In a fascinating new study, scientists documented 34 attempts by wild killer whales to give food to humans. These rare cases spanned four oceans and 20 years. Some happened near boats, others in open water or even from the shore. 



The events highlight the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/killer-whales-use-kelp-to-massage-and-groom-each-other/">orcas</a>’ possible interest in humans and raise important questions about whale intelligence, communication, and social behavior.



“Orcas often share food with each other - it’s a prosocial activity and a way that they build relationships with each other,” said study lead author Jared Towers, of <a href="https://baycetology.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bay Cetology</a> in British Columbia, Canada. “That they also share with humans may show their interest in relating to us as well.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-lives-of-killer-whales">Social lives of killer whales</h2>



Orcas live some of the most complex social lives in the animal kingdom. They stick together in tight-knit family groups called pods, usually led by an older matriarch. 



These family units aren’t just casual gatherings - they’re lifelong bonds. Calves stay with their mothers for life, swimming, hunting, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/photographer-captures-killer-whales-wearing-fish-hats/">playing together</a>. 



In some regions, pods form larger communities or clans that share unique vocal dialects, kind of like cultural accents passed down through generations. This tight social structure helps them coordinate during hunts and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/killer-whales-use-kelp-to-massage-and-groom-each-other/">protect each other</a> from threats.



But it’s not all business. Orcas socialize for the joy of it too. They engage in what clearly looks like play - tossing kelp, breaching dramatically, or nudging one another during underwater games. 



They form friendships beyond their pods and even flirt, showing preferences and personalities. These interactions suggest that orcas have emotional lives and a sense of identity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-orcas-gave-humans">What orcas gave humans</h2>



The 34 incidents involved six distinct populations of killer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-helps-humans-have-20-minute-conversation-with-humpback-whale-named-twain/">whales</a>. They offered humans a total of 18 species: six fish, five mammals, three invertebrates, two birds, one reptile, and even one piece of seaweed.



In 97 percent of these cases, the orcas waited for a human response. Some hovered for several minutes. 



On several occasions, they tried again when the humans ignored or returned the offering. In two especially curious cases, whales retrieved birds after humans returned them, only to offer them again.



This behavior could be a form of interspecies curiosity, communication, or even social learning. As the authors suggest, these events might represent "generalized altruism" - an advanced trait observed in only a few social animals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploration-more-than-play">Exploration more than play</h2>



Though play was observed in 38 percent of the interactions, the researchers argue most cases were not playful. The age of the whales varied widely, and many offered whole, fresh prey. 



In over 75 percent of ignored cases, the whales later used the prey for themselves or their group. This suggests the offerings had purpose and value, not just entertainment.



Curiosity-driven behavior, distinct from play, seemed a stronger motivator. As the study explains, animals often explore to reduce uncertainty. 



Offering food to humans might help orcas learn how we respond, just as they would with unfamiliar members of their own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/whales-blow-bubble-smoke-rings-near-humans-to-communicate/">species</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deep-social-intelligence-at-work">Deep social intelligence at work</h2>



Some whales returned the same item to humans multiple times. Others acted in pairs or small groups. 



Most of the 34 events involved a single whale separating from a larger group. This suggests the act was not for show. Rather, it might reflect the whale's individual decision to interact.



Interestingly, killer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-dolphin-brains-evolved-to-see-underwater-by-using-sound-echolocation/">whales</a> have also been documented cooperating with human fishers in places like Australia and Russia. The authors noted that this history could influence modern interactions, especially as human activity increases near their habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-whales-may-view-humans-as-companions">Whales may view humans as companions</h2>



Killer whales rank second only to humans in brain-to-body ratio. They also show advanced emotional and social behavior. 



These traits support complex social learning, reciprocal behavior, and possibly even empathy.



“Offering items to humans could simultaneously include opportunities for killer whales to practice learned cultural behavior, explore or play and in so doing learn about, manipulate or develop relationships with us,” the researchers wrote.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-humans-should-not-approach-whales">Humans should not approach whales</h2>



Despite the remarkable nature of these encounters, the researchers urge caution. Orcas can show complex and sometimes unpredictable behavior. 



While no wild killer whale has killed a person, some interactions have been intense. They warn against seeking out such encounters or encouraging the behavior without proper permissions.



Most of these whales belonged to populations that hunt near the surface and share prey frequently. 



No deep-water, fish-only populations were involved. This suggests that cooperative surface hunting may lead to more frequent and visible interspecies interactions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-minds-of-whales-and-humans">Complex minds of whales and humans</h2>



The findings challenge our assumptions about human-animal relationships. If orcas are experimenting with ways to relate to us, it means they recognize us not as threats, but as potential social partners.



These whales are not just predators. They are thinkers, observers, and maybe, in some way, explorers of culture, curiosity, memory, learning, and emotion. 



Their actions suggest complex minds in both whales and humans, capable of choice, empathy, and communication.



The study is published in the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-29805-001.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Comparative Psychology</a>. 



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Killer whales are attempting to bond with humans, according to scientists

In a fascinating new study, scientists documented 34 attempts by wild killer whales to give food to humans. These rare cases spanned four oceans and 20 years. Some happened near boats, others in open water or even from the shore. The events highlight the orcas’ possible interest in humans and raise important questions about whale intelligence, communication, and social behavior. “Orcas often share food with each other - it’s a prosocial activity and a way that they build relationships with each other,” said study lead author Jared...

Koko the gorilla, famous for her sign language skills, died at age 46 in her sleep, according to the <a href="https://www.koko.org/">Gorilla Foundation</a>. 

From her love for her pet cats to her ability to sign over 1,000 words and understand 2,000 words in the English language, Koko captivated the hearts of many. 

“Her impact has been profound and what she has taught us about the emotional capacity of gorillas and their cognitive abilities will continue to shape the world,” the <a href="https://www.koko.org/gorilla-foundation-sad-announce-passing-our-beloved-koko">Gorilla Foundation </a>said in a release detailing the events of her death. 

Koko was born in 1971 at the San Francisco Zoo on July 4th, a date that inspired her name Hanabi-Ko which is Japanese for Fireworks Child. 

Francine “Penny” Patterson started working with Koko while she was a graduate student in 1972. Patterson, an animal psychologist began teaching Koko sign language and soon the western lowland gorilla was a national sensation. 

Koko’s abilities were unmatched and she proved that primate’s had far superior cognitive capabilities than was thought possible. 

In 2012, Koko amazed yet again when she played the recorder, which according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/06/21/622160278/koko-the-gorilla-dies-redrew-the-lines-of-animal-human-communication">NPR</a>, was something that researchers thought was impossible because it was assumed primates couldn’t control their breathing. 

In 1974, Patterson along with Ronald Cohn, a fellow researcher who worked closely with Koko established The Gorilla Foundation, and Koko has since been an ambassador for gorillas, raising awareness about the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-gorillas-comeback/">critically endangered group of species</a>. 

Koko was featured in <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/">National Geographic</a> twice and a mirror selfie that Koko took herself was featured on the cover. 

One of the things Koko was most well known for, besides her sign language and kind nature, was her affinity and love for kittens. Koko was given a cat for her birthday which she named All Ball. 

“The cat was a Manx and looked like a ball,” <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/koko-gorilla-sign-language-death-988302?spJobID=1050861497">Cohn told Newsweek</a>. “Koko likes to rhyme words in sign language.”

Koko cared for the kitten, nurturing her and playing with the cat whenever she could. When All Ball died, Koko was reportedly distraught but was soon given more cats to care for through the years. 

Those critical of Patterson’s work have suggested that Koko did not actually understand the words she was singing, but instead was just copying the behavior of her caretakers.

Whether or not Koko was an excellent mimic or truly had a grasp for language, her interaction with humans and other species shows a profound ability for communication. 

Koko has left a lasting impression and she will be greatly missed by those who have followed the gorilla’s journey and milestones. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 
Image Credit: Photographer: Ron Cohn, Courtesy of <a href="https://www.koko.org/">The Gorilla Foundation</a>

Koko, beloved sign language gorilla, dies at 46

Koko the gorilla, famous for her sign language skills, died...

Nothing has quite captured our fascination for the age of the dinosaurs like the T-Rex. 

When you think about Tyrannosaurus Rex, you probably conjure an image of a fierce, huge predator with rows of razor-sharp teeth. 

But a new study has found that even though popular culture tends to depict dinosaurs with long lizard-like tongues that can lash out, this wouldn’t have been possible for the T-Rex. 

New fossil evidence shows that T-Rex tongues were rooted to the bottoms of their mouths, similar to alligators. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> and <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">the Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> and published in the journal PLOS ONE. 

By examining the hyoid bones, the bones that support the tongue, of extinct dinosaurs and comparing them to modern birds and alligators, the researchers found that T-Rex tongues and hyoid bones would not have allowed for much movement. 

It’s well known that birds are the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-skull-dinosaurs-birds/">closest living relative of the dinosaur, </a>and so bird bones can shed insight about the evolution from dinosaurs to a diverse group of feathered and winged species capable of flight.

“Tongues are often overlooked. But, they offer key insights into the lifestyles of extinct animals," said Zhiheng Li, the study’s lead author. 

The researchers took high-resolution images of the hyoid muscles and bones from three alligators and 13 different species of bird and compared these to fossils of pterosaurs and Tyrannosaurus Rex. 

Even though dinosaurs in movies and TV are often made to look like giant reptiles with the slithering tongue to match, the study shows that current T-Rex and dinosaurs reconstructions are inaccurate. 

“They've been reconstructed the wrong way for a long time,” said  Julia Clarke, a co-author of the study. “In most extinct dinosaurs their tongue bones are very short. And in crocodilians with similarly short hyoid bones, the tongue is totally fixed to the floor of the mouth.”

The study also links tongue mobility and diversity to the evolution of flight in birds because pterosaurs and modern birds today have such a wide range of hyoid bone shapes. 

As birds evolved, they had to adjust to losing hands and arms in place of wings, and tongues could have evolved as a way to compensate for this loss in agility. 

“If you can't use a hand to manipulate prey, the tongue may become much more important to manipulate food,” said Li. “That is one of the hypotheses that we put forward.”

Tongues and hyoid bones can tell reveal a lot about a species beyond just correcting a long-standing assumption of what dinosaurs looked like and how they moved. The research could aid in future studies that aim to better understand the evolution of birds. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

T-rex tongues were anchored to the bottom of their mouths

Nothing has quite captured our fascination for the age of...

For the first time, researchers have found that horses can perceive human emotion through facial expressions and voice tones. This recognition was demonstrated by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/horses-remember-human-expressions/">horses</a> regardless of whether an individual was familiar to them.

Horses have a long history as working animals and also as companions, forming close bonds with humans like dogs and other pets. It has been well documented that dogs can pick up on human emotions through facial expressions and voices, but until now it was not clear if horses perceived human feelings the same way.

A team of researchers used the expectancy violation method to find out. This particular method has been used to study cognitive development among infants.

Horses were shown a picture of a happy facial expression or an angry facial expression on a screen, followed by a pre-recorded human voice coming from a speaker behind the screen that was either praising or scolding.

Horses were presented with some facial expressions and voice tones that matched, which is referred to as the congruent condition, and others that did not, known as the incongruent condition.

The study revealed that horses responded to the voices up to two times faster when presented with the incongruent condition compared to the congruent condition. This was found to be the case regardless of familiarity with the individual.

In addition, the horses looked at the speaker 1.4 times longer in the incongruent condition than in the congruent condition when the person was familiar. 

The results of the analysis indicate that horses integrate human facial expressions and voice tones to perceive human emotions. Because of this, when horses heard a human voice whose emotional value did not correspond with the human facial expression, they responded to the unanticipated violations of their expectations.

Ayaka Takimoto is an associate professor in the Department of Behavioral Science at <a href="https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/">Hokkaido University</a>.

“Our study could contribute to the understanding of how humans and companion animals send and receive emotional signals to deepen our relationships, which could help establish a better relationship that emphasizes the well-being of animals,” said Professor Takimoto.

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

Image Credit: Ayaka Takimoto

Horses can sense human emotions through facial expression, voice

For the first time, researchers have found that horses can...

Roughly 570 million years ago, life on Earth began a drastic transformation and for the first time, we can now see evidence of a diverse group of species in the fossil record. This period of history is called the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oldest-animal-fossil-footprint-on-record-discovered-in-china/">Cambrian Explosion</a> because of how quickly different species evolved. 

Researchers are still discovering new fossils that shed further insight into this time on Earth, and a new study examining the fossil of a nude sea creature provides answers to an old mystery about where the species belongs.

[caption id="attachment_1215635" align="aligncenter" width="709"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Cambrian-fossil-full.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-1215635" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Cambrian-fossil-full-709x1024.jpg" alt="" width="709" height="1024" /></a> Image Credit: Derek Siveter/Tom Harvey/Peiyun Cong[/caption]

Discovered by a team of scientists from the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/">University of Leicester</a>, <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">the University of Oxford </a>and <a href="http://www.ynu.edu.cn/English/home.htm">Yunnan University,</a> China, the fossil is from a group of animals called chancelloriids. 

Because of their long tube shape, chancelloriids are often compared to sponges. However, scientists have been unwilling to classify them as such because chancelloriid spines are different from today's modern sponges. 

Chancelloriids first appeared during the Cambrian Explosion but went extinct soon after. 

The new chancelloriid fossil species, called Allonia nuda, allowed researchers to better understand the animals and give them a place on the phylogenetic tree of life. 

Allonia nuda was found in the Chengjiang deposits of Yunnan, Province China, an area rich with fossils from the Cambrian Period. 

The species could have measured 50 centimeters or more but had very few tiny spines, and its nude coloring led the researchers to think that more fossils may be “hiding in plain sight.” 

Although the Allonia nuda spine is different from sponges, the pattern of body growth is similar to some modern sponges which supports the original proposal that the species belongs in the sponge family. 

“Fossil chancelloriids were first described around 100 years ago, but have resisted attempts to place them in the tree of life,” said Tom Harvey, an author of the study. “We argue that their pattern of body growth supports a link to sponges, reinvigorating an old hypothesis. We're not suggesting that it's "case closed" for chancelloriids, but we hope our results will inspire new research into the nature of the earliest animals.”

The results, published in the Royal Society journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, show how important classifying early fossils is to understanding early animal evolution. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Derek Siveter/Tom Harvey/Peiyun Cong

New Cambrian Explosion fossil may be an early relative of sponges

Roughly 570 million years ago, life on Earth began a...

When a male <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/peacock-plumage-display/">peacock</a> shakes his extravagant tail feathers, he makes sure that it is known. A new study has revealed that the broadband sounds produced by male peacocks when they are showing off to attract mates actually shake the feathers of female peacocks.

While the exact mechanism behind this mating strategy is not yet known, scientists have demonstrated that the crest of feathers on the female's head clearly responds.

After taking the the first-ever biochemical measurements of the crest of female peacocks, the researchers found that these feathers are connected to smaller feathers which behave like sensors to trigger the response.

“When peacock wing-shaking courtship behavior was simulated in the laboratory, the resulting airflow excited measurable vibrations of crest feathers,” wrote the researchers.

“These results demonstrate that peafowl crests have mechanical properties that allow them to respond to airborne stimuli at the frequencies typical of this species' social displays.”

In previous studies, scientists discovered that male peacocks shake their feathers at a specific resonant frequency that is not only energy efficient but also hypnotizes the females. The eye spots appear to be motionless while the large feathers vibrate at high speeds, which has a mesmerizing effect on potential mates.

For the current study, a team led by Roslyn Dakin at the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> captured the “train-rattling” rituals of the males using high-speed video. 

When they played back the sounds, they found that peacocks rattle their tail feathers at an average of 25.6 Hertz, which produces a pulsating mechanical sound. The researchers also noted that males with longer train feathers required more muscular effort because they had to shake faster.

“Charles Darwin observed that peacocks vibrate their feathers during courtship, but it took this multidisciplinary team of scientists to characterize the dynamics of this behavior,” said study co-author Suzanne Kane.

The experts believe that the “mechanosensory stimuli could complement acoustic and visual perception of social displays in peafowl and other bird species,” and propose further research to test this theory.

While this study has not yet been peer-reviewed, a <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/06/08/197525">preprint</a> is available.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Male peacock courtship display causes female feathers to vibrate

When a male peacock shakes his extravagant tail feathers, he...

Researchers are reporting that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secret-language-dogs-gestures/">dogs</a> may have been man's best friend in America more than 10,000 years ago. Remains that were uncovered in Illinois in the 1960s are now believed to be over a thousand years older than previously realized.

Two skeletons found at the Koster site in Illinois have been analyzed along with a third skeleton from the Stillwell site, which represents the oldest known evidence of dog domestication on the continent. The results of the study indicate that dogs were domesticated in America around 10,500 years ago.

According to the researchers, the three sets of remains were found to be complete and well-preserved, suggesting that they had been buried with care. The ancient skeletons collectively represent “the oldest intentional, individually-buried dogs known in the worldwide archaeological record.”

While the ancient fossils mark a pivotal point in America, they also introduce questions that prompt further research. The experts explained that there is a 6,000-year gap between how far back the remains can be traced and when domesticated dogs were thought to have first been introduced to North America. 

“The 6,000 year discrepancy between the timing of initial human migration into the Americas and the earliest evidence for domesticated dogs suggests either earlier dogs are going unseen or unidentified or dogs arrived later with a subsequent human migration,” said the researchers.

They explained that the first domestication of dogs probably occurred in Eurasia by 16,000 years ago, “with the initial peopling of the Americas likely happening around the same time.”

“The arrival of dogs into the Americas has important cultural and ecological implications,” wrote the study authors.

“Dogs were the first invasive species (along with humans) and domesticate in the Americas, potentially impacting populations of small mammals through predation, other species of Canis through hybridization, and other carnivores through transmission of diseases or competition.”

The study is set to be published soon in a peer-reviewed journal.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dogs were domesticated in America over 10,000 years ago

Researchers are reporting that dogs may have been man's best...

While incubating their eggs, birds are unable to move when faced with attacks and must learn how to cope. A new study published by the <a href="http://www.americanornithology.org/">American Ornithological Society</a> has revealed the impact of blood-feeding black flies on water-diving birds known as Common Loons.

The 25-year investigation was focused on over 2,000 nests of Common Loons in northern Wisconsin. The study has demonstrated that the pests are not only detrimental to pair success, but also to the overall populations of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-feeders-helping-birds/">birds</a>.

The team monitored the nests and tracked individuals to analyze each bird’s behavior, nesting success, and interaction with black flies.

The researchers found that, when the black fly concentration around an individual bird was particularly high, loon incubation time decreased while the birds increasingly abandoned their nests. The experts also discovered that nest abandonment could be predicted by three main factors: lake size, female age, and wind. 

According to researchers, the nest was more likely to be abandoned when the lake was smaller, the females were older, and the distance that the wind had to travel across the water to reach the nest was greater. 

When the black fly outbreaks were severe enough for a nest to be abandoned, a second nesting attempt was made following the peak of the outbreak. Unless the nest was destroyed, the second nest was likely to be in the original location. If there was no nest to rebuild, however, the birds chose a new nesting site.

“Black flies, which we think of as a nuisance and no more, actually impact population reproductive success,” said study lead author Walter Piper. 

“This was a matter of studying an animal for 25 years and almost ignoring one aspect of their biology - until you finally look straight at that aspect of biology and realize it's crucially important!” 

“Loons get slammed by black flies, but they make a very good response by reusing the nest sites where the flies hounded them, instead of abandoning those sites altogether - as they do when raccoons get their eggs. This makes sense, because the raccoons are their main enemies (that is, egg predation is a more severe problem then black flies), and a safe nesting site from raccoons is a vital resource.”

Jeb Barzen ia an ecologist with Private Lands Conservation who was not involved in the research. Barzen explained that this is one of the first studies to examine the negative influence of black flies on a population of birds rather than on individuals alone. 

“By studying a marked population of loons for almost a quarter century, it is possible to determine the stochastic influence of black fly outbreaks on the population as well as understand the nuances of how these mechanisms might work,” said Barzen.

“Black flies severely reduce reproductive effort of loons periodically but not every year, a finding that is important to understanding the population dynamics of this iconic species. The more subtle examination of individual response to black flies provides insight into differences in how males and females, as well as individuals in different habitats and individuals of different ages, respond to black fly infestations.”

“Collectively these results inform ecologists and managers alike in issues relevant to the conservation of loon populations and other long-lived, territorial bird species.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.americanornithology.org/content/auk-ornithological-advances">Auk: Ornithological Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Linda Grenzer

Birds deal with common pests in their homes, too

While incubating their eggs, birds are unable to move when...

Livestock is the single largest user of land resources in the world, as the land used for the production of feed represents almost 80 percent of our planet’s total agricultural land – according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Beyond just land usage, production of these crops is a major contributor to global pollution, and is often tied to significant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/palm-oil-deforestation-emissions/">deforestation</a> and biodiversity loss.

Unfortunately, as the world’s population grows – estimated to exceed 9 billion by 2050 – demand for livestock will only increase. But a possible solution to this large-scale problem may come in a small-scale form. A recent study in <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a> postulates that bacteria could be used to efficiently produce large amounts of microbial proteins, which may actually be able to replace some of the crops currently grown to feed livestock. 

Microbial proteins were first produced on an industrial scale using methane in the 1970s. But with advances in technology and a growing demand, researchers Benjamin L. Bodirsky, Ilje Pikaar, and colleagues decided to analyze the long-term effects that incorporating microbial proteins may have on land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and reactive nitrogen pollution. 

They performed this analysis using an advanced computer model to generate projected land-use and agricultural-production patterns. The researchers tested 48 different scenarios, which suggest that by 2050, microbial proteins produced using hydrogen and other gas feedstocks could replace 175 to 307 million tons of crop-based animal feed annually, or as much as 10 to 19 percent of conventional crop-based livestock feed protein demand.

In their study, the researchers state that this move to microbial proteins is capable of having a significant global impact. In replacing just 13 percent of the protein in feed with microbial proteins, their results project that worldwide cropland usage could be reduced by 6 percent, global nitrogen losses from croplands by 8 percent, and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent. Overall, it appears that pushing for microbial proteins in livestock feed would be a wise move if we want to slow down our destruction of this planet.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New solutions to feed livestock and reduce land use, pollution

Livestock is the single largest user of land resources in...

Same sparrow songs have been passed down for hundreds of years. Researchers at <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University</a> have found a species of birds that has a tradition of passing songs down from one generation to the next. According to the experts, the time-honored songs of swamp sparrows are as long-lasting as some human traditions.

The team found that the species’ songs have been passed along for hundreds of years, and some songs date back even further. 

Study first author Robert Lachlan is a professor of Psychology at <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a>. “According to the models, some of the songs could go back as far as the Vikings,” said Lachlan.

Swamp sparrows can be found in the marshes and wetlands across eastern and central North America. The songs, which are comprised of two to five repetitive notes, are used by the sparrows to attract mates.

Decades back, scientists reported that swamp sparrows living in different places sing slightly different songs with varied numbers of patterns or notes. Young birds learn the local songs in the first weeks of life by imitating their elders.

Similar cultural traditions have been observed in a variety of other animals as well, but it has been commonly believed that human traditions are more likely to endure over time. The researchers set out to test this theory, and recorded the songs of 615 male swamp sparrows across New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

By measuring and analyzing each song with computer software, the scientists identified 160 types of songs across the bird populations. Each male was found to perform only a few specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbird-learn-new-songs/">songs</a>.

The researchers developed a mathematical model that simulates how each new song type spreads within groups over time in order to establish how young sparrows decide which songs to learn as well as which birds to imitate.

The study revealed that young birds replicate the most popular songs that can be heard the most often, a phenomenon Lachlan referred to as a “conformist bias.” 

In addition, the sparrows are very dedicated to imitating the songs accurately, and were found to match the notes and patterns of the songs 98 percent of the time.

The findings of the research demonstrate that the songs of swamp sparrows are not short-lived trends, but are faithfully handed down for generations. The researchers estimate that some song types have persisted among this species for at least 500 years.


Study co-author Stephen Nowicki is a professor of Biology at Duke.

“The longstanding stable traditions so characteristic of human behavior have often been ascribed to the high cognitive abilities of humans and our ancestors,” said Professor Nowicki. “But what we're showing is that a relatively simple set of rules that these songbirds are capable of following can achieve equally lasting traditions.”

“We're not saying that birds have anything akin to human culture,” said Lachlan. “It shows that just those two ingredients - a preference for popular songs, and the ability to copy them - can get you quite a long way to having stable complex culture.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Robert Lachlan

Same sparrow songs have been passed down for hundreds of years

Same sparrow songs have been passed down for hundreds of...

Biodiversity is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/biodiversity-key-measure-success/">crucial</a>, not only for the health and success of an ecosystems’ food chain, but also for our understanding of how species interact and what factors drive population declines. 

The term “biodiversity” refers to the number of different species in an ecosystem or environment. But habitat degradation from cities, infrastructure and agriculture have had a significant hand in reducing biodiversity in many areas. 

Now, a new study shows that climate change will have an even greater impact on biodiversity than habitat degradation, and reptiles will be the hardest hit, more so than birds and mammals. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University of College London</a> conducted the study which was published in the journal Royal Society Proceedings B. 

Already, land use from agricultural operations and development has reduced biodiversity by over 10 percent. When species loss is more than 20 percent, it can significantly weaken an ecosystem and this is already estimated to have occurred in many areas across the globe. 

The new study takes into account both land use and the projected impacts of climate change to see how biodiversity will be affected in the future. 

The researchers found that by 2070, climate change could exceed land use in regards to its impact on vertebrates. 

Climate change alone is predicted to cause one-tenth of all vertebrate communities to go extinct, but combined with land use, vertebrate biodiversity could decrease as much as 40 percent. 

Future studies that examine biodiversity need to consider both land use and climate change in order to best predict species loss. 

“This is the first piece of research looking at the combined effects of future climate and land use change on local vertebrate biodiversity across the whole of the land surface, which is essential when considering how to minimise human impact on the local environment at a global scale,” said Tim Newbold, an author of the study. “The results show how big a role climate change is set to play in decreasing levels of biodiversity in the next few decades and how certain animal groups and regions will be most affected.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change will soon impact biodiversity more than land use

Biodiversity is crucial, not only for the health and success...

The polar bear stranded on an iceberg has become the synonymous with climate change, so much so that it could be considered the unofficial mascot. 

Sea ice in the Arctic is thinning and melting leading to longer warmer seasons. For polar bears, who depend on this ice to travel and hunt, the thinning ice means more time swimming and walking to get food. 

Polar bears are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/polar-bears-eat/">getting less and less food</a> as climate change takes its hold which has many researchers concerned because of how much energy polar bears use while hunting.

Research from the 1970s and 1980s suggested that polar bears have to eat more food than other similarly sized animals to stay warm in their environment. 

A new study, however, shows that actually polar bears are efficient travelers and consume the same amount of energy as grizzly bears and other large animals when they walk. 

The results, published in the <a href="http://jeb.biologists.org/content/221/12/jeb175372">Journal of Experimental Biology</a>, will help conservation and management efforts to ensure the survival of polar bears because they can now accurately estimate how much energy polar bears need to stay alive

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">United States Geological Survey</a> and <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">the University of California, Santa Cruz</a> conducted a study comparing the energy consumption of polar and grizzly bears. 

First, the team trained bears to walk on a treadmill in an enclosed chamber. This allowed the researchers to measure how much oxygen the bears consumed while walking which could then be used to calculate energy use. 

“Finding foods that the polar bears would be highly motivated to walk for was challenging,” said Terrie Williams, a co-author of the study. 

The grizzly bears, on the other hand, had no problem adjusting to the treadmill. 

“They just bowled right in; they did not care if the treadmill moved fast or slow, all they cared about were the training treats,” said William. 

The researchers found that when walking at speeds up to 4.6 kilometers per hour, both the polar and grizzly bears consumed the same amount of energy, and this wasn’t any more than other large animals. 

Polar bears also had similar metabolic rates to other large animals, and when the researchers observed and monitored wild polar bears in Alaska, the bears didn’t move any differently to the captive polar bears used in the study. 

The results show that polar bears move efficiently while they walk, but with the encroaching threats from climate change, the results do not change the fact that polar bears are struggling to get enough food every year. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Polar bears can efficiently consume energy while walking

The polar bear stranded on an iceberg has become the...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.salford.ac.uk/">University of Salford</a> in Manchester have uncovered some of the hidden messages behind the body language of dogs. The researchers have identified 19 different gestures and have interpreted what the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-disease-avocado-trees/">dogs</a> are often requesting when they use these signals.

The team analyzed video footage of 37 dogs interacting with their owners on a daily basis. The study revealed that different dogs use different gestures to get the same message across. The researchers also found that dogs will use a variety of signals to make a request when the first gesture is not acknowledged.

The experts identified many different signals that indicate a dog is hungry including lifting a paw, licking, and jumping up and down. When asking to be scratched, a dog would roll over on his back or move its head forward in the direction of a person's hand. 

Standing on their hind legs indicated that the dogs wanted owners to play with them. The animals also asked their owners to play with a gentle chomp on the arm.

In order to request a toy, some dogs were seen rubbing their heads on an owner or an object. Other dogs indicated that they wanted a toy by lifting a single front paw and briefly touching a person or an object.

The most commonly-used signal recognized in the investigation was the “head turn,” which is when the dogs looked from a human to an object that they were interested in. In the video footage analyzed for the study, this object was usually a food dish.

The researchers determined that the head turn gesture suggests that dogs are “potentially adept at using referential communication.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/10071">Animal Cognition</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The secret language of dogs is revealed through their gestures

Experts at the University of Salford in Manchester have uncovered...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



---



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

News coming your way