Thirty‑five millennia may sound like a long time, yet for a mammal, it is practically yesterday. A new study uses whole‑genome data to show that the Norwegian lemming, Lemmus lemmus, split from its Siberian cousin only about 35,000 years ago.



“The Norwegian lemming is a key ecological species in the Fennoscandian tundra. Among other things, it serves as primary food for many predator <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-animals-evolved-in-different-ways-to-beat-the-cold/">species</a>, including some threatened ones such as the Arctic fox,” said David Díez del Molino, a researcher at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, <a href="https://www.su.se/">Stockholm University</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lemmings-shape-arctic-life">Lemmings shape Arctic life</h2>



Ecologists have tracked lemming booms and busts for decades because those <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2656.1999.00258.x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cycles</a> ripple through the tundra food web, shaping the breeding success of Arctic foxes, owls, and even geese. 



When rodent numbers crash, fox litters shrink, snowy owls skip nesting, and grasses rebound after seasons of heavy grazing.



Unlike most small <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-water-day-2025-preserving-glaciers-protecting-our-future/">mammals</a>, Norwegian lemmings overwinter aboveground by tunneling under snow, a habit that keeps them active when many rodents lie low. Their winter wanderings aerate soil, mix plant nutrients, and feed predators during the hungriest months.



During peak years, the species can reach densities of hundreds per acre. Yet its loud squeaks and bold charge‑and‑bite defense make predators think twice, granting the animal an outsized ecological voice relative to its three‑ounce frame.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lemmings-became-a-separate-species">Lemmings became a separate species</h2>



Researchers compared nine modern and two ancient lemming genomes and found a clean split from the Western Siberian lemming with no evidence of crossbreeding, even in areas where the two meet today. 



That result stands in sharp contrast to polar bears and brown bears, whose DNA still shows <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22517859/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ancient admixture</a> from repeated hybridization events.



“Our findings indicate that the Norwegian lemming is among the most recently evolved <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-otter-day-2025-on-the-front-lines-of-a-habitat-crisis/">mammals</a>, diverging from its sister taxon, the Western Siberian lemming, at a remarkably shallow time depth,” said <a href="https://palaeogenetics.com/people/edana-lord/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edana Lord</a>, a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Palaeogenetics.



The team’s high‑resolution sequencing also resolved relationships within the genus Lemmus, confirming that Eastern Siberian lemmings belong to a separate species and helping clean up a century of contested rodent taxonomy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-species-born-in-an-ice-age">A species born in an ice age</h2>



The divergence date places the split just before the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1172873" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Last Glacial Maximum</a>, when ice sheets peaked between roughly 26,500 and 19,000 years ago. 



Glacial barriers likely trapped an ancestral lemming population in a Scandinavian refuge, cutting gene flow with Siberian relatives and setting the stage for rapid speciation.



Once the ice retreated, the newly minted Norwegian lineage expanded westward, but climatic swings had already written separation into the animals’ DNA. Modern population genetics shows no trace of later contact, suggesting that geography and behavior together kept the young species distinct.



Because the entire living population coalesces to a common ancestor only about 6,400 years ago, every Norwegian lemming alive today shares surprisingly shallow roots, a reminder that dramatic evolutionary change can happen fast.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-color-blocks-crossbreeding">Color blocks crossbreeding</h2>



Hybridization often lingers for thousands of years after a split, yet these rodents seem to have slammed the door shut. 



One reason may be their vivid black‑and‑yellow coat, a pattern that functions as an <a href="https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/aposematism-warning-signals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aposematic warning</a> and an instant badge of identity, reducing mating mistakes with the drab Siberian form.



Aggressive ritual boxing, loud chirps, and high‑speed chases further isolate the species by favoring individuals that court their own kind and bully outsiders away from snow burrows.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-that-power-survival">Genes that power survival</h2>



Sequencing uncovered unique changes in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3093193/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LYST pigment gene</a> that help produce the lemming’s splashy jacket, a mutation class also linked to altered melanosome function in laboratory mice. 



The same region shows signs of a recent selective sweep, hinting at strong predator‑driven pressure for conspicuous colors.



Other <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30006135/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mutations</a> appear in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/53630" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BCO1</a>, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/apob/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">APOB</a>, and <a href="https://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=RELCH" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RELCH</a> - genes involved in fat transport and storage; in mice, knocking out BCO1 triggers fatty‑liver disease and shifts cholesterol pathways. Extra‑efficient lipid metabolism may keep lemmings fueled through subzero winters when seeds are scarce.



The researchers also found clusters of rapidly evolving olfactory receptor genes, suggesting that a refined sense of smell guides the rodents through deep snow tunnels to mates, food, and lurking stoats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-arctic-mammals">Lessons for Arctic mammals</h2>



Climate upheaval can spin off new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aquatic-robot-inspired-by-flatworms-can-swim-in-harmony-with-nature/">species</a> in a geological blink, and the lemming’s youth underscores how quickly isolation plus selection can rewrite a mammal’s genetic blueprint. 



Similar patterns play out in Arctic whales, foxes, and hares as shrinking ice opens and closes migration corridors.



“This work represents a big step in our understanding of lemming speciation and evolution,” said Love Dalén, a professor in <a href="https://utbildning.su.se/english/education/course-catalogue/bl/bl7082" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Evolutionary Genomics at Stockholm University</a>. 



Professor Dalén noted that tracing ancient DNA in more Pleistocene specimens could reveal exactly when each adaptive mutation took hold.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2424333122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



 n

How Norwegian lemmings rapidly evolved into a new species

Thirty‑five millennia may sound like a long time, yet for a mammal, it is practically yesterday. A new study uses whole‑genome data to show that the Norwegian lemming, Lemmus lemmus, split from its Siberian cousin only about 35,000 years ago. “The Norwegian lemming is a key ecological species in the Fennoscandian tundra. Among other things, it serves as primary food for many predator species, including some threatened ones such as the Arctic fox,” said David Díez del Molino, a researcher at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm University. Lemmings...

Humans may walk around the planet like we own the joint, but we certainly aren’t the biggest animals in size. Here’s a list of 10 of the largest animals on Earth.

The BLUE WHALE is the largest mammal and the largest living animal on earth. Technically, too large to be weighed on any scale, the blue whale has been measured in sections, averaging 110 tons in weight and 79 feet (24 meters) in length. The largest blue whale on record was 190 tons.

The COLOSSAL SQUID is the largest known invertebrate. Cephalopods (or “inkfish” as fishermen commonly refer to them)– like the squid, the octopus, and the nautilus–are considered the most intelligent of invertebrates. The colossal squid can be as long as 45 feet (14 meters) and weigh as much as 1,650 lbs (750 kg).

The AFRICAN BUSH ELEPHANT is the largest and heaviest land mammal on earth. The title once belonged to the “African Elephant,” but the African bush elephant was recently classified separately from what has been distinguished as the smaller ‘African forest elephant.’ African bush elephants can be up to 13 feet (3.96 meters) tall at the shoulder, 19.7 feet (6 meters) in length, and average 4.9 tons in weight. The heaviest male on record was 12.3 tons.    

The GIRAFFE is the tallest living land animal. They average 14.1 - 18.7 feet (4.3 - 5.7 meters) in height, with the tallest recorded male coming in at 19.3 feet. Adult males typically weigh up to 2,628 lbs (1,192 kg) and females average 1,825 lbs (828 kg). <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giraffes-long-necks/">Giraffes</a> are the largest ruminants (which include cattle, goats, antelopes, deer) but they belong to an otherwise prehistoric genus, Giraffa. All seven of the other species belonging to the genus have long gone extinct. 

The heaviest living bird is the COMMON OSTRICH. They average 230 lbs (104 kg) in weight and 6.9 feet (2.1 meters) in height. Native to Africa, these flightless birds live in nomadic groups of 5 to 50 birds. While they are known to hide from danger by lying close to the ground, their legs are powerful weapons of defense.

The WANDERING ALBATROSS is known to have the longest wingspan of any living bird. Their wingspan averages 10 feet 2 inches (3.1 meters) with the longest on record measuring 12 feet 2 inches (3.7 meters). Their incredible wingspans allow them to glide for long distances without flapping their wings, so these birds spend most of their lives in flight, generally landing only to feed and breed.

The SALTWATER CROCODILE is the heaviest of the living reptiles.  The saltwater crocodile’s average weight is 990 lbs (450 kg) and their average length is 14.8 feet (4.5 meters). The largest on record was 4,400 lbs (2,000 kg) and 23 feet (7 meters) long. The “saltie” is a hypercarnivorous apex predator, able to take down almost any other animal–including other apex predators. One of the most dangerous animals on earth, the saltwater crocodile prevails by ambushing its prey, drowning it, and then swallowing it whole. 

The KOMODO DRAGON is the largest lizard on earth. With a maximum length of 10 feet (3 meters) and weighing up to 150 lbs (70 kg), these gigantic lizards dominate their ecosystems with serrated teeth and a venomous bite. Some of them get so big that their diet primarily consists of deer. They’ve also been known to attack humans.

The CHINESE GIANT SALAMANDER is the world’s largest amphibian. At one time, they were known to grow as long as 5.9 feet (180 cm) in length, but now their average length is 3.77 feet (115 cm) and their average weight is 60 lbs (27 kg). The Chinese giant salamander is currently critically endangered due to habitat loss and the fact that it is considered a delicacy in China and often used for Chinese medicine.  

The CAPYBARA is the largest living rodent on earth. Native to South America, the capybara is closely related to the guinea pig and is known to travel in groups with as many as 100. They average 4 feet (about 120 centimeters) in length, stand at almost 2 feet (about 56 centimeters) tall at the withers (ridge between shoulder blades), and weight anywhere from 77 to 146 lbs (35 to 66 kg).   

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By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Darryl Joseph</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

10 of the largest animals on Earth

Humans may walk around the planet like we own the...

Birds may care for the offspring of other birds when they are hoping for future rewards. By delaying their own reproduction, birds enjoy benefits such as being tolerated in another bird's territory and the chance to inherit territory later.

Around ten percent of the world's bird species around the world contain individuals that postpone their own chance of reproduction to help birds of the same species care for their offspring. This behavior has also been seen in certain mammals, fish, and insects.

Because all animals are thought to share a selfish need to pass along their own genes, researchers find it perplexing that some animals sacrifice their own desires for others. One idea is that the birds are helping out their family members, which is an indirect way of spreading their genes.

But evolutionary biologist Sjouke Kingma from the <a href="http://www.rug.nl/?lang=en">University of Groningen</a> does not entirely agree with this theory. He developed a study to demonstrate that these individuals are also trying to improve their own future prospects. 

Kingma compared 44 species of birds, some of which helped other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-friends-longer-lives/">birds</a> while denying themselves their own offspring. While some birds were found to only help family members, his research showed that others were more willing to help non-family members when they anticipated that doing so would lead to territory inheritance.

“Birds see their territory in the same way as we see our house,” said Kingma. “Some species of ‘homeowners’ allow other birds to live in their territory and help them to care for their offspring. This may seem logical if the birds living in the same territory and helping each other are related. But this isn't always the case.”

“My research reveals that the homeowners get much more help if the helpers stand to inherit their territory in the future,” he continued. “After all, you'd be much more inclined to help someone maintain their home if you thought you'd inherit it one day. This is precisely what a lot of birds do: they help the current owner so that the territory will be worth more when they inherit it.'

Kingma’s research is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

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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

Image Credit: Sjouke Anne Kingma

Birds don’t mind babysitting, as long as they get paid

Birds may care for the offspring of other birds when...

A dog that takes a lot of cat naps may just be a little bit smarter than his canine colleagues. Sleeping dogs are better at consolidating memories, including their recall of newly learned skills, a study has found.

 Researchers from Hungary’s <a href="https://www.elte.hu/en/">Eotvos Lorand University</a> taught dogs trained in Hungarian new commands in English. Dogs that were allowed to sleep after the new training remembered the new commands most consistently, they found.

They used EEG monitors to study the dogs’ sleep patterns after they were taught new skills, and found a concentration of “sleep spindles.” The short bursts of brain activity during REM sleep have been associated with memory consolidation and sleep stability in humans and rodent test subjects, too.

The 15 dogs in the study came from a variety of backgrounds. 

“In the present study we used an adjusted version of a detection method previously validated in children to test whether detections in the dogs show equivalent functional correlates as described in the human literature,” the researchers wrote.

They found several similarities, including differences in sleep spindles between the sexes. Like in humans, female dogs showed more “sleep spindle” activity and demonstrated better recall while awake, the researchers said.

They compared the EEG readings from after the dogs learned new commands to readouts from when the sleeping dogs had no stimulation before their nap, and when their pre-nap activity was simply going over skills they already knew. 

The researchers randomly assigned whether a dog would be learning new commands or not during a session. EEG readouts from the non-learning sessions were used as a control.

Previous studies have looked at mice and humans’ brain activity and memory formation during sleep, but this is the first to look at dogs. 

However, as scientists learn more about how sleep affects mammals’ abilities to learn and remember, it offers an insight into how the human brain works. Sleep spindle activity has been linked to mental illness – people with depression tend to have more frequent sleep spindles than others, while those with schizophrenia tend to have fewer, for example. 

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-13278-3">Scientific Reports</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

If you want a smarter pet, let sleeping dogs lie

A dog that takes a lot of cat naps may...

Flying insect populations have decreased by more than 75 percent in some parts of the world. 

A new study, conducted by ecologists from <a href="http://www.ru.nl/english/">Radboud University</a> in the Netherlands along with German and English researchers, found that insect biomass has drastically reduced at a rate far worse than previously predicted. 

The study was published in the journal PLoS ONE. 

Researchers collected <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fragile-insects-heat-reproduction/">insect</a> data over 27 years in 63 different locations in nature reserves in Germany. The researchers analyzed the data to calculate the biomass or number of insects living in those areas. 

The results of the study show that there is a 76 percent decline in insect numbers, even in protected reserves where population decline is supposed to be mitigated. 

“All these areas are protected, and most of them are managed nature reserves. Yet, this dramatic decline has occurred,” said Caspar Hallmann, one of the project researchers who performed the statistical analyses. 

The researchers are not sure what has caused this drastic decline, but the drop in numbers is cause for serious concern. 

Researchers tried to pinpoint what could have been the catalyst for the population decline, but changes in weather and landscape did not seem to have any impact on the results. 

The results are not independent of German nature reserves, as the researchers suspect that the agriculture makeup used to keep nature reserves enclosed might have something to do with the decline.

“The research areas are mostly small and enclosed by agricultural areas. These surrounding areas inflict flying insects, and they cannot survive there. It is possible that these areas act as an 'ecological trap' and jeopardize the populations in the nature reserves,” said Hallmann. 

Insects are an important part of the ecosystem, and any drastic drops in population could have an adverse affect on the health and survival of other species in surrounding areas. 

Although the cause of the decline is unknown, the researchers say conservation is extremely important. 

“The only thing we can do right now is to maintain the utmost caution. We need to do less of the things that we know have a negative impact, such as the use of pesticides and prevent the disappearance of farmland borders full of flowers. But we also have to work hard at extending our nature reserves and decreasing the ratio of reserves that border agricultural areas,” said Hans de Kroon, the leader of the project. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

75 percent of insects lost in protected nature reserves

Flying insect populations have decreased by more than 75 percent...

A new mathematical method has been introduced by researchers to show how abundant rare species and biodiversity are in different tropical ecosystems.

Tropical forests are now in a “critical state,” where losing rare tree species could throw the ecosystem out of balance, jeopardizing more plants and animals. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://uoregon.edu/">University of Oregon</a>, the <a href="http://www.unipd.it/en/">University of Padova</a> in Italy, and the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> in the United Kingdom set out to map the biodiversity of tropical forests using a mathematical method. 

Their findings are published in the journal Science Advances. 

“We are losing species perhaps more rapidly than ever before. It is the biodiversity of the species that keeps our planet the way it is. These species have evolved over many, many millennia. A species once lost is gone forever,” said Jayanth R. Banavar, the senior vice president at the University of Oregon and one of the study's co-authors. 

The researchers created a method that expanded on the commonly held species abundance distribution equation or relative abundance distribution (RAD). 

The RAD is a log series that was first used to understand the abundance of a species of moth in Britain based on a small sample. 

However, trying to map the diversity or abundance of a certain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-forests-excess-carbon/">tropical tree</a> species using those same methods today may yield faulty results, which is why the researchers created a new framework. 

The new method finds the minimum number of sampling sizes needed in order to determine the abundance of rare trees across different forests. This system will be able to help quickly identify those species at risk of extinction. 

“We have developed a method that gives accurate estimates of the number of species and abundances present in the entire ecosystem,” said Banavar. 

The researchers tested their method using computer simulations and on data collected from 15 different tropical forests. The new method gave researchers a more accurate account of how many trees there were of a certain species in a forest. 

“This method allows us to understand both how fragile the biodiversity is and how many species we should be focusing on with conservation efforts. As caretakers of this planet, we want to nurture the species that we have, and we want to preserve life for the next generation,” said Banavar. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rare species are crucial to tropical forests

A new mathematical method has been introduced by researchers to...

A new study reveals that dogs are more expressive in an attempt to communicate and not just because they are excited. Researchers from the <a href="http://www.port.ac.uk/">University of Portsmouth</a> have found that dogs make more facial expressions when humans are looking at them.

The analysis is the first to provide clear evidence that dogs move their faces in direct response to people. Dr. Juliane Kaminski, an expert in dog cognition at the university, led the study.

"We can now be confident that the production of facial expressions made by dogs are dependent on the attention state of their audience and are not just a result of dogs being excited,” said Dr. Kaminski. “In our study they produced far more expressions when someone was watching, but seeing food treats did not have the same effect.”

The researchers evaluated 24 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reason-dogs-friendly-love/">dogs</a> of various breeds from ages one to 12, all of which were family pets. Each dog was secured a meter away from a person, and the dog's face was filmed during various exchanges. At times, the person’s body was oriented toward the dog, and at other times the person was turned away from the dog.

The researchers examined the dogs’ expressions using DogFACs, a coding system which measures facial changes linked to underlying muscle movement.

"DogFACS captures movements from all the different muscles in the canine face, many of which are capable of producing very subtle and brief facial movements,” explained co-author Bridget Waller. "FACS systems were originally developed for humans, but have since been modified for use with other animals such as primates and dogs."

The study revealed that the dogs created facial expressions in response to attention from people rather than as a result of their own emotional state, which has long been the assumption. Dr. Kaminski pointed out that dogs facial expressions may have changed over many years of domestication.

"Domestic dogs have a unique history - they have lived alongside humans for 30,000 years and during that time selection pressures seem to have acted on dogs' ability to communicate with us,” said Dr. Kaminski. "This study moves forward what we understand about dog cognition. We now know dogs make more facial expressions when the human is paying attention."

The research is published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

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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

Dogs are more expressive when they know you’re looking

A new study reveals that dogs are more expressive in...

Have you ever wondered how mosquitoes get away with biting you so many times before you even notice? How a mosquito escapes undetected is crucial to their survival and the survival of any future offspring. 

A new collaborative study conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.wur.nl/en/wageningen-university.htm">Wageningen University</a> in the Netherlands and the <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/">University of California</a>, Berkeley examined mosquito escape techniques to see how these devious insects are so successful in sucking blood without being detected.

“Female mosquitoes need a blood meal to develop their eggs. One critical maneuver is the escape take-off after blood-feeding,” said Florian Muijres, one of the study’s researchers. 

Muiures, along with co-researchers Jeroen Spitzen and Sofia Chang, set out to see if the female mosquito employed any special tactics that allowed her to escape undetected. 

The team found that a quick take off is crucial to a quick escape, but a quieter and gentler approach would be more beneficial to remain undetected. 

With concerns about mosquito-transmitted diseases on the rise, especially after 2016’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mosquitoes-zika-transmit-diseases/">Zika virus</a> outbreak, understanding more about how mosquitos feed and fly away is important to disease prevention. 

The researchers set up a series of experiments using cameras focused on the mosquito’s launch pad to see if there were any special maneuvers used during takeoff. 

The experiments showed that mosquitoes who had just finished feeding began beating their wings about 30 milliseconds before takeoff. 

The researchers also discovered that during this process, the mosquitos had a wingbeat frequency of 600 beats per second, much higher than the typical 200 beats found in other similar-sized insects. 

In order to evade detection, the mosquito pushed its long legs gently down to get enough momentum for takeoff while remaining undetected. 

The researchers then compared the mosquito’s take off to fruit flies to see if there were any similarities. The fruit fly exerted a force four times as strong as the mosquito did before takeoff, but mosquitoes have to be gentler since they’re sitting on human flesh.

The researchers hope to extend their study to other blood-sucking pests to see if they use the same maneuvers and strategies as the mosquito during takeoff. In the meantime, understanding more about these behaviors can help prevent mosquito-transmitted disease outbreaks.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

How mosquitoes can suck your blood without you noticing

Have you ever wondered how mosquitoes get away with biting...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-100-companies/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> continue to warm the atmosphere, ocean waters will increase in temperature as well. But what does this mean for the future of all marine life?

A new study published in the journal Science Advances predicts that as waters warm, the distribution of marine life in tropical areas near the equator will shift.

The research is based off a survey conducted by the citizen science project Reef Life Survey (RLS) and represents the first global marine life survey with data gathered by scuba divers. 

According to the research, as ocean waters get warmer, fish that are superior predators in tropical areas will extend their reach further and further. This will, in turn, disrupt many existing natural ecosystems and reduce populations of crabs, lobsters, and sea urchins. 

Currently, there are large populations of fish in tropical regions that are balanced by large populations of invertebrates in colder waters. 

If the oceans continue to warm, that balance will shift, and fish that hunt in warm waters will easily be able to go beyond their natural hunting grounds in a process called “tropicalization.” 

“In South Eastern Australia and Tasmania the 'tropicalization' of marine life is already underway, but similar effects have not yet been detected in New Zealand,” said Graham Edgar, the study’s lead author, and the RLS founder. 

This trend is only projected to get worse as the effects of climate change are felt in increasing severity. 

“As fish extend their range further from the equator with warming water, their advantage as predators will affect the abundance and diversity of large mobile invertebrates. Broad changes will likely spread across the ecosystem, affecting human activities such as fishing,” said Edgar. 

To understand the full scope of how a warming climate will impact marine life across the globe, and to help hinder any drastic consequences, Edgar and his team call for ongoing monitoring. 

However, the team notes that surveying local marine life and instigating any necessary changes is only possible with cooperation from communities at local and regional levels. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Warming waters will alter the distribution of marine life

As greenhouse gas emissions continue to warm the atmosphere, ocean...

Bees may be the most important pollinators on our planet. They help a wide variety of trees and plants to grow and spread over great distances, benefiting our environment and the air we breathe. Because of that, efficiency in pollination is a key trait of these insects.

Recent research published by a multidisciplinary team of scientists from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> and <a href="https://www.kew.org/">the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew</a>, as well as the <a href="http://ami.swiss/">Adolphe Merkele Institute</a> in Switzerland, has now discovered how bees are able to locate and pollinate certain flowers more efficiently. The researchers discovered that a number of common flower species have petals that contain nanoscale ridges, which scatter light particles in the blue to ultraviolet color spectrum. This creates a subtle effect that the scientists have termed the “blue halo.”

Studies have shown that many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blooming-seasons-bad-bees/">bee species</a> have a preference for colors within the violet-blue range, but plants do not always have the ability to produce blue pigments. So to adapt, some flowers produce petals that contain these nanostructures that produce this blue halo to attract pollinating insects.

When they looked even closer, the researchers found that even though these nanostructures in different species all produce this blue halo, they vary significantly in their height, width, and spacing. Furthermore, even on just a single flower petal, the light-manipulating structures can be greatly irregular. Physicists describe this phenomenon as “disorder.”

“We had always assumed that the disorder we saw in our petal surfaces was just an accidental by-product of life - that flowers couldn’t do any better,” said senior author Beverley Glover, plant scientist and director of <a href="http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/Botanic/Home.aspx">Cambridge’s Botanic Garden</a>. “It came as a real surprise to discover that the disorder itself is what generates the important optical signal that allows bees to find the flowers more effectively.”

The researchers believe that these “messy” petal nanostructures probably evolved independently numerous times across different flowering plant species, but all resulted in the same blue halo effect that increases visibility to pollinators – a process known as “convergent evolution.” They found several examples of halo-producing petals among the two major flower groups (eudicots and monocots) that emerged over 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. This arrival coincides with the early evolution of flower-visiting insects, especially nectar-sucking bees.

“Our findings suggest the petal ridges that produce ‘blue halos’ evolved many times across different flower lineages, all converging on this optical signal for pollinators,” says Glover.

Besides the continued interest in the history and developmental biology of these novel structures, the researchers believe that these findings may lead to the development of surfaces that are more visible to pollinators.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Edwige Moyroud

Flower petals form a blue halo shape to attract bees

Bees may be the most important pollinators on our planet....

Imagine what the world must look like to an animal 1/100th your size. It’s not always easy being the little guy, but what some tiny animals lack in size they make up for in other skill sets. <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> brings you 10 of the smallest animals on earth.

The smallest fish on earth is the PAEDOCYPRIS (Paedocypris progenetica). Their transparent bodies average 7.9mm (0.31 in) in length. They are found in peat swamps of the Southeast Asian islands Sumatra, Borneo, and Bintan. Paedocypris are currently endangered and may be extinct by the year 2040 because of destruction of peatlands by fire and drainage of peat swamps in their native area. 

The SLENDER BLIND SNAKE or THREAD SNAKE (Leptotyphlopidae) rarely exceeds 30 cm (just under 12 inches) in length. They are found in southwestern North America, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, in habitats that range from arid areas to rainforests. With no teeth in upper jaw, this burrowing snake feeds mostly on ants and termites by sucking the contents of insect bodies and discarding the exoskeleton.

The BEE HUMMINGBIRD is also known in native Cuba as ZUNZUNCITO (Mellisuga Helenae). At 5.7 centimeters (2.24 inches) in length and 1.7 grams (0.06 ounces), the world’s smallest bird is hardly larger than a bee. While the Bee hummingbird flies from flower to flower, it transfers pollen, it feeds primarily on nectar and the the occasional spider or insect. 

The SPECKLED PADLOPER also known as SPECKLED TORTOISE or SPECKLED CAPE TORTOISE (Homopus signatus) is native to South Africa and Southern Namibia. Males have an average body length of 7 centimeters  (2.75 inches) while females average 10 centimeters (3.9 inches). They are known to have orange-brown flattened shells with slightly serrated edges and hundreds of black spots. And unlike most of its relatives, the speckled padloper has five toes on its forefeet, instead of four.

ETRUSCAN PYGMY SHREW or WHITE-TOOTHED PYGMY SHREW (Suncus etruscus) weighs in at about 1.8 grams (0.063 ounces) and averages 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) in length excluding the tail. Known as the smallest mammal by mass, the pygmy shrew has an incredibly fast metabolism and eats 1.5 to 2 times its body weight each day. They are  native to warm, damp climates in Europe, North Africa and Malaysia.

PAEDOPHRYNE AMAUENSIS doesn’t have a layman name yet, but it is a species of frogs discovered in Papua New Guinea in 2009 and officially described at the start of 2012. At 7.7 millimeters (0.3 inches), it is considered the world’s smallest known vertebrate. They live in the leaf litter of tropical forests.

MADAME BERTHE’S MOUSE LEMUR (Microcebus berthae) can be found in the Kirindy Forest in western Madagascar. With an average body length of 9.2 centimeters (3.6 inches) and weight about 30 grams (just over 1 ounce), Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur is the smallest primate in the world. The species was discovered in 1992 and named after the conservationist and primatologist Berthe Rakotosaminanana.

The HOG-NOSED BAT also known as the BUMBLEBEE BAT (Craseonycteris thonglongyai) can be found in western Thailand and southeast Myanmar, dwelling inside limestone caves along rivers. Technically the smallest mammal at 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long with a 12.7 centimeter (5 inch) wingspan, the hog-nosed bat is likely at risk of extinction due primarily to habitat degradation and disturbance of roosting sites.

The PYGMY MARMOSET MONKEY (Cebuella pygmaea) is native to the rainforests of the western Amazon Basin in South America. With an average weight of 100 grams (3.5 ounces) and an average head-body length of 13.4 centimeters (around 5.3 inches), it is the smallest monkey in the world. The pygmy marmoset can rotate its head 180 degrees and feeds on tree gum.

The ROYAL ANTELOPE (Neotragus pygmaeus) is around 25 centimeters  (10 inches) tall at the shoulder and weighs around 2.7 kilograms (just under 6 pounds). This West African monogamous nocturnal herbivore marks its territory with dung and is sexually mature after six months. 

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By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Darryl Joseph</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

10 of the smallest animals on Earth

Imagine what the world must look like to an animal...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-penguins-catastrophe/">we reported</a> this weekend, a colony of Adelie penguins in the Antarctic suffered yet another breeding season disaster. The colony of about 36,000 penguins lost all but two of its chicks because they were left for too long as their parents had to forage farther distances to get food. 

As a result, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has called for the creation of a massive marine sanctuary to protect native animals from the nearby fishing grounds.

French and Australian policy makers are also pushing for a large marine sanctuary in East Antarctica to protect against further native species population depletion.

The plan is to create protected zones that would ban any fishing, keeping the area intact and conserving the animals who depend on those waters for survival.

Researchers also depend on these marine ecosystems to better understand how climate change is affecting oceans and wildlife. 

The <a href="https://www.ccamlr.org/">Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources</a> (CCAMLR) is an organization that oversees conservation efforts in the Antarctic Ocean. In order for the proposed marine sanctuary to get the go-ahead, there must be a unanimous agreement among all 24 member countries.

A marine sanctuary in the Antarctic would stop fish reserves from being over-harvested and allow penguins and other animals to thrive with sufficient food sources. At the very least, the reserve would help stop these populations from further depletion. 

“The death of so many Adélie penguin chicks shows just how tough life can be in Antarctica. The last thing these penguins need is more pressure. That's why it's crucial CCAMLR locks in an MPA in East Antarctica to help secure a future for Adélie penguins and all the other amazing wildlife and marine biodiversity,” said Chris Johnson, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:World_Wide_Fund_for_Nature">World Wide Fund for Nature</a> Antarctic program manager.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Antarctic marine sanctuary proposed after devastating animal loss

As we reported this weekend, a colony of Adelie penguins...

Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions, but there is still no cure to slow or stop the progression of deteriorating neurons in the brain and spinal cord. According to the <a href="https://neurodiscovery.harvard.edu/challenge">Harvard Neurodiscovery Center</a>, 5 million Americans currently suffer from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extra-virgin-olive-oil-protects-brain/">Alzheimer's</a>, 1 million have Parkinson's, and 400,000 have multiple sclerosis. 

Those numbers are predicted to continue to climb as the population ages, and as many as one in five Americans could be diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease by 2030. 

But now, a new study from the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/icru/">University of Iowa</a> demonstrates how roundworms may offer new solutions to help ward off neurodegenerative diseases. 

The research was published in the journal Science Signaling and focused on a defense mechanism known as the heat shock response that protects the body’s cells from stressors.

When exposed to stressors like changes in temperature, the body begins production of a protein that repairs and removes damaged proteins to keep the cell healthy. 

The researchers tested the roundworm's heat shock response by exposing a group of roundworms to the scent of a lethal bacterium and another group to the scent of a benign bacterium. 

The roundworms subjected to the dangerous scent were able to prime their defenses, and when put in contact with the bacterium, lived longer than those worms who weren’t primed for the odor. 

The study theorizes that it may be possible to prime this defense in humans so that it is “on guard” against neurodegenerative disease, the same way the worms were primed against the deadly bacterium through smell. 

The key, according to Veena Prahlad, an assistant professor of biology at the University of Iowa and corresponding author on the paper, is the protein HSF1, or the heat shock transcription factor. 

HFS1 is important in guarding against protein damage in neurons, but it was thought only to be activated after there was an overload of damaged proteins in cells. 

Prahlad hypothesized that HSF1 could be put on “standby” and activated quickly in response to damaged proteins, and tested this by exposing roundworms to the smell of a lethal bacterium. 

The promising results of the study show that it may be possible to prime humans for a quick defense against neurodegenerative diseases. 

“Theoretically, it should be possible to treat these types of diseases if we can figure out how to stimulate that defense mechanism in people and have it activated more consistently to fix damaged cells. We'd need to find the same sensory triggers in humans as we have demonstrated in worms,” said Prahlad. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Roundworms may hold the key to protection against Alzheimer’s

Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions, but there is still no cure...

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[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

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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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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