How did life on Earth begin? People have been asking that for ages. The answers remain scattered across rocks, oceans, and ancient landscapes. One clue hides in an essential ingredient for life - phosphorus.



Phosphorus is everywhere in living things. It holds together DNA and RNA. It forms the framework of cell membranes. No life can grow or function without it. 



Yet, phosphorus mostly stays trapped in rocks. It hides inside phosphate minerals, which barely dissolve in water. That raises an old and puzzling question: how did early Earth get enough phosphorus to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-one-simple-rule-that-explains-all-life-on-earth-bioregions/">spark</a> life?



Yuya Tsukamoto and Takeshi Kakegawa from <a href="https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tohoku University</a> took that question seriously. They decided to look where most people wouldn’t - deep under the sea, in rocks that are billions of years old.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-element-for-life-on-earth">Key element for life on Earth</h2>



The researchers focused on the Pilbara Craton in Western Australia, which holds some of the oldest known seafloor rocks. 



The rocks are an astonishing 3.455 billion years old. The team's discovery wasn’t subtle. It jumped out from the data.



"We analyzed 3.455-billion-year-old basaltic seafloor rocks in drill core samples recovered from the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, discovering that P was significantly leached from the hydrothermally altered rocks compared to the least altered rocks," explained Tsukamoto.



He noted that further mineralogical analyses indicated that phosphate minerals had undergone dissolution in rocks where P was depleted. 



Simply put, hot fluids moved through these rocks and pulled phosphorus out. That phosphorus didn’t just disappear. It entered the surrounding seawater, turning parts of the ocean into phosphorus-rich zones.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-the-source-of-phosphorus">Tracking the source of phosphorus </h2>



The rocks alone didn’t tell the whole story. The team wanted to understand what made this phosphorus release possible. They uncovered two kinds of hydrothermal fluids that shaped this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/third-state-of-existence-beyond-life-and-death-confirmed-by-scientists/">process</a>.



One type was hot, rich in sulfur, and capable of breaking down minerals quickly. The other was more surprising - mildly acidic to alkaline fluids at lower temperatures. 



These fluids were common in the Archean era because Earth’s atmosphere back then was filled with carbon dioxide. That unique atmosphere made these fluids react in unexpected ways with the rocks.



The result? Massive amounts of dissolved phosphate in the water. The numbers were shocking. These fluids could carry up to 2 millimolar phosphate - nearly 1,000 times higher than what’s found in modern seawater.



Suddenly, early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/luca-last-universal-common-ancestor-progenitor-all-life-on-earth/">Earth</a> wasn’t a barren place. Its oceans were filled with phosphorus.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-oceans-held-elements-for-life">Earth’s oceans held elements for life</h2>



This wasn’t just a chemistry experiment. The results changed how scientists think about early Earth. The researchers calculated how much phosphorus these underwater systems could release. 



The findings were stunning. The amount of phosphorus released into the oceans by these hydrothermal systems could match, or even exceed, the amount entering modern oceans through rivers and weathering of land rocks.



"Importantly, this study provides direct evidence that submarine hydrothermal activity leached P from seafloor basaltic rocks and quantifies the potential P flux from these hydrothermal systems to the early ocean," adds Tsukamoto.



Imagine ancient oceans filled with nutrients. These phosphorus-rich waters may have supported some of Earth’s earliest microbial life. 



The ancient communities didn’t need a vast, lush <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rocks-reveal-the-turning-point-when-oxygen-changed-earth-forever/">planet</a>. It only needed these hidden underwater environments to get started.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hot-springs-and-hidden-worlds-on-land">Hot springs and hidden worlds on land</h2>



The study also pointed to something beyond the oceans - hot springs on land. Hydrothermal systems aren’t just found under the sea. They exist on land too, in places like hot springs.



These environments might have also released phosphorus on early Earth. That means life’s building blocks weren’t limited to deep-sea vents. They could have existed in steaming pools on land.



This opens the door for more discoveries. Scientists now plan to study how phosphate behaves in rocks across different periods of Earth’s history. By tracing phosphorus through time, they hope to unlock new chapters of Earth’s story.



The message is clear: Life’s ingredients may have come from places on Earth we’ve only just begun to explore. Deep beneath the waves, within rocks touched by ancient fluids, the story of life may have quietly begun.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016703725003266?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Earth may have always held the key ingredients for life

How did life on Earth begin? People have been asking that for ages. The answers remain scattered across rocks, oceans, and ancient landscapes. One clue hides in an essential ingredient for life - phosphorus. Phosphorus is everywhere in living things. It holds together DNA and RNA. It forms the framework of cell membranes. No life can grow or function without it. Yet, phosphorus mostly stays trapped in rocks. It hides inside phosphate minerals, which barely dissolve in water. That raises an old and puzzling question: how did...

Hand,Holding,Vegan,Sweet,Potato,Black,Bean,Burger,With,Kale

In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/">University of Surrey</a>, researchers set out to analyze changes in supermarket sales of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/replace-meat-with-seafood-for-a-healthier-planet/">meat</a> products and plant-based alternatives. The analysis revealed that the average weekly sales of plant-based foods increased by 57 percent, yet without a reduction in meat sales.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"Efforts to reduce meat consumption have remained absent from the UK political agenda to date, but the need to shift to lower-meat diets is gaining traction in wider society. Veganuary, an annual campaign which encourages individuals to adopt a vegan diet for the month of January, is an example of a civil society initiative to support consumer diet change," explained the study authors.&nbsp;



The research was focused on UK supermarket sales during the "Veganuary" period in January 2021. The experts compared these figures to sales before and after the campaign.&nbsp;



"Our study suggests that while retail-led campaigns are driving increased sales of plant-based foods, we are not yet seeing meat replacement at scale, which is key to drive progress toward healthy, sustainable diets," said study lead author Joanna Trewern.



"Retailers have an important role to play in enabling the adoption of healthier, more sustainable consumer diets. It’s great to see them taking action, but more is needed to reduce our reliance on meat and dairy.”&nbsp;



The team found evidence that the retailer’s efforts to make plant-based products more affordable were effective, as the increase in plant-based food sales was the greatest in low-income areas and superstores.



Currently in the UK, individual meat consumption far exceeds the government's recommendations. The National Food Strategy has proposed a 30-percent reduction in meat consumption to support the nation's commitment of reaching Net Zero by 2050.



"For there to be any chance of meeting UK climate change targets, government, food companies, civil society, scientists, and health professionals need to work together urgently to implement action plans and policies that can deliver swift and sustained change," said Trewern.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/does-promoting-plantbased-products-in-veganuary-lead-to-increased-sales-and-a-reduction-in-meat-sales-a-natural-experiment-in-a-supermarket-setting/CB44968AAD1E86856D01CA47A7BC884D">Public Health Nutrition</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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.



---



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

Plant-based food sales do not always reduce meat sales

In a new study led by the University of Surrey,...

A new study from <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> suggests that rainfall intensity is increasing across much of the United States. The research team analyzed 17 different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-driving-tree-dwelling-primates-to-the-ground/">climate</a> regions and compared their rainfall during two distinct periods: 1951-1980 and 1991-2020.



“When people study how climate change has affected weather, they often look at extreme weather events like floods, heatwaves and droughts,” said study senior author Daniel Horton. “For this particular study, we wanted to look at the non-extreme events, which are, by definition, much more common. What we found is pretty simple: When it rains now, it rains more.”



The researchers found snow and rain intensity increased in the East, South, and Midwest. However, the Western states have not experienced an increase in precipitation.&nbsp;



“Not only do we see increasing precipitation intensity for regions east of the Rockies, but the intensities are becoming more variable as well, making water resource management even more challenging," said study first author Ryan Harp, a researcher in the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern.



While this study does not confirm that climate change causes more intense precipitation, the results are consistent with climate change.&nbsp;



“Warmer air holds more moisture,” Harp explained. “For every one degree Celsius the atmosphere warms, it holds 7% more water vapor. So these observations are consistent with the predicted effects of human-caused global warming.”



More intense precipitation can lead to increased incidents of flooding and landslides, which threaten lives and livelihoods. The researchers hope their findings will encourage policymakers and city managers to build infrastructure to withstand the changes.&nbsp;



“You don’t need an extreme weather event to produce flooding,” Horton said. “Sometimes you just need an intense rainstorm. And, if every time it rains, it rains a little bit more, then the risk of flooding goes up.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rainfall is becoming more intense in the United States

A new study from Northwestern University suggests that rainfall intensity...

Japanese,Barberry.,Yellow,Flowers.,Berberis,Thunbergii.,Flowering,Of,Thunberg's,Barberry.

For several centuries scientists have noticed that, when a visiting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-insect-pollinated-plant/">insect</a>’s tongue touches the nectar-producing parts of certain flowers, the stamen containing the pollen snaps forward, deterring the insect from lingering longer. Now, a study led by the <a href="http://english.ccnu.edu.cn/">Central China Normal University</a> (CCNU) in Wuhan has found that this action increases the flowers’ reproductive success, while reducing the costs of insects lingering too long to feed on the flowers’ nectar.



“We tested three scenarios,” said study lead author Deng-Fei Li, a PhD student in Evolution and Ecology at CCNU. “These included whether snapping stamens help flowers by controlling how much pollen each insect takes, filtering out less proficient pollinators, or reducing the amount of nectar taken by each visitor.”



The scientists immobilized the stamen on the flowers of barberry bushes by dipping the flowers’ floral pedicels in an alcoholic solution for 35 to 45 minutes. This alcohol treatment did not seem to deter pollinators. Then, they compared the behavior of insects and the pollination success of flowers with mobile versus immobile stamens, and tracked how efficiently the insects transported the pollen to other flowers.



The analysis revealed that insects visiting flowers with immobilized stamens stayed 3.6 times longer and removed more nectar than those visiting flowers with mobile stamens. Nonetheless, these insects deposited two times fewer pollen grains for each flower visit. Moreover, insects deposited pollen from flowers with mobile stamens on three times more flowers, as well as on flowers further away, thus increasing the likelihood of the plants’ reproductive success.



“Our study helps resolve the mystery of the purpose of insect-triggered movement of flower parts that has troubled botanists since Linnaeus first observed mobile stamen in 1755,” concluded senior author Shuang-Quan Huang, a professor of Evolution and Ecology at CCNU. “We’ve shown that plants use rapidly moving stamens to enhance the turnover of bees and flies on their flowers, thereby reducing their nectar costs per successfully transported pollen grain.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.81449">eLife</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Insect-slapping flower stamens help maximize pollination

For several centuries scientists have noticed that, when a visiting...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.oist.jp/">Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology</a> (OIST) has found that visual signals, such as color patterns, are an important communications medium for anemonefish residing around coral reefs. By investigating how the patterns on anemonefish – conspicuous white bars against orange, red, or black backgrounds – influence their aggressive behavior toward cohabitating fish, the experts discovered that these color patterns drive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/restoring-fish-will-not-be-enough-to-protect-coral-reefs/">fish</a> community structure within the surrounding coral reef ecosystem.



Scientists have long known that, in highly transparent water around coral reefs, visual signals such as color patterns are employed as critical communication tools. For instance, many fish use these patterns to monitor their interactions with fish of their own or different species during processes such as mimicry, identification, camouflage, or courtship. In fact, coral reef fish have the most diverse pigment cell types among all vertebrates, producing a wide range of color patterns.



One such species, the anemonefish, inhabits sea anemones right after exiting the larval stage, and is colored with white bars on an orange, red, or black background. The researchers conducted field surveys at five different sites on the Ryukyus Archipelago (between September 2020 and October 2021) to explore how color patterns are associated with the frequency of aggressive behaviors.&nbsp;



While other fish residing in these anemone hosts had stripes or spots, none of them had vertical bar patterns. “Although anemonefish aggressively defend their host anemone, a host anemone can still be a temporary home for other fish seeking refuge,” said study lead author Kina Hayashi, a marine biologist at OIST. “We hypothesized that the anemonefish were playing gatekeeper. It was possible they were excluding fish based on color patterns.”



To test this hypothesis, the scientists conducted a behavioral experiment to document aggressive behavior of anemonefish by dangling plastic fish toys – painted either with vertical white bars or with horizontal white stripes - close to an anemonefish colony. As expected, the anemonefish responded aggressively when presented with fish toys sporting vertical bars.&nbsp;



“It is likely that the fish community around host anemones is affected by the differences in the frequency of aggressive behavior of anemonefish towards intruders with certain color patterns,” Dr. Hayashi explained.



“Elucidating the relationship between color pattern recognition ability and aggression displayed by anemonefish will provide useful insights on the mechanisms of coexistence employed by coral reef fish, and the roles that their patterns play. In regions with coral reefs, conserving species and their habitats is crucial, which is possible if we understand the interactions between these inhabitant species,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.1576">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Color patterns influence aggression among reef fish

A new study led by the Okinawa Institute of Science...

According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a>, the larvae of Caddisflies – a common insect inhabiting freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, and ponds – could be inadvertently contributing to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-confirms-microplastics-have-entered-our-food-chain/">microplastic</a> pollution in rivers and waterways by chewing up plastic litter.



The scientists were amazed to find that these larvae used their sharp teeth to bite plastic into smaller pieces, which they then used to build the protective casing they live in until they reach adulthood. Despite presenting the larvae with a variety of alternative natural building material, they frequently chose to gnaw through plastic film, generating hundreds of microplastic particles in just a few days.



“Given the increasing concern for the effects of plastic pollution on our environment, we wanted to understand whether caddisfly larvae would interact with items of plastic litter which commonly pollute the environment, and determine what the consequences of these interactions might be,” said study lead author Katey Valentine, a doctoral student in Biology at York.



Valentine and her colleagues presented larvae with pieces of plastic film cut from a commercially available biodegradable plastic bag, along with pieces of oak leaf. Although the larvae often chose the oak leaf material, many of them seemed to prefer the pieces of plastic for building their new case.



“As well as demonstrating microplastic production, our work also shows how these organisms can exploit plastics to construct their homes. This could make the larvae more prone to predation and result in increased exposure to things like additives that will slowly leach from the plastic,” explained study senior author Alistair Boxall, a professor of Environmental Science at York.



“The active use of plastic litter by freshwater animals that our study uncovered could contribute to the formation of microplastics within these habitats. Further work is now needed to determine the extent to which these animals could be utilizing plastic litter and creating microplastics throughout natural freshwater environments globally, and whether other common freshwater species exhibit similar behavior,” Valentine concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.5496">Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Insect larvae contribute to microplastic pollution

According to a recent study led by the University of...

According to a new, multi-agency report from the <a href="https://public.wmo.int/en">World Meteorological Organization</a> (WMO), the supply of electricity from clean energy sources, such as solar, wind, or hydropower, must double until the end of this decade in order to mitigate global warming. If this will not be achieved, climate change, extreme weather, and water stress may severely undermine our energy security and jeopardize <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/transforming-sunlight-and-water-into-renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> supplies.



The WMO’s report focuses on the issue of energy this year due to its major importance to international agreements on sustainable development and climate change mitigation, and ultimately, to our planet’s health.&nbsp;



“The energy sector is the source of around three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions. Switching to clean forms of energy generation, such as solar, wind, and hydropower – and improving energy efficiency – is vital if we are to thrive in the twenty-first century. Net zero by 2050 is the aim. But we will only get there if we double the supply of low-emissions electricity within the next eight years,” explained Petteri Taalas, the secretary-general of WMO. “Time is not on our side, and our climate is changing before our eyes. We need a complete transformation of the global energy system.”



According to Professor Taalas and his colleagues, access to reliable weather, water, and climate information and services is essential to strengthen the resilience of energy infrastructure and meet the currently rising demands for renewable energy sources. In the process of meeting global electricity needs with clean energy, African countries may turn out to be major players in the market, since the African continent is home to 60 percent of the best solar resources globally. Unfortunately, at the moment, it has only one percent of installed photovoltaic capacity.



“We urgently need to respond to the growing impact of climate change on energy systems if we are to maintain energy security while accelerating the transition to net-zero.&nbsp;This requires long-term planning and bold policy action to spur investment, which in turn needs to be underpinned by comprehensive and reliable weather and climate data,” said Fatih Birol, the executive director of the <a href="https://www.iea.org/">International Energy Agency</a> (IEA).



“Now is the time to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy future. Anything short of radical and immediate action will ultimately eliminate the chance of staying on the 1.5°C path. The intertwined energy and climate crises have dramatically exposed the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of an economic system heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Advancing the transition to renewables is a strategic choice to bring affordable energy, jobs, economic growth, and a resilient environment to the people and communities on the ground,” concluded Francesco La Camera, the director-general of the <a href="https://www.irena.org/">International Renewable Energy Agency</a> (IRENA).



The 2022 State of Climate Services: Energy report can be found <a href="https://library.wmo.int/index.php?lvl=notice_display&amp;id=22136#.Y0YxGP1BzIU">here</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Renewable energy must be doubled by 2030

According to a new, multi-agency report from the World Meteorological...

Our blue planet may face a coral reef catastrophe earlier than previously predicted. Using a new model called CMIP5, researchers from the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa</a> predict that half of the world's coral reefs will face irreparable damage within 12 years if we don’t take steps to protect them.&nbsp;



Coral reefs are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-is-making-the-ocean-more-acidic/">ocean</a> acidification, tropical storms, and increased sea surface temperature. Moreover, they are susceptible to other anthropogenic factors, such as increased human population and land use.&nbsp;



"While the negative impacts of climate change on coral reefs are well known, this research shows that they are actually worse than anticipated due to a broad combination of climate change-induced stressors," explained study lead author Renee Setter. "It was also enlightening to find that coral would face multiple stressors – posing an even greater hurdle and challenge that would need to be overcome to increase the possibility of survival."



Using the model, the researchers found that a single stressor would cause unsuitable conditions for coral reefs by 2050. However, multiple stressors would result in unsuitable conditions by 2035. Moreover, by 2055, 99 percent of coral reefs will experience at least one stressor, and by 2100, 93 percent will face two or more stressors.



"We know that corals are vulnerable to increasing sea surface temperatures and marine heatwaves due to climate change. But it is important to include the complete anthropogenic impact and numerous stressors that coral reefs are exposed to in order to get a better sense of the overall risks to these ecosystems," said study co-author Professor Erik Franklin. "This has great implications for our local Hawaiian reefs that are key to local biodiversity, culture, fisheries and tourism."



The team will continue its research by exploring the impact of climate change on individual species to understand which species are most vulnerable to changing conditions.&nbsp;



This research has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001821">PLOS Biology</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Half of the world’s reefs face unsuitable conditions by 2035

Our blue planet may face a coral reef catastrophe earlier...

Newborn infants begin to perceive language inputs from their parents or caregivers within the first few weeks of life. This time period is thus important for subsequent linguistic development and it can be influenced by several factors. Previous research has shown that the infants of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-obesity-linked-to-mothers-poor-dietary-choices/">mothers</a> suffering from postpartum depression may have reduced language comprehension and production within the first years of life.&nbsp;



While around 15 percent of new moms may be clinically depressed after the birth of the new baby, a much larger percentage experience the “baby blues,” characterized by a depressed mood but not by full-blown clinical depression. It is not known to what extent mild depressed mood may affect an infant’s early linguistic development, despite the fact that this condition is far more prevalent than clinical postpartum depression.



Scientists from the <a href="https://www.cbs.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences</a> in Leipzig, Germany, have now investigated whether subclinical depressed mood in mothers also has a negative effect on how well young babies can distinguish speech sounds from one another. This ability is considered an important prerequisite for the further steps towards a well-developed linguistic ability. If sounds can be distinguished from one another, individual words can also be distinguished from one another, and this forms the basis for recognizing both familiar and novel words in the child’s future.



The study involved 46 mothers who completed surveys about their different mood experiences and levels of stress after giving birth. Their moods were measured using a standardized questionnaire typically used to diagnose postnatal upset. The researchers also used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure how well babies were able distinguish speech sounds from other, deviant sounds. The so-called mismatch response is used for this purpose, in which a specific EEG signal shows how well the brain processes and distinguishes between different speech sounds.&nbsp;



The newborns were presented with speech stimuli consisting of repeated “ba” sounds, with irregular and unexpected deviant sounds, namely “ga” and “bu,” introduced at random intervals. The mismatch response was measured at ages of two and six months in each infant. This test of neurolinguistic perception does not require the infants to pay any conscious attention to the sounds and can be conducted perfectly comfortably while infants lie down (2 months) or sit in the laps of their parents (6 months). It is considered an accurate measurement of the infant’s ability to distinguish between sounds.&nbsp;



The results, published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.32672">Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open</a>, revealed that if mothers experience a more negative mood two months after giving birth, their children are less able to process speech sounds when they are tested at six months of age. This applied particularly when the deviant sounds involved differences in pitch, rather than content, with infants from depressed mood mothers being unable to distinguish variations in pitch. These infants showed a more immature mismatch response indicating that their ability to distinguish sounds with different pitches was not as developed as it was in infants whose mothers reported positive moods.&nbsp;



When people speak directly to infants they often use variations in pitch and emphasis, and speak more slowly. The researchers hypothesized that mothers with subclinical depressed mood engage in less infant-directed speech and that when they do engage, their speech may be more monotonous in nature.



“We suspect that the affected mothers use less infant-directed-speech,” explains study first author Professor Gesa Schaadt. “They probably use less pitch variation when directing speech to their infants.” This also leads to a more limited perception of different pitches in the children, she said. This perception, in turn, is considered a prerequisite for further language development, and infants who have delayed development of a mismatch response are considered to be at increased risk of suffering from a speech disorder later in life.



The results show how important it is that parents use infant-directed speech for the further language development of their children. Infant-directed speech that varies greatly in pitch and emphasizes certain parts of words more clearly – and thus focuses the little ones’ attention on what is being said – is considered appropriate for infants and children, and is critical for encouraging early language development.



The findings of the research suggest that the postpartum period is a critical time for infant speech perception and that early support for mothers with postpartum depressed mood may also be beneficial for their infants’ speech perception and language development. Such support could come from fathers and other caregivers who are able to engage in infant-directed-speech appropriately.&nbsp;



“To ensure the proper development of young children, appropriate support is also needed for mothers who suffer from mild upsets that often do not yet require treatment,” says Professor Schaadt. That doesn't necessarily have to be organized intervention measures. “Sometimes it just takes the fathers to be more involved.”



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A mother’s mood influences newborn language development

Newborn infants begin to perceive language inputs from their parents...

Many developing countries currently face challenges that pit economic growth against environmental protection. As they expand their agricultural production, they often convert forests into croplands and pastures, thus weakening the world’s ability to prevent future climate deterioration and biodiversity loss.&nbsp;



For instance, Brazil’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/10-largest-rainforests/">rainforest</a> – the largest in the world, with an area of more than 1.2 million square miles - has been severely decimated over the past decades in order to increase agricultural production (particularly soybean, Brazil being the world’s largest exporter of this legume). However, according to a new longitudinal study led by the <a href="https://www.unl.edu/">University of Nebraska-Lincoln</a>, Brazil could in fact strengthen its agricultural sector while protecting the rainforest.&nbsp;



“In the current context of high grain prices and food supply disruptions, we believe there is a critical need for major crop-producing countries to reassess their potential to produce more on existing cropland,” the study authors explained. &nbsp;



“Without an emphasis on intensifying crop production within the existing agricultural area, coupled with strong institutions and policies that prevent deforestation in frontier agricultural areas, it would be difficult to protect the last bastions of forests and biodiversity on the planet while being sensitive to the economic aspirations of countries to develop.”



According to the researchers, with a carefully managed strategy to intensify production on existing acres, Brazil could increase its annual soybean output by 36 percent by 2035, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 58 percent. The scientists described a three-pronged “intensification strategy” which involves 1) significantly increasing soybean crop yields, 2) growing a second crop of corn on soybean fields in several areas, and 3) raising more cattle on smaller pastures in order to free up more land for soybean cultivation.



This strategy could “eliminate deforestation completely and essentially reduce the amount of carbon dioxide equivalents released into the atmosphere, helping to mitigate climate change,” as study senior author Patricio Grassini – an associate professor of Agriculture and Horticulture at Nebraska - put it. “This approach strengthens agriculture while protecting fragile ecosystems that are important from a perspective of climate change mitigation, as well as biodiversity conservation.”



However, achieving the dual goal of agricultural expansion and rainforest conservation will require strong institutions, as well as proper policy and enforcement to make sure that productivity gains effectively translate into forest preservation.



“By showing that it is possible to produce more on existing agricultural land, this research study is bringing real solutions to the table and can have a massive impact to help Brazil produce more while protecting the environment,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00968-8">Nature Sustainability</a>.&nbsp;



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Brazil could protect its rainforest while expanding agriculture

Many developing countries currently face challenges that pit economic growth...

Papua New Guinea (PNG) and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-can-two-species-of-dolphins-coexist-in-australia/">Australia</a> were once part of a larger continent and home to an incredible diversity of now-extinct mammals. Kangaroos that hopped on four legs, the Thylacine, which went extinct in a Tasmanian zoo, and giant panda-like marsupials all inhabited this place. Australia, Tasmania, and Papua New Guinea became separate landforms before humans arrived, isolating populations of the remaining megafauna.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“New Guinea is a forested, mountainous, northern part of the formerly more extensive Australian continent called ‘Sahul’ but our knowledge of its faunal and human history is poor compared with that of mainland Australia,” said Professor Denham, who initially undertook fieldwork in the PNG Highlands in 1990.



Now, researchers from Flinders University and Australian National University have re-analyzed bones from Nombe Rock Shelter to elucidate the history of PNG’s megafauna. The shelter was long occupied by humans and contains remains of many large and now extinct mammal species, many unique to PNG. It appears that many of these large mammals survived much later than their counterparts in Australia.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The analysis shows that thylacines and Hulitherium tomasettii, large bear-like marsupials, were still extant when humans arrived as early as 60,000 years ago. Two extinct kangaroos were still alive 40,000 years ago as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“If these megafaunal species did indeed survive in the PNG Highlands for much longer than their Australian equivalents, then it may have been because people only visited the Nombe area infrequently and in low numbers until after 20,000 years ago,” said Tim Denham, ANU Professor and co-lead author of the research published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/arco.5274">Archaeology in Oceania</a>.



The researchers point out that much of the timeline for megafaunal extinctions is based on assumption, which isn’t always helpful.&nbsp;



“Although it is often assumed that all of the megafaunal species in Australia and New Guinea became extinct coast to coast by 40,000 years ago, this generalisation is not based on very much actual evidence,” said Professor Prideaux. “It is probably more harmful than helpful in resolving exactly what happened to the dozens of large mammals, birds and reptiles that were living on the continent when people first arrived.”



This research is one more piece of the puzzle to understanding the history of life on Earth and our place in it.&nbsp;



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Megafauna in New Guinea outlived their Australian relatives

Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia were once part of...

Spending time in nature is known to have positive effects on a person’s mental health and sense of well-being. In most previous studies on this phenomenon, ‘nature’ has been represented by parks, green spaces and woodlands, and their benefit on adult mental health has been assessed. In a new study, however, researchers have investigated the role played by contact with blue spaces, such as coastal regions, rivers and lakes. In addition, they have sought the mechanisms whereby <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-do-some-children-take-bigger-risks-than-others/">childhood</a> experiences in nature’s waterways influence subjective well-being in adulthood.



For this study, the researchers used data from 15,743 participants in the&nbsp;<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbluehealth2020.eu%2Fprojects%2Fbluehealth-survey%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7CA.O.Adesina%40exeter.ac.uk%7C122c204664284e04cd7308daa839d563%7C912a5d77fb984eeeaf321334d8f04a53%7C0%7C0%7C638007263582362973%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=%2B%2BQo96auqDdZQ7xDri%2F%2BehWE9pIEMc36fx3ZBEa%2FiTs%3D&amp;reserved=0">BlueHealth International Survey</a>&nbsp;(BIS), a cross-sectional survey coordinated by the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health. The participants came from 14 different European countries and four other, non-European countries/regions, namely Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and California.



Respondents were asked to recall their blue space experiences between the ages of 0 and 16 years, including how often they visited such spaces, how local they were, and how comfortable their parents/guardians were about allowing them to swim and play in these settings. They were also asked to quantify their recent contact with green and blue spaces over the previous four weeks, as well as the status of their mental health during the previous two weeks.



The results of the investigation, published in the&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101876">Journal of Environmental Psychology</a>,&nbsp;found that individuals who recalled more childhood blue space experiences tended to place greater intrinsic value on natural settings in general, and to visit them more often as adults – each of which, in turn, was associated with better mental wellbeing in adulthood. The researchers found that a model where childhood exposure to blue spaces was linked to adult subjective well-being primarily through intrinsic motivation and then through recent blue and green space visits exhibited the best fit to the data. This pattern was apparent across the data from all 18 countries.&nbsp;



The authors conclude that building familiarity with, and confidence in and around, blue spaces during childhood may stimulate a joy of, and greater propensity to spend recreational time in, nature in adulthood, with positive consequences for adult subjective well-being.



<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fphd.uniroma1.it%2Fweb%2FVALERIA-VITALE_nP1942935_EN.aspx&amp;data=05%7C01%7CA.O.Adesina%40exeter.ac.uk%7C122c204664284e04cd7308daa839d563%7C912a5d77fb984eeeaf321334d8f04a53%7C0%7C0%7C638007263582362973%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=DiZ4vGxCnKu5xLuodAH0sVL92oJVWtJXonPCcPG3fKU%3D&amp;reserved=0">Valeria Vitale</a>, Lead author and PhD Candidate at Sapienza University of Rome, said: “In the context of an increasingly technological and industrialized world, it’s important to understand how childhood nature experiences relate to wellbeing in later life.”



<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecehh.org%2Fpeople%2Fleanne-martin%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7CA.O.Adesina%40exeter.ac.uk%7C122c204664284e04cd7308daa839d563%7C912a5d77fb984eeeaf321334d8f04a53%7C0%7C0%7C638007263582362973%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=DoOc3GPESA6fltadW6jdeALzgsXtJEMH%2FbKv7vTsJPE%3D&amp;reserved=0">Dr Leanne Martin</a>, co-author and postdoctoral research associate at the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health, said: “Water settings can be dangerous for children, and parents are right to be cautious. This research suggests, though, that supporting children to feel comfortable in these settings and developing skills such as swimming at an early age can have previously unrecognized life-long benefits.”



<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecehh.org%2Fpeople%2Fdr-mathew-white%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7CA.O.Adesina%40exeter.ac.uk%7C122c204664284e04cd7308daa839d563%7C912a5d77fb984eeeaf321334d8f04a53%7C0%7C0%7C638007263582362973%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=2vl3nBM%2F2CFL9%2Bw6Xcor64x%2BoB62n1lCbt5hnOlp8AU%3D&amp;reserved=0">Dr. Mathew White</a>, co-author and senior scientist at the University of Vienna, said: “The current study is adding to our growing awareness of the need for urban planners and local bodies responsible for managing our green and blue spaces to provide safe, accessible access to natural settings for the healthy mental and physical development of our children.



“If our findings are supported by longitudinal research that tracks people’s exposures over the entire life-course, it would suggest that further work, policies and initiatives encouraging more blue space experiences during childhood may be a viable way to support the mental health of future generations.”



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Blue spaces in childhood improve well-being later in life

Spending time in nature is known to have positive effects...

Many silk-based materials today are used in the biomedical field as material for stitches and surgical mesh. Producing silk strong enough for these purposes has been a challenge. Most silk comes from silkworms, but their silk is not as strong as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/male-spiders-transfer-more-sperm-when-mating-with-cannibals/">spider</a> silk.



Unfortunately, harvesting silk from spiders is more difficult due to their aggression. There is a process in which spider DNA is incorporated into silkworms to make their silk more robust. However, this procedure is costly and hard to grow in the desired quantities.



A recent study published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(22)00517-3?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2590238522005173%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">Matter</a> describes an alternative method for producing strong materials by boiling silkworm silk in a chemical bath to remove the outer layer of silk glue. Then, the strands are fortified by bathing them in metals and sugars. By using this process, the researchers found that silk naturally produced by silkworms can be made 70 percent stronger than spider silks.



"Dragline silk is the main structural silk of a spider web. It is also used as a lifeline for a spider to fall from trees," explained study senior author Zhi Lin, a biochemist at Tianjin University.



"Since silkworm silk is very structurally similar to eggcase spider silk, which has previously been demonstrated to do well in a mix of zinc and iron baths, we thought to test this alternative method to avoid hazardous conditions used elsewhere. Sucrose, a form of sugar, may increase the density and viscosity of the coagulation bath, which consequently affects the formation of the fibers."



Once these artificial silk fibers have been spun, they are nearly the same length as spider silk, and are "smooth and strong" enough to resist physical force, according to Lin.



"Our finding reverses the previous perception that silkworm silk cannot compete with spider silks on mechanical performance," said Lin. "We hope that this work opens up a promising way to produce profitable high-performance artificial silks."



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists discover how to make stronger silkworm silk

Many silk-based materials today are used in the biomedical field...

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

News coming your way