Ants, with their unique genes, outnumber people by roughly 2.5 million to one. Their combined dry mass, about 12 million tons of carbon, rivals one‑fifth of humanity’s weight on land.



An international research team has compared 163 ant genomes to show how these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/swarm-intelligence-ants-can-anticipate-obstacles-and-plan-ahead/">insects</a> turned cooperative living into an evolutionary engine. They reshuffled DNA while guarding key caste <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2201550119" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genes</a> for more than 100 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-clues-to-colony-life">Genetic clues to colony life</h2>



Dr. Lukas Schrader of the <a href="https://www.uni-muenster.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Münster</a> helped coordinate the <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)00617-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">project</a> and still sounds amazed by its scope.



<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2665839/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Charles Darwin</a> once fretted over sterile workers, calling them a “special difficulty” because natural selection seemed unable to favor individuals that never breed. 



Inclusive‑fitness theory, formalized in 1964, solved the logic by showing that workers spread their genes by helping sisters.



The new data add genetic proof to that idea: worker‑specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-many-ants-live-on-earth-at-any-point-in-time-total-number-is-astounding/">gene</a> clusters stayed almost identical across lineages, hinting that any mutation hurting brood care was swiftly purged.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ant-colonies-behave-like-bodies">Ant colonies behave like bodies</h2>



Biologists label an ant colony a superorganism because its members behave like cells of one body. 



The new <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674%2825%2900617-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dataset</a> spans army ants with millions of workers, species such as Camponotus japonicus whose queens dwarf their tiniest laborers more than 100‑fold, and even parasites that have lost workers altogether.



Researchers sequenced 145 species from 25 countries and folded in 18 earlier genomes to reach chromosome‑level quality for 17 of them. That’s no small feat when many ants are smaller than a comma.



“The publication is a milestone in our understanding of the molecular and genetic foundations of ants and probably also other social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-ants-could-help-stop-the-tree-killing-lanternfly/">insects</a> such as honeybees,” said Schrader.



Across the tree, queen and worker blueprints sit side by side. Yet workers never hatch reproductive organs because development is rerouted by hormones and gene‑regulation circuits embedded in the shared DNA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ants-keep-critical-survival-genes">Ants keep critical survival genes</h2>



The study tracked <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/synteny" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">synteny</a>, the order of genes along a chromosome. Whole blocks had flipped, fused, or fractured at a rate up to four times that seen in vertebrates. Ant groups with the fastest breakage spawned the most species.



Even so, 970 tiny gene clusters, street blocks in the genetic city, remained frozen across 80 percent of species. Many code for metabolism and caste traits, suggesting that breaking them would cripple <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paleontologists-found-the-oldest-ant-species-on-earth-113-million-years-old-with-scythe-like-jaws/">colony</a> function.



One conserved block houses two <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/vitellogenin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vitellogenin genes</a> vital for queen egg yolk and sits unchanged in 148 genomes. Another links fatty‑acid enzymes to worker‑biased expression, underlining how diet and labor intertwine.



Holding those modules steady while the surrounding landscape rearranged let ants explore new lifestyles without losing the caste machinery that keeps colonies alive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hormones-decide-jobs-and-stability">Hormones decide jobs and stability</h2>



A single molecule can tip a larva toward royalty or toil. <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2406999121" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Juvenile hormone</a> has long been that switch, and gene copies for the enzyme <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2134232100" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JHAMT</a> rise in species with extreme queen‑worker size gaps.&nbsp;



Insulin and <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm8767" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAPK signaling</a> join the act. In the jumping ant Harpegnathos, blocking MAPK with the drug trametinib makes workers grow larger, echoing lab findings that this pathway expands ovaries when workers become egg‑laying gamergates.&nbsp;



The new comparison shows MAPK genes under intensified selection in lineages where workers can still replace a queen, but relaxed selection where caste roles are rock‑solid. 



That fits the idea that plastic colonies need fine hormonal tuning, while rigid ones lock their switches.



Hormone receptors for juvenile hormone and insulin sit inside conserved synteny islands. This hints that the entire endocrine toolkit rode through deep time as a connected package.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ant-genes-shift-with-colony-size">Ant genes shift with colony size</h2>



Bigger colonies and steeper queen‑worker dimorphism marched together in evolution; both correlate with trails, trophallaxis, and worker polymorphism. 



Genes tied to brain development, such as <a href="https://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=GCM1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GCM</a> and the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/37892" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">muscarinic receptor mAChR‑A</a>, show worker‑type biased activity and signs of adaptive change in species sporting soldiers beside tiny foragers.



Where workers lost ovaries altogether, selection on oogenesis genes like otu relaxed, but those same genes stay under pressure in species whose workers can still lay male eggs.



Social parasites flip the pattern. Workerless inquilines shed odorant‑receptor genes and rack up chromosomal breaks, mirroring their narrow ecological niche and tiny population sizes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ant-genes-explain-social-evolution">Ant genes explain social evolution</h2>



Many themes, hormonal control, preserved gene neighborhoods, break‑induced innovation, also shape honeybees, wasps, and higher termites. Ants simply had a 150‑million‑year head start, offering a living time machine for social evolution.



Knowing which genes stay linked during caste splits could aid synthetic‑biology efforts that aim to engineer division of labor in microbes or even tissues.



The study also reminds us that nature can be both flexible and conservative: colonies reinvent chromosome layouts yet keep critical circuits intact, a balance worth emulating in adaptive technologies.



Ants may be tiny, but their genomes read like manuals on how cooperation rewires life. Future research will test whether the same genetic choreography repeats whenever individual interests yield to collective success.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)00617-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



-----



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Ant genes show how evolution created perfect teamwork

Ants, with their unique genes, outnumber people by roughly 2.5 million to one. Their combined dry mass, about 12 million tons of carbon, rivals one‑fifth of humanity’s weight on land. An international research team has compared 163 ant genomes to show how these insects turned cooperative living into an evolutionary engine. They reshuffled DNA while guarding key caste genes for more than 100 million years. Genetic clues to colony life Dr. Lukas Schrader of the University of Münster helped coordinate the project and still sounds amazed by its...

Poison dart frogs use their bright colors as camouflage. Scientists at the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> have found that the bright colors of the poison dart frog not only function as a way to ward off predators, but also serve as a second type of defense mechanism. Surprisingly, the vivid color patterns also help the frogs to blend in with their surroundings.

“Effective as warning signals are, it's not necessarily the best strategy to be maximally conspicuous,” explained study lead author Jim Barnett. 

“Certain predators have evolved tolerance of toxins that would be deadly for humans, and some individual predators may have not encountered the warning signal prey before (a dangerous mistake for the predator, but also for the frog).”

“So, color patterns that could be distinctive close-up, but work as camouflage from a distance, would provide a clear advantage.” Poison dart frogs use their bright colors as camouflage

The researchers used a combination of computational modeling, lab experiments, and fieldwork in the jungles of French Guiana for their analysis, which was focused on the Dyeing Dart Frog. 

The experts wanted to find out how this particular frog uses its colors to balance the advantages of effective warning signals with the benefits of concealment. The study revealed that the specific colors and their patterns, which attract attention at close range, actually work as a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/iridescent-colors-started-camouflage/">camouflage</a> when viewed from far away. 

This means that the Dyeing Dart Frog does not have to strike a balance between cautioning rivals or being concealed, because the frog’s bright yellow-and-black pattern functions both ways - as a camouflage from a distance and as a warning signal up close.

“How many other animals use ‘distance-dependent coloration’ to balance competing evolutionary pressures is yet to be explored,” said study co-author Professor Innes Cuthill. “Being able to signal when close to a would-be mate, whilst remaining inconspicuous to more distant predators would seem beneficial.” 

“So too for human applications such as military camouflage, where recognition by allies is as important as concealment from foes. Also, signage that only need be clear at the distance where the information is needed, but might be distracting if detected earlier.”

The research is published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: James B. Barnett

Poison dart frogs use their bright colors as camouflage

Poison dart frogs use their bright colors as camouflage. Scientists...

After days of efforts to save its life, a shortfin male pilot whale has died from ingesting a shocking amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-galapagos-islands/">plastic waste</a>. During an autopsy, veterinarians discovered more than 80 plastic bags in the whale’s stomach, which collectively weighed over 17 pounds.

The whale was seen along the coast of southern Thailand in Songkhla Province on May 28th appearing ill and unable to swim. A team of veterinarians and conservationists worked for five days to save the animal’s life.

Experts say that the bags would have made it impossible for the small whale to digest normal food.

According to the <a href="http://www.nutrientchallenge.org/department-marine-and-coastal-resources">Department of Marine and Coastal Resources</a> (DMCR), the whale began heaving out pieces of plastic bags before dying on Friday. 

Jatuporn Buruspat, the head of the DMCR in Thailand, said that the issue of plastic pollution will be brought to the public’s attention during the observation of World Oceans Day on June 8th.

“We will use the whale case and invite all sectors to show their intentions on how to reduce the use of plastic in Thailand,” Mr. Buruspat told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a>.

A report from the UK, “<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/634433/Future_of_the_sea_-_plastic_pollution_final.pdf">Future of the Sea: Plastic Pollution</a>,” has revealed that plastic makes up 70 percent of the world's marine letter and that the amount of plastic in the ocean is set to triple over the next decade.

The document states: “Over 700 species of marine organisms, including marine mammals, birds, fish and invertebrates, are known to encounter plastic debris.” 

“This can result in severe physical harm and death, or have more subtle sub-lethal effects on behavior and ecological interactions.”

The European Commission has recently proposed laws to ban and greatly reduce the distribution of single-use plastics in an effort to combat the growing issue of plastic marine litter.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Thai Whales

Pilot whale dies with 17 pounds of plastic in its stomach

After days of efforts to save its life, a shortfin...

A study led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> has revealed that Trinidadian guppies change their eye color to give other fish a warning that they are feeling aggressive. Just before launching an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teeth-fossils-dinosaurs-ate/">attack</a>, the guppies quickly turn their irises from silver to black.

In addition, larger guppies were found to use this tactic when advancing toward smaller guppies, but not the other way around.


For their investigation, the researchers created robotic guppies to examine what would happen if the smaller fish used the same aggressive gesture. The experts found that this caused larger guppies to surround the small robots in an effort to steal their prey.

“Trinidadian guppies can change their iris color within a few seconds, and our research shows they do this to honestly communicate their aggressive motivation to other guppies,” explained study lead author Dr. Robert Heathcote.

“Experimentally showing that animals use their eye coloration to communicate with each other can be very difficult, so we made realistic-looking robotic fish with differing eye colors and observed the reaction of real fish.”

“Eyes are one of the most easily recognized structures in the natural world and many species go to great lengths to conceal and camouflage their eyes to avoid unwanted attention from predators or rivals,” said study co-author Professor Darren Croft.

“However, some species have noticeable or prominent eyes and, for the most part, it has remained a mystery as to why this would be. This research gives a new insight into the reasons behind why some animals have such 'conspicuous' eyes.”

Study co-author Professor Indar Ramnarine is a researcher at the <a href="http://www.uwi.edu/">University of the West Indies</a>. Professor Ramnarine was amazed that the guppies have evolved a way to change their eye color to warn others of their aggression.

According to co-author Dr. Jolyon Troscianko, the team used “carefully calibrated photography and printing techniques to create robotic models, and guppies responded to them as though they were real fish.”

The study demonstrated that food defended by the black-eyed robots attracted disproportionate competition from large guppies, particularly those with black eyes.

“It is well known that in humans the white sclera of the eye is used to signal gaze direction - it provides others with information on what we are looking at,” said co-author Dr. Safi Darden. 

“Our work shows that just like humans these little fish pay attention to the eyes of their group members and that the eyes provide important information to other rival fish.”

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>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Robert Heathcote, <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>

Guppies give rivals a warning by turning their eyes black

A study led by the University of Exeter has revealed...

Researchers are now getting a rare look into unexplored reef habitats deep below the ocean’s surface thanks to a new device that allows for the transport of marine species. 

The Submersible Chamber for Ascending Specimens (SubCAS) device is a pressurized chamber that allows deep sea divers to easily transport twilight zone coral reef fish to the surface for research and public display, 

SubCAS is bringing many new species to light, literally, as the twilight zone is a narrow deep stretch of the ocean 200 to 500 feet below the surface where sunlight is scarce and diving down to such extreme depths takes considerable effort. 

Because of how much work and coordination is required to safely dive and explore twilight zone reef habitats, scientists at the <a href="https://www.calacademy.org/">California Academy of Sciences </a>and the <a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/">Monterey Bay Aquarium</a> created a device that made specimen collection easy and safe for both divers and the species being brought to the surface. 

A report discussing SubCAS and its implications for marine science and habitat conservation was recently published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

“A rapid ascent can rupture a fish's swim bladder,” said Luiz Rocha, the paper’s co-author. “Using an adjustable pressure control valve, we ensure that the pressure inside the chamber is similar to the depth where the fishes were collected. Over the course of two to three days, we bring them to the surrounding surface pressure in a highly controlled manner.”

The SubCAS consists of an inner collecting jar and a larger chamber housing. The device is transparent so divers can monitor specimens while ascending to the surface. 

At a depth of 180 feet, the inner collecting jar is placed in the larger chamber and an air bubble is blown into the device which maintains air pressure in the SubCAS. 

When the divers reach 100 feet, all the while monitoring their own air pressure and making controlled decompression stops, the device is handed off to a support dive team that take the fish to a facility for decompression before being shipped to the Academy in San Francisco. 

The survival rate is nearly 100 percent which is impressive. and researchers found that the type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/technology-fishermen-conservationists/">fish</a> collected greatly dictated the likelihood of surviving the ascent. 

Thanks to SubCAS, both researchers and the public have access to a little explored part of the world hundreds of feet below the surface thanks to aquarium exhibits displaying the newly collected specimens. 

“The SubCAS is an important innovation,” said Hudson Pinheiro, a fellow co-author. “It allows for detailed study of new-to-science species while they're thriving outside of their natural habitat. We can gain important insights about fish biology and behavior that we couldn't obtain otherwise, helping us better understand what it takes to survive in a region as mysterious as the twilight zone.”

Exploring the twilight zone reefs will also help with reef conservation and management, particularly now when corals are dying off at an alarming rate. 

“These species are ambassadors of important environments that are rarely included in marine protected areas or sanctuaries,” said Bart Shepherd, the lead author of the paper. “Our goal is to remind the public of the ocean's vast and unexplored wonders and to inspire its conservation for future generations.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image © 2015 California Academy of Sciences

New device offers rare glimpse into deep ocean fish

Researchers are now getting a rare look into unexplored reef...

A new study has confirmed fears about the recent introduction of a toxic Asian toad to Madagascar. Researchers have found genetic evidence to support the theory that predators native to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-species-pelican-spiders/">Madagascar</a> are highly sensitive to toad toxins, and could die from eating the toads.

“In Australia, the introduction of cane toads has caused profound perturbation to many ecosystems by removing key predators from local food webs with their toxins,” explained study co-author Wolfgang Wüster of <a href="https://www.bangor.ac.uk/">Bangor University</a>. 

“Similar effects are likely to occur in Madagascar, where toads were never present before, as well; predators that frequently feed on toads and do not rapidly learn or evolve to avoid them are likely to become much rarer or possibly extinct.”

The bufonidae species of toads secrete chemical compounds known as bufadienolides that can kill predators by suppressing the sodium-potassium pump.Some predator species have evolved resistance to these toxins, but this takes time and repeated exposure. 

The controversial introduction of the invasive Asian toads, or Duttaphrynus melanostictus, to Madagascar sparked a debate over their potential impact and also over actions that may be needed to control them.

Study co-author Andolalao Rakotoarison is the co-chair of Madagascar's IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group.

“A crucial knowledge gap has been whether native Malagasy predators are indeed sensitive to toad toxins: this has been widely assumed by conservationists, but without concrete evidence," explained Rakotoarison.


In the current study, the researchers examined the DNA of animals that may prey on the newly-introduced toads, including 27 snakes, two lizards, 12 frogs, eight mammals and 28 birds. 

The study revealed that only one single native species has evolved resistance to the toad’s poisonous secretion, suggesting that the alien species must be controlled in order to prevent the progression of the ongoing biodiversity crisis in Madagascar.

“Our findings confirm that the invasive toads are likely to have a significant impact on many Malagasy endemic species, adding to the country's existing conservation problems and potentially endangering many of Madagascar's most iconic endemic species, such as tenrecs and the enigmatic fossa, as well as a plethora of other species,” said study co-author Nicholas Casewell.


According to the researchers, further investigation is needed to evaluate the threat from the toad's tadpoles to fish, water beetles, dragonfly larvae, and crustaceans.

“This is another example of how species introduced from one part of the world to another can disrupt natural ecosystems,”  said first author Ben Marshall. “Preventing the introduction of alien invasive species must be a top priority for biodiversity conservation.”

The study 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>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Benjamin Marshall

Toxic toad species could escalate Madagascar’s biodiversity crisis

A new study has confirmed fears about the recent introduction...

Primatologists at <a href="https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/">Kyoto University</a> are looking to our closest cousins to solve a gut-churning mystery: how the concept of disgust evolved.

The researchers looked at how bonobos reacted to a wide variety of foods to see if they share this emotion with humanity, and perhaps get some clues into why it exists in the first place. Did the “ick factor” originate as a way to protect against germs, millennia before humans even knew what a germ was?

"Current studies suggest that animals evolved a system to protect against such threats, now known as the adaptive system of disgust," lead author Dr. Cecile Sarabian said in a news release. "For example, bodily fluids are universal disgust elicitors in humans, and recently, we published evidence that the same reaction exists in our primate cousins."

In the new study, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0195">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B</a>, the researchers wanted to see whether bonobos also showed disgust at food items that might spread illness.

To test this theory, they presented the primates with a variety of fruits. Some was fresh while other pieces were rotten. Some food items were “dirtied” with items like soil or feces and presented alongside clean, fresh fruit. In other sets, they slipped in fruits that the bonobos wouldn’t see in the wild, like apples, to see if disgust evolved among the primates toward new or unfamiliar foods – something that picky human eaters might be accused of.

The bonobos were happy to sample clean, fresh food, but avoided anything that seemed contaminated, even if it was just linked by smell. They ignored food close to a source of contamination, even if it was otherwise clean, but ate foods farther away. 

But unlike humans, bonobos were eager to try new foods, as long as they were clean and fresh.

"There's some evidence from humans and other animals – classically with rats – on what we call food neophobia, which is an inclination to stay away from or be cautious around new foods," senior author Andrew MacIntosh said. "This might also be related to our tendencies to avoid things that might make us sick, with different individuals being more or less conservative in both cases."

Bonobos don’t seem to have developed the same disgust toward new food items – but more research would be needed to confirm that adventurous spirit toward new flavors, the researchers said.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Dr. Cecilie Sarabian, <a href="https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/">Kyoto University </a>

Bonobos offer clues into how human disgust evolved

Primatologists at Kyoto University are looking to our closest cousins...

A recent survey has revealed that a population of mountain gorillas in East Africa has more than doubled in the last 30 years. In the Virunga Massif, the number of mountain gorillas has increased from 480 in 2010 to over 600, according to the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Foundation</a> (WWF). 

Home to one of only two populations of mountain gorillas, the Virunga Mountains is a chain of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vog-kilauea-eruption-health-threat/">volcanoes</a> along the northern border of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Uganda.

The other population, which resides in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, brings the total number of mountain gorillas to an estimated 1,004.

Martha Robbins is research scientist and gorilla expert at the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a>.

“This represents one of the rare success stories in conservation.” said Robbins. “This increase exemplifies the dedicated efforts of the governments of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to conserve these critically endangered great apes, and notably, the hard work of park staff on the ground.” 

“This dramatic increase also shows that extreme conservation efforts including tourism, veterinary work, and community projects can have a positive impact on one of our closest living relatives.”

The experts combined data from fieldwork in 2015 and 2016 with the genetic analysis of over 1,100 fecal samples for their investigation. The team found that there are at least 186 unhabituated gorillas in the Virunga Mountains, while the remaining 418 gorillas are habituated for research and tourism.

“Genetic analysis of DNA from fecal samples allows us to count gorillas without even observing them,” explained study co-author Linda Vigilant. “Next we will be analyzing the detection history of individuals over time to get more insights into how groups form and group membership changes.”

The recent survey was a massive collaboration among three national park services, the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a>, and several conservation organizations.

In 2008, mountain gorillas were listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List as a result of many decades of war, disease, hunting, and habitat loss. 

The mountain gorilla is one of two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. After the discovery of the subspecies in 1902, threats to their survival became so severe that there was a time when mountain gorillas were expected to completely vanish by the end of the 20th century, according to the WWF.

Sir David Attenborough is the vice president of <a href="https://www.fauna-flora.org/">Fauna &amp; Flora International</a> and a WWF-UK ambassador.

“When I first visited the mountain gorillas in 1979, the situation was dire; the number of these remarkable animals was dreadfully small,” said Sir Attenborough.

“It is incredibly heartening therefore to see how the efforts of so many different groups - communities, governments, NGOs - have paid off.”

“The threats to mountain gorillas haven't disappeared entirely, of course, so now the challenge must be to ensure that these achievements are sustained long into the future.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mountain gorillas are making a comeback

A recent survey has revealed that a population of mountain...

Both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sharks-smarter-music-food/">sharks</a> and skates – an evolutionary cousin of the stingray – are equipped with electrosensing organs that give them the ability to detect even the smallest disturbance from nearby prey. These organs are called ampullae of Lorenzini, and detect electricity through pores around the animals’ mouths. The electricity then goes to spherical cells called electroreceptors, which relay the information to the nervous system.

According to a new study, the ability of sharks to detect tiny disturbances amid a “blizzard of electric noise,” would be similar to a person having a level of hearing that would make a whisper sound like a foghorn. This new study also finds that, while sharks have a similar electrosensory system to sea skates, their responses to stimuli were very different. It seemed that sharks were always tuned towards catching prey.

In their study, the researchers compared currents recorded from skate cells with those from the chain catshark. The results showed that the cells were sensitive to the same range of voltage zaps, but they responded differently. The skates’ cells responded with varying currents, while the sharks’ were much larger and consistent. Regardless of the size of voltage zaps, the sharks’ receptors released the same number of neurotransmitter packets. On the other hand, skates varied their responses according to the stimulus.

“Sharks have this incredible ability to pick up nanoscopic currents while swimming through a blizzard of electric noise,” says senior author David Julius, professor and chair of physiology at the <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">University of California, San Francisco</a>. “Our results suggest that a shark’s electrosensing organ is tuned to react to any of these changes in a sudden, all-or-non manner, as if to say ‘attack now.’”

The results also showed that almost every electrical field caused sharks’ breathing rates to reach levels normally seen when they smelled food, which suggests their response is linked to hunting.

Skates use their electrosensory system to find both food and mates, while sharks seem only interested in food. The researchers believe this response may be dictated by genes that encode for proteins called ion channels. “Studies like this highlight the role in a single ion channel can play in any nervous system, shark, skate, or human,” says Julius.

Although sharks and skates may have appeared to have very similar electrosensory systems, this new research shows that there are significant differences in functionality. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sharks have a sixth sense that turns them into focused hunters

Both sharks and skates – an evolutionary cousin of the...

Pet owners are often curious about how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-red-green-colors/">their dog sees the world</a> around them, but what about a goldfish swimming in a tank or even a mosquito? 

A new study has mapped the visual acuity, or sharpness of vision, of roughly 600 species and the results shed insight on vision and how humans rank compared to other animals as far as eyesight is concerned. 

The study was conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University</a> who were able to demonstrate the high variability of spatial detail perceived by different species with image forming eyes.

[caption id="attachment_1215034" align="aligncenter" width="996"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/New-research-reveals-how-different-animals-see-the-world.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1215034 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/New-research-reveals-how-different-animals-see-the-world-1024x757.jpg" alt="" width="996" height="736" /></a> Image Credit: Eleanor Caves, Duke University[/caption]

Humans have better vision than most species and can see things in much more detail than say a rat or mosquito, which has the lowest visual acuity of the animals included in the study. 

The results were published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 

For the study, the researchers used the anatomy of an animal’s eye to measure the cycles per degree or the number of pairs of black and white lines that a species can discern before its vision gets blurry. 

Then, pictures were made using a program called AcuityView which takes into account how sharp an animal’s vision is and alters a digital photo to represent how that animal sees the world. 

The series of pictures created for the research show a fascinating variety in picture clarity. For example, humans have vision that is about 12 times sharper than a goldfish and seven times sharper than a cat’s. 

“Compared to humans, most species see the world with much less detail than we do,” said Eleanor Caves, the study’s lead author.

However, humans aren’t at the top of the list when it comes to vision, as that honor goes to some birds of prey. Having a high visual acuity allows birds like eagles to hunt their prey high in the sky. 

Fish have a range of vision that is about half as sharp as humans. 

One interesting implication of the study is the question it raises about the purpose of vivid colors and detail in insect species. 

For example, it was thought that the intricate wing patterns of many different butterflies were helpful in finding a mate or avoiding prey, but this study shows that butterfly visual acuity doesn’t register those details or patterns. 

The study provides an important basis for future research examining the evolution of eyesight and acuity and what factors impact the way visual data is processed in the brain. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

New research reveals how different animals see the world

Pet owners are often curious about how their dog sees...

Experts have found that wild monkeys who have more social ties also have a better chance of surviving the cold winter months. With more friends, the monkeys can form larger huddles to protect against hostile weather conditions and conserve energy.

According to the researchers, this is the first study is the first to demonstrate how social bonding can promote better resilience to environmental stress, or “fitness,” among animals.

The research was focused on wild Barbary macaques in Morocco. When the animals had a larger social circle of monkeys that engaged in grooming services together, they were able to form a bigger huddle at night.

This huddling strategy is a way of staying warm that is referred to as social thermoregulation, which helps the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-chimps-war-genetics/">macaques</a> maintain their body temperatures and spend less energy.

Dr. Bonaventura Majolo is a behavioral ecologist in the School of Psychology at the <a href="https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/">University of Lincoln</a>.

“In several species, research has found that the most sociable individuals within a group tend to experience greater survival, longevity, reproductive output, and offspring survival,” explained Dr. Majolo.

“We know from previous studies of a number of different species that forming social bonds positively affects survival and reproduction, but exactly how this happens was not clear.”

The team observed the grooming and social lives of two wild groups of Barbary macaques. The experts documented the monkeys’ behavior both day and night, noting how many were huddled together at bedtime.

“Barbary macaques were an ideal species to examine because of the varying social relationships they have with their group companions, and the extreme weather conditions they experience, such as cold and snowy winters, and hot and dry summers,” said Dr. Majolo. 

“We found that monkeys which were more sociable would huddle together during winter nights with their social partners, and that this led to the formation of larger huddles when it rained or the temperature dropped.”

The experts also recorded the air temperature and any precipitation events. In addition, they noted how much time the monkeys spent grooming, and whether the pair performing these services was of the same or opposite sex.

The study revealed that macaques who spent more time grooming together were more likely to huddle in the same groups at night. When it was cold, raining, or snowing, the monkeys were observed huddling in larger numbers. 

“Social thermoregulation through huddling, communal nesting or communal roosting, is a very widespread behavior across a range of species, and this could therefore be a very widespread mechanism linking sociality with an evolutionary advantage,” explained study co-author Liz Campbell of the <a href="http://mpcfoundation.nl/">Moroccan Primate Conservation Foundation</a>.

"In the ecological conditions of our study where Barbary macaques experience severe winter energy deficits, the benefits provided by social thermoregulation can explain why more social monkeys are more likely to survive winter.”

“In less extreme climates, more effective social thermoregulation could allow greater energetic investment in growth and reproduction, contributing to the greater longevity, reproductive output, and offspring survival experienced by more social individuals in other species.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Liz Campbell

Monkeys with more friends have better health and survival odds

Experts have found that wild monkeys who have more social...

Hiking a steep trail to the bottom of a waterfall in Sonora, Mexico, I heard a gentle shaking noise and looked into rocks piled on the edge of a trail switchback.  In between the rocks was a small snake, thinner than other rattlesnakes I’d seen before. It was likely a rock rattlesnake (Crotalus Lepidus), a small species, but it could also have been a Black-tailed rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus), a medium-sized species.

I motioned for my fiancé to join me and see the snake closer up but she wisely kept her distance, even though I was out of striking distance.  The little snake moved deeper into the crevice between rocks, disappearing from view. When we were hiking back up the trail, we saw the same snake in the same place and he/she reacted to our presence in the same way.

I remember coming across another rattlesnake in the grasslands of South Dakota. The Prairie Rattler (Crotalus viridis) lay quietly curled into a disk, even though we walked quite close before we noticed the snake.  Trusting in camouflage, the snake didn’t move or make a noise and we left it in peace. 

The rattle is obviously a warning but the language of retreat and hiding is obviously non-threatening.  Rattlesnakes seem to say, “I don’t want to fight but if you make me, I’m prepared to defend myself.”  

There are at least 32 species of rattlesnakes and 83 subspecies, divided between the two genera of Crotalus and Sistrurus.  The thing that unites most rattlesnakes is their rattle, but this isn’t so simple, as there is at least one species of ‘rattlesnake’ that lost its rattle. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/santa-catalina-island-rattlesnake-crotalus-catalinensis/">Santa Catalina Rattlesnake</a> (Crotalus catalinensis) has no rattle, which comes from being isolated on an island where the evolution of rattles isn’t apparently useful.

Another rattlesnake, the Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes), moves in a strange, even hypnotic sideways manner.  There are three subspecies of sidewinder living in a patch of North America covering part of southern California, the southern tip of Nevada, a bit of western Arizona, a bit of southern Utah and parts of Baja California and Sonora in Mexico.  There are three currently recognized subspecies of sidewinders. 

The Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) is the heaviest venomous snake in the Americas and largest known rattlesnake.  One Eastern Diamondback shot in 1946 weighed 34 lbs. These snakes can strike a distance of a third their body lengths or more.  Stalking small prey such as rodents and birds, Eastern Diamondbacks strike and release their quarry, following the animal and waiting until death to eat.  As their name suggests, Diamondbacks have a delicate, even beautiful pattern of diamond shapes down their brown backs. 

The Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) and Pigmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius) are two of the smallest species of rattlesnake.  The Timber Rattlesnake is the only venomous snake in the northeastern part of the U.S. and the most northern venomous snake.  The Pygmy Rattlesnake is a lovely snake with a light color patterned with darker patches along its back. The largest Pygmy ever reported was 31 inches long, but on average is usually 16 to 24 inches in length.  

Most rattlesnakes are well camouflaged, relying on not being seen to avoid predation and using their rattle to warn away any threats.  The banded rock rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus klauberi) is a particularly beautifully camouflaged snake.  The banded rock snake is a grey color banded with black.  Like many rattlesnakes, the banded rock rattlesnake lives in the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico.

The South American Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) is the largest species in its genus, with nine recognized subspecies.  The snake lives in most habitats in South America, outside of the Andes Mountains, but its range is broken into separate pieces, the snake preferring arid and grassland habitats.  The snake has two stripes running parallel down its brown back.

The Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) is another rattlesnake with a large range, stretching from Southern Ontario, cutting across the Midwestern U.S. towards the South West into northern Mexico.  It’s a small snake with three recognized subspecies and mainly a tan color colored with darker brown spots but melanistic individuals that are completely black are not uncommon.            

In the United States, approximately 7,000 to 8,000 people are bit by rattlesnakes each year, of which there are about 5 deaths.  In contrast, states like Oklahoma have no limits to the number of rattlesnakes can be legally killed in a year, and according to a report in Reptiles Magazine, 400 Western Diamondback rattlesnakes were killed in a single roundup in that state.  There are reports of more rattlesnakes without rattles in response to selective pressure from human killings, the rattle now alerts humans to their presence, bringing them to kill the snake instead of warning them away.

Despite persecution from people directly killing them and habitat destruction, rattlesnakes are survivors.  Rattlesnakes are only found in the new world but are distributed from Canada to Argentina. Rattlesnakes also live on islands, unique species being found only on islands in the Sea of Cortez and one of the rarest rattlers, the Aruba Rattlesnake, (Crotalus unicolor) is found only on Aruba in the Caribbean.

Rattlesnakes are just one small piece of the puzzle too.  Globally there are about 3,000 species of snakes, living on every continent except Antarctica.  There are at least 10,000 species of reptiles as a whole in the world. Only around 375 of the world’s snake species are venomous to humans.  Often snake venoms are actually useful for the creation of medicines from pain pills to cancer drugs. Beyond any utility, snakes are interesting and beautiful, rich in symbolism and mysterious.  Snakes are all around us throughout our lives and rarely do we take the time to notice. Imagine how many possibilities there are in 3,000 species, let alone 10,000 reptiles and I only explored quite briefly a few rattlesnake species.  The world is full of wonders. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Don’t judge a snake by its rattle: rattlesnakes in the Americas

Hiking a steep trail to the bottom of a waterfall...

As of April 2018, the number of wild red wolves in the United States had <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-red-wolves-endangered/">dropped a staggering amount</a>, from 120 to just 40. 

The species is highly endangered, the most endangered wolf species on Earth, and it’s probable that wild red wolves could soon go extinct. 

However, there are still quite a few red wolves in captivity, and recently, <a href="https://zootampa.org/">ZooTampa at Lowry Park</a> in Tampa, Florida welcomed the addition of a litter of four red wolf pups. 

The pups, born in late April, are first red wolves born at the zoo since 1993, and zoo visitors now have a rare look at how the wolves would live in the wild. 

Only this week were visitors first allowed to see the litter of pups as they began to emerge from a natural den built by their mother. 

Zoo staff created a new habitat for the wolves, which according ZooTampa, “allows guests to be part of the experience as the pups grow.” 

Checkups have been scheduled for the pups but both the zoo’s staff and veterinarians have been keeping a careful eye on the new additions. 

Because only around 200 red wolves exist in captivity and reintroduction areas, the four wolf pups are exciting news, not just for the zoo but also for the continued preservation of the species.

“We’re all tremendously proud of the success this litter represents,” said Ray Ball, the senior veterinarian at ZooTampa at Lowry Park. “It is especially rewarding to see how the zoo’s efforts are encouraging new offspring. Yona is caring for her puppies in public view. This shows how comfortable and well cared for she feels.” 

ZooTampa also leads in caring for, rescuing, and rehabilitating several other threatened or endangered species native to Florida as part of the <a href="https://www.aza.org/species-survival-plan-programs">Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan. </a>

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tampa zoo welcomes new litter of highly endangered red wolf pups

As of April 2018, the number of wild red wolves...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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"

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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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