ScienceDaily: Environment - May 23, 2025
Top environment research news
Mystery of 'very odd' elasmosaur finally solved: fiercely predatory marine reptile is new species
A group of fossils of elasmosaurs -- some of the most famous in North America -- have just been formally identified as belonging to a 'very odd' new genus of the sea monster, unlike any previously known. This primitive 85-million-year-old, 12 meter-long, fiercely predatory marine reptile is unlike any elasmosaur known to-date and hunted its prey from above.
Image: Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock.com
Different phases of evolution during ice age
Cold-adapted animals started to evolve 2.6 million years ago when the permanent ice at the poles became more prevalent. There followed a time when the continental ice sheets expanded and contracted and around 700,000 years ago the cold periods doubled in length. This is when many of the current cold-adapted species, as well as extinct ones like mammoths, evolved.
Research reveals that for C. elegans worms, the presence of dead members of their species has profound behavioral and physiological effects, leading them to more quickly reproduce and shortening their lifespans.
New study reveals how competition between algae is transforming the Gulf of Maine
New research shows how rapidly proliferating turf algae are waging 'chemical warfare' to inhibit the recovery of kelp forests along Maine's warming coast.
Ancient DNA used to map evolution of fever-causing bacteria
Researchers have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained and lost genes in the process.
Why Europe's fisheries management needs a rethink
Every year, total allowable catches (TACs) and fishing quotas are set across Europe through a multi-step process -- and yet many fish stocks in EU waters remain overfished. A new analysis reveals that politically agreed-upon catch limits are not sustainable because fish stock sizes are systematically overestimated and quotas regularly exceed scientific advice. In order to promote profitable and sustainable fisheries, the researchers propose establishing an independent institution to determine ecosystem-based catch limits that management bodies must not exceed.
Scientists have figured out how extinct giant ground sloths got so big and where it all went wrong
Scientists have analyzed ancient DNA and compared more than 400 fossils from 17 natural history museums to figure out how and why extinct sloths got so big.
A new approach could fractionate crude oil using much less energy
Engineers developed a membrane that filters the components of crude oil by their molecular size, an advance that could dramatically reduce the amount of energy needed for crude oil fractionation.
Tapping into the World's largest gold reserves
Earth's largest gold reserves are not kept inside Fort Knox, the United States Bullion Depository. In fact, they are hidden much deeper in the ground than one would expect. More than 99.999% of Earth's stores of gold and other precious metals lie buried under 3,000 km of solid rock, locked away within the Earth's metallic core and far beyond the reaches of humankind. Now, researchers have found traces of the precious metal Ruthenium (Ru) in volcanic rocks on the islands of Hawaii that must ultimately have come from the Earth's core.
'Selfish' genes called introners proven to be a major source of genetic complexity
A new study proves that a type of genetic element called 'introners' are the mechanism by which many introns spread within and between species, also providing evidence of eight instances in which introners have transferred between unrelated species in a process called 'horizontal gene transfer,' the first proven examples of this phenomenon.
Climate change poses severe threat to bowhead whale habitat
New research examining 11,700 years of bowhead whale persistence throughout the Arctic projects that sea ice loss due to climate change will cause their habitat to severely contract by up to 75 per cent.
New atom-swapping method applied to complex organic structures
Chemists have developed an efficient skeletal editing method for frequently used heteroaromatic structures. The technique could serve as a means to chemically modify biologically active compounds.
How property owners can work to prevent flooding
The risk of heavy rainfall and severe flooding increases with climate change. But property owners -- regardless of size -- often underestimate their own responsibility and are unaware of what preventive measures they can take themselves.
Breakthrough AI model could transform how we prepare for natural disasters
From deadly floods in Europe to intensifying tropical cyclones around the world, the climate crisis has made timely and precise forecasting more essential than ever. Yet traditional forecasting methods rely on highly complex numerical models developed over decades, requiring powerful supercomputers and large teams of experts. According to its developers, Aurora offers a powerful and efficient alternative using artificial intelligence.
A potential 'anti-spice' that could dial down the heat of fiery food
If you've ever regretted ordering a spicy meal, take note: A new study identifying molecules that suppress the heat of chili peppers hints at the possibility of adapting these compounds into an 'anti-spice' condiment for food that's too fiery to eat. The research helps explain differences in chili pepper pungency, or spiciness, by identifying three compounds in a range of pepper samples that chemical analysis predicted, and study participants on a tasting panel confirmed, are linked to lower heat intensity.
Looking to cut calories? Try adding chilies, study suggests
Throwing a little heat on your meal might be an effective strategy for cutting back on calories, according to a new study.
AI is good at weather forecasting. Can it predict freak weather events?
Scientists found that neural networks cannot yet forecast 'gray swan' weather events, which might not appear in existing training data but could still happen -- like 200-year floods or massive hurricanes.
Shrinking Nemo: Clownfish survive heatwaves by shrinking
Clownfish have been shown to shrink in order to survive heat stress and avoid social conflict, research reveals.
New research has shed light on how plants precisely control their growth and development, revealing that seemingly similar molecular components fulfill surprisingly different jobs.
Personal space chemistry suppressed by perfume and body lotion indoors
In 2022 a team discovered that high levels of OH radicals can be generated indoors, simply due to the presence of people and ozone. This means: People generate their own oxidation field and change the indoor air chemistry around them within their own personal space. Now, in a follow-up study again in cooperation with an international research team, they found that commonly applied personal care products substantially suppress a human's production of OH radicals. These findings have implications for the indoor chemistry, the air quality of occupied spaces, and human health, since many of the chemicals in our immediate vicinity are transformed by this field.
Bed-netting prototypes to target malaria-causing parasites
Scientists have fabricated two bed netting prototypes targeting malaria-causing blood parasites. They designed netting systems to deliver antimalarial drugs called Endochin-like Quinolones (ELQs) that destroy Plasmodium parasites transmitted by mosquitoes.
The dietary bug in a cancer therapy
A study has uncovered a surprising link between diet, intestinal microbes and the efficacy of cancer therapy.
Can plants hear their pollinators?
When pollinators visit flowers, they produce various sounds, from wing flapping during hovering, to landing and takeoff. Scientists studied these vibroacoustic signals to develop noninvasive and efficient methods for monitoring pollinator communities and their influences on plant biology and ecology. The researchers found that the bee sounds led the snapdragons to increase their sugar and nectar volume, and even alter their gene expression that governs sugar transport and nectar production.
Imaging technique removes the effect of water in underwater scenes
SeaSplat is an image-analysis tool that cuts through the ocean's optical effects to generate images of underwater environments reveal an ocean scene's true colors. Researchers paired the color-correcting tool with a computational model that converts images of a scene into a three-dimensional underwater 'world' that can be explored virtually.
Enormous boulder washed inland a sign of Pacific tsunami history
Analysis has shown a boulder weighing almost 1,200 tons in Tonga is one of the largest known wave-transported rocks in the world, providing new insights into the Pacific region's history and risk of tsunamis.
Researchers identify a dual origin of cells controlling puberty and reproduction
Researchers have shown that gonadotrophs, cells in the pituitary gland with a key role in puberty and reproduction, come from two different populations, with the majority produced after birth rather than in the embryo, as previously thought.
Scientists invent breakthrough device to detect airborne signs of disease
If you've ever sat waiting at the doctor's office to give a blood sample, you might have wished there was a way to find the same information without needles. But for all the medical breakthroughs of the 20th century, the best way to detect molecules has remained through liquids, such as blood. New research, however, could someday put a pause on pinpricks. A group of scientists announced they have created a small, portable device that can collect and detect airborne molecules -- a breakthrough that holds promise for many areas of medicine and public health.
Unlocking the secrets of bat immunity
Bats are known as natural hosts for highly pathogenic viruses such as MERS- and SARS-related coronaviruses, as well as the Marburg and Nipah viruses. In contrast to the severe and often fatal disease outcomes these viruses cause in humans, bats generally do not show obvious signs of viral illness following infection. An international research team has developed an innovative organoid research platform that allowed them to closely investigate the cellular antiviral defense mechanisms of mucosal epithelial tissues of bats. The results could pave the way for the development of new therapies against viral diseases.
Engineered bacteria can deliver antiviral therapies, vaccines
New research demonstrates how specially engineered bacteria taken orally can operate as a delivery system for vaccines and antiviral therapies.
How to use AI to listen to the 'heartbeat' of a city
Researchers took a fresh approach to urban research by using artificial intelligence to explore the emotional side of city life. Their goal was to better understand the link between a city's physical features and how people feel in those environments.
Hurricane winds are a major contributor to storm-related losses for people living in the southeastern coastal states. As the global temperature continues to rise, scientists predict that hurricanes will get more destructive -- packing higher winds and torrential rainfall. A new study projects that wind losses for homeowners in the Southeastern coastal states could be 76 percent higher by the year 2060 and 102 percent higher by 2100.
Songbirds' great risk results in great genetic reward
Songbirds who make the arduous flight from their nesting sites in northern boreal forests to warm, southern climates in the winter may be rewarded for their journey with greater genetic diversity.
Fool's gold: A hidden climate stabilizer
Researchers look to extremes in the past to study how the system reacts to imbalances. They detail an overlooked mechanism for how the ocean can help stabilize massive releases of carbon into the atmosphere following volcanic eruptions.
How Hibiscus flowers lost their bullseyes
New research reveals how repeated genetic changes in hibiscus flowers have led to the loss of visually striking bullseye patterns despite their advantage in attracting pollinators like bumblebees.
This gene variant contributed to the dietary and physiological evolution of modern humans
Two of the traits that set modern humans apart from non-human primates are taller stature and a higher basal metabolic rate. Researchers have identified a genetic variant that contributed to the co-evolution of these traits. This mutation seems to help people grow taller -- especially when they consume a lot of meat.
Toothache from eating something cold? Blame these ancient fish
New research shows that dentine, the inner layer of teeth that transmits sensory information to nerves inside the pulp, first evolved as sensory tissue in the armored exoskeletons of ancient fish.
A new technology for extending the shelf life of produce
Researchers developed a way to extend the shelf life of vegetables by injecting them with melatonin using biodegradable microneedles.
Scientists reveal how energy is delivered into the cells major 'shipping port'
A team of scientists has answered a long-standing question in cell biology, uncovering how the cell's main energy currency, ATP, is transported into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Disrupted energy transport could affect diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. The study confirms that the transporter protein SLC35B1 is the key gateway for ATP entry into the ER.
Hand2: positional code that allows axolotls to regrow limbs found
With its fascinating ability to regrow entire limbs and internal organs, the Mexican axolotl is the ideal model for studying regeneration. Scientists have now found a factor that tells cells which part of the arm to regenerate -- and used it to reprogram the identity of cells as they develop. This breakthrough for the regeneration research field has implications for tissue engineering, including in human tissues.
Live view: Stress-induced changes in generations of cancer cells
Cancer cells respond to stress with greater diversity. Drugs that affect DNA replication, or radiation that causes direct DNA damage, lead to increasingly diverse offspring over multiple cell generations. This increases the tumor's genetic complexity and facilitates the development of resistance to therapy. Researchers have now investigated the emergence of cellular diversity in real time.
Extreme weather cycles change underwater light at Lake Tahoe
Large shifts in UV radiation at Lake Tahoe are associated with wet and dry climate extremes, finds a new study.
Taking the guesswork out birdsong evolution
Biologists recently announced that they have released the first broad scale, comparative, fine-grained analysis linking the amplitude, or volume, of a birds' song to its vocal frequency, or pitch. Though biologists have long wondered whether birds are able to control their pitch as they get louder or if their vocal abilities are mechanically limited, until now there has been no wide-ranging data with which to probe this aspect of the evolutionary history of birdsong.
On the origin (and fate) of plants that never bloom
Plants that reproduce exclusively by self-pollination arise from populations with extremely low diversity to begin with. The research not only adds a facet to possible evolutionary strategies, but also lends weight to Darwin's suspicion that this strategy might be a path to extinction.
A new complexity in protein chemistry
Proteins are among the most studied molecules in biology, yet new research shows they can still hold surprising secrets. Researchers have discovered previously undetected chemical bonds within archived protein structures, revealing an unexpected complexity in protein chemistry. These newly identified nitrogen-oxygen-sulphur (NOS) linkages broaden our understanding of how proteins respond to oxidative stress, a condition where harmful oxygen-based molecules build up and can damage proteins, DNA, and other essential parts of the cell.
Landmark report reveals key challenges facing adolescents
Poor mental health, rising obesity rates, exposure to violence and climate change are among the key challenges facing our adolescents today, according to a global report.
How to solve a bottleneck for CO2 capture and conversion
New research could improve the efficiency of electrochemical carbon-dioxide capture and release by six times and cut costs by at least 20 percent. Researchers added nanoscale filtering membranes to a carbon-capture system, separating the ions that carry out the capture and release steps, and enabling both steps to proceed more efficiently.
Common diabetes drug helps chickens lay more eggs
What do chickens and people with a common reproductive disorder have in common? More than one might think -- and a widely-used diabetes medication might just be the surprising link.
Molecules in blood and urine could reveal how much ultra-processed food you eat
Sets of metabolites found in blood and urine reliably correspond with how much energy from ultra-processed food a person consumes, according to a new study.
How membranes may have brought about the chemistry of life on Earth
A team of researchers studied the properties of membranes to understand how these cellular structures influenced the chemistry of life on Earth as it began.
Does renewable energy reduce fossil fuel production in the US?
Increasing renewable energy may not reduce the use of fossil fuels in the United States, according to a new study .
Selenium exposure during pregnancy may reduce childhood streptococcal infections
Higher maternal selenium levels during pregnancy were associated with a lower risk of streptococcal infections in children, suggesting a potential protective effect.
The Arctic is one of the coldest places on Earth, but in recent decades, the region has been rapidly warming, at a rate three to four times faster than the global average. However, current climate models have been unable to account for this increased pace. Now, researchers have reported that clouds may be to blame.
Scientific breakthrough brings CO2 'breathing' batteries closer to reality
Scientists have made a breakthrough in eco-friendly batteries that not only store more energy but could also help tackle greenhouse gas emissions. Lithium-CO2 'breathing' batteries release power while capturing carbon dioxide, offering a greener alternative that may one day outperform today's lithium-ion batteries.
Forest management can influence health benefits
Forests play a crucial role in promoting health and wellbeing, but not all forests provide the same benefits. A large-scale study demonstrates how specific forest characteristics -- such as canopy density and tree species diversity -- can affect various health outcomes.
Household action can play major role in climate change fight
Encouraging people in North America and Sub-Saharan Africa to adopt a low-carbon lifestyle could help to cut global household emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide by up to two-fifths, a new study reveals.
New research reveals Puff adders as an important conservation and rodent control solution
New research has revealed that puff adders (Bitis arietans) can be highly efficient at controlling rodent populations that threaten agricultural production on the continent.
Advanced genomics study improves detection of hard-to-find diarrheal infections
A study has used advanced genetic and genomic techniques to offer a major step forward in understanding and diagnosing infectious intestinal diseases. The large-scale study analyzed more than 1,000 stool samples from people with diarrheal illness to harness two cutting edge tools. The study used metagenomic (DNA-based) and metatranscriptomic (gene or RNA-based) sequencing. Unlike traditional methods, these techniques do not rely on growing organisms in a lab. Instead, they detect and analyze the genetic material directly from patient samples.
Asian elephants have larger brains than their African relatives
African elephants are the largest land animals on earth and significantly larger than their relatives in Asia, from which they are separated by millions of years of evolution. Nevertheless, Asian elephants have a 20 percent heavier brain, as scientists were able to demonstrate. They also showed that elephant brains triple in weight after birth. These results provide potential explanations for behavioral differences between African and Asian elephants as well as for the pachyderms' long youth, during which they gain enormous experience and learn social skills.
Wild spinach offers path to breed disease resistance into cultivated varieties
Several varieties of wild spinach that originated in Central Asia show resistance to a destructive soil-borne pathogen that beleaguers growers of spinach seed in the Pacific Northwest -- a finding that can be used to breed hardier crops.
'Sharkitecture:' A nanoscale look inside a blacktip shark's skeleton