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NEWS - Researchers report a new species, Dindymus albonotum , from specimens collected from a forest near the Wanmu tea plantation in Puer, Yunnan, China. The species has a body shape and coloration similar to Dindymus brevis Blöte (1931) and Dindymus flavinotum Stehlík (2013), but is easily distinguished. The researchers from Nanning Normal University in Nanning, the Chinese Academy of Forestry in Beijing, China Agricultural University in Beijing and the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Haikou named the species in reference to the yellow posterior lobe of the pronotum. The Latin noun albonotum means "yellowish-white thorax". Yunnan harlequin bug ( D. albonotum ) is red with black and milky white markings. The antennae are black and the base of the first segment is red. The labia are blackish brown and the first segment is red. The posterior pronotal lobe is milky white. The leura and sterna of the thorax are black, the posterior edge of the pleura and

NEWS - Researchers from the University of California at Berkeley, the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom in Plymouth, and CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona report a tiny new species that forms large colonies, Barroeca monosierra , in a very inhospitable lake. The strange creature is unusual for other microbes, but it could provide clues to the origins of complex life. B. monosierra belongs to a group of microbes known as choanoflagellates, single-celled organisms that group together to form colonies and act like multicellular life forms. The new species lives in very salty environments and forms colonies of nearly 100 cells. The center of the colony contains a community of smaller living bacteria, making B. monosierra one of the simplest organisms to have its own microbiome. Choanoflagellates are a class formally described by William Saville-Kent (1845-1908) in 1880 in A manual of Infusoria , London, vol. 1, p. 324. This class is considered the closest liv

NEWS - A new species of dragonfish, Akarotaxis gouldae or banded dragonfish, off the western Antarctic Peninsula by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at Gloucester Point, the University of Oregon at Eugene, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, highlights the unknown biodiversity and fragile ecosystems of the Antarctic. A. gouldae was named in honor of the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould and crew. The larval specimen was collected while trawling for zooplankton and was initially thought to be the closely related Akarotaxis nudiceps hundreds of thousands of years ago. DNA comparisons with A. nudiceps specimens held in collections at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Yale University, and the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris showed significant variation in mitochondrial genes that suggested the larval sample was a distinct species. Andrew Corso of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and colle

NEWS - Researchers report a new species of firmoss from China, Huperzia crassifolia , described based on morphological characters and molecular evidence. The new species resembles H. javanica Sw. (C.Y.Yang, 1989), particularly in leaf shape and serrations, but can be distinguished by the seasonal leaf constriction zone, leaf margin and pinnae color. A research team from Qiannan Normal College for Nationalities, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Chongqing Institute of Medical Plant Cultivation confirmed H. crassifolia is distinct from all previously known species. It is morphologically distinct with a thick coriaceous texture, elliptical to slightly oblanceolate pinnae and a well-differentiated seasonal constriction zone. Phylogenomic reconstruction using whole chloroplast genome sequences identified H. crassifolia as sister to H. sutchueniana and distantly related to H. javanica , H. nanlingensis and H. serrata . The genome size of 2C = 17.2 pg indicates the new species is tetrap

NEWS - Anyone with an open wound is constantly exposed to dangerous infections, so antibiotics have become a keystone of modern medicine. However, the world continues to face a global antibiotic crisis, as more and more bacterial strains become resistant, while the discovery of new antibiotics is much slower. A large number of antibacterial agents are derived from bacterial metabolites. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a pathogen that causes intestinal infections characterized by thinning of the microvilli and lesions of the intestinal epithelium associated with abnormal actin polymerization. Almost 70% of all antibiotics currently come from actinobacteria in the soil and most of the unexplored environments on Earth. Recently, the search for actinobacteria in other habitats, especially in the ocean, such as compounds isolated from marine species , is a promising strategy. "Here we show how advanced screening assays can identify antivirulence and antibacterial metabol

NEWS - Researchers have described the bacterium Mycobacterium spongiae found in marine sponges collected near Cooktown, Queensland. The team from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne reports the microbe could provide new insights into the evolution of pathogenic bacteria. The surprising discovery of bacteria in marine sponges from the Great Barrier Reef that closely resemble Mycobacterium tuberculosis , the pathogen responsible for tuberculosis (TB), could unlock future TB treatment strategies. Sea sponges, often referred to as “chemical factories”, are a valuable source of bioactive compounds with anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. The researchers discovered the puzzling bacteria while studying sponge specimens for the bacteria that produce the chemicals. The team carried out extensive analysis of the genes, proteins and lipids of M. spongiae (strain ID: FSD4b-SM). They found the bacteria shared 8

NEWS - A new species of rock-dwelling butterfly lizard (Leiolepis Cuvier, 1829) has been described from the Khorat Plateau in northeastern Thailand. This new report of Leiolepis glaurung brings the number of Leiolepis species in Thailand to six and worldwide to 11, and is the first case of an ecological adaptation to survive in a rocky habitat. L. glaurung can be distinguished from all other sexual species of Leiolepis by its combination of a black gular region with a broad yellow medial stripe, a yellow ventrum with black spots, bright red to orange subcaudal coloration, sides that can expand and retract to none, and only a single black transverse stripe on its sides. The researchers hypothesize that this morphology is an adaptation to reduce the diameter of its body to better fit into smaller rocky burrows, unlike the larger and deeper burrows built in looser soil by other species. The new specimen lives on the Khorat Plateau and is phylogenetically, ecologically, and morphologic

NEWS - The researchers report and describe a new species, Phlomoides bomiensis , from Bomi, Xizang, China, and describe Phlomoides longidentata , previously known only from Nepal and Bhutan, from Dingri, Xizang, China. This species often grows to more than 1 meter tall. The phylogenetics of both species were analyzed using nine plastid DNA markers (atpB-rbcL, psbA-trnH, rpl16, rpl32-trnL, rps16, trnK, trnL-trnF, trnS-trnG, trnT-trnL) with brown-black trichomes in the upper corolla lip and nested in the same subclade of Clade II. The flowers of P. bomiensis differ from those of P. nyalamensis by having truncated or slightly notched calyx teeth, posterior filaments with folded appendages at their bases, and petals with distinct petioles. The flowers also differ from P. breviflora in that the corolla is longer than 2 cm and the seeds are oblong. A perennial herbaceous species with strong roots and a linear tuberous shape. The stem is 0.5-1.8 meters high, subrectangular, strong, the l

NEWS - Researchers show prehistoric sea cows were preyed upon by not just one predator, but two different carnivores, a crocodile and a shark, between 23 million and 11.6 million years ago or the Lower to Middle Miocene. The fossil descriptions reveal clues about the predation tactics of the ancient creatures and the broader food chain of the time. Evidence of trophic interactions is not rare in the fossil record, but is mostly represented by fragmentary fossils that show ambiguous signs, making it often challenging to distinguish signs of active predation from scavenging events. "Often when we observe predators in the wild, we find carcasses of prey that indicate their function as a food source for other animals as well, but the fossil record is much rarer," says Aldo Benites-Palomino, from the Department of Paleontology at Zurich. "Our previous research has identified sperm whales being preyed upon by several shark species and this new study highlights the importance

NEWS - Researchers from Purdue University in Indiana have developed a patent-pending platform technology that mimics the bilayer structure of viruses to target nucleic acid (NA)-based therapies to cancer cells. The researchers have delivered an NA-based therapy called LENN to bladder cancer cells. “LENN consists of two protective layers. The inner shell encloses the nucleic acid, the outer shell protects it from the immune system so it can circulate freely and reach the cancer cells. We are mimicking virus particles that have been doing this for millions of years,” said David Thompson. The agile nanocarriers, which are flexible in targeting, payload size and disassembly kinetics, could provide an alternative route for nucleic acid delivery using vehicles that are bioproducible, biodegradable, biocompatible and can be tuned to different cells depending on specific tumor markers. “Unfortunately, only 1% or less of the NA payload that enters the cell makes it to the cytosol where it is

NEWS - Researchers report a new species of Nactus simakal that lives in a boulder-strewn habitat with deep crevices on Dauan Island in the northern Torres Strait. The Torres Strait Islands lie between Cape York Peninsula, north-eastern Australia, and the southern coast of Papua New Guinea and are rare in gecko biodiversity. The vertebrate fauna of the islands is a mix of Australian and New Guinean species with only two endemic species described to date. Conrad Hoskin of James Cook University in Townsville and colleagues describe the new species as highly distinctive based on ND2 mtDNA genetics and morphologically on its slender, elongated striped pattern. N. simakal is broadly similar to Nactus galgajuga (Ingram, 1978) which is restricted to a boulder-strewn habitat about 750 km to the south in mainland north-eastern Queensland, but is easily distinguished morphologically and genetically from saxicolines. N. simakal is the second vertebrate species to be described and considered

NEWS - Researchers report a new species of deep-sea fungus, Oceanitis abyssalis , described based on SU rDNA sequence analysis and morphological characteristics. The specimen was found attached to a branch of Prunus sp. at a depth of 5707 meters on the abyssal plain in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, east of the Japanese Islands. This discovery is the deepest recorded for a marine fungus. Previous research by an international team in the Ocean Species Discoveries project reported 11 new species of ocean animals at a depth of 7000 meters . Oceanitis Kohlm (1977) grows on a variety of plant species in a variety of coastal to deep-sea environments. This genus is also widespread in geologically isolated deep-sea areas as one of the most successful fungal taxa in these environments. The thick peridium allows it to adapt to extreme deep-sea conditions. The morphology of O. abyssalis is very similar to O. scuticella Kohlmeyer, but O. abyssalis having unicellular ascospores, smaller deciduous

NEWS - Ovules or winged seeds are widespread and essential for wind-borne dispersal. However, the earliest ovules in the Famennian of the Late Devonian are rarely known for their dispersal syndrome and are usually surrounded by a cupule. Researchers report a new species from the Xinhang fossils. A new taxon of Famennian ovules, Alasemenia tria , has three integumentary wings on each ovule. The prominent wings extend outward, fold inward along the abaxial side and enclose most of the nucellus. The ovules arise from the terminals on smooth dichotomous branches and lack a cupule. This species shows that the earliest ovule integument without a cupule has an evolutionary function related to photosynthetic nutrition and wind dispersal. Seed wings appeared earlier than other wind dispersal mechanisms such as hairs, pappus, three- or four-winged seeds and fewer winged seeds. Deming Wang from Peking University and his team conducted a mathematical analysis showing that three-winged seeds are

NEWS - Aquatic life is very metropolitan with a variety of small plankton and plays an important role as a starting point in the food cycle to support the survival of larger species above it up to the very large fin whale ( Balaenoptera physalus ). Recently Bejder el al (2024) placed humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) as one of the sophisticated animals that created and modified tools for hunting prey in the form of bubble nets , meanwhile Shoham et al (2024) reported Theonella conica and Entotheonella symbiosis produces high levels of poison to repel predators . The coevolution of predators and prey plays a major role in shaping the pelagic region and may have significant implications for marine ecosystems and nutrient cycling dynamics. Siliceous diatom frustules are often assumed to have co-evolved with silica-coated copepod teeth, but empirical evidence on how this relationship drives natural selection and evolution is lacking. Is the predator-prey arms race a driving for

NEWS - Scientists are looking for alternative plastic products that are more sustainable, more biodegradable and far less toxic to the environment. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are using Rhodopseudomonas palustris , Rhodomicrobium vannielii and Rhodomicrobium udaipurense to replace petroleum-based plastics. The bacteria, with a little encouragement, are expected to become microscopic factories for bioplastics. The ability to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), natural polymers that can be purified to make plastics. Eventually, genetic engineering could coax the bacteria to increase their PHA production. "There is a huge global demand for bioplastics. They can be produced without adding CO2 to the atmosphere and are completely biodegradable. Our two studies show the importance of taking a multi-pronged approach to finding new ways to produce these valuable materials," said Arpita Bose of Wash. University. Purple bacteria are a special group of aquati

NEWS - Researchers have discovered a protein produced by a parasitic worm in the intestines that promotes wound healing. Applying a protein produced by the roundworm Heligmosomoides polygyrus accelerated wound closure, increased skin regeneration and inhibited scar tissue formation. Skin wounds must be closed quickly to prevent infection, but rapid wound closure can promote scar tissue development and inhibit skin regeneration. The balance between scarring and tissue regeneration is strongly influenced by the immune cells that flock to the wound site. Many researchers are interested in finding ways to increase the activity of the types of immune cells that promote regeneration and inhibit the activity of immune cells that promote scar tissue formation. Recent research suggests that molecules secreted by parasitic worms can modulate the host immune system, which promotes tissue regeneration. William Gause of the State University of New Jersey in Newark and his team investigated the T

BLOG - Before the invention of photography, everything was explained by hand drawings that required naturalists to be able to draw to describe the specimens they documented. Scholars from taxonomy to medicine had to be able to sketch leaves to the human heart, this is why the academic world at that time had the subject of "art and science". A tradition that taxonomic drawings are accompanied by a measurement scale usually by placing a measuring tool in millimeters or centimeters or inches that supports scientific sketches has an identification context, but of course there are obstacles to having to document large specimens. I found a picture of a large specimen: Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758). Uniquely, the specimen with catalogue number: OBS.296787995 and stored at the Observation International, Aarlanderveen, Netherlands, is the oldest I have ever known. The shabby drawing with three folds and worn edges was made in 1547 or more than 500 years old. Previously I

NEWS - Researchers report and describe new species of insects: Polyphrix misa and Polyphrix tullu during the project “Discovery new species and Amazon Cam” funded by the “Programa Nacional de Innovación para la Competitividad y productividad - Innóvate Perú”. Polyphrix Townes 1972 is a small neotropical genus consisting of four species with P. varians Townes 1970 and P. stellata Tedesco & Santos 2009 previously recorded. Both species have been reported from Peru. P. varians is the type species and was first described from Brazilian specimens, but the generic description was reported from Peru. These species show a triangular mandibular morphology, the apex width of the mandible is less than 0.5 of the base width. No epomia. Hindwings with 1-Cu veins almost as long as the cross veins cu-a. Propodeum with concave anterior margin and sculpted surface behind anterior transverse carina with strong and widely spaced transverse wrinkles. Thyridium is longer than wide and the tip of

NEWS - “Your enemy is our enemy” is a motto as old as the existence of animals on earth, and new research suggests it first occurred in big primates at least 5-6 million years ago. A perceived out-group threat can increase in-group cohesion. Scientists have long known the mechanisms that increase in-group cohesion in societies shaped by out-group threat. However, the distribution and selection history of this association with intergroup relationships have varied across species. In the face of threat from other groups, humans ( Homo sapiens ), chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ), and a number of other species draw closer together in their own groups. Since Charles Darwin, the link between out-group threat and in-group cohesion has been thought to be an adaptation to group-based competition. Over the years, studies ranging from chimpanzees to mongooses have found evidence to support this view, but the crucial question remains: what about species without strong inter-group competition? Jame

NEWS - Aedes aegypti transmits the viruses that cause dengue, yellow fever, Zika and other diseases every year, while Anopheles gambiae transmits the parasite that causes malaria. Their capacity to transmit disease has made mosquitoes the deadliest animals. Moreover, climate change and global travel have expanded the range of A. aegypti beyond tropical geography. The mosquitoes are now present in subtropical climates that were previously unheard of just a few years ago. Male mosquitoes are harmless, but females need blood for egg development. There is no single cue that these insects rely on to feed; they integrate information from many different senses across a wide range of distances. " A. aegypti very adept at finding human hosts. This work provides a new insight into how they achieve this. Once we got all the right parameters, the results were clear and undeniable," says Nicolas DeBeaubien of the University of California at Santa Barbara UCSB. The researchers added

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such

NEWS - Wild cylindrical pythons, a few centimeters in diameter and several feet long, can stretch as long as a power pole and swallow a deer or crocodile whole. They fast for long periods of time, but when they eat large amounts of food, they don’t cause any tissue damage. In the first 24 hours after devouring a large prey item, the tissues soften dramatically, while the heart grows 25% and becomes more tense until the pulse rate doubles. The blood flow turns milky white because of circulating fat, but surprisingly it is healthy rather than damaging to the tissue. A large group of special genes kick into action to help increase metabolism by a factor of forty. Two weeks later, after the food has been digested, all systems are back to normal, the heart remains slightly larger and even stronger than before. The researchers report that this remarkable process could inspire new treatments for the heart condition cardiac fibrosis and a number of other modern human diseases that are miracu