how important this fossil is to so many people,”



For many of the children and adults who helped collect the penguin fossil, it’s a once in a lifetime experience. Taly Matthews is a long-time member of the Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club who now works for the Department of Conservation in Taranaki.



"Finding any fossil is pretty exciting when you think about how much time has passed while this animal remained hidden away, encased in rock. Finding a giant penguin fossil though is on another level," said Matthews. "As more giant penguin fossils are discovered we get to fill in more gaps in the story. It’s very exciting."



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

Children discover a new species of giant penguins

In 2006, New Zealand school children in the Hamilton Junior...

New research led by the <a href="https://snm.ku.dk/english/">Natural History Museum</a> in Denmark has found that beaked whales have five finger-like appendages hidden in their flippers. Scientists claim that these bones are a leftover trait from one of the whales’ ancient ancestors, which was a land <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-explain-longevity-in-mammals/">mammal</a> living approximately 50 million years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Dr. Mark D. Scherz, an assistant professor of Vertebrate Zoology at the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> and the curator of Herpetology at the Natural History Museum, dissected a beaked whale that washed ashore and pulled away the flesh from its flipper to reveal the bizarre finger-like appendages.



“Flippers have evolved repeatedly in various lineages of mammals and reptiles, each time in a different way; the fundamental structure is the pentadactyl limb, but the specific structure of the limbs differs very strongly,” explained Dr. Scherz.



Whales appear to have descended from a stocky, fox-sized animal with an elongated body and tail similar to that of a deer. This creature initially lived on land, but had most probably hunted and hid repeatedly in the water, until it became fully aquatic.&nbsp;



This hypothesis was first formulated in 2009 by Hans Thewissen, a paleontologist at <a href="https://www.neomed.edu/">Northeast Ohio Medical University</a>. In a study published in the journal <a href="https://evolution-outreach.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1007/s12052-009-0135-2">Evolution: Education and Outreach</a> exploring the origin of whales, dolphins, and porpoises, Professor Thewissen and colleagues argue that the whales’ terrestrial ancestor (which they dubbed Indohyus), waded often in the water like a hippopotamus, both to search for food and to avoid predators. Finally, it became a fully aquatic creature, increasingly resembling today’s whales.



Paleontological evidence show that the Indohyus had bones with a much thicker outside layer than those of other mammals, a characteristic that is often found in slow aquatic waders such as the hippopotamus.



More <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2021.1368">evidence</a> for the origins of today’s whales was recently found in Egypt, where scientists discovered a 43-million-year-old fossil of a previously unknown four-legged whale species belonging to the Protocetidae, a group of extinct whales. This species was probably also semi-aquatic, roaming the land while occasionally entering the water.&nbsp;



Such findings are crucial for increasing our understanding of the mysterious origins and complex evolution of aquatic mammals.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

"Fingers" discovered in the flippers of beaked whales

New research led by the Natural History Museum in Denmark...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-astrobiology">Implications for astrobiology</h2>



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

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Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" 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.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

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" 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.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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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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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