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A California frog is on the brink of extinction. Long Beach’s aquarium has a plan to save it

A California frog is on the brink of extinction. Long Beach’s aquarium has a plan to save it

Biologists at the Aquarium of the Pacific are working to revive the mountain yellow-legged frog population

518-Million-Year-Old Fossil Redefines Starfish Evolution

518-Million-Year-Old Fossil Redefines Starfish Evolution

Researchers have discovered four 518-million-year-old fossils in southern China, named Yujingia glutenotunica, which are challenging long-held theories about the evolution of starfish and their relatives. These fingernail-sized fossils, found in the Maotianshan Shales in Yunnan province, preserve soft tissue and feature feathery feeding arms. This discovery suggests that the common ancestor of Ambulacraria—the group including starfish, sea urchins, and acorn worms—was a tentacle-feeding animal anchored to the seabed, rather than a burrowing, worm-like creature that filtered food through its throat, as previously hypothesized. The complexity of Yujingia's feeding structures, including alternating pinnules and a ciliated groove, is unusual for a Cambrian animal and resembles modern sea lilies. The team, led by Kaiyue He of Northwest University in Xi’an, along with colleagues from the China University of Geosciences in Beijing and two German museums, analyzed 505 anatomical features across 100 species to plac...

518-Million-Year-Old Fossil Challenges Starfish Ancestor Feeding Model

518-Million-Year-Old Fossil Challenges Starfish Ancestor Feeding Model

Scientists have uncovered a 518-million-year-old fossil, named Yujingia glutenotunica, from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota in southwestern China. This discovery is reshaping understanding of the early evolution of ambulacrarians, a group that includes starfish, sea urchins, and acorn worms. The Yujingia fossil, which preserves delicate body parts, gut, and appendages, suggests that the shared ancestor of these animals likely fed with specialized tentacles, rather than through a pharyngeal filter-feeding system as previously hypothesized. The fossils, ranging from 8 to 22 millimeters long, show an elongated, bottle-shaped body with a crown of feather-like appendages adapted for capturing suspended organic particles. A second set of appendages is believed to have aided temporary attachment to the seafloor, indicating a semi-sessile lifestyle. This finding challenges the long-standing 'worm-like' model for the common ancestor of ambulacrarians, which posited a tentacle-less animal feeding by filtering pa...

New Research Suggests Arthropods, Not Worms, Built Ancient Hexagonal Tunnel Fossils

New Research Suggests Arthropods, Not Worms, Built Ancient Hexagonal Tunnel Fossils

For over 170 years, paleontologists have been puzzled by 'paleodictyon,' mysterious hexagonal tunnel fossils found in marine rocks dating back more than 500 million years to the early Cambrian period. These widespread fossils, occurring globally and at various sea depths, have never revealed their builders, though modern instances of paleodictyon continue to be observed in the deep sea. The tunnels, ranging from a few millimeters to less than 1 millimeter in diameter, form a horizontal network of hexagonal meshes with vertical outlets. While various theories have proposed worms, single-celled organisms, sponges, or crustaceans as the architects, a new study published in Earth Science Reviews suggests that arthropods, likely small crustaceans, are the most probable creators. This challenges the long-standing hypothesis that worm-like creatures were responsible for these intricate structures. The research team examined fossil specimens from Italy, Portugal, and Poland, spanning from the Cambrian to more rece...

Whale Shark Milo Sets World Record for Longest Tracked Shark Migration

Whale Shark Milo Sets World Record for Longest Tracked Shark Migration

Collaborative research involving the Guy Harvey Foundation, the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Mexican conservation organization Ch’ooj Ajauil AC, and the University of Rhode Island has resulted in a new world record. A whale shark named Milo was successfully tagged and tracked for nearly a decade, covering an astonishing distance of over 34,000 miles. This achievement marks the longest documented track of any shark, providing invaluable data for the ongoing research program focused on the endangered whale shark species. Dr. Mahmood Shivji, a shark expert and director of NSU’s Guy Harvey Research Institute, highlighted that this extensive migratory research significantly enhances the understanding of whale shark movements and is crucial for their conservation efforts. The findings were recently featured by Forbes, bringing broader attention to this remarkable scientific endeavor and the importance of protecting marine life.

Humpback Whale Sighted 60 Miles Inland in California River

Humpback Whale Sighted 60 Miles Inland in California River

A humpback whale was observed in California's Sacramento River, approximately 60 miles from its typical Pacific Ocean habitat. Denny Glover, who was fishing for salmon and striped bass, first spotted the whale surfacing on Wednesday. Initially, he and his companions mistook it for a dolphin or porpoise, but subsequent spouts confirmed it was a whale. The Marine Mammal Center reported that the whale entered San Francisco Bay earlier in the week and has been traveling eastward into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California's largest river delta. Scientists are now monitoring the whale's condition and trying to understand why it ventured so far inland. The whale is known to researchers through a photo identification catalog, having been documented 15 times over the past 24 years, with its most recent sighting before this event in Baja California in February.

Scientists Advance Livestock Breeding and Human Fertility Research Through Genetic and Stem Cell Discoveries

Scientists Advance Livestock Breeding and Human Fertility Research Through Genetic and Stem Cell Discoveries

Recent scientific research highlighted on ScienceDaily indicates significant advancements in understanding and manipulating biological processes relevant to both livestock breeding and human fertility. One key area of focus is the role of genetic variation, shaped by evolution, in improving livestock. Scientists are leveraging this understanding in breeding programs for crops and animals. Additionally, researchers have successfully generated human stem cell models that contain notochord, a crucial tissue in embryonic development responsible for guiding the formation of the spine and nervous system. Efforts are also underway to obtain eggs and offspring using oocytes within ovaries, a technique aimed at preserving desirable traits in livestock and addressing human fertility challenges. This method, which includes ovarian transplantation, represents a promising avenue for reproductive science. Furthermore, new studies on Glycolysis, the process of converting sugar into energy, reveal its importance in early ...

New Study Reveals Mosquito Attraction to Humans Driven by Skin Scent and Microbiomes

New Study Reveals Mosquito Attraction to Humans Driven by Skin Scent and Microbiomes

A recent study published in iScience indicates that mosquitoes are selectively attracted to humans based on individual skin scent and microbiomes. Lead researcher Matthew DeGennaro found that while there isn't a universal 'mosquito magnet,' specific mosquito species show preferences. For instance, Aedes aegypti, a vector for Zika and dengue, favored male participants and individuals with higher levels of Staphylococcus bacteria but lower levels of cyclic alcohols. Aedes albopictus was drawn to abundant bacteria, odors, and ketones, while Culex quinquefasciatus avoided odors but liked chemicals found in essential oils. The study, conducted in Florida, tested the attraction of these three species to 119 human participants. Participants wore nylon sleeves to capture skin odor and microbes after not washing for 12 to 16 hours, and their arms were then exposed to mosquitoes in a uniport olfactometer to measure attraction levels. These findings suggest that the unique composition of an individual's skin scent an...

University of Washington Scientists Use 50-Year-Old Canned Salmon to Track Northeast Pacific Ecosystem Health

University of Washington Scientists Use 50-Year-Old Canned Salmon to Track Northeast Pacific Ecosystem Health

Scientists from the University of Washington, led by ecologists Natalie Mastick and Chelsea Wood, have utilized decades-old canned salmon to study the health of the Northeast Pacific's marine ecosystems. The research involved analyzing 178 cans of salmon, some dating back to the 1970s, which were originally stored by the Seattle-based Association of Seafood Producers for quality control. Inside these cans, researchers found marine worms from the Anisakidae family, which are harmless to humans once cooked. These parasites act as ecological indicators, as their life cycle involves various marine species, including krill, fish, and marine mammals. The presence and population dynamics of these worms can reflect the stability and health of the ecosystem. The study, published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, meticulously dissected salmon fillets from four Pacific salmon species caught between 1979 and 2021 in the Gulf of Alaska and Bristol Bay: Chum, Coho, Pink, and Sockeye salmon. The researchers counted t...

Aquarium cares for nearly 500 trafficked marine animals

Aquarium cares for nearly 500 trafficked marine animals

After a major wildlife seizure, the Aquarium of the Pacific helped rehabilitate trafficked animals, including endangered and near-threatened species.

Global Oceans Experience 100 Days of Record Heat, Amplified by El Niño

Global Oceans Experience 100 Days of Record Heat, Amplified by El Niño

The global ocean has recorded 100 consecutive days of unprecedented high average sea surface temperatures between June 2 and September 10. Data from the Climate Reanalyzer, overseen by the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute, indicates that on each of these days, sea surface temperatures surpassed those recorded on the same date in any year since 1982. One of the highest readings occurred on August 22, reaching 21.10° Celsius (69.98° Fahrenheit), according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, with the Climate Reanalyzer reporting an even higher average of 21.18° C (70.12° F) between August 22 and 27. Experts, including Zachary Labe, a climate scientist at the U.S.-based nonprofit Climate Central, attribute this long-term trend to human-induced climate change, with over 90% of excess heat from burning fossil fuels being absorbed by the ocean. The current El Niño weather pattern, which began in June and is predicted by NOAA to be 'very strong,' is further amplifying this warm...

San Miguel Island Fox Population Recovers Significantly After Conservation Efforts

San Miguel Island Fox Population Recovers Significantly After Conservation Efforts

The San Miguel Island fox population, once critically low at 15 individuals, has rebounded to approximately 322 by 2024. This recovery is attributed to comprehensive conservation strategies implemented on San Miguel Island, located off the coast of Southern California. These efforts included the removal of golden eagles, which preyed on the foxes, and the eradication of feral pigs that provided a food source for the eagles. Additionally, captive-breeding programs were initiated, and captive-bred foxes were reintroduced into the wild. Vaccination programs were also crucial in protecting the foxes from diseases like canine distemper. The decline in the fox population was linked to the disappearance of native bald eagles due to DDT contamination, which allowed golden eagles to establish themselves and prey on the smaller island foxes. While the 2024 population of 322 is lower than the previous year's peak of 525, researchers indicate that pup numbers are typical, and individual foxes appear healthy, suggestin...