Before there were dinosaurs, before trees covered the land, fish were already hard at work shaping Earth’s future. They did this with a single powerful innovation: jaws.



Jaws weren’t just for biting. Fish used them for all sorts of tasks - cracking shells, digging into the seafloor, defending themselves, and even carrying their young.



This one tool gave early vertebrates - including our distant ancestors - a huge advantage. But not all fish jaws evolved the same way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-twist-in-fish-jaw-evolution">Surprising twist in fish jaw evolution</h2>



Roughly 400 million years ago, fish ruled the seas. Two big groups stood out: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coelacanth-ngamugawi-wirngarri-new-species-living-fossil-fish-survived-over-400-million-years/">lobe-finned fishes</a> and ray-finned fishes. 



Lobe-finned fishes had fleshy, muscular fins that helped them move in different ways. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/319-million-year-old-fish-holds-clues-about-brain-evolution/">Ray-finned fishes</a> had lighter, more flexible fins supported by thin spines.



Today, ray-finned fishes dominate the oceans, rivers, and lakes. They include about 33,000 species - from goldfish to tuna. 



Lobe-finned fishes, on the other hand, are nearly extinct. Only eight species are known to exist today, including the coelacanth and the lungfish. But a new study from the <a href="https://umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Michigan</a> flips the story.



The research shows that between 359 and 423 million years ago, lobe-finned fishes were the ones leading the evolutionary race. 



Their jaws were changing fast, adapting in all sorts of new ways. Meanwhile, the ray-finned fishes were evolving far more slowly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finding-answers-in-ancient-jaw-bones">Finding answers in ancient jaw bones</h2>



The researchers used CT scans to create 3D models of 86 fossilized fish jaws from the Silurian and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/at-least-two-of-earths-mass-extinctions-caused-by-massive-supernova-explosions/">Devonian Periods</a> - dating back to around 443 million years ago. That’s older than the first forests.



The team digitally mapped these jaws to study both their shape and how they worked. To measure the strength of a fish's bite, they calculated something called mechanical advantage.



Emily Troyer is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan and lead author of the study. She explained that essentially, the higher the mechanical advantage of the jaw, the stronger the bite force.



The results showed something no one expected. "This is a really striking result, primarily because <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lungfish-genome-discovery-explains-how-fish-first-walked-onto-land/">lungfish</a> and coelacanths today are represented by only eight living species, with not much jaw diversity going on," Troyer said. 



"However, if we look back in time 400 or so million years, we see this striking inversion. During the Devonian, we have a lot more species and a lot more innovation within their jaws." 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dipterus-fish_whole-skeleton_credit-Troyer-UMichigan_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dipterus-fish_whole-skeleton_credit-Troyer-UMichigan_1s.webp" alt="Whole skeleton of Dipterus, an extinct lungfish from the middle Devonian period. Specimen (UMMP 16140) from the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology. Credit: E.M. Troyer/UMichigan" class="wp-image-1984595"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Whole skeleton of Dipterus, an extinct lungfish from the middle Devonian period. Specimen (UMMP 16140) from the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology. Click image to enlarge. Credit: E.M. Troyer/UMichigan</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lungfish-jaws-lead-the-way">Lungfish jaws lead the way</h2>



Lungfish jaws, in particular, went through a major shift during the Devonian Period. Their jaws became larger, thicker, and packed with powerful muscles. This likely helped them crush hard-shelled prey, like early clams and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-crustaceans-have-what-it-takes-to-survive-climate-change/">crustaceans</a>.



"With their really hefty jaws, they were able to eat really hard food," Troyer said. "We think these new feeding strategies might be causing jaws to need to be shaped like this, and that some of these major innovations are associated with their ecosystems during this time."



Rafael Rivero-Vega, co-first author of the study and a recent doctoral graduate, scanned nearly every complete lobe-finned fish jaw fossil available. 



He mapped out their key features to study something called adaptive radiation. That’s when animals quickly evolve into many different forms because their environment pushes them to adapt.



Rivero-Vega saw clear patterns. "Some fishes were diversifying their jaws rapidly in shape and size, only later to stay essentially unchanged once they filled a specialized niche," he said. 



"Others had similar characteristics but a wider variety of shapes and sizes, and yet others had similar form but wouldn't change until after they had already transitioned onto land."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fish-jaw-innovation-changed-the-future">Fish jaw innovation changed the future</h2>



This research shows that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-evolution-not-random-can-be-predicted-pangenome-genetic-history/">evolution</a> doesn’t follow a straight line. Just because a group is successful now doesn’t mean it always was. 



Lobe-finned fishes once led the way in jaw innovation, helping set the stage for major changes in vertebrate life - including the eventual rise of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.



"When you're looking at evolution, you can learn so much from looking at the past," Troyer said. "Without the fossil record, we would have no idea of this inverted role reversal."



The study also highlights the importance of old bones. Even though only a few lobe-finned fishes are still around, their ancient fossils tell a story that would otherwise have been be lost.



"It's a great example of how innovations in shape, form, and function can be explored by different fish groups at their own pace, as long as they experience the appropriate evolutionary pressures," said Rivero-Vega. 



"All of this happened hundreds of millions of years before the dinosaurs. Fishes are awesome."



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960982225010395" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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How ancient fish jaws built the path to modern land animals

Before there were dinosaurs, before trees covered the land, fish were already hard at work shaping Earth’s future. They did this with a single powerful innovation: jaws. Jaws weren’t just for biting. Fish used them for all sorts of tasks - cracking shells, digging into the seafloor, defending themselves, and even carrying their young. This one tool gave early vertebrates - including our distant ancestors - a huge advantage. But not all fish jaws evolved the same way. Surprising twist in fish jaw evolution Roughly 400 million...

North Carolina residents were greeted with a somber surprise when an underweight black bear was spotted wandering around with a plastic container stuck on its head.

Officials were first notified about the bear on August 24 and have been searching for the animal ever since. According to local news outlet<a href="https://wset.com/news/local/photo-of-endangered-bear-circulates-residents-asked-to-call-authorities-if-they-see-it"> 13 WSET</a>, Henderson County residents began seeing the bear as early as August 4. The plastic container obstructs the bear’s mouth likely preventing the animal from eating and causing its emaciated state. Wildlife officials believe the bear is able to fill the plastic container with water, preventing the bear from dehydrating.

[caption id="attachment_1646646" align="aligncenter" width="600"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/bear-credit-trevor-williams.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1646646" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/bear-credit-trevor-williams.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a> Image Credit: Trevor Williams, WSET[/caption]

Despite the bear’s distressing state, it is on the run, making it difficult for wildlife officials to find the bear. Local residents have been doing their part to track down the bear by posting photo updates on social media when they spot the bear.

Sadly, this bear is hardly the first animal to get <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dying-whale-found-plastic-bags/">entangled in our trash</a>. In the same week North Carolina residents were scrambling to help the brown bear, it was<a href="https://www.wgal.com/article/cat-with-bag-stuck-on-head-rescued-from-side-of-road/22822874"> reported</a> that a cat was found in Pennsylvania with its head stuck in a bag. The cat received its happy ending when it was rescued by a local Good Samaritan and put up for adoption at a local rescue.

Situations like this often become more critical when the victim stuck in trash is a wild animal and not a domesticated pet. As illustrated in the case of the brown bear in North Carolina, wildlife officials have to first track down the wild animal before they can execute a rescue plan that ensures both the animal’s and rescuer’s welfare.

As people become more addicted to single-use plastics and continue to be flippant about their trash, the problem will only get worse. The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a><a href="https://archive.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/web/html/"> estimates</a> that Americans generated 254 million tons of trash in 2013, of which only 34.3% was recycled. Recycling is one of the surest ways to ensure trash does not end up in vital ecosystems. Even if people are not directly littering outside, trash can become dislodged during the trash removal process, especially lightweight plastic items such as bags and straws.

During a 2017 ocean clean-up, the<a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/news/top-ten-items/"> Ocean Conservancy</a> found the most commonly collected items were cigarette butts, plastic beverage bottles, food wrappers, plastic bottle caps, straw stirrers and plastic bags.

It may seem inconsequential to drop one of these items on the sidewalk instead of searching for a garbage can, but it can quickly become deadly for the wild animals we share this planet with.

In addition to recycling trash, people can thoroughly wash out food containers before discarding them. If the food in the container was appetizing enough for people to eat, then wild animals are likely to be attracted to it as well. Washing the container out reduces the chances of an animal smelling the scent of the food and sticking their head in to investigate.

As for North Carolina residents who want to help save the bear, they are urged to call the Wildlife Enforcement Dispatch at 800-662-7137 with any information.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Source: <a href="https://wset.com/news/local/photo-of-endangered-bear-circulates-residents-asked-to-call-authorities-if-they-see-it">WSET</a>

Emaciated bear with container stuck on its head reveals trash crisis

North Carolina residents were greeted with a somber surprise when...

Daily fasting seems to lead to better health – at least for male mice. A new study has found that increasing the time between meals seemed to make mice healthier and longer-lived than fellow rodents who ate more regularly.

Mice seemed to benefit from the increased daily fasting regardless of what they ate or how many calories they consumed, the team of scientists said.

"This study showed that mice who ate one meal per day, and thus had the longest fasting period, seemed to have a longer lifespan and better outcomes for common age-related liver disease and metabolic disorders," Dr. Richard J. Hodes, director of the <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/">National Institute on Aging</a>, said in a press release. "These intriguing results in an animal model show that the interplay of total caloric intake and the length of feeding and fasting periods deserves a closer look."

The researchers – who also haled from the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a>, the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a>, and the <a href="https://www.pbrc.edu/">Pennington Biomedical Research Center</a> – studied nearly 300 mice, split into two groups at random. 

One group was fed a natural diet high in protein and fiber, and low in fat and purified sugars. The other group was fed a less healthful diet. 

Each group was further split into three sub-groups. One group had constant access to food; the second also has regular access but were fed a third less calories than the first group; and the third got the same amount of calories as the first group, but in a single meal per day.

They then monitored the mice’s health over the course of their lifetimes, and after their natural deaths. They found that the meal-fed mice and the calorie restricted mice – who had to eat quickly or lose out to their fellows, in effect fasting each day as well – lived longer and showed delayed age-related organ damage.

While scientists have studied restricting calories and how that affects health for some time, studying the effects of daily fasting times is relatively new, the researchers said. The study’s results show that it may be an area worth researching further.

"Increasing daily fasting times, without a reduction of calories and regardless of the type of diet consumed, resulted in overall improvements in health and survival in male mice," said lead author Dr. Rafael de Cabo of the NIA. "Perhaps this extended daily fasting period enables repair and maintenance mechanisms that would be absent in a continuous exposure to food."

The scientists plan to extend the study to other strains of mice, other lab animals and both sexes. The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/home">Cell Metabolism</a>.

Longer daily fasting between meals makes mice healthier

Daily fasting seems to lead to better health – at...

Stories of children raised by animals have long existed in media, myths, and folklore. Children like Mowgli or Tarzan were raised by wild animals in the jungle, while Remus and Romulus suckled on the milk of wild wolves.  There are myths in the Amazon of people who change into jaguars and in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/operation-icebridge-holes-arctic-ice/">Arctic</a> there is a myth of a woman who marries a brown bear. The idea of an impenetrable barrier between humans and animals seems to come from the monotheistic tradition and historically seems to be in the minority of beliefs worldwide.  

But today it seems that the accepted belief is that in some way, humans and other animals are fundamentally different.  Even as some evolutionary biologists attack the belief of human exceptionality, we continue to act as if we are superior to all other life forms.

The idea of children growing up in without humans, more influenced by other animals than their own species, seems initially hard to believe.  As wild as it may seem, beneath the fiction of myth and legend, is a hard seed of reality. Children left without human companionship at an early age are left growing up without language or basic knowledge of human society.  These children are known as feral, wild or properly referred to as ‘isolates’ and there are several historical examples. 

Marina Chapman is unusual among ‘feral’ children in that she grew up to have a relatively normal life as an adult.  Also true to many fictional renditions of the story, Marina was befriended by non-human primates, in her case a troop of Capuchin Monkeys.  At around 4 years old, Marina claims she was abandoned in the jungle of Columbia, where she survived by following monkeys and learning from their behavior.  By the time Marina was found by hunters perhaps five years later, she seemed to have no human language. After her time in the jungle, Marina was sold into prostitution, escaped to live on the street as a pickpocket hiding from police in trees and again captured as a slave by the mafia. Eventually, Marina was rescued and moved to England with her husband where she lives today.  It’s a hard story to believe and many are skeptical about it. Marina Chapman wrote <a href="https://www.guardianbookshop.com/girl-with-no-name.html">a book</a> about her experience but for many it’s still too much to swallow.    

More convincing is the case of John Ssebunya, a man who witnessed his father murder his mother at the age of two or three years old and escaped into the jungle of Uganda.  John told his story in an interview given through translator with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/oct/10/euanferguson.theobserver">The Guardian</a>.  

John recounted how vervet monkeys eventually befriended him, giving him nuts and tubers for food.  Living in an area torn by civil war, John encountered no humans and learned to survive by following and observing the monkeys.  After years in the jungle, John was eventually found by a woman named Millie, who thought he was an injured monkey at first. 

Scientists who tested John by placing him with monkeys feel his interactions with them are convincing, and report that he seems to act as another monkey would, or at least he acts like a human well versed in monkey behavior.  John has been adopted and now lives in England and although in some ways he’s different than other children, he seemed to be adapting well when interviewed in 1999.

Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja is a famous case of a man who is said to have been ‘raised’ by wolves.  In his early childhood, Marcos was sold as a slave by his father to a man to tend his goat herd. Marcos was then brought to a small cave where a goat herder lived, watching the flock.  When the goat herder died, Marcos retreated into the Sierra Morena mountains of northern Spain where he trapped rabbits for food as the goat herder had taught him. Marcos watched other animals to learn what was edible and what wasn’t.  

On one rainy night, the young boy sought shelter in a cave where he slept with wolf pups.  The first encounter with an adult wolf was perilous but Marcos claims he was befriended and sometimes given food.  Eventually police caught Marcos in his teens and forcibly dragged him into civilization. Even into his 70s, Marcos seemed to have a hard time relating to other humans.  A dramatized film and a documentary have made Marcos a minor celebrity in Spain and abroad. A main theme in the story of Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja and others like him is one of betrayal by humans and a strange sort of acceptance on the par of other animals.  

There are many more accounts of children raised by or near other animals with no human contact.  Oxana Malaya is a woman who was ignored by alcoholic parents and took comfort and social contact from dogs in a kennel behind her house.  Neglected continuously from a young age, Oxana lived with dogs as her main companions for five years before being rescued. Malaya learned to bark, growl and act like a dog in virtually every way.  Today, Oxana is in her 30s and lives at a home for the disabled, being mentally much younger than her actual age. There are cases of children in Romania, Siberia, Chile and elsewhere raised by domestic dogs.  There are reports of kids raised by bears, sheep, cattle, goats and even in the Sahara by ostriches. 

There was also a case of a child living in the dark in California with no contact whatsoever with any humans.  There is the famous case of ‘Victor’, a young boy found in the late 1700s in France living in the wild, scavenging and hunting whatever he could find and eventually turned over for research and education by academics.  Experts agree that how well children raised in isolation from other humans will reintegrate into society depends on how young they were isolated. Usually if language isn’t acquired to some degree by the age of 5, it never will be acquired.  

In the cases where the people eventually grew up to get jobs, to find husbands or wives or friends of any type, there was some language learning before 5.  Victor never fully grasped any language or integrated into society. In some cases feral children were seen as little more than freak show attractions. Often once feral children who’ve readapted to society talk about the cruelty of children and other humans towards them.  Human society seems bewildering, money incomprehensible. Some of these former wild children are easily taken advantage of. 

In cases where a child is abandoned and survives with closer interactions with other animals, the question becomes one of what does it mean to be human?  Some psychologists and philosophers have argued that our genetics play the most important role, but if five years with no human interaction can set the course of a lifetime, how can this be so?  

Another question raised is what does it mean to be animal and how are we animals and specifically human animals?  Cases of humans raised apart from others of their own species are very rare but it seems that there is nothing so special about them.  We all if abandoned at a certain part of our lives have the capacity to lose our own special veneer of humanity, to embrace other ways of living, other ways of being a clever animal.  Some have argued that many of these children have severe learning disabilities and were abandoned for relatively short periods. What of the children that grew up to be functional adults?  Are they hoaxes or are they a window into the nature of our own reality? 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Real cases of children raised by wild animals

Stories of children raised by animals have long existed in...

Hedgehogs seem to be quickly disappearing from rural areas in England where the species was once abundant. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a> recently conducted one of the most comprehensive surveys of hedgehogs in England in Wales in the first study of its kind. 

The results, published in the journal Scientific Reports, show that hedgehogs are not nearly abundant in rural areas as they once were and have disappeared from 80 percent of the countryside. 

Hedgehogs instead seem to be seeking refuge in urban landscapes because <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/north-american-species-extinction/">habitat degradation</a> and agricultural operations are disrupting their natural habitats. 

The researchers used “footprint tracking tunnels” to survey hedgehog and badger abundance in the 261 rural sites in England and Wales. 

Hedgehogs are prey to the badger, but both species rely on worms and bugs for food and so understanding how badger and hedgehog populations cohabitate areas is also important to understanding hedgehog declines. 

Tunnels with food at one end were set up in the different sites and the hedgehogs would then walk through the tunnel which had small ink pads and paper so that any animal that walked through the tunnel would leave little footprints. 

Hedgehogs were present in just 55 of the 261 sites surveyed which translates to 21 percent. 

“Although hedgehogs were generally widely distributed, they were actually found at a worryingly low number of sites,” said Ben Williams of the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a>. “We also found hedgehogs were absent from 71 percent of sites that did not have badger setts either, indicating both hedgehogs and badgers may be absent from large portions of rural England and Wales.”

Badgers were found at 49 percent of the 55 sites that had hedgehog footprints showing that even though the two share a predator/prey relationship, they do live in the same habitats together. 

Because the two species have some of the same food preferences, the habitat degradation and agricultural activities contributing to food scarcity could be driving both the hedgehog and badger out of rural areas. 

Where are the hedgehogs going? According to the researchers, urban areas offer a refuge to the species. 

“Therefore, houses, villages, and towns bordering more rural landscapes are important areas for hedgehogs and may become increasingly so if we continue to see the rate of declines we are currently witnessing in rural Britain,” said Williams. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Major declines in hedgehog populations in the UK countryside

Hedgehogs seem to be quickly disappearing from rural areas in...

Print

A unique species of lizard in the Mojave Desert is able to change its coloring based on its environment, and the change happens over a short period of time, according to a new study. 

Side-blotched lizards typically have a sandy coloring, but on the Pisgah Lava Flow in the eastern region of the Mojave Desert, the lizards have extremely dark coloring. 

This varied coloring previously puzzled scientists as it was not understood how the lizards, which had evolved to adapt to a specific environment, could <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-camouflage-climate-change/">change their coloring</a> and live on the dark, volcanic rocks. 

One possible explanation is the “Baldwin effect,” which states that many traits in animals are not fixed but can change if necessary. It’s “phenotypic plasticity” allows an animal to change its appearance to thrive in a new environment. These changes eventually spread through the population. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">University of California Santa-Cruz</a> examined side-blotched lizards on the Pisgah Flow and were able to identify the underlying mechanisms that create the Baldwin effect.

The study was published in the journal Current Biology and the results present the most detailed example of the Baldwin effect in the wild. 

Not only can the lizards easily change their colors, but the researchers found that the colors begin changing in just a week of being introduced to a new environment. 

The researchers discovered which genes regulate coloration in the lizards and found differences in the genes between the sandy-colored lizards and the dark-colored lizards.

“Baldwin predicted that plasticity allows organisms to colonize new environments, and they then develop new adaptations through natural selection,” said Ammon Corl, the first author of the study, who had been researching side-blotched lizards for more than 30 years. “ Until now, however, we have lacked the genetic tools to show this is going on in a field setting."

The researchers studied the plasticity of the lizard’s coloration and the underlying genetic mechanisms that influenced these changes. 

When the researchers moved the lizards from one color background to another, changes in skin color were observed within a week and continued over a gradual period of time. 

It’s not just the Pisgah lizards that have the plasticity to match the dark rocks. The researchers found that both populations of lizards have the ability to change colors, but there were genetic differences between the two as well. 

“We've studied side-blotched lizards all over, even at another lava flow, and these genetic variants are only found at Pisgah, so we know that's where they arose,” said Barry Sinervo, the study’s coauthor. “These are genes that govern coloration by controlling the melanin production pathway, but in a complex way. The Pisgah lizards have the best match to the color of the lava of any population, yet they can still go back to sand and match a completely different background.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Corl et al., Current Biology, 2018

Adaptation allows lizards to completely change their color

A unique species of lizard in the Mojave Desert is...

The plastics and chemicals that we use on land often find their way into the ocean, most notably in the Pacific garbage patch, which is an island of garbage the size of Texas floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This plastic garbage can get tangled up with and ingested by marine life, causing harm to the species that get entrapped by our trash. Additionally, chemicals that are commonly used by humans can be harmful to animals as well. 

Now, scientists have found that the chemical compounds used in a variety of household products – from cleaning supplies to cosmetics – have been discovered in the bodies of wild marine mammals. 

Scientists report that they have found the presence of phthalates in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-dive-deeper/">dolphins’</a> urine for the first time, which indicates that these chemicals are staying in the body long enough to be metabolized. Phthalates are known to be endocrine disruptors, which have been linked to hormonal and reproductive issues in humans. Known side effects include low sperm count and abnormal development of reproductive organs. But as of right now, it isn’t known how the presence of phthalates will affect dolphins.

The study that helped researchers determine all of this involved collecting urine samples from dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida between 2016 and 2017. Past research had shown the presence of phthalate metabolites in dolphins’ blubber and skin – but these new findings are more concerning. 

Analysis of urine samples from 17 wild dolphins revealed phthalate metabolites in 17 percent of the dolphins assessed, with researchers testing for nine specific phthalates. 

“We focused on urine in dolphins because, in previous studies of humans, that has been the most reliable matrix to indicate short-term exposure,” says Leslie Hart, a professor of public health at the <a href="http://www.cofc.edu/">College of Charleston</a>.

Despite this discovery, it’s still not known what the source of these phthalate levels could be. However, the researchers do point to plastic waste as the likely cause, since high concentrations of a specific compound commonly added to plastics for durability and lubrication was found in the dolphins’ urine. 

“These chemicals can enter marine waters from urban runoff and agricultural or industrial emissions, but we also know that there is a lot of plastic pollution in the environment,” Hart explains.

Unfortunately for the other marine life that lives in Sarasota Bay, these chemicals being found in dolphins likely means that other species have been exposed as well. It’s clear that what we do on land has impacts that are hard to see once they reach the ocean, but they’re present, and they likely have significant consequences.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Harmful human-made chemical compounds found in dolphins

The plastics and chemicals that we use on land often...

We all know that many species of animals <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-zealand-penguins-migrate/">migrate</a> each year, whether to escape the harsh winter or come together and reproduce. But have you ever thought about how these animals think to migrate in the first place? Scientists know that many bird, fish, and insect migrations are driven by genetics – but there has been a lack of information about what drives ungulates (hooved mammals) to migrate… until now.

Biologists have long suspected the ungulates learn to migrate from their mothers or other animals in their herd. Past research has indicated that ungulates learn about migration through social interaction, but no clear tests were able to be performed to confirm this theory. 

However, in a recent study published in <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>, a team of researchers from the <a href="http://www.uwyo.edu/">University of Wyoming</a> have reported the first empirical evidence that hooved mammals must learn where and when to migrate, and that they enact these seasonal migrations through passing cultural knowledge across generations.

The researchers took advantage of existing translocation programs being done to re-establish bighorn sheep herds in the American West – a process that has been going on for the last 60 years as hunting and disease devastated populations. In the few populations that survived, the bighorn sheep continued to migrate. Some of these animals were captured and released into habitats where their species had once existed. 

“The pattern was striking,” says Brett Jesmer, a doctoral student at UW and lead author of the study. “Detailed GPS data revealed that fewer than 9 percent of translocated animals migrated, but 65 to 100 percent of animals migrated in herds that had never been lost.”

The absence of migration behavior for translocated animals was likely due to their being unfamiliar with their habitat. This supports the theory that migration requires extended periods for animals to explore, learn the location of food, and pass the information to other members of their herd. When migration behaviors are passed from generation to generation, this socially learned behavior is considered to be part of the animal’s culture.

The study’s authors were also curious about how long it would take for ungulate species to learn to migrate. Ecologists know that ungulates migrate to “surf green waves” of nutritious food, moving along with plants growing on mountain slopes. By GPS tracking both bighorn sheep and moose, the researchers found that, not surprisingly, long-established herds were significantly better at finding nutritious food than animals that were translocated to unfamiliar landscapes.

Interestingly, the GPS data showed that translocated herds learned to surf green waves over the course of many decades, and those that surfed better were also more likely to migrate. 

“These results indicate that ungulates accumulate knowledge of their landscapes over time, and cultural transmission of this knowledge is necessary for migrations to arise and persist,” says Jesmer.

This study also shows the importance of preserving habitats that include migration corridors, so as not to disturb a species’ natural rhythms. When a migration route is lost, part of the culture of that species is lost as well.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Travis Zaffarano Trailcam Photo, Wyoming Migration Initiative

Migration is a shared cultural learning amongst big game animals

We all know that many species of animals migrate each...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/prior-mass-extinction-dinosaurs/">Mass extinctions</a> have occurred throughout history, resulting in the disappearance of countless species through a variety of extinction events. Now, a new study published in <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a> has shed light on why these mass extinctions happen, and how we can use this information to possibly predict upcoming ecological disasters.

Massive changes in ecological systems can occur suddenly, and often result in the extinction of the species that are a part of them, as well as the loss of biodiversity as a whole. One of the main challenges in understanding why these changes happen is that they tend to occur under what seems to be steady environmental conditions – thus, they cannot be directly linked to a specific environmental change.

Researchers from the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/">University of Leicester</a> investigated sudden ecological transitions that have happened throughout history, ranging from mass mortality events in the distant past to more recent extinctions that we have witness in the last few decades. Through combining empirical data, mathematical models, and insights from ecological theory, the research team found that sudden transitions in an ecosystem can occur as a result of long-term transient dynamics, which include “ghost attractors” and “crawl-bys.”

A ghost attractor is described as a special configuration of an ecosystem that exhibits “end-state” behavior, but only for a finite period of time. After that time, the system usually goes through a fast evolution or transition to another state which may have very different properties. This transition would correspond to a catastrophe or major ecological shift.

Crawl-bys occur when changes to the dynamics of an ecosystem occur slowly over a long period of time. 

“An ecological catastrophe emerging from a ‘ghost attractor’ or a ‘crawl-by’ may be a debt that we have to pay for the actions or mistakes – for example unsustainable use of natural resources – made many generations ago,” explains Sergei Petrovskii, a professor at the University of Leicester. “Our research shows that a healthy ecosystem will not necessarily remain healthy, even in the absence of any significant environmental change. Therefore, better monitoring of the state of an ecosystem is required to mitigate potential disasters.”

Petrovskii also states that this research can help us look for signs of an upcoming catastrophe. 

“These findings create a new paradigm as well as a powerful theoretical framework for understanding – and potentially predicting – ecological catastrophes and for their efficient management.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why do mass extinctions occur?

Mass extinctions have occurred throughout history, resulting in the disappearance...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have demonstrated how some species adapt and change in response to conflict with another species, in a process known as “host-pathogen coevolution.” The team found that the bacterial pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum evolved to become more potent after North American house finches developed a greater resistance to it.

“Our results show how these competitors respond to each other over time,” said study co-author Dr. Camille Bonneaud. “As the finches evolve better resistance to the pathogen, the pathogen becomes more potent to overcome these defenses.” 

"It is widely assumed that animals - including humans - coevolve with their infectious pathogens and become ever more resistant, but in fact most direct evidence for this comes from studies of bacteria and their viral pathogens.”

“In this study we show how a pathogen can shape evolution in a vertebrate and how this has consequences for the pathogen.”

The research was supported by Alabama’s <a href="http://www.auburn.edu/">Auburn University</a> and <a href="http://asu.edu">Arizona State University</a>, and was focused on the differences among finch populations in these two states. House finches in Alabama have been exposed to Mycoplasma gallisepticum for over 20 years, while finches in Arizona have not yet been exposed to it.

The study revealed that exposure to the pathogen caused eye swelling in birds from both states, but the Alabama birds had developed some resistance which made them three times less likely to show symptoms that would lead to death in the wild. In addition, as the birds became more resistant, the pathogen evolved to become more virulent. 

“The Plague and more recently the pandemic of HIV are sobering reminders of the impacts that emerging infectious diseases can have on us,” said Dr. Bonneaud. “We know that we can see the signature of such impacts on our genome.”

“This study provides a direct demonstration that these outbreaks can shape our evolution and that how we respond will, in turn, shape the evolution of our infectious pathogens.”


The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, Earth.com Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Geoff Hill, <a href="http://www.auburn.edu/">Auburn University</a>

Species in conflict evolve in response to each other

Researchers at the University of Exeter have demonstrated how some...

The Red Sea was once considered the least plastic-polluted body of water in the world, which is no small given how many tons of plastic waste is produced every day. 

However, researchers recently found microplastics in the guts of one in every six fish in the Red Sea, showing once again that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/biodegradable-plastic-pollution/">plastic pollution</a> truly is a global crisis. 

The new Red Sea study raises alarms because many people eat fish in the region and there is concern that contaminated fish could pass on microplastics to humans that consume them. 

Microplastics can come from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microfibers-clothing-polluting-oceans/">synthetic clothing fibers</a>, plastic to-go containers, and even plastics used as cleaning agents in bath and kitchen products. 

The plastics break down and are sometimes eaten by fish which mistake the plastic for food. The plastic can then damage the fish’s intestinal tract and organs as it’s digested and the toxins contaminate the fish, which in turn can be harmful to humans who eat the fish. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.kaust.edu.sa/">King Abdullah University of Science and Technology</a> in Saudi Arabia made the discovery and the results show that fish in the Red Sea are exposed to just as much plastic as other major bodies of water.

178 fish from 26 different species across four Red Sea habitats were collected by the researchers. The researchers then examined the stomach content of the fish and found microplastics in as many as one in six of the 178 fish studied. 

These numbers match other microplastic statistics from different bodies of water, according to <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6135365/Microplastics-guts-one-six-Red-Sea-fish.html">the Daily Mail. </a>

“The major finding of this study is that microplastic pollution has reached our commercial and non-commercial fish species and might contaminate the fish we consume,” Fadiyah Baalkhuyur, a co-author of the study, told the Daily Mail.

The majority of the plastic pieces found in the fish came from synthetic fibers and other broken down plastic waste. 

The next step for the researchers is working to understand how microplastics are consumed by fish in the Red Sea. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Microplastics found inside 1 in 6 fish in the Red Sea

The Red Sea was once considered the least plastic-polluted body...

It has been widely assumed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/whale-sharks-stay-home/">sharks</a> are strictly meat-eaters, but a new study has identified a shark species that can live on a plant- or a meat-based diet. The bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo, is a relatively small hammerhead shark found in coastal waters around the United States. Scientists have now established that the bonnethead is a flexitarian, or a semi-vegetarian.

Around a decade ago, it was discovered that bonnethead sharks consume massive amounts of seagrass. In fact, more than 62 percent of their stomach contents have been found to contain seagrass in previous research. 

However, scientists thought that the ingestion of seagrass was unintentional, occurring by mistake when the bonnetheads were hunting for their prey in shallow waters. It was not yet known that the bonnetheads could actually digest the seagrass for nourishment. 

Study lead author Samantha Leigh is an expert in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Irvine.

“It has been assumed by most that this consumption was incidental and that it provided no nutritional value,” Leigh told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us">The Guardian</a>. “I wanted to see how much of this seagrass diet the sharks could digest, because what an animal consumes is not necessarily the same as what it digests and retains nutrients from.

The study revealed that five bonnethead sharks were digesting over half of the organic material found in the seagrass.


“Bonnethead sharks are not only consuming copious amounts of seagrass but they are actually capable of digesting and assimilating seagrass nutrients, making them clear omnivores,” wrote the study authors. “This is the first species of shark ever to be shown to have an omnivorous digestive strategy.”


The study is published in the <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

First vegetarian shark found who only feeds on seagrass

It has been widely assumed that sharks are strictly meat-eaters,...

A <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2018/08/01/382697.full.pdf">new study</a> from the <a href="https://ufrj.br/">Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro</a> has illuminated the actions of the protein component of fire ant venom on envenomated mice. 

Unusually for hymenopterans, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), also referred to as RIFA, produces venom that is largely composed of alkaloids, which are more frequently found in plants. More than 95% of the venom is made up of these alkaloids, known as solenopsins. Proteins make up less than 1%. Solenopsins are cytotoxic and are responsible for the formation of the distinctive pseudo-pustules left by fire ant stings. These painful welts look like pimples and appear soon after the ant stings. 

Solenopsins also appear to have fungicidal, herbicidal, bactericidal, and insecticidal properties. In addition to aiding in prey capture and defense, they are used in nest maintenance, presumably to eliminate undesirable organisms from the ant colony. Interestingly, though they also have neurotoxic effects and are responsible for the release of histamines by affected cells, solenopsins appear to have no role in the allergic response to fire ant stings. 

The allergic response is instead caused by the 46 proteins known from the venom, four of which are well-described. Determining the pathways by which this happens has until recently been challenging due to the difficulty in extracting and isolating these proteins. 

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/how-just-a-few-drops-of-viper-venom-call-kill-you/">Venom</a> amounts to some .1% of the body weight of a fire ant and only a small proportion of that amount constitutes proteins. However, a <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82571129.pdf">recent procedure</a> developed for extracting venom and purifying the protein components allowed the study’s authors to test their effects in vivo on mice without the complicating factor of the solenopsins. 

Upon entering the body for the first time, the venom proteins are enveloped by dendritic cells and transported to lymph nodes. The dendritic cells present the peptide antigens generated by the proteins, coupled to a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/major-histocompatibility-complex">major histocompatibility class II molecule</a> spanning the cell membrane, to naive T lymphocytes. T lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell key in regulating the immune system. Once activated by exposure to the antigens, they clone themselves. The lymphocytes then trigger a cascade of further activity, including the release of immunoglobin E (IgE) antibodies, which then bind to mast cells, a type of white blood cell that is know as the “master regulator” of the immune system. Upon a second exposure, antigens from the venom signal the mast cells to release histamines in amounts disproportionate to the actual effects of the antigens. This is responsible for the inflammatory response typical of an allergic reaction. Adding to the inflammation is the activation of eosiniphils, another type of white blood, which are stimulated to release harmful proteins in an effort to destroy the antigen. These substances also cause tissue damage. 

In this study, the authors injected purified RIFA venom into the hind footpad of a previously unexposed mouse. Fourteen days later, they administered a second injection, either in another footpad or into the peritoneal cavity, the space between the lining of the abdominal wall and the abdominal cavity itself. The second footpad injection resulted in marked swelling. Fluid drained from the peritoneum following exposure revealed elevated levels of eosinophils, suggesting an allergic response. Additionally, dissected lymph nodes from sensitized mice revealed hyperplasia, or enlargement, suggesting a strong immune response to the venom proteins.

This development is important due to the ubiquity of the red imported fire ant and its negative interactions with humans. Some 14 million people in the U.S. alone are thought to suffer stings each year and up to 100,000 seek medical attention. Originally from South America, the ant has been transported around the world by shipping and is now established in China, Vietnam, and Australia, among other locales. Knowledge of the actions of fire ant venom proteins is likely to assist in treating allergic individuals. 

This study is forthcoming in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a> (Nature).

--

By <a href="mailto:rtpallardy@gmail.com">Richard Pallardy</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Credits to Eduardo G P Fox and Roberto Eizemberg

Venom proteins cause allergic response to fire ant stings

A new study from the Universidade Federal do Rio de...

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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
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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;



---



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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