New Delhi: A new study led by the Alfred Wegener Institute and published in Science journal on 4 July has found a plausible reason for why Antarctica’s ice sheets, particularly in West Antarctica, are melting more rapidly than previously believed. Sediment samples from drill cores and climate and ice-sheet modeling indicate that permanent ice formation began in East Antarctica around 34 million years ago. West Antarctica, however, only started developing ice sheets about 7 million years later.
This research highlights significant differences in how East and West Antarctica respond to climate changes because of their different glaciation processes. West Antarctica is particularly vulnerable to warming, since it also took much longer to form ice sheets. These findings are crucial for improving climate models and understanding global climate dynamics. Read more here.
Wild birds have ‘episodic’ advanced memory skills
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of East Anglia conducted a first-of-its-kind experiment on wild birds called tits to understand their memory patterns. Published in Current Biology on 3 July, it reveals that blue and great tits possess ‘episodic-like’ memory, recalling what, where, and when they found food.
Using automated food containers and unique tracking software, the study involved 94 wild blue and great tits. The birds were equipped with radio frequency tags and demonstrated the ability to remember past feeding events, suggesting that human practices, such as leaving out food, may influence the evolution of these memory traits. This research challenges the belief that episodic memory is uniquely human and shows that these birds have more advanced cognitive abilities than previously thought. Read more here.
Before dinosaurs, apex predator was a giant salamander-like creature
About 40 million years before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, the apex predator during the Ice Age was Gaiasia jennyae — a four-legged vertebrate similar to a salamander. It had a two-foot-long skull and interlocking jaws, according to fossils found by a study published in Nature on 3 July.
Researchers in the study describe Gaiasia as a large, ambush predator with a unique toilet seat-shaped head, allowing it to suck in prey. It was part of a superclass of animals called early tetrapods and was said to reside mainly in swampy waters.
Discovered in Namibia’s Gai-as Formation, the fossil’s name honours both the region it was found in and famous paleontologist Jenny Clack. The team that unearthed the specimens wrote this paper revealing crucial insights into early tetrapod evolution during the Permian period which was around 280 million years ago. This discovery highlights the diversity and adaptability of ancient ecosystems in what is now southern Africa. Read more here.
Ozempic could reduce risks of obesity-related cancers
A recent study published in JAMA Network on 5 July reveals that a class of diabetes medications called GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic, are associated with a reduced risk of certain obesity-related cancers. The study, which looked at data from 1.6 million Type 2 diabetes patients in the US treated between 2005 and 2018, compared those on insulin with those on GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic.
Researchers found that GLP-1 users had significantly lower risks of developing 10 out of 13 obesity-associated cancers (OACs), including kidney, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. Thyroid and postmenopausal breast cancers showed no significant change. Since obesity is well-known to increase the risk of certain cancer types, the study was aimed at understanding whether any current treatment methods targeted the risk better than others.
This study shows that GLP-1 treatments could work better than insulin for diabetes patients to reduce the risk of certain cancers. Ozempic, approved in the US in 2017, is part of a new generation of GLP-1 drugs for diabetes which is also being used for its weight-loss benefits.
However, there have been studies that show other negative effects of the drug including gastroperesis, and an eye condition that leads to blindness. The drug is facing 13 lawsuits in the US due to its side-effects. Read more about the JAMA study here.