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Old November 30th, 2013 #121
Alex Linder
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New lizard species discovered in Vietnam
Last updated: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 14:25


zug Hemiphyllodactylus zugi, a new gecko species found in Vietnam

Scientists have discovered yet another new species of lizard in Vietnam, where at least four similar findings have been announced since the beginning of this year.

According to the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology’s website, Vietnamese and German scientists found the species during their recent field work in the northern province of Cao Bang.

They described the lizard as slender and 41-46.6 millimeter long, excluding its tail.

They collected four specimens in karst forests at a height of 450-600 meters above sea level. The lizards resembled H. yunnanensis Boulenger, the only species of the genus Hemiphyllodactylus currently known to exist in Vietnam.

However, since there are distinct differences in the reptiles' morphological and molecular characteristics, the scientists identified it as a new species and named it zug Hemiphyllodactylus zugi after George Zug, an American professor who has greatly influenced the study of reptiles in Asia.

The gecko’s distinguished characteristics include a trunk pattern of dark brown irregularly transverse bands on its back, a dark lateral head stripe, and large light spots along its sides, edged above and below in dark grey.

It was the second gecko species to be discovered in Cao Bang this year. The first one, Gekko adleri, was announced in May.

This year Vietnamese and foreign scientists have also announced the discovery of three new species in the southern province of Binh Phuoc, the central province of Phu Yen, and the central province of Quang Ngai.

http://www.thanhniennews.com/index/p...n-vietnam.aspx
 
Old November 30th, 2013 #122
Alex Linder
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Four New Catfish species discovered in Kerala State

29-NOV-2013

Four new species of freshwater catfish recently discovered in Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts of Kerala.

All the four species, namely Horabagrus melanosoma, Mystus heoki, Mystus indicus and Mystus menoni were discovered from the Manimala river by Mathews Plamoottil, Assistant Professor in Zoology, Government College, Chavara, and Nelson P. Abraham, Associate Professor, St. Thomas College, Kozhenchery.

The researchers have published their findings in the latest issue of two prominent scientific journals, Biosystematica and the International Journal of Pure and Applied Zoology. The International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) has also approved the names given by the researchers to the new species.

About Catfish

Catfish are freshwater, bottom-dwelling fish. Unlike other fish, they have no scales and are smooth skinned. They are known for growing whiskers, called "barbels," at some point during their lifespan. Catfish use their barbels as feelers as they swim along the bottom of the various bodies of water in which they live. There are 2,900 species of catfish worldwide. They range in size from 1.5 to 2 in chesto more than 8 feet in length.

http://www.jagranjosh.com/current-af....JmIY07Mr.dpuf
 
Old November 30th, 2013 #123
Alex Linder
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Funky fungi: Glow-in-the-dark mushroom discovered in Kenting
CNA 2013-11-28 08:45 (GMT+8)



The new species named Mycena kentingensis was discovered in Kenting. (Photo courtesy of the Kenting National Park Headquarters)

A new type of luminous mushroom was discovered in southern Taiwan, the Kenting National Park Headquarters said on Tuesday, adding that the discovery could lead researchers to better understand how such species glow in the dark.

The mushroom, named mycena kentingensis, was discovered by Shih Yu-shen, a graduate student at National Chung Hsing University's Department of Life Sciences, in the tropical forest in Kenting, Pingtung county in November 2011, the park said.

The discovery, which was published in the November 2013 edition of the German journal Mycological Progress, brings the total number of luminous fungus species in the world to 74, the national park said.

While the new mushroom has some of the same characteristics as two of the other eight luminous fungi found in Taiwan, it was confirmed by DNA sequencing to be a new species.

The new species, which grows on dead wood, has a cap that is three to eight millimeters in diameter, and the entire mushroom is white. The cap and stalk both glow green in the dark, the national park said, adding that it is still not clear how the light emitting mechanism of a luminous mushroom works.

Since the new species is easy to grow and takes only five weeks, it may be suitable for research into the light emitting mechanism of such types of mushrooms, the park said.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-s...00005&cid=1105
 
Old November 30th, 2013 #124
Alex Linder
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New giant clam species discovered
By Life Scientist Staff | Posted in Genetics on 26 November, 2013

In a surprising find, Australian researchers have discovered a vivid new species of giant clam on reefs in the Solomon Islands and at Ningaloo in Western Australia.

Giant clams, from the genus Tridacna, are classic coral reef animals found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Easily recognisable by their massive shells and vibrantly coloured mantle tissue, their populations have been depleted by extensive harvesting by humans.
“DNA sequences strongly suggest that a distinct and unnamed species of giant clam has been hiding literally in plain sight, looking almost the same as the relatively common Tridacna maxima,” said postgraduate biological sciences student at the University of Queensland Jude Keyse.

“Giant clams can grow up to 230 kilograms and are some of the most recognisable animals on coral reefs, coming in a spectrum of vibrant colours including blues, greens, browns and yellow hues.”

Charles Darwin University postgraduate student Shane Penny, who collaborated in the work, said identifying a new species within a well-known group such as giant clams was a unique opportunity.

“To correctly describe the new species now becomes critical as the effects of getting it wrong can be profound for fisheries, ecology and conservation," he said.

Giant clams are beloved by divers and snorkellers but also prized as a source of meat and shells.

Over-consumption by humans has depleted giant clam populations in many areas and most giant clam species are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

Keyse said the discovery of a new species had implications for management of giant clams.

“What we thought was one breeding group has turned out to be two, making each species even less abundant than previously thought,” she said.

These results have been published in the open access journal PLoS One.

- See more at: http://lifescientist.com.au/content/....Lbanojbf.dpuf
 
Old December 2nd, 2013 #125
Jae Manzel
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Default ‘Protective’ marine worm discovered



A team of researchers from the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) discovered a nemertean worm in Antarctic waters with an exceptional feature: it incubates its eggs and defends them from external threats.

This discovery, performed in the framework of the Acticum project, was published in the journal Polar Biology.

Participants in this discovery include Conxita Avila and Sergi Taboada, of the Department of Animal Biology of the UB and members of the Research Institute of Biodiversity (IRBio); Juan Junoy (University of Alcalá); Javier Cristobo (IEO); and Gonzalo Giribet and Sónia Andrade (Harvard University).

Nemertean specimens are a group of invertebrates that preferably inhabit the marine environment.

This time, the researchers have discovered a new species, Antarctonemertes riesgoae, which presents an unusual reproductive behaviour, since it incubates eggs in the same way as hens do.

In the Antarctic marine environment, scientists found the existence of cocoons being between two and three centimeters long, which were incubated by the females of the nemertean group.

The team of experts noted that during reproduction, the female secrets mucosa through the body wall that solidifies when in contact with sea water until it forms an elastic substance coverage. Once the cocoon is formed, the female lays eggs and lies on top of them.

This behaviour is not merely passive: when one tries to take out the cocoons off the substrate where they are attached, the female goes through a hole to defend its eggs.

In general, nemertean specimens lay eggs and then they do not take care of them, but these invertebrates behave differently, and take action to protect their eggs from the harsh environment conditions of Antarctica.

http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/wor...db=1%20target=
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Old December 3rd, 2013 #126
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Default Coendou baturitensis: New Porcupine Discovered in Brazil

Brazilian biologists from the Federal University of Paraíba have discovered a new species of porcupine in the genus Coendou.



The Coendou porcupines, also known as prehensile-tailed porcupines or coendous, are nocturnal, herbivorous, solitary rodents native to Central and South America.

Prehensile-tailed porcupines measure 0.7 – 1 m long including the tail and weigh about 3 – 5 kg. They feed on bark, leaves and buds as well as fruit and root vegetables.

The most prominent feature of these animals is their long, unspined tail. They use it as a fifth hand that helps them hold on to branches as they climb through the forest canopy.

Prehensile-tailed porcupines spend the day sleeping in a hollow tree or curled up in the fork of a branch; at night they move around. Although these porcupines tend to move slowly, they are surprisingly agile and can climb quickly when necessary. They cannot jump and must descend to the ground if they need to cross a gap between trees.

The new species, scientifically named Coendou baturitensis, is only known from the Baturité Range in the Brazilian state of Ceará. The common name is the Baturite porcupine.

“The name refers to the locality of origin, a forests on a mountain range similar to the Brejos de Altitude of the Brazilian Northeast where a fauna different from that of the surrounding semiarid Caatinga can be found,” co-authors Dr Anderson Feijó and Dr Alfredo Langguth wrote in the paper published in the journal Revista Nordestina de Biologia.

Coendou baturitensis is a medium-sized prehensile-tailed porcupine with body densely covered with tricolor quills.

“On the back the quills are long with a short dirty white basal band, followed by a long brown intermediate band and a dirty white terminal band. On the sides of the body, the quills are shorter than on the back and are distinctly darker. This is due to short basal and distal bands of dirty white color and a long intermediate brown band. The quills are not covered by hair. The nose is bulbous, big and soft,” the authors wrote.

Coendou baturitensis is similar to Coendou speratus, described in April 2013, but can be distinguished by having the tip of the quills white, instead of reddish, the ventral region covered by thin, flexible quills instead of hairs.

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/scie...zil-01588.html
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Old December 3rd, 2013 #127
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Default New Species of Rhinoceros Beetle Found in Bolivia


Oryctophileurus guerrai, female. Scale bar – 5 mm. Image credit: Perger R. / Grossi PC.

The new species belongs to the very rare beetle genus Oryctophileurus.

“Like the other species of the genus, the new species might be rare or has a cryptic way of life,” wrote Dr Robert Perger from the Colección Boliviana de Fauna and Dr Paschoal Grossi from the Universidade Federal do Paraná, co-authors of the paper published in the journal ZooKeys.

The beetle, named Oryctophileurus guerrai, measures about 2 cm long by 1 cm wide.

“The species is named after our friend and colleague, Fernando ‘Fideo’ Guerra, for his lifetime commitment to the investigation of the Bolivian fauna. His participation in the actual survey in the southern Bolivian Andes has led to the discovery and description of several previously unknown taxa, and he was also the first to collect an individual of Oryctophileurus guerrai.”

Oryctophileurus guerrai resembles known species O. armicollis, but can be distinguished “by the distance between the inner teeth on the dorsal pronotal protuberance, and in females by the inner teeth separated by only a small fissure.”
Oryctophileurus guerrai, female. Scale bar - 5 mm. Image credit: Perger R. / Grossi PC.

Two specimens (female and male) of Oryctophileurus guerrai were collected in the northwestern buffer zone of the Tariquía Flora and Fauna National Reserve, department of Tarija, Bolivia.

“Oryctophileurus guerrai is known only from the northwestern area of Tariquía National Reserve in the southern Bolivian Andes. The forest in this area is considered subandine subhumid, semi-deciduous, Tucuman-Bolivian forest with a mean annual temperature of 18.7 °C and an annual rainfall of 1334 mm,” the scientists wrote in the paper.

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/scie...via-01587.html
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Old December 5th, 2013 #128
Jae Manzel
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Default Bizarre Microbes Discovered in Desert Cave

Scientists at the University of Arizona have discovered diverse communities of bacteria, fungi and archaea on the surface of stalactites in Kartchner Caverns, a limestone cave system in Arizona.

Tucked beneath the desert in southern Arizona is Kartchner Caverns, a maze of remote, largely uninhabited underground passages and caverns that are cloaked in perpetual darkness. But this seemingly desolate cave system actually plays host to a surprisingly diverse array of microbes that survive underground despite the extreme dearth of light and nutrients, according to a new study.

A team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Arizona in Tucson discovered communities of microorganisms that live in the limestone caves of Kartchner Caverns State Park. These microbial ecosystems thrive by teasing out the limited nutrients in water runoff that drips into the cave through cracks in the cave's rocky exterior, the researchers said.

The unexpected discovery, published online Sept. 12 in the journal of the International Society for Microbial Ecology, could help scientists understand how bacteria, fungi and other microbes survive in extreme environments. (Extreme Life on Earth: 8 Bizarre Creatures)

"We didn't expect to find such a thriving ecosystem feasting on the scraps dripping in from the world above," Julie Neilson, an associate research scientist in the University of Arizona's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said in a statement. "What is most interesting is that what we found mirrors the desert above: an extreme environment starved for nutrients, yet flourishing with organisms that have adapted in very unique ways to this type of habitat."


Living in darkness, the underground microbes are unable to carry out photosynthesis— the process that plants and other organisms use to convert sunlight into energy. Still, the types of microorganisms found in Kartchner Caverns shared similarities to the more familiar types found on the Earth's surface, the researchers said.

"We discovered all the major players that make up a typical ecosystem," Neilson explained. "From producers to consumers, they're all there, just not visible to the naked eye."

Even without such biodiversity, simply living off the water dripping into Kartchner Caverns is an impressive feat, as there is a shortage of organic carbon — one of the building blocks of life on Earth — within the cave.

"Kartchner is unique because it is a cave in a desert ecosystem," Neilson said. "It's not like the caves in temperate areas such as in Kentucky or West Virginia, where the surface has forests, rivers and soil with thick organic layers, providing abundant organic carbon. Kartchner has about a thousand times less carbon coming in with the drip water."

These cave-dwelling microorganisms cultivate what little nutrients and energy are locked in the water molecules from decaying organic matter in the soil above ground, or from minerals dissolved in the rock fissures, the researchers said. The microbes have adapted means of using the chemical compounds present in the cave — in some cases, even eating rock to get energy from compounds such as manganese or pyrite, Neilson said.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/biza...ave-131204.htm
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Old December 5th, 2013 #129
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Default New limpit species discovered in Amundsen Sea


Bathysciadiid limpet (small round object in centre of the picture) feeding on the beak of a dead octopus. The species was found about 1,400 metres deep in Pine Island Bay. Credit: Peter Enderlein

http://phys.org/news/2013-12-limpit-...ndsen-sea.html

[the website has some sort of protection that prevents me from copying and pasting the article, click on the link to read]
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Old December 5th, 2013 #130
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Default New species of toad discovered on Fansipan

VietNamNet Bridge - Scientists recently discovered a new species of toad at altitude of about 2,800, near the top of Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina.



During the survey in Hoang Lien National Park in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, the scientists at the Vietnam Museum of Nature and the Australian Museum found a new species of toad of the genus Leptolalax.

Its name is L. botsfordi sp. nov., after scientist Christopher Botsford to honor his contributions in the study and conservation of amphibian reptile and scientific capacity building in Asia.

At present, the new species is known only from the upper mountain forest between 2,795–2,815 m elevation on Mount Fansipan, Hoang Lien National Park. Leptolalax botsfordi sp. nov. occurs at higher elevations than any other species in the genus.

According to the website Vncreatures, Leptolalax botsfordi sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of supra-axillary and ventrolateral glands present; dark brownish red ventral surface with white speckling; medium body size for the genus; black markings on the flanks absent; toes with rudimentary webbing and weak lateral fringing; large pectoral glands and femoral glands and an advertisement call with a dominant frequency of 2.6–3.2 kHz (at 14.0º C).

Scientists warn, if L. botsfordi sp. nov. is truly restricted to a narrow, high-elevation band, it is likely to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The new species also faces the immediate threat of habitat degradation and pollution due to tourist activity.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/sci...-fansipan.html
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Old December 6th, 2013 #131
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Default Snake George may have discovered rare species



A snake and reptile expert believes he has found a rare non-venomous snake in Paphos which has never before been seen in Cyprus.

Hans-Jorg Wiedl, aka Snake George, is known for rediscovering the Cyprus grass snake, which was believed to have been extinct for the last 40 years. He also proved that the blunt nosed viper lays eggs and doesn’t give birth to live young as had previously been thought.

He now believes he has uncovered a species of snake, which has not been seen before on the island, although it is native to the Middle East.

He told the Cyprus Mail: “I have discovered a tiny snake which I believe to be a black-headed dwarf snake. This type is most commonly found in areas from Syria to Israel, and a sub species has been seen in Turkey.”

The expert says he doesn’t want to announce exactly where the snake was found, as he is currently carrying out further research in the area.

Snake George, who has written a book about the snakes of Cyprus, was contacted by a British resident in the Paphos district, after he had examined the book and hadn’t been able to identify the creature.

“I often get calls to remove snakes from people’s properties, so I wasn’t expecting this to be anything special but it certainly was,” he said.

Once he examined the tiny creature, he says his memory was jolted into remembering something he saw decades ago.

“Many years ago in the 1970s I had visited a museum in Syria and I remembered that I had seen something similar in a preserved state. I couldn’t be sure, but I believed it to be the same snake.”

The reptile expert say that the female snake is tiny, measuring about 11 cms. He said she would grow to no more than 30cms.He added that was impossible that the creature was transported to Cyprus in someone’s luggage or by other means as she is so young.

“This resident only has one neighbour, the surrounding area is in a natural state, and neither of these people has travelled recently. So they couldn’t even bring her in to Cyprus accidently in their luggage.”

He noted that the surrounding terrain was a perfect habitat for the snake and he hoped to find more. “There must be others in the same area and I need some luck to find them. This is so fantastic and she is beautiful,” he enthused.

He said the creatures were very hard to find as they were so small, and mostly lived either under rocks or in cracks found on rocks.

Snake George is caring for the snake while studying it further and is feeding is with ants, baby termites, grasshoppers, spiders and praying mantis.

“These snakes are so small that this type of insect is what they typically eat.”

In the meantime, the well known environmentalist says he has still hit a brick wall with plans to re-open a reptile park in Paphos and says opening a museum is not possible either without considerable investment from supporters.

“The government has shown no interest in helping me with any of the projects which I have put forward; I find this very sad and disheartening,” he said.

Snake George said closing the initial snake and reptile park had been a very difficult and emotional experience. The park in Ayios Georgios in Paphos opened in 1996.

http://cyprus-mail.com/2013/12/06/sn...-rare-species/
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Old December 9th, 2013 #132
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Default Never-Seen-Before Asian Cockroach Species That Can Survive Harsh Winters Found In New York



There is little likelihood that the different species could interbreed and create a hybrid because their genitalia do not match. Lyle Buss, Univ. of Florida

Add yet another critter to New York City's list of pests. This time, it's a new species of cockroach.

The latest import, from Asia, can survive harsh winters and has been seen for the first time in the United States, and in one of New York’s most popular tourist attractions, The High Line park, according to researchers. Unlike the city's local roaches, the new species, called Periplaneta Japonica, is capable of withstanding both warm indoor temperatures and freezing outdoor temperatures, according to a study published in the Journal of Economic Entomology on Monday.

“About 20 years ago colleagues of ours in Japan reared nymphs of this species and measured their tolerance to being able to survive in snow,” Jessica Ware of Rutgers University's Newark campus, said in a statement. “As the species has invaded Korea and China, there has been some confirmation that it does very well in cold climates, so it is very conceivable that it could live outdoors during winter in New York. That is in addition to its being well suited to live indoors alongside the species that already are here.”

The Asian species was first spotted in New York in 2012 by an exterminator working on the High Line. These cockroaches looked different to him from the type that usually crawl around Manhattan, so he sent the carcasses to the University of Florida for analysis.

Ware, along with Dominic Evangelista of Rutgers, used various scientific methods to confirm the cockroach’s Asian origin. And though it is still unclear how the species arrived in the U.S., Ware and Evangelista suspect that one or more of the ornamental plants that decorate the High Line arrived in soil that might have contained the new bug.

“Many nurseries in the United States have some native plants and some imported plants, so it's not a far stretch to picture that that is the source,” Ware and Evangelista said. “If we discover more populations in the U.S., we could trace their genes back to try to figure out their exact sources.”

The High Line is a nearly two-mile stretch of unused elevated railway line on the city's western flank that was converted to a park and opened to the public in June 2009.

As for potential roach sightings on sidewalks and in parks during the dead of winter, Ware and Evangelista believe such encounters could be possible. However, the researchers say, there is little likelihood that the different species could interbreed and create a hybrid because their genitalia do not match.

“The male and female genitalia fit together like a lock and key and that differs by species,” Evangelista said. “So we assume that one won’t fit the other.”

http://www.ibtimes.com/never-seen-as...w-york-1500100
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Old December 10th, 2013 #133
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Default 30 new species found living under Antarctic


This Juvenile King Crab is among 30 new species found living under the Antarctic. Picture: SWNS

In pictures: Creatures of the Antarctic

More than 30 new species of sea creatures living under the Antarctic have been discovered by a British team of scientists.

Marine biologists from the British Antarctic Survey have been surveying the Amundsen Sea five years ago after the ice shelf began to break up.

Scientists have compiled a list of 275 marine species, including 30 new creatures.

A brain-like sea cucumber called Psolus Byrdae, and a bathysciadiid limpet - a type of sea snail - with a taste for dead octopus are among the team’s strangest finds.

A new species called the flabelligerids, which has now been referred to as the “bristle-cage-worm” because of its bright neon yellow bristles, was also among the discoveries.

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/ar...ctic-1-3226513
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Old December 18th, 2013 #134
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Default New species of tapir discovered in south-west Amazon





In what will likely be considered one of the biggest (literally) zoological discoveries of the 21st century, scientists today announced they have discovered a new species of tapir in Brazil and Colombia. The new mammal, hidden from science but known to local indigenous tribes, is actually one of the biggest animals on the continent, although it's still the smallest living tapir. Described in the Journal of Mammology, the scientists have named the new tapir Tapirus kabomani after the name for "tapir" in the local Paumari language: "Arabo kabomani."

Tapirus kabomani, or the Kobomani tapir, is the fifth tapir found in the world and the first to be discovered since 1865. It is also the first mammal in the order Perissodactyla (which includes tapirs, rhinos, and horses) found in over a hundred years. Moreover, this is the largest land mammal to be uncovered in decades: in 1992 scientists discovered the saola in Vietnam and Cambodia, a rainforest bovine that is about the same size as the new tapir.

Found inhabiting open grasslands and forests in the southwest Amazon (the Brazilian states of Rondônia and Amazonas, as well as the Colombian department of Amazonas), the new species is regularly hunted by the Karitiana tribe who call it the "little black tapir." The new species is most similar to the Brazilian tapir (Tapirus terrestris), but sports darker hair and is significantly smaller: while a Brazilian tapir can weigh up to 320 kilograms (710 pounds), the Kabomani weighs-in around 110 kilograms (240 pounds). Given its relatively small size it likely won't be long till conservationists christen it the pygmy or dwarf tapir. It also has shorter legs, a distinctly-shaped skull, and a less prominent crest.

"[Indigenous people] traditionally reported seeing what they called 'a different kind of anta [tapir in Portuguese].' However, the scientific community has never paid much attention to the fact, stating that it was always the same Tapirus terrestris," explains lead author Mario Cozzuol, the paleontologist who first started investigating the new species ten years ago. "They did not give value to local knowledge and thought the locals were wrong. Knowledge of the local community needs to be taken into account and that's what we did in our study, which culminated in the discovery of a new species to science."

Cozzuol first found evidence of the new species a decade ago while looking at tapir skulls, which were markedly different than any other. Researchers then collected genetic material and tapir specimens from local hunters and the Karitiana Indians. Extensive research into both the tapir's physical appearance (morphology) and its genetics proved that the researchers were indeed dealing with an as-yet-undescribed species of megafauna. Amazingly, this new species of tapir was actually hunted by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 with a specimen from his exploits still resting in the American Museum of Natural History in New York to this day. At the time of his hunt, Roosevelt wrote that the local hunters called the tapir a "distinct kind."

"[Indigenous people] were essential," co-author Fabrício R. Santos told mongabay.com, "particularly because they know about this 'variety' for decades, if not, centuries, and the hunters can precisely differentiate both species, because all of skulls they provide us matched our morphometric and DNA analyses."

Tapirs first appeared around 50 million years ago in the Eocene and are considered living fossils because they haven't changed much since then. They are easily identifiable by their massive size and their distinct, impressively-flexible proboscis, which the animal employs to grasp vegetation. Despite their bulk, tapirs are generally considered shy and elusive and are mostly active at night. They are also excellent swimmers and despite reputations in some countries for being slow (the name for tapir in Portuguese translates loosely to "jackass"), they are in fact quite intelligent, charismatic animals. Tapirs first evolved in North America and then migrated to Asia, South America, and even Europe in a tapir evolutionary-extravaganza before many species died out. Today, five species remain: four are found in Central and South America (the Brazilian tapir, mountain tapir, Baird's tapir, and the new Kabomani) while one species survives in Asia (the Malayan tapir).

The genetic research shows that the Kabomani tapir separated from its closest relative, the Brazilian, around 300,000 years ago. This means by the time humans first arrived in South America, the Kabomani tapir had long been separated from its relatives, although Brazilian tapirs and the Kabomani still share some of the same habitat today. The species is most common in the upper Madeira River where both forest and savanna habitat are present. When one of these ecosystems begins to dominate, however, the species becomes rarer. The scientists hypothesize in their paper that the species may have evolved "during dry periods of the Pleistocene, associated with forest fragmentation."

Moreover, the extensive genetic research undertaken by the scientists shows that the Brazilian tapir and the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) are quite closely related (more closely than the Kabomani tapir), which could mean a recent break between the two species with mountain tapirs quickly evolving to the high-altitude Andean cloud forests or something even more surprising.

"There may be another species inside what we call Tapirus terrestris, particularly the individuals found in the Amazon of Ecuador, and northern Peru," says Santos.

As megafauna, tapirs have been hunted by humans for thousands of years and still play a very important role in many indigenous tribes, both as food prey and in mythologies. In addition, these large animals are vital to the ecosystems they inhabit.

"As seed predators and dispersers, they have key roles in the dynamics of rain forests, Cerrado, Pantanal, and high mountain ecosystems," the scientists write in the paper.

All of the world's tapir species are currently listed as threatened with extinction due to overhunting and habitat destruction, and the scientists believe the Kabomani will be no different. In fact, given its scarcity and possibly smaller habitat than other tapirs, it could be hugely imperiled.

"[The Brazilian tapir] is considered Vulnerable by the IUCN, it lives in most of biomes of South America, and Tapirus kabomani was only found in Amazon areas with open grasslands. Because the new species is scarce, and more restricted in their local habitat, it should be much more threatened than the common tapir," notes Santos.

Moreover, the region of the Amazon where the tapir was discovered is facing heavy human pressures, including two large dams and massive road-building projects, in addition to high deforestation rates.

"Southwestern Amazonia is currently undergoing intense landscape modification by deforestation and increasing human population. The region is likely threatened more by global warming than are other South American regions and it is considered a biodiversity hot spot with undocumented species richness," the researchers write.

Now that the new tapir has finally been revealed to the global public, scientists and conservationists have their work cut out for them.

"Our next stage of research is to determine the actual distribution of occurrence and conservation status of the new species," says co-author Flávio Rodrigues, professor of ecology at UFMG. In fact, scientists suspect the new species may also be found in the Guiana Shield in the eastern Amazon, according to photographs and local knowledge from both Brazil and French Guiana.

The discovery of this new megafauna—so long-hidden to science—proves the invaluable contribution that indigenous people can make it science, if only they are more regularly consulted and respected, according to the researchers. It also proves once again that the natural world remains full of surprises.

http://www.theguardian.com/environme...pir-discovered
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Old December 18th, 2013 #135
Jae Manzel
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Default 9 New Species of Cuckoo Wasps Discovered in China

A team of entomologists from Italy and China has described nine new species of wasps in the genus Cleptes.



This genus belongs to the family Chrysididae, members of which are known as the jewel wasps, gold wasps, or emerald wasps. These wasps have some peculiar parasitoid nesting habits. They have brilliantly colored metallic-like bodies.

Just like the cuckoo, these wasps sneak in and lay their eggs in host nests. When hatched the larvae consume the host egg or larva, while they are still young, and after eliminating competition they move onto consuming the provisions.



Another interesting survival mechanism of the cuckoo wasps is their ability to curl into a protective ball when in danger, a process known as conglobation. In nature this mechanism is also seen in pill bugs and armadillos.

“Relatively thoroughly studied in Europe and North America, there are only a few and non-systematic studies for Asia,” said Dr Zai-fu Xu of the South China Agricultural University.



“In China, the fauna of Cleptes is still very poorly known,” added Dr Zai-fu Xu, who is the senior author of the paper published in the journal ZooKeys.

“This study is the first revision of the genus there, recognizing seventeen species, nine of which are new to science, and marking the road for future studies.”

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/scie...ina-01621.html
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Old December 18th, 2013 #136
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Default Spectacular New Species of Beetle Found in French Guiana

Dr Terry Erwin of the Smithsonian Institution has described a new genus and species of beetle from French Guiana.



The beetle, scientifically named Guyanemorpha spectabilis, belongs to the Pseudomorphini tribe, famous for the co-existence of its representatives with various ant species.

Guyanemorpha spectabilis, commonly named the Spectacular Guyane False-form beetle, stands out among its dull relatives in the Western Hemisphere, with its great size and beautiful coloration.

The beetle lives in lowland rainforests of French Guiana and is most likely to live with ants, although at present nothing is known about their way of life.

“This surprising large and colorful pseudomorphine came as a shock to me, as all other species of the tribe in the Western Hemisphere are quite dull brown, dark reddish, or blackish with no, or little, color contrast on the upper surface,” said Dr Erwin, who is the author of the paper published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

“In the world of entomology this new species can be only compared in its rare characteristics to the Olinguito, a new carnivore species which charmed the world and just recently described by Dr Kris Helgen in ZooKeys.”

“The pseudomorphines are a very interesting evolutionary off-shoot of the normal carabid morphotype in both form and function and are only just now beginning to be understood in North America.”

“The fact that species of related genera in South America are living with arboreal ants will make learning about them far more difficult. Insecticidal fogging gets adults of these species, but only tearing apart arboreal Azteca ant nests while suspended in a tree will produce their larvae, and that is not for carabidologists faint of heart,” Dr Erwin said.

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/scie...ana-01598.html
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Old December 18th, 2013 #137
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Default Four New Mammal Species Discovered in Democratic Republic of Congo

Dec. 16, 2013 — Julian Kerbis Peterhans, a Roosevelt University professor and adjunct curator at The Field Museum who has conducted extensive studies on mammals in Africa, has announced the discovery of four new species of small mammals in the eastern section of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The mammals were found during an expedition to the Misotshi-Kabogo highlands led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and in another nearby forest with the Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles (CRSN) Lwiro -- areas that were previously unexplored. "Our discoveries demonstrate the need for conserving this isolated reservoir of biodiversity," Kerbis said.

"Three new species from a single forest (with a fourth from a nearby forest) is quite unique," Kerbis added. "More often such finds would be made on island ecosystems. However, the highlands in which these species reside are isolated from adjacent forests and mountains by savannah habitats and low elevation streams."

In two new papers published in the German journal Bonn Zoological Bulletin, Kerbis and his colleagues describe the two new species of shrews and the two new species of bats.

WCS and CRSN scientists together with Trento Science Museum in Italy are in the process of describing three new frog species and possibly a new chameleon from the same area from these surveys. The team also confirmed the presence of a unique squirrel and monkey whose existence had been recorded in historical surveys and collections dating from the 1950s.

Remarkably, all of these species were found during the course of a short survey of less than 30 days in 2007. "Given the clear importance of this site, we are working closely with the local communities and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to protect this unique area," reported Dr. Andrew Plumptre, director of WCS's Albertine Rift Program. "The local community has elected to create a new national park here to protect these unique species, but concerns over mining concessions that have been granted in the area are hampering its creation."

Kerbis' colleagues included scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (New York) the Centre de Recherché des Sciences Naturelles (Lwiro, Democratic Republic of Congo) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...+--+Animals%29
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Old December 20th, 2013 #138
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Default A total of 1165 new species discovered in Norway since 2009!

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

More than a thousand new species –nearly one-quarter of which are new to science – have been discovered in Norway since a unique effort to find and name all of the country’s species began in 2009.

The Norwegian Taxonomy Initiative is one of just two government efforts worldwide where scientists are being funded to find and catalogue the country’s true species diversity.

The Norwegian initiative is focused on describing poorly known species groups across the country’s varied habitats, from its alpine plateaus to the northernmost reaches of the island archipelago of Spitsbergen.

The 1165 species discovered range from new species of insects and lichens to new species of molluscs and cold-water sponges. The information gives scientists and policymakers a better platform for understanding of the complexity and function of Norway’s ecosystems.

“These are very good results that provide new knowledge of both individual species and ecosystems,” says Ivar Myklebust, director of the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, which is coordinating the taxonomy initiative on commission from the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment.

Scientists believe that there are roughly 55 000 species in Norway, but until now only 41 000 have been discovered. The 1165 new species discovered by the taxonomy initiative over the last four years are thus an important addition to this number. However, it will take time before the species that are thought to be new to science can be added to this list. These newly discovered species must first be given a scientific name and a description of the species must be published in a scientific publication.

“Norway’s land, seas and coastal areas have a unique variety of landscapes and ecosystems with great variation over short distances, which is rare in a global context,” said Tine Sundtoft, Norway’s Minister of Climate and the Environment. “This gives us a rich and varied flora and fauna. The Government will take our management responsibilities seriously.”

Many new insect species

The biggest discoveries have been made in the major species-rich groups where previous knowledge has been poor – including in the groups that include wasps, flies and mosquitoes.

Scientists believe that there are thousands of species in Norway yet to be discovered in these groups. The figures from the taxonomy initiative shows that nearly 60 per cent of the new species are insects or other small terrestrial invertebrates (729 species), including 667 new species of insects, 17 new spider species and 18 new springtail species.

A boost in knowledge about fungi

Fungi represent another large and species-rich group in Norway. Since 2009, scientists have found 227 new fungi species as part of the taxonomy initiative.

Some of these fungal species have been discovered using DNA analysis to clarify the relationship between species. This has led scientists to split some species into two, or to increase the species numbers from 14 to 31, as was the case for coral fungi.

New marine species

Norway’s rich marine environment supplied 157 new species, including sponges, snails, slime worms, bristle worms, fish parasites, molluscs and starfish. Another 16 new species were discovered in brackish and fresh water, primarily fish parasites and small crustaceans.

Marine species are not as accessible as terrestrial species for researchers. As a result, 48 per cent of the species found as part of the taxonomy initiative are completely new to the scientific world and have never before been described scientifically.

In comparison, 18 per cent of the new terrestrial species are what scientists call undescribed species. In some of the very poorly known marine species groups such as the worm-like (aplacophoran) molluscs that live on the ocean floor, Aplacophora/shell less molluscs, the proportion of undescribed species may be as high as 90 per cent.

New knowledge about better-known species groups

Norway’s landscape varies greatly in its topography, climate and habitats, which are home to a rich lichen and moss flora, with more than 2000 species of lichens and about 11 000 species of mosses.

“Even though we believe that the flora of both lichens and mosses are relatively well known, we have learned a great deal about the incidence and prevalence of both groups as a result of the initiative” says Ingrid Salvesen, senior adviser at the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre and coordinator of the Norwegian Taxonomy Initiative.

This is partly because much of the current knowledge and species descriptions are based on very old data. DNA analyses, combined with surveys in little explored areas, have proven to be very useful.

Salvesen also says that the initiative has given scientists a better understanding of where better-known species are found and the relationships of these species to different habitats. This is an important cornerstone for knowledge-based management.

“Geo-referenced information records of species give us new knowledge of the habitat that these species live in, and the organisms that they live with,” Salvesen says. “That gives us the ability to better understand the complex interactions of nature.”

DNA reveals new species

DNA barcoding is a method for identifying species using differences in genetic material. The method involves comparing a short DNA sequence of an unknown organism to known sequences in a reference library.

The DNA barcodes can identify species from just tiny tissue samples, such as from an insect leg or a drop of blood.

A selection of the material collected by the Taxonomy Initiative has been made available for DNA barcoding in collaboration with the Norwegian Barcode of Life network (NorBOL).

To date, NorBOL has registered barcodes from approximately 3800 species in Norway, over half of which have come via the Taxonomy Initiative. NorBOL is part of a global effort to build up the reference library of DNA barcodes for more and more of the Earth’s species.

The Research Council of Norway has provided funding for the country’s national infrastructure for DNA barcoding up to and including 2018, which will allow for a great number of Norwegian species to be registered in the library.

Facilitator and catalyst

The major activity that has been generated by the Norwegian Taxonomy Initiative has revitalized the country’s biosystematics research. A large number of academics, experts, technicians and students from most natural science research institutions in Norway are involved in the survey work.

The project has also led to the establishment of solid, professional networks across national boundaries. Norwegian researchers have established working relationships with their colleagues in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Georgia Spain, Canada and Japan.

42 projects in five years

The Norwegian Taxonomy Initiative has started 42 inventory projects for mapping and identifying species in Norway since its inception in 2009. About half of these projects are completed or will be completed during 2013. Another eight new projects will be initiated in 2014.

Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/science...RucvTRpfQ7S.99
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Old December 20th, 2013 #139
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How fucking amazing is that? In NORWAY - where there's probably less life than anywhere on the planet except the poles. Just astonishing.
 
Old December 27th, 2013 #140
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Four new mollusc species discovered off Scotland



FOUR mysterious molluscs have been discovered in the deep *waters of the Atlantic Frontier, hundreds of miles off the *north-west coast of Scotland, it was revealed yesterday.

The secretive sea creatures – new species of a large sea snail, two kinds of clams and a marine worm – were found during recent trawl surveys by Marine Scotland scientists off the UK Continental Shelf in the waters of the North Atlantic, near the tiny islet of Rockall.

International experts have now confirmed that all four creatures are completely new to science, meaning they have avoided detection up to a mile below the surface during decades of underwater research around the Rockall plateau.

Marine scientists also believe their remarkable discovery could point to the presence of a “cold seep” in the Atlantic Frontier near Rockall where hydrocarbon gases are released from the sea bed to create carbonate rock formations and reefs.

If confirmed, it would be the first cold seep to be discovered in the vicinity of Rockall.

Jim Drewery, from Marine Scotland Science, who led the *research on the deep water invertebrates, said: “The discovery of these new species is absolutely incredible, especially when you consider that the sea snail measures a relatively large ten centimetres yet has gone undetected for decades.

“Its capture on these surveys could be due to the new techniques we are now employing at Marine Scotland Science in our research on the deep-sea floor.”

He continued: “The project we were undertaking was designed to provide advice that would help balance both commercial fishing and conservation interests in the Rockall area. The potential cold seep and its dependent community of marine life is the sort of habitat we were hoping to pick up on these surveys.”

Mr Drewery explained that the sea snail, Volutopsius scotiae, and the clam Thyasira scotiae, had been named after the research vessel MRV Scotia, while the clam Isorropodon mackayi had been named after renowned mollusc expert David W Mackay. The marine worm Antonbrunnia has not yet been officially named and is being examined at the National Museum of Wales.

The sea snails were discovered over an area approximately 80 to 260 miles west of the Hebrides at depths of up to one mile. The clams and marine worm were discovered at a single site, the location of the potential cold seep, approximately 260 miles west of the Hebrides in about three quarters of a mile depth of water.

Mr Drewery added: “I am particularly excited by the discovery of the marine worm Antonbrunnia, the first of its kind to be found in the entire Atlantic. It was discovered by international bivalve expert Dr Graham Oliver inside one of the clams he was confirming as a new species at his laboratory at the National Museum of Wales.

“We would like to thank Dr Oliver and the Belgian conchologist Koen Faussen for their tremendous contribution to this research.”

Richard Lochhead, the Scottish environment secretary, welcomed the discoveries: “Scottish waters cover an area around five times bigger than our land mass and are miles deep in places, and these hidden gems offer a fascinating glimpse of the treasures that still await discovery under the waves.”

Environmentalist Lang Banks, the director of WWF Scotland, said: “These surveys highlight that we’ve still so much to learn when it comes to life beneath the waves.”

http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...land-1-3248874
 
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