Polecats, which were almost wiped out in Britain

Polecats, which were almost wiped out in Britain in the last century, have made a remarkable comeback, conservationists say.

The results of a nationwide survey reveal that the animals are spreading into areas where they have not been seen for 100 years.

The research was carried out by the Vincent Wildlife Trust.

Lizzie Croose, who led the survey, said: "It's brilliant, it's a real conservation success story."

She added: "This is something we really need to celebrate, the recovery of a native carnivore that we once almost lost completely."

Naturalist and BBC presenter Chris Packham added: "It's one of the great natural recoveries.read more and see video-"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35386042

New species of plesiosaur discovered in Cambridgeshire

Image credit: Heinrich Harder

It is possible that a new species of plesiosaur has been discovered in Cambridgeshire. Archaeologists from Oxford have discovered the 165 million year-old remains at Must Farm quarry near Whittlesey. 

The team dug up more than 600 bone fragments, and from this they have been able to build a very accurate idea of what the creature looked like. Overall the Oxford Clay Working Group have spent over 400 hours cleaning and repairing the fossilised remains. Luckily the plesiosaur’s skull has been preserved as it is encased in clay, and this had made it possible for the team to gain a very accurate insight into the plesiosaur’s appearance.

A plesiosaur is a type of sea creature that lived at the same time as dinosaurs, and they became extinct 66 million years ago. Experts at Oxford University's Museum of Natural History are currently studying the skeleton and have found that it is unique. This plesiosaur has some anatomical features that have only been seen in smaller species before, and therefore the scientists believe that they have discovered a new species of plesiosaur

New Chameleon With Blue Spots Found In Tanzania's Mountains

A new species of chameleon -- Kinyongia msuyae -- was recently discovered in Tanzania. (Photo : Tim Davenport/WCS)

A new chameleon species scattered with blue spots was recently discovered in the mountains of Tanzania. Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) say this species, subsequently dubbed Kinyongia msuyae, highlights the richness of this biologically important region.read more -http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/19570/20160129/new-chameleon-blue-spots-found-tanzanias-mountains.htm

Bed bugs develop resistance to widely used insecticides

A new study indicates that bed bugs in the US have developed resistance to neonicotinoids, the most widely used insecticide in the world.

Researchers found the blood sucking insects in Cincinnati and Michigan had "dramatic levels" of immunity to regular doses of the chemicals.

To kill these bugs required concentrations 1,000 larger than needed to eliminate non-resistant creatures.

The scientists say non-chemical methods of control now need to be considered.

Thanks to the increase in the global human population and the rapid expansion of international travel, the flat bodied bed bug has become a source of considerable irritation in hotel rooms all over the world.

It's a very complex problem and we are going to have bed bugs for many years because of this problem with insecticides

Dr Alvaro Romero, New Mexico State University

Mainly active at night, the insects survive solely on blood and travellers often wake up with bite marks and red weals all over their bodies.read more http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35421742

Fighting octopuses 'change colour to signal intent'

Octopuses may have more complex social interactions than previously believed, a new study has found.

Biologists studied a group of Sydney octopuses off Australia's east coast and observed a range of behaviour that may indicate complex social signalling.

Octopuses that stand tall, turn dark and spread their web in a "Nosferatu pose" are likely showing aggression.

Conversely, octopuses may display a pale colour after losing a fight or when trying to avoid conflict.

It was previously believed that octopuses were largely solitary creatures. Changes to body colour and other behaviour were interpreted as tactics to avoid predators.

But Prof Peter Godfrey-Smith from the City University of New York, US, said the study provided a novel perspective on octopus behaviour.

It is based on 53 hours of footage and appears in the journal Current Biology,

Cephalopod communication

"[An aggressive] octopus will turn very dark, stand in a way that accentuates its size and it will often seek to stand on a higher spot," Prof Godfrey-Smith, who co-authored the report, told the BBC.-read more and see video-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-35426361

NEW SPECIES OF TREE TOAD DISCOVERED FROM ANDAMAN ISLANDS

Andaman bush toad is the proposed common English name for this new species, indicating its arboreal habit and restricted distribution 

Mangaluru: A team of researchers have discovered a new genus and species of arboreal toad with phytotelmonous larvae, from the Andaman Islands.The discovery of the new bufonid amphibian, belonging to a new monotypic genus, from the Andaman Islands, in the Bay of Bengal is based on unique external morphological and skeletal characters which are compared with those of known Oriental and other relevant bufonid genera-read more -http://www.bangaloremirror.com/news/india/New-species-of-tree-toad-discovered-from-Andaman-Islands/articleshow/50687100.cms

Four New Fungus Gnat Species Found in Northern Scandinavia

Four new fungus gnat species have been described in a paper published in Biodiversity Data Journal. The species were collected from mires and old-growth forests of Finnish Lapland between 2012 and 2014.

“These four species are really interesting because they are rather distant to other known members of the genus Boletina,” said Dr. Jukka Salmela, one of the co-authors. “I am also confident that these species are very rare and may be dependent on old-growth forests or small water bodies such as springs and wetlands.”

About 1,000 fungus gnat species are known to occur in the Scandinavian Peninsula, representing about 83% of the continent’s total. Furthermore, undescribed fly species are continuously being discovered from North Europe.

“I must admit that it was a pleasure to give names to these species,” said read more -http://entomologytoday.org/2016/01/21/four-new-fungus-gnat-species-found-in-northern-scandinavia/

Zoothera salimalii)New species of bird found in northeastern India

Researchers from Sweden, China, the U.S., India and Russian Federation have been studying this bird, subsequently dubbed the Himalayan Forest Thrush(Zoothera salimalii), since 2009.

The Himalayan Forest Thrush (scientific nameZoothera salimalii) is the first Indian bird to be been named after Ali.

It is also the first Indian bird (Zoothera salimalii) which has been named after the late ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali, in recognition of his huge contributions to the development of modern Indian ornithology and wildlife conservation.read more -http://leadercall.com/2016/01/new-species-of-bird-found-in-northeastern-india/

Meet 'Dracoraptor,' a new species of dinosaur

A new species of dinosaur thought to be the oldestJurassic dinosaur ever found in the United Kingdomhas a name.

Meet Dracoraptor hanigani or “dragon robber.”

Dracoraptors are believed to have lived about 200 million years ago, and are likely distant relatives of the Tyrannosaurus rex, according to study published in the journal PLOS ONE on Wednesday.

The Dracoraptor’s bones were discovered on a beach in Wales by two fossil-hunting brothers in 2014. A year later a University of Portsmouth student found a fossilized foot in the same location, according to a statement from the University of Portsmouth.

Researchers asked the brothers who first discovered the fossils, Rob and Nick Hanigan, to name the dinosaur.

“We invited Rob and Nick to name this beautiful little dinosaur, and they suggested ‘Dracoraptor’ after draco meaning dragon, the national symbol of Wales, and raptor meaning thief or plunderer,” David M. Martill, researcher on the study.

The fossils included the dinosaur's skull, claws, teeth and foot bones, according to -read more-http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/nation-now/2016/01/21/dracoraptor-dinosaur-species-wales-jurassic/79104410/

New species found in Qld deep water study

Inquisitive nautili, a fish known as a toad and ancient animals made out of glass.

They're just some of the creatures uncovered in the first deep reef exploration of Australia's Coral Sea.

The study, which has been published more than six years after data was first collected, involved sending a remotely-operated vehicle almost 800m down a bank at Queensland's Osprey Reef.

The research identified distinct habitat bands determined by depth and uncovered animals with lineage so ancient they're being called "living fossils".

One of these species, which is from a variety of sponge that uses silicon to create its form, is new to science.

Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/01/19/15/10/new-species-found-in-qld-deep-water-study#gCRPj1aw0gJrk8dp.99

200-million-year-old FLESH EATING dragon dinosaur found in Wales classified as new species

Palaeontologists were over the moon when two brothers, Nick and Rob Hanigan, discovered the bones of an almost complete theropod skeleton on a beach near Penarth, Wales, two years ago. The bones stretch back to the Jurassic Period, around 201-million-years ago, when the coast of Wales had a much warmer climate.read more -http://www.express.co.uk/news/science/636519/200-million-year-old-FLESH-EATING-dragon-dinosaur-found-in-Wales-classified-as-new-species

Tuneful song reveals new species of Himalayan thrush

Scientists have described a new species of bird in northern India and China, called the Himalayan forest thrush.

During fieldwork in the mountains, researchers noticed that thrushes in the forests sang much more musically than those on the rocky peaks.

They then discovered physical and genetic differences as well, and have now declared the known "plain-backed thrush" to be two distinct species.

The mountain-dwelling variety has been re-christened the "alpine thrush".

"There aren't too many new birds to be found in the world," lead author Per Alström told the BBC. "So it's exciting when you find one."

The Himalayan forest thrush is only the fourth species of bird discovered in India since independence in 1947.

'Incredibly elusive'

Prof Alström, from Uppsala University in Sweden, worked with an international team of researchers on the study, which is reported in the journal Avian Research.

They gave the new thrush the scientific name Zoothera salimalii in honour of the late Indian ornithologist Dr Salim Ali.

"He did a lot of work on Indian birds and has been really important for bird conservation and knowledge about birds in India," said Prof Alström.-bbc link-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35361044

Cambridgeshire plesiosaur 'sea monster' could be 'new species'

A Jurassic "sea monster" found in Cambridgeshire could prove to be a new species of plesiosaur, scientists said.

Oxford archaeologists discovered the 165 million-year-old reptile bones at Must Farm quarry near Whittlesey.

Dr Carl Harrington and his team dug up more than 600 pieces of bone as well as the skull, still preserved in clay.

"Eve", described as "a fantastic fossil", has anatomical features only before seen in plesiosaurs half her size, a palaeontologist said.

Plesiosaurs were sea creatures that lived at the time of the dinosaurs.

Read more on this and other stories from Cambridgeshire-bbc link-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-35380223

Two new frog species found in Madagascar

A team of European scientists have discovered two new species of very elusive frogs that live in the rain forests of Tsaratanana Massif, the highest mountain in Madagascar.

"Those mountains are home to a high level of native species and are very rarely visited by researchers seeing as there are no roads and barely any paths that lead to the base," said one of the study authors David Vieites, scientist at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid (MNCN-CSIC), Spain.

In spite of this, the team of scientists from Germany and Spain ventured into these remote rain forests and as a result of the expedition the biologists found a number of species including two new species of frogs -- Rombophryne ornata and Rombophryne tany.

"Both species live on the forest floor among the fallen leaves and are difficult to spot," Vieites noted.

Rombophryne ornata, which received its name owing to its colour and decorative features, can be told apart from other frogs of the same genus by the reddish colour it presents.read more-http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/two-new-frog-species-found-in-madagascar/1/569521.html

New species of flatworm found in Nottinghamshire nature reserve

Tim Sexton from Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, assistant manager at Attenborough Nature Centre, on finding a new species of flatworm only ever seen once before in the UK.

A species of flatworm so new to science it doesn't even have a name yet, has just been confirmed at the Attenborough Nature Reserve.

The flatworm was discovered two days before the end of the year as part of my challenge to find 1,000 species on the site in just 12 months.

Found under a log in the Nature Centre garden, the creature stood out as it looked like a small chestnut coloured slug that was lacking tentacles. The most interesting feature was that despite measuring little more than 1cm in length, it had between 50 and 60 eyes!

Read more: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Tim-Sexton-New-species-flatworm-Notts/story-28481096-detail/story.html#ixzz3xPqhJzUM 
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New Flowers Species Found on Israel-Egypt Border

A rare species of flower was recently discovered in the Negev by Israeli botanists.

The flower is of the Colchicum family, a perennial flowering plant found in the Negev. However, unlike the more common Colchicum, the new species, called a “Shimper” Colchicum, is found in Israel only at the location it was discovered.

Prof. Avi Shmida of the Hebrew University and botanists Mimi Ron, Dudik Rivner and Dafna Carmeli visited the location at the Se’ifim plateau, near the Egyptian border, on Saturday. They examined the population of Colchicum flowers in the area, in full bloom right now, which was discovered in 1988 by a teacher from Eilat and was previously considered to consist of the common Colchicum only

read more: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/science/.premium-1.697340

Snake Roadkill Is New Species of High-Altitude Viper

A piece of roadkill peeled off a mountain road in southern Kyrgyzstan has led to the discovery of a new species of viper. Though the dead snake was too mangled to draw any firm conclusions, herpetologist Philipp Wagner admits, it wasn’t long before another showed up in much better shape. “The first one we found was roadkill and it was really, really flat, so we weren’t able to identify it, but the second specimen, that was alive,” says Wagner, of the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology in Munich. (See "New Pit Viper Found—One of World's Smallest.") Wagner was part of a National Geographic Science and Exploration in Europe expedition that found the new pit viper, dubbed Gloydius rickmersi, during a 2013 wildlife survey in the remote Alai mountain range (map).read more-http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/060115-snakes-animals-new-species-science-vipers/

Jotus remus, New Spider Species Found, Plays Peekaboo to Attract Mates

Spiders generally don’t carry hankies. So when a gentleman spider of a newly discovered Australian species wants to get a lady’s attention, he waves the next best thing: his paddles. The male of Jotus remus, a jumping spider about the size of an apple seed, boasts an unusual heart-shaped structure on both of his third legs. (See "Surprise: Jumping Spiders Can See More Colors Than You Can.") In a bizarre ritual, an amorous male hides on the underside of a leaf and thrusts the paddle high enough for a female on the other side of the leaf to see it. The researchers know of no other jumping spider that conducts such a peekaboo courtship—nor of one that has built-in paddles on its legs, according to a study published January 7 in the journal Peckhamia. Study co-author and independent spider expert David Hill has scrutinized a lot of spiders, but this one “is the most amazing one I’ve seen,” he says. “It’s quite a remarkable creature.”read more -http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160114-spiders-animals-sex-mating-science-weird-new-species/

The 'water bear' really IS invincible! Tardigrade defrosted after being frozen for 30 years - and it survived AND laid eggs

It's often said cockroaches could withstand a nuclear explosion, but the tardigrade or 'water bear' just proved to be even more invincible. 

Researchers revived two water bears that have been frozen for 30 years and one of them survived.

Not only did the creature survive its icy prison, but it laid 19 eggs – 14 of them successfully hatched.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3401760/The-water-bear-really-invincible-Tardigrade-defrosted-frozen-30-years-survived-laid-eggs.html#ixzz3xPjihN1J
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Massive dinosaur largest animal to walk the Earth says Attenborough

A massive dinosaur, the largest animal to walk the Earth, will be revealed by the famous broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough in an upcoming BBC show. The 37-metre long animal weighed more than 920 average adults or 14 adult African elephants.

The giant dinosaur species Titanosaur, which has not yet been named, weighed up to 70 tonnes and existed 95 million years ago during the late Mesozoic era, a period when dinosaurs ruled the Earth.

It was discovered two years ago – a shepherd saw the tip of a huge fossil bone sticking out from a rock in La Flecha Farm in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina-read more -http://marketbusinessnews.com/massive-dinosaur-was-largest-animal-to-walk-the-earth-says-attenborough/120694

A massive dinosaur, the largest animal to walk the Earth, will be revealed by the famous broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough in an upcoming BBC show. The 37-metre long animal weighed more than 920 average adults or 14 adult African elephants.

The giant dinosaur species Titanosaur, which has not yet been named, weighed up to 70 tonnes and existed 95 million years ago during the late Mesozoic era, a period when dinosaurs ruled the Earth.

It was discovered two years ago – a shepherd saw the tip of a huge fossil bone sticking out from a rock in La Flecha Farm in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina

Mammoth kill linked to earliest Arctic settlers

A well preserved mammoth carcass pulled from frozen sediments in the far north of Russia proves humans were present in the Arctic some 45,000 years ago.

This is 10,000 years earlier than previous evidence had indicated.

The extinct animal's bones display distinctive cut marks that can only have been produced by stone and ivory-tipped hunting and butchery tools.

Being able to exploit mammoths would have been key to these early settlers' spread and survival in the Arctic.

Not only would the great beasts have represented a high-energy food source, but their tusks and bones would have been a source of practical materials in a landscape where there are few suitable rocks from which to make spear tips, and other critical technologies.

"Not all areas - and the location of the mammoth find is among them - provide good lithic raw material. This is very typical for most of northern West Siberia," explained read more on bbc link-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35320938

PCB chemical threat to Europe's killer whales and dolphins

A pollutant is present at "dangerously high levels" in Europe's killer whales and dolphins, scientists say.

PCBs were once used in electrical gear, paints and flame retardants, but were banned from the 1970s because of their toxic effect in humans and animals.

However the manmade chemicals have persisted in the environment, and are accumulating in top predators.

The study finds Europe's cetaceans have levels of PCBs that are among the highest found in on the oceans.

PCBs still persist at dangerously high levels in European cetaceans

Dr Paul Jepson, Zoological Society of London

Lead author Dr Paul Jepson, a wildlife veterinarian from the Zoological Society of London, said: "For striped dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and killer whales, we have mean PCB levels that are excessive - they are really high - probably the highest in the world right now, by some way.read more on bbc link-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35302957

60 new species of dragonflies discovered in Africa

Naturalists Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra, Jens Kipping and Nicolas Mézière scanned through swamps and streams in Africa and discovered 60 new species of dragonflies and damselflies in varied habitats. Mézière, a school teacher, found 18 of the 60 new species, all in Gabon. The team named one species, the Robust Sparklewing Umma gumma from central Africa after the classic 1969 album by Pink Floyd.A team of researchers has described 60 new species of dragonflies and damselflies from various parts of Africa, according to a recent study published in the journal Odonatologica. This is the most number of dragonfly species to be described at once in 130 years, researchers say. And with this discovery, the total number of known species of dragonflies has jumped from 700 to 760. Researchers write that most of the newly described species are colorful and easy to identify from photographs alone. “The current emphasis on molecular research in taxonomy creates the impression that undiscovered life is inconspicuous or hidden, but each of our new species is colorful and easy to identify,” lead researcher Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra, a member of the IUCN SSC Dragonfly Specialist Group, said in a statement. “It’s a matter of going outside and knowing what you’re looking for. It’s a biologist’s greatest importance today. Names introduce species to humanity. All awareness, conservation and research of nature starts with the question: which species is that?”-read more -http://news.mongabay.com/2016/01/60-new-species-of-dragonflies-discovered-in-africa/

New Worm Species Has Five Faces

A new species of roundworm found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean has five different specialized "faces" it can develop. The worm, Pristionchus borbonicus, was discovered by scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Developmental Biology. It lives inside of fig plants, and at first the find had the researchers thinking they were looking at five different species, because the mouth parts of each were so distinct. VIDEO: Some Worms Happy To Dine On Plastic, Styrofoam It took sequencing of the animals’ genomes to confirm the animals with the different mouth forms were all the same species.read more -http://news.discovery.com/animals/new-worm-species-has-five-faces-160104.htm

Three new chigger mite species discovered on rodents in Thailand

The new species were discovered as part of a broad sampling effort across 11 provinces in Thailand, and they were found on rodents. With the addition of these three species, there are now 99 known species of chiggers in Thailand.

The three mites all belong to different genera, but they belong to the same family, Trombiculidae. This finding is important because trombiculid mites can be vectors of scrub typhus.

The first newly discovered species is called Trombiculindus kosapani. It was named after Kosa Pan, a Siamese diplomat and minister in the 1600s.

Another one of the new species is called Helenicula naresuani. This chigger is named after Naresuan, the king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom (in what is now modern Thailand) from 1590 to 1605. The authors of the article state that he was "one of the most glorious Thai kings."

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-01-chigger-mite-species-rodents-thailand.html#jCp

New species of venomous snake discovered in endangered Mexican cloud forests

The new snake was named the emerald horned pitviper (Ophryacus smaragdinus) for its bright green color and the two horn-shaped scales above its eyes. So much of the snake’s mountainous habitat has been destroyed due to logging and agricultural activities in the region that the newly discovered species is described as “highly vulnerable” by the scientists who found it. Known to scientists from only four specimens collected on the same mountain, the broad-horned pitviper (Ophryacus sphenophrys) was first discovered more than 50 years ago but dismissed as being a new find.Scientists say they’ve discovered a new species of horned pitviper in the critically endangered cloud forests of the Sierra Madre Oriental in Veracruz, Mexico, and determined that another pitviper is indeed a unique species. So much of the snake’s mountainous habitat has been destroyed due to logging and agricultural activities in the region that the newly discovered species is described as “highly vulnerable” by the scientists with Mexican non-profit organization Biodiversa and research group HERP.MX who found it.read more -http://news.mongabay.com/2016/01/new-species-of-pitvipers-discovered-in-endangered-mexican-cloud-forests/

Neanderthal genes 'boosted our immunity'

We may owe our ability to fight disease to our extinct relatives - the Neanderthals and Denisovans.

According to a pair of scientific studies, key genes in the immune system come from our ancient "cousins".

The findings, which appear in The American Journal of Human Genetics, suggest we have Neanderthals to thank for being able to fight off pathogens.

But interbreeding may have had a downside, as the same genes may have made us more prone to allergies.

Modern-day people can trace their ancestry to a small population that emerged from Africa about 60,000 years ago.

As the African humans spread out across the world, they came into contact with other ancient humans based in Europe and Western Asia.

Genetic evidence suggests that these different "tribes" interbred, with part of the genome of Neanderthals still present in humans alive today.

About 1% to 6% of the modern Eurasian human genome seems to come from Neanderthals and Denisovans - another extinct member of the human family.

Scientists in Germany analysed the genes of both modern humans and our ancient relatives to find the source of changes in our immune system's genetic blueprints-read more on bbc link-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35246503

Oetzi the Iceman had a stomach bug, researchers say

Microbes extracted from the insides of a 5,300-year-old mummy have shown he was suffering from a stomach bug before he died, scientists have discovered.

Oetzi the Iceman, the name given to the frozen body discovered in the Alps in 1991, had a bacterial infection that is common today, researchers said.

He had been killed 5,300 years earlier after being struck by an arrow.

The research is published in the journal Science.

This new study suggests he was suffering from an infection that can cause stomach ulcers and gastritis.

A genetic analysis of the bacteria was carried out, helping to trace the history of the microbe, which is closely linked to the history of human migration.read more on bbc link-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35251892

Goniurosaurus kwangsiensis, Poachers using science papers to target newly discovered species

Academic journals have begun withholding the geographical locations of newly discovered species after poachers used the information in peer-reviewed papers to collect previously unknown lizards, frogs and snakes from the wild, the Guardian has learned. In an age of extinctions, scientists usually love to trumpet the discovery of new species, revealing biological and geographical data that sheds new light on the mysteries of evolution. But earlier this year, an announcement in the Zootaxa academic journal that two new species of large gecko had been found in southern China contained a strange omission: the species’ whereabouts. “Due to the popularity of this genus as novelty pets, and recurring cases of scientific descriptions driving herpetofauna to near-extinction by commercial collectors, we do not disclose the collecting localities of these restricted-range
-READ MORE -http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/01/poachers-using-science-papers-to-target-newly-discovered-specie

Bone discovery suggests a mysterious ancient species of human lived alongside our ancestors

An ancient femur found in a Chinese cave is unlike any bone formerly discovered, suggesting it belonged to a previously unknown human species that lived alongside modern man just 14,000 years ago. The distinctive shape of the bone indicates that the species would have walked differently from humans today, according to the New Scientist. And based on the size of the bone, the scientists behind the analysis report in their paper, published in PLOS One in December 2015, that an adult would have weighed 50kg, which is far smaller than other humans who lived at the time. “When you put all the evidence together the femur comes out quite clearly resembling the early members of Homo,” Darren Curnoe, from -READ MORE -http://qz.com/585000/bone-discovery-suggests-a-mysterious-ancient-species-of-human-lived-alongside-our-ancestors/

Etmopterus Benchley-SHARK THAT CAN FIT IN YOUR HAND DISCOVERED IN DARK WATERS OF OCEAN

The shark that can easily fit in your hand has been found in the dark waters of the ocean. The small shark has been given name after Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws, the shark conservationist. Etmopterus Benchleyi is a lantern shark and was first caught in the Pacific Ocean in 2010.

Merely 7 other sharks that belong to this species have been found since then. Scientists don’t know much about the shark, having emerald eyes and glass resembling teeth. The shark stays in the deepest and darkest waters of the ocean most of the time. It goes from 2,000 feet to even 4,000 feet deep. Scientists have been struggling hard to find some information regarding what it consumes or how spread it is.READ MORE-http://wtexas.com/content/5415-shark-can-fit-your-hand-discovered-dark-waters-ocean