(Press-News.org) New research reveals that shifts in plant life played a key role in speeding up major climate changes during the late Miocene, a period spanning 11.6 to 5.3 million years ago.
During this time, Earth’s climate shifted from the warm conditions of the middle Miocene to conditions closer to what we experience today, turning forests into grasslands and forcing animals like horses and elephants to evolve tougher teeth for eating gritty plants. At the same time, predators like big cats adapted to hunting in open plains, reshaping life on land forever.
So what caused this major climate shift?
Previous studies pointed to falling carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels and tectonic movements as the main drivers of these changes. However, these factors alone couldn’t fully explain the global climate transition. Now, a study led by Professor Ran Zhang from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlights how vegetation feedbacks—changes in plant cover that influence climate—intensified cooling in the northern high latitudes and altered rainfall patterns in lower latitudes.
The findings, published in Science Advances, show that vegetation changes amplified cooling by altering surface reflectivity (albedo) and interacting with water vapor, clouds, and sea ice. These effects were even stronger than those caused by CO₂ decline alone in some regions.
By combining geological data and climate models, the study clarifies the distinct roles of CO₂, tectonic changes, and vegetation feedbacks in shaping the late Miocene climate.
“This research helps us better understand the mechanisms behind the late Miocene climate shift and underscores how vegetation feedbacks can influence global climate—both in the past and in the future,” said Professor Zhang.
Unlike today’s rapid, CO₂-driven warming, the Late Miocene was marked by cooling and CO₂ decline. The study highlights the often-overlooked impact of plant life on climate systems, offering insights for both historical and future climate change research.
END
Vegetation changes accelerated climate shifts during the late Miocene, study finds
2025-05-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Scientists discover key to taming unrest at Italy’s Campi Flegrei
2025-05-02
Swarms of earthquakes have been jolting southern Italy with increasing intensity since 2022, threatening hundreds of thousands of people living atop a volcanic area known as Campi Flegrei, where the land experiences slow vertical movements. While authorities debate disaster responses and evacuation protocols, researchers may have found a way to thwart the cyclic unrest altogether: by managing water runoff or lowering groundwater levels, thus reducing fluid pressure within the geothermal reservoir.
Through subsurface ...
Study reveals details of process driving evolution and major diseases
2025-05-02
Viruses are known to use the genetic machinery of the human cells they invade to make copies of themselves. As part of the process, viruses leave behind remnants throughout the genetic material (genomes) of humans. The virus-like insertions, called “transposable elements,” are snippets of genetic material even simpler than viruses that also use host cell machinery to replicate.
Nearly all these inserted elements have been silenced by our cells’ defense mechanisms over time, but a few, nicknamed “jumping genes,” can still move around the ...
NCSA director Bill Gropp honored with prestigious ACM award
2025-05-02
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) announced Bill Gropp, director of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, was one of six researchers to receive the 2024 ACM Software System Award for their innovative work on MPICH, a high-performance and widely portable implementation of the Message Passing Interface (MPI) standard.
The ACM Software System Award is presented to an institution or individual(s) recognized for developing a software system that has had a lasting influence, reflected in contributions to concepts, commercial acceptance or both. Created more than three decades ...
The future of brain activity monitoring may look like a strand of hair
2025-05-02
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The future of electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring may soon look like a strand of hair. In place of the traditional metal electrodes, a web of wires and sticky adhesives, a team of researchers from Penn State created a hairlike device for long-term, non-invasive monitoring of the brain’s electrical activity. The lightweight and flexible electrode attaches directly to the scalp and delivers stable, high-quality recordings of the brain’s signals.
EEG is critical for diagnosing and assessing neurological conditions like epilepsy and brain injuries. In some cases, clinicians need to monitor brain waves for longer periods ...
New gene-editing therapy shows early success in fighting advanced GI cancers
2025-05-02
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (05/02/2025) — Researchers at the University of Minnesota have completed a first-in-human clinical trial testing a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique to help the immune system fight advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The results, recently published in Lancet Oncology, show encouraging signs of safety and potential effectiveness of the treatment.
“Despite many advances in understanding the genomic drivers and other factors causing cancer, with few exceptions, stage IV colorectal cancer remains a largely incurable disease,” ...
nTIDE May 2025 Jobs Report: Employment of People with Disabilities Remains in a Holding Pattern
2025-05-02
East Hanover, NJ – May 2, 2025 – The latest National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) report shows that the labor market appears to be in a holding pattern for people with disabilities and people without disabilities, as the economy slows and uncertainty around the tariffs continues. nTIDE is issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability.
Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing March 2025 to April 2025)
Based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report released today, the employment-to-population ratio for people ...
SCAI honors members for outstanding service and dedication
2025-05-02
WASHINGTON– At the SCAI 2025 Scientific Sessions held in Washington, DC, SCAI President James B. Hermiller, MD, MSCAI, recognized several individuals for their outstanding service, leadership, and contributions to patient care.
“These distinguished honorees have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to advancing interventional cardiology, shaping the future of patient care, and strengthening our Society,” said SCAI President James B. Hermiller, MD, MSCAI. “Their contributions have left an indelible mark on the field, and we are proud to recognize their achievements.”
Helping ...
NRG Oncology adds new committee leaders in lung cancer and imaging
2025-05-02
NRG Oncology (NRG), a National Cancer Institute (NCI) National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) group focused on improving outcomes for adults with cancer through multi-center clinical research, recently announced it added two new Chairs to the organization’s Lung Cancer Committee and Imaging Committee.
Kristin Higgins, MD, was appointed as Chair of the NRG Lung Cancer Committee. Dr. Higgins is a thoracic radiation oncologist at City of Hope and the Chief Clinical Officer at the City of Hope Atlanta Cancer Center. Dr. Higgins has been a long-time member of the NRG Lung Cancer Committee and the Principal Investigator of ...
Sun safety declining in Canada amid rise in skin cancer cases
2025-05-02
Despite decades of public health messaging, Canadians are spending more time in the sun and using less sun protection – raising alarms among researchers as melanoma cases continue to climb.
That trend is highlighted in a McGill University-led study that analyzed national survey data collected between 2011 and 2018 from over 77,000 people, representing a weighted sample of 21 million Canadians.
Researchers found that 75 per cent of adult Canadians reported spending at least 30 minutes in the sun on summer days off, with nearly half staying out for two hours or more. Most reported ...
Pennington Biomedical highlights how cellular quality control contribute to insulin resistance related to type 2 diabetes
2025-05-02
Researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center have revealed critical insights into how impaired mitochondrial dynamics and quality control mechanisms in skeletal muscle influence insulin sensitivity in patients with Type 2 Diabetes, or T2D. The study, titled "Deubiquitinating Enzymes Regulate Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Quality Control and Insulin Sensitivity in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes," was recently published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.
The research team, led by Pennington Biomedical Executive Director Dr. John Kirwan, ...