New species found in Gulf of Mexico

A study released earlier this month uncovered 107 new species of organisms living in deep water areas of the Gulf of Mexico. While the majority of discoveries were microscopic, the findings are providing scientists with knowledge of communities more than a half mile below the surface on the ocean floor. “It's a terrific finding for science,” said Paul Sammarco with the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium in Chauvin. “It helps the understanding of the evolution of organisms.” The report, “Investigations of Chemosynthetic Communities on the Lower Continental Slope of the Gulf of Mexico,” involved researchers reaching areas previously unstudied by using submarines. A manned vehicle, Alvin, and the remotely operated Jason II were used on excursions in 2006 and 2007, with four sites studied at length. Some of the bigger organisms discovered were new species of tube worms, a marine invertebrate that can reach up to 6 feet long and live up to 100 years, said Gregory Boland, biological oceanographer with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. “The tube worms were probably the biggest,” Boland said. “They only grow a few millimeters a year.” Most of the smaller finds include new genera and species of crustaceans. That includes eight genera and 77 species of copepods, one genera and 17 species of ostracods and four species of tanaidacea. Among other discoveries, researchers found one of the largest-known mussel beds in the deep Gulf. Boland, a key researcher on the report, said the organisms are subsisting in unique ecosystems called chemosynthetic communities hidden in the depths of the Gulf.

Prehistoric Park (2006– ) WATCH TV

Nigel Marven travels back in time to rescue exotic creatures on the brink of extinction. CGI is used to create animals no longer seen on earth, from woolly mammoths, and T Rex, to dinosaur-eating crocodiles. Stars: Nigel Marven, Rod Arthur, Suzanne McNabb | See full cast and crew »

Eublepharis Satpuraensis,-New species of lizard found in Satpura Hills

A new species of gecko has been discovered in the Satpura Hill ranges in Central India by four researchers. This is the second discovery made by the researchers in last six months in the areas, which are known to be unexplored amongst scholars.

The new species has been named Eublepharis Satpuraensis after the location it was found in. The lizard belongs to the family of leopard geckos, which are supposed to be by far the least studied lizards in India.

The paper has been published in the recent edition of Phyllomedusa journal. Researchers Zeeshan A. Mirza, Rajesh V. Sanap, David Raju, Atish Gawai and Prathamesh Ghadekar have co-authored the paper on the basis of their findings.

The gecko was located while they were studying the amphibians in the region. “The first picture of this species came to me in 2009 from Melghat Tiger Reserve. Later a few more pictures followed which led us to Satpura Hills, where we discovered the new gecko,” said Mr Mirza, who is currently doing his research at Bengaluru’s National Centre for Biological Sciences.

The specimens of adult male and female were found in the Satpura Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, and juveniles were collected from Amravati district. The species were collected near the boulders, rocky outcrops and burrows mostly in the nights.

The paper also states that the geckos are nocturnal and secretive in nature. At the slightest disturbance, the species retreats. The adults were also offered scorpions and grasshoppers in captivity, which they readily accepted. Very few residents in the vicinity were found to be aware of the presence of the species. Due to its colouration, the gecko is regarded as poisonous and is often killed by locals.

New species of frog found in the Meadowlands

For years now, late on spring nights, a small cadre of researchers has stepped into hip waders, flicked on headlamps and lugged recording equipment deep into the marshes of New Jersey. Then, they listened.

The scientists, who study frogs that live in patches of wetland that most people don’t give a thought about, have developed an ability to distinguish the breeding calls of various species that fill the marsh nights with a grating cacophony. Recently, that unusual skill, combined with the tools of modern science, helped a team of Rutgers University researchers complete the identification of an entirely new frog species that has been living in the Meadowlands for millennia, near where turnpike Exit 16E sits today.

COURTESY OF ERIK KIVIAT

Jeremy Feinberg, left, a doctoral student at Rutgers University, and Erik Kiviat, executive director of Hudsonia, an environmental research institute, surveying a new species, the Atlantic Coast leopard frog.

The team, led by Jeremy Feinberg, a Rutgers doctoral candidate, used genetic testing and bioacoustic analysis, along with observations from field biologists, to identify the Atlantic Coast leopard frog as a species distinct from the southern and northern leopard frogs-READ MORE LINK-http://www.northjersey.com/news/new-species-of-frog-found-in-the-meadowlands-1.1181955

Scientists challenge 'Abominable Snowman DNA' results

A theory that the mythical yeti is a rare polar bear-brown bear hybrid animal has been challenged. Last year, Oxford University genetics professor Bryan Sykes revealed the results of DNA tests on hairs said to be from the Abominable Snowman. The tests matched the samples with the DNA of an ancient polar bear. But two other scientists have said re-analysis of the same data shows the hairs belong to the Himalayan bear, a sub-species of the brown bear. The results of the new research by Ceiridwen Edwards and Ross Barnett have been published in the Royal Society journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Among Dr Edwards' previous work was an attempt to carry out DNA analysis of a sample taken from bones of a polar bear washed into caves in north west Scotland 18,000 years ago.READ MORE -http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-30479718

Panesthia guizhouensis, -New Wood-eating Cockroach Species Found in China

Chinese scientists have found a new species of cockroach, and a new subspecies. Unlike the cockroach pests that most of us are familiar with, these live outdoors and eat wood. The new species and subspecies are described in the journal ZooKeys. Nearly 4,600 species of cockroach are found worldwide, but only 30 or so are considered to be pests, which gives the others a bad name. The new species and subspecies belong to the genus Panesthia, which is known for xylophagy (feeding on wood) instead of living in houses and eating rubbish. The new species, Panesthia guizhouensis, was collected from rotten wood near a large pool in Guizhou Province. A colony of more than 60 nymphs and 52 adults emerged from a log when it was split. The new subspecies is called Panesthia stellata concava. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word “concavus,” which refers to the hind margin of the yellowish mark on nymphs being concave. Fifty-five species and nine subspecies have been reported in this genus, but they are still mysterious to scientists because of their secluded lifestyle. “With this new discovery, we hope to reignite the scientific interest towards this peculiar and rather intriguing cockroach genus,” said Dr. Yanli Che, one of the co-authors.READ MORE-http://entomologytoday.org/2014/12/19/new-wood-eating-cockroach-species-found-in-china/

A New Species of the World’s Biggest Whale Has Been Discovered—and They’re Small

Does the world’s largest animal have a pint-size variety? Not exactly, but the population of blue whales living off Chile’s southern coast could be a slightly smaller version of their Antarctic neighbors, and that has scientists thinking they may have found a new subspecies of the cetacean. But don’t be fooled: These so-called “pygmy blue whales” are only small if you’re comparing them with the 100-foot behemoths with which they share a name. Still, the new findings—published in the journal Molecular Ecology on Thursday—should help researchers get closer to determining just how many types of blue whales exist in the world’s oceans, and that could make a big difference in understanding the best way to conserve the endangered species. Researchers from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Universidad Austral de Chile worked together on the study, comparing the genetic identify of 52 whales found off southern Chile with blue whales from Antarctica, northern Chile, and the eastern tropical Pacific-READ MORE LINK-http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/12/19/new-species-blue-whale-discovered-and-theyre-small

British bats 'showing signs of recovery'

Populations of 10 British bat species are stable or increasing following previous years of decline, a new report has suggested. The species included Daubenton's and Brandt's. The Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) enlisted more than 3,500 volunteers to help with its National Bat Monitoring Programme. The citizen science project collected data from 3,272 sites across Great Britain from 1997 to 2012. In the report, the trust said the results revealed a "generally favourable picture" and "signs of recovery" for bats over the monitoring period. The study did, however, generate different trends for Natterer's, serotine and pipistrelles. The report added: "This study demonstrates that use of volunteer programmes can be successful in monitoring bat populations, provided that key features including standardised survey methods and volunteer training are incorporated. "Some species that are more difficult to detect and identify may however require specialist surveillance techniques."

New record for deepest fish

A new record has been set for the world's deepest fish. The bizarre-looking creature, which is new to science, was filmed 8,145m beneath the waves, beating the previous depth record by nearly 500m. Several other new species of fish were also caught on camera, as well as huge crustaceans called supergiants. The animals were discovered during an international expedition to the Mariana Trench, which lies almost 11km down in the Pacific Ocean. The 30-day voyage took place from the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel, Falkor, and is the most comprehensive survey of world's deepest place ever undertaken. The Hadal Ecosystem Studies (Hades) team deployed unmanned landers more than 90 times to depths that ranged between 5,000m and 10,600m. They studied both steep walls of the undersea canyon. Dr Jeff Drazen, co-chief scientist from the University of Hawaii, US, said: "Many studies have rushed to the bottom of the trench, but from an ecological view that is very limiting. "It's like trying to understand a mountain ecosystem by only looking -read more link -http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30541065-ALSO READ -http://io9.com/a-bizarre-new-species-of-fish-has-been-discovered-at-a-1673109432

7ft ichthyosaur fossil found on beach near Penarth

An amateur fossil hunter has unearthed a 7ft skeleton of a carnivorous marine reptile on a beach in south Wales. Jonathan Bow, 34, discovered the ichthyosaur while walking the shoreline in the Penarth area. A palaeontologist at the National Museum Wales said the discovery is important as it appears to be complete. "Something this large and complete is a once in a lifetime find," said Mr Bow, a computer programmer in Swansea. Other fossils from the Jurassic period have been unearthed in the area, dating back 200 million years. He said anyone walking the dog on the beach could have found it, adding that an inch-long piece of rock took his eye after being exposed on a changing tide in September. It took Mr Bow and his brother a day to expose the fossil in about 60kg (132lb) of stone. Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue. Jonathan Bow described the fossil as a 'whopper' But he explained that the "labour intensive" work only began after it was taken away from the beach in three sections. The stone around it had to be removed so it could be fully appreciated and then he alerted the museum service about his find. Ichthyosaurs (fish lizards) were predatory reptiles that swam the world's oceans while dinosaurs walked the land. They died out around 25 million years before the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs and were replaced by plesiosaurs, a long neck marine reptile. Mr Bow has also discovered part of a jaw of a plesiosaur since he started his hobby several years ago. Palaeontologist Cindy Howells, collections manager in the Department of Geology at National Museum Wales, described the ichthyosaur as a "potentially very, very important find" given it was complete. She has only seen it in photographs and hopes to view it for herself soon along with the other finds made by Mr Bow. Ms Howells said other ichthyosaur skulls and paddles have been found in Wales previously but never a fully articulated specimen, although other complete remains have been discovered in Dorset and elsewhere.

Not such a big beast! Newly discovered Government files reveal six-month investigation to prove 'monster' that stalked moors near Bodmin was actually just a cat Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2874033/Not-big-beast-Newly-discovered-Government-files-reveal-six-month-investigation-prove-monster-stalked-moors-near-Bodmin-actually-just-cat.

Despite no solid proof of its existence ever being found, it is one of Britain’s most feared animals. But newly-unearthed records have revealed a six-month Government investigation into the Beast of Bodmin Moor proved it was far from a monster – and, rather, just a large pussycat. The probe in 1995 into the Cornish ‘beast’ and other unknown animals reported to have been roaming Britain found there was no 'verifiable evidence' of exotic cats loose in the UK. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2874033/Not-big-beast-Newly-discovered-Government-files-reveal-six-month-investigation-prove-monster-stalked-moors-near-Bodmin-actually-just-cat.html#ixzz3MA6CLwY7 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Arctic ground squirrels unlock permafrost carbon

Arctic ground squirrels could play a greater role in climate change than was previously thought. Scientists have found that the animals are hastening the release of greenhouse gases from the permafrost - a vast, frozen store of carbon. The researchers say it suggests the impact of wildlife on this area has been underplayed. The findings are being presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco. Dr Sue Natali, from Woods Hole Research Center in Massachusetts, US, said: "We know wildlife impacts vegetation, and we know vegetation impacts thaw and soil carbon. "It certainly has a bigger impact than we've considered and it's something we will be considering more and more going into the future." The Arctic permafrost, where deep layers of soil remain frozen all year round, covers nearly a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere and contains a great deal of carbon. Dr Natali explained: "Carbon has been accumulating in permafrost for tens of thousands of years. The temperature is very cold, the soils are saturated, so that when plants and animals die, rather than decompose, the carbon has been slowly, slowly building up. "Right now the carbon storage is about 1,500 petagrams (1,500 billion tonnes). To put that in perspective, that's about twice as much as is contained in the atmosphere."-READ MORE -http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30456869

quest-for-the-real-life-kraken

For centuries, fishermen from Norway and Greenland have told tales of a terrifying sea monster: the kraken. Supposedly, this vast creature has giant tentacles that can pluck you from your boat and drag you to the depths of the ocean. You can't see it coming, because it lurks deep beneath you in the dark water. But if you suddenly find yourself catching a great many fish, you should flee: the kraken might be beneath you, scaring the fish towards the surface. In 1857, the kraken began to move from myth to reality, thanks to the Danish naturalist Japetus Steenstrup. He examined a large squid beak, about 8 cm (3 in) across, that had washed up on Denmark's shores several years earlier. Originally he could only guess at the overall size of the animal, but soon he was sent parts of another specimen from the Bahamas. When Steenstrup finally published his findings, he concluded that the kraken was real, and it was a species of giant squid. He named it Architeuthis dux, meaning "ruling squid" in Latin. Only after Steenstrup had described the creature could scientists begin to unravel whether there was any truth to the old myths. Was this huge squid really as dangerous as the legends had led people to believe? Where did it come from, and what was it up to in the dark depths of the sea?READ MORE -http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141212-quest-for-the-real-life-kraken

A pterodactyl under the bridge in Arkansas

We return this week to a class of unexplainable observations that we have not visited in a while: An apparent encounter with a creature that is recognized by science, but is said by the experts to have gone extinct millions of years ago. It involved one of the strangest reptilians from the ancient era when dinosaurs ruled the Earth: A pterodactyl. (I know that among the scientific establishment ‘pterosaur’ is the preferred term for this fascinating family of critters, but in my younger days I got in the habit of calling them pterodactyls, and I do so to this day.) There was one disappointing element encountered when I found this eyewitness report posted on the Phantoms and Monsters website, one of my favorites that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in the unexplained. (It can be visited at www.phantomsandmonsters.com.) The location was described only as ‘central Arkansas,’ making any follow-up investigation nearly impossible. The proximity between the creature and the witness, however, allowed her to give an excellent and detailed description that would make a suggestion of a misidentification fueled by an overactive imagination nearly impossible to defend. That clear spring afternoon seemed normal for Laura Dean, who at around 2 p.m. was driving through the scenic Arkansas countryside on her way to the grocery store. As she crossed a bridge, however, she saw something flying out from under the bridge that was not a normal part of the state’s natural abundant wildlife. She had an excellent view of it because as it flew upward at an angle, it passed no more than five or six feet from her. She described it as being medium gray in color, covered with a leathery skin but no feathers, with a stiff protuberance sweeping backward from the top of its head and ending in a point. Its eyes were large and yellow-gold in color. It was obviously struggling to gain altitude, and its slow flight gave the witness enough time to note enough details of its appearance to later allow an artist to draw a detailed rendering of it, which will be posted with this column if space allows. (Making decisions like that is why newspaper editors earn their salary.)READ MORE-http://ccheadliner.com/opinion/a-pterodactyl-under-the-bridge-in-arkansas/article_e36aa902-808b-11e4-bf4c-33d69e553bf3.html

Weird new species of deep-sea worm found in Monterey Bay

A weird new species of deep-sea worms that live on the rotting bones of dead animals on the ocean floor have reversed their own course of evolution unlike any others known in the animal kingdom, scientists report. The males of these bizarre creatures have become immensely larger than their own diminutive tribal forebears, and they mate in fashions vastly different than their closest relatives, the researchers say. The little worms were discovered thriving on the decaying bones of a long-drowned seal nearly 3,000 feet deep at the bottom of Monterey Bay, in the same area where an equally strange species of worm was found a dozen years ago by a team from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, or MBARI. Where Darwin once noted that in most animals sexual selection drives males and females to be different, the genes of these tiny male worms have abruptly made them equal in size to the females in the age-old Darwinian competition for food and sex. The worms were discovered by marine biologist Greg Rouse of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography during expeditions above the mile-deep Monterey Canyon and off the Oregon coast aboard the research vessel Western Flyer, led by MBARI’s evolutionary biologist Robert Vrijenhoek. The species is called Osedax priapus after the mythological god of fertility because the 3-inch-long males have been observed extending their eyeless bodies far out to hunt for females to mate. Osedax means “bone devourer.” Vrijenhoek discovered the first known species of the Osedax worms in 2002, and noted they had no mouth, no stomach, no legs and no eyes. But the body of each red-crested female held hundreds of males so tiny they looked like larvae barely visible in the microscope and they subsisted only on tiny scraps of yolk from the thousands of eggs that each female carried inside her body. The newly discovered worms are an “evolutionary oddity unlike any other in the animal kingdom,” Rouse said. The tiny dwarf males are now tens of thousands of times larger than the other species, and are just as large as the females, he said. And the males that once fed only on scraps inside the females are now consuming the same rotting bone as the females. “This case is exceptional because the genes for producing full-size adult males should have deteriorated over time because they weren’t used by the dwarf males,” Vrijenhoek said. “But apparently the genes are still there. “And although those microscopic dwarf males weren’t competing with the females for food, in this much larger species they do,” Vrijenhoek said in an interview. “So it’s our hypothesis that here there’s a new potential for sexual conflict, and the ability of the males to stretch themselves out like rubber bands to roam for females suggests that they’ve reinvented mating. “It’s a throwback to an earlier ancestral species more than 40 million years ago,” he said. “We’re continuing to collect more species to see what their genes are telling us.” By now more than 20 species of the annelid worms have been found. The scientists have reported on the new species of annelid worms in the journal Current Biology. David Perlman is The San Francisco Chronicle science editor. E-mail: dperlman@sfchronicle.com

Salmo kottelati-New trout species found in Turkey

London: A new trout species belonging to the Salmonidae family, which includes salmon, trout, char, grayling and freshwater whitefish, has been found in Alakir Stream in Antalya, Turkey. The new species Salmo kottelati, discovered by group of researchers from Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, is named after Maurice Kottelat, who contributed to the knowledge of the fish fauna of Europe and Asia. It inhabits cold and clear water, with moderate current and gravel and pebble substrate. Its maximum known body length is 21 cm, while the largest representative of the family can reach up to 2 metre in length. Salmonids include over 200 species, which have a high economic value because of their taste and famed sporting qualities. The genus Salmo is widely distributed in rivers and streams of basins of the Marmara, Black, Aegean and Mediterranean seas. The genus is represented by 12 species in Turkey. The new species is distinguished from the other members of the family by having fewer parr marks along lateral line and a larger mouth gape and maxilla, which is a part of the fish jaw. Salmonids are predatory fishes feeding on small crustaceans, aquatic insects and also small fish. In order to understand the rich genus diversity in Turkey, the researchers collected samples from more than 200 localities throughout the country between 2004 and 2014. The findings appeared in the journal ZooKeys.

Blakeney Point seals to star in BBC Winterwatch

Pioneering filming techniques are set to be used to capture a record-breaking seal colony in north Norfolk for the new season of the BBC's Winterwatch. Military-grade thermal imaging will be used for the first time to film thousands of seals on the Blakeney Point National Trust reserve at night. Producer Bill Markham said the technology allowed for "an intimate view" that was previously impossible. More than 1,756 pups have been born at the reserve so far this winter. The number has already broken the 2013-14 season total of 1,566 with at least another two of months of pupping still to go. An additional 700 pups have been born further around the coast at Horsey which is "slightly up" on the same time last year, said Eilish Rothney from the Friends of Horsey Seals group.READ MORE-http:///news/uk-england-norfolk-30310463

Spider-style sensor detects vibrations

By copying the design of an organ found in spiders' legs, engineers in South Korea have built a sensor that can detect miniscule vibrations. It works because the vibrations open and close cracks in a very thin layer of platinum, changing its conductivity. A similar slit-based system is found inside the joints of some spiders. The team reports in the journal Nature that when they stick their sensor to the neck or wrist, it can read out what someone says - or their pulse. Speaking to BBC News, Prof Mansoo Choi said the project began two years ago, when one of his colleagues at Seoul National University read a paper in the same journal. It described how a particular species of wandering spider communicates with potential mates, metres away on the same plant, by scratching the leaves and "hearing" the vibrations. The organ in the spiders' legs that detects these incredibly faint vibrations is made up of a series of slits. It is called the "lyriform organ" because the slits vary in length, like the strings of a lyre.READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30414752

mystery-of-the-man-eating-snakes?

Several centuries ago, a group of Borneo natives left their villages and headed deep into the jungle, searching for a home away from the Dutch colonialists who had begun spreading across their island. Eventually, they found a nice spot in the lowland rainforests near the mountains in Borneo's centre. They built houses and cultivated crops, and caught fish from the Burak river. All was well. Then children began vanishing. One at a time, the kids disappeared, leaving behind baffled and frantic adults. This happened eight days in a row. Was it the work of a forest ghost, or jungle nomads, or a big carnivore like a clouded leopard? To find out, the villagers set a trap and baited it with another child, sacrificing one more life to stop the slaughter.READ MORE-http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141113-mystery-of-the-man-eating-snakes

Every year 80 tonnes of venomous sea snakes are harvested in the Gulf of Thailand, but it's a dangerous business and the snakes might be threatened.

WHY?


Each month, fishermen in the Gulf of Thailand risk their lives harvesting live sea snakes. It's risky for both parties: the snakes are in danger of being over-harvested and the fishermen could get bitten. Scientists are now calling for a monitoring programme to assess the impact the on-going trade will have on their population numbers and to look how it affects the ecosystem. A team reports in the journal Conservation Biology that fishermen have noticed a decline in their population since 2009. The researchers now want to understand if this is due to overfishing or other factors like pollution.READ MORE-http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141204-fishing-for-deadly-sea-snakes

Scientists seek to solve mystery of Stegosaurus plates

Researchers hope to learn how much it weighed, how it moved and what it used its iconic back plates for.

A UK team has scanned each of its 360 bones into a computer and has digitally reconstructed the dinosaur.
The specimen, nicknamed "Sophie", has been acquired by the Natural History Museum in London.
Although Stegosauruses are one of the most well known dinosaurs, they are among those that scientists know the least about. There are only six partial skeletons of the creature, which lived around 150 million years ago.
It could grow to the size of a minibus and the gigantic plates which ran along its back were its most distinctive feature.READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30301895

2 headed bearded dragon a rare creature.

Picture is of a living 3 year old 2 headed bearded dragon called -Poncho and Lefty .This was seen on a t.v programme called FREAK SHOW -FOX -this is not a photo shop -http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a604888/fox-uk-to-air-reality-documentary-series-freakshow.html#~oXFVzhRhVW64Ow

Bat nav: Animals' 3D brain compass found

By recording from the brains of bats as they flew and landed, scientists have found that the animals have a "neural compass" - allowing them to keep track of exactly where and even which way up they are. These head-direction cells track bats in three dimensions as they manoeuvre. The researchers think a similar 3D internal navigation system is likely to be found throughout the animal kingdom. The findings are published in the journal Nature.-READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30317656

Electric eels 'remotely control their prey'

A jolt from an electric eel does more than stun its prey, scientists say.

A study, reported in the journal Science, has now shown that eels can use their electric organs to remotely control the fish they hunt.

A researcher from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, found that the electric discharges from eels made the muscles of their prey twitch.

This makes the fish easier to capture either by immobilising it or making it "jump" to show where it's hiding.

Kenneth Catania, who led the study, set up small aquatic arenas to test the eels' hunting abilities - putting an eel and an unfortunate fish into the same tank.

Electric eels "reach into the nervous system" of their prey

When they spotted their prey, the eels released pulses of electricity that appeared to immobilise the fish.

Further study revealed that the eels' electric pulses directly activated the nerves that controlled their prey's muscles.

"When the eel's pulses slow down - when the eel gets tired at the end of its attack - you see individual fish twitches, with one twitch from every pulse," said Dr Catania.

"That tells us that the eel is reaching in to the prey's nervous system, controlling its muscles."

In further observations of the eels' hunting strategies, Dr Catania noticed that the hungry creatures would emit pairs of pulses when their potential meal was out of view.

"People had known since 70s that eels give off these pairs of pulses - or doublets - as they explore looking for food," he said.

"Usually when they're excited and they know that food is around but can't -READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30335335

Indonesian shell has 'earliest human engraving'

Zig-zag patterns found on a fossilised shell in Indonesia may be the earliest engraving by a human ancestor, a study has claimed. The engraving is at least 430,000 years old, meaning it was done by the long-extinct Homo erectus, said the study. The oldest man-made markings previously found were about 130,000 years old. If confirmed, experts say the findings published in the journal Nature may force a rethink of how human culture developed. One of the report's authors, Stephen Munro, told the BBC it could "rewrite human history". "This is the first time we have found evidence for Homo erectus behaving this way," said the researcher, from Australian National University. 'No other explanation' Hundreds of fossilised freshwater mussel shells were excavated and collected in Java by Dutch scientist Eugene Dubois in the 1890s, then stored in boxes for years in the Dutch city of Leiden. In May 2007, Mr Munro took photos of them as part of his research for his PhD. The engravings stood out very clearly on the digital photos when they had not been visible to the naked eye.READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-30324599

Sulawesi streaked flycatcher (Muscicapa sodhii).-http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/12/141204-birds-new-species-animals-indonesia-science-world/

An Indonesian bird first observed 15 years ago is a species previously unknown to science, a new study confirms. An elusive bird, spotted on the island of Sulawesi (map) in 1997, now has an official name: the Sulawesi streaked flycatcher (Muscicapa sodhii). Ben King, a bird-watching guide, and his clients were the first to notice the bird, which had a distinctive streaked throat and looked smaller than a related species, the gray-streaked flycatcher (M. griseisticta). (See photo: "New Bird Found in Indonesia.") Several years later, that sighting inspired bird expert Frank Rheindt of the National University of Singapore and colleagues to travel to Sulawesi in 2011 and 2012 to search for the enigmatic animal. But the bird's unassuming, high-canopy lifestyle made it tough to find, and the team didn't spot a specimen until 2012, according to the study, published November 24 in the journal PLOS ONE. "After traveling to an area where it had previously been reported, it took many days of dedicated searching to find one in the first place," said study co-author Rheindt.READ MORE-http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/12/141204-birds-new-species-animals-indonesia-science-world/

8 Strange New Spider Species Found on Indian Tiger Reserve

Eight potentially new species of spiders have been found living in India’s Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, a park near the southwestern coast of the subcontinent. The reserve is in the Western Ghats regions, which is known for being a biodiversity hotspot, stuffed with many species of plants and animals. But while much of the larger flora and fauna have been described, the area’s smaller inhabitants – the charismatic minifauna – have gotten a bit less attention. So, in early October, a team of scientists set out to survey the Reserve’s spider species. For four weeks, the team found, photographed, and cataloged a multitude of eight-legged critters – logging 210 different spider species in total, says leader A.V. Sudhikumar of the Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology of Christ College, Irinjalakuda. “We explored different habitats like evergreen forests, mountain top grass lands, moist deciduous forests and small shola forests,” Sudhikumar said, noting the inherent difficulties of working in the area. “Field study was not so easy because so many deadly poisonous snakes were there. Bison and bears were common visitors of our campsite. We could enjoy the roaring of tigers during our sleep.” But among the many spiders the team managed to find were eight species -READ MORE-http://www.wired.com/2014/12/new-indian-spider-species/

In New Jersey, a newly discovered species of frog

Zoologist Brian Zarate first heard the creature's unfamiliar calls in 2003 while he and other researchers were working in the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Morris County. The strange series of "chucks and occasional groans" emanated from a small frog no bigger than the length of a thumb. One of them was captured and photographed by Zarate, then a state contract biologist with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, who pondered the mystery along with his group. It couldn't have been the southern leopard frog, a species found widely in the Pine Barrens, they reasoned. It must be a northern leopard frog released into the wild, possibly by a high school biology teacher. At the time, the scientists didn't realize they were looking at a species that had not been described or mapped in any papers or field guides. Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20141201_In_New_Jersey__a_newly_discovered_species_of_frog.html#DrBtxL56LCrp0pEm.99

That's a lot of creepy crawlies: THIRTY new species of spider found in less than a square mile of Chinese rainforest Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2862528/That-s-lot-creepy-crawlies-THIRTY-new-species-spider-square-mile-Chinese-rainforest.html#ixzz3L7VmNZIU Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

If you have trouble coping with a spider in your bath, be glad you don't live in the Xishuangbanna tropical rainforest in China. Scientists have recently identified 30 new species of arachnid in less than a square mile of the mysterious forest in the southern part of Yunnan. And they believe many more are yet to be discovered in the biodiversity hotspot - called Mengbanaxi in ancient times, meaning a 'miraculous utopia' and also known as 'the Kingdom of Tropical Fauna and Flora'.The team, from the Institute of Zoology with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have warned that the find highlights how many undiscovered creatures are being lost to the world for ever, due to the destruction of the rainforests for logging and farming. Professor Shuqiang Li, of the academy, based in Beijing, said: 'The amazing biological diversity we have witnessed during our work on spiders in the area is perhaps only a part of what Xishuangbanna tropical rainforests hold.' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2862528/That-s-lot-creepy-crawlies-THIRTY-new-species-spider-square-mile-Chinese-rainforest.html#ixzz3L7VT4LRF

Walking fish baffles bystanders in BidefordThe

‘Walking’ fish baffles bystanders in BidefordThe strange fish spotted in the Torridge.

  

Fishermen shocked to see fish appear to ‘walk’ out of River Torridge before slithering back into water.

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An encounter of the fishy kind has baffled a Bideford angler after he watched a strange sea creature emerge from the River Torridge.

The fish emerged onto mud by Bideford’s Bank End car park and was spotted by Robert Harrowet and his friends Rob and Chris.

“It came out of the water and tried to walk on its fins. It had the tail of a conger eel and the head of a pike and was trying to pick something up with its mouth,” said Robert.

“I’m a keen fisherman myself – sea fishing and freshwater – and I’ve never seen anything like it.”

After the fish had completed its mysterious business it slithered back into the water again.

Robert suggested it could have been a coelacanth, a ‘living fossil’ thought to be extinct but rediscovered in 1938, though usually found around the Indian Ocean.

Marcus Williams, senior biologist at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth told us the fish could be a rockling: “Rocklings do have the ugly eel like appearance, but this behaviour would be abnormal,” he said.

“A fish we can definitely eliminate is the snakehead fish, as this would be brackish estuarine water and they are solely fresh water.”

Tell us what you think the fish might be? Email newsdesk@northdevongazette.co.uk or add your comment to our Facebook page.

Fears over the future of North Sea dolphins despite numbers staying stable

THE population of bottlenose dolphins in the North Sea is still listed as vulnerable, according to conservationists. The sea off Scotland's east coast is home to about 200 bottlenose dolphins which draw around £4 million for the local tourist-driven economy. They are the world's most northerly bottlenose dolphins and the European Union (EU) has designated the Moray Firth as a special area of conservation (SAC) to protect the species. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) must report on their condition every six years and an interim report ahead of the next full publication in 2018 indicates that the population has remained stable over the last quarter of a century. Photographs and markings on the dolphins' fins indicate 102 individuals used the SAC in summer 2011, rising to 112 in 2012 and falling to 94 in 2013. Long-term trends since 1990 indicate the numbers appear to be stable but the population is still considered to be vulnerable, SNH said. Morven Carruthers, from SNH's marine team, said: "Dolphins in the Moray Firth SAC have been the focus of intense research for many years now and over that time the numbers using the SAC appear to have remained stable. This is a tribute to the people, organisations and relevant authorities around the Moray Firth."

Are seals mutilating and killing porpoises? Scientists investigate

A gruesome series of killings has left porpoises stranded on the shores along the North Sea, and scientists now think they have a culprit: gray seals. Turns out those adorable gray seals aren’t so cuddly after all. The findings, described in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, reveal a disturbing trend that could potentially alter the ecology of harbor porpoises. Related story: Bats use sonar jamming to steal food Related story: Bats use sonar jamming to steal food Amina Khan Harbor porpoises, formally known as Phocoena phocoena, have been washing up along the coasts of the southern North Sea in Europe, with deadly wounds whose origins were a mystery. Were the-READ MORE-http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-seals-mutilating-killing-porpoises-study-20141128-story.html-

RETURN OF THE MAMMOTH?

Yet again the persuit of cloning a Mammoth appears on t.v.This time via a documentary called WOOLLY MAMMOTH ON C4 OR 4od.This will give you an insight on how cloning techniques could see  the return of the MAMMOTH.Made possible via a corpse of this creature called BUTTERCUP,a very well preserved MAMMOTH found in SEBERIA,RUSSIA,Last year.O NE OF DOING THIS IS TO 1-REMOVE NUCLEUS FROM EGG OF A FEMALE ASIAN ELEPHANT.2 INSERT A SKIN CELL FROM A MAMMOTH INTO EGG.3 IMPLANT THE EMBRYO INTO A ASIAN ELEPHANT  THEN WAIT 2 YEARS.Dont hold out much hope as more science fiction then fact.

Brown bears return to Chernobyl after a century away

Scientists have captured what is believed to be the first photographic evidence of brown bears within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). Camera traps, used by a project assessing radioactive exposure impacts on wildlife, recorded the images. Brown bears had not been seen in the area for more than a century, although there had been signs of their presence. The exclusion zone was set up after an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine in April 1986. "Our Ukrainian colleague, Sergey Gashchak, had several of his camera traps running in one of our central areas over the past few months in order to start to get a feel for what (wildlife) was there," explained project leader Mike Wood from the University of Salford. He told BBC News that data retrieved from one of the cameras in October contained images of a brown bear. "There have been suggestions that they have existed there previously but, as far as we know, no-one has got photographic evidence of one being present on the Ukrainian side of the exclusion zone," Dr Wood said. "We are basically working on the assumption that as you move people out of the equation and human pressure and disturbance is removed, then any animals that have a corridor into the exclusion zone find they are suddenly away from the pressures and dangers presented by people." Following the April 1986 explosion - described as the world's worst nuclear power plant accident - more than 110,000 were moved from their homes as a 30km-radius exclusion zone was established around the damaged nuclear reactor. In the subsequent years, the area has provided a valuable source of data for scientific research into the impact of radioactive contamination-READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30197341

FIVE new-species-found-under-our-noses

If you want to discover a new species, try going for a walk. You might well spot something. While around 1.2 million species of living organisms have been identified and described, there are probably far more waiting to be found. One recent study estimated there are another 6.8 million animals, 567,000 fungi and 90,000 plants awaiting discovery. New species are being found at a rate of 15,000 to 20,000 per year. While most are found in remote environments like rainforests, caves and the ocean depths, other discoveries happen much closer to home. Here are five examples of new animals, plants and fungi found living under our noses.-READ MORE-http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141124-new-species-found-under-our-noses

ascetoaxinus quatsinoensis-New clam species found off of B.C.'s coast

VICTORIA -- Ten years after an unusually scalloped clam was dragged up from the ocean floor off northern Vancouver Island, the tiny mollusk is making waves in the research world.

Melissa Frey, curator of invertebrates at the Royal BC Museum, was cataloguing a number of species about four years ago when she noticed something different about the tiny clam.

"I looked at the unusual scalloping and I thought this was definitely special," she said in an interview Wednesday.

"It's unusual enough and I compared it to everything that has previously been described on the West Coast of North America ... and it didn't match up to anything that was there."

To the untrained eye, the clam doesn't look much different than others. It's the same chalky white colour as many other clams and about the same length and height as a walnut in the shell.

Frey asked for the opinion of Graham Oliver, a world expert on bivalves at the National Museum of Wales, who confirmed it was a new species.

The two recently co-wrote an article on the clam, which has been published in the journal Zootaxa.

Only one of the clams has ever been found, and she said researchers often don't like to publish new species descriptions based on one specimen.

"But in certain cases, when you're in a certain situation where the environment is so far away and it's not an area that we get to very often, and we don't know that much about the relative abundance of these animals.

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/new-clam-species-found-off-of-b-c-s-coast-1.2121156#ixzz3KScOO275

A British paleontologist has discovered not one, but two new species of dinosaur while studying fossils in a Canadian museum. Dr Nick Longrich was examining fossilised bones from two horned dinosaurs, which had been kept in the Canadian Museum of Nature for 75 years. And he found that, while they had previously been classified as a species from Canada, they more closely resembled dinosaurs from the American south west - suggesting they are a new species. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2849070/Fossils-reveal-TWO-new-species-dinosaurs-roamed-North-America-75-million-years-ago.

A British paleontologist has discovered not one, but two new species of dinosaur while studying fossils in a Canadian museum.

Dr Nick Longrich was examining fossilised bones from two horned dinosaurs, which had been kept in the Canadian Museum of Nature for 75 years.

And he found that, while they had previously been classified as a species from Canada, they more closely resembled dinosaurs from the American south west - suggesting they are a new species.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2849070/Fossils-reveal-TWO-new-species-dinosaurs-roamed-North-America-75-million-years-ago.html#ixzz3KSbsglU3
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Lies, Damned Lies, and Cryptozoology

Plesiosaurs, like mermaids, Megalodon, and a representative democracy, don’t really exist anymore, but Baird’s Beaked Whales do, and you’re looking at one.

The internet is a double-edged sword of enlightenment and ignorance. It has the capacity to educate millions in ways never before possible, making science accessible, understandable, and relevant. At the same time it infects the public with idiocy, lies, pseudoscience, and the malevolent intention to mislead (kind of like Discovery Channel). Disinformation is a zombie. It is the resurrected body of mysteries solved, arguments settled, and bad science disproved, marching through half-baked websites and ‘shared’ by newly-infected readers not yet schooled in the truth, spreading fabrications and misinterpretations that eat away at the integrity of science and rot the brains of the masses.

Among the many internet zombies gnawing on science and pseudoscience blogs, the one I’ve battled is the “mystery’ of the “Moore’s Beach Monster” (sometimes called the “Santa Cruz Sea Serpent”), touted as a living plesiosaur in the modern world, a remnant of the age of dinosaurs in the 20th Century, and proof that ancient beasts still live among us. It has become a perennial icon for conspiracy-paranoid cryptozoologists and fundamentalist creationists. In fact, there never was a plesiosaur, and even upon its discovery, the remains of a decomposing beached carcass was shown most definitively not to be a plesiosaur, but dozens of internet sites still push the plesiosaur hoax. I get enough inquiries about the reptilian validity of the Moore’s Beach Monster every year that even the Travel Channel tried to help me debunk it in an episode of Mysteries at the Museum.READ MORE-http://deepseanews.com/2014/11/lies-damned-lies-and-cryptozoology/

Helvella dryophila.-New mushroom species found on Berkeley's campus

BERKELEY, Calif., Nov. 21 (UPI) -- The campus of the University of California Berkeley doesn't sit far from the epicenter of the Summer of Love. It still echoes with the sounds of psychedelia and Vietnam War protests. Suffice to say, the place is no stranger to mushrooms. The latest mushroom of interest, however, inspired a paper in a scientific journal, not colorful visions. Helvella dryophila is the 12th mushroom species to be discovered on Berkeley's campus, and the first in more than 30 years. The mushroom, which researchers describe as a beautiful black "elfin saddle" associated with oak trees, was discovered in a grassy open expanse called Observatory Hill. Else Vellinga and Nhu Nguyen, who happened upon the new species, collected samples and confirmed its genetic distinctiveness in the lab. The analysis was conducted in Bruns Lab, and assisted by Tom Bruns, a professor in Berkeley's Department of Plant and Microbial Biology. Their findings were published this week in Mycologia. The paper includes details on a similar mushroom Vellinga and Nguyen discovered in nearby Salt Point State Park. "Many mushroom species in California, and across North America, are mistakenly known by European names, but with the advent of DNA sequencing and more precise identification, it was discovered that our native mushrooms are entirely different," Nguyen said in a press release. "Once we figured out that the California elfin saddles were completely different from the European elfin saddles, we focused on the group and described two new species from California." "What was happening is that these mushrooms were parading around under another species' name," Vellinga added. "We can still find mushroom species that are new to science, right here on campus." The researchers say the two new species are edible, but may be mildly poisonous if cooked improperly. In addition to introducing new species, the two scientists are also working to better catalogue North America's vast array of fungi species. "Within the entire continent of North America there is not a single regional, state or local catalogue of the macrofungal species that presents a credible account of the species present and their distributions," Bruns said. All the scientists involved in the recent study hope a new and more comprehensive catalogue will grow exponentially as citizen scientists hunt for new species. If they can find a new mushroom in their backyard, the scientists say, others surely can, too. Read more: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2014/11/21/New-mushroom-species-found-on-Berkeleys-campus/1461416606486/#ixzz3JnbNCaK2

New shrimp species discovered in SA

Picture: REUTERS Picture: REUTERS A NEW shrimp species has been discovered in False Bay, the University of Cape Town (UCT) said on Friday. The "stargazer mysid" was well-known to divers, but it was not until diver Guido Zsilavecz brought samples to the university that it was realised that the species had never been documented by marine biologists, UCT spokeswoman Kemantha Govender said in a statement. The shrimp, which measures a mere 10mm-15mm long, is commonly called "stargazer mysid" because its eyes seem to gaze permanently upwards. The "stargazer mysid" is the ninth Mysidopsis species found in southern Africa and is officially named Mysidopsis zsilaveczi after the diver who made the discovery. Mr Zsilavecz brought the shrimp to Emeritus Professor Charles Griffiths from UCT, who sent samples to Prof Karl Wittmann from the University of Vienna to confirm it was a new species. The creature is described in a joint paper by Prof Griffiths and Prof Wittmann, published recently in the Crustaceana journal. The crustacean’s apparently large, upward-staring eyes are a trick of nature, as shrimps don’t have a pupil or iris, Prof Griffiths said. The creatures have compound eyes like those of insects. The vivid, ringed patterns are thought to be there to make the eyes appear to belong to a much bigger creature, and hence to scare off predators, he said. Mr Zsilavecz also found a new species of nudibranch, a soft-bodied sea slug, at Long Beach in Cape Town. The flashy, fleshy creature has large green lobes and "wings" that resemble the Sydney Opera House. "Some 30 new marine species are found in South African waters annually," Prof Griffiths said. Sapa, With Bloomberg

Taxidermy and cryptozoology merge in unusual hobby

Christian is a trained taxidermist with a fascination and talent for creating unusual creatures. "I like my cryptozoology, I like these so-called mythical animals," he said. Cryptozoology deals with animals which may or may not exist. Hybrids like the Fiji mermaid (half monkey, half fish), the fur-bearing trout and the Swedish rabbit-bird are examples of such beasts; deftly fashioned by skilled taxidermists to appear as if they were real. "I've always been creative, I've always had a soft spot for animals, I've always grown up with pets," Christian said. "This seemed like albeit a weird match, it just seemed a match for all the different skills and all the different passions that I had." In his northern New South Wales home, Christian crafts all manner of preserved specimens. His workshop is adorned with a curious collection of horseshoe crabs, antlers, birds and fish. He has created several 'cryptids' such as a bat-winged cat and the fabled jackalope. "A jackalope is a rabbit with little tiny deer antlers," he said. "They usually stand on their back two legs." Wolpertingers, faux thylacines and two-headed mice Christian's workbench is covered with more than a dozen bird skeletons that a friend found in the leg of an antique diving suit. "I strip them down so it's just bare skeleton and then I mix and match it until I've got a complete one," he said.-READ MORE-http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2014/11/06/4122808.htm

, Paroedura hordiesi.-New nocturnal gecko species discovered in Madagascar

A new species of gecko has been found living among the crumbling remains of an old French fort in northern Madagascar. The gecko, nocturnal by nature, is a master of camouflage and seamlessly blends in with the surrounding rocks and fortress ruins, according to a new study. Although researchers first found the new gecko species (Paroedura hordiesi) in 2004, when they spotted a male with a broken tail, a new genetic analysis and a close examination of its physical features now show that it is a distinct species. After the scientists found more of the geckos around the French fort, they reported that the new species could measure up to 2.3 inches from their nose to the base of their tail. The creatures have long tails that can measure nearly the entire length of their bodies, up to 2.1 inches. [In Photos: The Wacky Animals of Madagascar] The geckos also have square-shape adhesive pads on their toes, a feature that is unique to Paroedura geckos, and the related gecko genus, Ebenavia, the researchers said. The newfound species has a relatively small habitat, spanning just 19 square miles. But the gecko is not alone in its territory in the past few years, researchers have identified other new reptile species at the Montagne des Franais Reserve in northern Madagascar, including new tree frogs, leaf chameleons, lizards and snakes. It's likely that other unknown reptile species live in this portion of the region's limestone mountains, called a massif, the researches said. But many of the animals native to the area could be threatened by habitat destruction, they said. In fact, the researchers asked that the new gecko species be classified as "Critically Endangered" on the Red List of Threatened Species, which is maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, an international organization that tracks the status of animals, plants and fungi around the world. "The new Paroedura species from Montagne des Franais described in our paper is just one new contribution to the taxonomic inventory of this massif, which is believed to hold yet undiscovered diversity," researcher Frank Glaw, from the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, said in a statement. "This discovery also highlights the threats affecting this microendemic species and other biota in the region." Although the geckos live in a protected reserve, their immediate habitat is separated from others by steep inclines known as "habitat islands," the researchers said. Several taxa, including dwarf frogs (Stumpffia), dwarf chameleons (Brookesia), burrowing skinks (Paracontias), leaf-tail geckos (Uroplatus) and the genus of the new geckos (Paroedura) have grown independently of animals in other habitat islands, allowing each island to become a hotspot of biodiversity. The Paroeduragenus is widespread throughout Madagascar's ecosystems, including the eastern rainforest, western dry forest, arid thornbush savanna and high mountain habitats. The study was published Nov. 5 in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.

Vintana sertichi =Fossil From Dinosaur Era Reveals Big Mammal With Super Senses

Dinosaurs that roamed Madagascar more than 66 million years ago had a most unusual fuzzy mammal living in their shadows—one so large, and with such strange features, that scientists say they could have never predicted its existence. Share Share on emailEmail More » That is, until 2010, when a team of scientists looking for fish fossils accidentally collected its nearly complete skull from a site along Madagascar's west coast. Since then, researchers have learned that the groundhog-like critter had supersensory capabilities, with a large portion of its brain devoted to smell, and that it weighed about 20 pounds (9 kilograms)—much more than most mammals alive during the age of the dinosaurs. "Not only does it have bizarre features, it's bizarre in being so humongous," says vertebrate paleontologist David Krause of Stony Brook University, in New York, who reports the find Wednesday in the journal Nature. Krause compares the critter's appearance to nutria, which are semiaquatic rodents, or an overgrown groundhog. "It's Punxsutawney Phil on steroids," he jokes. What's more, the lucky find is helping paleontologists fill in the mammalian evolutionary tree, especially during the age of the dinosaurs.-READ MORE -http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141105-mammal-evolution-vintana-fossil-science/

First Europeans 'weathered Ice Age'

The genetic ancestry of the earliest Europeans survived the ferocious Ice Age that took hold after the continent was initially settled by modern people. That is the suggestion of a study of DNA from a male hunter who lived in western Russia 36,000 years ago. His genome is not exactly like those of people who lived in Europe just after the ice sheets melted 10,000 years ago. But the study suggests the earliest Europeans did contribute their genes to later populations. Europe was first settled around 40,000 years ago during a time known as the Upper Palaeolithic. But conditions gradually deteriorated until ice covered much of the European landmass, reaching a peak 27,000 years ago. The ice melted rapidly after 10,000 years ago, allowing populations from the south to re-populate northern Europe - during a time known as the Mesolithic. But the genetic relationships between pre- and post-Ice Age Europeans have been unclear. Some researchers have in the past raised the possibility that pioneer populations in Europe could have gone extinct some time during the last Ice Age. And one recent study looking at the skull features of ancient Europeans found that Upper Palaeolithic people were rather different from populations that lived during the later Mesolithic period. In the latest study, an international team of researchers sequenced the genome (the genetic "blueprint" for a human) of a man buried in Kostenki, Russia. They discovered a surprising genetic "unity" running from the first modern humans in Europe, through to later peoples. This, they claim, suggests that a "meta-population" of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers managed to survive the Ice Age and colonise the landmass of Europe for more than 30,000 years. "That there was continuity from the earliest Upper Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic, across a major glaciation, is a great insight into the evolutionary processes underlying human success," said co-author Dr Marta Mirazón Lahr, from Cambridge's Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies (LCHES).-READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29940694

Bats sabotage rivals' senses with sound in food race

Bats were "jammed" the moment they were about to hone in on their insect prey, making them miss their target. Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue. Listen to the bat's jamming sound The rival that emitted the call was then able to capture and eat the insect for itself. This is the first time scientists have witnessed this behaviour in one species - the Mexican free-tailed bat - a team reports in Science journal. When bats swoop in darkness to catch prey, they emit high-pitched sound waves - a process called echolocation - which speeds up as they get closer to their target. This well-known skill is vital for them to hunt for food and to navigate their environment. This new research shows that others can effectively push them off their tracks mid-hunt. Lead author of the work, Aaron Corcoran from Wake Forest University in North Carolina, was initially studying moths when he heard these bat calls. "One bat was trying to capture an insect using its echolocation. The second bat was making another sound that looked to me like it might be trying to jam or disrupt the echolocation of the other bat," said Dr Corcoran. "Most of the time when another bat was making this jamming call, the bat trying to capture the moth would miss", he added.READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29931995

New Loch Ness Monster photo emerges suggesting creature could exist

Whether or not it actually exists, the Loch Ness Monster has become a pop culture staple. The creature has been mentioned in several works of literature, music, and movies which has helped to keep interest in the Loch Ness Monster steady. Now, though, there may be new evidence to support that the legendary Scottish creature does exist. According to a Nov. 7 report, new photographic evidence of the creature has emerged. The photograph in question shows what appears to be the head of a creature peeking out from the rough waves of the Loch. Jonathon Bright took the photograph three years ago and it took him six months to sift through all the images that he took while in Scotland. This is the one photo which showed possible evidence of the monster, but Bright makes it clear that he is not touting this photo as evidence that the Loch Ness Monster is indeed real. “Some people will say it is physical and the monster, others will say it is a trick of the water, others will say it is a hoax. It is what it is and I hope to find more proof now and in the future about what the Loch Ness Monster really is,” Bright explained. While the photograph may not be of the best quality, it does provide a jumping off point for folks who want to discuss the possibility of the existence of the creature. Speaking to Scotland Now, Bright seemed to echo those sentiments saying, “Of course, a picture alone will never be able to stand out as unambiguous evidence, let alone provide adequate answers to all of our questions on the exact nature of the phenomenon that we call Nessie. Whatever is the truth, there is no denying that Nessie will continue to intrigue the world for years to come." There is no doubt that Jonathon Bright is correct with that statement. It isn’t just the Loch Ness Monster that intrigues the world, however, but a lot of people are interested in several animals that are studied by cryptozoologists. Cryptozoology is the study of “hidden animals” and includes not only the Loch Ness Monster, but also Big Foot, Ogopogo, and the giant anaconda. While most people do not take the study of these creatures seriously, there have been instances where animals that were thought to not exist were discovered in the wild. These include the giant squid, the okapi, and the Komodo dragon. Will the Loch Ness Monster one day join these former creatures and be found to exist?

New Species of Deep-Sea Coral Discovered Off California

SAN FRANCISCO — Scientists have discovered a new species of deep-sea coral in underwater canyons off the Northern California coast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Wednesday. A NOAA research team using small submersibles found the coral in September near national marine sanctuaries off the coast of Sonoma County, the agency said. The coral from the genus Leptogorgia was discovered about 600 feet deep in the first intensive exploration of underwater canyons near the Gulf of Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries. Collecting data on the 4-inch-long white and red coral will help scientists determine the ecological importance of deep sea communities in the area and the threats they face, said the Farallones sanctuary's superintendent, Maria Brown. Before the research expedition two months ago, scientists knew little about the marine life in the area, NOAA said. After multiple dives in the area, researchers also found a "highly unusual" nursery area for catsharks. Image: A new species of deep-sea white coral found off the coast of Sonoma County, California NOAA VIA AP A new species of deep-sea white coral found by NOAA researchers off the coast of Sonoma County, California.

Sydney region's first new plant find in decades

The discovery of Sydney's newest plant was not a quick or simple exercise. Andrew Robinson, a bushland officer with the Ku-ring-gai Council, was on his first visit to a nature reserve back in 2006 when his eyes fixed on a "straggly little thing" less than a metre from the track. Kneeling down, Mr Robinson examined the plant up close. Clearly a native hibbertia, it was one the then-24-year-old couldn't identify from the thousand or so plant species he'd memorised. Julian's Hibbertia in full flower in the Ku-ring-gai Council region. Julian's Hibbertia in full flower in the Ku-ring-gai Council region. Photo: Wolter Peeters "I've just been a plant nerd basically my entire life," said Mr Robinson, a keen bushwalker formerly from Narara near Gosford. "From about the age of 7or 8 ... I remember thinking how cool it would be to come across a new plant and have it named after myself." Research and further visits to the reserve failed to produce a species to match the one Mr Robinson had spotted. What he needed, though, was to catch the plant in flower, which took another three years of luck and patience. Flowers "are so crucial in ID-ing hibbertia species," Mr Robinson said. "It's how many stamens and carpels [the male and female parts of the plant] are present inside the flower, and their arrangement." Still finding no close resemblance in the plant record, Mr Robinson's confidence he was "on to something funky" grew. The soils and other vegetation in the reserve – the location of which the council wishes to keep secret – were other clues he was dealing with at least a regionally significant species. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/sydney-regions-first-new-plant-find-in-decades-20141107-11ii10.html#ixzz3ITnmyw8H

Egg shape 'helped birds survive' asteroid impact

A clutch of the theropod Troodon’s eggs seen from below in the museum of the Rockies, Montana Fossil records of theropod eggs allowed scientists to analyse their geometric properties Continue reading the main story Related Stories Dinosaurs had 'flight-ready' brains Bird ancestor reshuffles fossil pack Asteroid 'killed off early birds' The shape of birds' eggs could have helped them survive the mass extinction event that killed off the dinosaurs, new research proposes. A team analysed the geometric properties of eggs from 250 million years ago (Mesozoic Era) to today. Before the extinction event about 65 million years ago, eggshells had notable differences to the lineage that survived. It is these survivors that all modern day birds descend from. But the authors note that egg shape is but a "small piece of the puzzle" of the evolutionary conundrum of why one lineage of birds made it through the mass extinction event, whereas others did not. Their findings are published in the Royal Society journal Open Science. The analysis found that Mesozoic eggs were elongated and significantly more symmetrical than all other bird eggs. Mesozoic bird eggshells were also more porous than expected for their size. Lead author of the work, Dr Charles Deeming from Lincoln University in the UK, found that fossil remains of eggs from 65 million years ago onwards were indistinguishable from modern bird eggs. The Mesozoic eggs, however, differed significantly. "This implies that Mesozoic birds were doing something more akin to theropod-like ancestors than to modern birds," he said. Microraptor is a feathered dinosaur discovered in the Early Cretaceous period (128-124 million-year-old) Microraptor is thought to be an evolutionary link between birds and dinosaurs Theropod dinosaurs include the largest carnivorous predators which dominated the Earth during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. A branch of these, referred to as avian theropods are on the lineage that gave rise to birds. Although eggshell shape could be a contributing factor, how exactly one group survived still largely remains a mystery. "We don't know why this iconic group disappeared and the relatives of modern birds survived," Dr Deeming told BBC News. "We're not claiming in our paper that this tells us the answer." It could also be down to their behaviour, he explained. "I suspect modern birds survived the major extinction event because they used contact incubation that's prevalent now; they built nests and sat on their eggs whereas most of the birds prior to that were burying the eggs like their theropod ancestors, potentially making them more vulnerable." King penguins incubating eggs Scientists compared modern eggs to extinct eggs from early birds and feathered dinosaurs Dr Gareth Dyke at the University of Southampton specialises in the evolution of birds. Commenting on the work, he said it was "perhaps intuitive" that eggshells differed in shape and that it was interesting to show this for the first time. "We know that in the late Cretaceous there were at least two or three other lineages of flying birds that were anatomically quite similar to the group that went on to radiate and become all of the living [bird] species after the extinction event." Dr Dyke added that the differences between these groups represented one of the big unanswered questions for palaeontologists. "It's got to be some biological or ecological reason. If it was more random you would expect that stragglers from some groups in the Cretaceous would have limped across the extinction events, but that didn't happen." Guillemots breeding Modern birds like guillemots incubate their eggs Expanding on this point, Gary Kaiser, a biologist at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Canada, said that egg shapes were certainly important. "We know that some dinosaurs incubated eggs but we also know from fine structure of the bones that their hatchlings were small and took a long time to reach adult size. A slow or extended reproductive period may have been the type of problem that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs." Prof Xu Xing from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing commented: "The authors have done a nice piece of work demonstrating the shape changes among amniote eggs. "However, I could not find how this study helps to understand the big extinction. Because the authors group birds based on geological time, they effectively eliminate the possibility of finding any pattern for birds surviving the extinction event."

Could sound design help captive rhino breeding?

rhinoceroses napping Captive breeding is crucial because of the threat to wild rhinos posed by poachers Continue reading the main story Related Stories Worst year yet for SA rhino poaching Rhino horn DNA database introduced Rare black rhino calf born at zoo Researchers in Texas are investigating whether the hum and rumble of urban life is one of the factors that hinders the captive breeding of rhinoceroses. Other research has considered the influence of diet and physical surroundings, but scientists speaking at a conference said they believed the animals' soundscape might be crucial. Rhinos have extremely good ears, picking up "infrasound" far deeper than the range of human hearing. Three species are listed as endangered. "We can go into some zoos and think, this is delightfully quiet - but it might be that some animals don't think it's quiet at all, because urban areas have a lot of chronic infrasound," said lead researcher Suzi Wiseman. Ms Wiseman, who has just completed a doctorate in environmental geography at Texas State University, presented her preliminary results at a meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Indianapolis. 'Healthy soundscape' Rhinos, she explained, can hear down to a frequency of four hertz, whereas even a human baby, with entirely undamaged ears, can normally only pick up sounds as low as 20 hertz. Giraffes and elephants can also hear in this infrasound range. The other end of rhino hearing might also be quite acute, because people have witnessed the animals making high-pitched whistling and giggling noises when adults and youngsters play-read more-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29846902

Sclerobunus steinmanni,2 new daddy longlegs species found in Colorado caves.

DENVER - Just when you weren't itchy enough, Denver Museum of Nature & Science biologist David Steinmann had to go and discover two new species of daddy longlegs inside Colorado caves. Sclerobunus steinmanni, named after Steinmann, was found in a rocky cave on City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks land. DNA studies show this species evolved for millions of years while slowly adapting to the underground environment. It is orange and yellow, and very different looking from the daddy longlegs most familiar to people. Steinmann identified a second new species in the Cave of the Winds in Manitou Springs, living deep underground in total darkness. This species was named Sclerobunus speoventus, derived from the Latin words for cave and wind, and lives in parts of the cave seldom visited by people. Lateral and ventral views, S. speoventus, paratype Lateral and ventral views, S. speoventus, paratype (Cave of the Winds, CO), arrow indicates curved subapical spines.(Photo: plosone.org) "Although Cave of the Winds has long served as a popular visitor destination in the Pikes Peak region, it is not surprising that new discoveries of life are being made in sections of the cave not open to the public," said Rick Rhinehart, author of Colorado Caves. "Additional study of caves is critical to better understand our world and the species that live in unusual places." WDENVER - Just when you weren't itchy enough, Denver Museum of Nature & Science biologist David Steinmann had to go and discover two new species of daddy longlegs inside Colorado caves.

Sclerobunus steinmanni, named after Steinmann, was found in a rocky cave on City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks land. DNA studies show this species evolved for millions of years while slowly adapting to the underground environment. It is orange and yellow, and very different looking from the daddy longlegs most familiar to people.

Steinmann identified a second new species in the Cave of the Winds in Manitou Springs, living deep underground in total darkness. This species was named Sclerobunus speoventus, derived from the Latin words for cave and wind, and lives in parts of the cave seldom visited by people.

Lateral and ventral views, S. speoventus, paratype (Cave of the Winds, CO), arrow indicates curved subapical spines.(Photo: plosone.org)

"Although Cave of the Winds has long served as a popular visitor destination in the Pikes Peak region, it is not surprising that new discoveries of life are being made in sections of the cave not open to the public," said Rick Rhinehart, author of Colorado Caves. "Additional study of caves is critical to better understand our world and the species that live in unusual places."

With assistance from Dr. Frank Krell and Dr. Paula Cushing, scientists at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Steinmann has found more than 100 new invertebrate species in Colorado caves. Jeff Stephenson, Denver Museum of Nature & Science collections manager, added these new species to the Zoology Department's arachnid collections in 2008. Steinmann, his wife Debbie, and their 11-year-old son Nathan frequently explore caves to find new life-forms, going where no one has ever looked before.

San Diego State University scientists Shahan Derkarabetian and Dr. Marshal Hedin recently named the new species of daddy longlegs in the journal PLOS ONE.

"Finding a new species does not require traveling to the rain forest. There is still so much to be discovered right here in America," explained Steinmann.ith assistance from Dr. Frank Krell and Dr. Paula Cushing, scientists at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Steinmann has found more than 100 new invertebrate species in Colorado caves. Jeff Stephenson, Denver Museum of Nature & Science collections manager, added these new species to the Zoology Department's arachnid collections in 2008. Steinmann, his wife Debbie, and their 11-year-old son Nathan frequently explore caves to find new life-forms, going where no one has ever looked before. San Diego State University scientists Shahan Derkarabetian and Dr. Marshal Hedin recently named the new species of daddy longlegs in the journal PLOS ONE. "Finding a new species does not require traveling to the rain forest. There is still so much to be discovered right here in America," explained Steinmann.