Unveiling the tale of Tutcetus, the pharaoh of whales who died young 41 million years ago

Discovering a new species of an extinct whale, that inhabited the ancient sea covering present-day Egypt around 41 million years ago

Peer-Reviewed Publication

MANSOURA UNIVERSITY VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY CENTER (MUVP)

 

IMAGE: THE EGYPTIAN PALEONTOLOGISTS ABDULLAH GOHAR, MOHAMED SAMEH, AND HESHAM SALLAM (FROM LEFT) NEXT TO THE HOLOTYPE FOSSILS OF THE NEWLY IDENTIFIED BASILOSAURID WHALE, TUTCETUS RAYANENSIS, AT MANSOURA UNIVERSITY VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY CENTER. view more 

CREDIT: HESHAM SALLAM - MANSOURA UNIVERSITY VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY CENTER

An international team of scientists, led by Egyptian researchers, has made a groundbreaking discovery of a new species of extinct whale, Tutcetus rayanensis, that inhabited the ancient sea covering present-day Egypt around 41 million years ago. This new whale is the smallest basilosaurid whale known to date and one of the oldest records of that family from Africa. Despite its tiny size, Tutcetus has provided unprecedented insights into the life history, phylogeny, and paleobiogeography of early whales.

Basilosauridae, a group of extinct fully aquatic whales, represents a crucial stage in whale evolution, as they transitioned from land to sea. They developed fish-like characteristics, such as a streamlined body, a strong tail, flippers, and a tail fin, and had the last hind limbs visible enough to be recognized as “legs”, which were not used for walking but possibly for mating.

The newly discovered Tutcetus rayanensis was found in the middle Eocene rocks and unambiguously, it helps to illuminate the picture of early whale evolution in Africa. The new whale’s name draws inspiration from both Egyptian history and the location where the specimen was found. The genus name, Tutcetus, combines "Tut" – referring to the famous Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun – and "cetus," Greek for whale, highlighting the specimen's small size and subadult status. The name also commemorates the discovery of the king's tomb a century ago and coincides with the impending opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. The species name, rayanensis, refers to the Wadi El-Rayan Protected Area in Fayum where the holotype was found.

Hesham Sallam, a Professor of Vertebrate Paleontology at the American University in Cairo, founder of Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center, and the leader of the project, commented that: "Whales’ evolution from land-dwelling animals to beautiful marine creatures embodies the marvelous adventurous journey of life”. He continued: “Tutcetus is a remarkable discovery that documents one of the first phases of the transition to a fully aquatic lifestyle that took place in that journey”.

The holotype specimen consists of a skull, jaws, hyoid bone, and the atlas vertebra of a small-sized subadult basilosaurid whale which is embedded in an intensively compacted limestone block. With an estimated length of 2.5 meters and a body mass of approximately 187 kilograms, Tutcetus is the smallest known basilosaurid to date. 

The team's findings have been published in Communications Biology, and the lead author, Mohammed Antar, from the Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center, and the National Focal Point for Natural Heritage stated that: "Tutcetus significantly broadens the size range of basilosaurid whales and reveals considerable disparity among whales during the middle Eocene period”. Antar added: “The investigation of the older layers in Fayum layers may reveal the existence of an older assemblage of early whale fossils, potentially influencing our current knowledge of the emergence and dispersal of whales”. 

Sanaa El-Sayed, a PhD student at University of Michigan and a member of Sallam Lab, and a co-author of the study stated that: “The relatively small size of Tutcetus (188 kg) is either primitive retention or could be linked to the global warming event known as the "Late Lutetian Thermal Maximum (LLTM)”. El-Sayed added: “This groundbreaking discovery sheds light on the early evolution of whales and their transition to aquatic life”.

Through detailed analyses of Tutcetus's teeth and bones, using CT scanning, the team was able to reconstruct the growth and development pattern of this species, providing an unparalleled understanding of the life history of early whales. The rapid dental development and small size of Tutcetus suggest a precocial lifestyle with a fast pace of life history for early whales. Additionally, the discovery of Tutcetus contributes to the understanding of the basilosaurids' early success in the aquatic environment, their capacity to outcompete amphibious stem whales, and their ability to opportunistically adapt to new niches after severing their ties to the land. The team's findings suggest that this transition likely occurred in the (sub)tropics.

Abdullah Gohar, a PhD student at Mansoura University and a member of Sallam Lab and a co-author of the study, stated that: “Modern whales migrate to warmer, shallow waters for breeding and reproduction, mirroring the conditions found in Egypt 41 million years ago. This supports the idea that what is known as now Fayum was a crucial breeding area for ancient whales, possibly attracting them from various locations and, in turn, drawing in larger predatory whales like Basilosaurus”.

The team's findings have significant paleobiogeographic implications, demonstrating that basilosaurids likely achieved a rapid spread over the Southern Hemisphere, reaching high latitudes by the middle Eocene. 

Erik Seiffert, who is the Chair and Professor of Integrative Anatomical Sciences at the University of Southern California and a co-author of the study, remarked, "The Eocene fossil sites of Egypt’s Western Desert have long been the world’s most important for understanding the early evolution of whales and their transition to a fully aquatic existence”. Seiffert added: “The discovery of Tutcetus demonstrates that this region still has so much more to tell us about the fascinating story of whale evolution".

  

Life reconstruction of the extinct basilosaurid whale Tutcetus rayanensis swimming in the Tethys Ocean of present-day Egypt, 41 million years ago. Illustration by Ahmed Morsi.

Life reconstruction of two individuals of the extinct basilosaurid whale Tutcetus rayanensis, with the foreground individual preying on a nautilid cephalopod and another swimming in the background. Illustration by Ahmed Morsi.

Egyptian researchers don the regalia of King Tutankhamun as they proudly present the holotype fossils of the newly discovered whale species, Tutcetus rayanensis, at Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center. From left: Abdullah Gohar holds the symbolic crook and flail of King Tutankhamun, Mohamed Sameh wears the iconic King Tutankhamun Scarab Necklace, and Hesham Sallam sports Tutankhamun’s Scarab Bracelet.

CREDIT

Hesham Sallam - Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center

JOURNAL

Communications Biology

DOI

10.1038/s42003-023-04986-w 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

A diminutive new basilosaurid whale reveals the trajectory of the cetacean life histories during the Eocene

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

10-Aug-2023

http://prehistoricpulp.blogspot.com/2007/09/ice-hunt-by-james-rollins-2003.html

Ice Hunt by James Rollins (2003) - Prehistoric Pulp 

Sep 5, 2007 ... Ice Hunt starts when an experimental U.S. Navy submarine finds an abandoned military base carved into the side of an iceberg in the Arctic Ocean ...

Google Ads algorithm misses Spanish speakers for SNAP benefits

Reports and Proceedings

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

ITHACA, N.Y. – A Cornell University-led research team has discovered that the algorithm behind Google Ads charged significantly more to deliver online ads to Spanish-speaking people in California about the benefits of SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.

“SNAP is a really important resource to get right,” said Allison Koenecke, lead author of the study and assistant professor of information science. “When faced with an algorithm that has disparate impact, our research asks, how do you pick a strategy to interact with the algorithm to equitably recruit SNAP applicants?”

Californians can apply for SNAP benefits using a website called GetCalFresh, which is developed and managed by Code for America, a civic tech nonprofit that builds digital tools and services for community leaders and governments. Code for America primarily recruits GetCalFresh applicants through Google Ads – for example, spending roughly $400 daily to reach anyone from San Diego County who punches key words and phrases like “how to apply for food stamps” into Google.

However, despite GetCalFresh being offered in multiple languages, Spanish-speakers were filling out proportionally fewer applications than English-speakers. In San Diego County, 23% of families living below the poverty line speak Spanish as their primary language, and yet just 7% had applied for SNAP via GetCalFresh, researchers said.

Koenecke and her collaborators discovered one possible reason: the default, dollar-stretching algorithm behind Google Ads was working too efficiently and disregarding Spanish-speaking people in the process.

When Google Ads is configured to garner the most SNAP enrollments per dollar, it ends up delivering fewer ads to prospective Spanish-speaking applicants because such ads cost more than those for English speakers, the team found. At the time, for every $1 spent on Google Ads to “convert” an English-speaking applicant into a SNAP benefits holder, it cost $3.80 to convert a Spanish-speaking person – nearly four times more. Another bidding option on the Google Ads platform cost 1.4 times more to reach Spanish-speakers versus English-speakers.

Koenecke and her collaborators can’t definitively explain the difference, since Google Ads is a black box – a proprietary machine-learning tool outside of public review. It could be attributed to any number of factors, like supply and demand or a bug in the system, she said.

For GetCalFresh, the research findings pose an important ethical question regarding how to spend its limited online advertising budget: Should they reach as many Californians as cheaply as possible, even if that means fewer Spanish-speaking applicants, or advertise more to Spanish-speakers, even if that yields fewer total applicants?

Trade-offs such as these are at the heart of Koenecke’s research into fairness and algorithmic systems, which are increasingly being used to help with decision-making in areas with real consequences, like health care, banking and child services. But without additional scrutiny, algorithms – including a seemingly harmless one behind an advertising platform – can exacerbate inequality or produce results that run counter to what people actually want or need, she said.

As a result of the team’s findings, Code for America adjusted its online advertising strategy to directly target more Spanish-speaking prospective applicants.

“It’s important for the field and the public to have productive dialogues about the kinds of metrics we should be using in these algorithmic systems,” she said. “The communities most impacted by the algorithms should be given more power in the decision-making process.”

This research was partly funded by the National Science Foundation and Stanford University.

For additional information, see this Cornell Chronicle story.

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Could artificially dimming the sun prevent ice melt?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BERN

With methods of so-called geoengineering, the climate could theoretically be artificially influenced and cooled. Bernese researchers have now investigated whether it would be possible to prevent the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet by artificially "dimming the sun". The results show that artificial influence does not work without decarbonization and entails high risks.

Is there an emergency solution that could stop climate change? Technical methods that artificially influence the climate have been discussed for some time under the term geoengineering. However, the majority of climate researchers have been critical of them: high risks, incalculable consequences for future generations.

In a study just published in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers led by Johannes Sutter of the Climate and Environmental Physics Division (KUP) at the Institute of Physics and the Oeschger Center for Climate Research at the University of Bern investigate the question of whether the melting of ice in West Antarctica could be prevented by artificially influencing solar radiation. The researchers also warn of unforeseeable side effects of geoengineering.

Avoiding a key climate tipping point

"The window of opportunity to limit the global temperature increase to below 2 degrees is closing fast," says ice modeling specialist Johannes Sutter, "so it is possible that technical measures to influence the climate will be seriously considered in the future." That is why, he says, it is necessary to use theoretical models to study the effects and risks of "solar radiation management." Solar Radiation Management (SRM) is a term used to describe various methods of blocking solar radiation in order to make the Earth cooler.

A key reason for the increased interest in geoengineering is the avoidance of tipping points at which the climate could change abruptly and irreversibly. These include the melting of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets and the associated meter-high sea level rise. "Observations of ice flows in West Antarctica indicate that we are very close to a so-called tipping point or have already passed it," explains Johannes Sutter, "with our study, we therefore  wanted to find out  whether a collapse of the ice sheet could theoretically be prevented with solar radiation management."

Artificially dimming the sun

Specifically, Sutter and his colleagues have investigated what would happen if so-called aerosols – suspended particles in a gas – introduced into the stratosphere succeeded in blocking solar radiation from the earth – a dimming of the sun, so to speak. So far, research has focused on the global effects of solar radiation management (SRM). The Bern study is the first to use ice model simulations to show what effect such a measure would have on the Antarctic ice sheet. The study examines the possible development of the ice sheet under different future greenhouse gas scenarios and yields differentiated results: If emissions continue unabated and the SRM occurs in the middle of this century, the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could be delayed somewhat, but not prevented. In a medium emissions scenario, SRM deployed by mid-century could prove to be an "effective tool" to slow or even prevent ice sheet collapse.

According to the model calculations, SRM works best when it occurs as early as possible and is combined with ambitious climate mitigation measures. But, the study authors emphasize, "our simulations show that the most effective way to prevent long-term collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is rapid decarbonization." The chances of a longer-term stable ice sheet are greatest if greenhouse gas emissions were reduced to net zero "without delay."

Possible side effects still hardly studied

But how should one imagine a dimming of the sun in practical terms? According to Johannes Sutter, a whole fleet of extremely high-flying airplanes would have to spread millions of tons of aerosols in the stratosphere. However, this technical intervention in the climate would have to be maintained without interruption and for centuries. If the intervention were stopped as long as the greenhouse concentration in the atmosphere remained high, the temperature on earth would quickly rise by several degrees.

The consequences of such a termination shock, Johannes Sutter points out, are only one of the possible dangers posed by SRM. The potential side effects are still insufficiently researched and range from a shift in the monsoon regime to changes in ocean and atmospheric circulation. Ocean acidification would also continue. Critical voices also caution political and social effects: The use of techniques such as solar dimming could lead to climate protection measures being slowed down or even prevented. Thomas Stocker, professor of climate and environmental physics at the University of Bern and co-author of the study, says: "Geoengineering would be another global experiment and a potentially dangerous human intervention in the climate system, which should in any case be prevented according to Article 2 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change."

Publication details:  

Climate intervention on high emission pathway could delay but not prevent West Antarctic Ice Sheet demise, J. Sutter, A. Jones, T. L. Frölicher, C. Wirths, T. F. Stocker, 10 August, 2023, Nature Climate Change.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01738-w

Contacts:

Dr. Johannes Sutter

Oeschger Center for Climate Research at the University of Bern

Tel.: +41 31 684 4275

E-Mail: johannes.sutter@unibe.ch

 

Prof. Dr. Thomas Stocker

Oeschger Center for Climate Research at the University of Bern

Tel.: +41 31 684 44 62

E-Mail: thomas.stocker@unibe.ch

 

Oeschger-Zentrum for Climate Research The Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research (OCCR) is one of the strategic centers of the University of Bern. It brings together researchers from 14 institutes and four faculties. The OCCR conducts interdisciplinary research at the cutting edge of climate change research. The Oeschger Center was founded in 2007 and bears the name of Hans Oeschger (1927–1998), a pioneer of modern climate research, who worked in Bern.   Further information: www.oeschger.unibe.ch

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JOURNAL

Nature Climate Change

DOI

10.1038/s41558-023-01738-w 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

ARTICLE TITLE

Climate intervention on high emission pathway could delay but not prevent West Antarctic Ice Sheet demise

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

10-Aug-2023

 

New insights into the potential for early steps of biological evolution on Mars

Peer-Reviewed Publication

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: THIS RAW IMAGE FROM THE CURIOSITY ROVER SHOWS THE HEXAGON-SHAPED MUDCRACKS FILLED WITH SALT. view more 

CREDIT: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/MSSS, LANL.

That the planet Mars had habitable surface environments early in its existence has been firmly established by the scientific community.  These environments provided water, energy sources, elements like carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur, as well as critical catalytic transition metals associated with life as we know it. However, whether that potential stimulated further progression towards the independent evolution of life on Mars is unknown.

A team of scientists comprised of Juergen Schieber, a Professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences within the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington, and colleagues on NASA’s Curiosity Rover mission, uncovered the first tangible evidence for sustained wet-dry cycling on early Mars. The latter condition is considered essential for prebiotic chemical evolution, a stepping-stone towards the emergence of life.

In a new paper, “Sustained wet-dry cycling on early Mars,” published in the scientific journal Nature, Schieber and his co-authors utilized data from the Curiosity Rover that currently explores Gale Crater to examine ancient pattern of mudcracks filled with salt (geometric patterns like pentagons or hexagons) observed in 3.6 billion year old mudstones.  As mud dries out, it shrinks and fractures into T-shaped junctions – like what Curiosity discovered previously at “Old Soaker,” a collection of mud cracks lower down on Mount Sharp. Those junctions are evidence that Old Soaker’s mud formed and dried out once, while the recurring exposures to water that created the new mud cracks caused the T-junctions to soften and become Y-shaped, eventually forming a hexagonal pattern.

Although Professor Schieber’s main research interest is the geology of shales and mudstones on Earth, his interest in the underlying fundamentals prompted him to postulate an abundance of mudstones on Mars, and that got him into a conversation with people that were planning the Mars Science Lab (MSL) Curiosity Rover mission at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Given my expertise about these rocks I was invited to join the MSL science team, and since landing in August 2012, 11 years ago almost to the day, our traverse has been dominated by mudstones,” said Professor Schieber.

Sustained wet-dry cycling on Mars—a consequence of a repeated desiccation, recharge, and flooding, creates cracks in the lake bed and within those cracks high salt concentrations develop that force the crystallization of minerals left after the lake’s evaporation, and cementation of sediment.  Ultimately this process was preserved as the polygonal (hexagon- or pentagon-shaped) patterns observed with the Rover. Due to desiccation, the residual water likely had high concentrations of dissolved salts and, potentially, of organic molecules that can serve as the building blocks of life.

“The theory is, that as these elements and organic molecules are forced closer and closer together with increasing salinity, they may start polymerizing and make longer chains, creating the conditions for spontaneous chemistry that may start the complex chemical evolution that could lead to living organisms,” said Schieber. “It is that mental image that got us excited when we observed these honeycomb-shaped, or polygonal, ridge patterns on the surface of mudstone beds. Here was evidence for wetting and drying that could drive interesting chemistry within the cracks.”

Knowing from earlier studies that likely residuals from the lake’s desiccation should be calcium and magnesium sulfate minerals, the team used the “Chemcam” instrument on the Curiosity Rover to probe the cemented ridges to confirm their chemical composition.

The sedimentary features of the mudstones that Schieber and his co-authors studied can be interpreted to have resulted from multiple wetting and drying cycles resulting in mineral precipitates—minerals left behind when water evaporates—stacked on top of each other over time.  If organic molecules were present in residual brines, this setting may have been conducive to the evolution of more complex organic molecules and pre-biotic chemistry, the study authors report.

Overlays highlight the geometric patterns.

CREDIT

NASA/JPL-CALTECH/MSSS, LANL

JOURNAL

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-023-06220-3 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Imaging analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Sustained wet–dry cycling on early Mars

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

9-Aug-2023

 

Chemicals from maize roots influence wheat yield

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BERN

 

IMAGE: WHEAT FIELD AT THE EXPERIMENTAL SITE OF AGROSCOPE IN POSIEUX, CANTON OF FRIBOURG, SWITZERLAND. view more 

CREDIT: IMAGE: VALENTIN GFELLER

Maize roots secrete certain chemicals that affect the quality of soil. In some fields, this effect increases yields of wheat planted subsequent to maize in the same soil by more than 4%. This was proven by researchers from the University of Bern. While the findings from several field experiments show that these effects are highly variable, in the long term they may yet help to make the cultivation of grains more sustainable, without the need for additional fertilizers or pesticides.

Plants produce an abundance of special chemicals. Some of these are released into the soil and influence its quality. This, in turn, affects the next plant to grow in the soil. So far, little research has taken place on the extent to which the excreted chemicals can be used in agriculture to increase productivity. Recently, however, researchers from the Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS) at the University of Bern have conducted field experiments in this area. With their findings published in the scientific journal eLife, the researchers demonstrate that specialized metabolitesfrom the roots of the maize plant can bring about an increase in the yields of subsequently planted wheat under agriculturally realistic conditions.

How maize root chemicals affect wheat

On the basis of earlier studies conducted by researchers at the Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS) at the University of Bern, it was known that so-called benzoxazinoids – natural chemicals which maize plants release through their roots – change the composition of microorganisms in the soil on the roots and therefore influence the growth of the subsequent plants that grow in the soil. The present study investigated whether plant-soil feedbacks of this kind also occur under realistic agricultural conditions. “Such field experiments are essential to test the transferability of basic research into practice and thus assess the potential agronomic benefit,” explains Valentin Gfeller, who worked on the project as a doctoral student at IPS and now works at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL. During a two-year field experiment, two lines of maize were initially grown, only one of which released benzoxazinoids into the soil. Three varieties of winter wheat were then grown on the differently conditioned soils. On this basis, it was possible to demonstrate that the excretion of benzoxazinoids improves germination and increases tillering, growth and crop yield.

Fewer pests, same quality

In addition to the increased crop, lower levels of infestation by some pests were also observed. “A yield increase of 4% may not sound spectacular, but it is still significant considering how challenging it has become to enhance wheat yields without additional inputs,” explained Matthias Erb, Professor for Biotic Interactions at the Institute of Plant Sciences, who led the study together with Klaus Schläppi of the University of Basel. “Whether effects of this kind actually make a significant difference for overall agricultural productivity and sustainability remains to be seen, however, as yield also depends on many other factors,” explains Erb. The study demonstrates the potential of using specialized plant compounds to improve crop productivity through variety-specific rotations.

Within the framework of the “One Health” Interfaculty Research Cooperation (IRC) at the University of Bern (see box), it was also possible to investigate the quality of the wheat at the level of individual chemical elements. Together with the Institute of Geography of the University of Bern and Agroscope, the Swiss centre of excellence for agricultural research, it was possible to demonstrate that the increase in harvest due to benzoxazinoids does not have any negative impact on wheat grain quality.

Plant chemicals persist in the soil

To better understand the underlying mechanism, the researchers completed a variety of analyzes of the soil and roots. The benzoxazinoid-producing plants accumulated these chemicals  and their degradation products in the soil close to their roots. Furthermore, in collaboration with the University of Basel, it was confirmed that benzoxazinoids influence the community of bacteria and fungi in and on maize roots. However, soil nutrients were not altered. Benzoxazinoids also proved to be particularly persistent in the soil. The extent to which wheat growth and overall yield are directly or indirectly affected by benzoxazinoids through soil microorganisms will be subject to further investigation.

Soil properties are important

To test the effects of soil properties, together with the University of Basel and Agroscope, the research team conducted another two-year field experiment to investigate how these plant-soil feedbacks from benzoxazinoids act in a more heterogeneous field. The composition of the soil chemistry and microorganisms in the field in question varied considerably. The researchers succeeded in showing that the influence of benzoxazinoids on the growth and resistance of wheat depends on this different composition. “A better understanding of the effects of soil properties  on plant-soil feedbacks is crucial in terms of the future use in sustainable agriculture,” explains Valentin Gfeller.

Information about the publication:

Gfeller V, Waelchli J, Pfister S, Deslandes-Hérold G, Mascher F, Glauser G, Aeby Y, Mestrot A, Robert CAM, Schlaeppi K, Erb M. 2023. Plant secondary metabolite-dependent plant-soil feedbacks can improve crop yield in the field. eLife. 12: e84988 https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.84988

Other related publications:

Gfeller V, Cadot S, Waelchli J, Gulliver S, Terrettaz C, Thönen L, Mateo P, Robert CAM, Mascher F, Steinger T, Bigalke M, Erb M, Schlaeppi K. 2023. Soil chemical and microbial gradients determine accumulation of root-exuded secondary metabolites and plant-soil feedbacks in the field. J Sustain Agric Environ. https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.12063

Hu, L. et al. 2018. Root exudate metabolites drive plant-soil feedbacks on growth and defense by shaping the rhizosphere microbiota. Nature communications. 9: 2738. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05122-7

The Interfaculty Research Cooperation “One Health” The Interfaculty Research Cooperation (IRC) "One Health" examines how environmental chemicals influence the health of the soil, plants, animals and humans. In close collaboration, 9 research groups from the Natural Sciences, Vetsuisse and Medical faculties are examining and quantifying the effect of pesticides, heavy metals and plant defense metabolites on microbial communities at the interfaces between soils, plants, animals and humans. The interdisciplinary approach contributes to a better understanding of how environmental changes affect the health of food chains. The IRC "One Health" combines the strategic topic focuses of "sustainability" and "health and medicine" at the University of Bern and promotes interdisciplinary research on a highly topical subject in life sciences and biology. More about the IRC "One Health" More about the Institute of Plant Sciences

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JOURNAL

eLife

DOI

10.7554/eLife.84988 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Plant secondary metabolite-dependent plant-soil feedbacks can improve crop yield in the field

 

Researchers reveal mechanism triggering Arctic daily warming

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF CHINA

 

IMAGE: ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CP ENSO view more 

CREDIT: IMAGE FROM PROF. REN’S TEAM

Prof. REN Baohua and his team from the School of Earth and Space Sciences, the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), uncovered the connection between Arctic daily warming and the equator region as well as Atlantic storms. The series of studies have been published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, Environmental Research Letters, and Advances in Atmospheric Sciences.

As one of the coldest places where the average winter temperature is -30℃, the Arctic temperature has reached the melting point several times, for instance, in late December 2015 and 2022. Those Artic daily warming events have drawn growing interest. 

Currently, most researchers focus on the long-term growth of the Arctic temperature but pay little attention to Arctic daily warming events. In the series of studies, the research team investigated the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the Central Pacific El Niño-Southern Oscillation (CP ENSO) on the Arctic daily warming occurrence.

The researchers investigated the impact of the NAO on the Arctic winter daily warming events induced by Atlantic storms, known as the Atlantic pattern-Arctic Rapid Tropospheric Daily Warming (Atlantic-RTDW) event.

They discovered that the relationship between the NAO and the Atlantic-RTDW-event frequency has weakened since the mid-1980s, which was attributed to a stronger Atlantic Storm Track (AST) activity intensity. During this period, the strong AST induced an enhanced NAO-related cyclone via transient eddy-mean flow interactions, resulting in the disappearance of southerly and northerly wind anomalies over the NA.

Furthermore, the researchers found that ENSO has urged a stronger Rossby wave due to its heightened intensity since the late 1970s, allowing El Niño to deepen the Aleutian Low, thus decreasing (increasing) Arctic daily warming events. This model offered a potential link between the equator and the Arctic which can assist in the prediction of extreme Arctic daily warming events. With global warming, this potential relation may be strengthened.

Nevertheless, after the mid-1980s, the planetary wave associated with CP ENSO could not propagate upwards into the stratosphere, cutting the teleconnection between CP ENSO and Iceland Low. As a result, CP ENSO’s influence on the occurrence frequency of A-RTDW events was weakened.

The findings provided a new perspective on the weather and climate changes in the Arctic. Those studies can help strengthen the prediction of Arctic daily warming events.

 

Jane FAN Qiong 

Tel: +86-551-63607280 

E-mail:englishnews@ustc.edu.cn

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JOURNAL

npj Climate and Atmospheric Science

DOI

10.1038/s41612-023-00399-y 

ARTICLE TITLE

Change of the CP ENSO’s role in the occurrence frequency of Arctic daily warming events triggered by Atlantic storms

 

Arctic monitoring program plays vital role in global pollution reduction efforts

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CHINESE SOCIETY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

 

IMAGE: GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT. view more 

CREDIT: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY

Historically, the Arctic was considered a pristine region, but scientific research spanning the last three decades has revealed the harsh reality of long-range transported pollutants reaching the Arctic from different corners of the world. In response to this alarming discovery, AMAP was created with the mission to monitor pollution and its effects on the Arctic environment and human health.

In a new article published on 26 July 2023, in the journal Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, researchers from Arctic Knowledge Ltd, presents the initiation and implementation of a systematic scientific and political cooperation in the Arctic related to environmental pollution and climate change, with a special focus on the role of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP). AMAP's pioneering approach, with equal participation of indigenous peoples' organizations alongside Arctic states, seamlessly blending scientific and local knowledge in assessments, has been crucial in understanding the risks posed by persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mercury, radioactivity, and oil pollution, among others. The far-reaching impacts of AMAP's scientific results are evident as its data played a key role in establishing international agreements like the UN Stockholm Convention on POPs and the UN Minamata treaty, resulting in reduced pollution levels not only in the Arctic but also globally. Additionally, AMAP's work has inspired initiatives beyond the Arctic, with ICIMOD establishing HIMAP based on AMAP's model in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKM) region. Furthermore, the proposal for the Antarctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AnMAP) seeks advice from AMAP, extending the program's influence beyond its original scope. Despite challenges in data sharing and accessing geographical areas for observations, AMAP remains steadfast in its commitment to enhance Arctic monitoring and research data accessibility for international networks and agreements. Given the rapid changes in the Arctic, AMAP's role in fostering continued collaboration and providing science-based policy advice has become more critical than ever. In this regard, AMAP stands as a powerful example of the potential of international cooperation in addressing global challenges and promoting peace and prosperity through science.

Highlights

• AMAP has monitored and assessed Arctic pollution since 1991.
• The main source of Arctic pollution is long-range transport from lower latitudes.
• AMAP data have been fundamental in developing international chemical regulations.
• Food advice has reduced contaminant exposure in local communities.
• Other monitoring and assessment frameworks have been developed after AMAP's model.

In conclusion, AMAP's systematic scientific and political cooperation has been instrumental in recognizing, understanding, and mitigating environmental pollution and climate change in the Arctic. Its efforts have not only led to significant reductions in pollutants in the Arctic but have also influenced global agreements and inspired similar initiatives in other regions.

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References

DOI

10.1016/j.ese.2023.100302

Funding information

The authors wish to acknowledge the scientists and local communities involved in the AMAP monitoring and assessments as well as the reviewers of the scientific assessments. This long-term work would not have been possible without the dedicated contributions from the AMAP Working Group and the Secretariat. The AMAP work benefitted from financial support by the Arctic countries, the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) and the Global Environment Facility Programme (GEF).

About Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (ISSN 2666-4984) is an international, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal published by Elsevier. The journal publishes significant views and research across the full spectrum of ecology and environmental sciences, such as climate change, sustainability, biodiversity conservation, environment & health, green catalysis/processing for pollution control, and AI-driven environmental engineering. The latest impact factor of ESE is 12.6, according to the Journal Citation ReportTM 2022.

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JOURNAL

Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

DOI

10.1016/j.ese.2023.100302 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

The role of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) in reducing pollution of the Arctic and around the globe