Humans often learn by watching two other people interact and then copying what fits the moment. A new study shows blue-throated macaws can do the same thing.



This ability, known as third-party imitation, suggests a more flexible kind of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-and-bees-are-capable-of-complex-social-learning/">learning</a> than simple mimicry. It points to social knowledge that spreads without direct teaching.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-parrots-learn">How parrots learn</h2>



The work was led by Esha Haldar at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (<a href="https://www.bi.mpg.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MPIB</a>) in Germany. She and colleagues tested whether parrots can learn by watching a conspecific, meaning a member of the same species, interact with a person.



Researchers define intransitive actions as movements that are not aimed at an object - for example, lifting a leg or fluffing feathers. This focus is important because it rules out shortcuts, ensuring the birds copy the movement itself rather than just the end goal.



Earlier tests in domestic dogs found no evidence of third-party imitation for such goal-less movements. The contrast helps frame what makes the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ecuadors-rare-red-faced-parrot-gets-a-new-home/">macaw</a> results notable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-macaws-are-masters-of-imitation">Macaws are masters of imitation </h2>



Two groups of blue-throated macaws took part and none had been trained to imitate on command. In total, the researchers ran 462 sessions of 10 trials each, which equals 4,620 trials.



Birds in the test group watched a trained macaw respond to human hand signals with one of five movements, including fluff, spin, vocalize, lift leg, and flap wings. After a brief pause, the observer bird received the same hand signal for up to 12 seconds.



Birds in the control group received the identical signals but saw no other bird perform the actions. Rewards were given only when the subject produced the correct movement after the signal.



Across the five possible actions, the test group learned more responses than the control group. They also reached the criterion faster and with greater accuracy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-imitation-in-birds">Imitation in birds</h2>



The test birds learned an average of 4.16 actions, while the control birds averaged 2.20. This difference was statistically significant and was matched by higher response accuracy and quicker learning in the observers that had watched the interaction.



“Our findings show that third-party imitation, even for intransitive actions, exists outside humans, allowing for rapid adaption to group specific behaviors and possibly cultural conventions in parrots,” noted Haldar. 



The control birds never mastered the flap wings movement, and the observers learned it last, indicating how unlikely that action was without demonstrations.



Some observers even copied an action briefly before receiving any signal or reward. Those spontaneous moments appeared for spin, fluff, or vocalize and were not reinforced.



Because the target movements were goal-less, explanations like goal copying or object enhancement fit poorly. The design therefore supports imitation of movement patterns within a social context.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adapting-to-local-routines">Adapting to local routines</h2>



Parrots are not only vocal mimics. A large <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-24335-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">survey</a> shows many species keep learning new vocalizations across their lives, and they use those sounds in rich social settings.



Training research also shows that parrots can learn by observing people interact with each other. The model rival <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8469950/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">technique</a> uses two human trainers to teach labels and concepts to African grey parrots, making observational learning a practical tool in the lab.



Wild parrots <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0049747" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">display</a> flexible social communication too. Orange fronted conures can address specific flock mates by imitating their contact calls, which shows how imitation can serve precise social goals.



The macaw experiment fits that broader picture of social minds. Learning from two others may help newcomers adapt to local routines quickly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parrots-must-learn-fast">Parrots must learn fast</h2>



In third-party tests with intransitive actions, household dogs did not copy the model. Those studies suggest dogs may rely more on objects or explicit training in such tasks, which makes intransitive movements harder to match without prior practice.



Parrots face different pressures in the wild, including frequent regrouping and shifting partners. Under those conditions, rapidly matching another bird’s movements could aid coordination and affiliation.



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



The sample was small and the action set was limited to five movements. That means follow up studies should scale up both the number of birds and the diversity of actions.



Related work points to another piece of the puzzle. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-parrots-in-the-illegal-wildlife-trade-with-dna-technology/">Macaws</a> also show automatic imitation in a separate experiment, where seeing a movement makes the same movement more likely even when it is not helpful.



Future tests can separate motivation from mechanism by varying the reward schedule or by using two birds as the interacting pair. Researchers can also probe whether observers track the human cue, the demonstrator, or both.



If third-party imitation helps birds synchronize with new partners, it could shape how social traditions form and stick. That is a strong reason to look for similar abilities in other parrots and then in wild settings.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-11665-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



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Parrots that learn like people: Macaws copy without being taught

Humans often learn by watching two other people interact and then copying what fits the moment. A new study shows blue-throated macaws can do the same thing. This ability, known as third-party imitation, suggests a more flexible kind of learning than simple mimicry. It points to social knowledge that spreads without direct teaching. How parrots learn The work was led by Esha Haldar at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (MPIB) in Germany. She and colleagues tested whether parrots can learn by watching a conspecific, meaning...

Many factors influence the plants that rabbits and other herbivores eat such as availability, abundance, and nutritional value. 

But now, researchers from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a> and the <a href="https://www.kew.org/">Royal Botanic Gardens Kew</a> have found that genome size also plays a role in herbivore food preferences. 

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, is the first of its kind to identify how genome size and the amount of DNA in a plant’s cells influences the diet of herbivores like rabbits. 

The researchers say that genome size should be included in ecological models to project how climate change and urban sprawl will impact both plant communities and the animals that eat them. 

The researchers surveyed grassland that was exclusively home to herbivores for the past eight years near London and analyzed plots that rabbits and invertebrates like snails and insects grazed on. 

Depending on the herbivore, the plants responded differently in the plots, and the researchers found that rabbits prefer plants packed with DNA while invertebrates seem to be specialists that prefer plants with smaller genomes. 

 “We demonstrate that genome size plays a role in influencing plant-herbivore interactions, and suggest the inclusion of genome size in ecological models has the potential to expand our understanding of plant productivity and community ecology under nutrient and herbivore stress,” said Andrew Leitch, the joint-lead author of the study. 

The reason rabbits prefer plants with larger genomes is because the plants have more nutritional value, according to the researchers. 

The study not only shows which plants herbivores prefer but also how plants <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-evolve-defenses-herbivores/">respond and recover after being eaten</a>.  

Genome sizes in plants dictate where the plants can thrive, and genomes are incredibly varied among plants. Understanding that plant DNA levels influence herbivore preferences is just another way to better monitor and study ecosystems. 

“We argue that genome size needs to be considered in ecological models that are describing ecological processes,” said Dr. Ilia Leitch, a co-author of the study. “The functionality of these ecological models is essential if we are to establish good policy to mitigate against the negative effects of climate change, changing land use, eutrophication of our environment and to conserve our endangered species.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rabbits prefer eating plants that are packed with DNA

Many factors influence the plants that rabbits and other herbivores...

IMG_3241

According to a new model produced by a collaborative team from <a href="https://www.caryinstitute.org/">Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies</a> and <a href="https://www.research.ibm.com/science-for-social-good/">IBM Research’s Science for Social Good</a> program, primate species that can harbor and potentially spread the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mosquitoes-zika-transmit-diseases/">Zika virus</a> are common and often live near people. The team successfully identified these species, showing that the recent and deadly Zika epidemic in the Americas could easily happen again. 

"When modeling disease systems, data gaps can undermine our ability to predict where people are at risk,” said lead author Barbara Han, a disease ecologist at Cary. “Globally, only two primate species have been confirmed positive for Zika virus. We were interested in how a marriage of two modeling techniques could help us overcome limited data on primate biology and ecology — with the goal of identifying surveillance priorities."

The team created their model by analyzing data on flaviviruses and primate species known to carry them. They then compared these primates’ traits to 364 global primate species and successfully identified known primate flavivirus carriers with 82% accuracy, and more specifically, primate species that are likely to carry Zika.

Their work was published March 19th in <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/epidemics">Epidemics</a>.

Primate species located in the Americas with Zika risk scores over 90% include the tufted capuchin (Cebus apella), the Venezuelan red howler (Alouatta seniculus), and the white-faced capuchin (Cebus capucinus) — each of which are species adapted to living among humans within developed areas. 

White-fronted capuchins (Cebus albifrons), commonly captured and kept as pets or used for live trade, and spider monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis), which are sometimes hunted for bushmeat, are also on the list.

[caption id="attachment_1869965" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/map.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869965" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/map.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="495" /></a> Geographic ranges of primates that are undetected Zika reservoirs. Image Credit: Han et al, 2019[/caption]

"These species are geographically widespread, with abundant populations that live near human population centers,” coauthor Subho Majumdar said. “They are notorious crop raiders. They're kept as pets. People display them in cities as tourist attractions and hunt them for bushmeat. In terms of disease spillover risk, this is a highly alarming result.”

"Like all pathogens, Zika virus has unique requirements for what it needs in an animal host,” Han continued. “To determine which species could harbor Zika, we need to know what these traits are, which species have these traits, and which of these species can transmit the pathogen to humans. This is a lot of information, much of which is unknown."

The team looked into 33 features of the 18 primate species that tested positive for carrying mosquito-borne flaviviruses, such as metabolic rate, gestation period, litter size, and behavior. These features were then studied again in relation to predicting Zika positivity. Analyzing was done via Multiply Imputed Chained Equations (MICE), a program that sets computer algorithms to search through datasets of organism traits and draw connections between organisms with similar or related traits. MICE also fills in “blanks” in the dataset with inferred information.

"This research was made possible by innovations provided by the broader scientific community,” Han added. “We relied on primate and pathogen data collected by hundreds of field researchers, and the base machine learning and imputation methods that we adapted in this research already existed. Partners at IBM Research took on a lion's share of the math and coding. It was an incredibly successful interdisciplinary collaboration — the kind we need more of if we want to find new solutions to complex problems."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main image credit: Carol Blyberg

Certain primate species at high risk of spreading Zika in the Americas

According to a new model produced by a collaborative team...

Huge swarms of butterflies known as “painted ladies” are captivating audiences in Southern California this month as they make their annual trip to the Pacific Northwest. Scientists estimate that there are millions of the bright orange <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/butterflies-evolved-similar-looking-mates/">butterflies</a> making the journey.

Arthur M. Shapiro is a professor of Evolution and Ecology at the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a> who has studied butterfly migrations in California for more than four decades. Professor Shapiro told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a> that rainfall in the deserts near the Mexican border caused plants to thrive, providing the painted lady caterpillars with plenty of food this year.

The butterflies appear to be on a mission as they sail through the air at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. In fact, they are so determined to reach their destination that they often collide with vehicles, leaving behind a glob of yellow body fat that had been stored up for the long trip.

“The striking thing is they’re moving very rapidly and directionally, so it’s almost like being in a hail of bullets,” said Professor Shapiro.

Monika Moore is a butterfly enthusiast who has a Facebook page called California Butterfly Lady. She described to the New York Times how the swarms of butterflies create a strange flight pattern as they travel close to the ground in a field and then high in the air over a building.  

“They’re in a hurry, like the rabbit in ‘Alice in Wonderland,’” said Moore. “They have a very important date.”

According to Professor Shapiro, if the painted ladies were on their normal schedule, they would have arrived in Northern California about a week ago. However, the butterflies seem to be lingering in Southern California. He told the New York Times that the butterflies may have slowed down and reproduced in the region since rainfall and plant growth has been abundant.

While this year’s number is significant, more than a billion butterflies are estimated to have made their way across California in 2005.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Millions of orange butterflies are speeding across Southern California

Huge swarms of butterflies known as “painted ladies” are captivating...

A new study into how alligators determine where sounds are coming from has revealed a surprise about the evolution of spatial hearing in reptiles and birds.

The shared common ancestor of alligators, other reptiles and their feathered cousins probably evolved spatial hearing – the ability to tell the location of a sound – independently of one another. 

For more than a decade, Dr. Catherine Carr of the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland, College Park</a> and Dr. Lutz Kettler of the <a href="https://www.tum.de/">Technische Universität München</a> have studied how spatial hearing evolved in reptiles and birds. 

Carr was part of a research team that discovered how alligators can have spatial hearing at all without external ears. That study revealed that alligators had evolved large, air-filled channels between their ears to make up for the problem. Like the neural maps, the channels gave a clue that alligators had developed spatial hearing far differently than mammals.

“Mammals usually have large moveable ears, but alligators do not, so they have solved the problems of sound localization a little differently. This may also be the solution used by the alligator's dinosaur relatives,” said Dr. Hilary Bierman, a co-author with Carr on the <a href="http://bbi.umd.edu/news/news_story.php?id=9388">2014 study</a>.

Kettler, on the other hand, has studied how spatial hearing works in barn owls. Like alligators, barn owls have an <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00422-016-0689-3">interaural canal</a> rather than external ears.

Now, working together, Carr and Kettler have analyzed how alligators determine the location of a sound. They found that their brains create a neural map to chart where a noise is coming from, much like barn owls and chickens – but unlike mammals.

As birds and reptiles are close relatives with a much more recent shared ancestor than either group shares with mammals, the similarities in how they analyze sound points to a separate evolution of spatial hearing, the researchers believe.

The study has been published in <a href="http://www.jneurosci.org/">Journal of Neuroscience</a>. Funding was provided by the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kyla.cathey@gmail.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Alligators evolved spatial hearing independent of mammals

A new study into how alligators determine where sounds are...

In yet another push to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-eases-safety-offshore-drilling/">promote fossil fuels over the environment,</a> David Bernhardt, the new Secretary of the Interior, is loosening restrictions on sage grouse in favor of oil and gas drilling. 

The ground-nesting bird is found in the western United States, and protections would be stripped from almost nine million acres of public land across Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, and some parts of California.

Loosening protections would make it easier for oil and gas companies to drill in sage grouse habitats. An early draft of the plan to roll back sage grouse habitat protection was first brought to the public’s attention in December.

The move is certainly in character for the Trump administration and falls in line behind a series of rollbacks and regulation changes that prioritize the economic gains of oil, gas, and fossil fuel emissions.

“The plans adopted today show that listening to and working with our neighbors at the state and local levels of government is the key to long-term conservation and to ensuring the viability of local communities across the West,” Bernhardt said in a statement on Friday.

Bernhardt, a former oil lobbyist, has been driving for sage grouse protections to be lifted as part of an effort to overhaul the Endangered Species Act, which was first established in 1973. Those in favor of limiting the Wildlife Protections law say that it does not do enough to factor in economic impact.

Environmentalists are critical of the Trump administration’s rollbacks and this new plan to drill where sage grouse nest is no exception.

“As part of its ongoing campaign to hand over public lands to fossil fuel companies, this administration is rolling back sage grouse protections that many stakeholders created together through a long and deliberative process,” House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rep. Raul Grijalva, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/15/politics/sage-grouse-final-rule-trump/index.html">CNN</a>. “It seems clear that Acting Secretary David Bernhardt's clients stand to gain more than anyone else from this revision.”

Only 1.8 million acres will keep their designation as “sagebrush focal areas” in Oregon and Montana, a move that could cause critical declines in sage grouse populations. 

“By punching oil-rig-sized loopholes through these plans, the administration will drive the sage grouse closer to an endangered species listing,” Jesse Prentice-Dunn, policy director for the <a href="http://westernpriorities.org/">Center for Western Priorities</a>, told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/climate/trump-sage-grouse.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">New York Times</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Trump admin to roll back sage grouse protections for oil drilling

In yet another push to promote fossil fuels over the...

The laysan albatross is an impressive bird.  It looks much like a giant seagull, colored white with dark gray wings and back and large webbed feet and a wing-span of six feet.  The albatross eats mainly squid but also fish and crustaceans it can scoop from the surface of the ocean. Mainly, the albatross is known as a seafaring wanderer, and drinks sea water and expels much of the salt through <a href="https://www.birdlife.org/europe-and-central-asia/seabirds-and-marine-what-are-seabirds">nasal glands</a> just above the eyes.  The salt oozing from the glands of albatross and other sea birds often makes them look as if they were crying, or just struck with an illness.  
Most of the bird’s life is spent far out at sea, 30 miles or more from land.  Because the bird only comes to land to breed and raise chicks each year, there is still much about the albatross’ life scientists don’t understand.  Most of the research of the laysan albatross as well as other sea birds focuses on the time they spend on or near land while nesting. Besides research, explorers to remote islands and the polar regions have <a href="https://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/24-2011-news-archive/816-they-dont-eat-albatrosses-do-they-an-excursion-into-the-culinary-literature">sometimes eaten albatross</a> chicks and their eggs, for necessity or for a nice change from ship rations.  Although eating albatross never gained widespread popularity, casual consumption like this helped lead to the extinction of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/lost-extinctions-animals/">dodo</a> and also prompted protection for all albatross species in the South Atlantic and other areas.  
The laysan albatross has an impressive range and individual birds are global travelers. According to the <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Laysan_Albatross/overview">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>, one laysan albatross was recorded as travelling from the Philippines to Midway Island, a trip of 4,120 miles.  Another albatross was recorded as travelling an average of nearly 350 miles per day to reach a nesting site on Midway.  

Midway Atoll itself is somewhat unique. Today the island is a national wildlife refuge managed by the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/midway_atoll/">US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service</a>, but historically it’s a remote island at the edge of the Hawaiian archipelago.  Midway is one of the world’s oldest atoll formations, meaning it was created by the top of a mostly underwater volcano where reefs systems and soils have aggregated to create a small island.  Part of <a href="https://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/">Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument</a>, the atoll is perhaps best known for Midway Battle in World War II.  Along with the laysan albatross, Midway Atoll is breeding habitat for 20 seabird species.  Together these birds make a nesting population of 3 million individual birds on Midway’s three islands.    

It’s not surprising that the birds would pick a place like Midway, the remote location of the island acts as a protective barrier between the birds and traditional predators that might attack birds, their eggs or their chicks, including humans.  The albatross actually colonized the remote islands in the Hawaiian archipelago after millions of birds were killed for feathers and lost breeding ground to military development, according to the <a href="https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/layalb/introduction">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>.  The oceans around Midway are also host to a thriving marine habitat, which supplies abundant food to the seabirds.  There are over 250 reef fish and invertebrate species found around midway. 

Each year, the laysan albatrosses on Midway dance an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1pJwOnYrs0">elaborate mating dance</a> facing each other with clattering bills and whistling calls, bobbing and tucking their heads under wings.  As part of the birds nesting on Midway, the laysan albatross population on Midway is the largest of any in the world.  According to <a href="https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/">BirdWatching</a>, 70% of the world’s laysan albatross population nests on Midway, along with almost a third of the world’s black-footed albatross.  Among the masses of birds and the huge laysan albatross population, one albatross is special.

<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/07/worlds-oldest-bird-lays-egg-wisdom-albatross">The Guardian</a> reports that in 1956, biologist Chandler Robbins first captured a female albatross and put an identification band around her ankle.  This is standard biological protocol, and according to the <a href="https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/homepage/howmany.cfm">USGS Bird Banding Laboratory</a>, an average of 1.2 million birds bandings are reported annually over the last decade.  There are over 8 million recorded bandings of seabirds, including the albatross from 1960 to February 18, 2019.  These numbers are only the birds banded by the US federal government, state agencies and even non-profit organizations can also band birds as well as, of course, foreign governments.  

Banding can be dangerous for birds; occasionally one gets injured being captured or banded.  It can also be stressful for biologists who don’t want to kill a bird or get a beak slash in their face but it’s the easiest way to verify the identity of individual birds.  All of this is pretty normal. What is out of ordinary is that the bird, a female laysan albatross now named Wisdom, is still alive. Wisdom outlived Chandler Robbins who died in 2017 at 98 years old.  The <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">USGS</a> estimates that Wisdom has flown some 6 million miles over her life.  For birds that range as far north as Alaska and as far south as Central America, this is a pretty normal distance to cover over time.  Even more impressive than her travels, Wisdom is still laying eggs. 

When Wisdom was captured for banding, Chandler Robbins estimated her to be roughly 5 years old, and if that estimate is correct, it would mean Wisdom is now about 68 years old.  This makes Wisdom the oldest known wild bird in the world. Wisdom, like all laysan albatrosses, didn’t start breeding until she was relatively old by bird standards – 8 or 9 years.  Since the first time Wisdom bred, she’s raised approximately 36 chicks to fledging over her years on Midway. With her long time mate, Akeakamai, she’s watching over a new egg that could lead to another successfully fledged chick and another laysan albatross to grace the world. 

Laysan albatrosses are slow to reach maturity though.  From the time an egg is laid, it takes as long as 66 days before the egg hatches.  It takes about 100 days after hatching for the young albatross to be ready to leave the nest and take to the sky and sea.  Because laysan albatrosses lay only one egg per breeding season, it’s an all or nothing proposition for the future of one more young albatross.         

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer          

Image Credit: USFWS - Pacific Region

The oldest known wild albatross becomes a mother again

The laysan albatross is an impressive bird.  It looks much...

A growing collection of studies is changing what we know about how T. rex looked, behaved, and even how the massive dinosaur sounded. The new evidence reveals how differently <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tyrannosaurus-rex-planted-fruit/">Tyrannosaurus rex</a> may have actually appeared as opposed to the image that has been presented in the past. 

Mark Norell is a curator at the <a href="https://www.amnh.org/">American Museum of Natural History</a> (AMNH), where a new exhibit has been introduced at the museum called “T. rex: The Ultimate Predator,” which highlights recent study findings. 

“Everyone's preconceived ideas of what T. rex acted like and looked like are going to be heavily modified,” Norell told <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Business Insider</a>. 

Tyrannosaurus rex was a dominant predator on the Earth during the late Cretaceous period between 68 million and 66 million years ago, just before the dinosaurs were all wiped out.

Among the revelations about T. rex, paleontologists have found that the enormous predators actually came into the world as small, fuzzy creatures about the size of a turkey. Scientists have also concluded that the adult T. rex was not just covered in scales, but also had a mullet of feathers on its head, neck, and tail.

Paleontologists have found that the majority of T. rex hatchlings did not survive, and infants had at least a 60 percent chance of being killed as a result of starvation, disease, or predators. The adults also had a shorter life expectancy, and the oldest known T. rex only lived to the age of 30.

According to AMNH paleontologists, no other animal has had a bite force that compares to T. rex, who could crush 7,800 pounds. While scientists believe that T. rex ate members of its own species, it is not clear whether they killed the dinosaurs or simply ate them because they were already dead.

Paleontologists have determined that the dinosaur had some of the largest eyes of any land animal that were about the size of oranges. The new model also portrays a T. rex with even smaller forelimbs and more prominent hind limbs than previously thought.

While T. rex has always been depicted as having dull colors, the AMNH exhibit suggests that T. rex would have been found in many bright colors just like the diverse reptiles we see today. 
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New evidence reveals the real T. rex had feathers and massive eyes

A growing collection of studies is changing what we know...

Salmon sharkPhoto: Scot Anderson, TOPP

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overfishing-history-conservation/">Overfishing</a> has become a major cause for concern, especially in the unregulated and historically challenging to monitor tracks of open ocean that host a high volume of shipping and fishing traffic. 

Efforts to map and monitor fishing vessels in recent years have created better pathways to manage and conserve threatened and at-risk fishing populations.

In a new study, researchers from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> created a map that identifies intersections between shark and tuna populations and fishing vessels. 

The ability to target areas where fishing vessels travel in shark and tuna habitats could help ensure that fishing operations keep fish hauls within sustainable limits and protect vulnerable species. 

“The high seas are the global commons of the oceans,” said Timothy White, the lead author of a study detailing the research. Analyses like this open the door to conversations about whether we think that the current mode of operation in the high seas is most equitable, most effective and most desirable.” 

The study was published in the journal Science Advances. 

To create the highly specified map, the researchers analyzed marine habitats of 800 sharks and tunas. 

The researchers drew on a 2018 study that used satellite tracking data to create a machine learning algorithm that mapped 70,000 fishing vessels around the world including details about fishing methods. 

With this study, the researchers focused on 900 vessels from 12 countries that fish in the northeast Pacific Ocean to map the overlap of fishing vessels and tuna and shark populations. 

The team combined the data on fishing vessel locations with ocean habitat data from the Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) tracking program which tagged and tracked 876 individual sharks and tunas. 

“The biggest challenge was in combining these very different datasets,” said White. “By adding the latest vessel tracking and machine learning techniques to the toolboxes of marine scientists, we were able to paint a clearer picture of how fish and fisheries interact, and this information can inform how our management strategies should reflect this.”

The results of the map showed that ships from Taiwan, China, Japan, the United States, and Mexico were responsible for 90 percent of fishing of seven shark and tuna species.

“These analyses have given us the chance to look more deeply into the dynamics of this ocean and see where managers and stakeholders should focus their attention," said Francesco Ferretti, a co-author of the study. “We need to push harder to preserve this corner of the planet because these are some of the best ocean environments in the world.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Scot Anderson, TOPP

New map tracks location of tunas, sharks, and ships in the Pacific

Overfishing has become a major cause for concern, especially in...

If you’ve ever wondered why your dog does quirky things like shaking their toys vigorously back and forth, digging in their blankets and bedding before laying down, or following you around the house everywhere you go, chances are it stems from an ancient behavior deeply embedded in their genome. 

Just like humans, dogs have inherited many quirks from their canine ancestors dating back to before and as a result of domestication.

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-dogs-bond/#">domestication of dogs</a> was a long process dating back 20,000 to 40,000 years ago, experts say. Canines didn’t instantly become man’s best friend but rather, as humans started forming permanent settlements, wild dogs and humans slowly formed a symbiotic and mutually beneficial relationship. 

For the dog, humans offered a guaranteed meal that required little expended energy unlike hunting and scavenging for food. For humans, dogs provided protection. Eventually, as dogs and humans evolved together, canine companionship evolved with it. 

Today, dogs are acutely attuned to their owners and surroundings, but before domestication, dogs were fierce opportunists and pack orientated, traits that have been watered down and dulled through the years. 

The silly behaviors that we find cute or strange once served a crucial purpose to aid in survival, so let’s break down some of the more entertaining and unusual quirks that our dogs do on a daily basis. 
<h3>Play</h3>
While you may think your dog has a strange affinity for squeaker toys and stuffed animals, the truth is, makers of dog toys are catering to some of our canine friend’s most primal hunting instincts. 

That squeak that your pet can’t get enough of? Well, with enough imagination, the squeak sounds like the high-pitch yelp of a dying animal after being stealthily hunted down, and that’s exactly what your dog’s ancestors did thousands of years ago. 

It’s hypothesized that the squeaker reminds <a href="https://vettedpetcare.com/vetted-blog/why-do-dogs-love-squeaky-toys/">dogs of an injured animal</a> and that it is also rewarding to cause a reaction out of a toy after biting down on it. 

Wild dogs and wolves rely on their keen hunting prowess and scavenging abilities to get food, and the quickest way to kill something if you’re a dog is by snapping the neck with a vigorous shake. This method is still used by wolves and other wild canine cousins today. 

This is why many dogs like to <a href="https://www.cuteness.com/blog/content/why-do-dogs-shake-their-toys">vigorously shake their stuffed animals during play</a>, their mimicking that instinctual neck snap. 

Your dog is obviously smart enough to know that his favorite stuffed animal isn’t food, but those instincts, once important for survival, run deep. 

It’s always smart to ensure that any new toy can withstand your dog's preferred play roughness and supervise them in case the toy does start coming apart. 

Let’s go back again in time and follow our dogs’ ancestors as they hunt and carry their prey back to their den. This behavior too has been preserved through the ages and could explain why your dog is obsessed with fetch, according to Katelyn Schutz, a certified professional dog trainer of <a href="https://wisconsinpetcare.com/dogs-fetch-katelyn-schutz-cpdt/">Wisconsin Pet Care</a>. 

“When you look at the domesticated dog’s closest relatives, such as the wolf or coyote, there is a natural canine behavior called ‘“prey-carrying,’” Schultz writes. “After a hunt, sometimes the wolf will carry the prey back to the den to be consumed safely with the pack, essentially ‘retrieving’ dinner for the family.” 

Some dogs have been specifically bred to hone in on this fetching instinct which is where breeds like retrievers come in, but even the average mutt won’t say no to a game of fetch with their favorite ball. 
<h3>Rest </h3>
Almost everything your dog does, including the way he or she sleeps, can be traced back to natural instincts. 

One peculiar bedtime behavior that you’ve probably noticed is your dog’s incessant scratching, pawing, digging, and turning in their bed or blankets before settling down for a nap. 

You could obviously and rightly assume that dogs do this to get comfortable, but there’s a little more to it than just creating the perfect place to nestle. 

“There has been some conjecture that digging at bedding, upholstered furniture or soft flooring (such as rugs or carpets) is akin to digging a hole or spreading bedding to make a nest,” Dr. Elizabeth Stelow, chief of animal behavior services at the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis,</a> told <a href="https://www.thedodo.com/close-to-home/why-do-dogs-scratch-carpet-bed-floor">The Dodo</a>. “This is the most likely purpose when the dog then lies down in the specific spot it was scratching.”

In the wild, scratching, digging, sniffing and circling are all ways to ensure that an area is safe, dry and, yes, comfortable. When a dog circles and paws at the ground, it helps to flatten the grass, shrubs, and leaves into a more suitable sleeping nest. 

Unfortunately for your comforters or your pup’s bed, this holdover from dog days of yore can wear out pillows and dog beds pretty quickly, especially if your dog likes to chew and destroy their fluffy surroundings. 
<h3>Pack Pups</h3>
Even the most healthy, well-adjusted and well cared for dog will still get a little downhearted when their owner isn’t around. And many a dog parent can attest to the needy behaviors their pets exhibit such as following their owner everywhere around the house. 

Our dog’s natural proclivity to function in a pack, combined with the long process of domestication that turned humans into crucial providers of food, safety, and love, help explain why our four-legged friends need to be with us as much as possible. 

At the base level, you, the owner, equal food and fun to your dog, so your dog is not going to let it’s meal ticket get too far away from its line of site. 

“Look at it from the dog’s point of view,” Erin Kramer, a professional certified dog trainer told the <a href="https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/advice/why-does-my-dog-follow-me-everywhere/">American Kennel Club</a>. “You might think you’re the cool one, but the person your dog is attached to is the road to everything wonderful and magical. The focus is on that person because of what they give access to.”

While once dogs were scrappy scavengers, rushing to the food bowl for kibble is about as primitive as it gets for most dogs today. 

Those same instincts that led to domestication, telling dogs that humans were trustworthy, are deep seeded into your dog’s brain. 

While sometimes this can lead to unhealthy separation anxiety, if your dog likes to stick by your side, it’s just doing what comes naturally and what dogs evolved to do. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Many of your dog’s quirky behaviors are inherited survival tactics

If you’ve ever wondered why your dog does quirky things...

Despite their abundance in north and central <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-strange-catfish-species/">South America</a>, bald-legged spiders have been found for the first time in Colombia. A total of six previously unknown species have been described by Dr. Carlos Perafan and Dr. Fernando Perez-Miles of the <a href="http://www.udelar.edu.uy/">Universidad de la Republica</a> and Dr. William Galvis of the <a href="http://unal.edu.co/">Universidad Nacional de Colombia</a>.

Four of the new spiders did not belong to any already existing genus, and the scientists created a new genus for them called Stormtropis after the clone trooper army Stormtroopers in Star Wars.

The bald-legged spiders are a family of only 11 small- to medium-sized species that look very similar to each other, and their placement in the Tree of Life has been long debated. The new bald-legged spider genus has been compared to the Stormtroopers due to their nearly identical appearance and their remarkable ability for camouflage.

“The stormtroopers are the soldiers of the main ground force of the Galactic Empire. These soldiers are very similar to each other, with some capacity for camouflage, but with unskillful movements, like this new group of spiders,” wrote the researchers. “We wanted to make a play on words with the name of the known genus, Paratropis, and of course, we also wanted to pay tribute to one of the greatest sagas of all time.”

One of the new species, Stormtropis muisca, has also set a new record for the highest altitude among the family. It was recorded from an elevation of at least 3,400 meters in the central Andes. However, the study authors will soon be publishing evidence of species that exist above 4,000 meters.

[caption id="attachment_1869719" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Stormtropis-muisca.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869719" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Stormtropis-muisca.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="501" /></a> Stormtropis muisca, Image Credit: Carlos Perafan[/caption]

The team found that not only are bald-legged spiders present in Colombia, but they are actually abundant there. The researchers documented several cases of various bald-legged species burrowing into ravine walls or soil, which is behavior that had not been previously reported.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://zookeys.pensoft.net/">ZooKeys</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: Carlos Perafan

New genus of Colombian spiders named after Star Wars Stormtroopers

Despite their abundance in north and central South America, bald-legged...

An international team of researchers has observed the use of shoreline rocks as “anvils” by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sea-otters-use-their-paws-whiskers/">sea otters</a> to break open shells. The researchers used archaeological evidence to identify patterns to better characterize and understand sea otter habitat use.

Sea otters are the only marine mammal to use stone tools, often using stationary rocks along the shoreline to crack open mollusks. A new study led by the <a href="https://www.shh.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History</a> has combined ten years of observations of sea otters with archaeological methods to analyze the use of the stationary rocks, also referred to as anvil stones.

The analysis of stones at the Bennett Slough Culverts site in California showed that mussels were the only prey for which the sea otters used anvil stones. The experts also identified a damage pattern that was distinguishable from what would be caused by human use. 

When they examined the mussel shells left around the stationary anvils, the researchers found an extremely consistent damage pattern. Two sides of the mussel shell were still attached, and there was a diagonal fracture running through the right side of the shell.

“The shell breakage patterns provide a novel way to distinguish mussels broken by sea otter pounding on emergent anvils from those broken by humans or other animals,” said study co-author Natalie Uomini. “For archaeologists who excavate past human behavior, it is crucial to be able to distinguish the evidence of sea otter food consumption from that of humans.”


[caption id="attachment_1869712" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Sea-otters-leave-a-distinct-pattern-across-rocks-they-use-as-tools.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869712" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Sea-otters-leave-a-distinct-pattern-across-rocks-they-use-as-tools.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="558" /></a> Image Credit: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Jessica Fujii. Haslam et al. 2019[/caption]

The team also used video surveillance to investigate the feeding behavior of sea otters at the site. The researchers determined that the otters held the shells evenly in both paws, but they tended to have their right paw slightly on top when striking the shell against the anvil.

“Our study suggests that stationary anvil use can be detected in locations previously inhabited by sea otters. This information could help to document past sea otter presence and diet in locations where they are currently extirpated,” explained study co-author Jessica Fujii of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

“More broadly, the recovery of past animal behavioral traces helps us to understand the evolution of behaviors like stone anvil use, which is rare in the animal kingdom and is extremely rare in marine animals. We hope that this study establishes a new path for the growing field of animal archaeology.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sea otters leave a distinct pattern across rocks they use as tools

An international team of researchers has observed the use of...

Raptors find a home in the city

“Of winged things the swiftest.” So Homer characterizes birds of...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

[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...

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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