Tectonic Plates Can ‘Infect' One Another with Earth-Shaking Subduction Zones
This result 'is not just speculation,' says University of Lisbon geologist João Duarte, who was not involved in the research. 'This study builds an argument based on the geological record.'
Because subduction drags crust deep into the earth, its beginnings are hard to examine. The new study provides a rare ancient example of potential subduction 'infection.' Its authors say they've discovered evidence that neighboring collisions triggered East Asia's 'Ring of Fire,' a colossal subduction system currently fueling earthquakes and volcanoes from Alaska to the southern Indian Ocean.
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Nearly 300 million years ago China was a scattering of islands separated by the ancient Tethys and Asian oceans. Established subduction zones consumed these oceans, welding the landmasses into a new continent and raising mountains from Turkey to China. By 260 million years ago this subduction seems to have spread and begun pulling down the neighboring Pacific plate.
'The dying act of those closing oceans may have been to infect the Pacific plate and start it subducting westward under the Asian continent,' says study lead author Mark Allen, a geologist at Durham University in England. 'In one form or another, it's been diving down ever since.'
The smoking gun in this case is the 'Dupal anomaly,' identified by a geochemical fingerprint from the ancient Tethys Ocean and what is now the Indian Ocean. When the study authors unexpectedly found this signature in volcanic rocks from the western Pacific, they surmised that material from the Tethys had spread eastward across a plate boundary from one subduction zone to another—triggering the neighboring plate's descent. 'It's like seeing someone's fingerprint at a crime scene,' Allen says.
But the mechanism of spread remains mysterious. The researchers suspect that transform faults—boundaries where plates slide past one another, like the San Andreas Fault—may act as weak spots where slight changes in collision angle or speed can destabilize dense oceanic crust, causing it to sink. Duarte compares the scenario to aluminum foil in water. 'The foil floats,' he says, 'but the slightest tap will cause it to sink.'
If subduction spreads this way, could the Atlantic Ocean 's relatively quiet plate margins be next? The massive 1755 Lisbon earthquake hints at early subduction invasion there. Duarte suggests parts of Iberia and the Caribbean are undergoing this process's initial stages: 'In another 100 million years a new Atlantic 'Ring of Fire' may form—just as it once did in the Pacific.'
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Hamilton Spectator
6 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Murder hornets can decapitate 40 bees in 1 minute. Are they in Ontario?
While Ontario has never had a confirmed sighting of a 'murder hornet,' experts say it's possible they could find their way here. Murder hornets, officially known as the northern giant hornet and previously Asian giant hornets, are one of the largest hornet species in the world. Hornets are a subset of wasps. Murder hornets are known to 'aggressively attack humans or animals' if they get too close to a nest or a honey bee colony being attacked, according to the province of Ontario. Orkin entomologist Alice Sinia said murder hornets kill bees by cutting off their heads. 'They can actually decapitate 40 bees in one minute,' she said. 'They can really easily wipe out hives, big colonies in a matter of hours.' In addition, Sinia notes their venom is very toxic — three to four times more potent than a regular wasp — which means murder hornets can pose serious, even life-threatening, health risks. Murder hornet queens can grow to be five centimetres in size, with a wingspan of 7.5 centimetres, according to the Invasive Species Centre — an organization working to prevent the introduction and spread of high-risk invasive species in Canada. The giant hornet gorges itself on other insects and can kill a human. ➡ Subscribe: #NatGeoWILD #Wasps #BiteStingKill About Bite, Sting, Kill: Bite, Sting, Kill is exploring the ways animals can kill with venom. About National Geographic Wild: National Geographic Wild is a place for all things animals and for animal-lovers alike. Take a journey through the animal kingdom with us and discover things you never knew before, or rediscover your favorite animals! Get More National Geographic Wild: Official Site: Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: The World's Biggest Wasp | Bite, Sting, Kill Nat Geo Wild Typically, Sinia said people confuse murder hornets with one of the largest hornets in Ontario: the European hornet. 'They look almost the same,' she said. Though, unlike murder hornets, European hornets have different colouring, aren't as aggressive and don't interact with humans as much. 'People don't see them (European hornets) that commonly,' said Sinia. 'But once they see it, then people become alarmed because they are kind of big and then they think, 'Oh, this must be the murder hornet.'' European hornets are about 2.5-3.5 centimetres — but are still much smaller than murder hornets. The misidentification has led to false sightings of murder hornets in Ontario. The Asian Giant Hornet is often confused for the European Hornet, which leads to many false sightings. Here is a side-by-side comparison. The only area in Canada where the murder hornets have positively been identified has been in B.C. In September 2019, the northern giant hornet was first discovered in Canada in the Nanaimo, B.C. region. 'Researchers aren't sure how the hornets got into Canada, but it's possible they arrived from Asia through packaging material or hiding under imported gardening pots,' the Invasive Species Centre says. That same year, the B.C. government, Canadian Food Inspection Agency and local beekeepers destroyed the nest on the west coast. In May 2020, northern giant hornets were found in Langley, B.C. — approximately 100 kilometres away from where they were found in Nanaimo. In that case, local beekeepers and the CFIA were able to eradicate the nest. Authorities continue to monitor for new sightings. However, the Invasive Species Centre cautions it can be challenging to find them early because they live underground in tunnels or spaces under rocks and homes. Although murder hornets have been spotted in Canada, Sinia said it doesn't mean they've established themselves here or made their way to other provinces and territories yet. 'We have to be on the lookout for this wasp because if it made its way in B.C., it's possible that it can be easily brought into Ontario or maybe another province,' she said. Once a species finds itself in a new place, the question becomes: can it establish itself? If given the chance, Sinia said it's possible murder hornets could establish in Canada as the climate of the countries where they originate are similar enough to Canada's. 'Never say never,' she said. The Invasive Species Centre agrees with that assessment. 'While these hornets have only been found (and eradicated) on the west coast of Canada to date, climate models show that southern Canada is well-suited to host them should they get past the Rocky Mountains or be accidentally introduced,' the organization says on their website . At this time, it's unknown if murder hornets can survive an Ontario winter. The province of Ontario explains the murder hornets are native to temperate and tropical regions in China, Korea, Japan and northern India. 'Northern giant hornets are predatory as they hunt insects for food, including honey bees,' the province says . 'These hornets pose a serious threat to Ontario's agriculture and native biodiversity, including resident bees and wasps. They can also destroy honey bee colonies in less than 24 hours.' Sinia said people should be vigilant and report suspected sightings — and, if found, should be eradicated right away. Murder hornets can be confused with other types of hornets such as the European hornet, the bald-faced hornet, the yellowjacket and the Eastern Cicada Killer and more. Because wasps are most active during the summer months, it's likely if a murder hornet is going to be spotted — it will likely be around this time of year. Sinia said the first giveaway for a murder hornet is the size. The murder hornet is much bigger than the European hornet. European hornets tend to have yellow colouring with black dot markings and stripes, while murder hornets will be orange. The body is solid black and has orange stripes on it. Insects that resemble Asian giant hornets (centre). The European hornet is at the top right. The province of Ontario says northern giant hornets can't be verified without a specimen or a photograph. Identification must be confirmed by a specialist such as an entomologist or taxonomist. If you think you've seen one in Ontario, report it using an online reporting form . You'll need a clear image of the suspected hornet. Ensure the image is in colour and in focus. Photograph the back and side of the insect. For technical issues, contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 . The Invasive Species Centre outlines where you can report invasive species across Canada . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. 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Atlantic
7 days ago
- Atlantic
Who Sunscreens an Elephant?
For all of the eons that animal life has existed on Earth, the sun has been there, too. And for all of those eons, animal life has had only one solution for intense exposure to the sun: evolution. Some creatures have thick, dark skin that's resistant to UV harm; others sprout fur, scales, or feathers that block the sun's rays. Many fish, reptiles, amphibians, and birds may produce a compound that protects their cells against the sun's damaging effects. Hippos, weirdly, ooze a reddish, mucus-y liquid from their pores that absorbs light before it can destroy their skin. And plenty of creatures have evolved behaviors that take advantage of their environment—rolling around in dirt or mud, simply retreating into the shade. But certain modern animals have sun problems that natural selection can't easily solve. Some reside at zoos that can't perfectly replicate their habitat; others live at latitudes that their ancestors didn't experience. Others spend too much time sunbathing in a living-room window, or sport sparse or light-colored fur or hair because their domesticators liked the way it looked. For these animals, people have come up with a shorter-term solution: sunscreen. If, that is, a creature is willing to accept the treatment. Indu, an Asian elephant who lived at the Phoenix Zoo, was game. A few years ago, Heather Wright, one of the zookeepers, noticed the tops of Indu's ears pinking, peeling, and flaking in the summer heat, much like her human keepers' did. So her caretakers picked up some zinc-oxide-based sunblock—specially formulated for sensitive (human) skin—and dabbed it on the elephant. Indu, to be fair, was used to a level of care most wild animals don't enjoy. 'We had already been applying lotion for dryness,' Wright told me. The elephant knew the drill: Once in the barn, she'd lumber up to a window with an opening for her ear and stick the appendage through. As far as zoo staff members could tell, the treatment helped. 'There's nothing magical' about other animals' skin, Leslie Easterwood, a large-animal veterinarian at Texas A&M University, told me: Bake it in the sun, and it will burn. Scientists have spotted whales suffering from sunburns; cats, dogs, horses—even alpacas, turtles, and penguins—can develop all kinds of skin cancers. Pigs, in particular, 'have skin most similar to humans,' Mitchell Song, a veterinary dermatologist based in Arizona told me. At Zoo Miami, keepers have spread mud on older, arthritic wild pigs who can't wallow as well as they did in their youth; they've also applied sunscreen to a babirusa, a species of swine native to Indonesia's forests, and to a Kunekune pig, Gwen Myers, the zoo's chief of animal health, told me. In some sunny places, vets commonly recommend sunscreen for pets and other domesticated creatures, especially light-colored dogs and horses. Steve Valeika, a veterinarian in North Carolina, advises the same for 'white cats that go outside.' This particular conundrum is one of our own making. 'You don't see a lot of white-skinned animals in the wild,' Anthea Schick, a veterinary dermatologist in Tempe, Arizona, told me. Only thanks to generations of selective breeding have they become a frequent presence in and around people's homes. Of course, to sunscreen your pet, you have to … sunscreen your pet. Some pet owners, vets told me, are definitely flummoxed by the suggestion: 'It's not widely discussed,' Schick told me. Vets are more unified in recommending teeth brushing for cats—and most cat owners still just decide they'd rather not. But some animals would certainly benefit from block: Schick told me she's seen her fair share of badly burned dogs, especially after long bouts of sunbathing that scorch their bellies. 'We see a lot of sun-induced skin cancers that could be avoided,' she said. Pit bulls, Dalmatians, and other short-haired breeds are especially vulnerable; even long-haired white cats are sensitive around their eyes, their nose, and the tips of their ears. And Easterwood estimates that the majority of paint horses, left unprotected, will eventually develop skin issues. Squamous-cell-carcinoma cases make up the majority of her workload: 'I see it every single day,' she said. The vets I spoke with generally agreed: Don't bother with sprays, which a lot of animals find annoying or downright terrifying; reapply often, and well; it is way, way, way harder to sunscreen a cat than a dog, though some brave souls manage it. But although some vets recommended human sunscreens, formulated for kids or sensitive skin, others told me they preferred blends marketed for animals. (The FDA has dubbed just one pet sunscreen, made by a company called Epi-Pet and marketed to dogs and horses, 'FDA compliant'—not the same as FDA approval, which requires rigorous safety testing.) Several warned against zinc oxide, which can be toxic to animals if ingested in large quantities; others felt that zinc oxide was worth the risk, unless administered to a tongue-bathing cat. Regardless of the product they're offered, most animals generally aren't as eager as Indu to subject themselves to a human-led sun-protection ritual. And even she was usually plied with a five-gallon bucket of fruits and vegetables while her keepers tended her ears. At Zoo Miami, keeper Madison Chamizo told me she and her colleagues had to spend months training an okapi—an African mammal closely related to a giraffe—to accept caretakers gently scrubbing sunscreen onto her back with a modified Scotch-Brite dishwand, after she lost some patches of hair on her back to a fungal infection. But for creatures in very sunny parts of the world, the alternatives are, essentially, being cooped up indoors, kept away from windows, or wrestled into full-body sunsuits. (Some dogs don't mind; cats, once again, are unlikely to comply.) And some sun-related problems, sunscreen can't fix. Gary West, the Phoenix Zoo's vet, told me he suspects that UV glare has caused eye inflammation in some of his animals; Myers, in Miami, worries about the sensitive skin around some species' eyes. 'They're not really going to wear sunglasses for us,' Myers told me. So she and her colleagues have started to wonder: 'Gosh, is this an animal that we could put a sun visor on?'
UPI
20-07-2025
- UPI
The hidden dangers of feeding wild animals
Researchers at the University of California San Diego say feeding wild elephants can lead to serious harm. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo Feeding wild elephants might seem kind or exciting, but a new study warns it can lead to serious harm. Researchers at the University of California San Diego say that giving food to wild animals -- especially elephants -- can change their behavior in dangerous ways. "Many people, especially foreign tourists, think Asian elephants are tame and docile, like domestic pets," lead author Shermin de Silva, a conservation scientist and professor of biological sciences, said in a UCSD news release. "They don't realize these are formidable wild animals and try to get too close in order to take photographs or selfies, which can end badly for both parties," she added. The study, published in the journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence, looked at 18 years of data from elephant tourism areas in Sri Lanka and India. In Sri Lanka's Udawalawe National Park, researchers found that dozens of elephants had learned to "beg" for food near fences and tourist vehicles. One male elephant, nicknamed Rambo, became a local celebrity for this behavior. The impact? Tragic. Several people were killed or injured in elephant encounters, the news release said. At least three elephants were killed, and some animals ate plastic bags or other waste while trying to get food. In India's Sigur region, researchers tracked 11 male elephants who were fed by people. Four of animals later died, likely because of humans. "Food-conditioned animals can become dangerous, resulting in the injury and death of wildlife, people or both," the researchers wrote. "These negative impacts counteract potential benefits," they added. Feeding wild elephants may cause them to lose their natural foraging skills, especially if they start relying on sugary snacks or processed food, researchers said. It may also raise the risk of disease spreading between people and animals. While most tourists mean well, experts say the best thing to do is never feed wild animals, no matter how safe it seems. Feeding animals might feel like helping a friend, the researchers explained. "But this encourages wild animals to seek food from people, attracting them to areas that can put themselves or people at risk," de Silva said. "It can be a conduit for disease transfer between species," she said. "Such feeding can also cause animals to lose their ability to forage for themselves if the behavior becomes prevalent, especially with young animals." More information The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has more on the potential harm in feeding wildlife. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
