STRANGE ANIMALS -COMEDY FRIENDLY ZOMBIE PRODUCTION HOLSWORTHY AND AREA CRYPTOZOOLOGY GROUP

Sunday, 2 November 2014

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

Saturday, 1 November 2014

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.

"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.

New species of frog found in ... NYC

The Atlantic Coast leopard frog lives in the marshes of Staten Island, at the edge of New York Harbor.The Atlantic Coast leopard frog lives in the marshes of Staten Island, at the edge of New York Harbor. A new frog species is discovered in New York, of all places Researchers encountered the frogs living in the marshes of Staten Island The finding confirms research done more than 75 years ago (CNN) -- New York is famous for its singular residents: Loudmouthed taxi drivers. Hirsute Brooklyn hipsters. Upper East Side patrons of the arts. Now, the city is welcoming an unlikely new breed of denizen: a newly discovered species of frog. See new species of 'snotty' jellyfish 2013: 3 new species discovered in Australia 2012: New monkey species discovered A team of scientists has identified the unique critter, dubbed the Atlantic Coast leopard frog, in the marshes of Staten Island -- beside New York Harbor and not far from the Statue of Liberty. The frog's habitat stretches from Connecticut to North Carolina, but it's the discovery of an exotic animal species in one of the world's most densely populated urban areas that has scientists buzzing. "It is incredible and exciting that a new species of frog could be hiding in plain sight in New York City," said Joanna Burger, a biology professor at Rutgers University and a co-author of a research paper about the frog, published this week in the scientific journal PLOS One. The finding confirms research done more than 75 years ago by Carl Kauffeld, former director of the Staten Island Zoo, who wrote many books about amphibians and was considered an authority on the subject. Kauffeld published a paper in 1937 in which he claimed to have discovered the new frog species, but his research was dismissed for lack of evidence. Kauffeld died in 1974 at age 63. His cause was taken up six years ago by Rutgers doctoral candidate Jeremy Feinberg, lead author of the new paper. Feinberg and other researchers said they were able to employ modern technology to examine the genetics and mating calls of leopard frogs and determine that the amphibians in the wetlands of Staten Island were in fact distinct from two closely related other species inhabiting the northeast U.S. "We had the benefits of genetic testing and bioacoustic analysis that simply weren't available to Kauffeld to prove that even though this frog might look like the two other leopard frogs in the area, it was actually a third and completely separate species," Feinberg said. In giving the scientific name Rana kauffeldi to the new frog, Feinberg and a team of seven other researchers chose to honor Kauffeld and his work. "After some discussion, we agreed that it just seemed right to name the species after Carl Kauffeld," Feinberg said. "We wanted to acknowledge his work and give credit where we believe it was due, even though it was nearly 80 years after the fact." Despite its trademark urban canyons of steel, glass and concrete, New York actually is home to a wide variety of animal life. The 843 acres of Central Park, for example, contain raccoons and opossums, many types of migratory birds and a rare species of centipede. And, of course, lots and lots of pigeons. No word on whether the Staten Island frog ever swims across the harbor to Manhattan for a little sightseeing. But given the public fascination with the Bronx Zoo cobra that briefly escaped its enclosure in 2011, it may be only a matter of time before the new frog gets its own Twitter account.

Saturday, 25 October 2014

Monster shark 'kept whales in check'

The extinction of the biggest shark known to science may have triggered whales to grow to their current hefty sizes, a study suggests.

Megalodon, an ancient 14-18m-long predator that resembled a super-sized Great White, may have preyed on primitive baleen whales.

These whales were typically smaller than their counterparts today.

In their paper, the researchers produce what they say is the best estimate yet for the date of Megalodon's extinction.

This date of 2.6 million years ago falls on the border between the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. And it was after this point that baleen whales began to grow to their gigantic sizes.

Marine mammals are thought to have constituted an important part of the 50-tonne shark's diet. Though there's no conclusive evidence they fed on baleen whales, their fossils are often found along with Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon) teeth.

If they were on the shark's menu, then the removal of this lorry-sized predator might have allowed them to flourish.

The baleen whales filter tiny animals out of the water through comb-like structures in their mouths. The group includes the biggest animal alive today - the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), which can grow to more than 30m in length.

Co-author Catalina Pimiento, from the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, US, said this was a first step in ongoing research to understand the disappearance of Megalodon.

Regarding the evolution of giant size in whales, she told BBC News: "We are not sure how the mechanisms work.

"When we found out when that happened, we noticed it coincided with the pattern mentioned in whales. Now we need to find out if one event - Megalodon's extinction - caused the other - evolution of gigantism in whales."

But she added: "From modern sharks, it is known that larger individuals have a broader range of prey size, including larger prey. That means that the larger prey will be predated mostly by larger sharks."

Megalodon fossils are widely spread across the world; examples have been found in Europe, Africa and both North and South America. It was a formidable predator: scientists estimate that it could bite down with a force of between 10.8 to 18.2 tonnes.

The largest teeth can measure about 17cm (almost 7in).

Megalodon teeth The three largest teeth come from Megalodon; the rest are from modern shark speciesThe shark's jaw had a massive bite force, despite being composed of cartilage, not bone Most Megalodon fossils date from the middle Miocene (15.9-11.6 million years ago) to the Pliocene (5.3-2.6 million years ago). But there had been some unconfirmed reports of fossils from the Pleistocene (2.6 million years ago - 10,000 years ago). Dr Pimiento and her colleague Dr Christopher Clements from the University of Zurich used a mathematical approach called Optimal Linear Estimation (OLE) on 42 of the most recent fossils of the shark. The technique assesses the spacing between the fossil dates and will then give a statistical inference of the date at which the species could be considered extinct. In this case, it placed the point at 2.6 million years ago. It's not exact, not least because there is a margin of error on the dates of the last fossils themselves. But it represents a refinement on previous estimates of the extinction date for this fearsome species. The cause of Megalodon's disappearance, however, remains a mystery. The findings have been published in the journal Plos One.

Bumba lennoni -New Tarantula (Not Beetle) Named After John Lennon

Photo of the spider named after John Lennon.

Bumba lennoni is a new species of tarantula that lives in the Amazonian state of Pará, Brazil (map), according to a study published October 20 in the journal ZooKeys.

Though not particularly large—its body is about 1.3 inches (34 millimeters) wide—the newfound arachnid belongs to the same family as the dinner-plate-size Theraphosa blondi, the world's largest spider.

Called the goliath birdeater, that spider can reach lengths of a foot (0.3 meter) and weigh six ounces (170 grams). (Related: "Puppy-Size Tarantula Found: Explaining World's Biggest Spider.")

"I have been waiting for a while to dedicate a species to Lennon because I am a fan of the Beatles," study leader Fernando Pérez-Miles, an entomologist at Uruguay's University of the Republic, wrote in an email. "I decided not to wait anymore."

Pérez-Miles and colleagues found B. lennoni in 2005 in a trap at a scientific station in Caxiuana, a national forest whose name roughly translates to "place full of snakes" in the Tupi language.

Specimens of the tarantula were tucked away in Brazil's Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, where Pérez-Miles and colleagues recently studied them in detail and discovered that the animal is a new species.

The tarantula is distinct from related tarantulas because of the male's smaller sexual organ and the large number of structures around the mouth called cuspules, tiny nodules that probably help the predators crush their prey, Pérez-Miles noted. (Also see "World's Prettiest Tarantula Takes Best in Show 2014.")

The researcher named the spider after Lennon because the musician helped "to make this world a gentler place," according to the study.

Saturday, 18 October 2014

The -machimosaurus hugi-ancient crocodile that was as large as a DOUBLE-DECKER BUS: Giant predator ripped prey to shreds 160 million years ago

A giant salt water crocodile that lived 160 million years ago was as long as of a double-decker bus, scientists claim.

The terrifying creature roamed the ocean feasting on marine animals such as turtles and may even have eaten dinosaurs, according to a new study.

The fearsome prehistoric reptile measured more than 30 feet long (9 metres).

A giant salt water crocodile that lived 160 million years ago was almost as long as a double-decker bus, scientists claim. M. hugii (illustrated) was the largest at 30.4ft (9.3 metres)

Fresh research into Machimosaurus reveals key details of how and where it lived. Experts say three different species could be found in Europe and a fourth in Ethiopia.

M. hugii was the largest at 30.4ft (9.3 metres) which is larger than the biggest Nile or saltwater crocodiles of the modern era. The biggest living captive crocodile living today measures 18ft (5.5 m).

The smallest of the prehistoric crocodiles was M. buffetauti at around 19 feet (6 metres), while M. mosae was between 20 and 26 feet (6 to 8 metres).

The African creature, M. nowackianus, is only known from a single tooth, so its body length cannot be reliably estimated.

Four species of Machimosaurus roamed the ocean feasting on marine animals such as turtles and even dinosaurs. Three of the species believed to live in the area which is now modern Europe, are illustrated, along with a human to show scale

M. hugii was the largest of of the prehistoric crocodiles at 30.4ft (9.3 metres) which is bigger than the largest Nile or saltwater crocodiles of the modern era. The biggest living captive crocodile living today measures 18ft (5.5 m) A stock image of a saltwater crocodile in Queensland, Australia, is pictured

TERRIFYING MACHIMOSAURUS

Four species of Machimosaurus lived 160 million years ago.

Three could be found in the waters around Europe and one in Africa.

The creatures ate marine animals such as turtles and even perhaps dinosaurs.

Although Machimosaurus had blunt, conical teeth and long, slender snouts, they were so large that they could almost anything they wanted.

M. hugii was the largest at 30.4ft (9.3 metres).

The smallest of the prehistoric crocodiles was M. buffetauti at around 19 feet (6 metres), while M. mosae was between 20 and 26 feet (6 to 8 metres).

The African creature, M. nowackianus, is only known from a single tooth, so its body length cannot be reliably estimated.

Each of the species evolved to hunt in different habitats, from open seas to rivers.

‘M. hugii was the largest of all these species, with a body length exceeding nine metres, Dr Mark Young, of the University of Edinburgh, said.

Although Machimosaurus had blunt, concical teeth and long, slender snouts, they were so large that they could almost anything they wanted.

Bite marks inflicted by one of the beasts have even been found in the fossilised bones of a giant long-necked dinosaur.

Scientists believe Machimosaurus swam long distances in the open sea, but probably hunted near coasts, snatching any unfortunate animal that got too close.

Each of the species adapted features that enabled them to live and hunt in a range of habitats. They varied in body length, the composition of their skeleton, skull and lower jaw shape.

Machimosaurus fed on marine turtles and lived during the Late Jurassic period, either on the coast or in large rivers flowing into the sea.

M. hugii would have been well adapted for swimming in open seas while its closest cousin

Procoptodon goliah, Giant kangaroos 'walked on two feet'

The study, published in the journal Plos One, is a detailed comparison between the size and shape of the bones found in living kangaroo species and those of the sthenurines, which died out some 30,000 years ago.
Something completely different

This extinct family ranged in size from quite small animals, around 1m tall, to the mighty Procoptodon goliah, which stood at a towering 2m and weighed 240kg - heavier than an adult male lion.

Kangaroos today walk short distances with the help of their forelimbs

Compared to today's kangaroos they were extremely stocky, with a much shorter snout and only one toe on their hind feet rather than four. Instead of grazing, they used specialised arms to browse for food in trees and shrubs.

"We've known for a while that sthenurines were different in their dietary behaviour," said lead author Prof Christine Janis, a palaeontologist at Brown University in the US.

"But the idea that they might have used a different kind of locomotion has not been thought about."

The idea of a walking giant roo first dawned on Prof Janis 10 years ago, when she was looking at their bones in a Sydney museum.-READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29603578