As night falls in the rainforests, orangutans climb into the canopy to construct intricate tree nests, displaying remarkable ingenuity. 



These comfy platforms are carefully engineered beds, providing warmth, comfort, protection from predators, and even reduce mosquito bites.



Scientists have long wondered how young orangutans learn to master such complex architecture. Recent findings reveal that they acquire this skill through close observation and practice, a process called observational <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-and-bees-are-capable-of-complex-social-learning/">social learning</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orangutans-build-nests-for-survival">Orangutans build nests for survival</h2>



Nest-building is essential for survival. Unlike many behaviors in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-orangutans-can-teach-humans-about-food-and-fitness/">animals</a>, this skill is neither entirely instinctive nor quickly learned. 



Orangutans must manipulate branches, twigs, and leaves with strength and dexterity while making decisions about materials and structure.



Night nests, far more elaborate than day nests, can include linings, pillows, blankets, and even roofs. 



To build such structures requires both technical know-how and material knowledge, making nest-building a cognitively demanding task.



Young <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/orangutan-mothers-have-unique-parenting-styles-like-humans/">orangutans</a> begin showing interest in nests at just six months, playing with leaves and branches. 



Practice of basic day nests starts around age one, but night nest practice begins only at three years and is not mastered until about the age of eight.



Complex additions, such as multitree nests and comfort elements, appear later. This long timeline shows that the skill is not acquired quickly but gradually, with repeated attempts and guided observation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-from-mom">Learning from mom</h2>



Researchers documented that immatures who carefully peered at their mothers during nest-building were far more likely to practice soon afterward. 



Merely being nearby without watching closely did not have the same effect. This highlights the importance of selective attention in learning.



“Nest-building is critical to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-unlock-the-mysteries-of-orangutan-communication/">survival</a> in orangutans but is surprisingly not the focus of a lot of research," noted Dr. Ani Permana from the <a href="https://warwick.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Warwick</a>. 



"We previously reported that it takes multiple years for immature orangutans to learn to nest-build but, based on 17 years of observational data, this paper shows that this learning process is highly dependent on young animals carefully watching the nest-building of others.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orangutan-nests-are-complex">Orangutan nests are complex</h2>



The study also showed that young orangutans pay special attention to complex features like multitree nests, twig manipulations, and comfort elements. 



These require memorizing multiple steps and sequences. After observing these, immatures increased their practice, suggesting they were specifically learning the more challenging parts. 



Simpler nests, such as single-tree day nests, did not trigger the same level of focused observation.



“Orangutan nest-building tendency may have some innate basis, but the details and method must be socially learned, starting from a very young age, by watching and practicing, learning from mistakes as they grow and this paper is the first time this has been shown in wild apes,” Dr. Permana added.



At first, immatures mostly learn from their mothers, but as they grow older, they begin peering at other group members, thereby expanding their knowledge base.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-what-to-use">Learning what to use</h2>



Beyond construction skills, orangutans also learn what materials to use. 



“Aside from learning ‘how to’ build a nest, immature orangutans also appear to learn the ‘know-what’ of which materials to use," noted Dr. Caroline Schuppli, <a href="https://www.ab.mpg.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior</a>.



The choice of tree species is important, and infants - who primarily peer at their mothers - are more likely to select the same species their mothers use.



“Just like human teenagers finding their own path, maturing orangutans increasingly peer at the nest-building of others and begin experimenting with the tree species those individuals use," Dr. Schuppli continued.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-returning-to-roots">Returning to roots</h2>



Interestingly, adults often revert to using the tree species favored by their mothers, even after experimenting with alternatives in youth.



“Ultimately, adult orangutans tend to revert to the nest materials used by their mothers, perhaps recognizing that the most effective methods had already been established," Dr. Schuppli noted. 



"This consistent variation in nest materials across generations indicates that wild orangutan populations possess cultural elements that could be lost without the conservation of the species and their habitats,” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orangutans-learn-and-pass-on-traditions">Orangutans learn and pass on traditions</h2>



The study emphasized four main points: peering, not just proximity, drives learning; immatures focus on complex multi-step elements; role models expand with age; and knowledge of tree species is socially transmitted.



These findings suggest orangutans display cultural variation, with nest-building traditions passed through generations.



<a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/32658/chapter-abstract/270606055?redirectedFrom=fulltext&amp;login=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nest-building</a> is an evolutionarily ancient behavior shared by great apes. 



By proving that orangutans acquire this skill through observational social learning, the study suggests that such cultural learning has deep roots in primate history.



It highlights not just the intelligence of orangutans but also their fragile cultural heritage - one that can only continue if their forest homes are preserved.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-08217-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Biology</a>.



-----



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Orangutans learn to build complex tree nests by watching their mothers

As night falls in the rainforests, orangutans climb into the canopy to construct intricate tree nests, displaying remarkable ingenuity. These comfy platforms are carefully engineered beds, providing warmth, comfort, protection from predators, and even reduce mosquito bites. Scientists have long wondered how young orangutans learn to master such complex architecture. Recent findings reveal that they acquire this skill through close observation and practice, a process called observational social learning. Orangutans build nests for survival Nest-building is essential for survival. Unlike many behaviors in animals, this skill is...

Marine mammals recognize the sound of killer whales on the hunt. Marine mammals may be able to sense when a killer whale is on the hunt simply by hearing its calls, a new study has found.

Killer whales are one of the ocean’s more formidable predators and part of what makes orcas so dangerous are the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/killer-whales-killer-weapon-brain/11352/">stealthy hunting tactics </a>orca pods use to kill seals and other whales. 

Some killer whales though have been known to leave mammals alone and instead eat only fish. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University</a> set out to see if marine mammals that are prey to killer whales can distinguish the calls of predatory orcas from other orcas and whales that pose no risk. 

The study was published in the <a href="http://jeb.biologists.org/content/221/11/jeb162479">Journal of Experimental Biology</a> and involved <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/whale-dies-plastic-stomach/">pilot whales</a> and Risso's dolphins. 

The results show that orca calls sometimes take on the similar characteristics of a human scream, and these particular calls alert nearby prey and cause dolphins to flea. However, other less threatening mammal calls do not provoke this response. 

For the study, the researchers monitored pods of pilot whales off the coast of North Carolina and Risso’s dolphins off the coast of California. 

While observing the pods, the researchers played recordings of killer whales, social calls from pilot whales, and other sounds from dolphins and humpback whales and recorded each pods response to the different calls. 

For most of the sounds, both the pilot whales and Risso’s dolphins were unphased and didn’t respond to the calls, including the non-threatening killer whale calls. 

However, when the researcher played the killer whale “scream,”  the dolphins quickly clustered together and fled in the opposite direction of the predatory call. The pilot whales, upon hearing the aggressive orca call, grouped together and headed toward the sound. 

“It was crazy to see a group of animals respond so strongly to something you're doing,” said  Matthew Bowers, a member of the research team. “The strong and differential responses to this subset of killer whale calls was eye-opening.” 

The way that the pilot whales and dolphins responded to the distressing killer whale calls, as opposed to the calls from other mammals, suggest that a species can interpret specific calls and understand if they are in danger of being hunted. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marine mammals recognize the sound of killer whales on the hunt

Marine mammals recognize the sound of killer whales on the...

LED lights last longer, but some shades are harmful to wildlife. Noise and light pollution can be harmful to natural ecosystems, and studies have shown that human-caused <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/noise-pollution-reproduction-birds/">noise pollution can disrupt habitats</a> and even drive species decline. 

Now, a new study has found that certain shades of LED (light-emitting diode) outdoor lamps can also negatively impact wildlife, and researchers have created a database for consumers to know which LED colors are the least harmful.

The team determined that blue and white LED lights are the worst for animals while softer yellows, greens, and ambers are more benign. 

The study was conducted by a team of biologists from the <a href="https://www.usc.edu/">University of Southern California </a>and published in the journal Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Interactive Physiology. 

LED lamps are popular and are expected to make up 69 percent of the global market by 2020. LEDs have many benefits including conserving energy and lasting longer than other traditional lights, however, these benefits can come at a cost to wildlife.

Previous studies have examined how light brightness and direction affects species’ migration, attraction, and circadian rhythms.

The researchers collected data from these light studies to help build a new database that developers, designers, and policymakers can use to choose wildlife-friendly LED lighting colors. 

“Outdoor environments are changing rapidly and in ways that can impact wildlife species," said Travis Longcore, lead author of the study. “We provide a method to assess the probable consequences of new light sources to keep up with the changing technology.”

For the study, the researchers focused on insects, sea turtles, salmon and the Newell’s shearwater seabird.

The researchers also found that sea turtles and insects are more vulnerable to bright LED lights at night. Sea turtles can follow the bright light inland after hatching instead of going to the sea. 

In order to reduce further species decline and help protect those species most vulnerable to LED light brightness, the researchers created the "Rapid Assessment of Lamp Spectrum to Quantify Ecological Effects of Light at Night,” a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19325231">database</a> that shows how two dozen different types of artificial lights impact animals. 

The hope is that city planner and policymakers will use the database to help pick the least disruptive and harmful light options for species. 

“If we don't provide advice and information to decision makers, they will go with the cheapest lighting or lighting that serves only one interest and does not balance other interests,” said Longcore. “We provide a method to assess the probable consequences of new light sources to keep up with the changing technology and wildlife concerns.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

LED lights last longer, but some shades are harmful to wildlife

LED lights last longer, but some shades are harmful to...

A new study from the <a href="https://vet.purdue.edu/">Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine</a> has demonstrated that veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can benefit physiologically from the company of service dogs.

Study lead author Maggie O'Haire is an assistant professor of Human-Animal Interaction in the College of Veterinary Medicine, who conducted the study with the help of <a href="https://www.k9sforwarriors.org/">K9s for Warriors</a>, the nation's largest provider of service dogs to veterans.

“Our long-term research goal is to quantify how service dogs may affect the health and well-being of military members and veterans with PTSD,” said Professor O'Haire. 

“This study compared a group of veterans with PTSD who had a service dog to a group on the waitlist to receive one. Our previous research suggests that the presence of a service dog reduced clinical PTSD symptoms and improved quality of life. In this study, we wanted to determine if those beneficial effects also included changes in the physiology of stress.”


Study author Kerri Rodriguez explained that the investigation was focused on cortisol because it is directly involved in the stress response system. The veterans collected saliva samples first thing in the morning and then around 30 minutes later for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cortisol-indicate-stressed/">cortisol</a> measurements.

Morning levels of cortisol are significant in gauging the magnitude of the effects of chronic and acute stress, which is referred to as the “cortisol awakening response.” Healthy adults with no symptoms of PTSD experience an increase in cortisol after waking up.

“We found that military veterans with a service dog in the home produced more cortisol in the mornings than those on the waitlist,” said Rodriguez. “This pattern is closer to the cortisol profile expected in healthy adults without PTSD. Having a service dog was also associated with less anger, less anxiety, and better sleep.”

Professor O'Haire said that despite the importance of this discovery, it should be taken in context.

“These findings present exciting initial data regarding the physiological response to living with a service dog,” said Professor O'Haire. “However, the study did not establish a direct correlation, on an individual level, between cortisol levels and levels of PTSD symptoms, and further study is needed. It is important to keep in mind that service dogs do not appear to be a cure for PTSD.”


The researchers are currently conducting an analysis based on a large-scale trial by the National Institutes of Health to evaluate the effects in veterans with and without service dogs over an extended period of time. 

“Our research team will be able to look at morning cortisol levels both before and after getting a service dog to see how these physiological effects manifest over time,” said Professor O'Haire. “The longitudinal nature of this clinical trial should bring about a better understanding of the interrelationships between physiological and behavioral processes, PTSD symptoms, and service dogs.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/psychoneuroendocrinology?">Psychoneuroendocrinology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Service dogs help reduce stress in veterans suffering from PTSD

A new study from the Purdue University College of Veterinary...

Encouragement helps dogs improve at problem-solving tasks.  A new study has found that the way you interact with your dog impacts their ability to learn and perform complex, problem-solving tasks.

A number of factors can influence how well a dog can pick up a new command or solve puzzles, including past training and genetics, but researchers from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> set out to see how interaction with an owner or handler during a task affected a dog’s problem-solving ability.

The researchers set up two different experiments where 31 pet dogs and 28 search and rescue dogs were presented with a puzzle box that contained a treat. The dogs then had two minutes to solve the puzzle and get the reward. 

In one experiment, the dogs had to solve the puzzle on their own without anyone present. 

In the other experiment, the dogs’ owners were present and the owners either gave verbal encouragement to their dog or stood in a neutral position without acknowledging the dog or treat. 

The pet dogs solved the puzzle when they were with their owner and when they were alone, however, the search and rescue dogs did not tackle the puzzle when they were alone. 

“We thought that was unusual because search and rescue dogs are trained to work independently, we expected that they would out-perform pet dogs on this independent task and that wasn't the case,” said study lead author Lauren Brubaker. “This suggests that the behavior of the owner, including the expectation of their dog and how they engage with their dog on a day-to-day basis, may influence the dog during a problem-solving task.”

Pet dogs also seemed to perform worse with encouragement compared to the efficient search and rescue dogs.

The researchers suggest that this is because the pet dogs saw the encouragement as a cue to play and treated the puzzle more like a toy. 

The study also suggests that because so much is expected of search and rescue <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/test-predicts-best-guide-dogs/">dogs</a>, they are better at taking encouragement from their owners and using it to guide problem-solving. 

The results show that how an owner interacts with their dog can influence problem-solving abilities, but Brubaker notes that future work is needed to examine how worker dogs differ from pets. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Encouragement helps dogs improve at problem-solving tasks

Encouragement helps dogs improve at problem-solving tasks.  A new study...

Scientists solve mystery of beached whale in Namibia. A rotting carcass recently discovered on the coastline of Dorob National Park in Namibia at first had scientists puzzled. It was not clear what species the animal belonged to due to the badly decomposed state of the body. 

However, it is now believed to be the remains of a Cuvier’s beaked whale. 

Cuvier’s are one of the <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/cuviers-beaked-whale">most commonly spotted</a> beaked whales and there are thought to be over 100,000 Cuvier’s in the ocean. 

The whales are known for their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/beaked-whales-dive-deeper/">deep dives</a> and they can swim down to depths of 9,816 feet, the deepest dive of any mammal on Earth.

Cuvier’s have a long torpedo-like body with a head that curves into a short beak. Also the Scientists solve mystery of beached whale in Namibia 

The carcass was in such bad shape that scientists, besides at first being unable to identify it, are also not able to determine any cause of death. Samples of the whale have been collected and will be analyzed for further research. 

“The body of this animal was in an advanced state of decomposition - making it look rather un-whale like and there were several confused reports on social media,” Simon Elwen, a researcher from the <a href="http://www.namibiandolphinproject.org/">Namibian Dolphin Project </a>(NDP) told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. “However, based on the shape of the head and snout and the overall size - research team are fairly confident that the specimen is a Cuvier's beaked whale.” 

Despite their large numbers and widespread distribution, the whales are rarely seen except at lower depths, so having one wash ashore just added to its mystery. 

“I was quite surprised. These animals are rarely seen in the water, so to see them on land is very unique,” Elwen told the Daily Mail.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Caters News Agency

Scientists solve mystery of beached whale in Namibia

Scientists solve mystery of beached whale in Namibia. A rotting...

Fossil reveals early tetrapods lived within the Antarctic Circle.  Long before the Mesozoic Era, the age of the dinosaurs, the Paleozoic Era saw <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uncovering-the-secrets-of-coral-evolution/">an abundance of life</a> like never before. It was during this time that fish first began to evolve into tetrapods, four-legged animals that could walk on land. 

Tetrapods are thought to have first evolved during the Devonian period, “<a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Devonian-Period">the age of fishes</a>,” 360 million years ago and previous fossil evidence has led researchers to believe they evolved and existed primarily in tropical regions. 

However, a remarkable new finding shows that tetrapods were widespread, and even inhabited the Antarctic Circle. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/">University of the Witwatersrand</a> and the <a href="http://www.am.org.za/">Albany Museum in Grahamstown </a>in South Africa examined the Devonian Waterloo Farm locality and found tetrapod fossils. 

The Farm locality is a roadcut that exposed dark grey mudstones rich with Devonian fossils of animals and plants. 

Two new tetrapod species were identified in the Devonian locality, the Tutusius, and Umzantsia, and they the earliest known four-legged vertebrates ever to exist in Africa. The find also calls into question previous theories about where tetrapods evolved and lived. 

“Whereas all previously found Devonian tetrapods came from localities which were in tropical regions during the Devonian, these specimens lived within the Antarctic circle,” said Robert Gess, the lead author of the study. 

The new tetrapods are discussed in a report published in the journal Science and are the first tetrapods ever found to have existed outside of tropical regions. 

During the Devonian period, North America, Greenland, and Europe formed a single landmass called Laurissa. It was thought that in Laurissa, in the paleotropics, tetrapods evolved because that’s where their fossils were found. 

Meanwhile, Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, and India were part of a supercontinent called Gondwana during the Devonian period, but almost no fossil evidence of tetrapods have been found in this expansive area. 

Tutusius and Umzantsia though are now the first tetrapod fossils not only found outside of the tropics in Gondwana but within Antarctic circle. 

The find challenges the theory that tetrapods only evolved in tropic regions and instead shows that tetrapods were located all over the world in the Late Devonian. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Maggie Newman

Fossil reveals early tetrapods lived within the Antarctic Circle

Fossil reveals early tetrapods lived within the Antarctic Circle.  Long...

Male vervet monkeys attack their group members to break up fights. A team of anthropologists at the <a href="http://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a> have found that male vervet monkeys attack members of their own group in order to prevent the escalation of fights. The females, on the other hand, encourage the males to fight.

“We have recently shown that females in this species use both aggression as punishment and grooming as reward to manipulate the participation of male group members during intergroup fights,” said study lead author Erik Willems.

Many years of research have demonstrated that cooperative activities are common among social species. Groups of animals are known to hunt and share food, help raise offspring, keep watches to warn others of predators, and to team up in fights.

Because these social groups contain unique individuals, the benefits or costs of cooperation are different for each member of a group, which means that there is often disagreement during cooperative activities.

Engaging in intergroup fighting is risky and can lead to serious injury or even death, but victory can lead to valuable resources.

Study first author Jean Arseneau-Robar conducted her doctoral research at the <a href="https://www.unine.ch/compcog/en/home/projets-de-recherche/ivp.html">Inkawu Vervet Project</a> in South Africa.

“It has always been assumed that males exhibiting this behavior want to prevent females from mating with males in the opposing group,” said Arseneau-Robar. “These acts of male aggression have thus always been interpreted as acts of mate defense.”

The research team observed male <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monkeys-friends-health-survival-odds/">monkeys</a> attacking other male members of their own groups during intergroup fights. However, the male monkeys did not intervene or become aggressive when females were seen interacting or mating with males from other groups.

The attention of the males was instead focused on others who were instigating or had been recently involved in fights. According to the experts, male vervet monkeys often use punishment and coercion to stop dangerous fights.

“It was really interesting to see that while females use punishment and rewards to try and rally the troops, males actually use punishment and coercion to try and stifle the fighting, effectively keeping things calm and safe for small, vulnerable infants,” said study co-author Professor Carel van Schaik.


The research 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

Male vervet monkeys attack their group members to break up fights

Male vervet monkeys attack their group members to break up...

Giraffe death calls into question zoo conditions and regulations. Zoos allow people to stand some mere feet away from wild animals they likely would have never encountered otherwise. While zoos can provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for visitors, they can be harmful and potentially fatal for the animals they showcase.

Just last month, a giraffe died at the Lisbon Zoo while trying to reach for food from a visitor. The giraffe fell into a moat in its enclosure that was meant to separate the animals from the visitors. The 11-year-old female giraffe had made headlines last year after giving birth at the zoo.

Now the giraffe is in the news again, illustrating the risks of allowing humans and wildlife to interact so closely. Although there was a “Do Not Feed the Animals” sign next to the giraffe’s exhibit, the visitor still enticed the giraffe towards the moat with food.Giraffe death calls into question zoo conditions and regulations

In a statement, the zoo stated that the visitor who tried to feed the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giraffes-long-necks/">giraffe</a> has been identified by area police who are looking into the case.

A necropsy revealed that the giraffe died from cardio-respiratory failure as a result of its fall into the moat.

The giraffe’s baby will require additional care from the zoo staff to ensure its survival. Baby giraffes are dependent on their mothers, especially babies like the one at the Lisbon Zoo who are less than one year old.

According to<a href="http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/giraffe-birth-live/frequently-asked-questions/"> Animal Planet</a>, giraffe’s nurse from their mothers for 9 to 12 months and stay with their mother for a few months after they are done weaning. Female giraffes will live in the same herd as their mother throughout adulthood.

This is not the first case of visitors causing the death of a wild animal. In May 2016, the story of a boy falling into a gorilla’s enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo made national headlines. Zookeepers shot and killed the gorilla to protect the boy, who survived the incident.

In 2007, a Siberian tiger killed a teenage boy and injured two others after leaping from its cage at the San Francisco Zoo. Police officers shot and killed the tiger. Federal investigators believe the teenagers agitated and provoked the tiger, leading to the attack.

In a draft report for the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">United States Department of Agriculture’s</a> Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, tiger expert Laurie Gage wrote, “With my knowledge of tiger behavior I cannot imagine a tiger trying to jump out of its enclosure unless it was provoked.”

For wild animals, living in close proximity to human visitors can be stressful, even without the public directly interacting with the animals.

Research shows that the mere presence, sounds and smells of people can elicit a stress response in captive animals which can depreciate their overall welfare.

A 1988<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/zoo.1430070407"> study</a> published in Zoo Biology showed that the presence of visitors made primates less social, more aggressive and more likely to display stereotypical behavior- repetitive movements usually associated with boredom or stress. Researchers were able to reduce the changes by 50% simply by making the visitors lower their height.

A more recent 2017<a href="http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/4/4/161017"> study</a> published in Royal Society Open Science examined fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGC) in captive meerkats to assess the effect visitors had on the animals’ stress levels.

Glucocorticoids are often used to measure stress in zoo animals. The researchers state, “The main characteristic of the physiological stress response in vertebrates is the release of glucocorticoids (cortisol, corticosterone) from the adrenal gland in response to a stressor. Glucocorticoids play an essential role in general homeostasis, and their presence at elevated concentrations can also indicate a stress response, as one of their functions is to trigger the mobilization of energy stores to allow the animal to respond to the current threat.”

The researchers found that fGC levels increased the day after a large number of people visited the meerkat exhibit. Meerkats who were visited by a low number of individuals did not have similar spikes in their fGC levels.

While not all human-wildlife interactions at zoos result in the death of an animal, it is still important to note the potential adverse effects of captivity.

Zoos can take steps to make life for these animals less stressful. For example, the researchers found that meerkats had lower levels of stress when they were housed in larger groups. Additionally, visitors should always use caution when interacting with and observing wild animals. Keeping in mind the welfare of captive animals can help prevent harmful interactions.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Giraffe death calls into question zoo conditions and regulations

Giraffe death calls into question zoo conditions and regulations. Zoos...

Two new species of ancient saber-toothed predators discovered.  Scientists led by the <a href="http://naturalsciences.org/">North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences</a> have described two new species of saber-toothed prehistoric predators. The fossils are providing new insight into the early evolution of mammals, which was a time when the role of some carnivores drastically changed.

During the Permian Period, millions of years before the earliest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-asteroid-struck/">dinosaurs</a>, ancestors of today's mammals called therapsids dominated terrestrial ecosystems. The diverse creatures, referred to as “protomammals,” included tusked herbivores, burrowing insectivores, and saber-toothed predators. 

Most remains of Permian therapsids have been found in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. This South African record has provided scientists with invaluable evidence of the evolution of protomammals.

Therapsid fossils from outside of South Africa, however, are also extremely important because they can be used to examine whether events in the protomammal fossil record represent global or strictly regional evolutionary patterns.


Recent expeditions by the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1380981-d6491475-Reviews-Vyatka_Paleontological_Museum-Kirov_Kirov_Oblast_Volga_District.html">Vyatka Paleontological Museum</a> have produced a collection of very well-preserved Permian fossils recovered near the town of Kotelnich in European Russia, including the remains of two previously unknown species of predatory protomammals.

 The first of the two new species, Gorynychus masyutinae, was a wolf-sized carnivore and the largest predator in the Kotelnich fauna. The second new species, Nochnitsa geminidens, was a smaller, long-snouted carnivore with needle-like teeth. 

The new species from Russia provide the first evidence that the turnover in predators after the mid-Permian extinction was worldwide and not unique to South Africa.


The mid-Permian mass extinction, which came about eight million years before the well-known and devastating end-Permian mass extinction, played a major role in driving protomammal evolution.

 In the late Permian ecosystems, the top predators were giant, saber-toothed gorgonopsians, while therocephalians were generally small insectivores. In mid-Permian ecosystems, however, these roles were reversed. The saber-toothed top predator Gorynychus was a therocephalian, and the only gorgonopsians during this time were much smaller animals.

“In between these extinctions, there was a complete flip-flop in what roles these carnivores were playing in their ecosystems - as if bears suddenly became weasel-sized and weasels became bear-sized in their place,” said study co-author Christian Kammerer. 

“Kotelnich is one of the most important localities worldwide for finding therapsid fossils - not only because they are amazingly complete and well-preserved there, but also because they provide an all-too-rare window into mammal ancestry in the Northern Hemisphere during the Permian.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://peerj.com/">PeerJ</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: Matt Celeskey

Two new species of ancient saber-toothed predators discovered

Two new species of ancient saber-toothed predators discovered.  Scientists led...

New research reveals that whales mourn their dead. A new study suggests that we should add marine mammals to the list of animals that form such strong bonds with their herds, pods, and family that they grieve and mourn their dead. 

This trait has been witnessed in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/african-elephants-recovering-poaching/">elephants</a>, giraffes, chimps and now seven species of whale and dolphin, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the<a href="http://www.dolphinbiology.org/areas.htm"> Dolphin Biology and Conservation at Oceancare</a> in Italy. 

The research was published in the journal Zoology. 

Some whales have been seen holding onto a dead calf for long stretches of time and now, the new study says that this is representative of grief. 

The animals are keeping vigil for their dead, even disregarding their own wellbeing and safety by protecting the dead calf, family member, or friend. 

It’s likely a stress response and emphasizes the strong bonds formed in groups, particularly between a mother and her calf, so much so that the mother has a hard time letting go if the calf dies. 

For the study, the researchers reviewed 78 reports of seven whale and dolphin species dealing with their dead and a majority of the documented events involved females taking care of their dead offspring. 

Mothers and sometimes fellow podmates were observed attending to the calf, carrying it, trying to keep the corpse afloat, and even attempting to revive the calf.New research reveals that whales mourn their dead 

This behavior is called postmortem attentive behavior (PAB) and the researchers found examples of PAB in 20 of the reports that were reviewed for the study. 

Many instances of PAB involved dolphins, and the researchers hypothesize that this is because dolphins have more brain mass than other aquatic mammals and are highly social. 

A few of the reports detailed accounts of adult males becoming aroused by a corpse of a podmate but not by calves. 

The study shows that aquatic mammals react to their dead the same way that many other species and even humans do. Whales and dolphins seem to grieve or mourn and have difficulty letting go if a calf dies. 

More research needs to be conducted to see if the animals truly are responding to the death of a loved one or responding to stress, but the patterns of the behavior documented undoubtedly shows some attachment to the corpse of a familiar animal. 

“We found it is very common, and [there is] a worldwide distribution of this behavior,” Melissa Reggente, the study’s co-author, told <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/07/whales-death-grief-animals-science/?beta=true">National Geographic</a>. “They are in pain and stressed. They know something is wrong.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New research reveals that whales mourn their dead

New research reveals that whales mourn their dead. A new...

Intricate communication strategies seen in male dolphin alliances.  It’s a well-known fact in the marine biology community that male bottlenose dolphins sometimes form long-lasting cooperative alliances with each other. These alliances can last decades, and have been the subject of intense study for decades as well.

Now, a new study in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a> puts together over 30 years of continuous research on this subject. Stephanie King, of the <a href="https://www.uwa.edu.au/">University of Western Australia</a>, and colleagues wanted to better understand the role that vocal communication plays in coordinating complex social behaviors – such as cooperation – in bottlenose <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-decline-amazon/">dolphins</a>.

To assess the role of vocal signals, the researchers went to Shark Bay, Australia and recorded the dolphins’ vocalizations using underwater microphones. They then determined the individual vocal label used by individual males, and measured the similarity of those identity signals within and between alliances in order to determine whether males with stronger social relationships used vocal labels that were more alike. 

“We found that male bottlenose dolphins that form long-term cooperative partnerships or alliances with one another retain individual vocal labels, or ‘names,’ which allows them to recognize many different friends and rivals in their social network,” says King. “Our work shows that these ‘names’ help males keep track of their many different relationships: who are their friends, who are their friend’s friends, and who are their competitors.”

The researchers wanted to know if allied dolphins shared similar calls as a way to advertise their alliance, or if they stuck to individual vocal labels. Analysis determined that males in an alliance kept their distinct vocal labels, which suggests that these calls may serve a purpose similar to an individual name. This finding is in contrast to other species, whose individuals with close relationships converge on shared vocalizations in order to advertise their alliance to that partnership or group.

“With male bottlenose dolphins, it’s the opposite – each male retains a unique call, even though they develop incredibly strong bonds with one another,” King explains. “Therefore, retaining individual ‘names’ is more important than sharing calls for male dolphins, allowing them to keep track of or maintain a fascinating social network of cooperative relationships.”

The researchers are planning to further study male dolphins’ relationships with one another more closely. They plan on playing the “names” of individual males back to each other and seeing how males respond to members of their alliances in different contexts. “It will be interesting to reveal whether all cooperative relationships within alliances are equal or not,” says King.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Simon J Allen at the Dolphin Alliance Project

Intricate communication strategies seen in male dolphin alliances

Intricate communication strategies seen in male dolphin alliances.  It’s a...

Bee brains can understand the concept of zero.  Basic bee brains can comprehend the concept of zero, according to a new study conducted by researchers from Australia and France.

The results, published in the journal Science, show that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bees-high-nectar-special-neurons/">bees</a> understand that nothing belongs at the lower end of the spectrum and could help with teaching Artificial Intelligence new tasks. 

Human brains have 86,000 million neurons but bees have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bees-high-nectar-special-neurons/">fewer than one million</a>.

It was thought that only humans, or species with similarly complex brains, could understand zero, which according to the researchers, is the backbone of modern mathematical and technological advancements. 

“Zero is a difficult concept to understand and a mathematical skill that doesn't come easily - it takes children a few years to learn,” said Adrian Dyer, a member of the research team. “We've long believed only humans had the intelligence to get the concept, but recent research has shown monkeys and birds have the brains for it as well. What we haven't known - until now - is whether insects can also understand zero.”

For the study, bees were presented with a series of images that contained different quantities of things. The bees were given a reward if they gravitated toward the image with the lowest number of elements. 

The bees would choose the image with two elements versus three and so on, and were given a sugar solution treat in return. 

Occasionally the researchers would show the bees a blank image, and even though they had not been trained to respond to an empty page or the concept of zero, the bees gravitated toward the picture with nothing. 

The fact that the bees went to the blank image shows that bees understood that nothing was lower than the other quantities shown, and the researchers say this provides a new understanding of how different brains grasp abstract concepts. 

“How does a brain represent nothing? Could bees and other animals that collect lots of food items, have evolved special neural mechanisms to enable the perception of zero?” Asked Dyer. “If bees can learn such a seemingly advanced maths skill that we don't even find in some ancient human cultures, perhaps this opens the door to considering the mechanism that allows animals and ourselves to understand the concept of nothing.”

The researchers are most excited about the implications the results could have for Artificial Intelligence and teaching relatively basic robots to operate in complex environments. 
--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Bee brains can understand the concept of zero

Bee brains can understand the concept of zero.  Basic bee...

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



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



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



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



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



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



-----



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



-----



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

<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://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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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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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

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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