Crop modelling offers insights for Africa’s monsoon regions
A study1 on the effects of climate impacts on wheat and maize yields in South Asia offers lessons for African regions with similar subtropical monsoon climates. The research, published in Scientific Reports, used statistical methods used to deal with imprecise data to assess how shifts in rainfall and temperature could impact crop productivity. By combining local climate data with agricultural practices, the model simulated eight adaptation strategies, including revised planting schedules and the use of climate-resilient crop varieties.
Although the study focused on the Indo-Gangetic plains, the approach holds promise for African countries grappling with similar challenges around seasonal rainfall variability and yield loss. Regions such as Nigeria’s northern savanna and Ethiopia’s highlands exhibit comparable patterns of crop stress. The research underscores the potential of adaptive crop modelling to inform early-warning systems.
Ancient enamel proteins reveal clues to mammalian ancestry
Fossil teeth from Kenya’s Turkana Basin have yielded preserved enamel proteins, offering fresh insights into the early evolution of African mammals. Published in Nature by researchers from the United States and Kenya, including the Turkana Basin Institute and Turkana University College, the study2 used advanced mass spectrometry to extract for the first time protein sequences from eighteen-million-year-old fossilized teeth of extinct primates, elephants, and carnivores.
This technique enables phylogenetic analysis even without ancient DNA, significantly expanding the molecular fossil record into deeper evolutionary time. The researchers reconstructed relationships, identifying lineage divergences and geographic patterns that bridge fossil evidence with the diversity of modern mammals.
The discovery opens the possibility of studying extinct animal species even further back into the Cenozoic era, which started 66 million years ago.
Isotope evidence reveals shifting groundwater patterns in Nigeria
A new hydrogeological study3 of the Komadugu–Yobe basin in northeastern Nigeria has clearer patterns of groundwater recharge using stable isotopes δ¹⁸O and δ²H to trace the origins of water sources. Published in Science of the Total Environment, the research compared the isotopic signatures in local rainwater and groundwater, showing that recharge is primarily driven by recent seasonal rains rather than older or more distant water sources. This insight is critical for water management in the transboundary basin.
The authors, led by Nigerian scientist Abdulrahman Shuaibu from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, emphasized the need for regional cooperation to sustainably manage this vital water resource amid growing climate uncertainty.
North Atlantic warming accelerates El Niño onset
Rising temperatures in the North Atlantic are now speeding up the onset warming ocean surface known as El Niño events. Published in Nature Communications, a modelling study4 reveals that Atlantic warming disrupts Pacific trade winds more rapidly than in the past, triggering faster transitions into El Niño phases. This shift has important implications for seasonal climate forecasting, especially across vulnerable regions in Africa.
Using ensemble simulations, the researchers isolated the feedback mechanisms between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and linked them to changes in rainfall patterns, particularly in the Horn of Africa and beyond. The findings improve understanding of inter-ocean climate dynamics and contribute to strengthening early warning systems for communities at risk of El Niño-derived droughts or floods.
Young forests vital for carbon mitigation
Early-stage secondary forests, naturally regenerated forests after significant removal, can absorb and store carbon at rates comparable to mature forests, according to research that highlights their untapped potential in addressing climate change. Published in Nature Climate Change, the study5 combined global remote sensing data with long-term biomass measurements to track carbon accumulation in thousands of regenerating tropical forests. The findings suggest that protecting and restoring these young ecosystems should be a priority in international climate policy.
The researchers led by Nathaniel Robinson from CIFOR-ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya, emphasize that young forests are especially effective at sequestering carbon during their first 30 years of regrowth. For African countries where deforestation has been severe, investing in natural regeneration presents a scalable, low-cost strategy for climate mitigation.
