from American Scientist
May-June 2012
Scientists have been uncertain about the specific timing and causes of Europe’s Little Ice Age (LIA), a chilly period that started sometime during the Renaissance and lasted until the mid-19th century. To better document the LIA’s onset, researchers analyzed 94 samples of ancient moss, previously engulfed by ice caps and recently exposed by melting. Their results place the beginning of the LIA between 1275 and 1300, and implicate volcanoes as a trigger. Also in this issue’s news roundup: Exercise alters DNA methylation, and children’s books used to include more pictures of natural environments.