We all need space to roam. It is instinctive to desire the freedom of having our own space to thrive.
The same goes for animals, which are critical to the survival of delicate and diverse ecosystems around the world. But we’re not doing so well in that regard.
A fifth of all reptile species are at risk of extinctionwith crocodiles and turtles more endangered, according to a groundbreaking new study.
And the future of near-threatened animals like jaguars is uncertain for a similar reason: human-caused habitat loss.
Scientists, however, need to get closer to these creatures to understand how we can help them. Fortunately, we have technology on our side — and robotic proxies can go where humans can’t, all in the name of science and saving species.
critical mission
A bright yellow robot stands out among a sea of 20,000 emperor penguins living in a colony in Atka Bay, Antarctica.
But the penguins don’t really notice the robot as it rolls across the ice with them. Called ECHO, it is part of a larger program to monitor the health of penguins and their fragile ecosystem, both of which are at risk from global warming caused by the climate crisis.
Emperor penguins reign supreme on land, where they have no predators, but their survival depends on the presence of sea ice, where they raise their young. If greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate, 98% of the penguin population could virtually disappear by 2100 as higher temperatures melt the ice, according to a recent study.
By using a penguin-approved robot to perform long-term monitoring, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution hope to lessen the human footprint in an already vulnerable location.
other worlds
We’ve never seen anything like this on Mars.
The Ingenuity helicopter has captured new images that show what happened to the Perseverance rover’s landing gear and parachute after it landed on February 18, 2021.
The small helicopter has a unique perspective of the debris field. In the eerie images, reminiscent of a view from “Mad Max”, the parachute’s stripes can be seen under a layer of red Martian dust.
Engineers are studying what happened to the protective shield and parachute as they work on the ambitious multi-mission effort to return samples from Mars to Earth by the 2030s.
Long ago
This is the last thing you would expect to find while cultivating.
A Palestinian farmer uncovered the head of a 4,500-year-old statue of the goddess Anat while working on his land in Gaza.
Anat is the goddess of love, beauty and war, according to the pagan mythology of the Canaanites, an ancient people who lived in and around Jerusalem. The sculpture is “a symbol of the oldest human civilization that lived in Gaza City,” said Jamal Abu Rida, director general of antiquities at the Gaza Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The statue will be displayed at the Pasha’s Palace Museum in Gaza.
There once was a planet
The Swiss Alps are praised by tourists who love to take scenic drives, hike and watch winter sports.
The towering peaks also apparently harbor fossils of extinct giant marine reptiles the size of whales that roamed the ocean 250 million years ago.
Paleontologists have found the fossils of three ichthyosaurs, or “fish lizards,” at an altitude of 2,800 meters in the scenic mountains. The remains ended up there after tectonic plates collided and formed rock folds that pushed the ancient seafloor high into the Alps.
One specimen included the largest ichthyosaur tooth ever found – and this whale tooth has been revealing some of the mysteries of these sea creatures for a long time.
fantastic creatures
The adorably fluffy Patagonian Sheepdogs are a national dog species in parts of South America, helping herd sheep between the Chilean coast and the Patagonian mountains. And you’ve probably never heard of them.
They are also the closest living relatives of a now-extinct breed of dog from England and Scotland, according to new research.
That’s too far to row dogs, so how did they end up half a world away? In the 19th century, South American authorities saw sheep farming as a promising industry, so they looked to the UK and its successful practices.
The farmers came—and they brought their dogs with them. Now, thanks to the isolation these herding dogs have experienced, they act as a “missing link” that scientists can use to understand canine evolution.
write it down on the agenda
These might take you by surprise:
Source: CNN Brasil
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