In the arid, fossil-rich landscape of Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park, a team of paleontologists stumbled across something unexpected. The experts found the fossilized jawbone of a pterosaur that may be the oldest ever found in North America.



The discovery came from a remote site that revealed not just one remarkable creature, but a whole ecosystem preserved in stone.



The study was led by scientists from the Smithsonian’s <a href="https://www.si.edu/museums/natural-history-museum">National Museum of Natural History</a> and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Petrified Forest National Park</a>. The research introduces a new pterosaur species alongside more than 1,000 other fossils.



Some of these include one of the world’s oldest turtle specimens. Together, the fossils paint a vivid picture of life just before one of Earth’s biggest mass extinctions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-before-mass-extinction">Life before mass extinction</h2>



The pterosaur fossils come from rock layers that date back to the Late <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-did-not-impact-dinosaur-abundance-in-the-triassic/">Triassic</a> period. During this time, ancient amphibians and crocodile-like reptiles lived side by side with animals that would go on to shape the future of the planet, including early turtles, frogs, and flying reptiles.



“The site captures the transition to more modern terrestrial vertebrate communities, where we start seeing groups that thrive later in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-were-not-the-only-animals-that-grew-fast-during-the-mesozoic/">Mesozoic</a> living alongside these older animals that don’t make it past the Triassic,” said study lead author Ben Kligman.



This glimpse into prehistoric life is especially valuable because it dates to just before the end-Triassic extinction - about 201.5 million years ago - when massive volcanic eruptions dramatically altered Earth’s climate. 



The event wiped out roughly 75% of all species, paving the way for dinosaurs to rise to dominance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossils-hidden-by-ash">Fossils hidden by ash</h2>



Direct fossil evidence from just before this extinction is hard to come by. Few fossil-rich outcrops from this time exist, but Petrified Forest National Park is one of the rare exceptions. 



Known for its colorful layers of petrified wood and Triassic fossils, the park has long been a treasure trove for paleontologists.



One rock layer, called the Owl Rock Member, has proven especially important. It’s full of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fire-and-ice-volcanic-ash-plays-a-surprising-role-in-cloud-formation/">volcanic ash</a>, which helped scientists date it precisely to around 209 million years ago. These are some of the park’s youngest rocks - but also among its least explored.



Study co-author William Parker explained that the Owl Rock exposures are tucked away in extremely remote areas. Few teams have been able to study them in detail.



In 2011, a research group led by Kay Behrensmeyer decided to take on the challenge. Braving the rugged terrain - complete with rattlesnakes and wild horses - they went in search of mammal-like fossils. 



What they found instead was a densely packed bonebed, full of life from a vanished world.



“That’s the fun thing about paleontology: you go looking for one thing, and then you find something else that’s incredible that you weren’t expecting,” said Kligman, who started working at the site during his PhD studies in 2018.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-life-buried-by-floods">Ancient life buried by floods</h2>



Back in the Triassic, this part of Arizona was located near the equator and sat in the center of the supercontinent <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/supercontinents-101-pannotia-gondwana-and-pangea/">Pangaea</a>. 



The land was semi-arid, with winding river channels and a seasonal flood cycle. One of those floods likely buried the animals that are now preserved in the bonebed.



The fossil layer was so dense with tiny remains that collecting them onsite was impossible. Instead, researchers carved out large blocks of sediment, wrapped them in plaster, and brought them back to the lab.



Many of these blocks were sent to the Smithsonian’s FossiLab, where volunteers spent thousands of hours carefully exposing the bones. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-small-fossils-major-clues">Small fossils, major clues</h2>



The rivers teemed with fish like coelacanths and freshwater sharks. Giant amphibians - some stretching over six feet long - swam through the streams. On land, armored herbivores and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-crocodile-like-beast-was-a-terrifying-predator/">crocodile-like predators</a> ruled.



At the same time, smaller creatures were starting to make their mark. The team identified early frogs, relatives of today’s tuataras, and a turtle with spike-like armor that could fit in a shoebox. 



The remains of a small pterosaur were also hidden among the layers - just one part of a fossil record that shows how quickly new groups were emerging and spreading across Pangaea.



“This suggests that turtles rapidly dispersed across Pangaea, which is surprising for an animal that is not very large and is likely walking at a slow pace,” said Kligman.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pterosaur-that-perched-like-a-bird">Pterosaur that perched like a bird</h2>



One of the most exciting finds was a jawbone with teeth still in place. It belonged to a small pterosaur, one of the first vertebrates capable of powered flight. This early flier could have perched on a person’s shoulder.



The pterosaur fossil was uncovered by Suzanne McIntire, a volunteer who spent 18 years working in the FossiLab.



“What was exciting about uncovering this specimen was that the teeth were still in the bone, so I knew the animal would be much easier to identify,” McIntire said.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/pterosaur_Eotephradactylus-mcintireae_Arizona_illustration_credit-Brian-Engh_1big.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/pterosaur_Eotephradactylus-mcintireae_Arizona_illustration_credit-Brian-Engh_1s.webp" alt="An artist's reconstruction of the fossilized landscape, plants and animals found preserved in a remote bonebed in Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The newly described pterosaur Eotephradactylus mcintireae is seen eating an ancient ray-finned fish alongside an early species of turtle and an early frog species, with the skeleton of an armored crocodile relative lying on the ground and a palm-like plant growing in the background. Credit: Brian Engh" class="wp-image-1977432"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An artist's reconstruction of the fossilized landscape, plants and animals found preserved in a remote bonebed in Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The newly described pterosaur Eotephradactylus mcintireae is seen eating an ancient ray-finned fish alongside an early species of turtle and an early frog species, with the skeleton of an armored crocodile relative lying on the ground and a palm-like plant growing in the background. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Brian Engh</figcaption></figure>



The wear on the teeth gave scientists a clue about the pterosaur’s diet. It likely fed on armored fish that were common in the area. 



The new species was named Eotephradactylus mcintireae, which translates to “ash-winged dawn goddess." This title honors McIntire, who retired last year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-exactly-is-a-pterosaur">What exactly is a pterosaur?</h2>



Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that existed during the time of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/where-did-dinosaurs-come-from-missing-fossils-hold-the-secret/">dinosaurs</a>. They were the first animals with backbones to evolve powered flight, well before birds or bats came on the scene.



Powered by skin stretched across an extended fourth finger, they ranged in size and shape from something no larger than a crow to giants with wings up to 30 feet or more.



Pterosaurs were not dinosaurs. They formed their own group of reptiles and possessed special adaptations for flight. Some flew above coastlines, while others preyed on fish or small land animals inland.



The new fossil contributes to what is known about those early birds and how they expanded around the globe.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2505513122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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North America's oldest known pterosaur discovered in a petrified forest

In the arid, fossil-rich landscape of Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park, a team of paleontologists stumbled across something unexpected. The experts found the fossilized jawbone of a pterosaur that may be the oldest ever found in North America. The discovery came from a remote site that revealed not just one remarkable creature, but a whole ecosystem preserved in stone. The study was led by scientists from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and Petrified Forest National Park. The research introduces a new pterosaur species alongside more...

Mathematical modelling explains why some animals can see at night. Researchers from <a href="https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en">Hiroshima University</a> have used mathematical modelling to explain how the structure of chromatin in cells of some animals’ eyes shifts from diurnal to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nocturnal-birds-night/">nocturnal</a> after birth.

Associate Professor Sungrim Seirin-Lee, and Lecturer Hiroshi Ochiai, both from the Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life at HU, believed the chromatin caused the shape of the nuclei warp and change. 

"When we started this research, our hypothesis was based 100 percent on mathematics," Seirin-Lee said. "Because of our mathematical modeling, we found that nuclear deformation might be a key point in DNA's structure change."

Chromatin appears in different forms and exists in varying territories within the nucleus. For example, it appears as euchromatin, or largely active DNA, around the center of the nucleus. And it also takes the form of heterochromatin, a type of mostly-stagnant DNA that exists around the envelope or ceiling of the nucleus.

However, when it comes to differentiating nocturnal and diurnal animals, the differences in chromatin are largest around the retina. There, the DNA is the center of the nucleus in nocturnal animals, and, as Seirin-Lee and Ochiai found, heterochromatin can be moved from the envelope and ceiling via the nucleus changing shape.

To better understand this movement, Seirin-Lee and team used “phase-field” mathematical modelling, which is more commonly used in physics.

"It is not common in the biological sciences,” Seirin-Lee said. “In chromatin dynamics, it is the first trial in the world!" 

By using this model, the researchers could determine and define the inside and outside of the nucleus, as well as the euchromatin versus heterochromatin, in order to see the movement of of chromatin and nucleus.

When observing heterochromatin in a nocturnal mouse’s eye, they saw that conditional architecture spurred dynamic deformation, thus resulting in an inversion in the nuclear architecture in which two proteins are removed and heterochromatin is allowed to move.

The team then applied their phase-field model to neural stem cells, which mimic retinal cells. They first treated the cells with proteins that keep heterochromatin at the nuclear periphery, and noticed that the deformation stopped. Nuclear architecture could not invert. Whether or not this applies to other mammals is still unclear.

"At this stage, we think it is just mouse eyes," Seirin-Lee said, "but we don't know! Maybe humans could have such structures by dynamic nuclear deformation."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Gregory Johnston

Mathematical modelling explains why some animals can see at night

Mathematical modelling explains why some animals can see at night....

Scientists from the<a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/"> University of Southampton</a>, the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a>, the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a>, and the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute</a>, have found that, contrary to prior understanding, the biological processes far off the coast of Antarctica in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/southern-ocean-acidification/">Southern Ocean</a> are the most important factors in determining how the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide.

"The Southern Ocean is a hugely important region for the drawdown of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, with major impacts on global climate,” said Michael Meredith from the British Antarctic Survey. “This study overturns a commonly-held belief relating to how this works, and emphasises the need for joined-up biological and physical studies in the open-ocean regions some distance offshore from the Antarctic continent. This will be a key priority going forward, in order to improve our ability to reliably predict future climates."

Carbon dioxide is initially absorbed in the surface ocean and is then transferred into the deep ocean where it is stored for hundreds to thousands of years. 

It was thought that the transformation of water from light to dense, caused when water is cooled at the ocean’s surface, was the main key in determining whether carbon is released into the atmosphere or stored in the deep ocean. Therefore, most research is conducted in the shallow waters on Antarctica’s coastline. 

However, after studying ocean circulation and carbon concentration of the Weddell Gyre region of the Antarctic Peninsula, as well as data collected by the ANDREX project (Antarctic Deep water Rates of Export), which measured the physical, biological, and chemical properties of the gyre’s waters between 2008 and 2010, the research team found that dense water formation is not the dominant factor driving the atmosphere-to-ocean carbon uptake. Instead, biological processes further out in the ocean are the main driving force.

The team discovered that as phytoplankton in the middle of the gyre grow and sink, they remove carbon from the surface ocean and move it into the deep ocean. This process is known as the “biological carbon pump.”

"The results carry implications for our understanding of how the high-latitude Southern Ocean, close to the Antarctic continent, influences atmospheric carbon and global climate on 100 to 1000-year timescales,” said study leader Graeme MacGilchrist, from the University of Southampton. “This is important both for our understanding of climate transitions in the past, such as the ice ages, as well as our projections of future climate change.”

“We also expect that it will help to shift the focus of future research towards the critical processes taking place in the Antarctic Gyres, rather than the historical focus on the shelf-sea regions,” MacGilchrist concluded.

This study is published in <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Mike Meredith, British Antarctic Survey

Interactions in the Southern Ocean impact how carbon dioxide is absorbed

Scientists from the University of Southampton, the British Antarctic Survey,...

In the process of rehabbing an injury or attempting to improve athletic performance, biofeedback could be an important tool for individuals during their workouts – especially if a trainer or therapist is not available. 

By placing sensors on a person’s body, real-time measurements can be provided that help them track their performance.

A new study published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a> has found that a real-time, music-based feedback system helped recreational <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/focusing-weight-lifting-performance/">weightlifters</a> improve their deadlift technique. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.ugent.be/en">Ghent University</a> in Belgium designed this system equipped with 22 body sensors to lower sound quality of the weightlifter’s music if they were using bad lifting technique. Improving their deadlifting technique would immediately restore the music quality.

For this study, 31 recreational weightlifters were divided into two groups. One group received feedback directly from instructors, while the other group performed deadlifts while receiving the music-based feedback. To simplify the process, only two deadlift technique parameters were analyzed for feedback.

[caption id="attachment_1877110" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/deadlift.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1877110" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/deadlift.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="228" /></a> Image Credit: Lorenzoni et al., 2019[/caption]

The results showed that both feedback types led to improved deadlift technique, each having similar levels of improvement. Participants also reported similar levels of clarity and enjoyment for both. It’s possible that this type of feedback system could be a beneficial tool for athletes rehabbing from injury or trying to get more out of their workouts. 

Future research may delve into the long-term effectiveness of this new system, and the researchers are looking to improve its portability while also adding additional parameters for weight training techniques.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Maridav

Musical feedback can improve deadlift technique

In the process of rehabbing an injury or attempting to...

New study completely changes what we know about early human evolution. Researchers have been studying a remarkably complete 3.8-million-year-old cranium belonging to a hominin species known as Australopithecus anamensis. The cranium, which was discovered in Ethiopia in 2016, represents a time interval around 4 million years ago when Australopithecus anamensis gave rise to the next early human ancestor, Australopithecus afarensis. 

In the years following the discovery, the paleoanthropologists have conducted extensive analyses on the cranium, which is referred to as "MRD."

"Features of the upper jaw and canine tooth were fundamental in determining that MRD was attributable to A. anamensis," said Dr. Stephanie Melillo of the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a>. "It is good to finally be able to put a face to the name."

Combined with other fossils from the region, MRD reveals that A. anamensis and A. afarensis co-existed for approximately 100,000 years, which completely contradicts the idea of a linear transition between the two <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-immunodeficiency-viruses/">human ancestors</a>. 

"This is a game changer in our understanding of human evolution during the Pliocene," said Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie.

"We used to think that A. anamensis gradually turned into A. afarensis over time," added Dr. Melillo. "We still think that these two species had an ancestor-descendent relationship, but this new discovery suggests that the two species were actually living together in the Afar for quite some time. It changes our understanding of the evolutionary process and brings up new questions - were these animals competing for food or space?"

MRD was uncovered in the sandy deposits of a delta where a river once entered a lake. Fossil plants and pollen grains preserved in the lake and delta sediments indicate that the watershed of the lake was mostly dry but also had forested areas nearby.

"MRD lived near a large lake in a region that was dry. We're eager to conduct more work in these deposits to understand the environment of the MRD specimen, the relationship to climate change and how it affected human evolution, if at all," said study co-author Naomi Levin of the University of Michigan.

Australopithecus anamensis is the oldest known member of the genus Australopithecus. The cranium's nearly-complete state allowed the researchers to view facial features that have never been seen before in the species. New study completely changes what we know about early human evolution

"MRD has a mix of primitive and derived facial and cranial features that I didn't expect to see on a single individual," said Dr. Haile-Selassie. 

Some of the characteristics resembled later species, but others resembled even older and more primitive human ancestor groups such as Ardipithecus and Sahelanthropus. 

"Until now, we had a big gap between the earliest-known human ancestors, which are about 6 million years old, and species like 'Lucy', which are two to three million years old. One of the most exciting aspects of this discovery is how it bridges the morphological space between these two groups," explained Dr. Melillo.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://nature.com">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image © Yohannes Haile-Selassie, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

New study completely changes what we know about early human evolution

New study completely changes what we know about early human...

While some people may brag about only needing a few hours of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/alcohol-nicotine-sleep-quality/">sleep</a> to be functional every day, it’s actually quite rare for a human to function normally with 6 hours or less of sleep. 

Not much is known about the role the genes that regulate sleep play outside of our circadian rhythms, but by studying a family with several members who require less sleep than average, researchers have identified a new gene that could have a major impact on how much sleep someone needs.

“It’s remarkable that we know so little about sleep, given that the average person spends a third of their lives doing it,” says senior author Louis Ptáček, a neurologist at the <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">University of California, San Francisco</a> (UCSF). “This research is an exciting new frontier that allows us to dissect the complexity of circuits in the brain and the different types of neurons that contribute to sleep and wakefulness.”

The gene that was identified is ADRB1, which the researchers discovered using genetic linkage studies and whole-exome sequencing to expose a new and very rare variant. “We found that this gene codes for ß1-adrenergic receptor, and that the mutant version of the protein is much less stable, altering the receptor's function,” explains UCSF geneticist and senior author Ying-Hui Fu. “This suggested it was likely to have functional consequences in the brain.”

To further study the gene, the researchers performed experiments on mice that carried a mutated version of this gene. Their findings, published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>, show that these mice slept an average of 55 minutes less than normal mice. Humans with this gene sleep 2 hours less on average. Additional research showed that the gene is expressed at high levels in a part of the brain stem involved in subconscious activities such as respiration and eye movement as well as sleep, known as the dorsal pons.

“Another way we confirmed the role of the protein was using optogenetics,” explains Fu. “When we used light to activate the ADRB1 neurons, the mice immediately woke up from sleep.”

For future research, the investigators want to study the function of the ADRB1 protein in other areas of the brain. “Sleep is complicated," says Ptáček. “We don’t think there’s one gene or one region of the brain that’s telling our bodies to sleep or wake. This is only one of many parts.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Sergey Nivens

Newly identified gene may allow people to require less sleep

While some people may brag about only needing a few...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flying-reptiles-late-jurassic/">Fossilized poop</a> discovered in Argentina contains the oldest parasite DNA ever recorded. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.conicet.gov.ar/?lan=en">National Council of Scientific and Technical Research</a> were examining a coprolite (fossilized feces) excavated from the Catamarca Province. 

DNA analysis revealed not only that the poop belonged to an ancient Puma but also that the animal had been infected with roundworms. 

Toxascaris leonina roundworm eggs were found in the poop which dates back between 16,570 and 17,000 years ago, making it the oldest example of parasitic DNA discovered so far. 

At the end of the last Ice Age, Catamarca Province was likely wetter than today and inhabited by a range of megafauna and herbivorous animals.  

Luckily the coprolite was well preserved that the parasite DNA could be adequately studied. 

“While we have found evidence of parasites in coprolites before, those remains were much more recent, dating back only a few thousand years,” said Dr. Romina Petrigh, a leader of the study. “The latest find shows that these roundworms were infecting the fauna of South America before the arrival of the first humans in the area around 11,000 years ago.” 

The researchers used special decontaminated mixtures to analyze the feces, and several experiments were needed to confirm the DNA sequences identified, according to Petrigh. 

Not only is the roundworm DNA the oldest ever recorded, but the discovery calls into question when and how Toxascaris leonina first spread among animals.  

“The common interpretation is that the presence of T. leonina in American wild carnivores today is a consequence of their contact with domestic dogs or cats, but that should no longer be assumed as the only possible explanation,” said Petrigh. 

The findings were published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/parasitology/article/ancient-parasitic-dna-reveals-toxascaris-leonina-presence-in-final-pleistocene-of-south-america/9E406417164E40114F819AA78D60C667">Parasitology</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Agami Photo Agency

Fossilized poop contains oldest parasite DNA ever discovered

Fossilized poop discovered in Argentina contains the oldest parasite DNA...

Small albino lizards have successfully become the first reptiles that were gene-edited with CRISPR-Cas9 technology. 

In the past, CRISPR technology has been used with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hiv-dna-eliminate-animals/">mice</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gene-editing-tool-color-plants/">plants</a> and earlier this year, researchers from the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> found a way to work with CRISPR and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-gene-edited-lizards/">edit the genes of reptiles.</a> 

Now, that same research team has published their findings in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(19)31005-8?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2211124719310058%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">Cell Reports</a>, and the study shows how gene-edited reptiles pass modified traits, in this case albinism, onto their offspring. 

The researchers found a workaround to gene-edit reptile embryos by injecting CRISPR-Cas9 edits into the unfertilized eggs of anole lizards. 

“For quite some time we’ve been wrestling with how to modify reptile genomes and manipulate genes in reptiles, but we’ve been stuck in the mode of how gene editing is being done in the major model systems,” said Doug Menke, the corresponding author of the study. “We wanted to explore anole lizards to study the evolution of gene regulation, since they’ve experienced a series of speciation events on Caribbean islands, much like Darwin’s finches of the Galapagos.”

[caption id="attachment_1877074" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/albino-lizard.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1877074" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/albino-lizard.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="870" /></a> Albino lizard hatchling, Image Credit: Doug Menke[/caption]

The researchers had to wait three months for the lizard offspring to hatch to see if their gene-editing attempts were successful and around six to nine percent of the lizards produced gene-edited offspring. 

“Relative to the very established model systems that can have efficiencies up to 80% or higher, 6% seems low, but no one has been able to do these sorts of manipulations in any reptile before,” said Menke. “There’s not a large community of developmental geneticists that are studying reptiles, so we’re hoping to tap into exciting functional biology that has been unexplored.”

The researchers specifically wanted to create ablino offspring because albinism isn’t lethal to animals, but for humans, abilinsism is linked to vision problems and having a better model to study this link could help future research into pigemental loss. 

The researchers have also provided a new framework for using CRISPR outside of popular animal models. 

“We never know where the next major insights are going to come from, and if we can’t even study how genes work in a huge group of animals, then there’s no way to know if we’ve explored everything there is to explore in the realm of gene function in animals,” said Menke. “Each species undoubtedly has things to tell us, if we take the time to develop the methods to perform gene editing.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Say hello to the world’s first gene-edited reptiles

Small albino lizards have successfully become the first reptiles that...

In a new study published by the <a href="https://www.aip.org/">American Institute of Physics</a>, an advanced method of nanoparticle screening has revealed that some chemicals in personal care products are not as harmful as previously thought. 

The researchers demonstrated that a chemical found in most <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sunscreens-release-metals-ocean/">sunscreens</a> called titanium dioxide is not only non-toxic, but actually protects skin cells from ultraviolet damage.

Nanoparticles are so small that they have different physical, chemical, mechanical, and optical properties compared to the same material on a larger scale. Therefore, a material that is toxic in a bigger form is not necessarily harmful in its miniscule form, and vice versa. 

According to study co-author Craig Priest, a nanomaterial contained in a personal care product may remain on the body for many hours while being exposed to air, moisture, light, and heat along with sweat, oils, and wax from the skin. The influence of these factors can either diminish or increase toxicity.

"Nanoparticles are found in many products and vary greatly. The exact size, shape, material and surface properties determine whether a particle is safe or harmful, but the vast number of property combinations means that screening is extremely difficult," explained Priest.

The researchers decided to focus their investigation on UV radiation for its simplicity and also for its potential to be  included in a multiparameter study of the reaction of nanoparticles to external stressors, such as sunlight.

Microfluidics is a science that involves the precise control and manipulation of fluids that are geometrically constrained to a small scale. While previous nanotoxicity screening methods were tedious and time-consuming, microfluidic devices are less expensive and make studies easier to reproduce.

The research expands on previous work which tested microfluidic screening processes for chemicals, such as potassium cyanide, cycloheximide, and chemotherapy drugs. A major advantage of using microfluidic devices is their ability to perform multiple tests using small sample volumes in a compact microchip format.

"Our results will help speed the development of microfluidic screening chips and, in time, may form the basis of standardized screening of new nanoparticles before they enter products or the environment," said Priest.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/journal/bmf">Biomicrofluidics</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: Shutterstock/verona studio

Questionable chemical in sunscreens found to be non-toxic, study shows

In a new study published by the American Institute of...

Standing nearly 400 feet tall and looming over the Castle Valley in Utah, Castleton Tower is a popular destination for rock climbers. It’s one of the largest freestanding rock towers, and the formation is constantly gently swaying, vibrating at a low frequency.

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> measured Castleton Tower’s vibrations to understand how rock formations vibrate, their resonance, and how human-made sounds impact these vibrations. 

“We often view such grand and prominent landforms as permanent features of our landscape, when in reality, they are continuously moving and evolving,” said Riley Finnegan, a co-author of the study. 

Energy is continuously moving through the Earth, and even a small gust of wind can <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/rock-arches-can-be-monitored-by-their-vibrations/">impact rock formations and cause vibrations</a>. 

The researchers measured rock formations with seismometers that record movement in three dimensions. 3-D imagery is also used to measure the dimensions and structure to help provide insights into the vibrations. 

Data from the seismometers can sometimes be sped up into an audible audio file. 

Studying Castleton Rock was a challenge because skilled climbers were needed to place a seismometer at the top of the tower and bring it back down. Luckily, the researchers were able to enlist the help of two professional climbers in March 2018. 

The two climbers carried a seismometer to the top and waited for three hours while the equipment recorded seismic data before returning.

Once they had the equipment back, the researchers were able to analyze the data and found that that Castleton tower resonates at frequencies of .8 and 1.0 hertz. One hertz is equal to one cycle per second, which means that the tower sways back and forth once per second in a constant movement. 

“The distant sources that excite the unique resonance of Castleton Tower are always active and transferring energy into the rock mass,” said Paul Geimer, a member of the research team. 

The researchers still have much to learn about the rock formation and its vibrations. The team will continue to collect measurements, examine the structural integrity, and see how energy from far away sources like an earthquake or the rumbling traffic of a freeway impacts rock formation vibrations. 

“As with the desert landscape in which it resides, Castleton Tower is dynamic and energetic, subtly responding to changes in the surrounding environment,” said Geimer. 

The researchers published the findings in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/EastVillage Images

Famous Utah rock formation vibrates at the same rate as a heartbeat

Standing nearly 400 feet tall and looming over the Castle...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.umassmed.edu/">University of Massachusetts Medical School</a> have used nanoparticles to give mice the ability to see near-infrared light. The experts are now working to modify these nanoparticles to potentially give humans built-in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/frogs-toads-see-color/">night vision</a>.

"When we look at the universe, we see only visible light," said Dr. Gang Han, who is the principal investigator of the project. "But if we had near-infrared vision, we could see the universe in a whole new way. We might be able to do infrared astronomy with the naked eye, or have night vision without bulky equipment."

Humans and other mammals can detect light between the wavelengths of 400 and 700 nanometers (nm), but near-infrared (NIR) light has longer wavelengths between 750 nm to 1.4 micrometers. 

Dr. Han and his team theorized that mice could be given NIR vision by injecting a special type of nanomaterial called upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) into their eyes. UCNPs contain the rare-earth elements erbium and ytterbium, which can convert low-energy photons from NIR light into higher-energy green light that is detectable to the mammalian eye.

In a study published earlier this year, the researchers demonstrated that their theory was correct. Experiments showed that UCNPs allowed the mice to see and mentally process NIR light for at least ten weeks without any known side effects. However, Dr. Han said that the safety of these nanomaterials must be improved before being tested in humans. 

"The UCNPs in our published paper are inorganic, and there are some drawbacks there," said Dr. Han. "The biocompatibility is not completely clear, and we need to improve the brightness of the nanoparticles for human use." 

The team is currently experimenting with UCNPs made up of two organic dyes instead of rare-earth elements. "We've shown that we can make organic UCNPs with much improved brightness compared with the inorganic ones," said Dr. Han. 

One of the next steps for the project could be applying this technology to dogs. "If we had a super dog that could see NIR light, we could project a pattern onto a lawbreaker's body from a distance, and the dog could catch them without disturbing other people."

The research will be presented by Dr. Han at the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> Fall 2019 National Meeting.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Gang Han

Scientists are a step closer to giving humans built-in night vision

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have used...

Skin creams usually contain a few standard ingredients, but manufacturers know little about how these substances interact to influence the product's performance. A team of researchers has investigated the structure of a skin cream on a molecular scale, and they were surprised by what they found.

"The long-term stability and clinical properties of a cream are determined by its fundamental structure," said Delaram Ahmadi, a graduate student at <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King's College London</a> who conducted the research. "If we can understand the chemical microstructure of the cream and relate that to the structure of the skin, then perhaps we can better repair the compromised skin barrier."

"We wanted to improve the science around cream formulation so that companies could more rationally formulate them to get exactly what they want," added Dr. David Barlow. "The most significant thing we found is that the textbook picture of the structure of a cream is very naïve."

Dr. Barlow explained that formulators have mostly inferred the structure of these emulsions based on indirect measurements. For their investigation, however, the researchers took a direct approach by analyzing creams using X-ray and neutron scattering techniques to determine how the ingredients were distributed. 

The team expected for a cream to be composed of stacks of lamellae, or membranes, that are made up of surfactants and co-surfactants. These substances reduce the surface tension of the liquid they are dissolved in.

The researchers started with an aqueous cream formulation from the British Pharmacopoeia that contains a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant and two co-surfactants. The X-rays revealed that the co-surfactants were present in the lamellar layers as predicted, but the surfactant was surprisingly absent.  

"The surfactant peak profile suggested that the molecule formed micelles in the cream," explained Ahmadi. In addition, the preservative was not found in the aqueous layer, where scientists have always thought it would be. Instead, the preservative was found in the lamellae. 

Preservatives have an antimicrobial effect, which gives them a longer shelf life. Formulators assumed that the preservative had to be dissolved in the water layer in order to be an effective <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antimicrobial-bacteria-spread-urban-wildlife/">antimicrobial</a>. Therefore, according to Ahmadi, the new finding indicates that creams are self-preserving.

"I don't think anybody else has considered that there would be these micelles in the system at all," said Dr. Barlow. "This is new, and we need to think about where they are in the structure and what they are doing."

The research will be presented at the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> Fall 2019 National Meeting

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Maryna Pleshkun

Scientists find that skin creams have a surprising molecular structure

Skin creams usually contain a few standard ingredients, but manufacturers...

New understanding of water molecules may help to control ice formation. In an attempt to better understand the differences in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ice-sheets-global-carbon-cycle/">ice</a> formation on various surfaces, researchers have discovered that the arrangement of surface atoms on water molecules are the key. This revelation may ultimately improve weather forecasts and help to develop ways to prevent ice from forming on power lines, windshields, and other places it is not wanted.

"We discovered that if we look at the liquid water structure where it contacts the surface, we can start to understand and predict whether a given surface will promote or inhibit ice formation," said Dr. Sapna Sarupria, who is the project's principal investigator at <a href="http://www.clemson.edu/">Clemson University</a>. 

"We're working with collaborators to use this information to better understand the role of ice in weather and to design surfaces that are good or bad for ice formation. Wouldn't it be great to have a windshield that doesn't let ice stick to it in the winter?"

Liquid water undergoes several phase transitions: to solid water, from ice back to a liquid, or to a water vapor. In clouds, these transitions can form raindrops and snow. 

"When you want to predict the weather, you need to know how these phase transitions happen, and that's essentially an open question," said Dr. Sarupria. 

When particles such as mineral dust are present in the atmosphere, the abundance and type of the particles determine the kind of precipitation that will occur. "We're trying to understand how different dust particle surfaces affect the transition of water from the liquid to the solid phase in clouds."

The hydrogen ions in water are attracted to some surfaces more than others, and that affects how water molecules arrange themselves on a surface. The researchers discovered that this arrangement, with respect to surface atoms on dust particles and in relation to other water molecules, is the most important factor in ice formation.

[caption id="attachment_1877037" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ice.png"><img class="wp-image-1877037" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ice.png" alt="" width="650" height="582" /></a> Surface atoms on a dust particle (red, white, pink and yellow) impose an arrangement on water molecules (blue) that can promote or inhibit ice formation. Image Credit: Sapna Sarupria and Ryan DeFever[/caption]

The team is now collaborating with experimentalists who study atmospheric phenomena to help explain the results. "If we can model these phenomena, we may be able to better understand the role of ice in weather."

Dr. Sarupria is also applying the new understanding of water structure to design surfaces that can promote or inhibit ice formation. For example, packaging used for frozen food storage or solutions used for cold-storage preservation of organs could be modified to form ice at temperatures closer to 32 F, the freezing point of water, rather than at lower temperatures. 

"In other cases, such as windshields and power lines, you may not want ice to form," said Dr. Sarupria. "So we're trying to figure out how to make coatings or surfaces that won't let ice form, or if it forms, that won't let it stick."

The research will be presented at the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> Fall 2019 National Meeting.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/ArtBitz

New understanding of water molecules may help to control ice formation

New understanding of water molecules may help to control ice...

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.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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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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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



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.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" 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 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://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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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

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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.

How the immune system responds to injury

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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