In the natural world, family often defines survival strategies. Across species, cooperation among relatives has evolved into a powerful tool to ensure success in challenging environments. Yet few creatures embody this principle so intricately as the long-tailed tit.



Found flitting through British gardens, these small birds reveal extraordinary loyalty to their kin. Far from fleeting connections, long-tailed tits show unwavering commitment to family, even during the upheaval of migration. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cooperation-in-animal-societies">Cooperation in animal societies</h2>



Recent research from the <a href="https://www.sheffield.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sheffield</a> brings the hidden social lives of long-tailed tits into sharp focus, offering new insights into how cooperation shapes animal societies.



Decades of careful observation and rigorous analysis culminated in a study that redefines what we know about the evolution of social behaviors. 



Through the lives of these tiny <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-adapt-their-survival-strategies-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a>, we glimpse powerful lessons about kinship, resilience, and the surprising complexity of animal communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-tailed-tits-stay-loyal-to-family">Long-tailed tits stay loyal to family</h2>



The study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, draws on an extraordinary 30-year dataset. It confirms that long-tailed tits retain strong family bonds throughout migratory movements - a phenomenon never before documented so consistently in cooperative <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/big-brains-and-wide-ranges-cant-save-birds-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a>.



Long-tailed tits migrate not as isolated individuals but as tightly knit family units. This behavior ensures that when they arrive at new locations, they are surrounded by familiar, trusted kin ready to support each other.



"This 30-year study is unique in its depth and has allowed us to understand the evolution of cooperation in a way that would not have been possible otherwise. The discovery of family ties persisting through migration is particularly exciting," noted Dr. Jennifer Morinay, co-lead author of the research.



"These tiny <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-evolution-timeline-pushed-back-20-million-years-by-baminornis-zhenghensis-discovery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a> essentially travel with their support network, ensuring that when they reach their new location, they have their kin ready to assist. It highlights the profound importance of family in their social structure."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-family-groups-survive-together">Family groups survive together</h2>



The research identifies several intertwined processes that create and sustain these family structures. Limited natal dispersal ensures many young birds settle close to their birthplace. Even when they do move, long-tailed tits often migrate alongside their siblings, keeping family bonds intact across vast distances.



At the same time, environmental pressures, particularly high predation rates, play a significant role. Frequent nest failures result in clusters of surviving families, making the presence of close kin nearby more likely. Together, these ecological and demographic factors form what scientists term "kin neighborhoods."



Incredibly, even migratory long-tailed tits, such as those studied in Estonia, preserve these ties during long journeys. Studies found that 82% of migratory flocks included at least one first-order relative. These findings challenge longstanding assumptions that migration disrupts social cohesion among birds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-roots-of-helping-behavior">Evolutionary roots of helping behavior</h2>



Long-tailed tits do not only stick close to their families; they actively help them. When breeding attempts fail, many individuals redirect their efforts to assist <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-birds-are-at-great-risk-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">relatives</a> raising broods. This redirected helping strengthens the survival chances of their kin’s offspring, ultimately boosting their own inclusive fitness.



"The push and pull between cooperation and competition is something we readily recognize in our own lives. This study demonstrates that these same fundamental tensions are at play in the social dynamics of long-tailed tits and likely many other species," noted Professor Ben Hatchwell, co-lead author of the study.



"Our long-term research provides significant insights into the ecological and social conditions that favour cooperative behaviour and the evolutionary forces that sculpt these intricate social interactions."



Helping decisions are not random acts of kindness. They are influenced by various factors including the bird’s own breeding success, its relatedness to nearby individuals, and the strength of prior social bonds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mistakes-in-kin-recognition">Mistakes in kin recognition</h2>



Despite their strong social instincts, long-tailed tits sometimes help unrelated individuals. 



About 30% of helpers were found assisting nests of non-kin. Scientists believe this stems from errors in kin recognition rather than a deliberate choice.



The birds rely heavily on learned acoustic cues to identify relatives. Calls learned during the nestling stage help them recognize kin, but these vocal cues are not always completely reliable. Studies show overlap in call similarities between kin and non-kin, leading to occasional misdirected care.



Efforts are ongoing to determine whether other cues, such as olfactory signals, also influence how long-tailed tits recognize their family and make crucial helping decisions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environment-shapes-cooperation">Environment shapes cooperation</h2>



The study also shows how environmental pressures influence the rates of cooperation. Moderate levels of nest predation foster the highest levels of helping behaviour. 



If predation is too low, there are fewer failed breeders needing alternative strategies. If too high, there are simply fewer successful nests available to help.



Shorter breeding seasons similarly encourage cooperation. With less time to attempt new broods after failure, many birds abandon independent breeding and instead opt to help their kin.



Interestingly, overall population density did not seem to impact cooperation rates, suggesting that the quality of family connections matters more than simple numbers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-choosing-where-to-live">Choosing where to live</h2>



Where a bird chooses to settle has long-term fitness consequences. Males who stay close to their natal territory accrue higher indirect fitness by helping relatives. Conversely, males who disperse far have fewer opportunities to help and lower overall inclusive fitness.



Females experience a different dynamic. Those who disperse farther tend to achieve slightly better direct reproductive success, likely because dispersal reduces inbreeding risks.



These differing pressures create a fascinating tug-of-war, shaping dispersal behaviours across generations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-family-ties-of-long-tailed-tits">Family ties of long-tailed tits </h2>



Perhaps the most striking revelation is that migration, once believed to hinder the evolution of cooperation, does not necessarily break social bonds. Long-tailed tits maintain their family ties even after traveling hundreds of kilometres.



This finding challenges traditional theories and highlights the incredible flexibility of social strategies in the natural world. Stable territorial groups are not the only route to successful cooperation. 



Dynamic, migratory species can also evolve and sustain sophisticated social systems based on family loyalty.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-long-tailed-tits-recognize-family">How do long-tailed tits recognize family?</h2>



Looking ahead, the researchers aim to untangle the specific mechanisms that allow long-tailed tits to recognize and remember their kin.



Current efforts focus on understanding the role of calls, scents, and social associations built during early life stages. Scientists are investigating whether maintaining winter flock associations with relatives influences recognition in later breeding seasons.



These studies promise to deepen our understanding of how cooperation, kinship, and social cognition evolve across species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tiny-birds-with-mighty-hearts">Tiny birds with mighty hearts</h2>



Through the lives of long-tailed tits, we see how powerful, enduring, and flexible family bonds can be, even in a world full of risks and change.



The study from Sheffield shows that nature’s loyalty is not reserved for mammals or large social species alone. In every tiny flutter of a long-tailed tit’s wing, there lies a rich story of kinship, survival, and the enduring power of cooperation.



The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.14237" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Animal Ecology</a>. 



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Long-tailed tits migrate in family units and maintain lasting bonds

In the natural world, family often defines survival strategies. Across species, cooperation among relatives has evolved into a powerful tool to ensure success in challenging environments. Yet few creatures embody this principle so intricately as the long-tailed tit. Found flitting through British gardens, these small birds reveal extraordinary loyalty to their kin. Far from fleeting connections, long-tailed tits show unwavering commitment to family, even during the upheaval of migration. Cooperation in animal societies Recent research from the University of Sheffield brings the hidden social lives of long-tailed...

Polar gigantism describes the unusually large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warm-blooded-marine-predators-poles/">marine animals</a> that inhabit the polar oceans and deep seas. 

Sea spiders, usually a few centimeters big in most regions of the world, can grow up to 20 inches across in the Southern Ocean in Antarctica. 

Worms, sea sponges, and other marine species can also get monstrously big compared to their warm water relatives, and for years researchers have wondered why this paradox of size exists. 

One prevailing hypothesis is that because creatures at these depths breathe less oxygen, they have slower metabolisms and can grow much larger than is typical for their species. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii at Manoa</a> and the<a href="https://www.umt.edu/"> University of Montana</a> conducted a study to put the “oxygen-temperature hypothesis” to the test and monitor how sea spiders respond to different water temperatures. 

The researchers traveled to McMurdo Station in Antarctica and put six species of giant sea spiders native to the area through a rigorous set of exercises in different temperature waters. 

The spiders were flipped upside down continually, and the researchers kept track of how many times a spider was able to right itself. 

At first, the team flipped the spiders in waters that matched their preferred habitat (28 degrees Fahrenheit), and the range of water temperatures increased to nearly 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

The researchers predicted that as the spiders were flipped in warmer waters, it would become harder and harder to flip right side up because of the oxygen demands and the drastic temperature changes. 

This turned out to be far from the case, and the spiders were able to adapt quickly to the changes in temperature and performed as well as smaller sea spiders do in warmer waters.

“We were amazed that not only could the giant animals survive at much higher temperatures than they usually see, but they dealt with warm temperatures just like the smaller ones,” said Caitlin Shishido, the lead author of the study. “That's not supposed to happen; larger animals should exhaust their oxygen supply and run out of gas much sooner than small ones.”

[caption id="attachment_1871257" align="aligncenter" width="633"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sea-spider.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1871257" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sea-spider.jpg" alt="" width="633" height="341" /></a> Image Credit: Tim Dwyer/ARCUS[/caption]

Sea spiders breathe through holes in their legs but with the giant sea spiders the researchers found the bigger the spider was, the more porous their legs were. 

Large “swiss cheese” like holes covered the Antarctic sea spiders’ legs, and this could explain why the spider had no problem adapting to the higher oxygen demands in warmer waters. 

It’s important to note that study was short-term and so long-term exposure to warmer temperatures might harm the giant sea, but the researchers say that the findings could indicate that sea spiders may be better suited to adapt to climate change than previously realized. 

The researchers detailed their findings 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: NOAA

Sea spiders in Antarctica breathe through holes in their legs

Polar gigantism describes the unusually large marine animals that inhabit...

During the Great Depression, around 15 million people (20 percent of the workforce) were jobless which led to the creation of the <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/works-progress-administration">Works Project Administration (WPA)</a> by President Roosevelt in 1935.

With the WPA, people were put to work building roads, bridges, parks, hospitals and schools, laying new sewer lines and storm drains, and for workers in a few Texas counties, digging up fossils. 

From 1939 to 1941, the WPA in partnership with the <a href="http://www.beg.utexas.edu/">University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology</a> funded the State-Wide Paleontologic-Mineralogic Survey where county residents were paid to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-britains-jurassic-past/">dig up fossils</a>.

Thousands of fossils were uncovered in dig sites across Texas even though the project was in operation for just three years, and a large majority of the fossils are stored in the <a href="https://www.jsg.utexas.edu/vpl/">Texas Vertebrate Paleontology Collection at the Jackson School Museum of Earth History</a>. 

Now for the first time, researchers are picking up where the survey left off and a new study published in the journal Paleontologica Electronica describes the history of the collection and the fossils in their entirety. 

The researchers analyzed the fossils and found that some of the original dig sites near Beeville, Texas were once home to a lush Texas “Serengeti” with large elephant-like animals, rhinos, camels, and even antelopes.

[caption id="attachment_1871253" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Texas.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1871253" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Texas.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="744" /></a> An artist's interpretation of ancient North American fauna, Image Credit: Jay Matternes/ The Smithsonian Institution[/caption]

The fossil collection contains 4,000 specimens that represent 50 species dating 11 million to 12 million years old. 

“It's the most representative collection of life from this time period of Earth history along the Texas Coastal Plain,” said Steven May, the study author. 

Some of the fossils come from never before described extinct species including a new genus of gomphothere, an ancient relative of today’s modern elephants. 

Many of the fossils belonged to large mammals and reptiles because these were the most obvious to spot and dig up. Small bone fragments and remnants of small species were not nearly as exciting as massive elephant tusks. 

“They collected the big, obvious stuff,” May said. “But that doesn't fully represent the incredible diversity of the Miocene environment along the Texas Coastal Plain.”

May tracked down the dig sites to help fill in the gaps and create a more accurate representation of what life was like in those regions at the time.

The new study is just one small step in thoroughly analyzing and describing the collection, and it’s exciting that a significant effort on the part of the WPA and the University of Texas has left such an impressive legacy.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences

Fossils reveal elephant-like animals once roamed Texas

During the Great Depression, around 15 million people (20 percent...

A new study from the <a href="http://www.americanornithology.org/">American Ornithological Society</a> has found that harsh winter conditions negatively impact birds that are forced to leave their homes in northern forests and wander far from their normal ranges to find food. The researchers used data from citizen scientists to show how these <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/feeding-birds-helpful-harmful/">winter</a> movements, known as “irruptions,” significantly reduce the size of breeding populations the following summer.

Irruptions bring seldom-seen boreal birds to the south in large numbers, which is a treat for birdwatchers. On the other hand, little is known about how the birds are affected by these journeys. 

The current study was focused on Red-breasted Nuthatches, a useful species to study because they consistently return to the same core breeding areas after massive irruptions. This makes it possible to compare their breeding populations from one year to the next.

Erica Dunn of <a href="https://weather.gc.ca/canada_e.html">Environment Canada</a> analyzed more than fifty years of records from Ontario's Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) against citizen science data from Project FeederWatch, the Christmas Bird Count, and eBird. She confirmed that fall irruptions at Long Point are a good indicator of the state of nuthatches across North America in any given year. 

Next, Dunn used Breeding Bird Survey data to examine the numbers of nuthatches in summers following major irruptions. The study revealed that breeding population density noticeably dropped following winters where nuthatches had wandered farther than usual.

This is the first study to show a clear link between the extent of winter irruption and population density during the following breeding season. The researchers believe that the stress of travel, exposure to predators, and the desperation to find food in unfamiliar places may be taking a toll on the birds.

“This paper actually had its genesis over 30 years ago, when I was running LPBO's Ontario Bird Feeder Survey and noticed that feeder watchers were reporting more nuthatches in winters following large fall irruptions at Long Point. When the biggest irruption ever at LPBO occurred in 2012, I was inspired to use their fifty-plus years of data to investigate that old observation in more detail,” said Dunn. 

“It was truly a project without a particular goal or hypothesis - I simply had a great dataset and wanted to see what I could learn from it. Citizen science data are great for this kind of exploration, because the datasets are so large and are freely available to anyone who wants to work with them.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.americanornithology.org/content/auk-ornithological-advances">The Auk: Ornithological Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Harsh winters are significantly impacting bird populations

A new study from the American Ornithological Society has found...

While most animals use the larynx to produce sounds, birds use an organ that is deep in the airway called a syrinx. For decades, scientists have wondered how and why the organ developed in the first place, considering that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/birds-springtime-watch/">birds</a> have multiple larynges. 

Experts at the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> have discovered that the syrinx offers a clear advantage. By sitting so low in the airway, the organ can produce sound with very high efficiency.

“I'm always excited when something is counter-intuitive,” said study co-author Ingo Titze, who is the director of the National Center for Voice and Speech. “Most people would say ‘Put the sound source right by the mouth or the beak, and you'll get the sound to the listener.’ But that's not what we're finding.”

Biologist Franz Goller has studied the mechanics of the syrinx for more than 20 years. Tobias Riede, a former member of Goller's lab, said that he found similarities between the control and design of the syrinx with the mammalian larynx. 

“But the question of why birds have evolved a syrinx, although they also have a larynx, had remained open,” said Riede. A question in understanding evolution is to identify the trade-offs between two different structures with similar function. In this case, the question is centered around what makes the low syrinx the best place for a bird's vocal organs.

“And how would you test that in a bird?” said Riede. “You can't, because you can't move the vocal source up and down the tract.” This is what led the team to use a multidisciplinary approach which combined physics, biology, computation, and engineering. 

“With one methodology, whether you're working on a live specimen or a physical model, it gives you fragments of the whole picture,” said Riede. “Now we often answer serious questions by making combination measurements. We put all the fragments together.”

To measure the various effects of syrinx position on vocal efficiency, the team studied simplified physical models, computational simulation, and real birds of varying body sizes in the laboratory.

“We find that sound is produced with greater efficiency by a sound source in syrinx position,” said Riede. This finding supports the theory that birds with a syrinx low in the airway are better able to communicate and gain the evolutionary advantage of amplified sound.

“If you're small, you don't have too much energy available to produce a signal that is efficient and carries far,” said Riede. “So, by simply moving the sound source, you can make the sound much louder. It's the same problem an engineer faces. If you want to miniaturize your speaker, how do you make that speaker equally loud and intelligible as a big speaker?”

“In the old days we used to think that the sound source just produces the sound and the airway just modifies the sound,” explained Titze. “Our research has shown that there is strong dependence on both the tube, or airway, and the sound source. Where the sound source is in the tube makes a difference, whether it's in the middle, front or back.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Natasha Verzhbitskiy

Why do birds have their own unique organ for producing sound?

While most animals use the larynx to produce sounds, birds...

When it comes to lifespan, researchers have found that four bat species have other animals beat. A team from the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a> has worked to pinpoint two traits in the species that could offer up part of the secret to mammal longevity.

Their new study, published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0860">Biology Letters</a>, found that common vampire bats, horseshoe bats, long-eared bats and one lineage of mouse-eared bats live up to four times as long as other mammals the same size. Among those four species, they found that a tolerance for variations in body temperature and differences in body size between males and females are signs that a species might be longer lived.

“This study provides multiple cases of closely related species with varying longevity, which gives us many opportunities to make comparisons and look for some underlying mechanism that would allow some species to live so long,” lead author Dr. Gerald Wilkinson said. 

Mammal longevity is, in most cases, tied to body size. African elephants have an average lifespan of 70 years, and blue whales can live up to 90. Smaller mammals like mice live one to three years. 

Humans are unusual, living about four times longer than other mammals the same size, and about twice as long as our closest primate relatives. Bonobos life about 40 years, and chimpanzees average 50 years.

The researchers believed that singling out unusually long-lived bat species could offer clues as to what traits go with that longevity.

The team analyzed a suite of traits, from hibernation, cave use, sex-based size differences, home range latitude, and tolerance for temperature changes.

They found that bats in extreme latitudes tend to live longer than those that lived near the equator. Those at more extreme locations – especially hibernators – tended to see their body temperatures rise and fall. 

“Of the lineages of bats that live a long time, three of them are hibernators and one of them is the vampire bat,” Wilkinson said. “The vampire bat is very unusual for a mammal in that it can let its body temperature rise and fall throughout the day.” 

Variations in body temperature could help mammals fight infections and preserve energy, the scientists theorized – similar to how humans’ fevers are a mechanism to fight infection.

Additionally, species where males and females were close to the same size tended to live longer than those in which the males were much longer.

The researchers are hoping to continue looking into exactly how those traits came to be linked with mammal longevity, and whether than can be used to increase our own lifespans.

“If we lived as long as bats, adjusted for size, we could live 240 years,” Wilkinson said. “Everybody wants to know how these animals can live so long. This kind of work can help us get to the answers.”

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Bats may hold key to mammal longevity – including humans

When it comes to lifespan, researchers have found that four...

The range of mosquito and tick-borne (vector-borne) diseases like chikungunya, dengue fever, leishmaniasis, and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is rapidly expanding, according to new research being presented at this year's <a href="https://www.escmid.org/">European Congress of Clinical Microbiology &amp; Infectious Diseases</a> (ECCMID).

Over the next few decades, vector-borne diseases are expected to sweep Europe due to climate change and international travel. Europeans in higher latitudes and altitudes, who have not experienced the threat of vector-borne diseases before, may need to be on alert in the coming years if preventative measures aren’t taken, and if surveillance and data sharing pertaining to vector-borne outbreaks is not improved. 

"Climate change is not the only or even the main factor driving the increase in vector-borne diseases across Europe, but it is one of many factors alongside globalisation, socio economic development, urbanisation, and widespread land-use change which need to be addressed to limit the importation and spread of these diseases,” said Professor Jan Semenza from the <a href="https://ecdc.europa.eu/en/home">European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control</a> in Stockholm, Sweden.

"The stark reality is that longer hot seasons will enlarge the seasonal window for the potential spread of vector-borne diseases and favour larger outbreaks,” said Dr. Giovanni Rezza, Director of the <a href="https://ecdc.europa.eu/en/instituto-superiore-di-sanita-epiet">Department of Infectious Diseases at the Istituto Superiore di Sanitá</a> in Rome, Italy. "We must be prepared to deal with these tropical infections. Lessons from recent outbreaks of West Nile virus in North America and chikungunya in the Caribbean and Italy highlight the importance of assessing future vector-borne disease risks and preparing contingencies for future outbreaks."

Because of global warming, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mosquitoes-sense-smell-disease/">mosquitos</a>, ticks, and other disease-carrying insects have had the opportunity to adapt to changing seasons, and populations have mushroomed in both tropical regions and warmer regions in Europe like France, Greece, and Croatia.

"Mediterranean Europe is now a part-time tropical region, where competent vectors like the Tiger mosquito are already established,” Dr. Rezza noted. 

Over the past 30 years, there has been a 400% increase in reported cases of the viral disease TBE. This influx is mostly due to heightened surveillance and diagnosis. However, climate change models predict that by 2040 through 2060, we could see a 3.8% population growth of Ixodes ricinus ticks, with Scandinavia being the largest area at risk.

"Given the ongoing spread of invasive mosquitoes and other vectors across Europe, we must anticipate outbreaks and move to intervene early,” Professor Semenza said. "Public health agencies need to improve surveillance, for example through early warning systems, increase awareness of the potential risks among healthcare workers and the general public, as well as adopt innovative control strategies such as community interventions."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Range of tick and mosquito-borne disease is spreading rapidly

The range of mosquito and tick-borne (vector-borne) diseases like chikungunya,...

A new study from <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/">Tel Aviv University</a> has revealed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-neanderthals-cannibalism/">Neanderthals</a> and woolly mammoths shared DNA that allowed them to adapt to freezing cold environments hundreds of thousands of years ago. The researchers also discovered genes that the ancient humans and animals had in common which would have increased the production of hair and skin.

“Neanderthals and mammoths lived together in Europe during the Ice Age. The evidence suggests that Neanderthals hunted and ate mammoths for tens of thousands of years and were actually physically dependent on calories extracted from mammoths for their successful adaptation,” said study co-lead author Professor Barkai. “Neanderthals depended on mammoths for their very existence.”

“They say you are what you eat. This was especially true of Neanderthals; they ate mammoths but were apparently also genetically similar to mammoths.”

To investigate these similarities, the archaeologists reviewed three case studies that compared the genomes of woolly mammoths and Neanderthals. 

The first case study described the mutual appearance of the LEPR gene, which is related to thermogenesis and fat storage in the body. The second study found genes related to keratin protein activity in both species, and the third study focused on skin and hair pigmentation variants in the genes MC1R and SLC7A11.

“Our observations present the likelihood of resemblance between numerous molecular variants that resulted in similar cold-adapted epigenetic traits of two species, both of which evolved in Eurasia from an African ancestor,” explained study co-lead author Meidad Kislev. “These remarkable findings offer supporting evidence for the contention regarding the nature of convergent evolution through molecular resemblance, in which similarities in genetic variants between adapted species are present.”

“We believe these types of connections can be valuable for future evolutionary research. They're especially interesting when they involve other large-brained mammals, with long life spans, complex social behavior and their interactions in shared habitats with early humans.”

The researchers concluded that both species likely had ancestors that came from Africa and adapted to living conditions in Ice Age Europe. The species also became extinct at around the same time.

“It is now possible to try to answer a question no one has asked before: Are there genetic similarities between evolutionary adaptation paths in Neanderthals and mammoths?” said Professor Barkai. “The answer seems to be yes. This idea alone opens endless avenues for new research in evolution, archaeology and other disciplines.”

“At a time when proboscideans are under threat of disappearance from the world due to the ugly human greed for ivory, highlighting our shared history and similarities with elephants and mammoths might be a point worth taking into consideration.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/human-biology">Human Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Neanderthals and woolly mammoths shared much of the same DNA

A new study from Tel Aviv University has revealed that...

Neonicotinoids are a class of pesticides that were once extremely common, but after numerous studies showed that the pesticides hurt key pollinators, many countries have implemented <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/european-union-ban-pesticides/">restrictions and bans</a>. 

While neonicotinoids have been deemed harmful and dangerous to bee colonies, there has been a new push to find safer alternatives that effectively target pests and diseases. 

One potential frontrunner was flupyradifurone which was thought to be much safer for bees and yet still effective as an insecticide.

Flupyradifurone acts similarly to neonicotinoids, but the agent is chemically different which is why it works so well to eradicate pests, and it’s considered safe for bees, according to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a>. 

But now, a new study published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.0433">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a> has found that when used in conjunction with a popular fungicide, flupyradifurone is harmful to bees. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/">University of California</a> and the <a href="https://sites.anses.fr/en/minisite/abeilles/eurl-bee-health-home">European Union Reference Laboratory for Honeybee Health</a> exposed lab bees to both flupyradifurone and the fungicide propiconazole to mirror what pollinators would experience in fields and gardens. 

The combination was particularly dangerous for the bees, and the researchers found that honey bees exposed to the two agents were apathetic and exhibited poor coordination. 

Worker bees were also four times more vulnerable to the impacts of the pesticide and fungicide compared to bees that stayed in the hive. 

“This result is troubling because the official guidelines for pesticide risk assessment only test in-hive bees,' wrote the researchers in their study. “Risk assessment requires relatively limited tests that only marginally address bee behaviour and do not consider the influence of bee age and season.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pesticide said to be safer for bees still has a harmful impact

Neonicotinoids are a class of pesticides that were once extremely...

Recently, my fiancé Erin and I spent a morning near a pond at a city park in Tucson, Arizona.  The day was warm and beautiful, pollen floated through the shade of trees over head, and <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Grackle/id">Common Grackles</a> (Quiscalus quiscula) seemed to be everywhere.  

The male birds were calling shrilly with their metallic vocalizations and chasing females.  The females by contrast were dutifully collecting sticks, grass, any number of things that looked like good material for nest building.  The males constantly harasses the female grackles going about their tasks, following them, puffing themselves up to look big and impressive.  The males gathered together in little groups, puffing on little display dances. If the female grackles were watching these shows, it was from the corners of their eyes as they feigned disinterest.  

A few days later, I was walking by a small tree when I noticed a female hummingbird. Hummingbirds are known for mostly eating nectar, but female hummingbirds also catch insects to give their young special nutrients needed for development.  The female hummingbird I saw was holding an insect in her beak, and I watched her curiously. The little hummingbird hovered over a thimble sized nest bound to a branch, and as I watched she dipped her beak into the nest and then flew away.  Clearly, there were hummingbird chicks in her nest. 

I’d heard of hummingbird chicks that had fallen out of a nest being rescued by a wildlife rehabilitation organization recently, so I knew the timing was right.  The season of mating and babies is upon southern Arizona, and I’ve also happened upon duck eggs recently. Soon, there will be birds laying eggs and having chicks in the more northern part of the United States as well.  The spring is also a time of migration, when birds come north from their warmer wintering grounds. 

This is one of the best times of year to get outside and watch birds.  Here are some tips.

Spending time near the sunny edges of a forest rather than deep in the interior is a good idea, especially in the early morning, according to <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/birding-tips-on-cold-spring-mornings-spend-some-time-in-the-sun/">All About Birds</a>.  Often the edges are warmed by the sun more easily, waking insect life and drawing the birds that eat those insects in.  Being on the edge of a habitat can also mean that you’ll see a larger diversity of birds, birds for instance that live in the forest and birds that enjoy more open habitats.  As the day warms, cooler shadier places beneath trees will begin to have more birds. Of course, these are good tips for general bird watching, but spring is also a special time for many birds and a time to see spectacles you won’t see at any other time.  

It isn’t just common grackles that are mating.  March through early may is when grouse lek. A few years ago <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-sex-dying-dances/">Erin and I visited</a> a hidden blind set up by the <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/">US Forest Service</a>.  The blind was a small plywood structure designed to hide humans from Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus).  Grouse gather predictably in the same location year after year for lekking, a competitive mating dance between males trying to attract the attention of females.  The grouse arrive and inflate balloon-like structures in their chests, shaking their wings, dancing in circles all the while making an odd booming noise. The show is spectacular if you’re lucky enough to live in an area where you can reserve a place in a blind, and it’s usually free.  

Unfortunately, many people don’t follow the guidelines properly, leaving the blinds too early or too late and scaring the birds away.  Lek blinds are available in <a href="https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/how-grouse-dance-and-display-to-meet-their-mate-and/article_838f158d-e170-59f1-82ad-73a31f84d10e.html">South Dakota</a>, <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nebraska/recarea/?recid=10636">Nebraska</a> and other parts of the Great Plains.  Similar birds lek throughout the midwest and western US, where you can see them, according to <a href="https://www.sagegrouseinitiative.com/sage-grouse-lek-viewing-tours/">The Sage Grouse Initiative</a>.  Of course besides mating dances, migrations are sometimes spectacular shows of their own during the spring.

The migration of <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/overview">Sandhill Cranes</a> (Antigone canadensis) is perhaps one of the most spectacular migrations left on Earth that’s so easily accessible to the average American.  In <a href="https://visitkearney.org/sandhill-cranes/">Kearney, Nebraska</a>, it’s rather cold in the early morning in February through early April, but those are the times you can hear the otherworldly trill of cranes overhead.  Driving past fallow corn fields or standing in huddles on bridges over the Platte River, hundreds of people descend on the town of Kearney to see the sandhill cranes on just a stop over between their wintering grounds to the south and their breeding grounds in the Arctic.  Of course, plenty of other birds migrate besides cranes.

In Texas’s Gulf of Mexico, birds often arrive on the coast exhausted, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/best-places-america-see-spring-migration-180958494/">Smithsonian</a> reports.  These birds fly great distances over the open ocean from Latin America and stop at the first place they can rest, coming to land in large numbers before continuing on their way north.  Migrations across water can be perilous too, and sometimes a storm catches a bird and blows her far from the original destination. 

When I was volunteering as a parrot research field technician on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas, I witnessed an accidental bird visitation.  On a small pond on the island, a flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) was spotted and the woman who’d hired a group of us to help with her research loaded us up to go see.  The flamingo appeared disoriented, which was understandable because no other flamingoes live on Great Abaco Island.  It appears that a storm blew the flamingo to the island where we watched it for a few days before the bird departed, undoubtedly looking to find more of his kind.  These accidents are somewhat random but it’s possible to put yourself in a place where they’re more likely to occur. 

<a href="https://blog.nature.org/science/2015/04/06/birds-birding-spring-migration-hotspots-top-best-travel-nature/">Cool Green Science</a> suggests that Dry Tortugas Islands, Florida (including a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/drto/index.htm">National Park</a>) is a place where birds accidentally get blown in during the spring and so a good place to see rare birds during this time.  

But anywhere you happen to be is likely a good place to see some birds because the magic of spring can’t be avoided.  The weather’s perfect to get outside, for birds and humans alike. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach FItzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Birds in springtime: How to catch birds migrating and raising their young

Recently, my fiancé Erin and I spent a morning near...

The microorganisms that help keep coral reef ecosystems healthy and thriving have different levels of activity at night and during the day, according to a new study. 

Corals are just one part of a reef ecosystem, and each piece<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diversity-abundance-coral-reef-health/"> plays a key role in the health and adaptability</a> of coral reefs. 

Reefs are home to a diverse array of marine wildlife from algae to large predators like sharks, and the very bottom of the food chain sits bacteria and other microorganisms. These microorganisms recycle organic matter into useful nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.sdsu.edu/">San Diego State University,</a> the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii at Mānoa</a>, and <a href="https://scripps.ucsd.edu/">Scripps Institution of Oceanography</a> conducted a study comparing the day and night rhythms of bacteria from reef ecosystems. 

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications and is one of the first studies of its kind to examine the day and night rhythms of reef microorganisms.

“Investigations of day-night rhythms of reef processes are required to holistically understand the functional roles of microbial players in these ecosystems,” said Linda Wegley Kelly, the co-lead author of the study.

The research team surveyed reefs along the Southern Line Islands south of Hawaii and sampled the water above the reef at night and during the day. They analyzed the samples and were able to measure differences in water chemistry and microbe abundance and diversity.

[caption id="attachment_1871154" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/coral-reef.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1871154" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/coral-reef.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="511" /></a> Measuring reef processes on Millennium Atoll, Image Credit: Jennifer Smith[/caption]

Not only did the researchers find that microorganisms had different patterns of activity during the day compared to at night, but also these changes were consistent across different reefs separated by hundreds of miles. 

Microbe activity across the reefs decreased at night but increased the next day. 

One group of microbes, Psychrobacter, make up 40 to 70 percent of the microbial marine reef community, but at night, Psychrobacter levels are 100 times less abundant compared to the day. 

“Those who study reefs know that these ecosystems change significantly from day to night, but this study reveals one previously invisible aspect of that change: a dramatic and predictable shift--not only in what microbes are doing--but which groups are most abundant,” said Craig Nelson, a co-leader of the study. 

The researchers will continue to study these important processes and work to understand what drives microbial day-night rhythms.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Brian Zgliczynski

Coral reef microbes have distinct day and night rhythms

The microorganisms that help keep coral reef ecosystems healthy and...

A fossil belonging to an extinct species of ancient marine life is being compared to Cthulu, the tentacled monster from H.P Lovecraft’s famous short story, “The Call of Cthulhu.” 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale,</a> <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford</a>, the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/">University of Leicester</a>, <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a>, and <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> examined the 430 million-year-old fossil and discovered that it belonged to an entirely new species of echinoderm. Starfish, sea urchins and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-cucumbers-speed-ocean/">sea cucumbers</a> are all echinoderms. 

The researchers named the new species Sallasina cthulu due to its 45 tentacle-like tube feet.

Tomography was used to study and reconstruct the fossil, which is a 3D reconstruction process where the fossil is cut away and cross-sectioned layer by layer. Each layer is photographed, and the photographs are then combined to create a virtual reconstruction of the fossil. 

The researchers detailed their findings in a study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 

“This new species belongs to an extinct group called the ophiocistioids,” said Derek Briggs, a co-author of the study. “With the aid of high-resolution physical-optical tomography, we describe the species in 3D, revealing internal elements of the water vascular system that were previously unknown in this group and, indeed, in nearly all fossil echinoderms.”

After the researchers created the virtual reconstruction, the images revealed that Sallasina cthulu had an internal water vascular system that is similar to what sea cucumbers have today. 

Not much bigger than a large spider, Sallasina would have crawled along the seafloor with the help of its tentacles in search of food. 

“The water vascular system operates the tentacle-like structures that they used for locomotion and food capture,” said Briggs. “The tube feet of living echinoderms are naked, but in the ophiocistioids they were plated. Our analysis strongly suggests that ophiocistioids diverged from the line leading to modern sea cucumbers.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Elissa Martin/Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

430 million-year-old sea species had 45 tentacle tube feet

A fossil belonging to an extinct species of ancient marine...

Paleontologists have found an extremely rare set of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-nasal-passages-cool/">dinosaur</a> footprints from tens of millions of years ago that still contain well-preserved skin. The tiny footprints, which measure about an inch in length, were discovered at a site near Jinju City in South Korea and date all the way back to the Cretaceous Period.

The tracks were left behind by a Minisauripus, which is a small theropod about the size of a blackbird. According to the researchers, this is the 10th discovery of Minisauripus footprints and the first-ever tracks found to contain traces of skin.

[caption id="attachment_1871095" align="aligncenter" width="303"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/12055872-6903423-image-m-6_1554824957024.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1871095" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/12055872-6903423-image-m-6_1554824957024.jpg" alt="" width="303" height="416" /></a> Image Credit: Nature[/caption]

Even though less than one percent of the imprints still have skin present, impressions of the skin were reportedly found across all of the tracks. The findings indicate that a rain shower had just occurred before the impressions were made.

“The tracks were made on a very thin layer of fine mud, rather like a coat of fresh paint only a millimeter thick,” said study co-author Martin Lockley. “These are the first tracks ever found where perfect skin impressions cover the entire surface of every track.”

The prints were first spotted by Dr. Kyung-Soo Kim, a professor in the Department of Science Education at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinju_National_University_of_Education">Chinju National University of Education</a>, and were nearly missed altogether. During large-scale excavations, Dr. Kim noticed five of the tiny tracks in a broken slab.

[caption id="attachment_1871096" align="aligncenter" width="304"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/12055874-6903423-image-m-8_1554824972346.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1871096" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/12055874-6903423-image-m-8_1554824972346.jpg" alt="" width="304" height="416" /></a> Image Credit: Nature[/caption]

The skin texture of the dinosaur’s foot was perfectly preserved. The study authors compared the skin texture to a medium grade of medium sandpaper, but with half-millimeter-wide scales arranged like a woven fabric.

The research expands the known range of the Minisauripus, and the discovery is considered to be the earliest documentation of the small dinosaurs in Korea. The unique set of 95 footprints may help to settle the debate of whether tiny tracks such as these represent small species or the juveniles of large species.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">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

Perfectly preserved tracks contain traces of dinosaur skin

Paleontologists have found an extremely rare set of dinosaur footprints...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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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



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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...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" 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> 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

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" 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> 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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