Before there were dinosaurs, before trees covered the land, fish were already hard at work shaping Earth’s future. They did this with a single powerful innovation: jaws.



Jaws weren’t just for biting. Fish used them for all sorts of tasks - cracking shells, digging into the seafloor, defending themselves, and even carrying their young.



This one tool gave early vertebrates - including our distant ancestors - a huge advantage. But not all fish jaws evolved the same way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-twist-in-fish-jaw-evolution">Surprising twist in fish jaw evolution</h2>



Roughly 400 million years ago, fish ruled the seas. Two big groups stood out: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coelacanth-ngamugawi-wirngarri-new-species-living-fossil-fish-survived-over-400-million-years/">lobe-finned fishes</a> and ray-finned fishes. 



Lobe-finned fishes had fleshy, muscular fins that helped them move in different ways. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/319-million-year-old-fish-holds-clues-about-brain-evolution/">Ray-finned fishes</a> had lighter, more flexible fins supported by thin spines.



Today, ray-finned fishes dominate the oceans, rivers, and lakes. They include about 33,000 species - from goldfish to tuna. 



Lobe-finned fishes, on the other hand, are nearly extinct. Only eight species are known to exist today, including the coelacanth and the lungfish. But a new study from the <a href="https://umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Michigan</a> flips the story.



The research shows that between 359 and 423 million years ago, lobe-finned fishes were the ones leading the evolutionary race. 



Their jaws were changing fast, adapting in all sorts of new ways. Meanwhile, the ray-finned fishes were evolving far more slowly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finding-answers-in-ancient-jaw-bones">Finding answers in ancient jaw bones</h2>



The researchers used CT scans to create 3D models of 86 fossilized fish jaws from the Silurian and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/at-least-two-of-earths-mass-extinctions-caused-by-massive-supernova-explosions/">Devonian Periods</a> - dating back to around 443 million years ago. That’s older than the first forests.



The team digitally mapped these jaws to study both their shape and how they worked. To measure the strength of a fish's bite, they calculated something called mechanical advantage.



Emily Troyer is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan and lead author of the study. She explained that essentially, the higher the mechanical advantage of the jaw, the stronger the bite force.



The results showed something no one expected. "This is a really striking result, primarily because <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lungfish-genome-discovery-explains-how-fish-first-walked-onto-land/">lungfish</a> and coelacanths today are represented by only eight living species, with not much jaw diversity going on," Troyer said. 



"However, if we look back in time 400 or so million years, we see this striking inversion. During the Devonian, we have a lot more species and a lot more innovation within their jaws." 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dipterus-fish_whole-skeleton_credit-Troyer-UMichigan_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dipterus-fish_whole-skeleton_credit-Troyer-UMichigan_1s.webp" alt="Whole skeleton of Dipterus, an extinct lungfish from the middle Devonian period. Specimen (UMMP 16140) from the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology. Credit: E.M. Troyer/UMichigan" class="wp-image-1984595"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Whole skeleton of Dipterus, an extinct lungfish from the middle Devonian period. Specimen (UMMP 16140) from the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology. Click image to enlarge. Credit: E.M. Troyer/UMichigan</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lungfish-jaws-lead-the-way">Lungfish jaws lead the way</h2>



Lungfish jaws, in particular, went through a major shift during the Devonian Period. Their jaws became larger, thicker, and packed with powerful muscles. This likely helped them crush hard-shelled prey, like early clams and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-crustaceans-have-what-it-takes-to-survive-climate-change/">crustaceans</a>.



"With their really hefty jaws, they were able to eat really hard food," Troyer said. "We think these new feeding strategies might be causing jaws to need to be shaped like this, and that some of these major innovations are associated with their ecosystems during this time."



Rafael Rivero-Vega, co-first author of the study and a recent doctoral graduate, scanned nearly every complete lobe-finned fish jaw fossil available. 



He mapped out their key features to study something called adaptive radiation. That’s when animals quickly evolve into many different forms because their environment pushes them to adapt.



Rivero-Vega saw clear patterns. "Some fishes were diversifying their jaws rapidly in shape and size, only later to stay essentially unchanged once they filled a specialized niche," he said. 



"Others had similar characteristics but a wider variety of shapes and sizes, and yet others had similar form but wouldn't change until after they had already transitioned onto land."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fish-jaw-innovation-changed-the-future">Fish jaw innovation changed the future</h2>



This research shows that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-evolution-not-random-can-be-predicted-pangenome-genetic-history/">evolution</a> doesn’t follow a straight line. Just because a group is successful now doesn’t mean it always was. 



Lobe-finned fishes once led the way in jaw innovation, helping set the stage for major changes in vertebrate life - including the eventual rise of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.



"When you're looking at evolution, you can learn so much from looking at the past," Troyer said. "Without the fossil record, we would have no idea of this inverted role reversal."



The study also highlights the importance of old bones. Even though only a few lobe-finned fishes are still around, their ancient fossils tell a story that would otherwise have been be lost.



"It's a great example of how innovations in shape, form, and function can be explored by different fish groups at their own pace, as long as they experience the appropriate evolutionary pressures," said Rivero-Vega. 



"All of this happened hundreds of millions of years before the dinosaurs. Fishes are awesome."



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960982225010395" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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How ancient fish jaws built the path to modern land animals

Before there were dinosaurs, before trees covered the land, fish were already hard at work shaping Earth’s future. They did this with a single powerful innovation: jaws. Jaws weren’t just for biting. Fish used them for all sorts of tasks - cracking shells, digging into the seafloor, defending themselves, and even carrying their young. This one tool gave early vertebrates - including our distant ancestors - a huge advantage. But not all fish jaws evolved the same way. Surprising twist in fish jaw evolution Roughly 400 million...

The Paisley Five Mile Point Caves in southern Oregon are where some of the most ancient preserved evidence of human activity in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/north-american-ice-sheet/">North America</a> can be found. But guess what else was just found there? The remains of a not-so-distance cousin of the common bed bug.

In a study published in the Entomological Society of America’s<a href="http://www.bioone.org/loi/ment"> Journal of Medical Entomology</a>, archaeologists reveal their discovery of the oldest specimens of insects from the genus Cimex ever found. These specimens range between 5,100 and 11,000 years old – and yes, luckily they were dead.

The researchers, Martin Adams of <a href="https://www.paleoinsect.com/services">Paleoinsect Research</a> and Dennis Jenkins of the <a href="https://uoregon.edu/">University of Oregon</a>, identified these remains as relatives of the bed bug (Cimex lectularius). However, Adams clarifies that this is “not the bed bug we all know and love from hotel rooms.” Rather, the species found in these caves were all parasites of bats.

Only two bed bug species actually parasitize humans – Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus. It is believed that they adapted to human hosts thousands of years ago when we shared caves with bats in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Adams says it is unclear why the species found in Oregon never transitioned to parasitizing humans (lucky for our friends in the past).

Adams mulls over the reasons why this may have been the case, wondering “Were the cimicid populations too small to establish themselves outside the caves, or were the host populations too small?... did the humans move around too much, or were the bugs not able to withstand the environment outside the caves for very long? Or, were there other constraints involved?”

Some of the oldest remains of this species studied by Adams and Jenkins predate the original oldest “cimicid” remains by about 7,500 years. For the researchers, this raises some interesting questions about how cimicids may have interacted – if they did at all – with humans in the past.

These findings may also give some insight into climatic trends during the eras they were prevalent. One of the three species they found, Cimex antennatus, tends to favor the warmer climates of California and Nevada. Adams explains, “The presence of warm-tolerant cimicids in the caves… may suggest that climatic conditions at Paisley Caves 5,100 years ago were similar to what Cimex antennatus enjoys today in its current range.”

Although the presence of bed bugs in our lives generally offers nothing but discomfort and disgust, these specimens found in Oregon may help provide a look into our past that can inform archaeologists and researchers everywhere.

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.entsoc.org/">Entomological Society of America</a>

Ancient remains of a close cousin of the bed bug found in Oregon

The Paisley Five Mile Point Caves in southern Oregon are...

A hobby cave diver may have discovered the very first European cave fish, researchers report in <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>. 

The diver first spotted the fish –a loach in the genus Barbatula – in an underwater cave system in South Germany. Jasminca Behrmann-Godel of Germany’s <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/">University of Kostanz</a> notes, “The cave fish was found surprisingly far in the north in Southern Germany. This is spectacular as it was believed before that the Pleistocene glaciations had prevented fish from colonizing subterranean habitats so far north.”

Even more surprising, researchers believe that this cave loach species came to be very recently – within the last 20,000 years. They determined this through genetic studies of the fish paired with knowledge of the geological history of the region in which it was discovered. Arne Nolte from the <a href="https://www.uni-oldenburg.de/en/">University of Oldenburg</a> explains, “It was only when the glaciers retreated that [this area] first became a suitable habitat for fish.”

Although this species has had very little time to adapt to cave life, scientists have found that it is already exhibiting adaptions characteristic of cave fish. This includes much smaller eyes, loss of color, larger nostrils, and elongated whisker-like barbels on their heads.

The cave diver – Joachim Kreiselmaier – first observed the loaches in August of 2015 while he was exploring the deepest parts of the Danube-Aach cave system. He took some photos and showed them to hobby geologist and co-author Roland Berka, who contacted Behrmann-Godel.

Berhmann-Godel realized their good fortune, saying, “It took someone with the ‘right eye’ to realize that this might be something special and I believe that, on top of the right conditions and the difficult trip, this discovery depended on an exceptional diver like Joachim to realize in the first place that the fish might be special.”

It took a special diver to even reach the place where Kreiselmaier first saw these fish, as he estimates that “no more than 30 divers have ever reached the place where the fish have been found.” 

Cave diving is notoriously dangerous – as are most activities when you combine complete darkness with high pressure, low visibility, and a finite supply of oxygen. This particular cave system was even more treacherous, as it is known for its strong current and bad visibility.

However, Kreiselmaier was determined to help the research effort. In November of 2015, he completed another dive of the same cave system. During this dive, he succeeded in catching a live specimen, allowing the researchers to study its features up close. The next year, Kreiselmaier caught four more fish. This allowed the scientists to study the loach’s form and genetics even further.

With the ability to compare these cave fish to surface fish caught near the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cavefish-human-sleep-disorders/">cave</a>, the researchers report that the cave loaches are indeed an isolated population, and thus the first known European cave fish.

These findings also show that adaptation to subterranean habitats can occur much quicker than previously thought. The researchers will continue to study these cave loaches in more detail and would ultimately like to use these findings to explore the first steps toward life in caves.

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>

Image: Jasminca Behrmann-Godel

The first European cave fish has been discovered

A hobby cave diver may have discovered the very first...

A frightful lizard doesn’t sound like much of a pet, so it’s good to know that this long piece of menace from the Tyrannosaurus family – the Daspletosaurus horneri – last slithered through present-day Montana some 74 million years ago. Daspletosaurus horneri is Latin for a critter more colorfully known as “Horner’s Frightful Lizard,” and it was the last of the big reptiles in the American West. (We’re not making this stuff up.)

Researchers led by the biology department at <a href="https://www.carthage.edu/">Carthage College</a> in Wisconsin studied fossils of the beast before naming it. They found that it had evolved through anagenesis, an unusual and rather uncommon evolutionary track. Anagenesis involves the morphing of one species into another over evolutionary time. This is in contrast to cladogenesis, the more common form of species evolutionary development. Through cladogenesis, a species undergoes evolutionary divergence, in which it splits into two or more descendants over a period of perhaps millions of years.

Although the fossils studied by the research team had already been found and preserved, Daspletosaurus had previously been seen as just a transitional phase of development between Daspletosaurus torosus and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-species-similarities-humans/">Tyrannosaurus rex</a>, and hadn’t even been named in its own right.

Now for the good stuff: this beast of a Tyro lizard measured nearly 30 feet in length, it had tiny horns and a sensitive snout that looked like that of a crocodile. By sensitive, what’s meant is that the critter had a sensitive nerve in the nose that it used for interacting with its environment and for, um, dating purposes.

As the researchers wrote, “In courtship, tyrannosaurids might have rubbed their sensitive faces together as a vital part of pre-copulatory play.”

Which is something you might not want to spend a lot of time thinking about.

The paper was published in Scientific Reports.

-- 

Written by David Searls, Earth.com staff writer

Image Credit: Dino Pulerà

Source:<a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/srep44942"> Scientific Reports</a>

Frightful lizard of 74 million years ago was great in bed

A frightful lizard doesn’t sound like much of a pet,...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reef-fishs-venom-painkilling/">Fish</a> need friends too, you know. Or it’s at least true that zebrafish seek the support of their shoal – or community of zebrafish – in times of stress. That’s the conclusion reached by researchers at ISPA – the <a href="http://www.cies.org/institution/ipsa-university-institute-psychology-social-and-life-sciences-portugal-lisbon">University Institute of Psychological, Social and Life Sciences </a>in Portugal – in studying the importance of the animals’ social supports when responding to adversity.

Researchers have known for some time that mammals seek and find emotional support among their kind. In humans, social buffering helps overcome depression and other emotional and physical illnesses. Since the response in zebrafish occurs in similar brain regions as our own, the team’s findings might be used to help us better understand social support systems as a tool for overcoming emotional adversity.

The zebrafish were tested through olfactory and visual cues. For the olfactory cues, lone zebrafish were placed in water used by its shoal, so it had a familiar odor. For visual cues, the fish was always in visual contact with the rest of the shoal. Then the fish were exposed to alarms, and their response was measured through freezing activity that occurs when stressed.

The researchers found there to be less apparent fear when in shoal water, but the most calming response came when the zebrafish kept its shoal in sight. The results were regardless of the size of the shoal “and coincided with a distinct pattern of co-activation of brain regions known to be involved in mammalian social buffering,” wrote first study author Ana Faustino. “Thus, this study suggests a shared evolutionary origin for social buffering in vertebrates, bringing new evidence on the behavioural, sensory and neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.”

The researchers concluded, in part, “Although zebrafish´s social support does not have the complexity of the social support verified in humans, research in zebrafish will allow us to explore in depth the neural mechanisms involved in this social behavior, which is paramount to the well-being and mental health of the human species, particularly due to its relevance to certain psychological diseases such as depression.”

The study was published in Scientific Reports.

--

Written by David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/srep44329"> Scientific Reports</a>

Zebrafish seek social support when stressed, study shows

Fish need friends too, you know. Or it’s at least...

Glassfrog <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/female-lamprey-fish-mate/">eggs</a> are almost always laid on the tops of leaves overhanging streams – leaving them in peril of being an easy snack for snakes, insects, and other predators, until they hatch and fall into a stream to develop as tadpoles.

It was believed that in just a few species, the fathers would care for the developing embryos during this stage. But biologists thought that most glassfrog species left their eggs alone as they developed.

That was until Jesse Delia, a PhD student in Karen Warkentin’s lab at <a href="http://www.bu.edu/">Boston University</a>, was walking by a stream in Panama very late one night. Along the stream, Delia noticed something unique: a glassfrog mother sitting on her clutch of eggs.

Delia teamed up with research partner Laura Bravo Valencia, a graduate student at <a href="https://www.uniandes.edu.co/">Universidad de los Andes</a> in Bogotá, Colombia. They would both go on to observe the parental behavior of more than 40 species of glassfrogs over an 18-month period.

During this time, they noticed that many species of glassfrog mothers brood their eggs the night the eggs are fertilized – which was found to ultimately improve the survival of these eggs. Furthermore, almost a third of glassfrog species’ fathers guard the eggs for much longer periods.

Overall, the researchers found parental care in every glassfrog species they studied. Their findings came after “a tour de force of extreme fieldwork,” according to Warkentin. This “tour de force” involved observation through six rain seasons at 22 sites along streams in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, and Peru.

“In Colombia, we would take buses (La Chiva) into the mountains and try to find somebody who would put us up, somewhere close to a forest, a couple hours’ hike into the stream,” explains Delia. But that was just the first leg of their journey, as “streams in the Andes are really steep, with impassable waterfalls every so often, and in many sites they are cascades of freezing cold water.”

Nevertheless, the two scientists braved the conditions and began their study by removing glassfrog mothers immediately after their eggs were fertilized. They then monitored the eggs daily until they hatched – a time period of about 20 days. In the end, it was found that the eggs that received maternal care survived significantly better than those that did not.

They discovered that the key to this difference was that the mother frogs were soaking up water from damp spots on leaves and delivering this water to their eggs. The added water would cause the jelly layer around the eggs to swell up and become about four times thicker. When insect predators would attempt to eat these eggs, they would eventually become frustrated by the amount of gelatinous goo surrounding the embryo, and would often give up.

Delia and Bravo Valencia also tested the amount of disturbance it would take to make a glassfrog mother leave her eggs during the time following fertilization. Warktentin explained, “They would gently poke and pinch and then physically push her off the eggs, and it would take all that to get most moms to leave.” Not only are these mothers present, but they’re determined as well.

Ultimately, the study showed that the maternal care of glassfrog embryos helps them survive. Surprisingly, it also found that fathers would provide the most care, even after the eggs started hatching. This maternal vs. paternal relationship is relatively uncommon in the animal kingdom, and was of great interest to the research team.

Delia elaborates: “…the way we had underestimated the diversity of parental behavior stresses the importance of getting out to the field and watching animals behave.”

More information on this study can be found in the<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1420-9101"> Journal of Evolutionary Biology</a>.

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.bu.edu/">Boston University</a>

Glassfrog parental strategies emphasize the value of teamwork

Glassfrog eggs are almost always laid on the tops of...

Pharmaceutical companies are constantly on the lookout for the next big drug, especially in the often lucrative and sometimes unseemly business of painkiller. However, they might soon be turning their attention from the lab bench to the ocean, as the venom of a common <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dead-zones-coral-reefs/">reef</a> fish has been discovered to have pain-killing properties.

Research performed by <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> associate professor Bryan Fry found that a species of coral reef fish disables its opponents and prey with venom similar in mechanism to heroin. He believes that this discovery could lead to the development of new painkillers.

The venomous poison-fang blenny – a name that gets less intimidating as it goes – inhabits the Pacific region, including the Great Barrier Reef. According to Fry, it “injects other fish with opioid peptides that act like heroin or morphine, inhibiting pain rather than causing it.” The venom is chemically unique to this species of fish. 

Fry goes on to compare the effect this venom would have on a human, saying, “to put that into human terms, opioid peptides would be the last thing an elite Olympic swimmer would use as performance-enhancing substance. They would be more likely to drown than win gold.” It’s hard to tell, but this may be a veiled threat to Michael Phelps by a jealous Australian swim supporter hoping Phelps stays retired for the 2020 Olympics. Regardless, it’s impressive that the venom from this little fish can pack such a knockout punch.

Fang blennies are quite popular as ornamental tropical aquarium fish, and according to Fry they “are the most interesting fish I’ve ever studied and have one of the most intriguing venoms of them all.” Given more intensive research, it’s possible that venom from this tiny fish could be the next big drug on the painkiller market.

Besides being a potentially beneficial drug, the discovery of this venom’s properties also supports the need for us to conserve our oceans and reefs, as Fry explains: “This study is an excellent example of why we need to protect nature. If we lose the Great Barrier Reef, we will lose animals like the fang blenny and its unique venom that could be the source of the next blockbuster pain-killing drug.”

You never can tell what you’ll find in a place as vast as the ocean. But if we continue to lose ocean ecosystems to pollution and climate change, we’ll truly never know what might have been discovered.

--

By Connor Ertz, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a>

Reef fish’s heroin-like venom could be the next painkilling drug

Pharmaceutical companies are constantly on the lookout for the next...

With the disturbing decline of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honeybees-threatened-by-disease/">honeybee</a> population over the past few years, orchard growers are now looking for viable alternatives in order to manage the pollination of their trees and plants. Luckily, recent research has shown that blue orchard bees (Osmia lignaria) may be a sustainable option in tart cherry orchards. 

Natalie Boyle, an entomologist at the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a>, suggests that a simple change in the layout of the bees’ nesting boxes could make blue orchard bees more likely to remain in the orchard to nest. 

While the honeybee is a social bee species that gathers in colonies, the blue orchard bee is more solitary and nests in the cavities of wood, stems, or even artificial materials like cardboard tubes. This difference in preferred nesting requires that growers make the necessary changes to nesting sites if they want blue orchard bees to take up residence in their orchards.

Boyle laments that management practices for commercial pollination with the blue orchard bee haven’t been as well researched as those of the honeybee. She is looking to change that, saying “This study shows that by simply changing the availability and distribution of nesting sites in the orchard, we can substantially increase overall blue orchard bee nesting success in a commercially managed orchard.”

In order for blue orchard bees to become a cost-effective managed pollinator, they must be willing to remain in the orchard after they are released – which has been an issue in the past.

By changing the nesting arrangement from a large central nesting location with small perimeter nests to small nesting boxes spread evenly throughout the orchard, Boyle found that the blue orchard bees were much more willing to stay and procreate. 

While both setups showed a successful return of bees to the nesting sites, the nesting rates were significantly higher in the uniform nest-box distribution model. Occupancy of nest-tubes increased along with the number of live larvae per location and larvae per individual nest tube.

Although the study did not evaluate the blue orchard bees’ impact on pollination and orchard yield, the researchers are planning a follow-up experiment in 2017. 

In the meantime, Boyle states, "We hope that this study provides practical information that orchardists can use to incorporate blue orchard bee pollination into their current management efforts, particularly with varieties that have been historically fruit set-limited when honey bees are used alone."

More information can be found in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience">Entomological Society of America’s Journal of Insect Science</a>.

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.entsoc.org/">Entomological Society of America</a>

Image: <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/images/docs/18333_18528/Osligapple.jpg">USDA</a>

Could blue orchard bees replace honeybees for pollination?

With the disturbing decline of the honeybee population over the...

A new study – published online in <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Nature Research’s Scientific Reports</a> – details the discovery of a newly discovered tyrannosaur species that went through a unique evolution.

The research team, led by Thomas Carr, of <a href="https://www.carthage.edu/bridge/">Carthage College’s</a> Department of Biology, included David Varricchio of <a href="http://www.montana.edu/">Montana State University</a>, Eric Roberts of <a href="https://www.jcu.edu.au/">James Cook University</a>, Jason Moore of the University of New Mexico, and Jayc Sedlmayr of <a href="http://www.lsuhsc.edu/">LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine</a>. 

Their findings include that Daspletosaurus horneri – also known as “Horner’s Frightful Lizard” – evolved directly from its geologically older relative, D. torosus. This is evidence of a rare form of evolution called anagenesis, in which one species gradually morphs into an entirely new, separate species.

D.horneri is believed to have lived in Montana 75.2-74.4 million years ago. It had a body length of about 9 meters and preyed on horned dinosaurs, crested duckbill dinosaurs, dome-headed dinosaurs, and smaller theropod dinosaurs.

The team also uncovered new details on the facial structure of tyrannosaurs, a group that includes the Tyrannosaurus rex and its closest relatives – and you thought your in-laws were bad… okay moving on.

Their research found that the faces of tyrannosaurs were covered by large, flat scales, with small patches of armor-like skin and a horn. They found no evidence of lips, but discovered that the snout may have been extremely touch-sensitive.

By working with well-preserved fossils, the scientists were able to compare tyrannosaur skulls with those of crocodilians, birds, and mammals. They then analyzed their findings against earlier research that matched bone texture with varying types of skin covering.

Sedlymayr describes their research process further, saying, “Much of our research went beyond field paleontology - it was generated from lab-based comparative anatomy, the dissection of birds as living dinosaurs and crocodilians as their closest living relatives.”

The scientists discovered a complex sensory web within the facial structure of these tyrannosaurs. They believe it is derived from the trigeminal nerve, which is shown throughout evolutionary history to be connected to an array of “sixth senses” in vertebrates. These senses include the use of magnetic fields for bird migration, infrared sensing in pit vipers, and the sensing of water vibrations by alligators, among many others.

"In some ways, the facial components of the trigeminal nerve of these dinosaurs mirrors that of humans," said Sedlmayr. In humans, this nerve allows for significant touch sensitivity within our faces. Through this, we can have complex emotional and social facial displays that are imperative for human communication.

Based off this new research, maybe humans and dinosaurs aren’t so different after all.

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.lsuhsc.edu/">Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center</a>

Newly discovered dinosaur species shows similarities to humans

A new study – published online in Nature Research’s Scientific...

No one likes to think of that mouse creeping through their kitchen in the middle of the night as being “domesticated,” but that’s how scientists think of the situation. It’s technically true, since house mice turn up in the abodes of humans virtually wherever they settle for long. And now new research indicates that the rodents have been helping themselves to our food and shelter for at least 15,000 years. That’s about 3,000 years longer than it was assumed that mice started sharing our residences – when agriculture got humans to settle down – and possibly even longer than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-sniffing-cancer-cells/">dogs</a> have lived with us.

That’s among the findings of a group of researchers from Israel, the U.S., the UK and France, as reported this week in <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

“The research provides the first evidence that, as early as 15,000 years ago, humans were living in one place long enough to impact local animal communities – resulting in the dominant presence of house mice,” said co-author Fiona Marshall, a professor of anthropology at <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis</a>.

It was previously thought that house mice didn’t “settle” with humans until farming communities were established about 12,000 years ago. The early hunter-gatherer cultures preceding agriculture were supposed to be too mobile to attract mice.

However, the group studied by the researchers were hunter-gatherers known as Natufians who established a village in the Jordan Valley in Israel about 15,000 years ago. A study of fossilized rodent molars from this time showed the fossilized remains mostly of house mice, as they learned by studying the molar shape.

Later, when the climate and region became cold and dry, it forced the Natufians to follow quickly depleted resources like traditional hunter-gatherers. In this time, the fossil balance shifted between the house mice and their short-tailed cousin field mice, who are wilder and less tolerant of humans. The field mice populations dominated.

Dogs are thought to have joined us some 14,000 years ago, though there’s some debate as to whether our co-existence goes even farther back.

--

Written by David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/03/21/1619137114.abstract"> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>

We've 'domesticated' the house mouse for 15,000 years

No one likes to think of that mouse creeping through...

Like many vertebrates – excluding humans – a bird’s eyes are located on the sides of its head. This anatomical specificity is believed to have several functions, including increased depth perception and greater visual coverage. However, not much has been known about the purpose of the blind spot in front of a bird’s head… until now.

Researchers Luke Tyrrell and Esteban Fernández-Juricic from <a href="http://www.purdue.edu/">Purdue University</a> published a study on Wednesday in the open-access journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>. In this study, they found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-dehydration-climate-change/">birds</a> with longer beaks had a larger blind spot in front of their heads, which correlates to a narrower field of binocular vision.

Binocular vision refers to vision that uses two eyes with overlapping fields of view, which allows for good depth perception. This is useful for a creature that might need to snatch an insect out of the air or land on a tiny branch without impaling itself.

In making this discovery, the researchers went through published data on the visual fields of 40 species of birds, and measured the beaks and skulls of museum specimens. Their findings suggest that the size of the blind area and the visibility of the beak play an important role in a bird’s vision. 

Furthermore, Tyrrell believes, “The evolution of binocular vision in birds appears to be driven, in part, by a blind area in front of the head.” This finding will help scientists better understand how individual species of birds use sight to their advantage, and how they progressed evolutionarily. 

--

By Connor Ertz, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>

A bird’s blind spot may be directly related to beak size

Like many vertebrates – excluding humans – a bird’s eyes...

Dudes. Who needs ‘em? Not cockroaches, necessarily.

Thanks to parthenogenesis, a type of asexual reproduction, the virgin females in some species can give birth to female babies and generations of all-female colonies can develop.  

Researchers at <a href="https://www.oia.hokudai.ac.jp/">Hokkaido University</a> in Japan studied the phenomenon of asexual reproduction by segregating 15 female cockroaches and watching them getting on with their lives. With no access to males, they laid eggs and hatched adorable baby, um, cockroaches. But female cockroaches, only. And those females, well, they followed the example set by mom.

Arthropod populations such as cockroaches develop this method of reproducing when there are no males lined up at the singles bar. The downside (for them, not us) is that their offspring don’t have the life expectancy of roaches reproduced the traditional way, though they live long enough to have female offspring of their own. The upside is that the colony tends to get along better together without the constant fighting of the males and to be more cooperative, said the researchers in an article published in the journal <a href="http://zoologicalletters.biomedcentral.com/">Zoological Letters</a>.

Also, they rarely left the toilet seats up.

Virgin cockroaches don’t even need the company of other females to reproduce asexually, either. They can generate their generations in solitary confinement too, though not as frequently as they do when kept with other females. According to the study, when kept in a group, they’d lay <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/female-lamprey-fish-mate/">eggs</a> every ten days, while the output fell to every 13.4 days when alone.

We know: that still seems like significant egg production. Let’s all wash our hands and clean our houses now.

--

Written by David Searls, Earth.com staff writer

Source:<a href="http://zoologicalletters.biomedcentral.com/"> Zoological Letters</a>

Good news! Cockroaches can even breed without males

Dudes. Who needs ‘em? Not cockroaches, necessarily. Thanks to parthenogenesis,...

Medical diagnostic equipment is expensive and might be unavailable in rural areas and developing nations. That’s bad news for undiagnosed cancer victims, since early detection is a critical element of successfully treating illnesses and saving lives. But what if trained <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-mirror-owners-emotions/">dogs</a> could diagnose the existence of cancer cells just about as accurately as the most advanced mammography and MRI technology?

That possibility has excited researchers from <a href="http://www.kdog.fr/">KDOG Cancer Detect Group</a> in Paris, under whose direction dog trainer Jacky Experton spent six months training two German Shepherds to sniff out cancer. The average dog’s nose is thousands of times more sensitive to odors than human sniffers. That’s why Thor and Nikios were taught to identify and alert to the smell of breast cancer cells in bandages previously held to patients’ breasts.

When it came real-deal testing time to detect breast cancer bandages versus the bandages of healthy women, the dogs’ success rate was remarkable. In the first test, Thor and Nikios correctly picked out the bandages of 28 out of 31 cancer patients. In the second test, they did even better, eliciting perfect scores.

This was only the first of many clinical trials the two dogs and other trained canines will undergo. In time, it’s possible that machines can be “trained” to similarly detect cancerous cells based on what we learn with this research. Other projects are underway to test canines' ability to smell different types of cancer in the skin, blood, urine and exhaled breath.

--

By David Searls. <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ushome/index.html"> Daily Mail</a>

Dogs get perfect scores for sniffing out cancer cells

Medical diagnostic equipment is expensive and might be unavailable in...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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







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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

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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.



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" 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 Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" 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> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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