What makes one child genetically different from another? In a recent study, experts examined how ancestry, genetic makeup, and lifestyle choices like smoking influence the rate of new genetic mutations in children.



The team analyzed over 10,000 parent-child trios, using data from the <a href="https://www.genomicsengland.co.uk/initiatives/100000-genomes-project" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">100,000 Genomes Project</a>. The researchers aimed to uncover how new genetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/luca-last-universal-common-ancestor-progenitor-all-life-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">changes</a> - also known as de novo mutations (DNMs) - form in sperm and egg cells and pass down to offspring.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-new-genetic-mutations-form">How do new genetic mutations form?</h2>



DNMs are not present in the DNA of either parent and are not inherited. They are fresh mutations that arise in the reproductive cells of parents (sperm and eggs) and get passed on to children. 



Sometimes, these changes have no <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-first-gene-edited-spiders-spin-red-silk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">impact</a>. Other times, they can lead to severe genetic disorders.



Parental age, especially the father's, plays a role in increasing DNMs. Each year that a father ages adds around 1.5 mutations to his child’s genetic makeup. 



A mother’s aging adds about 0.4 mutations. But is that all? What else could be stirring the genetic pot?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-subtle-ancestry-differences-in-mutations">Subtle ancestry differences in mutations</h2>



To find out, the researchers scoured genetic data from 10,557 parent-child trios. They looked for genetic variants present in the child but absent in both parents. This approach allowed them to map nearly 689,000 DNMs. It’s the biggest DNM catalog ever created.



But the sheer size of the dataset wasn’t the only notable feature. The researchers explored a diverse range of ancestries, including European, African, South Asian, and American groups. This diversity helped them detect subtle differences in mutation rates linked to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-changes-supercharged-the-human-brain-but-at-a-cost/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ancestry</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-does-ancestry-matter">Does ancestry matter?</h2>



It turns out, ancestry does matter. African ancestry groups exhibited slightly higher DNM rates than other populations. 



On average, children of African ancestry inherited about 67 new DNMs per generation. European, South Asian, and American groups inherited about 64 DNMs.



The gap seems minor, but it is statistically significant. The researchers suggest that genetic and environmental factors tied to ancestry may be at play.



Still, age had a far more pronounced effect than ancestry. A two-year <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gene-regulation-controlling-cells-to-improve-medical-treatments/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">difference</a> in a father’s age at the conception of his child could offset the ancestral differences in DNM rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-variants-don-t-explain-mutation">Genetic variants don’t explain mutation</h2>



Genetic variations within populations could theoretically affect DNM rates. To investigate, the researchers zoomed in on European-ancestry trios. They searched for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are small genetic changes that might influence mutation rates.



The experts found nothing conclusive. No common genetic variants appeared to affect DNM rates significantly.



"The sheer scale of the 100,000 Genomes Project presented a great opportunity to look into the effects and exposures that explain rates and patterns of DNA changes," said Dr. Aylwyn Scally from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cambridge</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smoking-affects-genetic-mutation-rates">Smoking affects genetic mutation rates</h2>



Does smoking alter the genetic blueprint passed to children? Yes, but the effect is small. The researchers found a slight increase in DNMs among children of parents who smoked.



On average, the increase was about 2% - less than one extra DNM over a parent’s reproductive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-detailed-map-of-human-genetic-mutations-unveiled/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">life</a>.



Still, this slight increase caught the researchers’ attention. They noted that while the effect size was small, it was statistically significant. 



"While evolution has done its best to develop mechanisms to protect the DNA we pass on to our offspring, our study has shown that it's not fully protected from certain exposures," said Dr. Raheleh Rahbari from the Wellcome Sanger Institute.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-genetic-studies">Implications for genetic studies</h2>



The findings matter for genetic research. Current models assume that mutation rates are the same across populations. But what if they aren’t? What if ancestry subtly shapes mutation rates, as this study suggests?



Adjusting genetic models to account for ancestry and lifestyle factors could refine predictions about rare genetic disorders. It could also help scientists pinpoint mutations that are linked to diseases, leading to more accurate diagnoses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reproductive-health-and-genetic-mutations">Reproductive health and genetic mutations</h2>



Germ cells - sperm and eggs - guard genetic information. Their mutation rates stay low and minimize the risk of transmitting harmful changes. But factors like age, ancestry, and smoking can still nudge those rates higher.



"Ancestry and lifestyle choices like smoking are associated with the number of new DNA changes that arise in the genome," stated Dr. Hilary Martin from the <a href="https://www.sanger.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wellcome Sanger Institute</a>.



"The effects are small, but they deepen our understanding of genetic variation."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-research-is-needed">Further research is needed</h2>



Despite its scale, the study had limits. The number of participants from certain ancestry groups was relatively small. And while the researchers examined smoking, they did not explore other potential environmental factors, such as alcohol use or pollutants.



Future studies with larger, more diverse datasets could reveal additional influences on mutation rates. As genetic sequencing becomes cheaper and faster, the ability to track DNMs across generations will most certainly improve.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59750-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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What causes genetic mutations in children? New factors have been identified

What makes one child genetically different from another? In a recent study, experts examined how ancestry, genetic makeup, and lifestyle choices like smoking influence the rate of new genetic mutations in children. The team analyzed over 10,000 parent-child trios, using data from the 100,000 Genomes Project. The researchers aimed to uncover how new genetic changes - also known as de novo mutations (DNMs) - form in sperm and egg cells and pass down to offspring. How do new genetic mutations form? DNMs are not present in the...

Whale,Shark,Eating,At,The,Surface,With,Fish

A new fossil is providing scientists with a better understanding of how Mesozoic ichthyosaurs evolved. Their rapid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-secrets-revealed-about-the-evolution-of-mammal-tusks/">evolution</a>, followed by their abrupt disappearance, is proof that even the most powerful creatures in the world are not safe from the impacts of abrupt environmental change.&nbsp;



Ichthyosaurs appeared slightly earlier than dinosaurs, and went extinct about 25 million years before dinosaurs were wiped out. The giant marine reptiles looked like a dolphin with large teeth.&nbsp;



Whales are now the biggest animals on Earth, but some ichthyosaurs were even larger. In a new study published by <a href="https://www.science.org/">AAAS</a>, researchers describe the discovery of new and exceptionally large ichthyosaur fossils, which hint at an early and rapid burst in the evolution of extreme body size in Mesozoic oceans.&nbsp;



"The notable resemblance in body shape and lifestyle of ichthyosaurs and cetaceans contrasts with their separation in time by nearly 200 million years, providing an often-cited example of convergent evolution," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"Ichthyosaurs arose 249 million years ago and populated the oceans for the next 150 million years. Cetaceans did not evolve until about 56 million years ago. As tail-propelled swimmers, ichthyosaurs and cetaceans evolved not only convergent body shapes but also large body sizes."



For whales, it took about 90 percent of their 55-million-year history to evolve into the massive animals they are today. The researchers found that for ichthyosaurs, it took just one percent of their 150 million years to evolve to similar massive sizes.



The results of the study suggest that marine food webs during the Triassic were stable enough during the Triassic to support huge animals, despite the absence of many primary producers following the Permian extinction 252 million years ago.&nbsp;



Led by Martin Sander of The Dinosaur Institute at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum, the research team analyzed the well-preserved, 244-million-year-old remains of a new and very large species of ichthyosaur known as C. youngorum. The fossils were discovered in the mountains of northwestern Nevada.&nbsp;



The length of the skull, which measures nearly two meters, indicates the creature would have been more than 18 meters long. Even more notable is the relatively young age of this particular species. According to the experts, C. youngorum evolved merely 2.5 million years after the appearance of the oldest proposed ichthyosaur relative, which was less than a meter in size, and at most eight million years after the emergence of the group. This suggests that ichthyosaurs experienced a rapid evolution in body size.&nbsp;



In a related Perspective, Lene Delsett and Nicholas Pyenson said : "Ichthyosaur history tells us ocean giants are not guaranteed features of marine ecosystems, which is a valuable lesson for all of us in the Anthropocene. especially if we want to sustain the presence of the surviving ocean giants among us that contribute to our own well-being."



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abf5787">Science</a>.



---



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

Ocean giants of the past remind us they may not always exist

A new fossil is providing scientists with a better understanding...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> reveals that controlled burns in forests, savannahs and grasslands could substantially offset <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meltwater-influences-carbon-storage-in-the-arctic/">carbon</a> emissions. The experts report that prescribed burning can lock in - or even increase - carbon in the soils of natural environments.



The researchers say their discovery points to a new method of manipulating the world’s natural capacity for carbon capture and storage.



“Using controlled burns in forests to mitigate future wildfire severity is a relatively well-known process. But we’ve found that in ecosystems including temperate forests, savannahs and grasslands, fire can stabilise or even increase soil carbon,” said study first author Dr. Adam Pellegrini.



“Most of the fires in natural ecosystems around the globe are controlled burns, so we should see this as an opportunity. Humans are manipulating a process, so we may as well figure out how to manipulate it to maximize carbon storage in the soil.”



When soil is impacted by fire, carbon is released from plant matter and organic layers stored within. It takes years for this soil carbon to build back up.



According to the researchers, fires can also cause other transformations within soils that can offset these immediate carbon losses, and may stabilize ecosystem carbon.



Carbon is stabilized within the soil in multiple ways. It creates charcoal that is resistant to decomposition, and increases the amount of carbon that is bound tightly to minerals in the soil.



The study suggests that cooler fires can increase the retention of soil carbon through the formation of charcoal and soil clusters that limit decomposition.



“Ecosystems can store huge amounts of carbon when the frequency and intensity of fires is just right. It’s all about the balance of carbon going into soils from dead plant biomass, and carbon going out of soils from decomposition, erosion, and leaching,” said Dr. Pellegrini.



The scientists say that ecosystems can also be managed to increase the amount of carbon stored in their soils. Since carbon is often stored in the roots of plants below the ground, controlled burns can boost the amount of carbon stored by increasing root biomass.



“In considering how ecosystems should be managed to capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, fire is often seen as a bad thing," said Dr. Pellegrini. "We hope this new study will show that when managed properly, fire can also be good - both for maintaining biodiversity and for carbon storage."



The research was funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. The results are published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.



---



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

Controlled burns reduce carbon emissions from soil

A new study from the University of Cambridge reveals that...

A recent study published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01616-8">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a> has found that diverse plant traits, including characteristics such as plant size, structure, and life span, are determined to a large extent by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/">climate</a> and soil properties.



The diversity of plant form and function can be described in terms of morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics. According to scientists, traits across plant species fall into two main categories: size and economy of metabolism.&nbsp;



By analyzing a global dataset for 17 different plant traits, researchers from <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a>, the <a href="https://www.bgc-jena.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry</a> in Jena and the <a href="https://www.uni-leipzig.de/en/">University of Leipzig</a>, have confirmed for the first time that these two main categories apply to all plants studied worldwide.



In the size category, plants continuously balance height, leaf size, seed size and similar traits, which are influenced by hydraulic components of water transport. The economics of metabolism category describes how rapidly and effectively plants gain energy and biomass through photosynthesis, in correlation with how long the plants survive. Metabolism can be determined by features such as the structure and composition of leaves, including the concentrations of chemical compounds like nitrogen, phosphorous, or carbon.



Plant traits are influenced by a variety of external factors. By analyzing the characteristics of over 20,000 species of plants, the researchers found that the most decisive factors in shaping these traits are climate and oil conditions.



"Our study clearly demonstrates that plant traits worldwide can be explained by joint effects of climate and soil," said study lead autor Julia Joswig, a doctoral student in Geography and Spatial Genetics at the University of Zurich. “This suggests that aspects of climate change and soil erosion, both of which occur as a result of land use change, for example, should be researched together."



For example, the height of plant species changes along latitudes, due to differences in climate, and both morphological and metabolic processes are strongly influenced by soil-forming factors including organisms living in the soil, geography, and topography.&nbsp;



According to study co-author Miguel Mahecha, a professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Leipzig, "studies of this kind can guide global Earth system models to represent the complex interaction of climate, soil, and biodiversity, which is an important prerequisite for future predictions."



---



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

Plant traits are shaped by climate and soil conditions

A recent study published in the journal Nature Ecology &amp;...

Water,Spring,On,Alps,Mountains,Background.

Although mountain spring water is often claimed to be the cleanest water to drink, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> has revealed that this is often not the case. By using data from the Southern Appalachian Mountains that has been collected over 40 years, the scientists found that water quality in high-elevation streams has been negatively affected by sediment caused by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deforestation-in-the-amazon-rainforest-hits-new-records/">deforestation</a>, constructions, and agricultural runoff.



"We had access to studies from 1976 to last year that encompassed both stream and terrestrial studies," said study lead author Rhett Jackson, a professor at University of Georgia's <a href="https://www.warnell.uga.edu/">Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources</a>. "Some streams in Macon County have very high sediment concentrations, four times greater than found in forested streams."&nbsp;



When streams carry such a large amount of sediment, it is more difficult for animals to find food in the water, and it also affects fish growth and disease resistance. Moreover, if sediment flows downstream and reaches public water supplies, cities and towns will need to invest more money in order to filter the water.



According to Professor Jackson, Appalachian water quality issues began over a century ago, with the arrival of European settlers. "The landscape you see now isn't what it was like in 1900 - the early settlers logged everything," he explained. While for generations, native Cherokee Indians left the hillside forests untouched, the settlers cut the forests and tried to farm the hills, causing soil erosion and sediment movement into the streams.



More recently, building houses on mountain ridges and unpaved roads to reach them created even more land disturbance. "Roadside ditches and unpaved roads produce a lot of sediment, and their sediment production increases as roads get steeper and as gravel roads get more use," Jackson said.



Finally, farming practices are also negatively impacting the water quality of streams. Since farmers use increasingly larger amounts of fertilizers, much of the stream water contains high concentration of nutrients, such as nitrate.



“Because the water in streams comes from the whole landscape, everything we see on the land has some effect on streams.&nbsp;But streams are resilient, and as long as we intelligently modify our actions a little bit, we can farm and live near streams while protecting their water quality. Maintaining the quality of our landscape requires a little thought and work on our parts,” Jackson concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biab098">BioScience</a>.



---



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

Mountain streams are not as clean as previously thought

Although mountain spring water is often claimed to be the...

Dog,In,Clothes.,Golden,Retriever,In,Round,Glasses,And,A

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2021.0465">Biology Letters</a> has found that dogs have a sense of the way objects should behave. A research team from the <a href="https://www.vetmeduni.ac.at/">University of Veterinary Medicine</a> discovered that when watching 3D animations of objects breaking Newton’s basic laws of physics, dogs’ pupils dilated and their attention increased. According to the scientists, this shows that dogs are sensitive to the principle of “contact causality,” one of the fundamental principles allowing us to make sense of our physical environment.



The animations the dogs watched involved balls on a computer screen that bounced in various ways. Some of them bounced without an external force being applied, thus without contact causality. The researchers found that dogs spent more time with wide open pupils if balls where rolling on their own, suggesting that they may have been surprised when the objects defied the laws of physics.



According to study lead author Christoph Völter, an expert in Comparative Cognition at the University of Veterinary Medicine, having a basic sense of physical causality is “the starting point of learning.”



“You have expectations about the environment – regularities in your environment that are connected to physics – and then something happens that doesn't fit. And now you pay attention. And now you try to see what's going on,” he explained.&nbsp;This capacity appears to develop in humans and chimpanzees around six months of age.



However, scientists stress the fact that these results do not show that dogs have an understanding of physics: they only have an implicit understanding of the physical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-less-meat-is-better-for-animal-welfare-and-environmental-health/">environment</a>. 



“This is sort of (an) intuitive understanding expectation,” Völter said. “But that's also the case for humans, right? The infant at seven months of age has expectations about the environment and detects if these expectations are violated. I think they build up on these expectations, and build a richer understanding of their environment based on these expectations.”



Further research is needed to clarify at what age dogs begin to have this intuitive understanding, and what factors (such as age, breed etc.) may influence how their implicit expectations about object interactions involving contact causality are structured.



---



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

Dogs have an intuitive understanding of physics

A new study published in the journal Biology Letters has...

Matterhorn

The Matterhorn appears to be a massive, immovable mountain towering over the landscape near Zermatt, Switzerland for millennia. However, new research led by the <a href="https://www.wsl.ch/en/about-wsl/locations/slf-davos.html">WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF</a> in Switzerland shows that this impression is wrong and that the Matterhorn is in fact constantly in motion, swaying gently back and forth approximately every two seconds. This subtle vibration with imperceptible amplitudes is caused by seismic energy in the Earth originated from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-heatwaves-reduce-the-oceans-ability-to-absorb-carbon/">oceans</a>, earthquakes, and human activity.



Each object, including mountains, high-rise buildings, or bridges, vibrate at certain frequencies when affected by seismic energy. These natural frequencies depend on the geometry and material properties of the object. &nbsp;“We wanted to know whether such resonant vibrations can also be detected on a large mountain like the Matterhorn,” said study lead author Samuel Weber, a researcher at the WSL Institute.



Dr. Weber and his colleagues installed several seismometers on the Matterhorn, including one just below the summit, at 14,665 feet above sea level, and recorded all movements of the mountain at a high resolution in order to derive the frequency and direction of resonance.&nbsp;



They found that the Matterhorn oscillates in a north-south direction at a frequency of 0.42 Hertz, and in an east-west direction at a similar frequency. Compared to the reference station at the foot of the mountain, the measured movements on the summit were up to 14 times stronger. This phenomenon is due to the fact that the summit moves freely, while the base of the mountain is fixed, like a tree swaying in the wind.



The researchers warn that such movements can intensify during earthquakes and potentially cause damage. “Areas of the mountain experiencing amplified ground motion are likely to be more prone to landslides, rockfall, and rock damage when shaken by a strong earthquake,” said study co-author Jeffrey Moore, an assistant professor of Geology and Geophysics at the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a>.



Such vibrations are not a peculiarity of this specific mountain. Other peaks, such as the Grosse Mythen, which is significantly smaller than Matterhorn, vibrate in a similar manner. In fact, since it is smaller, the Grosse Mythen vibrates at a frequency four times higher than Matterhorn.



Until now, Matterhorn is the largest mountain shown to vibrate. “It was exciting to see that our simulation approach also works for a large mountain like the Matterhorn and that the results were confirmed by measurement data,” concluded Professor Moore.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X21005513?via%3Dihub#!">Earth and Planetary Science Letters</a>.



---



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

Matterhorn mountain sways due to seismic energy

The Matterhorn appears to be a massive, immovable mountain towering...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">University of California Santa Cruz</a>, the researchers found that mother elephant seals can recognize their pup's voice at just two days old. The experts said this helps mothers and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/babies-develop-preferences-based-on-random-choices/">babies</a> survive during a precarious time.&nbsp;



An international team of scientists led by Dr. Juliette Linossier recorded calls of elephant pups using a microphone on the end of a long pole. The recordings were played to mother elephant seals as their responses were monitored. The moms were played calls from their own babies, as well as calls from a pup of a similar age.



The study revealed that the mothers were much more interested in the speaker and moved toward it when it was playing calls from their own pup.



"This is a rare demonstration of individual recognition among phocid mothers and their offspring, and suggests that consistency in maternal responsiveness may be an important social factor influencing the pup's growth and survival," wrote the study authors.



While feeding newborn elephant seals, the mothers lose about half of their body mass. Meanwhile, the pups gain about seven times their initial weight. This substantial weight gain can be attributed to the "exceptional fat content" of the mother's milk.



While the early recognition is necessary for survival, the researchers could not explain why female seals are often observed feeding each other's pups.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"Females fast for the entire month they are nursing," study co-author Dr Caroline Casey told BBC. "So it makes no (evolutionary) sense for them to use their resources on another mother's pup."



"But at this site (a colony in California) that we study, there have been a lot of observations of females feeding pups not related to them."



According to Dr. Casey, it is possible that humans are to blame. She noted that elephant seals were hunted to near extinction during the late 1800s. As a result, the tens of thousands of elephant seals that are alive today can be traced back to just a couple dozen seals that historically survived. 



This phenomenon would make the elephant seals genetically similar, which may explain why mothers would feed other pups if the their moms are closely-related females. 



Going forward, the researchers want to investigate whether the seals are more likely to feed the pups of their sisters or cousins.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsbl">Royal Society journal Biology Letters</a>.



---



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

Elephants seals recognize pup's voice at two days old

In a new study from the University of California Santa...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-severe-covid-19-infections-start-in-the-brain-not-the-lungs/">lungs</a> of the brown anole lizard are providing experts with new inspiration for advanced biotechnologies. Human lungs take months and years to develop into complex structures, but the anole lung develops in just a few days.&nbsp;



While the anole lung is not nearly as sophisticated, it still allows the lizard to exchange oxygen for waste gases just as human lungs do, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a>.



"Our group is really interested in understanding lung development for engineering purposes," said Professor Celeste Nelson, the study's principal investigator. "If we understand how lungs build themselves, then perhaps we can take advantage of the mechanisms mother nature uses to regenerate or engineer tissues."



The brown anole lung forms very quickly through a mechanical process that the researchers compared to a mesh stress ball. The study is the first of its kind to examine the development of a reptile lung.



The experts noted that, for engineers looking to use nature's shortcuts on behalf of human health, the speed and simplicity of anole lung development could lead to radical new ways to create artificial lungs. Beyond this, the study will help scientists gain brand new insight into reptile development.



When Professor Nelson first started studying chicken lungs in the late 2000s, the conventional was that "chicken lungs were the same as mouse lungs were the same as human lungs," she said. "And that's not true."



"The architecture of the bird lung is just so incredibly different from that of the mammalian lung." For example, instead of a diaphragm, birds have air sacs embedded throughout their bodies.



The team looked at the eggs of brown anole lizards to map the reptile's lung development. Study co-author Michael Palmer used his observations to build a computational model of the lung and understand its physics.



"We were curious if we could learn anything about the basics of lung development from studying such a simple lung," said Palmer. "The lizard lung develops using a very physical mechanism. A cascade of pressure-induced tensions and pressure-induced buckling."



According to the study, the organ goes from flat balloon to fully formed lung in less than two days. The process is simple enough that Palmer was able to use his computational model to build a working replica in the lab.&nbsp;



"Different organisms have different organ structures, and that's beautiful, and we can learn a lot from it," said Professor Nelson. "If we appreciate that there's a lot of biodiversity that we can't see, and we try to take advantage of it, then we as engineers will have more tools to tackle some of the major challenges that face society."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



---



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

Anole lizards have lungs that develop in less than two days

The lungs of the brown anole lizard are providing experts...

Tsunamis create magnetic fields as they move conductive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meltwater-influences-carbon-storage-in-the-arctic/">water</a> through the Earth's ’s own magnetic fields. A new study from the <a href="https://www.agu.org/">American Geophysical Union</a> shows that these changes in magnetic fields can be detected minutes before changes in sea level. 



The researchers hope these magnetic field changes will improve early detection of tsunamis.&nbsp;



"The motion of conductive seawater by tsunamis can generate magnetic fields in the presence of the background geomagnetic main field," explained the study authors.



"Previous studies found that, using the tsunami-generated seafloor magnetic field, it is possible to predict the propagation direction and wave height prior to the actual arrivals of tsunamis."



The scientists used data from magnetic fields to predict the height of waves from two tsunamis.&nbsp;



The predictive power of the magnetic field was tested on a 2009 tsunami in Samoa and a 2010 tsunami in Chile. The research found that in both cases, magnetic fields were detected before water level changes.&nbsp;



The study also showed that water depths affect how much earlier the magnetic fields are detectable.



“It is very exciting because in previous studies we didn't have the observation [of] sea level change," said study senior author Zhiheng Lin, a geophysicist at Kyoto University.



"We have observations [of] sea level change, and we find that the observation agrees with our magnetic data as well as theoretical simulation.”



Neesha Schnepf, a geomagnetics scientist at University of Colorado Boulder who wasn’t involved in the study, explained the importance of the research.



“They did something that basically needed to be done," said Schnepf. "We’ve needed a study that compared the magnetic field data with the sea level change from the pressure data, and I’m pretty sure they’re the first to really compare how well the sea level from magnetic field matches the sea level from pressure, so that’s definitely very useful."



:I think the practical goal would be if your ability to model tsunamis is so improved, you could come up with much better predictions of what areas might need to be warned [and] how badly it might hit certain places."



The study is published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21699356">Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth</a>.



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

Tsunamis are preceded by changes in magnetic fields

Tsunamis create magnetic fields as they move conductive water through...

The Arctic Report Card 2021, published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), reveals that beavers are slowly but steadily moving northward and expanding their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/maternal-chemical-signals-help-infants-bond-with-strangers/">range</a>.&nbsp;



Researchers from the Arctic Beaver Observation Network (A-BON) have been using satellite imagery to map the beaver’s movements northward.&nbsp;



So far, more than 12,000 beaver ponds have been mapped in western Alaska. This represents a doubling of ponds in most areas over the last 20 years.&nbsp;



By contrast, aerial photography in coastal areas of western Alaska from 1949 to 1955 found no beaver ponds at all.&nbsp;



Beavers are ecosystem engineers, capable of changing landscapes to better suit them as well as favoring other different organisms. Almost two-thirds of the cases where surface water has increased in western Alaska were related to beaver ponds.&nbsp;



Beaver ponds can melt permafrost and provide habitat to new species. The full impact of the beavers is yet to be seen.&nbsp;



“The true impact of the spread of beavers into the Arctic on the environment and the Indigenous communities who live there, is not yet fully known. However, we do know that people are concerned about the impact beaver dams are having on water quality, the numbers of fish downstream of the dams, and access for their boats," said study co-author Dr. Wheeler of <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> (ARU).



"The abundance of vegetation, particularly trees and woody shrubs, appears to help beavers to thrive in previously inhospitable terrain, and we are also finding beaver lodges at ever higher elevations, including above the treeline."



"Whether their expansion northwards is entirely due to climate change or increased populations following historical reductions in the trapping of beavers for fur and food, or a combination of the two, is not entirely clear, but we do know that beavers are having a significant impact on the ecosystems they are colonising.”



The report is available to read here <a href="https://arctic.noaa.gov/Report-Card/Report-Card-2021/ArtMID/8022/ArticleID/955/Beaver-Engineering-Tracking-a-New-Disturbance-in-the-Arctic">Beaver Engineering: Tracking a New Disturbance in the Arctic</a>.



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

Migrating beavers change the landscape of the Arctic

The Arctic Report Card 2021, published by the National Oceanic...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a>, <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>, and <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> (UCL) has provided the most detailed timeline of mammal evolution to date. By using a novel computational approach, the researchers confirmed that modern mammal groups originated after the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-reveal-a-previously-unknown-mass-extinction-event/">mass extinction</a>, offering a new perspective on a long-standing controversy in evolutionary biology.



Large genomic datasets are essential for understanding the evolution of species. However, analysis of such enormous datasets can be slow and require a large amount of computational power.&nbsp;



“Inferring evolutionary timelines is a fundamental goal of biology. However, state-of-the-art methods rely on using computers to simulate evolutionary timelines and assess the most plausible ones. In our case, this was difficult due to the gigantic dataset analyzed, involving genetic data from almost 5,000 mammal species and 72 complete genomes,” said study lead author Dr. Mario dos Reis, a senior lecturer in Biology at Queen Mary University.



Dr. dos Reis and his colleagues developed a new, fast Bayesian approach to analyze large numbers of genomic sequences, while also accounting for uncertainties within the data. Without this innovative method, which helped scientists reduce computation time by a factor of 100, inferring the mammal evolutionary trees from the available data would have taken several decades.&nbsp;



“This new approach not only allows the analysis of genomic datasets, but also, by being more efficient, substantially reduces the CO2&nbsp;emissions released due to computing,” said study co-lead author Dr. Sandra Álvarez-Carretero, a postdoctoral researcher at UCL.



The findings confirm that the ancestors of modern placental mammal groups postdate the K-Pg extinction that occurred 66 million years ago and wiped-out 70 percent of all species.



“The timeline of mammal evolution is perhaps one of the most contentious topics in evolutionary biology. Early studies provided origination estimates for modern placental groups deep in the Cretaceous, in the dinosaur era. The past two decades had seen studies moving back and forth between post- and pre-K-Pg diversification scenarios. Our precise timeline settles the issue,” explained study co-senior author Phil Donoghue, a paleontologist at the University of Bristol.



The method developed in this study could be used in future research to shed more light on other contentious evolutionary timelines that require analysis of large datasets.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04341-1">Nature</a>.



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

Scientists shed new light on the timeline of mammal evolution

A new study led by Queen Mary University of London,...

The Ursid meteor shower, also called the Ursids, takes place each year between December 17 and 23. This year, the Ursids will peak in the pre-dawn hours of December 22, with around five shooting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-stars-may-be-drowning-in-their-environment/">stars</a> lighting up the night sky every hour.



Ursids are the last meteor shower of the year, following the start of the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The shootings stars seem to originate from near the Beta Ursae Minoris (Kochab) in the constellation Ursa Minor, hence their name. However, their actual source is a stream of debris left behind by the comet 8P/Tuttle, which is nearly the size of Manhattan and orbits the Sun every 4,970 days, or 13.61 years.



Unlike other meteor showers, such as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-spectacular-geminid-meteor-shower-peaks-tonight/">Geminids</a>, which shoot between 30 and 40 meteors per hour at their peak, the Ursids are less spectacular, with only about five to a maximum of ten (visible in ideal conditions with little light pollution) meteors per hour (although bursts of about 100 meteors per hour did happen in 1945 and 1986).



“The Ursids meteor shower is a fairly minor display occurring in late December,” explained Dr. Greg Brown, an astronomer at the <a href="https://www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory">Royal Observatory Greenwich</a>. “With at best around ten meteors per hour in ideal conditions, many observers won't see more than a few meteors even around the peak.”



“However, if you want to try and see this shower for yourself the usual tips apply. Try and find a place with a low horizon to grant yourself the best view of the sky, and wait for the early hours of the morning when the shower will be at its best. Fill your view with as much of the sky as possible (a deckchair can be a real help here) and wait.”



Although the Ursids are better seen from the Northern Hemisphere, if atmospheric conditions are good, some of them might be visible from the Southern Hemisphere too. And while their peak will be tonight, there is a chance to still see some occasional shooting stars even on Christmas.



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

The Ursid meteor shower will continue through Christmas

The Ursid meteor shower, also called the Ursids, takes place...

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

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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

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

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://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



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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

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

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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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