Sebecid fossils are changing everything we thought we knew about the ancient Caribbean. Imagine a crocodile built like a greyhound - tall, fast, and fully land-dwelling. These agile predators, some stretching up to 20 feet long, once ruled South American landscapes after the extinction of the dinosaurs.



Scientists believed they vanished around 11 million years ago. But a surprising discovery in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caribbean-salt-affects-global-climate-study-reveals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Caribbean</a> tells a different story - one that begins with a few unusual fossilized teeth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-fossil-discovery-changed-the-story">A fossil discovery changed the story</h2>



Back in the 1990s, scientists discovered a pair of fossilized teeth in Cuba. The teeth, about 18 million years old, were serrated and sharp - built for tearing meat.



Then came another one in Puerto Rico, dated to 29 million years ago. The shape of these fossils clearly pointed to a large predator. 



But researchers were baffled. Until then, they thought the Caribbean had no land predators of that size. Without more bones to go on, the mystery sat unsolved.



Then in early 2023, something changed. A new fossil tooth turned up in the Dominican Republic, but this time it came with two vertebrae. It was a small clue, but it changed everything. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-large-predators-in-the-caribbean">Large predators in the Caribbean </h2>



The fossils confirmed the presence of a sebecid. That meant the Caribbean had been a safe haven for these large, land-based predators. They were still roaming these islands five million years after disappearing everywhere else.



This new discovery comes from a research team led by scientists from the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Florida</a>. 



“That emotion of finding the fossil and realizing what it is, it’s indescribable,” said Lazaro Viñola Lopez, the study's lead author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crocodiles-that-ran-like-dinosaurs">Crocodiles that ran like dinosaurs</h2>



Sebecids were part of a long-extinct family of crocodile relatives called notosuchians. Unlike <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-amphibians-swam-like-modern-crocodiles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modern crocodiles</a> that lurk in rivers and swamps, sebecids were fully land-dwelling. 



They ran on strong limbs and hunted like the carnivorous dinosaurs that came before them. Some were enormous. 



Sebecids had armored bodies with tough bony plates beneath their skin. Their teeth were made for slashing meat, not catching fish.



When the mass extinction 66 million years ago wiped out most life, only the sebecids from the notosuchian line managed to survive in South America. With <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nuclear-winter-dinosaurs-were-likely-killed-by-dust/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dinosaurs</a> gone, they rose to dominate the food chain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sebecids-may-have-crossed-the-sea">Sebecids may have crossed the sea</h2>



How did a sebecid get to the Caribbean? The ocean has always been a serious barrier for land animals. That’s where the GAARlandia hypothesis comes in. 



The theory suggests there was once a chain of temporary land bridges or stepping-stone islands between South America and the Caribbean. 



These paths may have allowed animals like sebecids to migrate and settle. If the other teeth found across the Caribbean also belonged to sebecids, it means these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/past-climate-change-drove-the-rapid-evolution-of-reptiles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reptiles</a> weren’t just visitors. They were long-term residents.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-land-bridges-reshaped-ecosystems">Land bridges reshaped ecosystems </h2>



The land bridges may have shaped island ecosystems for millions of years. Now that they’re gone, smaller animals like birds, snakes, and native crocodiles have taken their place.



“You wouldn’t have been able to predict this looking at the modern ecosystem,” said a paleontologist from the Florida Museum of Natural History. 



“The presence of a large predator is really different than we imagined before, and it’s exciting to think about what might be discovered next in the Caribbean fossil record as we explore back further in time.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossil-secrets-of-the-caribbean">Fossil secrets of the Caribbean </h2>



Scientists often describe islands as natural museums. Their isolation makes them safe places for rare plants and animals to hang on after they’ve vanished elsewhere. But the Caribbean still holds many sebecid secrets - especially from deep in the past.



Until now, most Caribbean fossils have been found in caves and water-filled sinkholes called blue holes. Caves protect bones from the elements, while blue holes prevent decay by cutting off oxygen. 



These places have been valuable but only give a narrow view into recent biodiversity. They don’t tell us much about ancient species like sebecids.



Today, researchers are switching tactics. Instead of relying on caves and sinkholes, they’re going after older fossils in harder-to-reach spots.



“This is like a renaissance,” said Viñola-Lopez, describing the new wave of excitement in Caribbean paleontology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vanishing-fossil-sites">Vanishing fossil sites </h2>



In the Caribbean, fossil sites vanish quickly. Rain, wind, and forests erase rocky outcrops fast. When workers cut new roads or dig into hills, researchers have to act fast. 



That’s how the sebecid fossils were found. Road work in the Dominican Republic exposed the fossil bed just in time.



A graduate student from the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez was studying the rocks in the area and spotted the site. He notified his colleagues, and soon after, the team from the University of Florida arrived to excavate the bones.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-surprises-to-come">More surprises to come</h2>



The sebecid fossils are only one piece of a much larger puzzle. In recent years, researchers have also found the first signs of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mosasaurs-had-fierce-survival-strategies-including-cannibalism/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mosasaurs</a> - massive sea reptiles - in the Caribbean. 



The experts have identified the region’s oldest ground sloth fossils. And new work is hinting that early human arrival may have led to the extinction of native rodents.



It’s clear there’s more to uncover. “The sebecid is only the tip of the iceberg,” said Viñola-Lopez. And with more eyes now turned to the Caribbean, who knows what ancient giants might turn up next?



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.2891" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: Illustration by Jorge Machuky



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Giant crocodile in the Caribbean? Fossils reveal a lost apex predator

Sebecid fossils are changing everything we thought we knew about the ancient Caribbean. Imagine a crocodile built like a greyhound - tall, fast, and fully land-dwelling. These agile predators, some stretching up to 20 feet long, once ruled South American landscapes after the extinction of the dinosaurs. Scientists believed they vanished around 11 million years ago. But a surprising discovery in the Caribbean tells a different story - one that begins with a few unusual fossilized teeth. A fossil discovery changed the story Back in the 1990s,...

This month, footage of a nine-year-old girl being thrown in the air by a charging bison went viral online. The incident is just one of the many examples of the risks in interacting too closely with wildlife. 

The incident occurred on July 22 near the Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park, according to the<a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/072319.htm"> National Park Service</a>. A group of approximately 50 people were crowding the bison, standing within 5 to 10 feet of it for at least 20 minutes before it attacked. 

The National Park Service states that the incident is still under investigation but does warn visitors to be respectful of the wildlife and give them space.

Large animals such as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-work-increase-genetic-diversity-yellowstone-bison/">bison</a>, elk, bighorn sheep and moose should be given at least 75 feet of space from people while bears and wolves need at least 300 feet, the service states. This basic precaution both protects people and allows wild animals to perform their natural behaviors undisturbed by humans.

The incident at Yellowstone National Park occurred shortly after a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/07/26/video-speedo-man-kicked-crotch-wild-horse-assateague-island/1837401001/">video</a> depicting a man getting kicked by a horse went viral online. The video was shot at Assateague State Park in Maryland which is known for its herd of wild horses. In the video, a man attempts to pet a horse on the beach as the horse walks away. The horse then kicks the man in his stomach causing him to fall to the ground. 

According to the<a href="https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/eastern/Assateague/Wild-Ponies.aspx"> Maryland Department of Natural Resources</a>, the horses are wild and do not behave like domesticated animals. Visitors are urged to stay at least 40 feet away from the horses at all times.

Both incidents showcase the risks of interacting with wildlife firsthand. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured in either of the videos but it does not always end that way. Although humans can become injured during human-wildlife interactions, many times it is the animal who pays the ultimate price.

Last month Earth.com<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/selfies-animals-danger/"> reported</a> on a young bear who was euthanized in Oregon after becoming habituated to humans who fed him snacks and took selfies with him.

In 2016, a juvenile bison was euthanized after visitors in Yellowstone National Park put him in their car and brought him to a ranger station because he appeared to be in distress. Biologists attempted to reunite him with his herd but he was repeatedly rejected.

Both of the videos occurred at popular vacation destinations, which is perhaps unsurprising considering the large role wildlife watching plays in the tourism sector. As wild animals continue to soar in popularity with travelers, harmful interactions become all the more inevitable.  

The answer to addressing human-wildlife interactions is unclear. Signs warning people to give wildlife space are often met with disregard. While viral videos of wild animals attacking humans are often difficult to watch, they might just help to illustrate the consequences of interacting with wildlife. 

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Gray Photo Online

National Park Service issues warning after bison attacks child who got too close

This month, footage of a nine-year-old girl being thrown in...

The Oregon coast is home to thousands of harbor seals year round, and now tracking devices are helping researchers understand the movements and range of these seals. 

After the <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act">Marine Mammal Protection Act </a>was first implemented in 1972, Oregon seal populations dramatically bounced back. Today, anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 harbor seals inhabit the state’s bays and coastal waters, but very little data exists on seal populations in the area. 

To remedy this, researchers from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> placed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seals-regulate-oxygen-diving/">wearable external tracking devices</a> (satellite transmitters) on 24 adult harbor seals from Alsea Bay and Netarts Bay in Oregon. 

The researchers monitored the seals’ movements from September 2014 to April 2015, and location data was collected every other month. 

[caption id="attachment_1876212" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/seals.png"><img class="wp-image-1876212" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/seals.png" alt="" width="650" height="487" /></a> Image Credit: S. Steingass, 2019[/caption]

After modeling their movements, the researchers were able to calculate each seal’s home range and core area.

The home range is where a seal spends 95 percent of its time, and the core area is a small space that the seal prefers to inhabit. 

The researchers also examined how the seals use their habitat and how much time was spent in newly-established marine reserves. 

For the 25 seals in the study, the average home range was about 140 square miles. The average core area for the seals was around 11 square miles. However, individual home range and core area varied considerably between each seal, the researchers found. 

The seals stayed close to the shore and spent half of their time in rivers and bays. 70 percent of the time the seals stayed in water and only spent around 22 hours on average in the open ocean. 

Marine reserves were rarely taken advantage of, and the seals visited the new reserves less than two percent of the time. 

The study, published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0219484">PLOS ONE</a> and authored by Sheanna Steingass, Markus Horning and Amanda M. Bishop, represents the first major survey of harbor seal habitats in Oregon recorded in the past 30 years. 

“Satellite tracking reveals at-sea habitat use for the first time for Pacific harbor seals in Oregon,” the researchers said. “Results from 24 seals demonstrate individual differences in behavior, with some study animals ranging hundreds of miles and few spending time within Oregon’s marine reserves.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Swapan Photography

Wearable devices help researchers monitor the movement of harbor seals

The Oregon coast is home to thousands of harbor seals...

Wild gibbons are some of the most endangered primates on Earth, which is primarily due to habitat loss. A new study suggests that gibbons in southern Borneo are even more vulnerable to habitat loss than what was previously realized. 

The research, led by Dr. Susan Cheyne at the <a href="http://www.borneonaturefoundation.org/en/">Borneo Nature Foundation</a>, has revealed that wild gibbons living in the peat swamps of Borneo require between 20 and 50 hectares of forest territory for each group.

While it is known that the natural habitats of gibbons are threatened by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dramatic-increase-brazilian-deforestation/">deforestation</a> and wildfires, relatively little has been studied about the size of their territories or how they use certain spaces for feeding and social activities. 

The researchers monitored four groups of wild Bornean southern gibbons in the Sebangau National Park between 2010 and 2018. The team tracked the GPS location of each group, and recorded observations of the creatures at five-minute intervals from dawn till dusk.

The experts determined that the Gibbons' territory spanned somewhere between 21 and 52 hectares, including where they sleep, socialize, and sing "duets" together with their mates. The apes were also found to forage over a larger home range of up to 148 hectares that they share with neighboring groups.

For three of the groups, the territories remained approximately the same throughout the nine-year study period. The other group, however, was forced to shift their range west when part of their habitat was damaged by forest fires in 2015.

The gibbons are highly territorial, and this behavior combined with the vast size of their ranges will make these animals extremely vulnerable to future habitat loss. They could ultimately be confined to areas of forest that are too small to accommodate multiple competing groups.

"Gibbons show high site fidelity for specific areas of forest and maintain these territories over many years. Understanding how Gibbons use the forest is critical to their conservation," said Dr. Cheyne. "These data can feed into creating protected areas of suitable size and habitat quality to maintain viable populations of the singing, swinging small apes."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Borneo Nature Foundation

Wild gibbons are severely threatened by habitat loss

Wild gibbons are some of the most endangered primates on...

New species of Cambrian predator discovered in 506 million year old shale. Fossils discovered in the Canadian Rockies belong to a new species of predator that dates back to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-diversify-earth/">Cambrian Period</a>. 

This large predator had claws shaped like a rake, a circular shaped mouth lined with teeth, and could have grown up to a foot long. The species, named Cambroraster falcatus, was described from fossils unearthed by paleontologists at the <a href="https://www.rom.on.ca/en">Royal Ontario Museum</a> and the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a>. 

The fossils were discovered in the Burgess Shale, home to one of the most <a href="https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/cambrian/burgess.html">abundant fossil deposits on Earth</a> and the most well-preserved record of Cambrian fossils to date. 

It’s an unprecedented discovery, made all the more exciting by how many fossil specimens were found in the region. 

“The sheer abundance of this animal is extraordinary,” said Dr. Jean-Bernard Caron, the leader of the expeditions that found the fossils. “Over the past few summers we found hundreds of specimens, sometimes with dozens of individuals covering single rock slabs.”

[caption id="attachment_1875869" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/reconstruction.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875869" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/reconstruction.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="510" /></a> Reconstruction, Image Credit: Lars Fields © Royal Ontario Museum[/caption]

Thanks to a large number of fossils uncovered, the researchers were able to reconstruct the predatory species in detail. 

The species was given the name Cambroraster for its unique claws and falcatus for its large shield-like shell. 

“We think Cambroraster may have used these claws to sift through sediment, trapping buried prey in the net-like array of hooked spines,” said Jean-Bernard Caron.

Cambroraster falcatus would have been able to feed on both small and large prey. Its toothy, round mouth is common in the group Radionta, an extinct group of species that includes Cambroraster falcatus. 

“With its broad head carapace with deep notches accommodating the upward facing eyes, Cambroraster resembles modern living bottom-dwelling animals like horseshoe crabs,” said Joe Moysiuk, the leader of the study. “This represents a remarkable case of evolutionary convergence in these radiodonts.”

Radiodonta is said to be one of the earliest relatives of arthropods. 

“The radiodont fossil record is very sparse; typically, we only find scattered bits and pieces. The large number of parts and unusually complete fossils preserved at the same place are a real coup, as they help us to better understand what these animals looked like and how they lived,” said Dr. Caron. “We are really excited about this discovery. Cambroraster clearly illustrates that predation was a big deal at that time with many kinds of surprising morphological adaptations.”

The new Cambrian predator was described in a study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Jean-Bernard Caron © Royal Ontario Museum

New species of Cambrian predator discovered in 506 million year old shale

New species of Cambrian predator discovered in 506 million year...

A study led by the <a href="https://gladstone.org/">Gladstone Institutes</a> has produced the first high-resolution genome sequence of the Komodo dragon. The research is giving experts new insight into some of the lizard's remarkable characteristics as well as how these traits evolved. 

The Komodo dragon is the largest living <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ancient-lizard-four-eyes/">lizard species</a> in the world, weighing as much as 200 pounds. These predators can detect their prey from miles away and can speed up their metabolism like warm-blooded mammals even though they are cold-blooded. As a result, Komodo dragons are capable of running in brief sprints at speeds of up to 12 miles per hour. 

In a close collaboration with scientists at UC San Francisco (UCSF) and Zoo Atlanta, the team studied the DNA of two Komodo dragons named Slasher and Rinca. 

Using computational tools, the experts compared the DNA sequences of these two lizards to other reptiles to understand what makes the Komodo dragon genome unique. In particular, the team was searching for changes in the genome that helped the Komodo dragon adapt to its environment. 

The study revealed that the evolutionary process of positive selection has modified several genes involved in the function of mitochondria, which control energy production along with heart and muscle functioning.

"Our analysis showed that in Komodo dragons, many of the genes involved in how cells make and use energy had changed rapidly in ways that increase the lizard's aerobic capacity," said study first author Abigail Lind. "These changes are likely key to the Komodo's ability to achieve near-mammalian metabolism."

Lizards usually slow down to almost a halt after exerting a lot of energy and are not known for their high aerobic capacity. 

"However, we know from working with Komodo dragons that they're capable of sustained aerobic activity, which could be swimming, running, or walking extremely long distances," explained study co-author Joseph R. Mendelson. "Our study showed us that the secret is in these mitochondrial adaptations to increase their cardiac output. This gives us an understanding of how these animals are able to do what we had been observing."

The researchers also discovered that Komodo dragons have a surprisingly large number of genes that are involved in a sophisticated sensory system which allows animals to detect hormones and pheromones.

"It will be interesting to determine whether this explains Komodo dragons' ability to detect prey over such large distances," said study senior author Benoit Bruneau. "One of the exciting things about this project is that we didn't know what to expect. This was an opportunity to look at a genome and say, 'Tell me the story of your organism.'"

"The significance of this study far exceeds Komodo dragons," said Mendelson. "It gives us a framework to compare other sequenced animals and understand the genetic basis for how all their characteristics have evolved. This project also brings to the forefront the importance of preserving biodiversity, and the important role zoos can play in broad-scale research without being injurious to the animals in our care."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Anna Kucherova

Scientists examine Komodo dragon DNA to find out what makes them unique

A study led by the Gladstone Institutes has produced the...

Humans and chimps have different foraging patterns in the rainforest. A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a> set out to compare the spatial movement patterns of human foragers and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-hunting-eating-crabs/">chimpanzees</a> in similar rainforest environments. 

The Mbendjele BaYaka people are constantly changing camps and have a large lifetime range of about 800 square meters, while chimpanzees live in a much smaller area and spend most of their adult lives within the same home range.

The study was focused on the direction and  speed of five Mbendjele BaYaka women from the Republic of Congo and five female chimpanzees from Taï forest as they ventured away from established trails on their daily quest for food.

The researchers found that both the Mbendjele BaYaka people and Taï chimpanzees had similarly high levels of linearity when they traveled toward locations that were out of sight. On the other hand, humans and chimpanzees showed clear differences in their movement as their surroundings and group sizes shifted.

The Mbendjele BaYaka traveled with higher linearity in familiar areas compared to less familiar areas. This pattern was reversed in Taï chimpanzees, who moved with higher linearity and speed in less familiar areas.

"One possible explanation of these differences can be their different ranging style," said study lead author Haneul Jang. "The Mbendjele BaYaka people stay in several seasonal camps in their lifetime range, and walk 90 percent of their travel distance on human-made trails during their foraging trips in the forest. They may therefore have less experience in less familiar off-trail areas. Hence, when the Mbendjele BaYaka people forage in these areas, their travel linearity decreases due to their searching effort."

"Since chimpanzee groups can be highly hostile towards each other, they might need to travel more efficiently and faster in less familiar areas, where they are more likely to encounter other chimpanzee groups."

Travel linearity was found to increase among the Mbendjele BaYaka people when they traveled in larger groups, yet not among the chimps.

"When I followed the chimpanzees, I often saw them wait for each other and have apparent disagreements about where to go," explained study supervisor Karline Janmaat. "With more individuals joining the group, disagreement seemed to increase. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that when group size increased, their travel became less linear."

"For the Mbendjele BaYaka people we found the opposite pattern. This can have many reasons, but I like to think that it is because humans can discuss, evaluate and eventually agree about where the best food sources are, by using language, and that this helped them to travel more efficiently."

According to the researchers, the study is the first necessary step needed to compare long-range spatial movement patterns of human and chimpanzee populations in their natural habitats. 

"Our study provides insights into how two closely related species living in similar environments can differ in their spatial movement patterns, which possibly results from their different ranging styles," said Jang. "We hope our study can contribute to expanding comparative research on spatial movement patterns to a wide range of primate species and populations, including humans, in natural environments."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com/">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Karline Janmaat

Humans and chimps have different foraging patterns in the rainforest

Humans and chimps have different foraging patterns in the rainforest....

Every species on Earth is constantly adapting and changing – and for many of those species, ladies’ choice guides how they evolve, from mate selection habits to how they raise their young.

Led by Dr. David Reznick of the University of California, Riverside, a team of researchers analyzed guppy DNA and studied how different varieties of the colorful, tiny fish evolved. Their goal was to determine how guppy species with more colorful males differed from their less bright cousins – and why so many of the colorful males’ mates shared a particular pair of reproductive traits.

Reznick said he was inspired to take on the research after browsing the guppy aisle of a pet store.

"The fish I saw that day all belong to the Poeciliidae family, which give birth to live young, rather than lay eggs. Some of them even have placentas, like mammals," Reznick said in a press release. "The ones offered for sale were only species with colorful males and all of those species had mothers that lack placentas. I wanted to know how having this type of mother might relate to the evolution of male traits."

He and his team analyzed the data from 170 different species in the Poeciliidae family, creating a sort of genetic family tree. They then mapped out each of the species male and female traits, in hopes they could determine what behaviors direct the evolution of those traits.

They found that the common denominator for many of those traits was, essentially, ladies’ choice. 

For example, the guppies without a placenta: They invest more time and physical energy into their young than those without one. The guppies that did have a placenta had more physical control over reproduction, such as the ability to abort eggs they didn’t want or even to control which sperm fertilizes those eggs. But for guppies without one, choice of a mate was more important. Once they choose, there is no going back until the young are ready to go out on their own.

"When mothers lack a placenta, they've already invested all they've got to give into the eggs prior to fertilization," Reznick said. "So, the mothers are picky about the males they choose."

So they tend to choose flashier males.

Those fancy species also tended to evolve and split into new species faster than their plain counterparts, the researchers found. That ladies' choice is linked to male traits indicates that how mothers choose mates and the investments they make in their young can determine how quickly a species evolves.

The study did confirm a hypothesis first suggested by Drs. David and Jean Zeh at the <a href="https://www.unr.edu/">University of Nevada, Reno</a>: how mothers raise their young influences the evolution of male traits. However, it also debunked their prediction that species with placentas evolve more quickly than those without. 

"I wasn't expecting to learn what we did about these connections between mothering and evolution, but I'm so pleased to have provided here a better understanding of how and why organisms evolve the way they do and how that evolution can affect the formation of new species," Reznick said.

The study only looked at fish, but Reznick believes their findings can be applied across most of the animal kingdom.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11307-5">Nature Communications</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Paid for by Earth.com.

Ladies' choice: Females direct evolution for most species

Every species on Earth is constantly adapting and changing –...

Tiny bacteria could be the key to protecting coral reefs from climate change. The microorganisms may boost coral resilience, allowing the delicate reefs to adapt to warmer temperatures and environmental pollution.

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protect-coral-reefs-climate-change/">scientists brainstorm</a> the best way to preserve endangered coral reefs, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/">University of Konstanz</a> set out to study how coral might be saved from predicted rising global temperatures. Led by Dr. Christian Voolstra, the scientists investigated two coral species that have different relationships with bacteria. 

Acropora hemprichii may associate with various types of bacteria, while Pocillopora verrucosa consistently harbors only certain microorganisms. The team studied the coral resilience of the two species at various sites in the Red Sea – a region greatly affected by human activity – over 21 months.

To ensure the test corals weren’t affected by genetic variations, the team used coral fragments from the same colonies – one for each species – for the various tests.

“We could show that some corals respond flexibly to changing environmental conditions by associating themselves with certain bacteria, while other corals looked the same everywhere," Voolstra said in a press release about the research.

The researchers found that coral resilience may rely on being able to form relationships flexibly with bacteria. Generalist coral species like A. hemprichii adapt better to changing water temperatures and pollution because they can associate with new and different bacteria without going through an evolutionary process to develop the new relationship. 

Species like P. verrucosa, on the other hand, seem to suffer when their preferred bacteria is not available. But that doesn’t mean they can’t adapt.

"We must remember that the species we examined are those that have survived the tremendous changes of the past decade – thus, both types of corals harbor successful strategies," Voolstra said.

Coral resilience is increasingly important as mass bleaching of reefs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-bleaching-altering-fish-communities/">affects the fish species</a> that depend on them.

Figuring out how to boost coral resilience in addition to recovering and replacing bleached coral could be key to protecting marine species.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10969-5">Nature Communications</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Anna Roik, <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/">University of Konstanz</a>

Paid for by Earth.com.

Bacteria boost coral resilience in warming oceans

Tiny bacteria could be the key to protecting coral reefs...

In a new study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, scientists have identified the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/jellyfish-kill-toxin-genes/">genes</a> that give pufferfish their spiky skin structures known as spines. The researchers discovered that the development of pufferfish spines is similar to the process by which birds get their feathers or other animals grow hair.

"Pufferfish are some of the strangest fish in the ocean, particularly because they have a reduced skeleton, beak-like dentition and they form spines instead of scales--not everywhere, but just in certain patches around the body," said study co-author Professor Gareth Fraser of the <a href="http://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a>.

When the researchers analyzed the evolution of pufferfish spines in embryos, they initially expected to find that the spines formed from scales. However, they found that the spines are developmentally unique from scales. The experts also discovered that the growth of pufferfish spines depends on the same network of genes that are commonly expressed in the feathers and hairs of other vertebrates. 

"It just blows me away that regardless of how evolutionarily-different skin structures in animals are, they still use the same collection of genes during development," said Fraser.

Using CRISPR and other editing techniques, the researchers blocked particular genes that are classic markers of skin appendage development. This reduced the number of spines that appeared on the pufferfish, and loosened the restriction on where the spines grew. According to Fraser, the spines are usually localized to specific areas on the pufferfish to enhance protection. 

"When pufferfish inflate by ingesting water or in some cases air, their skin becomes stretched, especially around the abdomen and is more susceptible to damage, such as being torn," said Fraser. "Spines reinforce the puffed-up abdomen. In extreme cases, some pufferfish have lost all other spines on their body and retain only the abdominal spines."

"What really drives these changes, in terms of loss or gain of spines, is multifactorial, but the shifts in spine coverage and morphology may allow pufferfish to take advantage of new ecological niches that are available to them. As the climate changes and environments become different, pufferfish may use these evolving traits to tolerate and adapt to change."

By sequencing the genome of the pufferfish, the team hopes to ultimately identify the differences that allow for the diversity in spine coverage and the transition from scales to spines.

"We can manipulate different things associated with pufferfish diversity, which gives us clues about the function of genes that are necessary for normal development and helps us understand the evolution and patterns of pufferfish spines," said Fraser. "Pufferfish are wildly-derived fish that are incredibly different from other groups, and ultimately, we want to see if there's something specific to the genome of the pufferfish that can provide clues to suggest mechanisms that allow them to create these weird structures."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Randi Kayu

Scientists uncover the genes that give pufferfish their protective spikes

In a new study published by Cell Press, scientists have...

Cats can be finicky pets. One minute your four-legged friend is purring and rubbing against your legs, but as soon as you start stroking its fur, the cat does a 180 and starts hissing, scratching and biting. 

If you’ve experienced this kind of rejection from your cat, there is a simple reason behind the behavior. According to Lauren Finka, a postdoctoral research associate at <a href="https://www.ntu.ac.uk/">Nottingham Trent University</a>, you might be petting your cat wrong. 

In an article for the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-stroke-a-cat-according-to-science-116025">Conversation</a>, Finka takes readers through the ancestry of house cats and helps shed light on the odd quirks of felines. 

Cats, like dogs, evolved alongside humans, but their path to domestication took a few different turns. 

First of all, domestication of dogs is said to have begun between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-dogs-bond/">20,000 and 40,000 years ago</a>. As dogs diverged from their wild ancestors, they started working alongside humans, and a beneficial partnership arose. 

With cats, this domestication process is said to have begun around 4,000 years ago. Cats helped keep pests under control. Four thousand years ago seems like a long time, but your snuggly little kitten probably still thinks like a wildcat. 

Dogs and their wild wolf ancestors are social creatures, hunting, living, and communicating in packs. Wildcats, on the other hand, prefer a more solitary life. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t ever pet your cat. Many cat owners will attest that their cat is extremely affectionate (on their terms).

It’s just important to understand the subtle clues you cat might be giving you. 

First and foremost, let your cat come to you for affection. As social creatures ourselves who use touch to communicate, using restraint when faced with something cute, soft, and fluffy does not come naturally, according to Finka. 

However, restraint is exactly what’s required. Research has shown that cats will let their owners stroke them for longer when the cat initiates contact rather than humans. 

If your cat does hop on your lap for a good cuddle, you’re not in the clear entirely. Look for crucial body language and behavior signals while you pet your cat. 

Less is more, according to Finka. Stick to the base of the ears, under the chin and cheeks rather than the tummy or back. 

If your cat is purring, relaxed, and gently waving their tail, chances are that your cat is happy. 

However, if while stroking your cat and you don’t hear any purring, notice that the cat is shaking their head, licking their nose, twitching, or flattening their ears, stop stroking and walk away. 

“Ultimately though, when it comes to cats, it’s important to respect their boundaries – and the wildcat within – even if that means admiring their cuteness from afar,” Finka concludes. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/PHOTOCREO Michal Bednarek

How to pet your cat the right way

Cats can be finicky pets. One minute your four-legged friend...

Living with large reptiles that can eat humans is always a tenuous position.  The reality of being eaten by a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cultures-crocodiles-worshipped/">crocodilian</a> is a very ancient one for humans. Fossil evidence from the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania shows that hominid fossils, perhaps those of human ancestors, were <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-predators-prey/">preyed upon</a> by a crocodile, Crocodylus anthropophagus as long as 1.8 million years ago.  Alligators in Florida have killed 24 people since 1973.  <a href="http://www.crocodile-attack.info/data/map">CrocBITE</a>, the worldwide crocodilian attack database, has already recorded 116 worldwide crocodilian attacks on humans this year, some of which were fatal. 

Attacks by crocodiles have captured the imagination both in the US and abroad.  <a href="https://youtu.be/H6MLJG0RdDE">Crawl</a>, a movie in which a giant crocodilian hunts people trapped in a flooded basement in Florida, hit theaters July 12 in the US.  In other parts of the world, crocodilians are more reality than terrifying flight of imagination, but sometimes unreasonable fear is mixed in.  The <a href="https://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2010/09/06/crocodile-sanctuary-in-belize-destroyed-by-mob/">San Pedro Sun</a> reported in 2010 that a crocodile conservation facility was burned down and crocodiles killed and mutilated by a mob.  The mob was apparently motivated by the advice of a clairvoyant who falsely claimed the remains of missing children would be found in the bellies of the crocodiles.  

Despite the violence of crocodilians and the intense fear humans often feel for them, humans and crocodilians have found ways to coexist in some parts of the world.  In the United States, American Alligator populations plunged close to extinction from hunting and habitat destruction. Alligators were put on the endangered species list in 1967, but were removed in the 1980s after a long recovery.  

Today, the American Alligator is considered a conservation success story.  <a href="https://defenders.org/american-alligator/basic-facts">Defenders of Wildlife</a> estimates that there are now 5 million alligators in the southeastern US and as many as 1.2 million in Florida alone.  The species is carefully managed for hunting and raised in captivity for entertainment as well as for alligator skins used to make clothing and accessories.  

Crocodiles in Australia are also thriving. So called ‘salties’ are one of the most dangerous crocodilians to humans.  Despite their common name, salt water crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) can live in fresh water as well as salt.  <a href="https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/crocodiles-rising/">Haika Magazine</a> reported in 2016 that despite a previous history of decline, like the American Alligator the species had rebounded.  According to the Australian <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=1774">Department of the Environment and Energy</a>, the population of salt water crocodiles is estimated to be 100,000, although there could be as many as 200,000 living in the wild.  Much like in the United States, crocodiles are raised in captivity but on an even broader scale for skins, meat and entertainment for tourists.  Native peoples have the right to limited hunting of crocodiles as well.  

Despite these instances of successfully managing co-habitation between crocodilians and humans, it doesn’t always work out so well.  <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/rise-in-crocodile-sightings-linked-to-habitat-degradation-in-indonesia/">Mongabay</a> reports that in Indonesia, salt water crocodile sightings and conflicts are on the rise.  Last February, villagers captured a crocodile, tied its mouth shut and beat it before turning the animal over to a wildlife organization which released the crocodile far from human habitation.  The crocodile was suspected of preying on local villagers livestock and the presence of the large reptile was seen as threatening, thus prompting the villagers to attack the animal. The fear of more crocodiles following in the wake of the one captured is very real in a region where crocodile attacks are on the rise.  

Human encroachment into the habitat of a dangerous wild animal is a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, the habitat destruction that comes with human development endangers the animal.  On the other hand, more humans close to (in this case dangerous) wild animals increases the likelihood of conflict.  Over the long history of humanity, we’ve mostly killed off dangerous animals or moved away from them, to the point where less of us are knowledgeable about the proper way to live near dangerous predators or are willing to accept the risk of doing so.  One of the purposes of parks is to preserve wildlife in a way that isn’t very threatening to humans or human society.  

Wild animals don’t recognize the boundaries of parks, though.  Alligators can potentially be in almost any pool of water within their range, even if it’s an artificial pool of water <a href="https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-gator-attack-disney-world-20160822-snap-story.html">inside Disney World</a>. Unfortunately, humans are increasingly living in close quarters with dangerous crocodilians.  

The reason for the increase in crocodile encounters in part of Indonesia is due to a greater human presence and destruction of habitat.  Blast fishing and turn over of habitat into farms push the crocodiles into a desperate situation with less of their traditional food or habitat available.  Sometimes human encounters with crocodiles can become incredibly nasty. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-crocodiles/indonesian-villagers-kill-nearly-300-crocodiles-in-revenge-attack-idUSKBN1K60HQ">Reuters</a> reported that last year, a man was killed by a crocodile at a conservation breeding facility in Indonesia.  In the wake of the man’s death, the local villagers killed all 292 crocodiles in the facility with clubs, knives and hammers in revenge.  

For now in America and Australia, crocodilians are protected by law but human populations in those areas are growing as well.  <a href="https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/crocodiles-rising/">Haika Magazine</a> points out that Darwin, right in salt water crocodile’s range, is one of the fastest growing capitals in Australia.  Key West Aquarium suggests it’s best to not encounter alligators in close proximity, however human populations in Florida it notes are 20 million in a state with one million alligators.  People are increasingly close to the dangerous animals. The conservationists managing hunting and farming the crocodilians point to monetization as a way to save dangerous animals.  

I wonder if putting a cash value is enough to protect crocodilians or if it cheapens them and actually ourselves.  If we’re concerned for our own lives, aren’t we monetizing ourselves when we put a price on a crocodile or alligator?  It seems what we need more is true respect and we rarely respect what we spend money on, we instead objectify it. It also denies the crocodilians their place as free agents in complex ecosystems. Is there enough room for danger left in the world?    

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Andi syahputra

Habitat destruction leads to confrontations with crocodiles in Indonesia

Living with large reptiles that can eat humans is always...

New York is officially the first state in the US to ban declawing procedures for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/household-products-harmful-cats/">cats</a>. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law on Monday after legislators passed the proposed ban last month. 

Declawing is considered an inhumane and cruel practice that can lead to lifelong health problems, and the practice is banned in most countries in the EU and several provinces in Canada. 

Cities like Denver and Los Angeles in the US also prohibit declawing but never has a state made an official stand against it. 

Declawing was used as a means to ensure that house cats wouldn’t scratch up and ruin furniture, floors, and carpets. However, with simple modifications like adding a scratching post, there are easy, cheap, and non-invasive ways to keep the claws away from your favorite couch. 

“Declawing is cruelty, plain and simple, and with so many low-cost and pain-free alternatives available, there is no reason to allow this barbaric practice to continue, not here in New York or anywhere,” said Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal in a <a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-signs-legislation-banning-cat-declawing">statement.</a> 

Rosenthal, a cat lover herself, introduced the bill in 2015, and the newly implemented law comes after years of hard work to raise awareness about the dangers of declawing. 

People have misconceived notions about what the declawing procedure entails. The very name makes people think that the claw or nail is surgically removed from the paw with no harmful side effects. 

This is not the case. It’s an invasive procedure where the last bone in each digit of the paw is amputated. Sections of the bones, including tendons and ligaments, are removed. 

The surgery can take anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes and is undoubtedly painful.  

While many cats heal normally, and pain medications are used to help with the healing process, there can be complications. 

“They can have trouble scratching in a litter box or cleaning themselves, their posture is thrown off, and in severe circumstances, it leads to permanent back pain,” Lisa Alter, from the Long Beach Humane Society/Kitty Cove Adoption Center, told <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/07/23/744436827/cats-can-keep-their-claws-new-york-bans-declawing">NPR</a>. 

The new law has gone into effect immediately, and now declawing is illegal unless the procedure is necessary to treat a life-threatening problem like a tumor or infection. 

If a veterinarian unlawfully performs the procedure, they could be fined $1,000. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Karrrtinki

New York becomes first state to ban declawing

New York is officially the first state in the US...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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