Thanks for watching, and thanks for sponsoring this episode, Pela! Super cute phone cases that are plant-based? We love them! You can get your own Pela Case at links.pela.earth/animalogic. Use code ANIMALOGIC to help out the show!
I think the most likely explanation is the second one, the "self organization" theory. The plants are intentionally growing in this pattern because it's the most effective way of conserving moisture considering how dry this desert is.
A study of the grasses themselves would help clarify that theory. I have some plants in my yard that are won't thrive if I water them too much. Put it another way, a cactus won't thrive in a swampy soil.
@@LordBloodraven Exactly what I was thinking. plants don't grow toward water they grow away from water stress. Well at least for A. thaliana root growth is based of ASA( plant stress hormone) to determine where to grow the roots but water stress can be caused by too much or too little water. The ASA concentrations that determine what stress is to said plant, is where the specific epigenetic response comes in to how that plant evolved.
I also think so too. Maybe they reorganize themselves so that when the rain does happen, the water go straight deep into the soil before it evaporates again, so that more water could be stored.
It was shown in 2020 that the circles are caused by succulent Euphorbia shrubs that waterproof the granules in the top layer of the soil with a toxic latex that prevents the grasses germinating. The historic aerial photographs were pretty conclusive. The paper is Open Access: J. J. Marion Meyer _et al_ "The allelopathic, adhesive, hydrophobic and toxic latex of Euphorbia species is the cause of fairy circles investigated at several locations in Namibia" _BMC Ecology_ (2020) 20, Article number: 45
This was fascinating! The self-organization theory seems plausible, but I can also think of a flaw, which is that it's vulnerable to cheating from plants of the same or other species that try to grow in the moisture-rich center. There MUST be a mechanism to enforce protection of the common resource, otherwise these organizations would be more unstable than they appear to be. Thank you for sharing this surprising natural mystery!
It's Turing reaction-diffusion system, of the type responsible for spots and stripes on the skin of animals and fish. It's a kind of spontaneous nonlinear-chaotic pattern formation. For instance a long range growth inhibitor interacts with a short range promoter. You need to identify the promoter and inhibitor. The promoter might be water. It's curious that it's only spots that seem to occur, not the other characteristic Turing patterns like stripes and labyrinthine patterns. These fairy circles are found in boundary regions between normal grassland and desert - where nonequilibrium conditions can cause such emergent pattern.
That's what I was thinking but I couldn't put it in words. I was thinking the growth inhibitor would be the gases they mentioned providing the soil with an abundance of nutrients that are concentrated in the center becuase of the water theory, therefore making water the promoter. Then the plants naturally organize themselves so they're not too close to the concentration of water and nutrients so that they don't get too much nutrient too fast or use all the water too soon. But why they make the pattern would probably have to be determined by figuring out which came first, the plant growth patterns or the soil/water concentration patterns. Do the plants grow like that and cause the pooling of water concentrating the nutrients? Or does the earth omit gases/nutrients into the soil in a patterned formation for some reason, omitting the plant growth in the immediate location?
We did finally figure out the "Sailing Stones of Death Valley", and it was pretty recently, like right about close to them finding rings in down under.
A video on Ruta Graveolens should be made! Like why do some cultutres call it Witch's Herb or Herb of Grace, amongst others. Also how it used to be used as a culinary staple back in older recipes and how other cultures believe it has supernatural powers. Also supposedly some people can develop an allergic reaction to it and it can be toxic in high levels 😅😅
Sometimes, I notice plants decide not to grow on grounds that have some sort of kinetic energy, like pressure via footsteps, car wheels, objects etc. Maybe something similar is happening, but from the bottom instead?
Fascinating stuff! The spatial self-organisation theory puts me in mind of the story I once read on how the Japanese are using slime-moulds to plan out future rail networks. Also, at the 5:32 mark, somewhere in Arlen, Texas, Hank Hill's ears perk up.
Desert plants have to survive some of the harshest of conditions, making them very strong and unique. Please do more videos on some of these, such as pipatillo (aka Mormon tea) from which ephedra is sourced; mesquite (the Mother of the desert); salt bush; greasewood; century plant cacti; blue agave cacti; jimsonweed, Datura stramonium (the deadly datura nightshade); desert willow; poppies; and yucca (Dios de Lampora), just to name a few.
This mystery was solved in 2020 by a multidisciplinary study with all types of scientists. The paper is Open Access and full of detail: J. J. Marion Meyer _et al_ "The allelopathic, adhesive, hydrophobic and toxic latex of Euphorbia species is the cause of fairy circles investigated at several locations in Namibia" _BMC Ecology_ (2020) 20, Article number: 45
There are similar rings to these in the CA/NV border desert south of Lake Tahoe. but in each of those rings there is an anthill in the center much like the termites mentioned in the video. cool phenom either way!
2:14 "...a *-distinct-* hexagonal pattern..." "...a _vaguely_ hexagonal pattern..." Given that "literally" literally means the opposite of "literally" now, it's understandable that people might conflate "vague" with "distinct"...
I think this is the opposite of the macchia or savannah phenomenon, in dry or salty areas vegetation appears only in patches, in wet areas it is completely covered, and there is an intermediate arrangement that occurs in the semi-arid phenomenon, which is neither patchy nor completely covered, but inverted patchy.
It looks as though they could be spots where trees used to be massive nd the contents of the trees spirit is still there leaving rings this world was a majestic place
These look a lot like what an antibiotic speck on a petri dish full of bacterial colonies would make. There is a life form in the circle that is making an herbicide antibiotic. The grasses themselves are stronger at the edge of the circle due to a slight resistance to the antibiotic. It doesn't kill them, it makes them stronger.
My theory is they evolved alongside birds that can fly to both locations that are extinct now the circles attract the birds to nest and furtalize the grass
Hey love this video! But I just wanted to let you know that the country and the destert, Namibia and Namib respectively are pronounced "Namib-bia" and not "Namee-bia" as someone whos travelled to Namibia several times.
Thank you. I didn't want to be mean. I watch a lot of content from Namibia, and the pronunciation genuinely threw me for such a loop I missed like the first minute of video.
Google and multiple other sources have it as nuh-MI-bee-uh. This is not a correction, just a clarification, as I found both ways you wrote to explain this confusing.
The fact that the centre of the rings have higher moisture content is kind of paradoxical. Exposed soil dries up quicker than covered soil. Also plants should thrive in the rings because of more moisture. The grasses (or something else) might be making the middle of the rings toxic for other plants, which causes water to channel to the exposed soil, where evaporation happens more easily.
I wonder if there's some sort of mineral deposits in the circles that prevent plants from growing, like a type of undiscovered clay that we haven't been able to notice.
Grasses definitely make this planet a better place. This area reminds me of our front garden after i planted medium sized bunchgrasses, before that it was a barren desert. 😂
I wonder if it as anything to do mycorrhizal colonies or a plant producing an herbicide that lingers many years even after the original plant producing it dies; like walnuts.
Definitely the second, well spotted. This was discovered in 2020. _Euphorbia damarana_ and _Euphorbia gummifera_ shrubs were the cause. Old aerial photographs showed the plants that then disappeared over time, leaving circles behind. The abundant latex from the living Euphorbia causes waterproofing of the granules in the top parts of the soil so inhibiting other plants from establishing. The water sinks down fast but is still available to the Euphorbia's deep roots. This is why the fairy circles have plenty of water underneath. The latex also inhibits germination of grass seed. The shrubs are generally very circular with many succulent branches. The paper is Open Access and quite fascinating: J. J. Marion Meyer _et al_ "The allelopathic, adhesive, hydrophobic and toxic latex of Euphorbia species is the cause of fairy circles investigated at several locations in Namibia" _BMC Ecology_ (2020) 20, Article number: 45
Since the middle of the circles are more wet, could the plants, being desert plants, be staying away from too much water? Like, they don't want too much but they're still keeping close to keep access. This is coming from a non-horticulturalist, don't be mad if I'm REALLY wrong!!
There is a generic link between Australian plants age African plants … the only place that fynbos occurs outside African is a small enclave in Australia
The mystery was solved. They are caused by termites who eat the plants underground in a radius. They deposit their waste at the edges leaving the growth at the edges.bonce waste builds up they tunnel up elsewhere instead of expanding the radius further. The fertilizer causes the lusher growth at the edges.
I'd call it a feedback loop at a guess. Grasses in an arid environment growing where they fall, until a patch of soil has the right conditions to host a sort of oasis, probably because of the generations of plants altering composition until there's a no go zone due to accumulation that the plants can't really live in. Which could potentially be expressed as gas waste (maybe).
The question for me is whether you could broadly predict the changes in scale as you move over the terrain by any correlating factors (the bit with the circles growing as you go north suggests yes?)
These are made by a type of ants. They dispose of the soil taken out of their nest around it, and for some reason, that sand is sterile. These can be found in the sahel region of West Africa as well.
You forgot one of the most important criteria....it has to be made by faeries 😊 Seriously though, ive Always wondered if it has something to do the earth's magnetic field
You might like to do some stories on New Zealand's predator free program. A effort to save native species. Check out Fight for the Wild on RNZ's RUclips.
I wonder if the self organization theory is right and they grow that way to get more water. at night the moisture would settle in the leaves and run down to the soil and get trapped like a reservoir and build up in the center
Thanks for watching, and thanks for sponsoring this episode, Pela! Super cute phone cases that are plant-based? We love them! You can get your own Pela Case at links.pela.earth/animalogic. Use code ANIMALOGIC to help out the show!
Can you make a video on invasive species bolth plants and animals.
MAKE AN EPISODE ABOUT Prosopis tamarugo PLEASE!
I think the most likely explanation is the second one, the "self organization" theory. The plants are intentionally growing in this pattern because it's the most effective way of conserving moisture considering how dry this desert is.
A study of the grasses themselves would help clarify that theory. I have some plants in my yard that are won't thrive if I water them too much. Put it another way, a cactus won't thrive in a swampy soil.
@@LordBloodraven Exactly what I was thinking. plants don't grow toward water they grow away from water stress. Well at least for A. thaliana root growth is based of ASA( plant stress hormone) to determine where to grow the roots but water stress can be caused by too much or too little water. The ASA concentrations that determine what stress is to said plant, is where the specific epigenetic response comes in to how that plant evolved.
I also think so too. Maybe they reorganize themselves so that when the rain does happen, the water go straight deep into the soil before it evaporates again, so that more water could be stored.
I like these theories
It was shown in 2020 that the circles are caused by succulent Euphorbia shrubs that waterproof the granules in the top layer of the soil with a toxic latex that prevents the grasses germinating. The historic aerial photographs were pretty conclusive. The paper is Open Access: J. J. Marion Meyer _et al_ "The allelopathic, adhesive, hydrophobic and toxic latex of Euphorbia species is the cause of fairy circles investigated at several locations in Namibia" _BMC Ecology_ (2020) 20, Article number: 45
This was fascinating! The self-organization theory seems plausible, but I can also think of a flaw, which is that it's vulnerable to cheating from plants of the same or other species that try to grow in the moisture-rich center. There MUST be a mechanism to enforce protection of the common resource, otherwise these organizations would be more unstable than they appear to be. Thank you for sharing this surprising natural mystery!
It's Turing reaction-diffusion system, of the type responsible for spots and stripes on the skin of animals and fish. It's a kind of spontaneous nonlinear-chaotic pattern formation. For instance a long range growth inhibitor interacts with a short range promoter. You need to identify the promoter and inhibitor. The promoter might be water. It's curious that it's only spots that seem to occur, not the other characteristic Turing patterns like stripes and labyrinthine patterns. These fairy circles are found in boundary regions between normal grassland and desert - where nonequilibrium conditions can cause such emergent pattern.
That's what I was thinking but I couldn't put it in words.
I was thinking the growth inhibitor would be the gases they mentioned providing the soil with an abundance of nutrients that are concentrated in the center becuase of the water theory, therefore making water the promoter. Then the plants naturally organize themselves so they're not too close to the concentration of water and nutrients so that they don't get too much nutrient too fast or use all the water too soon. But why they make the pattern would probably have to be determined by figuring out which came first, the plant growth patterns or the soil/water concentration patterns. Do the plants grow like that and cause the pooling of water concentrating the nutrients? Or does the earth omit gases/nutrients into the soil in a patterned formation for some reason, omitting the plant growth in the immediate location?
We did finally figure out the "Sailing Stones of Death Valley", and it was pretty recently, like right about close to them finding rings in down under.
What did they say about the stones? I missed that.
@@drinny26 ice freezes and the rocks slide on the ice, gouging tracks in the ground
The remnants of Mike Wazowski sand angels, it's the only logical answer
Mike Wazowski! My daughter has made me watch that movie with her waaaaaay too many times. lol!
Wouldn't the angels look like candy shaped? 😅
@@KAW96 It's why is the remnants, green boy be round
A video on Ruta Graveolens should be made! Like why do some cultutres call it Witch's Herb or Herb of Grace, amongst others. Also how it used to be used as a culinary staple back in older recipes and how other cultures believe it has supernatural powers. Also supposedly some people can develop an allergic reaction to it and it can be toxic in high levels 😅😅
It is contact with the fresh plant of Rue together with sunlight that will strip the skin off many people. Really nasty and takes a long time to heal.
Try growing some of the grass in the middle of the circle and see what happens.
It reminds me of the drops that remain on a surface after water has been spilled on it
Sometimes, I notice plants decide not to grow on grounds that have some sort of kinetic energy, like pressure via footsteps, car wheels, objects etc.
Maybe something similar is happening, but from the bottom instead?
Fascinating stuff! The spatial self-organisation theory puts me in mind of the story I once read on how the Japanese are using slime-moulds to plan out future rail networks.
Also, at the 5:32 mark, somewhere in Arlen, Texas, Hank Hill's ears perk up.
2:13 If that's the case then they would look like cells
I'd like to hear you talk about Kudzu in the future. Love your show! :)
I requested that one too.
I've done a little research, and found out that Kudzu is edible, the entire plant including the roots.
heard it's an invasive species.
So glad I found this channel. I love trees and plants. I find them so awesome in the things they do. Thank you
Desert plants have to survive some of the harshest of conditions, making them very strong and unique. Please do more videos on some of these, such as pipatillo (aka Mormon tea) from which ephedra is sourced; mesquite (the Mother of the desert); salt bush; greasewood; century plant cacti; blue agave cacti; jimsonweed, Datura stramonium (the deadly datura nightshade); desert willow; poppies; and yucca (Dios de Lampora), just to name a few.
Is these plant rings in Namibia and Australia a form of convergent evolution?
Probably, it happens often enough.
such an interesting observation :) 🌷🌱
Please talk about phantom orchids next!
tbh I have a soft spot for unsolved natural mysteries --they feel like magic x0x
Has anyone asked physicists and chemists what's up with the desert patches. Those guys are usually the ones to sort these things out
I know they've tested the soil and didn't find anything unusual.
I feel like that's the first idea they had.
This mystery was solved in 2020 by a multidisciplinary study with all types of scientists. The paper is Open Access and full of detail: J. J. Marion Meyer _et al_ "The allelopathic, adhesive, hydrophobic and toxic latex of Euphorbia species is the cause of fairy circles investigated at several locations in Namibia" _BMC Ecology_ (2020) 20, Article number: 45
They look like water droplet circles, you know like when it rains on sand. Water tents to form circles like that.
I thought the mushroom rings were called both fairy rings and fairy circles.
There are similar rings to these in the CA/NV border desert south of Lake Tahoe. but in each of those rings there is an anthill in the center much like the termites mentioned in the video. cool phenom either way!
Cool!
please make a video on hairless sphinx cats (bingus's cat type)
This was so interesting, and Tasha's hair looks REALLY CUTE today. Thanks again! ♥
2:14
"...a *-distinct-* hexagonal pattern..."
"...a _vaguely_ hexagonal pattern..."
Given that "literally" literally means the opposite of "literally" now, it's understandable that people might conflate "vague" with "distinct"...
Suggestions for you:
Jimson Weed/datura
Foxglove/digitalis
Lily of the Valley
Queen of the Night - Night-blooming cereus
Dragon Fruit/pitaya
Looks like a shortage of dragons led to thread getting through.
I got that reference!
I think this is the opposite of the macchia or savannah phenomenon, in dry or salty areas vegetation appears only in patches, in wet areas it is completely covered, and there is an intermediate arrangement that occurs in the semi-arid phenomenon, which is neither patchy nor completely covered, but inverted patchy.
Well I think I figured it out: There MUST be a reason why they are called "fairy circles"! 🤣
Those shapes are simply mesmerizing! Thanks for a great presentation of this fascinating mystery.
Your eyeliner is super gorgeous by the way!
It looks as though they could be spots where trees used to be massive nd the contents of the trees spirit is still there leaving rings this world was a majestic place
Great to hear from Tasha, as always
It’s probably high concentration of salt
I'm gonna start referring to bald patches as fairy circles
These look a lot like what an antibiotic speck on a petri dish full of bacterial colonies would make. There is a life form in the circle that is making an herbicide antibiotic. The grasses themselves are stronger at the edge of the circle due to a slight resistance to the antibiotic. It doesn't kill them, it makes them stronger.
Those bloopers at the end were very cute
Really fascinating, and I'm happy with a mystery since you found researched hypotheses to keep us thinking :)
Just dig one out entirely and we don't have to wonder.
My theory is they evolved alongside birds that can fly to both locations that are extinct now the circles attract the birds to nest and furtalize the grass
Isn't swapping to a new case even if it decomposes means your old one is just gonna sit in a landfill sooner
Suggestion: Fairy Rings, what you mentioned of them was very interesting
Image at 2:15 is similar to orgamisation of human epithelial cells. Where the circle is the nucleus
I love Tasha! She is hilarious!
1:33 start. one minute in and im still waiting for the content
Wow, that's a lotta outtakes!
If I had to wager a guess I would say that the shrub that makes the circles has some kind of symbiotic relationship with a fungus.
Would love to see a video about epiphytic aroids. Or on colorfull gingers like marantaceae
Hey love this video! But I just wanted to let you know that the country and the destert, Namibia and Namib respectively are pronounced "Namib-bia" and not "Namee-bia" as someone whos travelled to Namibia several times.
Thank you. I didn't want to be mean. I watch a lot of content from Namibia, and the pronunciation genuinely threw me for such a loop I missed like the first minute of video.
Google and multiple other sources have it as nuh-MI-bee-uh. This is not a correction, just a clarification, as I found both ways you wrote to explain this confusing.
I’m going to step in every one of them.
Roots... theres that word again...
Chiltepín pepper (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum) -- a wild chile from the Sonoran desert.
How about doing the rainbow eucalyptus tree
The fact that the centre of the rings have higher moisture content is kind of paradoxical. Exposed soil dries up quicker than covered soil. Also plants should thrive in the rings because of more moisture. The grasses (or something else) might be making the middle of the rings toxic for other plants, which causes water to channel to the exposed soil, where evaporation happens more easily.
I wonder if there's some sort of mineral deposits in the circles that prevent plants from growing, like a type of undiscovered clay that we haven't been able to notice.
Can you do an episode on warblers or other lesser known songbirds or lesser known birds in general?
Grasses definitely make this planet a better place. This area reminds me of our front garden after i planted medium sized bunchgrasses, before that it was a barren desert. 😂
i think is more to adaptation of the climate due rare rain
because the plant was making water storage
so that it can absorb like a sponge pores
That's just too awesome for any of us to contemplate! How awesome are you anyway, you know??? Yup
I wonder if it as anything to do mycorrhizal colonies or a plant producing an herbicide that lingers many years even after the original plant producing it dies; like walnuts.
Definitely the second, well spotted. This was discovered in 2020. _Euphorbia damarana_ and _Euphorbia gummifera_ shrubs were the cause. Old aerial photographs showed the plants that then disappeared over time, leaving circles behind. The abundant latex from the living Euphorbia causes waterproofing of the granules in the top parts of the soil so inhibiting other plants from establishing. The water sinks down fast but is still available to the Euphorbia's deep roots. This is why the fairy circles have plenty of water underneath. The latex also inhibits germination of grass seed. The shrubs are generally very circular with many succulent branches. The paper is Open Access and quite fascinating: J. J. Marion Meyer _et al_ "The allelopathic, adhesive, hydrophobic and toxic latex of Euphorbia species is the cause of fairy circles investigated at several locations in Namibia" _BMC Ecology_ (2020) 20, Article number: 45
I have seen them in person! they arte real something for sure.
She's always cute as hell. Bu5 those overalls are extra extra cute
Werent these caused by termite nests deep below them eating the roots or something?
Since the middle of the circles are more wet, could the plants, being desert plants, be staying away from too much water? Like, they don't want too much but they're still keeping close to keep access. This is coming from a non-horticulturalist, don't be mad if I'm REALLY wrong!!
Desert plants are usually very happy to find water underground.
@@samarnadra @Pat The Plant Thanks for explaining!
not only is she a botanist, she’s a comedian - charming :) LOL 🌷🌱
You forgot to mention the most scientific theory: aliens! It's always aliens!!!
Might be that those areas have more water than average, and these plants are so accustomed to dryness, they can't handle the water inside that area.
Can u talk about palo santo? It's a super cool plant!
There is a generic link between Australian plants age African plants … the only place that fynbos occurs outside African is a small enclave in Australia
can you please inform me more on the giant ichneumon wasp that was in my bavkyard yesterday i had a full blown panic attack at the sight of it!!!!
Has to do with conserving moisture right? Plants are smart enough to grow in certain patterns to maximize it
The mystery was solved. They are caused by termites who eat the plants underground in a radius. They deposit their waste at the edges leaving the growth at the edges.bonce waste builds up they tunnel up elsewhere instead of expanding the radius further. The fertilizer causes the lusher growth at the edges.
Perhaps they are everywhere, but in nondry areas the plants rebound faster so one doesn't see them.
I'd call it a feedback loop at a guess. Grasses in an arid environment growing where they fall, until a patch of soil has the right conditions to host a sort of oasis, probably because of the generations of plants altering composition until there's a no go zone due to accumulation that the plants can't really live in. Which could potentially be expressed as gas waste (maybe).
The question for me is whether you could broadly predict the changes in scale as you move over the terrain by any correlating factors (the bit with the circles growing as you go north suggests yes?)
Foot prints of the gods? Didn't know Tasha went for walks there
These are made by a type of ants. They dispose of the soil taken out of their nest around it, and for some reason, that sand is sterile. These can be found in the sahel region of West Africa as well.
After hearing the last segment's BGM, it could be aliens.
It's definitely aliens.
Could you do an episode on Napweed please?
I'm really not sure why she's one of my favorite presenters on the channel.
elephant grass could make an interesting video
In my backyard there is a bunch of spots in the grass in the inside it’s filled with dry yellow grass and the outside is taller and darker grass 🤔
Make a video about khalahari truffles
These are footprints of the gods if they were playing Louisville Chugger
They need to analyze that soil
You forgot one of the most important criteria....it has to be made by faeries 😊
Seriously though, ive Always wondered if it has something to do the earth's magnetic field
Lilies of the Valley please?
Interesting but very nice video
I think there's an insect called the grasslion (antlion) termite which chows all the grass which falls in the circle😅
Yea I totally thought it was termites ngl
Mom's says it's a Jinn's house. Wait till I
hopscotch on em while on shrooms 😂
Interesting! 💯
Came for the science... Stayed for the cuteness... And the science... But sheesh. 🥵
Please do the cape florists region / fynbos
Looks like honeycomb.
Hexagons are the bestagons. 😁
aliens! it has to be aliens! :D
You might like to do some stories on New Zealand's predator free program. A effort to save native species. Check out Fight for the Wild on RNZ's RUclips.
Maybe it's just a spotty nutritional ground
its the way the moisture settles. thats where it grows
Plz talk about Japanese knotweed the most invasive plants
So did they try to plant the grass in the circle?
Do comfrey!🧚♀️
I wonder if the self organization theory is right and they grow that way to get more water. at night the moisture would settle in the leaves and run down to the soil and get trapped like a reservoir and build up in the center