Sometimes discoveries take centuries. In South Wales, a fossil jawbone collected in 1899 has finally revealed its secret. It sat quietly for more than a hundred years in the National Museum of Wales. Researchers wrote about it, but no one could say for sure what creature it came from.



Now, using modern technology, paleontologists at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a> have identified it as a new dinosaur species. They have given it a new name too: Newtonsaurus, honoring the man who first described it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-newtonsaurus-a-distinctive-name">Newtonsaurus: A distinctive name </h2>



The fossil itself contains no bone. What remains are natural molds pressed into stone. At first glance, this seems disappointing. 



But those impressions preserved details invisible to the naked eye. With 3D scanning, the team brought the jawbone back to life in digital form.



“This specimen has been referred to many times in scientific papers but had yet to be successfully identified,” said study co-author Owain Evans. “It was named Zanclodon cambrensis by Edwin Tully Newton in 1899, but we knew the name Zanclodon had been abandoned because it referred to a broad variety of early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reptile-ancestors-appeared-40-million-years-earlier-than-we-thought/">reptiles</a>.”



“Therefore, we name it after Newton, calling it Newtonsaurus. It is different from all other dinosaurs from that time and requires a distinctive name.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossil-rebuilt-through-3d-scans">Fossil rebuilt through 3D scans</h2>



Creating the digital model required patience. The team photographed every angle of the molds, then combined the images into a 3D shape. 



By flipping the data, they produced a negative of the impressions, which gave them a digital version of the original jawbone.



“The natural molds of the inner and outer faces of the jawbone show amazing detail - every groove, ridge, tooth, and even the serrations along the edges of the teeth,” said Michael Benton, professor of vertebrate paleontology at the University of Bristol.



“We decided to use digital photography to make a 3D model. We began by surface scanning the fossil using photogrammetry. Once we had our digital scan, we inverted it - essentially giving us a digital negative of the mold.”



By fusing the sides and analyzing its anatomy, the digital reconstruction revealed a clearer picture of the bone’s original structure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-predatory-flesh-eating-dinosaur">A predatory, flesh-eating dinosaur</h2>



Once reconstructed, the fossil’s features stood out clearly. The placement of the teeth and the jaw shape confirmed it belonged to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-footprints-reveal-a-dinosaur-that-changed-pace-while-walking/">theropod</a>. These were meat-eating dinosaurs, ancestors of later giants like Tyrannosaurus rex. 



The discovery proved that large predators prowled the Welsh coastline during the Triassic period.



“We can now confirm that this specimen very likely belonged to a large predatory theropod dinosaur that roamed the shores of South Wales during the latest Triassic,” said Evans.



“It has some definite unique dinosaur features in the emplacement of the teeth, and it is a theropod - a predatory, flesh-eating dinosaur. Otherwise, it sits near the origins of both major divisions of Theropoda, the Coelophysoidea and the Averostra.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-newtonsaurus-was-unusually-large">Newtonsaurus was unusually large</h2>



The<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-fish-bones-reveal-clues-about-the-evolution-of-eating/"> jawbone</a> alone measured 28 centimeters (11 inches). But this was only the front half. The full bone stretched around 60 centimeters (24 inches).



That means the dinosaur’s body reached five to seven meters (16 to 23 feet) in length. For the Triassic, this was huge. Most theropods of the time were much smaller.



The preserved 28 cm (11 in) jawbone, once 60 cm (24 in) in life, reveals a large Triassic theropod - unexpectedly large for its kind.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Newtonsaurus_new-dinosaur-species_jawbone-fossil_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Newtonsaurus_new-dinosaur-species_jawbone-fossil_1s.webp" alt="Using modern digital scanning techniques the researchers were able to shed new light on the fossil jawbone, which has been known since 1899 and been on display in the National Museum of Wales for many years. Credit: Owain Evans" class="wp-image-1985985"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Using modern digital scanning techniques the researchers were able to shed new light on the fossil jawbone, which has been known since 1899 and been on display in the National Museum of Wales for many years. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Owain Evans</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discovery-adds-to-welsh-prehistory">Discovery adds to Welsh prehistory</h2>



For paleontologists, the discovery proves that museum collections still hold secrets. For Wales, it adds another important piece to its prehistoric record. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/triassic-fossils-shed-new-light-on-ancient-ecosystems/">Triassic</a> beds of the region are rare and globally significant.



“These historical specimens are vitally important in paleontology and often yield new and exciting results - even if they have been sitting in collections for years. The Victorians were fascinated by the fossil record and prospected all across the UK for fossils,” said Cindy Howells at the <a href="https://museum.wales/cardiff/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Museum of Wales</a>.



“On top of this, the re-description of Newtonsaurus cambrensis once again highlights the significance of Wales in paleontological research."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wales-may-reveal-more-dinosaurs">Wales may reveal more dinosaurs</h2>



Triassic beds are rare worldwide, yet Wales holds several of them - each with the potential to reveal another hidden dinosaur.



Newtonsaurus is more than a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-rising-mountains-give-birth-to-new-species/">new species</a>. It proves that even old fossils can still surprise us, and that modern tools can finally solve questions that lingered for generations.



The find also reminds us that the cliffs and quarries of Wales may still conceal more giants waiting to emerge.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016787825000513?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the Geologists Association</a>.



Image Credit: Owain Evans



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Newtonsaurus: Forgotten dinosaur fossil reveals a giant Triassic predator

Sometimes discoveries take centuries. In South Wales, a fossil jawbone collected in 1899 has finally revealed its secret. It sat quietly for more than a hundred years in the National Museum of Wales. Researchers wrote about it, but no one could say for sure what creature it came from. Now, using modern technology, paleontologists at the University of Bristol have identified it as a new dinosaur species. They have given it a new name too: Newtonsaurus, honoring the man who first described it. Newtonsaurus: A distinctive name...

According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.unh.edu/">University of New Hampshire</a>, 14 wild bee species in New England are currently in trouble. 

Writing in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/17524598">Insects and Conservation Diversity</a>, the authors of the study share that some of the affected species, the majority of which are mining and leafcutter ground-nesting bees, are on the decline by as much as 90%. 

“We know that wild bees are greatly at risk and not doing well worldwide,” said senior author Sandra Rehan, assistant professor of biological sciences. “This status assessment of wild bees shines a light on the exact species in decline, beside the well-documented bumble bees.”

She continued, “Because these species are major players in crop pollination, it raises concerns about compromising the production of key crops and the food supply in general.”

The nationwide decline of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pesticide-bees-harmful/">bee populations</a> has been observed for the past decade. Scientists blame the dwindling numbers on climate change, insecticides, parasites, disease, and a lack of  diversity in the bees’ food supply. The overall population drop is highly concerning due to the fact that bees are critical pollinators for wild and domestic plant species, including plants that make up a third of the human diet.

Bee expert Jeff Lozier, from the <a href="https://www.ua.edu/">University of Alabama</a>, who did not take part in the UNH study, called the findings “interesting,” however he noted that the research should expand outside of New Hampshire to better round out the results.

“The most important use of the data in my view is in providing a baseline set of hypotheses for groups of species that are potentially declining or stable across a much greater set of species than is usually examined, which can then be investigated in more detail to determine why they may be changing,' Lozier told the <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">AP</a>. “This study doesn't really determine the why quite yet, but gives us a reference point for further study.”

And this is exactly what Rehan wanted to do: inspire other researchers to take up the charge and look into rarely studied bee species in their neck of the woods. Furthermore, Rehan added that, although her team’s research could not pinpoint the cause of decline in these 14 bee species, they hypothesize that climate change is the main contributor.

Being forced to travel north due to warming temperatures, the bees are faced with a lack of food supply at higher elevations. “They have nowhere else to go. That is the biggest concern,” Rehan said.

She did say, however, that another eight species the team studied are actually increasing in number, which means all hope is not lost. 

“It's not so hopeless,” Rehan added. “There are some bees still faring well. We still have to do better by the bees but some bees are doing OK.”

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

More than a dozen wild bee species are on the decline

According to a new study from the University of New...

42,000-year-old horse still contains liquid blood and urine. As <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-clone-42000-year-old-horse/">we reported</a>, researchers looking for mammoth tusks in Russia uncovered a 42,000-year-old frozen foal carcass. But now, researchers have confirmed that the specimen still contains liquid blood and urine. The foal was unearthed from the permafrost in Siberia's Batagaika crater, located in the region of Verkhoyansk, in 2018.

“An autopsy showed the foal carcass was extremely well-preserved, the body even without deformation," Semyon Grigoriev, director of the Mammoth Museum at <a href="https://www.s-vfu.ru/en/">Northeastern Federal University (NEFU) in Yakutsk</a>, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/18/europe/prehistoric-foal-liquid-blood-urine-trnd-scli-scn-intl/index.html">told CNN</a>. "The hair cover also preserved most parts of the carcass, especially at the head and legs."

Scientists believe the foal was only about two weeks old when it died, likely from drowning in mud during the Pleistocene epoch, which spanned from about 2.6 million years ago to about 11,700 years ago.

It’s rare to see such perfectly preserved fur, Grigoriev told CNN. “Now we can say what color was the wool of the extinct horses of the Pleistocene era," he said.42,000-year-old horse still contains liquid blood and urine 

However, it’s the liquid blood and urine that raised eyebrows within the science community. According to Grigoriev, there is only one other instance where liquid blood was found in a prehistoric animal carcass — an adult mammoth, which Grigoriev and his team found off the coast of Russia in 2013.

“As a rule,” Grigoriev explained, “the blood coagulates or even turns to powder in the ancient remains of animals of the ice age, even if the carcass is preserved seems to be well. This is due to mummification when moisture and other biological fluids gradually evaporate over thousands of years, even if the remains are in the permafrost. The remains are preserved best if they are in the ice, as it was with our mammoth."

Grigoriev added that scientists extracted the foal’s bodily fluids for potential cloning purposes. Specialists from NEFU are working with South Korea’s ethically controversial <a href="http://en.sooam.com/dogcn/sub01.html">Sooam Biotech Research Foundation</a> (the same foundation that faked the cloning of a human embryonic stem cell in 2004) to extract cells from the foal, however Grigoriev says the chances they’ll be able to produce a clone are slim.

"I think that even the unique preservation [of] blood is absolutely hopeless for cloning purposes since the main blood cells — the red blood cells or erythrocytes — do not have nuclei with DNA," Grigoriev told CNN. "We [are] trying to find intact cells in muscle tissue and internal organs that are also very well-preserved."

In 2020, the ancient foal will be on display in Japan as part of The Mammoth exhibition.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Michil Yakolev/The Siberian Times

42,000-year-old horse still contains liquid blood and urine

42,000-year-old horse still contains liquid blood and urine. As we...

A quick glance at the headlines and it sounds like something only Mary Shelley could think up, but researchers from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> successfully restored some cellular activity in a decapitated pig's brain four hours after its death. 

Full consciousness was not restored, nor was that the intent of the experiment. 

Yale researchers that specialize in brain evolution and brain development noticed that brain tissue samples showed regular showed signs of cellular viability even the tissue was harvested hours after a specimen died.

Expanding on this work, Nenad Sestan, a professor of neuroscience, and a team of colleagues tested potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sounds-incite-fear-brain/">cell activity</a> after death in an intact pig brain. 

The researchers detailed their methods in a new study published in the journal Nature. 

The team attached a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/long-necked-reptiles-tanystropheus-were-easily-decapitated-by-dinosaur-predators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decapitated</a> pig’s brain taken from a meatpacking plant to a series of tubes that pumped the brain with a circulating chemical solution of specially designed fluid meant to mimic natural blood flow. 

The solution was developed to preserve brain tissue and help nudge cells back to life. The researchers used a system called BrainEx to circulate the solution through the brain. 

Not only were cells preserved, but cellular activity in some parts of the brain were thoroughly restored. 

“The intact brain of a large mammal retains a previously underappreciated capacity for restoration of circulation and certain molecular and cellular activities multiple hours after circulatory arrest,” said Sestan. 

Cell death in the brain is thought to be irreversible and occurs minutes after oxygen and blood flow to the brain stops, but this study shows that it is possible to bring some activity back online in a way.

Having a method to study cell activity in the brain after death or after injury could help researchers examine neural connectivity and even potentially pave the way for new treatments for stroke patients and people who suffer brain injuries. 

“Previously, we have only been able to study cells in the large mammalian brain under static or largely two-dimensional conditions utilizing small tissue samples outside of their native environment,” said Stefano G. Daniele, a co-first author of the study. “For the first time, we are able to investigate the large brain in three dimensions, which increases our ability to study complex cellular interactions and connectivity.” 

The solution so far is designed for pig’s brains, and so it may not apply to the human mind, according to the researchers. But if the work expands to cell viability in the human brain, the researchers say that studies should be conducted under strict ethical oversight. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pig brain shows signs of life hours after decapitation

A quick glance at the headlines and it sounds like...

Social media has been having fun with trend of ‘Florida Man…’ stories, which are less about any one person and are more of a narrative element.  “Florida man…” typically refers to a true news story about a man in Florida that seems to embody the same bizarre elements. It’s somewhat of a harsh Florida stereotype, but there certainly are plenty of real life examples.

A perfect example of a Florida Man story is the case of Joshua James who was charged with assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill in 2016 after he threw a live alligator through the drive up window of a Wendy’s, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/10/man-charged-with-using-alligator-as-dangerous-weapon-at-wendys-drive-thru">The Guardian</a>.  Many of the Florida Man stories involve alligators, actually.  It seems that one of America’s largest and most dangerous reptiles imprinted a unique history in Florida.

Human interactions with the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/alligators-spatial-hearing-mammals/">American Alligator</a> (Alligator mississippiensis) of course date back before Europeans ever arrived in the Americas.  According to <a href="http://www.native-languages.org/legends-alligator.htm">Native-languages.org</a>, for many Native American groups, the alligator figured into mythology as something of an inept villain, easily outsmarted.  Other times, the alligator is viewed in a more favorable light. 

In a <a href="https://www.choctaw.org/culture/pdf/Alligator%20and%20the%20Hunter%202fold.pdf">Choctaw myth</a>, a man is very unlucky in hunting.  In desperation, the man goes into the swamp, determined to not leave until he’s killed a deer or died himself.  After days without success, the man finds an alligator lying in a dry patch of sand that is a pool in the rainy season.  The man and alligator make an agreement that if the man carries the alligator to water, the alligator will tell him how to become a great hunter.  The alligator and man are both true to their word and the alligator in essence tells the man to limit his hunting, passing by younger deer and fawns and only hunting the older males and he will become the greatest hunter.  Such myths give a small insight into the pre-Columbian relationship of humans and alligators. But much of the recent history dealing with alligators is affected by European Americans. 

The history of alligator wrestling is entwined with the history of oppression of Native Americans in the Deep South.  The Seminole tribe of Florida refer to themselves as the ‘unconquered people’ because they are descendants of Native Americans that eluded capture by the US army.  The marshy, treacherous land of the Everglades gave the Creeks from Georgia and Alabama refuge from military forces. Eventually the Creek were joined by other tribes including the Yuchis, Yamasses, a few remnant people native to the Everglades, and runaway slaves.  From this melting pot of people came a new tribe called the Seminole. A series of conflicts with the US left the remaining Seminole hiding deeper in the Florida swamps with no contact with the US until trading posts opened up. 

The Seminole traded skins, including those of alligators, as well as crafts and other trade good with US settlers.  By 1880, as many as 50,000 alligator hides were shipped from Florida yearly. Some believe that catching alligators for their skins and for food is the origin of alligator wrestling.  According to the <a href="https://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-history/seminole-history/">Florida Department of State</a>, the Seminole have long worked hard to maintain independence, including financial independence.  Today, citrus farming and livestock have replaced trade in skins and crafts as the main revenue for the Seminole but tourism also plays a role, including alligator wrestling.

In her book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Enduring-Seminoles-Alligator-Wrestling-Ecotourism/dp/0813016339/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=1XF29PLE7FRX5&amp;keywords=the+enduring+seminoles&amp;qid=1555263690&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=The+enduring+semin%2Caps%2C185&amp;sr=8-1-fkmrnull">The Enduring Seminoles</a>, Patsy West writes that alligator wrestling started as a paying tourist attraction around 1919 with Henry Coppinger Jr, a white man who was the first known alligator wrestler.  Seminoles at Misa Isle wrestling alligators were filmed and the sport popularized by being shown in news reels at movie theaters across the country. Soon, Seminoles became synonymous with alligator wrestling and carnivals, road side shows, and other tourist attractions started hiring Seminole alligator wrestlers.  Before the arrival of Disney World, roadside attractions in Florida were plentiful. 

<a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/vvkznb/disney-may-rule-but-gator-wrestling-and-roadside-attractions-remain-in-florida-v24n3">Vice</a> reports that as far back as 1890, tourists to Florida were willing to pay a few cents to see captive alligators.  Hosts of roadside attractions were once the reality, tiny semi-professional shows sometimes featuring captive wildlife were common.  Disney World, Sea World, and Epcot Center worked together to push the small attractions out of the way. Fortunes changed in the Seminole Tribe as well.  

The <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-sep-12-mn-19709-story.html">L.A. Times</a> reported in September of 2000 on the changes coming to alligator wrestling.  It was in 2000 that for the first time, the Seminole Tribe relied on newspaper ads to fill an alligator wrestling position.  Most of the applicants weren’t Seminoles. The work is risky. Kenny Cypress, then in his late 20s, was performing at the Miccosukee Tribe's cultural center when an alligator bit down on his head.  Cypress survived with the help of men that pulled the alligator off him, but he was injured. Seminole Chief James Billie lost a ring finger while wrestling an alligator. People have been known to lose limbs, despite experienced wrestlers claiming it can be done safely.  Fewer Seminoles are interested in such dangerous work, which starts at $8 per hour. 

Through Casinos, Bingo halls, The Hard Rock Café and other enterprises, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/">Forbes</a> estimates that the tribes net worth was $12 Billion in 2016.  That means that every member of the small Seminole tribe receives about $128,000 a year, an amount that only accumulates in a trust for those under 18 years old.  With numbers like these, it’s easy to see why outsiders are being increasingly hired for the low paying and dangerous job of alligator wrestling. 

Values have changed among the Seminole as well.  Education is promoted and more Seminole and young people from other southern tribes are interested in getting college degrees than in wrestling alligators.  The <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3387108/Florida-Indian-tribes-alligator-wrestler-bows-out.html">Daily Mail</a> reported in 2016 that Rocky Jim Jr. of the Miccosukee Tribe was retiring as the last Miccosukee alligator wrestler.  Pressure has been put on alligator wrestling by animal rights groups with concerns over the treatment of the animals as well.  Soon, alligator wrestling may disappear all together. 

If people stop wrestling alligators, the animals remain, roaming the swamps and dwelling in history and myth.

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Peter Etchells/Shutterstock

Alligator wrestling in Florida may soon become a thing of the past

Social media has been having fun with trend of ‘Florida...

If you look closely at a fruit fly, you’ll notice that they don’t exactly have a nose between their big, bug eyes. So how is it possible for them to use a sense of “smell” to detect where their next meal might be located? 

The answer is in the nanopores located on the cuticle covering sensilla, which are olfactory organs on the antennas of insects. A new study from the <a href="http://www.riken.jp/en/">RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research</a> (BDR) details how these nanopores allow <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fruit-flies-travel-miles/">fruit flies</a> to detect chemicals in the air, as well as the gene behind their development.

An insect’s ability to smell allows it to search for food, find mates, and generally react to the environment around it. The nanopores on the cuticle covering the sensilla are believed to work as filters, allowing odorant molecules to enter but keeping larger airborne particles out so the insect can avoid liquid loss. 

Through observing developing fruit fly pupa in detail using transmission electron microscopy, researchers found that the cuticular nanopores in fruit flies’ olfactory sensilla originate from a curved ultrathin film formed in the outermost envelope layer of the cuticle. This film is secreted from specialized protrusions in the plasma membrane of the hair-forming (trichogen) cell, and the envelope curvature coincides with plasma membrane undulations associated with structures within the cells.

[caption id="attachment_1871462" align="aligncenter" width="373"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sensilla.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1871462 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sensilla.jpg" alt="" width="373" height="444" /></a> Microscopic image of fruit fly sensilla. Image Credit: Riken[/caption]

Continuing further, the research team investigated the genetics behind the formation of pores using next-generation genome sequencing. This led to the discovery of a gene called gore-tex, which is responsible for the formation of the pores. 

The gene is a member of the gene family called Osiris, and encodes a protein that is needed for envelope curvature, nanopore formation, and odor receptivity. The Osiris gene family itself is only found in insect genomes, and other genes within this family are expressed in cuticle-secreting cells.

“Our study revealed the elements required for the development of nanopores to allow odor reception, and identified Osiris genes as a platform for investigating the evolution of surface nano-fabrication in insects,” says study leader Shigeo Hayashi. “We hope that studies like this will help us understand how nature builds these fascinating nanostructures that allow living creatures to acquire many specialized functions.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How does a fruit fly smell?

If you look closely at a fruit fly, you’ll notice...

22 million-year-old fossils that were tucked away in a drawer in the <a href="https://www.museums.or.ke/">National Museums of Kenya </a>once belonged to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-species-mongolian-dinosaur/">new species</a> of a giant mammal that was bigger than a polar bear.

The meat-eating mammal, dubbed Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, had a skull the size of a rhinoceros and large canine teeth. Fossils from Simbakubwa kutokaafrika were first unearthed in Kenya decades ago and stored away.

It wasn’t until paleontologists from <a href="https://www.ohio.edu/">Ohio University</a> recently rediscovered the fossils that it was realized that the bones belonged to an entirely new species of long-extinct giant carnivore.

“Opening a museum drawer, we saw a row of gigantic meat-eating teeth, clearly belonging to a species new to science,” said Mathew Borths, the lead author of a study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

The researchers called the species Simbakubwa kutokaafrika because simbakubwa is Swahili for “big lion,” which is fitting since the animal would have ruled the food chain much like Africa’s big cats today.

However, Simbakubwa kutokaafrika is not closely related to lions or other big cats but instead belonged to a group of extinct mammals called hyaenodonts.

Kutokaafrika translates to “coming from Africa” in Swahili because the species was the oldest species of gigantic hyaenodonts and likely originated in Africa before moving north and flourishing for millions of years.

45 million years after the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs, hyaenodonts became the first mammal carnivores in Africa.

A rapidly changing global ecosystem coincided with the extinction of hyaenodonts, but researchers are still unsure of what exactly caused the mammals to be wiped out.

The newly described fossil could help researchers uncover more clues to its past and eventual extinction which makes the discovery particularly noteworthy.

“This is a pivotal fossil, demonstrating the significance of museum collections for understanding evolutionary history,” said Nancy Stevens, a co-author of the study. “Simbakubwa is a window into a bygone era. As ecosystems shifted, a key predator disappeared, heralding Cenozoic faunal transitions that eventually led to the evolution of the modern African fauna.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Mauricio Anton

22 million-year-old fossils reveal new species of giant carnivore

22 million-year-old fossils that were tucked away in a drawer...

A shocking new study led by <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a> has found that 73 percent more sharks are caught in the southwest Indian Ocean than what is officially reported. Each year, the total number of sharks, rays, and other fish caught accidentally in the region is estimated to be 2.5 million.

The investigation was focused on small-scale fisheries operating from Kenya, Zanzibar, and Madagascar. The total annual catch, which was predominantly made up of requiem, hammerhead, ground, and hound sharks, totaled around 35,000 tons.

According to the study authors, the research highlights the substantial underreporting of catches by small scale fisheries and the urgent need to expand global efforts to assess the impact on vulnerable species.

“Small scale fisheries account for 95% of fishers globally and around 35% of the total catch and yet despite this, they have received very little attention,” said study lead author Andrew Temple. “The aim of the project was to start to understand the impact these small scale fisheries are having on the environment by recording a baseline of vulnerable megafauna, such as turtles, rays and sharks.”

“And what we found was a huge discrepancy between the numbers being declared and the actual number being caught - in excess of 2.5 million individual sharks and rays annually. This study clearly shows the impact of small scale fisheries on coastal, oceanic and even deepwater species.”

An estimated 40 percent of fish caught worldwide are snagged in lines and nets unintentionally, affecting vulnerable species such as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/marine-heat-waves-threaten-dolphins/">dolphins</a>, sharks, and seabirds. The bycatch is usually thrown back out to sea in large-scale commercial fishing. However,  small scale fisheries, such as those examined for the study, were found to often keep the non-target fish and sell them illegally. 

The researchers monitored fisheries in the South West Indian Ocean for 12 months. Overall, they identified 59 non-target species, including three sea turtles and one Dugong dugon, commonly known as a sea cow. Sharks and rays were found to be the most common by-product species.

“We looked at just one region of the world but it's likely that similar underreporting is happening in small scale fisheries globally - which means our 2,500,000 unreported sharks and rays only represent a small portion of the total global catch,” said study senior author Dr. Per Berggren.

“Reducing this figure is essential to protect life in the sea but also to safeguard the future sustainability of small scale fisheries and the communities whose livelihoods are dependent on them. This research is the first step towards doing that.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biological-conservation">Biological Conservation</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

2.5 million fish are unintentionally caught each year in the Indian Ocean

A shocking new study led by Newcastle University has found...

In the southern Gobi Desert in Mongolia, paleontologists recently unearthed a perfectly preserved complete dinosaur skeleton belonging to a new species closely related to hadrosaurs. 

The discovery is helping to fill in some evolutionary gaps when it comes to Mongolian dinosaurs during the Cretaceous Period.

Hadrosaurs are duck-billed herbivores that were widespread during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-flourishing-killed-off/">Late Cretaceous Period</a>, and little is known about how the family Hadrisauridae evolved.

[caption id="attachment_1871392" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/dinosaur.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1871392" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/dinosaur.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="704" /></a> Skeletal reconstructions of Gobihadros mongoliensis. Image Credit: Tsogtbaatar et al, 2019.[/caption]

A lack of complete fossils has made it difficult for researchers to piece together the early evolution and origins of the dinosaurs. 

Now, in a new study published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0208480">PLOS ONE</a>, researchers from the <a href="https://www.academy.ac.il/Index7/Entry.aspx?nodeId=864&amp;entryId=18902">Mongolian Academy of Science</a> have described the first non-hadrosaurid taxon from the Early Late Cretaceous. 

The new species, a close relative of hadrosaurs, is called Gobihadros mongoliensis. Several specimens, including a virtually complete and perfectly preserved skeleton, were included in the study. 

After analyzing the fossils, the researchers found that the species didn’t fit in the Hadrisauridae family but instead was a close relative.

The find marks the first known discovery of a complete skeleton in central Asia dating back to the Late Cretaceous.

The new species still leaves much of the early evolution of hadrosaurs a mystery, but the researchers have good reason to believe that hadrosaurs in the region did not directly evolve from Gobihadros mongoliensis, but rather that Asian hadrosaurs migrated from North America. 

Once the new species of hadrosaurs migrated into the region, Gobihadros mongoliensis and other earlier native hadrosaurs went extinct, but the researchers say that more fossil evidence is needed to confirm this theory. 

“The article describes, for the first time, extraordinary well-preserved fossil material of hadrosauroid dinosaur as a new genus and species from the early Late Cretaceous in Mongolia," the researchers write in their study. “We hope that it will be very useful material for further study of the evolution of hadrosauroids, iguanodintians and ornithopods as well.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New species of Mongolian dinosaur found in the Gobi Desert

In the southern Gobi Desert in Mongolia, paleontologists recently unearthed...

A study into one of the world’s oldest types of fish is giving experts new clues about how lobe-finned fishes and land animals evolved. The analysis of the coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae, is also answering questions about the skull and brain development of vertebrates.

The coelacanth was thought to have vanished with the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-flourishing-killed-off/">dinosaurs</a> over 65 million years ago, until a living specimen was found off the coast of South Africa in 1938. The discovery prompted debate about how this fish fits into our understanding of the evolution of land animals.

The skull of this rare fish was found to be completely split in half a by special “intracranial joint,” and its brain is only one percent the size of the skull. An international team of researchers led by Dr. Hugo Dutel at the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> has looked into the biology of this unique skull at different stages of development to determine when it divides and forms a hinge.

“We think that formation of this special joint is probably caused by the unique development of the notochord (a tube extending below the brain and the spinal cord in the early stages of life),” explained study co-author Professor John Long.

“It usually degenerates into a small rod below the brain in some fishes. However, the notochord for Coelacanth expands dramatically to become 50 times bigger than the brain in the adult fish.”

“This process of brain growth is very unusual, especially compared to primates like us in which the brain expands dramatically. A mismatch between the brain and its cavity also exists in some other living and fossil fishes, but what is observed here is totally unequalled among vertebrates.”


Today, the two species of coelacanth that remain are referred to as “living fossils” because they are physically unchanged. To visualize the internal anatomy of the fish, the scientists used advanced imaging techniques. The data was used to create detailed 3D models, which allowed the team to analyze how the shape of the skull, the brain. and the notochord changes from a fetus to an adult.

“Coelacanths are iconic animals thought to be on the line to the first land animals or tetrapods, because of their strange hinged head,” said Professor Long. “This new research shows the peculiar hinge in the skull was caused by persistence of the large cartilaginous rod, or notochord, preventing the skull form ossifying as one solid unit.”

The team noted how these structures are positioned relative to each other throughout development, and compared the observations to the formation of the skull in other vertebrates.


“There are still more questions than answers! Latimeria still holds many clues for our understanding of vertebrate evolution, and it is important to protect this threatened species and its environment,” said Dr. Hutel.


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Laurent Ballista, Gombessa expeditions, Andromede Oceanology Ltd

‘Living fossils’ reveal how skulls evolved in vertebrates

A study into one of the world’s oldest types of...

As our human-occupied areas extend further beyond their borders into lands once only occupied by nature, wildlife is being pushed together in higher concentrations – especially near the suburbs. According to a new study from <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a>, this is leading to carnivores like coyotes and bobcats to interact at a higher rate. 

This new research looked at how carnivores interact with each other when they’re sharing space in small suburban forest patches. The study was done with the aid of 557 volunteers and 1,260 remote cameras set up in suburban, exurban, rural, and wild areas – allowing the researchers to document 6,413 carnivores. The carnivore species documented in the study included bobcats, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/spread-coyotes-deer-numbers/">coyotes</a>, and both gray and red foxes.

“We found a lot of animal activity in the suburbs, but it was really concentrated in the remaining green space. We think carnivores are trying to avoid people, so they are moving through the strips of remaining forest, where they are more likely to interact with each other,” explains Arielle Parsons, lead author and researcher with the <a href="https://naturalsciences.org/">North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences</a>. “What we discovered was that preserving green space in our cities is important not only for humans but also for wildlife species. Green space provides cover, it provides food and it’s a good way for carnivores to navigate without being in any danger from people.”

Previously, some had theorized that smaller carnivores might stick closer to people in these situations, in order to use them as “human shields” from larger predators. But this study found the opposite effect. “We found, on the contrary, that gray foxes and coyotes especially – our smallest species and our largest species – actually tended to use the same sites,” says Parsons. “In other words, they didn’t avoid each other, which was pretty surprising.”

This finding is good news for those of us who would prefer to keep our distance from carnivores (our own dogs don’t count). Parsons explains, “Our study is showing that carnivores are trying to stay away from people by using forested areas. If we give them the opportunity to do that through preservation of green space and green space corridors through our urban areas, carnivores are going to continue to live nearby, which is actually a good thing for the ecology of our cities."

It turns out that the animal activity within these green strips closely mimics the methods by which we interact within our own urbanized and suburbanized communities. “Just like roadways and sidewalks focus human movement and increase the potential for interaction, we find the high use of strips of remaining green space by carnivores increases their level of interaction,” says study co-author Roland Kays, a zoologist with NC State and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. “This shows how urban planning can affect the ecology of animals that share cities with people.”

This study further emphasizes the need for careful planning involving the nature and wildlife around us when it comes to expanding our urban and suburban areas. In our quest for continued growth, we often forget that we share our space with other creatures as well.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Squeezed into smaller spaces, carnivores interact more often

As our human-occupied areas extend further beyond their borders into...

Seven new North Atlantic right whale calves have been spotted in Cape Cod Bay off the coast of Massachusetts this year. The sightings are good news for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales and a much hoped for improvement after no new calves were spotted last year. 

While the new calves are a step in the right direction, experts warn the population is far from fully recovering. 

This month, three pairs of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/critically-endangered-right-whale-spotted/">North Atlantic right whale</a> mothers and calves were spotted in the bay, and two of the most recent sightings are credited to an aerial survey team from the <a href="http://coastalstudies.org/">Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies</a>. 

Seven mothers and their calves were spotted by researchers from the <a href="https://myfwc.com/">Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation</a> over that past several months. 

One of the sightings proved for the first time that a whale tagged as whale #4180 was female when previously, the sex of #4180 was unknown. 

Currently, only 450 right whales are what remain from a dwindling species that was hunted to near extinction by whalers in the 1800s. 

Despite conservation efforts, the North Atlantic right whale continues to suffer from pollution, shipping collisions, and other human activities like fishing. 

One of the new mothers, #4180, has wounds on her back from getting caught up in fishing gear.

Researchers who spotted the calves warn that too much media coverage and hype surrounding the calves can lead to a false impression that the whales are recovering successfully, but this is not the case. 

For the population to be on track to recovery, around 17 new calves would have to be born per year. 

“The signs are better than they were last year or the year before, but we're not out of the woods yet,” Philip Hamilton, New England Aquarium research scientist, told <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/seven-north-atlantic-right-whale-calves-spotted-so-far-this-year-65561">The Scientist</a> last month. 

Besides a decline in overall calf births, there have also been 20 recorded right whale deaths since 2017. 

“We haven't even broken even on number of dead whales with new births, and that is what the last decade or so has been trending towards,” said Jen Jakush, a biologist from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “The population is definitely in decline.” 

It is currently projected that right whales will go extinct within the next two decades.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

New hope for North Atlantic right whales after 7 calves are spotted

Seven new North Atlantic right whale calves have been spotted...

The best places to observe wild bats in the United States. Of the flying animals, birds certainly get the most attention.  People set out food and housing for the feathered denizens of the sky.  Large non-profits and clubs are dedicated to watching birds for fun and to their conservation.  It seems that bird research, conservation, and management are - compared to work with other organisms- relatively well funded.  Bats, on the other hand, are the bad boys of the sky, skulking past the moon at night and connected to the literature and film of our darkest fears and desires.  

Bats do have a lot in common with birds, as both are a pleasure to view and both can be attracted into a yard if things are arranged to suit their needs.  When I was conducting hummingbird research in Ecuador, I noticed something. If I left hummingbird feeders out into the evening, bats would visit them for the artificial nectar.  Depending on location, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bat-friendly-tequila-species-recovery/#.XKEQ_RplChA">pollinator bats</a> visit the United States as well.  If you already have hummingbird feeders hanging outside on a warm summer night in the southwestern part of the US, it might be worth watching it for nocturnal visitors.  

According to the <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/bats.shtml">United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)</a>, two bats play an important role in pollinating the saguaro cactus and agave in the US.  The Lesser Long-nosed Bat (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuena) and the Mexican Long-tongued Bat (Choeronycteris mexicana) migrate from Mexico to Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas where they feed on plant nectar.  

Mangos, bananas and guavas all depend on bats for pollination.  Planting flowers that these bats like may very well attract them to your yard, the bats also sometimes eat insects found on plants, helping the plant out in another way.  According to the USDA, flowers bats visit tend to be white, green or purple, emit strong odors, and are open at night. <a href="https://batslive.pwnet.org">Bats Live</a> suggests planting evening primrose, Phlox and <a href="https://batslive.pwnet.org/pdf/Bat_Garden.pdf">other night blooming plants</a> to attract pollinating bats.  These bats pollinate much of the native plant life of the desert southwest, keeping cacti and the animals and plants dependent on them healthy.  However, the majority of bats in the US eat insects. Like birds, different bats occupy different niches in different environments and many even migrate depending on the season.         

The main difference between birds and bats, for the casual observer, is that it is inevitably harder to view bats that are small and nocturnal compared to many birds that can be brightly colored and active during the day.  Bats like their feathery, diurnal neighbors fill the night with noises, just not always noises human ears can easily pick up. 

Besides communication, bats also vocalizations to navigate in the dark.  Different bat species emit echolocation clicks at different frequencies, and because of this, bat researchers can use recordings to tease out how many bats of what species are in an area.  Sophisticated software analyzes high frequency recordings, reliably identifying bats. There are now apps combined with special speakers for sale that can be used to turn smartphones and tablets into bat detecting and identifying devices.  

Since the technology is relatively new, it can be pricey. <a href="https://www.echometertouch.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqfejl5Ot4QIV4SCtBh345AL-EAAYASAAEgIgJ_D_BwE">Echo Meter Touch</a>, a bat detector for phones and tablets, costs $179 for the recreational version and $349 for the professional.  Much less expensive kits that allow you to make a less sophisticated bat detector sell on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Franzis-Make-your-Detector-Manual/dp/3645652760/ref=asc_df_3645652760/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=312021238077&amp;hvpos=1o1&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=5753394855355597857&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=t&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9030237&amp;hvtargid=pla-474438108892&amp;psc=1">Amazon</a> for around $30.  Simple <a href="https://batmanagement.com/collections/bat-detector-buyers-guide-active-detectors">detectors</a> usually just convert the bat’s ultrasonic noises into a frequency the human ear can hear, giving you the joy of ‘hearing’ bat echolocation without knowing what species is making the noise.  Besides observing the quiet lives of bats flitting around everyone’s neighborhood, there are also a few places to visit known for their spectacular abundance of bats.

Austin, Texas, is a place with a famous colony of bats.  According to <a href="https://freefuninaustin.com/how-to-see-bats-in-austin/">Free Fun in Austin</a>, 1.5 million Mexican Free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) roost under the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, claiming to be the largest urban colony of bats in the world.  The Mexican Free-tailed bats are claimed to have the fastest horizontal speed of any animal (as opposed to the diving speed of animals like the peregrine falcon) flying as fast as 60 mph, according to <a href="http://www.batcon.org/resources/media-education/bats-magazine/bat_article/656">batcon.org</a>.  At night in the summer, tourists flock to this bridge to watch the speeding flurry of wings as the bats leave their day time sleeping areas to hunt for insects.  Boat tours pass under the bridge allowing good views of the bats and kayaks and can be rented to explore the bat bridge on your own. 

<a href="http://www.batcon.org/index.php/our-work/regions/usa-canada/protect-mega-populations/bracken-cave">Bracken Cave</a>, not far from downtown San Antonio, Texas, is home to an even larger colony of bats.  With a population of more than 15 million Mexican Free-tailed bats, it’s one of the larger colonies.  Bat Conservation International now owns Bracken Cave, protecting it from development and allowing visitors to see the spectacular eruptive emergence of bats on summer nights.  As in Austin, Bracken Cave is a maternity colony, a place where female bats have their pups. In June, the mother bat will give birth to one pup, by mid-August the baby bats can fly, which is when you see the largest number of bats flying out of their resting spots.  

Texas might bring a large number of tourists, but it’s not the only place to see bats.  <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carlsbad-caverns-new-mexico/#.XKEkIBplChA">Carlsbad Caverns</a> is home to an impressive subterranean national park in New Mexico.  The National Park Service runs a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvisit/bat_flight_program.htm">bat flight program</a> at Carlsbad that starts on May 25 and runs into October.  Although Carlsbad Caverns is home to 17 species of bats, it’s the Mexican Free-tailed Bats that again live in such spectacular numbers.  

Tucson, Arizona has its own bat bridges, as do many lesser known towns in the American Southwest.  According to the <a href="https://www.library.pima.gov/content/bats-in-tucson/">Pima County Library</a>, a colony under Pantano Wash Bridge was estimated to have a population of 20,000 Mexican Free-tailed bats.  <a href="https://www.nps.gov/maca/learn/news/bat-night2013.htm">Mammoth Cave National Park</a> in Kentucky hosts a celebration of national bat night on August 31.  According to <a href="http://www.batcon.org/resources/media-education/news-room/the-echo/1104-bat-tourism-the-surprising-power-of-bat-watching-holidaymakers">Bat Conservation International</a>, visitors are also drawn to see bats in Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe.  If none of these places are within your means to visit and you don’t have a green thumb, it’s always possible to build a <a href="http://free.woodworking-plans.org/bat-house-plans.html">bat house</a> and see who takes up residence.  I’ve even seen bats living in numbers even in Alaska in an abandoned building.       

--                    

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

The best places to observe wild bats in the United States

The best places to observe wild bats in the United...

<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=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



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



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<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.

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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.

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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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" 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> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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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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How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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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

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

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

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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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