Scientists discover new crocodiles on Mexican islands that remained hidden for centuries
Biodiversity is constantly evolving, and as a result, nature surprises us with what is kept hidden in plain sight. While some of the species are becoming extinct and endangered, the discovery of new species not only gives a new ray of hope, but also tells us how much we still have to learn and protect.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Remote and ecologically rich areas like islands and coastal habitats often house unique species, but they're also among the most vulnerable to human development and environmental change.
In this delicate balance between discovery and destruction, science plays a crucial role in identifying species before they vanish, possibly unnoticed. Genetic analysis and modern fieldwork are helping scientists revisit long-held assumptions, bringing to light some unexpected biodiversity.
The more we discover, the easier it becomes, as each ecosystem holds details that deserve attention, research, and protection.
A recent discovery is a perfect example of the same
Scientists have identified two new species of crocodiles living in isolated parts of Mexico, one on the island of Cozumel and the other on the coral atoll of Banco Chinchorro, both situated off the Yucatán Peninsula. This is changing the assumptions, what scientists thought they knew about the American crocodile, which was believed to be a single, widespread species.
According to Biology Professor Hans Larsson, the lead investigator of the study, the discovery came after the team analyzed genetic samples from these crocodile populations and compared them to others across the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico's Pacific coast.
'We assumed Crocodylus acutus was a single species ranging from Baja California to Venezuela and across the Caribbean. Our study is the first to extensively explore genomic and anatomical variation in these animals'.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Small populations at risk despite stability
The two newly identified crocodile species remain unnamed but are genetically distinct, with fewer than 1,000 breeding individuals in each isolated population. While both groups appear stable, their limited numbers and confinement to small habitats make them especially vulnerable.
'Now that we recognize these crocodiles as distinct species, it's crucial to protect their habitats. Limiting land development and implementing careful conservation strategies on Cozumel and Banco Chinchorro will be key to ensuring their survival,' Larsson added.
A wake-up call for conservation
The discovery is also a race against time to catalog biodiversity before it's lost. 'Biodiversity is disappearing faster than we can discover what we're losing,' said Larsson. With coastal development and habitat degradation threatening crocodile populations across the globe, this find serves as both a scientific milestone and a conservation alarm bell.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
11 minutes ago
- Mint
Axiom-4 mission: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla a ‘very special' passenger, says Prof RC Kapoor
As Shubhanshu Shukla prepares to become the second Indian in 41 years to travel to space, astronomer and Professor RC Kapoor said on Tuesday that the Axiom-4 mission will carry a 'very special astronaut.' Prof Kapoor also spoke about the objective of the mission, revealing that Shukla is set to carry out seven experiments at the International Space Station (ISS), reported ANI. Speaking to ANI, Prof RC Kapoor revealed that the rocket is going to carry four 'very special' passengers to the ISS. The passengers are from different nationalities. Veteran American astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the mission. Three other astronauts: one from Poland, one from Hungary, and India's Shubhanshu Shukla. Talking about Shubanshu Shukla and the significance of the Axiom-4 mission for India, the professor said, 'He is a group captain in the Air Force, and he has been trained for space travel, particularly from the Gaganyan mission point of view,' reported ANI. Prof Kapoor claimed that this is a great opportunity for our Indian astronaut to be taken to ISS, which is a heavy table satellite moving above Earth from a height of about 400 km. 'This space station has been there in place since 1998, and it is the first time that there is Indian participation,' reported ANI. The objective of the Axiom-4 mission is to conduct 60 experiments. Prof Kapoor told ANI that Shukla is going to conduct seven out of those 60 experiments. 'Shukla is going to carry seven experiments, and they are of different varieties,' Prof Kapoor told ANI. Prof Kapoor also discussed Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma's visit to space, saying that Sharma had stayed in space for about eight days and had conducted some experiments. The professor told ANI, 'It is an exciting moment for us, because after 41 years, if you recall, in April 1984 Squadron leader Rakesh Sharma flew aboard T-11 Rocket of the Russian Space Agency and then was taken to cell 7 space station where he stayed for close to 8 days. He went around the Earth 15 times, took some pics and conducted experiments. He was already trained for that in Russia,' Speaking about the extensive training for astronauts, Prof Kapoor said, 'In space, things are not easy. Everything has to work in perfect unison. Astronauts have to be given extensive training, which we can't imagine because sometimes the training goes on for several years.' 'After launch, it may take 28 hours for the Axiom-4 team to reach the station… but we are hoping everything goes perfectly,' reported ANI. The launch of the Axiom-4 marks a rare milestone for the astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary, each embarking on their first-ever mission to the ISS, ANI reported. This also marks the second government-sponsored human spaceflight in over four decades for each of these countries. The mission is a major milestone achieved by the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) collaboration with NASA through Axiom Space. ISRO announced on June 9 that the mission, which was scheduled to be launched on June 10, has been rescheduled to June 11 due to unfavourable weather conditions. Joining the mission are Slawosz Uznanski of Poland, a European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Uznanski will be Poland's second astronaut since 1978, similar to Kapu, who will also be Hungary's second since 1980. Veteran American astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the mission, adding to her record for the longest cumulative time spent in space by any American.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Stepping stone for Gaganyaan": Retd Air Commodore Ravish Malhotra on Axiom-4 mission
By Deepjoy Das New Delhi [India], June 10 (ANI): With Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla set to become the second Indian to travel to space, Air Commodore Ravish Malhotra (retd), who was closely associated with the 1984 Indo-Soviet space mission and trained as an astronaut, has said that the upcoming launch is a crucial milestone in the journey for India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission. Air Commodore Ravish Malhotra, who was selected along with Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma for India's first space mission and was his backup, told ANI in an interview that Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla's journey to the International Space Station (ISS) inspires 1.4 billion Indians. Gaganyaan, India's first human spaceflight mission, is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2027. During an interview with ANI on Monday, the Retd Air Commodore affirmed confidence in Indian astronaut Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla, who is part of the four-member crew that will be travelling to the space station. Group Captain Shukla is set to become the second Indian to travel to space and the first to visit the ISS. Air Commodore Malhotra stated that Group Captain Shukla had to undergo rigorous training for over two years, beginning in Russia at the renowned Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre. 'They have been training for almost two years now. They had their training in Russia... After that, he (Group Captain Shukla) had gone to the US and had been trained along with the other three cosmonauts (who are part of the crew),' he said. 'This is certainly a stepping stone for our own Gaganyan mission. I believe in the next year or 2027, the Gaganyan mission will take place... And both Sudhanshu Shukla and the standby astronaut, the training they got in the US, will be an additional win for our flight when it takes place,' Air Commodore (Retd) Malhotra added. The space veteran added that Group Captain Shukla's extensive preparation has now positioned him as ready for the mission, carrying the hopes of 1.4 billion Indians. 'He had trained for a long time and was now ready to go up... We wish him Godspeed... He carries with him the inspiration for 1.4 billion Indians.' Highlighting Group Captain Shukla's critical role in the mission, the Air Commodore explained that the Indian astronaut will serve as the co-pilot alongside the senior American astronaut, Peggy Whitson, who will be leading the mission. 'There is one senior American astronaut. He (Shukla) is the number two... He will be flying the spaceship to dock with the International Space Station and going there to carry out experiments,' he noted. Describing the technical aspects that Group Captain Shukla will encounter during the mission, Air Commodore Malhotra said that he will be assisting Whitson with the docking of the spacecraft if anything happens to the automatic docking system. 'He is like the captain or the co-pilot. He is going to be there assisting the senior astronaut with docking (the ship)... The docking happens on an automatic basis. The whole system is automated. Should anything happen, then the pilot takes up the manual docking. So they train for that,' he added. He emphasised that additional training for manual docking ensures the crew is prepared for any contingency. Reflecting on the overall progress in the evolution of the space training and India's capabilities in the field over the past four decades, the Retd Air Commodore noted, 'There have been a lot of improvements in the past 40-45 odd years when we did our training... They received a whole gamut of training, and now they are ready for the launch.' The launch of the Axiom-4 mission features astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary--each embarking on their first-ever mission to the ISS. This also marks the second government-sponsored human spaceflight in over four decades for each of these countries. The mission is a major milestone in the Indian Space Research Organisation's collaboration with NASA through Axiom Space. The mission, which was scheduled to be launched on June 10, has been rescheduled to June 11 due to unfavourable weather conditions, as per ISRO. Joining the mission are Slawosz Uznanski of Poland, a European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Uznanski will be Poland's second astronaut since 1978, while Kapu will be Hungary's second since 1980. Veteran American astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the mission, adding to her record for the longest cumulative time spent in space by any American. (ANI)
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Explained: ‘Realising the return'— how an Indian became part of Axiom-4
In June 2023, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington, India and the US announced a decision to finalise a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation. It was also revealed that Indian and American space agencies, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), would mount a joint effort to enable an Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) by 2024. The announcement came as a surprise. Till then, it was understood that the first Indians to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma's historic flight in 1984 would ride the Gaganyaan mission which ISRO had been preparing for since 2018, when Modi unveiled India's ambition to send humans into space by 2022. The 2022 timeline could not be adhered to. But astronauts had been selected and trained, and systems were under development and being tested. The 2023 announcement offered India an opportunity to get real-life experience for one of its astronauts ahead of the Gaganyaan mission. Only three nations — the US, Russia and China — have a human spaceflight programme of their own. Shubhanshu Shukla's flight, which came about on the back of the 2023 announcement, is thus being seen as another preparatory step ahead of the Gaganyaan mission. A growing partnership It has since emerged that the 2023 announcement was the result of at least a few years of discussions between India and the US. Their space agencies have been working on a joint NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission for over a decade now, enabling a closer-than-ever partnership. That mission is finally ready now, and likely to be launched in the next few weeks from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The need to further strengthen their partnership, possibly through a joint human spaceflight programme, had been broached several times during these interactions. This took place particularly after ISRO demonstrated its advanced capabilities with missions, such as Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan, and the development of sophisticated space systems. This closer collaboration was formalised a couple of months after Modi's Washington visit in June 2023, when India signed the Artemis Accords, a US-devised set of principles for responsible behaviour and cooperation in space exploration, particularly in lunar and deep planetary missions. It paved the way for unprecedented collaboration between the two countries in space-related matters, the first benefits of which have begun to unfold with the Axiom-4 mission. Axiom Space's invitation Shortly after the Artemis Accords were signed, Axiom Space, a private US-based space company, invited India to participate in its mission to the ISS. Axiom Space has been the first and till now the only beneficiary of a NASA programme to enable private US industry to send commercial crewed missions to low-earth orbits and the ISS. This is part of NASA's endeavour to build capabilities in the private sector while it focuses on science and planetary exploration. Axiom Space has sent three multinational missions to the ISS so far, each carrying four astronauts. The inaugural mission, in 2022, marked the first instance of an all-private crew making its way to the ISS. None of the astronauts were affiliated to, or selected by, any national space agency, though one of them had been a former NASA astronaut. The other three were businessmen. The second mission in 2023 also had three private individuals, and was commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and the world record holder for having spent the maximum number of days in space. The third mission last year had an all-European crew, with the first Turkish national to ever go into space. For its fourth mission on Wednesday, on which Shukla will travel to the ISS, Axiom Space invited three countries who had last been to space more than 40 years ago — India (1984), Hungary (1978) and Poland (1980) — with Whitson named commander once again. Aptly, the mission has been themed 'Realize the Return'. Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country's space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University's Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor's Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More
