Dog owners are increasingly asking whether their pets can thrive without meat. A new analysis offers a nuanced answer: plant-based dry foods sold in the UK can deliver nutrition comparable to meat-based products.



However, most products of all kinds, including veterinary renal diets, fall short of industry nutrient guidelines.&nbsp;



The study, led by the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Nottingham</a>, included laboratory testing of thirty-one dry foods labeled “complete,” a term that signals a product should provide all essential macro- and micronutrients for an adult dog.



The research team examined 19 meat-based diets, six plant-based diets and six veterinary formulations designed to be lower in protein for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-are-evolving-to-fit-the-modern-lives-of-humans/">dogs</a> with kidney disease. 



The team measured total protein, essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamin D, all B-vitamins, and major and trace minerals, then compared those values with <a href="https://europeanpetfood.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Pet Food Industry Federation</a> (FEDIAF) recommendations for adult maintenance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nutrition-from-different-dog-diets">Nutrition from different dog diets</h2>



Perhaps the most striking result is how closely plant-based and meat-based diets aligned for total protein and most essential amino acids.&nbsp;



The big differences emerged elsewhere. On average, vegan formulas provided less iodine and fewer B-vitamins than meat-based diets - shortfalls that echo what nutritionists often see in human plant-forward eating.&nbsp;



Crucially, these are straightforward formulation problems to solve. Iodine fortification and robust, bioavailable B-vitamin premixes can close the gap without changing the overall dietary philosophy.



According to study lead author Rebecca Brociek, while many people assume dogs “need meat” to stay healthy, biologically they just need nutrients in the right amounts and forms.



Thus, plant-based products “stacked up more closely to meat-based diets than expected,” even as both categories revealed some nutritional gaps. 



Similar studies in Brazil and Canada point in the same direction: properly formulated vegan diets can be a viable option for adult dogs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-complete-label-falls-short">The “complete” label falls short</h2>



While every food in the study met the guideline for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/taking-vitamin-d-supplements-may-add-years-to-your-life/">vitamin D</a>, very few met all targets at once. Just over half complied with essential amino-acid recommendations, fewer than one in five hit all mineral targets, and only a handful satisfied every B-vitamin requirement. 



In practical terms, 30 of the 31 products were missing at least one essential nutrient for adult maintenance. 



This does not mean a single bowlful is dangerous. Shortfalls accumulate over time. If iodine remains low, for example, the thyroid can struggle; if B-vitamin levels are chronically inadequate, energy metabolism and nerve function may be affected. 



The takeaway for manufacturers is clear: publish full nutrient profiles, test routinely, and fortify thoughtfully. For <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-owners-ages-and-beliefs-influence-their-pet-food-choices/">dog owners</a>, it is a reminder to look beyond marketing claims and, when possible, ask brands for detailed analyses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-medical-diets-and-dog-nutrition">Medical diets and dog nutrition </h2>



The veterinary renal diets in the sample illustrate a different kind of trade-off. These foods intentionally lower crude protein to reduce kidney workload, a valid clinical strategy. 



But the study found that two-thirds of these low-protein products also fell short on one or more essential amino acids.&nbsp;



That is not an indictment of renal nutrition; it is a formulation challenge. Even at reduced total protein, companies can blend higher-quality protein sources or add specific amino acids - lysine, methionine, tryptophan, and others - to maintain adequacy while meeting therapeutic goals. 



For dogs managing kidney disease, veterinarians remain the best guides; the solution here is better amino-acid balancing, not abandoning medical diets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-means-for-everyday-feeding">What this means for everyday feeding</h2>



For healthy adult dogs, the findings open space rather than close doors. A well-designed plant-based diet can be nutritionally adequate, provided it is properly fortified with iodine and a complete B-vitamin spectrum and meets amino acid and mineral targets.&nbsp;



Meat-based diets are not automatically superior; they must meet the same benchmarks. Labels that claim “complete” should be supported by transparent data, and pet owners can reasonably expect brands to share that information.



Every dog is an individual. Age, activity level, body condition, pre-existing conditions, and even <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-dogs-have-a-higher-risk-of-digestive-problems-like-diarrhea/">gut health</a> can shift needs and influence how well a dog absorbs and uses nutrients.



That is why regular veterinary checkups - ideally with periodic bloodwork for dogs on unconventional or therapeutic diets - remain the gold standard for catching problems early.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limitations-of-the-study">Limitations of the study </h2>



This research analysed nutrients in the lab; it did not follow dogs over months or years to track clinical outcomes. The study also focused on adult-maintenance foods rather than puppy diets, where requirements are higher and the margin for error is smaller. 



And while hitting a target on paper is essential, bioavailability can vary with ingredient sources, processing methods and the health of a dog’s digestive tract.&nbsp;



The authors call for long-term feeding trials and bioavailability studies, especially for plant-based and renal formulations, to connect lab values with real-world health markers.



These markers include body condition, muscle maintenance, thyroid and kidney function, skin and coat quality, and immune status.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-achieving-complete-nutrition-for-dogs">Achieving complete nutrition for dogs</h2>



The encouraging part is how fixable the shortfalls appear. Fortifying vegan recipes with iodine and comprehensive B-vitamin premixes, tightening amino-acid balance in low-protein therapeutic diets, and publishing batch-tested nutrient profiles would close most of the gaps identified.&nbsp;



For environmentally minded owners curious about lower-impact options, that matters. For veterinarians and formulators, it is a roadmap: engineer for nutrients, not narratives; verify with data rather than assumptions.



Brociek’s own conclusion captures the pragmatic spirit of the work. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-on-vegan-diets-stay-healthier-and-visit-the-vet-less-often/">Plant-based diets</a>, when properly formulated, can be a healthy and viable alternative to meat-based options. 



The next step should be long-term feeding studies. In the meantime, the message to the industry is straightforward. Whether the protein comes from chicken or chickpeas, the job is the same: deliver complete, bioavailable nutrition, prove it with transparent testing, and give owners the information they need to feed confidently.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0328506">PLOS One</a>.&nbsp;



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Meat or vegan? Scientists decide which diet is better for the all-around health of dogs

Dog owners are increasingly asking whether their pets can thrive without meat. A new analysis offers a nuanced answer: plant-based dry foods sold in the UK can deliver nutrition comparable to meat-based products. However, most products of all kinds, including veterinary renal diets, fall short of industry nutrient guidelines.&nbsp; The study, led by the University of Nottingham, included laboratory testing of thirty-one dry foods labeled “complete,” a term that signals a product should provide all essential macro- and micronutrients for an adult dog. The research team examined...

A fossil dug up during the Civil War has spent more than a century mislabeled. Once thought to be a seaworm, it turns out the creature is something entirely different - and far more important.



It’s called Palaeocampa anthrax. And according to scientists at the <a href="https://umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Michigan</a>, it may be the first known member of its group to make the jump from sea to land.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossil-sitting-in-a-museum-drawer">Fossil sitting in a museum drawer</h2>



The fossil was sitting in a drawer at Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology. Richard J. Knecht, a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Michigan, decided to take a closer look. 



What Knecht saw didn’t match the label. The creature wasn’t a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millipede-legs-grow-in-an-unexpected-way/">millipede</a>, or a caterpillar, or even a worm. It was a lobopod.



Lobopods are soft-bodied invertebrates that look like worms with legs. They’re considered ancestors of all arthropods - insects, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rethinking-arachnid-evolution-the-surprising-history-of-spiders/">spiders</a>, and crustaceans. Until now, they were believed to be purely marine animals that lived over 500 million years ago.



But this fossil tells a different story. "This is the first evidence that we have that this group actually did leave the ocean," Knecht said. "Transitioning from a saltwater environment, even to a freshwater environment, is a major evolutionary step." 



"Any time you find a group that made this transition, it's not just insightful, it's really important evolutionarily to try to understand how this happened." 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-misidentified-for-over-a-century">Misidentified for over a century</h2>



Since it was first discovered, this lobopod fossil has been misclassified multiple times. Photos of it have appeared in scientific studies, but no one realized what it truly was.



"When the specimen was first discovered, lobopods didn't even exist as a group," said Knecht. "This is an example of why revisiting older specimens can be of real value." 



"Even specimens that are iconic and super well known provide an opportunity to make big discoveries just by viewing them with new techniques and fresh perspectives." 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-all-came-down-to-the-spines">It all came down to the spines</h2>



This particular lobopod doesn’t look like much at first glance. It resembles a fuzzy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-caterpillars-defend-their-territory-without-a-fight/">caterpillar</a>, with tiny spines and bristles running down its body.



But when examined more closely, it stands apart from other lobopods. Most lobopodian spines grow in a pattern like stacked cones. Palaeocampa anthrax’s spines don’t. They’re segmented like bamboo, each one ending in a flat, turret-like tip.



Then came the real surprise: orange halos around the tips of the spines. That unusual feature led the team to ask a new question - was this lobopod fossil leaving behind a chemical clue?



To answer that, Knecht teamed up with Nanfang Yu, a physicist at Columbia University. Using infrared spectroscopy, they found fossilized molecules at the tips of the spines. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-defense-strategy-suits-dry-ground">Defense strategy suits dry ground</h2>



These molecules weren’t found anywhere else on the lobopod fossil or the surrounding rock. This pointed to a startling possibility: the creature might have secreted chemicals from the tips of its spines - possibly for defense.



"If I were to place a chip on the table, I'd say this organism was probably more terrestrial or amphibious, specifically because of that tip. It makes more sense in an aerial rather than a subaqueous environment," Knecht said.



Most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/divers-discovered-tiny-sea-creatures-clavelina-that-resemble-swimming-panda-bear-skeletons/">sea creatures</a> with spines use them to inject toxins. But if a defense mechanism simply leaks from the tip, it wouldn't work well underwater. It would just wash away. That kind of system makes a lot more sense on land or near land.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-long-shot-fossil-find">A long shot fossil find</h2>



Finding a soft-bodied fossil like this is rare. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-noise-can-be-fatal-to-marine-invertebrates/">Invertebrates</a> don’t have bones, and their bodies decompose fast. To preserve one, it must die in just the right conditions - usually in oxygen-poor water with fine sediment that covers the body almost immediately.



That’s what makes sites like Mazon Creek in Illinois and Montceau-les-Mines in France so valuable. These sites, known as Lagerstätten, preserve fossils in exceptional detail. And that’s where Palaeocampa anthrax was found.



The fossil is one of only two lobopods from the Carboniferous period. It's also the youngest known example of its kind - and potentially the first to show evidence of life outside the sea.



"It's like winning the lottery not once, but three times. First, that the site existed at all; second, to have this level of preservation; and third, to then find it over 300 million years later," Knecht said. "It's a series of statistical miracles."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-fossil-matters">Why this fossil matters</h2>



This fossil does more than correct a case of mistaken identity. It shows that lobopods - some of the earliest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/frozen-worm-comes-back-to-life-after-46000-years/">ancestors</a> of insects and spiders - may have begun exploring land far earlier than anyone thought.



It also proves the value of looking at old things in new ways. A mislabeled fossil, sitting in a drawer for 150 years, just rewrote a chapter of life’s story on Earth.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-08483-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Biology</a>.



Image Credit: Richard J. Knecht



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Forgotten fossil is reshaping the theory of evolution on land

A fossil dug up during the Civil War has spent...

Up to now, scientists have followed sharks, turtles, and even albatrosses by strapping recorders to their bodies, yet most rays have slipped through that technological net. 



Biologging - attaching tiny sensors that record movement, sound, and surroundings - has thrived in other species, but rays’ smooth skin and fin-like bodies limited most attempts to just a few hours.



The whitespotted eagle ray, a six and a half foot wide coastal predator, is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/42564343/2924463" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IUCN</a>). 



Dr. Matt Ajemian of Florida Atlantic University’s <a href="https://www.fau.edu/hboi/">Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute</a> led a team that finally built a tag that can track rays for up to 60 hours.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-eagle-rays-are-hard-to-track">Why eagle rays are hard to track</h2>



Studying rays in the wild is tougher than tracking sharks. Their flat bodies lack a sturdy dorsal fin for clamps, and their skin feels almost velvety, so adhesives and darts fail fast.



Many species migrate across reefs, lagoons, and shipping lanes, meaning any tag must survive swift turns and strong cross currents.



Fieldwork is further hampered by conservation rules that limit handling time, leaving researchers mere seconds to attach equipment.



Because of these hurdles, less than ten published studies have reported fine scale behavior of pelagic rays, compared with hundreds of sharks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-new-tag-works">How the new tag works</h2>



The Harbor Branch team nested a camera, motion sensors, <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/hydrophone.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hydrophone</a>, satellite pinger, and acoustic beacon inside a package smaller than a paperback and lighter than one pound.



Silicone suction cups hold the tag to the ray’s head, but the breakthrough was a soft strap that loops through the animal’s spiracles, the small breathing holes behind each eye, adding grip without piercing skin.



“Our goal was to create a system that could be applied in seconds, stay on during natural behaviors, and collect rich, multi dimensional data,” said Ajemian. Attachment now takes about eight seconds on a gently restrained ray.&nbsp;



In sea trials off Bermuda, ten tagged rays kept their devices for an average of 21 hours, and one individual carried it 59.2 hours, three times longer than previous ray tags.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-eagle-rays-do-underwater">What eagle rays do underwater</h2>



Video showed the fish cruising over seagrass, coral rubble, sand flats, and reef ledges - dives that matched depth readings down to 72 feet.



“We’ve shown that complex behaviors, like the crunching of clams, can be identified using sound and movement data alone, even without video,” noted doctoral researcher Cecilia Hampton. 



Audio captured the distinct crack of crushed clams, confirming feeding bouts even when the camera switched off to save battery. Motion logs revealed rhythmic wingbeats while swimming and chaotic bursts during bottom digging before prey capture.



The tag also filmed brief meetings with other eagle rays and a curious barracuda, hinting at social and predator prey links that surface observers rarely see.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-reads-ray-movements">AI reads ray movements</h2>



Every second, the tag’s accelerometer and gyroscope, parts of an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), recorded 50 data points per axis.



A supervised Random Forest model trained on one ray’s footage correctly labeled “swimming” 99.6 percent of the time and picked out “browsing” and “digging” behaviors with useful accuracy.



Similar machine learning approaches already classify accelerometer data in cattle and narwhals, showing the method scales across species.



As training libraries grow, future tags may drop the camera entirely, extending battery life while still logging every clam crunch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saving-endangered-eagle-rays">Saving endangered eagle rays</h2>



Eagle rays help control conch and clam populations, yet bycatch, coastal construction, and targeted fisheries have pushed <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/19/2024-08340/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-90-day-finding-on-a-petition-to-list-the-whitespotted-eagle-ray" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">numbers</a> down 50 to 79 percent in three decades.



Knowing where and when rays feed lets managers draw smarter no take zones and adjust dredging schedules to avoid peak foraging periods.



The new tags revealed long stays around inlet passes, data that could guide boat speed limits in those hotspots.



They also showed night time visits to shellfish farms, backing earlier acoustic surveys that hinted at after dark foraging on cultured clams.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-tracking-eagle-rays">What’s next for tracking eagle rays</h2>



Slimmer sensor suites and longer life releases could turn rays into mobile habitat monitors, sampling noise, temperature, and water quality across coastal grids.



Other smooth skinned species, such as cownose rays and manta rays, share similar spiracle shapes, so minor tweaks may spread the method throughout the family and even to small sandbar skates.



Biologging on <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-80744-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bluefin tuna</a> recently recorded a dramatic orca attack, proving that tags can chronicle entire food web interactions.



Combining these broader community insights with the new ray data could finally reveal how predators, prey, and habitats interact along tropical coastlines.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://animalbiotelemetry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40317-025-00416-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Animal Biotelemetry</a>.



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Tracking endangered rays: A new chapter in marine conservation

Up to now, scientists have followed sharks, turtles, and even...

Coral reefs have long been seen as flexible and resilient - bustling underwater cities where species can shift diets, share space, and adapt to change. But a new study challenges that assumption. 



The research reveals that many reef animals are far less adaptable than expected, relying on narrow energy pathways linked to specific food sources. In other words, these creatures may live side-by-side, but they aren’t eating from the same buffet.



Led by scientists at the University of Rhode Island’s <a href="https://web.uri.edu/gso/">Graduate School of Oceanography</a>, the study focused on three common species of snapper in the Red Sea: Lutjanus kasmira, L. ehrenbergii, and L. fulviflamma. 



All three were believed to be generalist predators, able to switch diets and thrive on a mix of prey. But when researchers tracked what these fish were really eating, the results told a different story.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-each-fish-has-its-own-menu">Each fish has its own menu</h2>



The team used a high-resolution method called compound-specific stable isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AA). 



This technique lets scientists trace how carbon and nitrogen - key building blocks of life - move through an ecosystem over time. It’s not a short-term look at diet; it’s a long-term window into how energy flows.



What they found was striking: Lutjanus kasmira fed almost entirely on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plankton-tiny-ocean-creatures-overlooked-critical-life-on-earth/">plankton</a> drifting in the water column, L. ehrenbergii was tied to food chains rooted in macroalgae on the seafloor, and L. fulviflamma relied mainly on energy drawn from coral-based systems.



“When you dive on these beautiful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-the-value-of-coral-reefs-in-the-red-sea/">Red Sea reefs</a>, one of the first things that you’ll notice is these snapper species schooling together in perfect synchrony. We would never have guessed that each had carved out its own unique niche within these complex, biodiverse reef food webs,” said Professor Kelton McMahon.



These species aren’t opportunistic feeders hopping from one source to another. They’re loyal to specific food channels. And it’s not just the snappers - entire food webs are locked into these narrow lanes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-all-or-nothing-coral-food-webs">All or nothing coral food webs</h2>



In most ecosystems, we expect redundancy - multiple species doing similar jobs, drawing from shared resources. This overlap can make a system resilient. If one part fails, others can fill in.



But on these reefs, that overlap is missing. The study shows energy moves in what the team calls “vertical silos.” Each silo begins with a different primary producer - phytoplankton, macroalgae, or coral - and ends with specific predators.



“It’s one thing to see a species or two specializing on a specific food item, but to see entire food chains of potentially dozens or even hundreds of species form tight relationships connected to a single primary producer (e.g., macroalgae) when equally tasty coral is just inches away fundamentally reshapes how we think about biodiversity of coral reefs,” said McMahon.



That rigid structure comes with risk. If one primary producer is lost - say, from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-bleaching-has-reached-catastrophic-levels-on-the-great-barrier-reef/">bleaching</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overfishing-and-habitat-degradation-have-devastated-marine-ecosystems/">overfishing</a>, or warming seas - it could disrupt the entire chain that depends on it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-patterns-in-reef-food-webs">Patterns in reef food webs</h2>



The research came from McMahon’s Ocean Ecogeochemistry Lab at URI, which studies how food moves through ecosystems and how animals’ diets reveal deeper environmental patterns. 



The lab uses CSIA-AA to go beyond what an animal ate last week - it helps reveal what’s sustained them over time.



“People have used isotopes to understand food webs for nearly a century, where they turn an organism into a single isotope value," said McMahon. 



"I’ve spent my career developing knowledge and tools to isolate and analyze all individual compounds within complex organisms, unlocking a metabolic history of organisms in a way we have never done before."



"That gives us the power to track where different sources of energy come from, and, in doing so, reveal patterns in the food web we couldn’t see before."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-insights-with-advanced-tools">New insights with advanced tools</h2>



The samples used in this study were collected over 15 years ago. But the analytical tools didn’t yet exist to make sense of them - until now.



“I collected these samples 15 years ago as a postdoc at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology,” shared McMahon. 



"The data were there, but I didn’t yet have the tools or perspective to make sense of it in a meaningful way." 



"Sometimes, you have to let an idea sit until the knowledge and methods mature enough to be impactful. Finally, I feel prepared to handle this work in the way it deserves, and the outcome definitely rewarded that patience.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solving-complex-ecological-problems">Solving complex ecological problems </h2>



This research opens up a new way to look at ecosystems - not just reefs, but possibly kelp forests, deep-sea environments, and coastal systems too. 



The team plans to apply this approach to other habitats and use DNA metabarcoding to better understand which prey are powering these energy silos.



“I get excited about opening up access to knowledge that people have been seeking for a long time,” said McMahon. 



“In my lab, we don’t specialize on a system or species; we’ve worked in Antarctica with penguins, on ancient human diet in MesoAmerica, and locally with the burgeoning jonah crab fishery."



"Our goal is to develop tools that solve vexing ecological problems, and make sure diverse people and approaches are effectively brought together.”



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960982225007948">Current Biology</a>.



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Coral reef food webs are more fragile than we thought

Coral reefs have long been seen as flexible and resilient...

For wild animals, survival may come down to the split-second decision to bolt or stay put when danger appears. A new study traces that choice to a tiny cluster of neurons deep in the midbrain.



By comparing two closely related deer mouse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephant-brains-reveal-big-differences-among-species/">species</a>, the team showed that evolution simply tunes the sensitivity of this hub rather than rebuilding the whole defensive network. 



Forest-dwelling Peromyscus maniculatus flee at the faintest hint of a hawk, while open field Peromyscus polionotus remain statues until the threat becomes overwhelming.



Study co-lead Felix Baier of <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> teamed up with Karl Farrow at the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (<a href="https://vib.be/nl#/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VIB</a>) in Leuven to identify the neurons involved in the brain's survival switch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-same-senses-different-instincts">Same senses, different instincts</h2>



Predators strike in milliseconds, yet landscapes differ. Animals can easily take cover in a brushy habitat, but not necessarily on the prairie. 



As a result, deer mice have evolved opposite default settings, even though their eyes and ears register danger with equal fidelity.



Baier’s group confirmed this by showing identical activity in the optic tract and superior colliculus of both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/big-brains-and-wide-ranges-cant-save-birds-from-climate-change/">species</a> during low intensity “shadow” stimuli. Only the behavior diverged, proving the sensory side was not the source of the split.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-survival-switch-controls-fear-response">Survival switch controls fear response </h2>



Attention then turned to the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG), a cigar shaped nucleus already known to initiate escape in laboratory mice. 



Neuropixels probes - silicon shanks carrying hundreds of electrodes - recorded each spike while looming discs simulated an aerial predator attack.



In forest mice, a single loom sparked a volley in dPAG neurons that paralleled running speed. Open field cousins showed only a muted dPAG murmur even when their feet finally flew, meaning the threshold for firing was set far higher.



“We were surprised to find that evolution acted in a central <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rethinking-brain-evolution-birds-and-mammals-took-different-paths/">brain</a> region, downstream of peripheral sensory perception,” said Baier.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-survival-switch-in-other-animals">Survival switch in other animals</h2>



The dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) has long been known as a key hub for defensive behavior in mammals. 



In lab mice and rats, stimulating this region can trigger running, jumping, or even vocalizations. In humans, analogous brainstem structures help process intense fear and panic.



By focusing on the dPAG, the researchers tapped into a deeply conserved circuit. Yet the study shows that even hardwired regions like this one can be tweaked to meet local demands. 



That finding challenges the assumption that core survival systems are biologically fixed across species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-same-midbrain-different-reactions">Same midbrain, different reactions</h2>



Next, the team used optogenetics to nudge the hub. Flash activating excitatory cells in the forest species made them sprint even when the arena was calm. 



The same light caused prairie mice to decelerate or halt, as though the stimulation felt more like a brake than a gas pedal.



When researchers used chemogenetics to dampen activity in the brain’s escape hub, forest mice began behaving like their prairie relatives - waiting longer and needing a stronger threat signal before reacting.



The reverse manipulation never flipped prairie mice into hyper skittish mode, highlighting their raised internal threshold.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-midbrain-tweaks-when-to-escape">Midbrain tweaks when to escape</h2>



Such fine grained tuning matches recent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982224007450" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> showing that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526124/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GABA</a> rich neurons in dPAG set the “go/no go” point for escape. 



In the new study, inhibitory cells lit up strongly in the forest species but stayed mostly quiet in the prairie species, hinting that evolution dialed inhibition rather than altering excitatory drive.



Other animals deploy similar tricks. In zebrafish, threat avoidance ensembles in the <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/64934" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dPAG</a> scale with distance from a predator. That parallel supports the idea that central thresholds, not peripheral sensitivity, often decide which hard wired action rolls out.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-habitat-shapes-the-survival-switch">Habitat shapes the survival switch</h2>



The two mouse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electrical-synapses-are-key-to-decision-making-in-animal-brains/">species</a> occupy very different landscapes shaped by predation risk. In brushy forests, motion attracts less attention than freezing, since cover is nearby. 



On open plains, stillness may be the best way to avoid being spotted by aerial predators. These constraints likely drove selection for divergent midbrain response thresholds.



Shifting the escape threshold in a central node like the dPAG may offer an efficient solution. Rather than overhauling sensory input or building a new circuit, evolution simply adjusts how soon a threat triggers action. 



This flexibility may also explain why such neural adaptations can arise repeatedly in separate species facing similar pressures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-it-means-for-human-fear">What it means for human fear</h2>



The findings add to a growing picture in which survival circuits come with built-in sliders that natural selection can nudge. That economy may explain why species thriving in wildly different niches still share a common <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-brain-learns-study-reveals-an-unexpected-twist/">neural</a> architecture.



The findings also have medical relevance: overactive defensive circuits are linked to panic and anxiety disorders in humans. 



Discovering that a single midbrain hub can adjust its sensitivity opens up potential strategies for recalibrating fear responses without dulling sensory perception.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09241-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Survival switch in the brain controls when animals flee or freeze

For wild animals, survival may come down to the split-second...

A fossilized creature that lived more than 500 million years ago is turning the origin story of spiders and scorpions on its head. Scientists now say that its brain structure indicates arachnids may not have evolved on land, as was previously believed, but rather in the oceans. 



This bold idea comes from a new study by researchers at the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Arizona</a> and King’s College London. The team examined an ancient arthropod fossil and found surprising similarities to modern spiders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossil-indicates-arachnid-origins">Fossil indicates arachnid origins</h2>



Spiders, scorpions, and their kin - collectively known as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rethinking-arachnid-evolution-the-surprising-history-of-spiders/">arachnids</a> - have barely changed in the past 400 million years. 



Arachnids have reigned as top arthropod predators on land, and their fossil record strongly suggested that they evolved and diversified in terrestrial ecosystems.



The team studied a rare fossil of Mollisonia symmetrica, which has long been considered an early marine chelicerate in the same broader group that includes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/horseshoe-crabs-view-the-world-through-compound-eyes/">horseshoe crabs</a> (Limulidae) and is closely related to the arachnids. 



The assumption had always been that <a href="https://burgess-shale.rom.on.ca/fossils/mollisonia-symmetrica/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mollisonia</a> was part of an ocean lineage that led to land-based arachnids, but only much later on.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-fossil-had-a-spider-s-brain">Ocean fossil had a spider's brain</h2>



According to the researchers, this didn’t hold up under closer scrutiny. Instead of looking like the nervous system of a horseshoe crab, Mollisonia's brain was like that of a modern spider. 



Its nervous system included a distinct, radiating layout of ganglia - clusters of nerve cells - and an unsegmented brain that sendt signals to pincer-like front limbs. This unexpected configuration is a clue.



"It is still vigorously debated where and when arachnids first appeared, and what kind of chelicerates were their ancestors, and whether these were marine or semi-aquatic, like horseshoe crabs," said Professor Nicholas Strausfeld, lead author of the study. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-arachnid-brain-structure">Modern arachnid brain structure</h2>



Mollisonia had a two-part body: a broad carapace at the front and a segmented tail-like trunk at the back. 



Some researchers have compared this body shape to that of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-reveals-the-first-ancestors-of-scorpions-and-spiders/">scorpion</a>. But nobody expected this creature to have anything close to a modern arachnid brain structure.



The Mollisonia nervous system had five pairs of ganglia in the prosoma (the front part of the body) for controlling the five limb pairs. That same layout is seen in spiders today.



The fossil also revealed short nerves that extend from the brain to a set of claw-like appendages - similar to the fangs in modern arachnids. 



While the nerve connections to the chelicerae come from the rear of the brain in crabs, these connections come from the front of the brain in Mollisonia (and all modern spiders).



"It's as if the Limulus-type brain seen in Cambrian fossils, or the brains of ancestral and present-day <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-invasive-crustacean-species-discovered-in-the-mediterranean/">crustaceans</a> and insects, have been flipped backwards, which is what we see in modern spiders," said Professor Strausfeld.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-advantages-of-the-spider-brain">Advantages of the spider brain</h2>



This flipped brain may be the reason that spiders are so good at what they do - stalking, pouncing, and spinning intricate webs.



"This is a major step in evolution, which appears to be exclusive to arachnids," said Frank Hirth of King’s College London. 



"Yet already in Mollisonia, we identified brain domains that correspond to living species with which we can predict the underlying genetic makeup that is common to all <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/arthropods/">arthropods</a>."



Hirth suggested that this reversal creates neural shortcuts, making a spider's brain better at coordinating fast and precise movements.



"The arachnid brain is unlike any other brain on this planet and it suggests that its organization has something to do with computational speed and the control of motor actions," said Professor Strausfeld.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-ocean-predators-to-land-hunters">From ocean predators to land hunters</h2>



Arachnids may have had a head start when it came to surviving on land.



The first land animals were probably insect-like and millipede-like arthropods. But a Mollisonia-like ancestor may have made the transition too - and then turned its attention to those early pioneers.



"We might imagine that a Mollisonia-like arachnid also became adapted to terrestrial life making early insects and millipedes their daily diet," said Professor Strausfeld.



These early arachnid predators may have helped push insects to evolve wings to fly away from danger.



"Being able to fly gives you a serious advantage when you're being pursued by a spider," noted Professor Strausfeld. "Yet, despite their aerial mobility, insects are still caught in their millions in exquisite silken webs spun by spiders."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-fossil-under-the-microscope">A fossil under the microscope</h2>



To capture the tiny details of Mollisonia’s nervous system and brain, Professor Strausfeld spent time at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. 



The fossil was photographed under different lighting conditions, using polarizing filters and magnification to capture features invisible to the naked eye.



Still, the researchers needed to be sure this wasn’t just a coincidence - a case of two unrelated animals evolving similar traits.



To rule that out, David Andrew, a former University of Arizona graduate student now at Lycoming College, ran a statistical comparison. He analyzed 115 neural and anatomical traits across both living and extinct arthropods.



The results were clear: in terms of its nervous system, Mollisonia sits right next to modern arachnids on the evolutionary tree.



Other Mollisonia-like fossils haven’t been preserved well enough to check for similar spider brain features. But if they had the same nervous system structure, their descendants could explain the many arachnid species we see today.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00822-X?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS096098222500822X%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">Current Biology</a>.



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Tiny fossil rewrites the origin story of spiders

A fossilized creature that lived more than 500 million years...

Fresh tracks stamped into 76 million-year-old mud are telling a new story about dinosaur society in southern Alberta. A densely packed patch of footprints shows several species strolling together - a first for the Late Cretaceous rock record.



The find comes from the Skyline Tracksite in Dinosaur Provincial Park, a place famous for skeletons but almost bare of tracks until now. 



“It was incredibly exciting to be walking in the footsteps of dinosaurs 76 million years after they laid them down,” explained Dr. Brian Pickles of the <a href="http://University of Reading https://share.google/UMmU9VV6QueLRAS46">University of Reading</a> who helped unearth the assemblage. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dinosaurs-walked-together">Dinosaurs walked together</h2>



The slab is no bigger than two parking spaces, yet it preserves thirteen footprints from horn frilled ceratopsian <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-extinction-theories-are-challenged-by-new-research/">dinosaurs</a>, a probable ankylosaurid, three prints from two large tyrannosaurid carnivores, and one dainty track from a small meat eater. 



All of the tracks head in nearly the same direction and sit on the same mud layer, evidence that the animals passed by within hours, perhaps minutes, of one another.



Because the ceratopsian imprints sit shoulder to shoulder with equal spacing, the team suspects the animals were moving as a coordinated group. 



Such orderly trackways match earlier monodominant bonebeds from Styracosaurus herds in the same formation, strengthening the case that horned dinosaurs traveled together for much of the year.



Mixed herds are rare even in footprints; earlier prints show single <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-suggests-early-dinosaurs-were-larger-than-we-thought/">species</a> gatherings or solitary walkers. 



The Canadian site therefore widens the behavioral picture, hinting that plant-eaters of different builds could coordinate their movements when the landscape demanded it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predator-prints-followed-dinosaurs">Predator prints followed dinosaurs</h2>



Two tyrannosaur prints slice across the herbivore lane, as if the hunters were pacing the herd from a safe distance. 



The three-toed marks, about 18 inches long, resemble footprints from the <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0103613" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bellatoripes fredlundi trackway</a> farther north that first suggested tyrannosaurs sometimes moved in pairs or packs.



Whether the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-sized-baby-dinosaur-unearthed-after-166-million-years/">predators</a> shadowed the plant eaters that day is unknown, yet their presence offers a motive for banding together. 



In modern savannas, zebras often merge with wildebeest to dilute risk and borrow their neighbors’ sharp senses; studies in the Serengeti show vigilance drops for both species inside mixed herds.



Applying that logic to the Cretaceous, stocky ankylosaurs with clubbed tails could add armor, while horned ceratopsians contributed sheer numbers and vision at different heights. Together they might have complicated the hunting plans of a predator.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-footprints-as-time-capsules">Footprints as time capsules</h2>



The prints sit in a thin mudstone band deposited when a winding river abandoned its channel, leaving a shallow lake that dried in patches. 



Foot pressure pushed watery clay aside, building raised rims still visible today. The overlying sand quickly buried the impressions, and iron minerals later cemented the layer into a rust colored bench.



Because steep badland slopes erode about one tenth of an inch each year, the rocks seldom expose flat bedding planes where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-footprints-reveal-a-dinosaur-that-changed-pace-while-walking/">tracks</a> show up. 



The team’s “search image” looking for those iron-rich rims peeking above softer sandstone has already revealed several more tracksites in the park, suggesting many prints went unnoticed for decades.



With portable GPS gear, the researchers mapped every depression, then photographed the surface in overlapping grids to create a precise 3D model. 



The digital replica lets scientists measure stride length, toe angles, and the subtle suction cups left when feet pulled free, all without further damaging the fragile layer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dinosaur-prints-are-fragile-and-rare">Dinosaur prints are fragile and rare</h2>



Dinosaur tracks are far more vulnerable than bones. While skeletons can fossilize deep underground and survive eons of erosion, footprints are surface impressions that vanish quickly if not buried and preserved under the right conditions. 



Even once exposed, the thin ironstone layers that hold them can flake apart within months due to wind, rain, and temperature swings.



Researchers also face difficulties in identifying which dinosaur made which track, especially when skeletal features overlap between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mammals-ground-dwellers-survived-the-asteroid-impact-that-killed-the-dinosaurs/">species</a>. 



For instance, distinguishing between ceratopsian and ankylosaurid tracks can be tricky without clear impressions of both front and hind feet. This uncertainty limits how precisely behavior can be inferred from fossil footprints.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-discovery-matters">Why the discovery matters</h2>



Until now, signs of dinosaur social life rested largely on mass death bonebeds or long, single species trackways. 



The Skyline Tracksite adds the missing piece: it captures different herbivores walking side by side - a behavior that parallels today’s large mammal guilds that share both grass and predators.



The trackway also reminds field crews to rethink “empty” rock. Dinosaur Provincial Park has yielded more than 400 articulated skeletons, yet typical tracks were thought absent. 



Recognizing the tell tale mud rims may transform ichnology in the Canadian badlands and other steep terrains carved from Late Campanian river deposits.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0324913" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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Dinosaur tracks reveal tyrannosaurs stalking their prey

Fresh tracks stamped into 76 million-year-old mud are telling a...

With over 2.8 billion fungal DNA sequences from 130 countries, scientists have produced the first high-resolution global maps of underground mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi support ecosystems by transporting nutrients, capturing carbon, and protecting plant health. 



Yet, over 90 percent of this underground <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-fungi-species-are-threatened-with-extinction/">biodiversity</a> lies outside protected areas. That makes these vital ecosystems vulnerable to environmental damage.



The data powers a new interactive platform called the Underground Atlas. This tool helps anyone explore fungal biodiversity from Ethiopia to Brazil, and from Tasmania to West Africa. 



These maps expose not only diversity but also rarity, revealing patterns previously hidden from view.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-underground-fungi-matter">Why underground fungi matter</h2>



Mycorrhizal fungi form massive underground networks that interact with nearly every plant. 



These fungal systems capture more than 13 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year - about a third of global fossil fuel emissions. They help crops grow, rebuild forests, and regulate water cycles.



Still, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fungi-can-think-and-make-smart-decisions-without-a-brain/">fungi</a> remain missing from major conservation plans. That absence is dangerous. When these networks get disturbed, forests regenerate more slowly, crops suffer, and entire ecosystems unravel.



“For centuries, we've mapped mountains, forests, and oceans. But these fungi have remained in the dark,” said Dr. Toby Kiers of Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (<a href="https://www.spun.earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SPUN)</a>.



“They cycle nutrients, store carbon, support plant health, and make soil. When we disrupt these critical ecosystem engineers, forest regeneration slows, crops fail, and biodiversity aboveground begins to unravel."



"This is the first time we're able to visualize these biodiversity patterns - and it's clear we are failing to protect underground ecosystems.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-maps-show-fungi-need-protection">Maps show fungi need protection</h2>



The research team used machine learning to build predictive maps from their vast dataset. These maps reveal fungal richness and rarity at a global scale, down to one square kilometer. 



Less than 10 percent of biodiversity hotspots appear in protected areas, exposing a huge gap in global conservation strategy.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/fungi_global-underground-system_map_credit-SPUN_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/fungi_global-underground-system_map_credit-SPUN_1s.webp" alt="High-resolution map of from SPUN's Underground Atlas showing predicted arbuscular mycorrhizal biodiversity patterns across underground ecosystems. Bright colors indicate higher richness and endemism. Credit: SPUN" class="wp-image-1979248"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">High-resolution map of from SPUN's Underground Atlas showing predicted arbuscular mycorrhizal biodiversity patterns across underground ecosystems. Bright colors indicate higher richness and endemism. Click image to enlarge. Credit: SPUN</figcaption></figure>



This work is the first large-scale scientific product of SPUN. The group launched in 2021 with the goal to map and protect Earth’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-millions-of-fungal-species-still-remain-unknown/">fungal networks</a>.



"For too long, we've overlooked mycorrhizal fungi. These maps help alleviate our fungus blindness,” explained Dr. Merlin Sheldrake of SPUN.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-tool-to-explore-underground-fungi">A tool to explore underground fungi</h2>



Now, SPUN offers a powerful new tool: the Underground Atlas. It allows researchers, policymakers, and conservationists to explore biodiversity anywhere on Earth. 



“The idea is to ensure underground biodiversity becomes as fundamental to environmental decision-making as satellite imagery,” noted Jason Cremerius of SPUN.



Users can locate biodiversity hotspots, identify rare fungal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-have-unique-fungi-partnerships-that-help-them-survive/">species</a>, and support restoration work. The tool can inform the placement of conservation areas, especially in biodiversity-rich regions that remain unprotected.



“These high-resolution maps provide quantitative targets for restoration managers,” said Dr. Alex Wegmann from <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Nature Conservancy</a>. “Restoration practices have been dangerously incomplete because the focus has historically been on life aboveground.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-legal-shield-for-fungi">No legal shield for fungi</h2>



According to the researchers, the data could help shape climate and biodiversity laws. For example, Ghana’s coast hosts a vital underground fungal hotspot - yet this coast erodes by two meters each year. If left unprotected, this fungal diversity could vanish into the sea.



“Underground fungal systems have been largely invisible in law and policy,” said César Rodriguez-Garavito of NYU. “These data are incredibly important in strengthening law and policy across all of Earth's underground ecosystems.”



SPUN has built a global dataset of 40,000 samples covering 95,000 fungal taxa. The organization partners with more than 400 scientists and 96 “<a href="https://www.spun.earth/expeditions/underground-explorers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Underground Explorers</a>” from 79 countries. These teams now sample remote regions - from Bhutan and Mongolia to Ukraine.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-depends-on-these-networks">Future depends on these networks</h2>



Despite the achievements, scientists have sampled just 0.001% of Earth's surface. SPUN needs more data to improve maps, define restoration goals, and identify <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-fungi-species-are-threatened-with-extinction/">endangered</a> fungal communities. 



“These maps reveal what we stand to lose if we fail to protect the underground,” said Dr. Kiers.



To protect Earth’s underground biodiversity, collective action is essential. Researchers can partner with SPUN to expand data collection and improve the accuracy of fungal diversity maps. 



Conservationists should use these insights to design strategic interventions and prioritize high-value ecosystems. Policymakers need to recognize the critical role of underground fungi by including them in biodiversity and climate frameworks. 



The public can explore the <a href="https://www.spun.earth/underground-atlas/mycorrhizal-biodiversity" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Underground Atlas</a> to better understand this hidden world and support ongoing efforts. Funders play a key role by investing in the next phase of global fungal exploration and restoration.



To see the hidden world beneath your feet, visit the Underground Atlas and help protect the life that sustains ours.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09277-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Underground fungi networks that sustain all life on Earth are in danger

With over 2.8 billion fungal DNA sequences from 130 countries,...

A new discovery in the Grand Canyon is giving scientists a closer look at some of Earth’s earliest animals. This stunning find includes fossils of soft-bodied creatures from more than 500 million years ago. 



These aren’t just any fossils - they offer a rare glimpse into how early animals lived, fed, and evolved during a time of rapid biological change.



The fossils were found in rocks that date back to the Cambrian explosion. This period, between 507 and 502 million years ago, marks when many of the major animal groups first appeared.



Intense competition and evolutionary innovation marked this window in time. For the first time in this famous national park, scientists have found exceptionally preserved remains of soft-bodied animals, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mollusks-evolution-shishania-aculeata-spiny-armor-no-shells-500-million-years-ago/">mollusks</a>, crustaceans, and even fragments of their last meals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-microscopic-fossil-treasure">A microscopic fossil treasure</h2>



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cambridge</a> led the study. They collected rock samples during a 2023 expedition along the Colorado River in Arizona. 



"We collected a total of 29 samples of diverse shale lithologies, ranging from massive to fissile, gray to purple, and with various degrees of weathering and dolomitization," the team noted. 



The researchers brought the samples back to their lab, where they dissolved the rocks using hydrofluoric acid. After running the sediment through sieves, they uncovered thousands of tiny fossils.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/grand-canyon_fossil-treasure-trove_sea-creatures_500-million-years_credit-Mussini_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/grand-canyon_fossil-treasure-trove_sea-creatures_500-million-years_credit-Mussini_1s.webp" alt="A treasure trove of exceptionally preserved early animals from more than half a billion years ago has been discovered in the Grand Canyon, one of the natural world's most iconic sites. The rich fossil discovery – the first such find in the Grand Canyon – includes tiny rock-scraping mollusks, filter-feeding crustaceans, spiky-toothed worms, and even fragments of the food they likely ate. Credit: Mussini et al." class="wp-image-1979240"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A treasure trove of exceptionally preserved early animals from more than half a billion years ago has been discovered in the Grand Canyon, one of the natural world's most iconic sites. The rich fossil discovery – the first such find in the Grand Canyon – includes tiny rock-scraping mollusks, filter-feeding crustaceans, spiky-toothed worms, and even fragments of the food they likely ate. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Mussini et al.</figcaption></figure>



“These rare fossils give us a fuller picture of what life was like during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cambrian-explosion-fossils-push-back-the-rise-of-complex-life/">Cambrian</a> period,” said first author Giovanni Mussini, a Ph.D. student in Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences. 



“By combining these fossils with traces of their burrowing, walking, and feeding - which are found all over the Grand Canyon - we’re able to piece together an entire ancient ecosystem.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-animals-had-wild-ways-to-eat">Early animals had wild ways to eat</h2>



The level of preservation is remarkable. Although the fossils weren’t fully intact, the researchers were able to identify structures like spiky teeth, scraping tools, and feeding limbs. These features show how the creatures once lived.



Scientists usually see this kind of fossil preservation only in places like the Burgess Shale in Canada or China’s Maotianshan Shales.



Some of the most surprising finds were animals with complex feeding tools. "These were cutting-edge ‘technologies’ for their time, integrating multiple anatomical parts into high-powered feeding systems,” said Mussini.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/grand-canyon-fossils_priapulids-speies_Kraytdraco-spectatus_credit-Rhydian-Evans_1.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/grand-canyon-fossils_priapulids-speies_Kraytdraco-spectatus_credit-Rhydian-Evans_1s.webp" alt="A new species of priapulids, also known as penis or cactus worms, which were widespread during the Cambrian but are nearly extinct today. The Grand Canyon priapulid had hundreds of complex branching teeth, which helped it sweep food particles into its extensible mouth. Due to the size of the fossil and its exotic rows of teeth, the researchers named this new animal Kraytdraco spectatus, after the krayt dragon, a fictional creature from the Star Wars universe. Credit: Rhydian Evans" class="wp-image-1979242"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A new species of priapulids, also known as penis or cactus worms, which were widespread during the Cambrian but are nearly extinct today. The Grand Canyon priapulid had hundreds of complex branching teeth, which helped it sweep food particles into its extensible mouth. Due to the size of the fossil and its exotic rows of teeth, the researchers named this new animal Kraytdraco spectatus, after the krayt dragon, a fictional creature from the Star Wars universe. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Rhydian Evans</figcaption></figure>



Among the fossils were tiny crustaceans resembling modern brine shrimp. They had grooves around their mouths lined with hair-like structures and molar-like teeth that allowed them to grind food efficiently.



Tiny grooves and fossilized food particles near their mouths gave clues about what they were eating. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossils-reveal-feeding-variety">Fossils reveal feeding variety</h2>



The fossils also showed slug-like mollusks with chains of teeth similar to modern garden <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snails-defy-death-and-revive-through-evolution/">snails</a>. This suggests they scraped algae or bacteria from rocks.



A priapulid worm - commonly known as a cactus worm - stood out as the most unusual creature, with complex rows of branching teeth. 



The researchers named it Kraytdraco spectatus, inspired by the krayt dragon from the Star Wars universe.



“We can see from these fossils that Cambrian animals had a wide variety of feeding styles used to process their food, some which have modern counterparts,” said Mussini.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-perfect-conditions-to-evolve">Perfect conditions to evolve</h2>



Half a billion years ago, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grand-canyon-fossils-reveal-secrets-of-the-cambrian-explosion/">Grand Canyon</a> area was much closer to the equator. It was a place where shallow, oxygen-rich waters met just the right amount of sunlight and nutrients. 



This balance provided ideal conditions for early animals to evolve and experiment with new traits.



“Animals needed to keep ahead of the competition through complex, costly innovations, but the environment allowed them to do that,” said Mussini. “In a more resource-starved environment, animals can’t afford to make that sort of physiological investment."



"It’s got certain parallels with economics: invest and take risks in times of abundance; save and be conservative in times of scarcity." 



These fossils show that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-discovery-pushes-back-reptile-evolution-by-40-million-years/">early animals</a> weren’t just surviving - they were adapting, experimenting, and thriving.



Thanks to their preservation in the fine-grained rocks of the Grand Canyon, we now have a clearer image of an ancient ecosystem that helped shape the diversity of life we see today. 



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adv6383" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Grand Canyon was a 'Goldilocks zone' for evolution of the earliest animal life on Earth

A new discovery in the Grand Canyon is giving scientists...

The ocean is far from quiet at night - especially near coral reefs, where a steady crackle rolls through the water. A new study shows that this natural sound can help scientists judge whether reefs are bouncing back after heat stress.



Researchers <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241938" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a> that the clicks of small crustaceans known as snapping shrimp reveal how much living coral remains on the reef. The louder and higher-pitched the crackle, the healthier the coral cover is likely to be.



A team led by Xavier Raick from Cornell University’s K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/ccb/">lab</a> placed underwater recorders around Moorea, a volcanic island in French Polynesia.



The researchers compared acoustic data gathered before the severe coral bleaching episodes of 2016 and 2019 with recordings made two years after the second heatwave.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-listening-for-coral-recovery">Listening for coral recovery</h2>



Each snap from these shrimp is incredibly loud, and when many of them are together, their clicking becomes the main sound heard on the reef at night. 



Because sound travels farther than light underwater, the team could “hear” reef structure long after dusk had forced divers back to shore.



“The high frequency sounds, mainly during the night, of snapping shrimp can be used as a real indicator of coral resilience,” said Raick. 



His group analyzed thousands of five-minute audio clips with specialized software, looking for peaks in the nightly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sea-shrimp-evolved-an-extraordinary-skill-that-lets-them-see-in-the-dark/">shrimp</a> chorus.



Sites inside <a href="https://marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine protected areas</a> produced stronger high-frequency crackle after bleaching than nearby unprotected reefs. That pattern matched diver surveys showing more surviving coral colonies within protected boundaries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shrimp-sounds-and-coral-health">Shrimp sounds and coral health</h2>



Snapping shrimp live in crevices formed by large coral heads, and their numbers increase as three-dimensional habitat grows. 



Earlier <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0135733" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> in Moorea found that habitats rich in branching Acropora corals had the loudest high-frequency sound signatures.



When warm water kills coral tissue, those hideouts erode, and shrimp populations decline within months. The resulting dip in acoustic energy gives scientists a rapid, noninvasive way to track losses that might otherwise require dozens of daylight dives.



Reef sound also matters to the next generation of organisms. Experiments have shown that free-swimming coral larvae steer toward recordings of healthy reefs, choosing them over silent or degraded habitats.



If the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrimp-homing-smell-chemicals-their-navigate-underwater/">shrimp</a> chorus fades, fewer larvae may settle, slowing recovery and locking reefs into a downward spiral. That feedback makes acoustic monitoring a practical early-warning system for managers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quiet-reefs-signal-damage">Quiet reefs signal damage</h2>



Raick’s team focused on hours when human observers rarely work. At night, visibility drops, but the shrimp chorus grows, offering a clean signal free from boat traffic and diver bubbles.



Two years after the bleaching, protected reefs on Moorea still had stronger, higher-pitched shrimp sounds, while unprotected reefs had weaker, lower-pitched ones. 



This suggests there were fewer or smaller shrimp in the damaged areas.



Protection status mattered even though the bleaching heat stress hit the whole island. Global analyses show that well-enforced marine protected areas with at least five key design features can increase <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrimp-proven-to-be-a-nutritional-treasure-packed-with-antioxidants/">fish</a> biomass eight-fold compared with lightly regulated zones.



By giving corals a break from anchor damage and overfishing, MPAs may preserve the structural complexity shrimp need, allowing reefs to rebound faster after thermal events.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-low-cost-reef-monitoring-tool">Low-cost reef monitoring tool</h2>



Traditional reef assessments rely on scuba teams that sample a few quadrats during daylight, leaving vast areas and all nighttime hours unobserved. 



Passive acoustic monitoring runs recorders continuously for weeks at a fraction of the cost of repeated dive campaigns.



A single hydrophone package can log more than 100 days of data on one set of batteries, and the hardware fits in airline luggage. Analysis pipelines, once limited to specialists, now use open-source algorithms that flag shrimp snaps in minutes.



Nighttime audio also bypasses shallow-water hazards such as currents and low visibility that can limit diver safety. 



Managers get a continuous record that reflects both biological change and illegal activity like dynamite fishing, which shows up as low-frequency blasts.



For Caribbean reserves already stretched thin, deploying acoustic recorders during the warmest months could reveal early bleaching impacts, long before divers notice paling colonies or dead fish.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shrimp-chorus-offers-hope">Shrimp chorus offers hope</h2>



Listening alone will not stop coral decline. Average intervals between mass bleaching events worldwide have shrunk from once every 27 years in the 1980s to less than six years today.



Climate-driven heat remains the root cause, and no amount of acoustic monitoring can compensate for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-will-cut-world-gdp-by-a-staggering-40-percent-if-nothing-changes/">rising temperatures</a>. Yet a cheap sensor that tracks resilience can guide triage, steering limited restoration funds to reefs that still crackle at night.



“It’s a story on one island and needs to be repeated in other parts of the world,” noted Raick. He wants to expand the approach beyond Moorea. 



Future work will test whether regional shrimp species differ in acoustic signatures and whether artificial soundscapes could lure coral larvae back to damaged reefs.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241938">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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How shrimp sounds can diagnose the health of coral reefs

The ocean is far from quiet at night - especially...

Millipedes rarely make headlines. Their many legs and secretive lifestyles keep them in the background. Yet a closer look reveals something extraordinary. These ancient arthropods produce chemical compounds that may lead to new therapies for neurological disorders and pain relief.



Emily Mevers and her team from <a href="https://www.vt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Virginia Tech</a> recently isolated new molecules from the secretions of Andrognathus corticarius. This millipede species was discovered on campus in Stadium Woods.



The new molecules include two rare classes of alkaloids - andrognathanols and andrognathines. The findings demonstrate how millipede compounds may help with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pain-relief-breakthrough-as-scientists-discover-a-safer-non-addictive-approach-trpv1/">pain</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rare-compounds-found-in-millipedes">Rare compounds found in millipedes</h2>



Millipede chemistry belongs to a narrow lineage. Only species from the subterclass Colobognatha produce terpenoid alkaloids. This group includes four species-rich orders. Among them, Platydesmida stands out for its structural diversity.



Earlier research focused on just one order, Polyzoniida. But more recent studies revealed that Platydesmida millipedes produce a much wider variety of complex alkaloids. Some of these compounds are structurally unique in the animal kingdom.



Andrognathines&nbsp;have a chemical structure made of two connected rings. One ring has five atoms, and the other has six. Together, this makes a "5,6-heterocyclic core." Attached to this core are small chemical groups called&nbsp;ester side chains, which help the molecule interact with other substances.



Andrognathanols&nbsp;are even more complex. Their core structure connects four rings in a pattern labeled&nbsp;6,6,6,5&nbsp;(based on the number of atoms in each ring). What makes them special is that they contain&nbsp;seven continuous stereogenic centers. 



That means there are seven spots in a row where the 3D shape of the molecule can flip, making it highly detailed and difficult to recreate in the lab.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-millipede-chemicals-may-target-pain">Millipede chemicals may target pain</h2>



Each compound was carefully analyzed using high-resolution liquid chromatography and NMR techniques. The scientists noted key mass fragments that indicated differences between andrognathines and other millipede alkaloids.



These compounds form part of the millipede's defense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-drugs-target-zombie-cells-to-relieve-back-pain/">strategy</a>. When disturbed, the animal releases the secretions through ozopores on its sides. The alkaloids affect ant behavior, causing them to freeze or slow down. This is a likely defense tactic.



But that is not all. Some andrognathanols showed structural similarities to pumiliotoxins. These molecules are known to act on sodium channels in nerve cells. That similarity raised hopes for possible biomedical uses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-millipede-secretions-change-ant-behavior">Millipede secretions change ant behavior</h2>



The researchers tested the secretions' effects on ants (Aphaenogaster sp.), a predator often found near these millipedes. During controlled assays, ants exposed to these compounds exhibited prolonged freezing behavior compared to control groups.



The compounds did not significantly change how long ants stayed near the chemical source. But their altered movement hinted at neural interference, possibly through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tapping-into-the-pain-relief-potential-of-cannabis-without-the-high/">receptor</a> modulation.



Every mature&nbsp;A. corticarius&nbsp;millipede secretes these alkaloids in large amounts. Their secretion quantity correlates with body size and the number of ozopores. These are small glands that release the compounds when the millipede is threatened.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-millipede-compounds-target-pain">Some millipede compounds target pain</h2>



The findings are hopeful because of the Sigma-1 receptor. This receptor helps regulate pain and neuroplasticity. It is also linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and neuropathic pain.



Previous research found that similar compounds from another millipede,&nbsp;Ischnocybe plicata, potently bind to Sigma-1. That work sparked interest in millipede alkaloids as potential drug candidates.



Mevers’ team tested two andrognathines and three andrognathanols. Compound 1 showed mild binding to Sigma-1, with some selectivity over Sigma-2. Others showed less activity. But their unique structures and neuroactive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-women-experience-more-chronic-pain-than-men/">effects</a> still make them promising.



“These compounds are quite complex, so they're going to take some time to synthesize in the lab,” said Mevers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-millipedes-and-future-pain-drugs">Millipedes and future pain drugs</h2>



The path from chemical discovery to drug approval is long. First, scientists must replicate the molecules in the lab. Then they can test their effects on human cells and animal models. 



Eventually, these efforts may lead to treatments for chronic pain or neurodegenerative diseases.



Millipedes, with their fossil record stretching back to the Cretaceous, may soon help modern medicine. Their secretions are not just defense tools. They are blueprints for the next generation of drugs.



The study is published in the <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.5c08079" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of the American Chemical Society</a>. 



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Millipede chemicals may unlock a new generation of drugs

Millipedes rarely make headlines. Their many legs and secretive lifestyles...

What dinosaurs ate has long fascinated scientists. Now, fossilized teeth tell the story in surprising detail. By analyzing chemical traces in tooth enamel, researchers have uncovered distinct diets among Late Jurassic dinosaurs.



A study from The University of Texas at Austin shows that different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossilized-guts-reveal-the-eating-habits-of-sauropod-dinosaurs/">species</a> did not just live side by side. They also had unique food preferences. These eating habits helped them thrive together without competing for the same plants.



Calcium isotopes in enamel carry chemical fingerprints from ancient meals. Different plants, and even plant parts like bark or buds, leave different traces. This evidence reveals which dinosaurs ate what and how their diets shaped their ecosystem.



“The idea is that they were all eating different things, and now we have found proof of that,” said study lead author Liam Norris, a recent doctoral graduate from UT’s <a href="https://www.jsg.utexas.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jackson School of Geosciences</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-dinosaurs-lived-together">How dinosaurs lived together</h2>



Norris studied fossils from a single deposit at Carnegie Quarry in northeast Utah. This site, rich with bones from herbivorous and carnivorous species, likely formed during an intense drought. Its rapid fossil preservation made it ideal for comparing diets across <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossilized-poop-reveals-the-diet-of-dinosaurs-200-million-years-ago/">species</a> living at the same time and place.



The herbivores in the study included Camarasaurus, Camptosaurus, and Diplodocus. Carnivores included the Allosaurus and the croc-like Eutretauranosuchus. 



Norris collected enamel samples from 17 individual animals, either accessed in the field or loaned by local museums. At the Jackson School, he conducted isotope analysis with support from co-authors John Lassiter and Aaron Satkoski.



Professor Rowan Martindale called the site “a unique paleontological gem.” The research deepens our understanding of ancient ecosystems and dietary preferences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-eating-dinosaurs-had-different-diets">Plant-eating dinosaurs had different diets</h2>



Earlier theories assumed large herbivores ate from different vertical zones of the forest canopy. But Norris found that diet separation was more nuanced. For example, Camptosaurus favored soft, nutritious plant parts like leaves and buds. 



Camarasaurus preferred conifers and tougher, woody plant tissues. Diplodocus had a more varied menu of low-lying ferns, horsetails, and coarse materials.



“This differentiation in diet makes sense with what we see from the morphology of these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jaw-fossil-reveals-fruit-eating-mammal-from-the-dinosaur-age/">animals</a>: the different height, the different snout shape. Then, we bring in this geochemical data, which is a very concrete piece of evidence to add to that pot,” said Norris.



These findings support the idea that long-necked dinosaurs had flexible necks allowing them to reach different plant levels. Instead of competing, they targeted specific vegetation patches suited to their anatomy and energy needs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diet-choices-of-carnivore-dinosaurs">Diet choices of carnivore dinosaurs</h2>



The two carnivores in the study, Allosaurus and Eutretauranosuchus, showed overlapping isotope values, suggesting some dietary similarities. But subtle differences hinted at distinct prey choices and ecological roles. 



Allosaurus, a large bipedal predator, likely hunted herbivorous dinosaurs, including Camptosaurus and other smaller or juvenile plant-eaters within the same region. Its size, jaw structure, and teeth suggest active predation or scavenging of large-bodied prey.



Eutretauranosuchus, in contrast, was smaller and more crocodile-like. Its isotope signature indicates it may have consumed fish or small terrestrial vertebrates, likely along rivers or shallow wetlands. 



The hunting strategy and habitat of Eutretauranosuchus likely differed greatly from the Allosaurus, reducing competition between the two carnivores despite their coexistence.



These dietary contrasts reflect ecological separation shaped by behavior, anatomy, and environment. Such distinctions help reconstruct predator-prey dynamics within this Jurassic ecosystem. 



The overlapping yet diversified food chain reveals how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mammals-have-evolved-to-eat-ants-and-termites-12-different-times-since-the-dinosaurs/">balance</a> existed even during environmental stress, such as the severe drought that led to the rapid fossil preservation at Carnegie Quarry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-many-dinosaurs-shared-one-ecosystem">Many dinosaurs shared one ecosystem</h2>



The fact that so many massive animals thrived together points to a lush, productive ecosystem teeming with plant life. Their dietary specialization hints at a world where resource use was efficient and competition was minimal.



“It’s really just more proof that this ecosystem was as spectacular as we thought it was,” Norris said.



The study offers not just a clearer view of dinosaur life and diet but also a method for understanding other prehistoric ecosystems through geochemistry. 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018225003888?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology</a>.



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Jurassic dinosaurs had specialized diets to coexist peacefully

What dinosaurs ate has long fascinated scientists. Now, fossilized teeth...

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are showing real impact, not just promises. A large-scale global study proves that strong legal bans on industrial fishing in fully and highly protected MPAs are effective. 



Despite perceptions that poaching is common due to weak enforcement, the evidence now shows otherwise.



Researchers examined 1,380 MPAs that prohibit industrial fishing. Across these areas, the average presence of vessels was one per 20,000 square kilometers during satellite flyovers. That is nine times less than in unprotected zones. 



This gap highlights the strength of legal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pharmaceutical-pollution-changes-the-behavior-of-atlantic-salmon/">protection</a> when backed by data and technology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellites-reveal-hidden-fishing-boats">Satellites reveal hidden fishing boats</h2>



The study combined data from Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). AIS provides signals from vessels, while SAR detects ships even when they try to stay hidden. 



Machine learning models processed five billion AIS signals and thousands of SAR images.



SAR revealed vessels in MPAs where AIS showed nothing, especially in Southeast Asia. It also confirmed the absence of industrial fishing in 91 MPAs. This shows that SAR fills AIS blind spots and adds accuracy. 



In many cases, even MPAs with detected vessels had <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/corals-are-absorbing-human-drugs-and-not-just-in-shallow-water/">fishing</a> on fewer than 3% of imaged days.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-areas-had-minimal-fishing">Most areas had minimal fishing </h2>



The bulk of fishing effort came from a few well-known MPAs. The Chagos Archipelago saw around 2,700 hours of fishing annually. 



South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park each had around 900 hours per year.



Other sites like Camargue in France, Cape Canyon in South Africa, and Marado Island in Korea recorded 275 to 450 hours. 



However, most MPAs showed no or minimal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-rivers-are-highly-saturated-with-human-antibiotics-helping-bacteria-develop-resistance/">activity</a>. About 78.5% of them recorded less than one day of fishing per year, and over 1,000 had no detected activity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fishing-is-no-longer-unchecked">Fishing is no longer unchecked </h2>



To compare differently sized MPAs, researchers used fishing effort per 100 square kilometers. 



The highest density was in Marado Island at 18 hours per day per 100 square kilometers. Yet the global average across all MPAs was only 0.0004 hours per day. That is nearly negligible.



Some of the high-effort areas are small, so even a few vessels skew the density. For instance, Korean MPAs with only 2 km² imaged showed high density, but just 6 to 18 total vessels were detected. 



These findings help correct public perceptions that industrial fishing remains unchecked.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-fishing-zones-are-quiet">Most fishing zones are quiet</h2>



The analysis builds confidence in MPA protections. The radar detected no vessels in 25% of MPAs. 



In those with activity, vessels appeared on just 3% of imaging days. Also, SAR found vessels in 163 MPAs where AIS showed nothing, proving its critical role.



“The ocean is no longer too big to watch. With cutting-edge satellites and AI, we’re making illegal fishing visible and proving that strong marine protections work,” said Juan Mayorga, co-author and scientist at <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/our-programs/pristine-seas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pristine Seas</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-marine-protected-areas-seem-weak">Why marine protected areas seem weak</h2>



Many still believe MPAs are just legal statements on paper. That view stems from two issues: weak regulations and poor enforcement. 



Some MPAs legally allow industrial fishing or only exist as designations with no real action. Others are difficult to patrol.



But this new research solves an old puzzle. It focuses only on MPAs with the strictest bans and uses implementation dates, not just legal designations. This avoids errors where fishing occurred before rules took effect. 



The study also reduces confusion caused by phaseout periods, such as the five-year gap in Palau’s marine sanctuary.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-fishing-slips-into-protected-zones">Some fishing slips into protected zones</h2>



While protections work, they are not perfect. Some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-reef-awareness-day-2025-bringing-corals-back-to-life/">activity</a> may reflect legal exceptions or data errors. For example, certain fleets had sunset provisions allowing temporary fishing. 



Small-scale fishing, often legal, can also affect ecosystems but remains mostly invisible to SAR if vessels are under 15 meters long.



“Because strictly protected marine areas discourage illegal fishing, fishes are far more abundant within their boundaries, they produce many more babies, and help replenish surrounding areas,” said Enric Sala, co-author and founder of Pristine Seas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-results-may-not-apply-everywhere">Results may not apply everywhere</h2>



One key question remains: Are MPAs truly reducing fishing, or were they placed in low-activity zones? The paper suggests both might be true. 



Of the few MPAs with pre- and post-implementation data, most already had low fishing. Yet Palau showed a dramatic drop from 51,000 hours to just 215 hours annually after full protection. That suggests strong rules can reduce fishing pressure even in active areas. 



Future MPA planning should consider whether protections are going where demand to fish is already low. Otherwise, the results may not scale as hoped.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-marine-protected-areas-work">Marine protected areas work</h2>



The study proposes a scalable way to monitor oceans. Integrating real-time satellite detections with AI models offers an efficient, low-cost solution. 



The research supports the idea that MPA enforcement creates deterrence. The more likely vessels are to be caught, the less likely they are to fish illegally.



“By using satellites to track fishing vessels, countries can predict the locations of illegal activities and target patrol efforts, saving both manpower and money,” said Jennifer Raynor, lead author from the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt9009" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Are marine protected areas working? Satellites reveal the truth

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are showing real impact, not just...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



<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...

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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

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

<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;



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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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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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