Dogs live with us, watch us, and often reflect our lives back at us. When routines shift, they shift. When stress builds, they sense it. 



Scientists wanted to know just how much these changes affect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-puppy-day-2025-where-happiness-meets-responsibility/">dogs</a>, particularly during the upheaval of the pandemic. That curiosity led to one of the largest studies ever on canine behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-dog-behavior-and-health">Tracking dog behavior and health</h2>



Researchers at Virginia Tech and the <a href="https://www.washington.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Washington</a> studied over 47,000 dogs between 2020 and 2023. 



The work was conducted as part of the Dog Aging Project, a massive effort that tracks the lives and health of dogs across the United States.



"Most importantly, with these data, we're excited to now have a starting point from which we can continue to follow changes in the behaviors of tens of thousands of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-may-respond-to-each-other-through-blinking/">dogs</a> as they age, which will ultimately help us understand how behavior and health are linked," said Courtney Sexton, lead researcher from Virginia Tech.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-detecting-changes-in-dogs">Detecting changes in dogs</h2>



Behavior in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-suffer-from-the-january-blues-just-like-humans/">dogs</a> is more than personality. A sudden change can point to illness, pain, or stress. Small shifts in aggression, fear, or trainability can signal bigger problems. 



By establishing a baseline, researchers now have a way to spot meaningful changes across time. 



The team relied on a widely used survey known as C-BARQ, in which owners reported on 14 aspects of their dogs’ behavior - from aggression to trainability. 



Researchers then organized these traits into four broad categories: Fear, Attention and Excitability, Aggression, and Trainability. This framework allowed them to track and compare behavior patterns over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strength-of-the-data">Strength of the data</h2>



The dataset was huge. It included dogs from every region of the United States. Nearly half of the dogs were mixed breeds, while the rest were single breeds. Ages ranged from puppies to seniors.



"When you have a data set this big, you really do have power in numbers," Sexton explained. "While we can't understand all the factors, when we find statistical significance, there is likely something there worth thinking about in its real-world context."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dog-behavior-during-the-pandemic">Dog behavior during the pandemic </h2>



The original goal was clear. Researchers wanted to see how the pandemic shaped dog behavior. People spent more time at home. Many adopted new pets, and social interactions declined.



Routines changed overnight. Did <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-are-evolving-to-fit-the-modern-lives-of-humans/">dogs</a> change too? Scientists hoped to uncover whether these new conditions led to lasting behavioral shifts, from training challenges to changes in aggression or fear. They wanted to know if dogs adapted or struggled alongside humans.



The data showed that dogs remained surprisingly consistent from 2020 through 2023. "We saw that certain factors, such as a dog's life stage, sex, and size had some influence on their behavior," Sexton said.



"Interestingly, we found that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic time period, there were not substantial changes in dogs' overall behavioral profiles from year to year despite what we might have expected given the changes in environment and routines that many were experiencing at that time."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pandemic-puppy-struggles">Pandemic puppy struggles</h2>



One behavior did shift: trainability. Dogs enrolled in 2020 scored higher than those added in later years. Scores dropped in 2021, 2022, and 2023. 



Researchers think the dip reflects “pandemic puppy” struggles. New owners often lacked time or access to training. Dogs had fewer chances to socialize. Stress in households added to the mix.



By 2023, trainability scores started to climb back toward earlier levels. That rebound suggests that as people regained stable routines, dogs did too.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-gender-breed-and-size">The role of gender, breed, and size</h2>



The study also revealed differences tied to breed and body size. Mixed-breed dogs scored higher on fear, attention-seeking, and aggression than purebred dogs. Shelter backgrounds and early trauma may play a role.



Small dogs were more fearful, more aggressive, and less trainable than larger dogs. 



Puppies needed more attention, were less fearful and less aggressive, but also harder to train. Males were more aggressive and less trainable than females.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dogs-and-owners-bounced-back">Dogs and owners bounced back</h2>



Owners in 2020 reported more aggression than those in 2023. That drop may reflect less household stress and more opportunities for dogs to interact as restrictions lifted.



“What was interesting was that the difference in reported trainability between the first year and the last year was the smallest of any in the averages,” Sexton noted. 



“It’s a small statistical significance but could show that dogs, or their owners, are bouncing back.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-on-dog-behavior">Future research on dog behavior</h2>



This is only the beginning. <a href="https://dogagingproject.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Dog Aging Project</a> will keep tracking these dogs as they grow older. Researchers want to see how location, health, and age shape behavior over time. 



The ultimate goal is to connect behavior with health so owners can better care for their pets.



Dogs adapted through the pandemic. They struggled in some ways, especially with training, but showed remarkable resilience. Their story mirrors ours. 



As life changed, dogs adjusted, and as routines returned, they found steadier ground. This study now offers the first large-scale baseline of canine behavior - a reference point that will guide both researchers and dog owners for years to come.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0330257" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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How the pandemic changed dog behavior over 3 years

Dogs live with us, watch us, and often reflect our lives back at us. When routines shift, they shift. When stress builds, they sense it. Scientists wanted to know just how much these changes affect dogs, particularly during the upheaval of the pandemic. That curiosity led to one of the largest studies ever on canine behavior. Tracking dog behavior and health Researchers at Virginia Tech and the University of Washington studied over 47,000 dogs between 2020 and 2023. The work was conducted as part of the Dog...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/absence-wolves-eastern-coyotes-adapted/">Wolves</a> have long been the center of the conservation debate in the American west. Predator control has devastated wolf populations through most of their former range. Many ranchers consider even the small remnant of wolves left an unacceptable threat to their livestock. 

Government wildlife agencies have a mixed response to both sides of the ongoing struggle. Agencies have released wolves for population recoveries as well as poisoned and shot them to control predation on cattle. Without a uniform and steady policy over time, it seems like wolves are caught in the political whim of the moment, mere pawns in a game of power and money. 

With a checkered history like this, it’s no surprise that wolves have failed to recover their national populations in any real way. Alaska has more wolves than any other state, but this is due more to the vast rugged terrain of the state and a smaller human population than a better conservation plan. Other states with histories of predator eradication and large European American settler populations have nearly completely eradicated their wolves. 

Washington state had a wolf population of 126 as of May 2019, according to <a href="https://nywolf.org/learn/u-s-wolf-populations/">Wolf Conservation Center</a>. The population of wolves in Washington the year before was estimated to be 122. Other nearby states also have wolf populations. Oregon has an estimated 137 wolves and Idaho had an almost impressive 786 wolves, according to a 2016 study. 

Washington wolves are an endangered species. But according to a <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/researcher-says-washington-wolf-population-likely-larger-than-estimates/">Seattle Times</a> report, wolf populations in Washington may also have been underestimated by the official estimate of 122. It’s now estimated that Washington’s wolf population has grown by 30% every year. 

A growth in population may seem like a good thing for the wolves and it is... until humans interfere. Population numbers are important in terms of what protections are afforded wolves and other endangered species. Until recently, wolves in Washington have been a state protected endangered species. The western two thirds of Washington wolf populations were also protected by federal law. Wolves had previously been exterminated entirely from Washington state, only to slowly return from neighboring areas in British Columbia and Idaho. 

In January 2019, Democratic State Rep. Sherry Appleton of Bainbridge Island Washington introduced a bill that would keep state management agencies from authorizing wolf kills. In response, Republican Rep. Joel Kretz of Wauconda Washington, the northeastern part of the state where ranchers and wolves often come into conflict, drafted a bill of his own. Kretz’s bill was meant as a statement rather than a viable law but suggested making Bainbridge Island a sanctuary for ‘problem’ wolves. The bill did allow wolf killing to be considered but only after there were four confirmed killings of cats or dogs or two confirmed wolf killings of children. 

The bill was meant to imply that environmentalists valued the lives of wolves over even those of children. The political statement is loaded with a loathing for wolves common among ranchers who’ve taken their land and introduced easy game but feel wolves are in fact an enemy to be exterminated rather than an animal to adapt ranching practices to. Environmentalists have promoted developing different non-lethal methods to discourage wolf predation on livestock. Environmentalist have also called on ranchers to give wolves more room. Usually, prolonged predation of livestock by wolves end in wolves being killed or at least hazed with violence. 

<a href="https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2019/07/10/washington-approves-killing-wolf-pack-members-preying-cattle/1692923001/">Statesman’s Journal</a> reported in July that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife authorized the killing of wolf pack members involved in preying on cattle in northeastern Washington. The pack, called the Old Profanity Territory (OPT) pack, had some of its members killed last year in response to cattle predation. Now again, the OPT pack faces more killings of its members. The stated goals of these killings is to change the behavior of the pack rather than to limit the pack’s population. Some environmentalists instead are calling on ranchers to be the ones to change behavior. 

<a href="https://landscouncil.org/news">The Lands Council</a>, a Spokane based non-profit, called on Washington Fish &amp; Wildlife director <a href="https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/administration/director">Kelly Susewind</a> to change his position on authorizing lethal removal of wolves from the OPT pack in a letter posted on their website. The letter points out that the continued conflict between different wolf packs in the area involves the same cattle rancher, a Mr. McIrvin. McIrvin is on record stating the opinion that the only solution to the wolf conflicts is shooting and poisoning the wolves. 

Instead, environmentalists are pushing for real non-lethal mitigation practices where they work and less or no grazing, where they don’t. The Lands Council for its part notes that range riders work best on open prairie ‘ranges’ instead of forested, less open lands as in the area in question. The Lands Council further called on the state of Washington to collaborate with the US Forest Service to create a better plan for wolf survival in the area.

McIrvin for his part claims an average of 70 head of cattle lost per year to wolves at a cost of more than $1million, according to the <a href="https://www.postregister.com/farmandranch/4h/lawsuit-filed-to-stop-washington-state-from-killing-wolves/article_f3bf10f9-0e98-5165-8743-41b1d5d16a38.html">Intermountain Farm &amp; Ranch</a>. In response, Sophia Ressler, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity is quoted as saying,

“If this rancher keeps putting cattle in prime wolf habitat, he needs to accept some losses just like any other business.”

A lawsuit filed on August first by the <a href="https://centerforahumaneeconomy.org">Center for a Humane Economy</a> aims to stop the state of Washington from killing more wolves to prevent predation of cattle. The non-profit also started a petition to Governor and presidential candidate Jay Inslee to intercede on behalf of the wolves. Inslee has spoken out loudly about climate change and been a proponent for environmental law. Whether or not Inslee’s environmental ethic extends to wolves remains to be seen.                

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Png Studio Photography

Washington state wildlife officials authorize more wolf killings

Wolves have long been the center of the conservation debate...

Young birds dedicate specialized brain cells to learning new songs. In a groundbreaking new study, experts at <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> have pinpointed what happens in the brain of a young <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/migration-patterns-songbird-populations/">songbird</a> as it learns a new tune. The findings demonstrate the extraordinary flexibility of the developing brain.

The auditory cortex, which is the neural region that processes sounds, is similar in both birds and mammals. Therefore, the findings may help to explain why it is so easy for children to pick up on their native language, yet adults tend to struggle to learn a language that they were not exposed to early in life. 

"The language sounds we learn as infants shape the way we hear for the rest of our lives, and the vocal sounds that songbirds hear while young may have the same effect," said study senior author Dr. Sarah M.N. Woolley. "By mapping these birds' auditory systems as they learn their songs, we hope to decipher the mechanisms that guide our own capacity to learn speech."

The zebra finch is the most commonly studied songbird species. A young male zebra finch listens and imitates a song performed by his father during the first three months of life.

"When first learning to sing, the juvenile's song is unstructured, similar to the way a human baby babbles before producing words," said study first author Dr. Jordan Moore. "But by the time the bird nears adulthood, it reproduces the more complex aspects of its father's song. We were interested in what is happening in the brain during this song learning period."

The analysis was focused on neurons in the auditory cortex. While monitoring this neural activity, the researchers played recordings of songs to zebra finches and long-tailed finches. Next, they played synthetic sounds that were designed to match certain acoustic features of the birdsongs.

The experiment enabled the team to identify a neural circuit in the auditory cortex where the responses of the brain cells become specialized for the songs that the birds learn.

"After identifying this circuit, we wanted to understand its flexibility," explained Dr. Woolley. "How does this circuit change over time as the bird learns and matures? And how do these changes integrate the bird's biology and its experience with the song its tutor sings?"

To investigate, the researchers placed eggs from the two finch species in the nests of a third songbird species, the Bengalese finch. The team could then assess whether the young birds learned the songs of their adoptive fathers.

"That is exactly what happened," said Dr. Woolley. "The juvenile zebra and long-tailed finches began to sing like their Bengalese finch adoptive fathers and ignored the songs of their biological fathers, whom we had placed across the room and so were still within earshot."

Among the young songbirds that were introduced to foster fathers, the auditory neurons showed specialized tuning for the acoustic features of Bengalese finch song. This confirms that the selectivity of the early birdsong is not simply shaped by the bird species, but by what the young bird learned to sing.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/neuro/">Nature Neuroscience</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/Natalia van D

Young birds dedicate specialized brain cells to learning new songs

Young birds dedicate specialized brain cells to learning new songs....

A new modeling study led by the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> has revealed that Asian carp are capable of surviving in much larger areas of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/using-lake-michigan-turtles-to-measure-wetland-pollution/">Lake Michigan</a> than what was previously realized. As a result, the invaders present a very high risk of becoming established. 

Two Asian carp species in particular, bighead and silver carp, are threatening to cause serious damage to native fish populations across the Great Lakes. 

Previous studies suggested that it would be difficult for Asian carp to become established in Lake Michigan due to low food levels. However, these studies overlooked the fact that Asian carp are opportunistic feeders. 

While they typically feed on algae and other types of plankton, these invasive species can survive on a wide variety of diets, including dead organic matter called detritus. In Lake Michigan, detritus is abundant in the form of resuspended fecal pellets from countless quagga and zebra mussels on the lake bottom.

Previous research also failed to account for the suitable carp habitat that exists more than a meter below the lake's surface. The new study revealed that the amount of suitable Asian carp habitat in Lake Michigan is dramatically higher than what previous estimates have shown. 

According to study lead author Peter Alsip, the entire extent of Lake Michigan contains suitable bighead carp habitat at certain times of the year. For silver carp, habitat was found to be more limited to nutrient-rich areas close to the shore.

"Subsurface habitat and the fish's diet flexibility were not evaluated in previous studies, and our findings indicate that these considerations had a noticeable effect on our suitability assessment," said Alsip. "Lake Michigan's low supply of plankton may not be as strong a barrier as previously thought."

The new study showed that the widespread availability of quagga mussel fecal pellets in Lake Michigan will help Asian carp survive as they migrate through plankton-depleted waters and eventually spread throughout the lake. Bighead and silver carp are collectively known to scientists as big headed carp, or BHC.

"The ability of BHC to flexibly feed on phytoplankton, zooplankton and detritus mitigates their risk of starvation - even in offshore waters - and, therefore, increases their probability of establishment," said the researchers. "Therefore, it seems likely that BHC could survive, establish, and spread to favorable habitat in Lake Michigan and its tributaries despite having to travel across expansive areas with minimal plankton biomass."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652427">Freshwater 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: Shutterstock/Frantisek Czanner

Invasive Asian carp populations could expand across Lake Michigan

A new modeling study led by the University of Michigan...

A new study led by Yara Haridy at the <a href="https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/">Museum für Naturkunde</a> has revealed that an extinct lizard-like creature suffered from a bone condition similar to Paget's disease 289 million years ago. This is the oldest known case of any type of bone disease. 

The experts performed micro-CT scans on a pair of tail vertebrae that were discovered in an Early Permian cave at Richards Spur, Oklahoma. The vertebrae belonged to a Varanopid - a relative of the earliest ancestors of mammals or reptiles.

By scanning the internal and external structure of the bone, the team was able to recognize that some areas of the bone had been thinned out by abnormally high levels of reabsorption. In other areas, excessive bone growth caused abnormal bone thickening, which had ultimately fused the two vertebrae together.

According to the researchers, this condition is very similar to Paget's disease, a bone metabolic disorder that is characterized by a breakdown in communication between bone building cells and bone destroying cells. As a result, the body absorbs old bone and forms abnormal new bone. Today, this disease is most commonly seen in the hips and vertebrae of humans.

Paget's disease has been previously diagnosed in other living mammals and reptiles as well, and was detected in a dinosaur fossil dating back to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/jurassic-fossil-mammals-swallow/">Early Jurassic</a>. In the current study, there is no way to determine how widespread the bone disease had become in the animal's body based on the two isolated vertebrae. 

[caption id="attachment_1876334" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/207644.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1876334" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/207644.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="340" /></a> Image Credit: Yara Haridy/Museum für Naturekunde, Berlin[/caption]

"Paleopathology is the study of ancient diseases, here we scanned a pair of fused tail bones from a permian (280 million years ago) Varanopid (a superficially-lizard like animal), what we found was evidence of a bone disease similar to modern day Paget's disease. This enigmatic disease is still not well understood in humans, however finding something similar in an ancient animal likely links it to something deep in our bone biology," said Haridy. 

"This study is a great example of how when palaeontologists have well preserved fossils we can tell a lot more than just what animals were present, we can explore their biology, physiology and even what diseases ailed them!"

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

Main Image Credit: Wikipedia/Dmitry Bogdanov

Lizard-like creature suffered from bone disease 289 million years ago

A new study led by Yara Haridy at the Museum...

To anyone who’s seen study after study of pollution’s effects on turtles in recent years, it’s no surprise that the shelled reptiles eat dangerous amounts of plastic. But a new study of green turtles found that they’re much more likely to ingest trash when it looks like their food.

For example, the species eats more plastic when it comes in greens, browns and other natural colors, a team of scientists from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> and the Cyprus-based <a href="https://www.cyprusturtles.org/">Society for the Protection of Turtles</a> found.

The scientists examined the digestive systems of 34 green turtles washed up on Cyprus’ beaches. All of the turtles whose entire digestive tracts could be examined – 19 of them – had plastics in their guts, with one specimen alone having 183 fragments of the material.

"Previous research has suggested leatherback turtles eat plastic that resembles their jellyfish prey, and we wanted to know whether a similar thing might be happening with green turtles," Dr. Emily Duncan of the University of Exeter said in a press release. "Sea turtles are primarily visual predators – able to choose foods by size and shape – and in this study we found strong evidence that green turtles favour plastic of certain sizes, shapes and colours. Compared to a baseline of plastic debris on beaches, the plastic we found in these turtles suggests they favour threads and sheets that are black, clear or green.”

The study found smaller turtles often had eaten more plastic, though it was uncertain whether that was due to lack of experience or a change in dietary preferences as green turtles age.

"Research like this helps us understand what sea turtles are eating, and whether certain kinds of plastic are being ingested more than others," said Dr. Brendan Godley of Exeter. "It's important to know what kinds of plastic might be a particular problem, as well as highlighting issues that can help motivate people to continue to work on reducing overall plastic consumption and pollution."

Previous research has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-sea-turtle-species/">microplastics pose a major threat</a> to sea turtles, and is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-sea-turtles-dying-plastic/">four times more deadly</a> for young sea turtles than adults.

The new study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48086-4">Scientific Reports</a>. Funding was provided by <a href="https://www.sealifetrust.org/">Sea Life Trust</a> and the <a href="https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en">European Union</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Emily Duncan, University of Exeter

Paid for by Earth.com.

Green turtles eat more plastic when it looks like food

To anyone who’s seen study after study of pollution’s effects...

<a href="http://www.northerndynastyminerals.com/">Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.</a> has for years sought to move forward with a mining project in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> looked set to oppose the mine under the Clean Water Act.

Then, on July 30, the agency announced it would not block the proposal, which could threaten the Bristol Bay salmon fishery.

Now, agency staffers have told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a> the decision was actually made after Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy met with President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One on June 26. Sources within the agency, which CNN did not name, allegedly told the news site that they were informed of the decision on June 27.

The Bristol Bay fishery supports 14,000 jobs that bring in $1.5 billion in revenue each year, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/">Los Angeles Times</a>. The mining project would process 180,000 tons of ore for gold and copper each day, the newspaper reported – a project that would require a 188-mile gas pipeline, a seaport and 77 miles of new roads.

Opponents of the mining proposal – including commercial fishing operations, environmental groups like the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/">Natural Resources Defense Council</a>, and First Nations activists – say that the project will endanger the fishing industry while providing far fewer jobs. 

“The EPA’s decision to ignore its own science and risk Bristol Bay’s entire fishing industry is pure politics,” fisherman Alexus Kwachka said in a statement released by <a href="http://fishermenforbristolbay.org/">Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay</a> and printed by the Times. “The Pebble permitting process has been hijacked by an administration that’s willing to cut corners and dismiss the appalling shortcomings and gaps in Pebble’s mine plan.”

Unnamed EPA scientists reportedly told CNN they’d planned to oppose the project before the announcement that the agency would step aside.

"I was dumbfounded," an unnamed source within the EPA told the news outlet. "We were basically told we weren't going to examine anything. We were told to get out of the way and just make it happen."

The EPA’s announcement that it would not block the proposed project in Bristol Bay means that it will move to the <a href="https://www.usace.army.mil/">U.S. Army Corps of Engineers</a> for consideration. According to the Times, Northern Dynasty’s shares saw a sharp rise following the announcement.

“Finally, this administration has reversed the outrageous federal government overreach inflicted on the state of Alaska by the Obama administration,” Tim Collier, CEO of Northern Dynasty’s U.S. subsidiary, said in a news release.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Paid for by Earth.com.

EPA withdraws protection for salmon in Alaska's Bristol Bay

Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. has for years sought to move...

Endangered owls continue to decline drastically in national park. Back in 1990, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/endangered-species-act-recover/">Endangered Species Act</a> provided protection for a number of impacted species. One in particular was the Northern Spotted Owl, which was facing an increasing threat from the loss of the old-growth forest in which it lives. 

Now, despite the long-term preservation of this habitat within Washington’s Mount Rainier National Park, new research shows that this species has declined drastically in the last two decades. 

So if the old-growth forests in this region were preserved, how could the Northern Spotted Owl still be in decline? The study published in <a href="https://www.americanornithology.org/content/condor-ornithological-applications">The Condor: Ornithological Applications</a> details a new culprit: the spread of Barred Owls. This is a closely related, competing species that has now moved into the Spotted Owls’ territory from the east. Beginning in 1997, biologists started to notice that Barred Owls were showing up more and more in Spotted Owl territories.

This study – led by <a href="https://www.coopunits.org/Oregon/">Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit</a>'s Anna Mangan, the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/index.htm">National Park Service</a>'s Tara Chestnut – involved analysis of two decades’ worth of data from wildlife surveys in Mount Rainier National Park. 

“We found that Spotted Owls now occupy 50% fewer territories in the park than they did 20 years ago when the study began, despite the lack of habitat disturbance,” says Chestnut. “Spotted Owls were less likely to be present in territories where Barred Owls were detected, and if Spotted Owls were there, sharing space with Barred Owls made them less likely to breed. Only 18 adult Spotted Owls were detected in the study area in 2016, down from a high of 30 owls in 1998.”

According to the researchers, Barred Owls have experienced a very successful range expansion throughout the Pacific Northwest. Their ability to eat a wider range of foods and use a greater variety of forested habitats have been paramount in their ability to infiltrate other territories. 

“Barred Owls are now competing with Northern Spotted Owls for food and space, and increased Barred Owl densities are associated with declines in Northern Spotted Owl populations across their range,” says co-author Katie Dugger, a researcher from US Geological Survey's Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.

Scientists predict that if this trend continues, the Spotted Owl could end up extinct within this region in the next six to eight decades. But within Mount Rainier National Park, there are still measures that can be taken to ensure this doesn’t happen. 

“Conservation managers can focus on protecting old-growth habitat with steeper slopes, as we found this to have higher Spotted Owl occupancy, and can continue to monitor Barred Owl populations to better understand their effect on local Spotted Owl populations,” explains Mangan. “Managers will need to consider some creative solutions, and likely some unpopular choices, if the Northern Spotted Owl is going to be prevented from going extinct on public lands.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Anna Mangan

Endangered owls continue to decline drastically in national park

Endangered owls continue to decline drastically in national park. Back...

Between October 2018 and April 2019, about 38% of beekeepers’ colonies died. This disturbing statistic is an indicator of the continued peril bee colonies face due to a multitude of factors. 

Now, a study published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a> has pointed the finger at the increased use of a common agricultural chemical, which has infiltrated bees’ environments and led to significant colony deaths.

A class of pesticides known as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pesticide-exposure-impairs-flight-bees/">neonicotinoids</a> has experienced a massive rise in use across the U.S. in the last decade. In this study, pesticide, toxicity, and biology researchers detail the increased use of this pesticide since 2004, and the impact it is having on bee populations.

According to this research team, the toxicity loading of neonicotinoids in bees has risen, and in the last two decades, oral and contact toxicity loading has increased by 48 times. Although these chemicals are not as harmful to humans, they tend to linger in environments for weeks longer than other pesticides – such as organophosphates. 

The spread of these chemicals is partly due to neonicotinoids being cheaper than other pesticides, as well as the use of seeds from commercial purveyors like Bayer and Syngenta, which precoat seeds with this chemical. These plants eventually grow to harbor the chemical in their tissue, nectar, and pollen.

Along with these problems caused by neonicotinoids, another chemical called an adjuvant has exacerbated the issue. A recent study published in <a href="https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15528618">Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry</a> by a research team from China has found that when adjuvants are paired with pesticides and added to crops, they may have an increased effect on the mass die-off of bee colonies. 

This study found that neonicotinoids were especially harmful when applied along with adjuvants, which are used to increase the effects of the pesticide. The researchers state that plants treated with this combination carry a significantly higher rate of mortality when compared to plants treated with just pesticides or just adjuvants.

Given that some regions have experienced as much as a 90% loss of bee populations, the need to find a solution to this problem is greater than ever. It is time to find alternatives to these harmful pesticides that are killing off some of our most effective pollinators, before it’s too late for the bees – as well as us. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Ivan Marjanovic

Massive bee colony deaths linked to widely-used pesticides and chemicals

Between October 2018 and April 2019, about 38% of beekeepers’...

The Goliath frog is the largest frog in the world and the only known species of African <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-loneliest-water-frog-love/">amphibian</a> that build nests for its young, according to a new study. 

These mammoth amphibians live in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea and are highly endangered. Deforestation has led to the population declines of over 50 percent in the past ten years. 

Researchers know very little about these frogs, particularly in terms of their supposed top-notch parental instincts. 

Dr. Mark-Oliver Rödel from the <a href="https://www.visitberlin.de/en/museum-fur-naturkunde-museum-natural-history">Berlin Museum of Natural History</a> led a study to investigate the reproductive behaviors of Goliath frogs in the wild. 

The study findings were published in the Journal of Natural History

Researchers waded along the edge of the Mpoula River trying to spot breeding sites. Tadpoles and eggs were a good sign that the researchers were in the right place, but soon, a pattern emerged among the breeding sites. 

Goliath frogs pile up materials like rocks and leaves to create a pond that is safe from the current. The discovery marks the first example of nest building seen in African amphibians. 

“Goliath frogs are not only huge, but our discovery shows they seem to be attentive parents as well,” said Marvin Schäfer, an author of the study. “The little ponds they make at the edges of fast-flowing rivers provide their eggs and tadpoles with a safe haven from sometimes torrential waters, as well as from the many predators living there.”

The researchers found 22 potential breeding sites, and the researchers set up cameras to record Goliath frogs in action. 

Goliath frogs build three different types of ponds for their young. Some of the frogs prefer to clear out a rock pool that is already protected from the current, cleaning the pool of debris and leaf-litter. 

Other frog parents push away leaf-litter and debris to the edges of their pond, but the third type of pond is the safest because the tadpoles or eggs are less likely to be washed away in case of a flood. 

In the third kind of pond, frogs move large stones, and the depression left by the rocks forms a circular pond. 

The cameras captured adult frogs moving rocks that weighed nearly four pounds to help create these special ponds. It is an impressive feat considering Goliath frogs weigh around seven pounds themselves. 

Having developed such keen parental instincts and the ability to lift heavy rocks could explain why the Goliath frogs grew to be so big. 

“We think that the heavy work they put into excavation and moving rocks may explain why gigantism evolved in these frogs in the first place.”

The researchers also found that one adult Goliath frog will guard the nest all night, standing watch in case a predator comes by. 

It was impossible to tell who does what and if females stand guard or help build, however, the researchers hypothesize that male frogs build and females stand guard. 

“The fact that we’ve only just discovered these behaviours shows how little we know about even some of the most spectacular creatures on our planet,” said Rödel. “We hope that our findings, combined with further ongoing research, will improve our understanding of the needs of the Goliath frog so we can help support its continued survival.”

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Marvin Schäfe

The largest frogs in the world build ponds for their young

The Goliath frog is the largest frog in the world...

The extinction crisis looks apocalyptic — but there are solutions. This spring, a UN study put a startling number to the ongoing extinction crisis: 1 million species gone if current trends continue. The stunning prediction revealed how much humanity <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/1-million-species-gone-what-humanity-stands-to-lose/">stands to lose</a> in the so-called <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-hunted-6th-extinction/">6th mass extinction</a>. But the report offered hope, too: If we think and act big, humanity has the tools to avert catastrophe.

By reigning in overconsumption, enacting sustainable practices on farms and in the oceans, slowing population growth, seriously tackling climate change, and adopting other approaches, humanity can save millions of species — and ourselves.

"We have the power, we have the knowledge … we have the technology to do a better job," said Gerardo Ceballos, an ecologist at Mexico's <a href="https://www.unah.edu.hn/">Universidad Nacional Autónoma</a> and a visiting professor at <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford</a>. And, he said, "paradoxically, by saving all these plants and animals, we are basically saving ourselves from a really apocalyptic future."

Such an act of species- and self-preservation, however, won't come easy. It will require "transformative change … a fundamental, system-wide reorganization across technological, economic and social factors," said Robert Watson, chair of  the UN's <a href="https://www.ipbes.net/">Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services</a> (IPBES) committee, which authored the 1-million-species <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/1-million-species-extinction/">report</a>.

Here's what's needed:

Save habitat, save species

The biggest danger the planet's species face, said Michigan State University biologist Nick Haddad, is the threat of homelessness. 

"The greatest cause of species loss is habitat loss," he said. "So any efforts to protect habitat that remains or to promote regeneration of habitat is the No. 1 way that we can benefit species in general."

In this area, some progress has been made, with the expansion of protected areas — though much more is needed, said <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University</a> biologist Stuart Pimm. 

"In the last 30 years, we've massively expanded the areas in the planet that we have protected … in national parks, for example," he said. 

However, the UN report <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yd8l2v0u4jqptp3/AACpraYjOYWpTxAFv5H-2vrKa/1%20Global%20Assessment%20Summary%20for%20Policymakers?dl=0&amp;preview=Summary+for+Policymakers+IPBES+Global+Assessment.pdf&amp;subfolder_nav_tracking=1">notes</a>, protected areas currently cover only 15% of the Earth's land and freshwater areas and 7% of oceans. Meanwhile, an oft-cited goal from biologist Edward O. Wilson calls for setting aside half of the Earth's habitat for wild species. More-targeted protection could be largely effective, though —and easier to enact, said Haddad. 

"The best way to get closer to half the Earth protected is to protect the places that people care about and get benefit from," Haddad said. The extinction crisis looks apocalyptic — but there are solutions

For instance, so-called landscape corridors connect habitats, giving wildlife avenues to move and expand their populations. But these routes also conserve forests and habitats along waterways, providing water-quality benefits that people greatly value, Haddad said.

Habitat-preservation efforts, Pimm said, should target those species that rely on small geographic areas and thus face the greatest risks of extinction.

"Worldwide, we're actually doing a pretty good job of protecting the species with the smallest ranges, by setting up, as it were, boutique national parks," he said. "If you put protected areas in the right place, you can really do a lot to slow the rate of extinction."

Sustainable farming, fishing and more

Protected areas can't do all the work of habitat preservation, though; humanity also has to address the massive conversion of wild habitat for cropland and livestock grazing. As the human population balloons to a <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/world-population-prospects-2017.html">projected</a> 9.8 billion by 2050, food needs will push agricultural activities further into tropical forests and other vital habitats, the UN report noted.

The study declared the need for widespread changes to farming, including the adoption of sustainable practices, like water conservation on farms. This could also mean reducing the broad <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-4500-1_2">use of pesticides</a>, which claim scores of pollinators in the ongoing "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/magazine/insect-apocalypse.html">insect apocalypse</a>." Similarly, sustainable management of fisheries, waterways and other resources will aid species preservation, the report said, by, for example, dampening runoff pollution.

With changes to farming practices, society can meet the food needs of the global population and preserve habitat — all without demanding sacrifices in living standards, said Stephen Polasky, a coordinating lead author on the UN report and a <a href="https://umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a> ecologist.

"You can grow food, even to meet a larger population, on the current land," he said. "You don't have to expand agriculture into the Amazon." Doing so calls for more-efficient farming practices, including pairing crops with the sites most appropriate to them, Polasky said. The extinction crisis looks apocalyptic — but there are solutions

Consumption and population

The food system's extinction toll would drop, too, if people wasted less food, said Paul Ehrlich, a Stanford biologist. Forty percent of the U.S. food supply never gets eaten, among the highest rates anywhere, <a href="https://www.foodlogistics.com/sustainability/article/12338285/sustainability-in-the-food-supply-chain">Food Logistics</a> reported. And those uneaten meals make up just part of a bigger piece of the extinction problem: overconsumption, by more and more people, Ehrlich said. 

In fact, addressing consumption by all those folks, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/10/earths-sixth-mass-extinction-event-already-underway-scientists-warn">Ehrlich told The Guardian</a>, is the most important part of the extinction question. 

"The basic problem is too many rich people consuming too much," he told <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a>. Taking on consumption levels could mean eating less meat and moving away from fossil fuels, he said. On the individual level, people need to realize that they don't need a new computer every year or 20 pairs of shoes, Ceballos said. 

As consumption levels also largely depend on the number of people consuming, Ehrlich and Ceballos both point to population reduction as a fundamental (if controversial) piece of the extinction solution. The first step in shrinking population, they said, is granting full rights and greater employment and education opportunities to women globally, which would lower fertility rates.

"You could have a long-term livable planet with about a billion people," Ehrlich said. The UN report calls for "low-to-moderate" population growth. 

Climate, the law and species loss

The extinction and climate crises are intertwined, with warming and greenhouse gases threatening species by shifting livable habitats, acidifying ocean habitats and more. Solving climate will require international cooperation and transformative agreements, with the Paris Agreement a useful first step, Ceballos said. So, the extinction solution must also involve climate approaches like global carbon taxes and cap-and-trade systems, the UN report emphasized.

Similarly, extinction calls for legal and regulatory approaches to illegal timber and wildlife harvesting, along with quotas for overharvested fisheries, the report said. Regulations and conservation efforts should also aim to eliminate invasive species, the report added. 

The importance of laws and regulations in saving the planet's species underscores the need for people to get politically active, Ceballos said.

"We have to get more involved," he said. "We need to become actors. We need to look at this is the most important thing we can do for us and for our children."

--

By <a href="mailto:michael.dhar@gmail.com">Michael Dhar</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Sepp photography

The extinction crisis looks apocalyptic — but there are solutions

The extinction crisis looks apocalyptic — but there are solutions....

Gall midge insects have interesting relationships with the plants on which they lay their eggs. Newly hatched gall midge larvae burrow down into the plant stems of goldenrods and can stimulate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/love-vines-wasps-mummies/">the production of galls</a>. 

Galls are abnormals growths that can occur on the leaves, roots, stems or flowers of a plant and for the gall midge maggot, these galls provide shelter, food, and a place to lay eggs. 

Mike Wise, a researcher at <a href="https://www.roanoke.edu/">Roanoke College</a>, has been studying goldenrod galls and the maggots that emerge from them throughout his career. 

It was through dissecting thousands of galls that Wise discovered something extraordinary about the way newly hatched larvae flee to safety if their gall is compromised. 

“If their galls are damaged in nature, they need to scoot to have a chance at survival,” said Wise. 

The larva leaps into the air, circling in loops as it falls back down to the ground. Wise along with an expert on locomotion, Sheila Patek, investigated this surprising response. 

“I knew Sheila was an expert in cool mechanisms of locomotion, so I wanted her opinion,” said Wise. 

It took three years to film the Asphondylia maggots as they leaped into the air. The larvae are only three millimeters long, and what’s more, they only jump for a short time each year. 

Collecting enough larvae and perfecting a technique to film the leap in its entirety took a lot of time and patience. 

“We had to zoom in with the camera lens to see the animal clearly and then we had to operate within a small field of view on our computer screen,” said Grace Farley, a member of the research team. “We really had to work as a team and communicate’.

After filming enough maggots, the researchers discovered that the larva curls its body into a loop as it prepares to jump. Once both ends of the maggot’s body meet, the animal continues to compress its lower half until a kink starts to form which serves as a makeshift leg. 

This leg pushes off the ground and catapults the maggot into the air. This move may seem dangerous and costly energy-wise, but Gregg Sutton from the <a href="https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/">University of Lincoln</a> in the UK calculated that crawling was 28.75 times more costly than jumping. 

The researchers found the maggot can lock into a looped position thanks to microscopic hairs at both ends of its body. 

The study, published in the <a href="https://jeb.biologists.org/content/222/15/jeb201129">Journal of Experimental Biology</a>, helps shed light on this gravity-defying defense mechanism that maggots can use if their galls are damaged. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Journal of Experimental Biology, Farley, G. M., Wise, M. J., Harrison, J. S., Sutton, G. P., Kuo, C. and Patek, S. N., 2019

Maggots make gravity-defying loopy leaps to escape to safety

Gall midge insects have interesting relationships with the plants on...

In the depths of the ocean, some shark species are known to use fluorescence to produce beautiful patterns of green light that only other sharks can see. For the first time, researchers have identified a previously unknown group of small-molecule metabolites which activates biofluorescence among <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sharks-smaller-human-populations/">sharks</a>. 

"Studying biofluorescence in the ocean is like a constantly evolving mystery novel, with new clues being provided as we move the research forward," said study co-author Professor David Gruber, a marine biologist at <a href="https://www2.cuny.edu/">The City University of New York</a>.

"After we first reported that swell sharks were biofluorescent, my collaborators and I decided to dive deeper into this topic. We wanted to learn more about what their biofluorescence might mean to them."

[caption id="attachment_1876276" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/glowing-swell-shark.png"><img class="wp-image-1876276" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/glowing-swell-shark.png" alt="" width="650" height="183" /></a> Glowing swell shark. Image Credit: David Gruber, iScience[/caption]

The study was focused on two species of sharks: the swell shark and the chain catshark. The experts discovered that the skin of these sharks contains both light tones and dark tones. The analysis of chemicals from the skin revealed a type of fluorescent molecule that is only present in the lighter skin.

"The exciting part of this study is the description of an entirely new form of marine biofluorescence from sharks - one that is based on brominated tryptophan-kynurenine small-molecule metabolites," said Professor Gruber.

This mechanism is different from animals in the upper ocean like jellyfish and corals which commonly use green fluorescent proteins as mechanisms to transform blue light into other colors, explained Professor Gruber.

"It's a completely different system for them to see each other that other animals cannot necessarily tap into," added study co-author Professor Jason Crawford. "They have a completely different view of the world that they're in because of these biofluorescent properties that their skin exhibits and that their eyes can detect. Imagine if I were bright green, but only you could see me as being bright green, but others could not."

[caption id="attachment_1876278" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/glowing-chain-shark.png"><img class="wp-image-1876278" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/glowing-chain-shark.png" alt="" width="650" height="321" /></a> Glowing chain catshark. Image Credit: David Gruber, iScience[/caption]

The molecules serve other purposes as well, such as enabling the sharks to identify each other in the ocean, and may help to protect them against microbial infections.

"It is also interesting that these biofluorescent molecules display antimicrobial properties," said Professor Gruber. "These catsharks live on the ocean bottom, yet we don't see any biofouling or growth, so this could help explain yet another amazing feature of shark skin."

"This study opens new questions related to potential function of biofluorescence in central nervous system signaling, resilience to microbial infections, and photoprotection."

The research 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: David Gruber / iScience

How some sharks emit a green glowing light

In the depths of the ocean, some shark species are...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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</div></figure>







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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

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https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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

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

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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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