New Mammal Species Found in Costa Rica

A new species of mammal was found in Costa Rica, the discovery of the “bush dog” in Costa Rican territory (Carnivora: Canidae) was confirmed by the Neotropical Biology and Conservation website.

The species was first spotted through camera-traps located in the protected zone of Las Tablas in Coto Brus, Puntarenas in May of 2016, however, it was not until September that it was confirmed following the respective investigation.

Up until now, it was believed that this species was only found from Argentina to western Panama, however, its presence in Costa Rica changed this extension and the characteristics of the areas where they are found, since prior to this registry, the highest zone where they’d been spotted was of 600 meters above sea level, but in Costa Rica it was located at 1,700 meters above sea level.

“Bush dog, Speothos venaticus (Lund, 1842), is a rare Neotropical canid occurring from Eastern Mesoamerica, south to Argentina and Paraguay (DeMatteo et al., 2011). Despite its considerable large distribution, it is considered one of the rarest and least known canids in the continent (DeMatteo and Loiselle, 2008). Most of basic ecological and biological aspects of S. venaticus remain unknown, and most of the knowledge is still derived from occasional and sporadic observations”,explains the publication in the Neotropical Biology and Conservation website.

The record of this species in the country increases the number of confirmed carnivores in the country to 25.

“Given the extensive deforestation of the Talamanca range, especially on the Pacific slopes where our records were obtained, and that most of the habitat in the range is located above 1,500 m, (González-Maya et al., 2014; González-Maya et al., 2012; González-Maya et al., 2015), there is likely not many areas within Costa Rica where the bush dogs could occur. Hunting and deforestation can still be significant threats to the species, unless direct actions related with hunting control and connectivity are taken in the area. More focused and species-specific research seems warranted to further estimate the extent of occurrence of the species across this shared ecoregion. Conservation actions should be directed mostly considering the rareness and potential vulnerability of the bush dog in both countries”, concludes the publication.

TVA biologist, Yale professor find new fish found only in Tennessee

the Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned electricity corporation. An act of Congress established the company in 1933 to help the Tennessee Valley overcome environmental and economic problems. Now TVA provides power for the entire state of Tennessee and parts of six bordering states. The corporation also provides flood control, navigation and management for the Tennessee River System. The company has a diverse power plant portfolio that includes nuclear, fossil, diesel, hydroelectric, natural gas, solar and wind energy. The corporation funds its own operations by the sale of its electricity to power distributors. Wochit

(Photo: Tennessee Valley Authority)

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Behold the Tennessee Logperch.

The fish, a darter, can grow to be 6 inches long. It has flattened little splotches on its flanks. That the splotches are flattened is important; those are what first led TVA aquatic biologist Jeff Simmons and Yale professor Tom Near to suspect they had discovered a new fish.

Simmons explains that finding a new species of fish in the 21st century is more a =read more

New Jaguar Frog Discovered on Abandoned Highway

Scientists have discovered a new species of tree frog in an unusual place—a stretch of abandoned highway in Brazil.

When herpetologists first heard male frogs calling in the Amazon rain forest, they suspected the unknown sound came from a species completely new to science. Rafael de Fraga, a herpetologist at the National Institute of Research of the Amazon, and colleagues later confirmed it via genetic analysis.

The team named the species Scinax onca, or the jaguar snouted tree frog, due to its spotted skin and the prevalence of big cats they found in the area.=READ MORE

Exotic' tick species discovered in New Jersey

New Jersey officials have found an "exotic" East Asian tick in the state that could be a threat to livestock, pets and humans. The state's department of agriculture said Tuesday they discovered the tick, known as the longhorned tick or bush tick, on a farm in Hunterdon County on Nov. 9. The tick isn't native to the United States, but the species has been found on animals and materials presented for entry into the country in the past. The species are dark brown and small, only getting to the size of a pea when fully engorged. According to officials, the tick is a "serious pest to livestock," particularly in New Zealand. While the Hunterdon farm has been treated to eliminate the species, New Jersey farmers are being asked to be on the lookout for decreased growth rates or signs of anemia in the animals. The species is known to cause Theileriosis in cattle, a disease that can lead to severe anemia and even death. While Theileriosis does cause any food safety or human health risks, the ticks could cause the spread of other bacterial and viral diseases in humans and animals. Agriculture officials are currently investigating whether the locally found ticks are carrying any pathogens that may impact human or animal health. Officials reminded residents to take the following steps to try and avoid ticks:=READ MORE

Small but distinct differences among species mark evolution of human brain

Date: November 24, 2017 Source: Yale University Summary: The most dramatic divergence between humans and other primates can be found in the brain, the primary organ that gives our species its identity. However, all regions of the human brain have molecular signatures very similar to those of our primate relatives, yet some regions contain distinctly human patterns of gene activity that mark the brain's evolution and may contribute to our cognitive abilities, a new study has found.The most dramatic divergence between humans and other primates can be found in the brain, the primary organ that gives our species its identity. However, all regions of the human brain have molecular signatures very similar to those of our primate relatives, yet some regions contain distinctly human patterns of gene activity that mark the brain's evolution and may contribute to our cognitive abilities, a new Yale-led study has found. The massive analysis of human, chimpanzee, and monkey tissue published Nov. 23 in the journal Science shows that the human brain is not only a larger version of the ancestral primate brain but also one filled with distinct and surprising differences. "Our brains are three times larger, have many more cells and therefore more processing power than chimpanzee or monkey," said Andre M.M. Sousa, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of neuroscientist Nenad Sestan and co-lead author of the study. "Yet there are also distinct small differences between the species in how individual cells function and form connections."=read more

Salt and vinegar chips' spinifex one of eight new plant species discovered by finger-licking scientists

West Australian researchers have found and identified eight new species of spinifex, including one they say has the flavour of salt and vinegar-flavoured chips.

University of WA research scientist Matthew Barrett and PhD student Ben Anderson made the surprising discovery by accident while working late one night in Perth.

"We were doing late night experiments … handling specimens of that species," Dr Barrett said.

"Someone licked their hand at some point and tasted that flavour."

PHOTO: WA spinifex researcher Matthew Barret collects spinifex in the Pilbara. (Supplied: Ben Anderson)

Dr Barrett said the distinctive tang comes from tiny drops of liquid that 'sparkle' in the sunlight.

"It looks pretty inconspicuous when you first get to it, but if you look at it very closely it has very, very minute sparkling droplets on the stems," he said.

"When you lick them, they taste like salt and vinegar chips.=read more

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Dog owners lowers early death risk, study finds

Dog owners have a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease or other causes, a study of 3.4 million Swedes has found.

The team analysed national registries for people aged 40 to 80, and compared them to dog ownership registers.

They found there was a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in owners of dogs, particularly of hunting breeds.

While owning a dog may help physical activity, researchers said it may be active people who choose to own dogs.

They also said owning a dog may protect people from cardiovascular disease by increasing their social contact or wellbeing, or by changing the owner's bacterial microbiome.

The microbiome is the collection of microscopic species that live in the gut. It's thought a dog may influence its owner's microbiomes as dogs change the dirt in home environments, exposing people to bacteria they may not have encountered otherwise.=read more