Researchers discover two new species after genetic testing
Other than the iconic Tasmanian devil, chances are most of these small, fascinating species have slipped under your radar. One of the rarest and most elusive is the kultarr (Antechinomys laniger), a feisty insect-eater found in very low numbers across much of the outback.
To the untrained eye, the kultarr looks very much like a hopping mouse, with long legs, a long tail and a tendency to rest on its hind legs.
However, it runs much like a greyhound – but its tiny size and high speed make it look like it's hopping.
Kultarr or kultarrs?
Until now, the kultarr was thought to be a single widespread species, ranging from central New South Wales to the Carnarvon Basin on Australia's west coast. However, a genetic study in 2023 suggested there could be more than one species.
With backing from the Australian Biological Resources Study, our team of researchers from the University of Western Australia, Western Australian Museum, and Queensland University of Technology set out to investigate.
We travelled to museums in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth to look at every kultarr that had been collected by scientists over the past century. By combining detailed genetic data with body and skull measurements, we discovered the kultarr isn't one widespread species, but three distinct species.
Three species of kultarrs
The eastern kultarr (A. laniger) is the smallest of the three, with an average body length of about 7.5cm. It's darker in colour than its relatives, and while its ears are still big, they are nowhere near as big as those of the other two species.
The eastern kultarr is now found on hard clay soils around Cobar in central NSW and north to around Charleville in southern Queensland.
The gibber kultarr (A. spenceri) is the largest and stockiest, with an average body length of around 9cm. They are noticeably chunkier than the other two, more dainty species, with big heads, thick legs and much longer hindfeet.
As its name suggests, the gibber kultarr is restricted to the extensive stony deserts or 'gibber plains' in southwest Queensland and northeast South Australia.
The long-eared kultarr (A. auritus) is the middle child in terms of body size, but its ears set it apart. They're nearly as long as its head.
It's found in patchy populations in the central and western sandy deserts, living on isolated stony plains.
Are they threatened?
All three species of kultarr are hard to find, making it difficult to confidently estimate population sizes and evaluate extinction risk.
The long-eared and gibber kultarrs don't appear to be in immediate danger, but land clearing and invasive predators such as cats and foxes have likely affected their numbers.
The eastern kultarr, however, is more of a concern. By looking at museum specimens going back all the way to the 1890s, we found it was once much more widespread.
Historic records suggest the eastern kultarr used to occur across the entirety of arid NSW and even spread north through central Queensland and into the Northern Territory. We now think this species may be extinct in the NT and parts of northwest Queensland.
What's next?
To protect kultarrs into the future, we need targeted surveys to confirm where each species still survives, especially the eastern kultarr, whose current range may be just a shadow of its former extent. With better knowledge, we can prioritise conservation actions where they're most needed, and ensure these remarkable, long-legged hunters don't disappear before we truly get to know them.
Australia still has many small mammal species that haven't been formally described. Unless we identify and name them, they remain invisible in conservation policy.
Taxonomic research like this is essential – we can't protect what we don't yet know exists. And without action, some species may disappear before they're ever officially recognised.
Cameron Dodd is a PhD Student in Evolutionary Biology and Taxonomy at the University of Western Australia. Andrew M. Baker is an Associate Professor in Ecology and Environmental Science at the Queensland University of Technology. Kenny Travouillon is a Curator of Mammals at the Western Australian Museum. Linette Umbrello is a Research Associate at the Western Australian Museum. Renee Catullo is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Western Australia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Dolphins and whales enjoy playing together
Are dolphins and whales oceanic besties? Well a new study suggests they might be!Researchers Dr Olaf Meynecke from Griffith University in Australia, and Olivia Crawley, spent six months studying 197 videos of whales and dolphins interacting, from 17 different countries over the last 20 this, they observed social interactions between six types of whales and 13 dolphin species."And in particular for humpback whales, we found that for one-third of the events the behavioural responses towards the dolphins appear positive." said Dr Olaf Meynecke."The humpback whales were rolling from side to side, undertaking belly presentation and other behaviours that are associated with courtship or friendly socialising." he said. "We were in particular interested to document the whales' reactions and responses toward the dolphins' as commonly dolphins are described to harass and annoy the whales." said co-author Olivia Crawley."When you're out on the water, you often see whales and dolphins interacting and as a scientist, you can't help but wonder why."Having the opportunity to document these observations and observe some of the behavioural patterns like bow riding by dolphins and close touches was intriguing." she said. What did they find? Whilst watching the videos, the researchers noted down the date and time of the interaction, the location, the number of animals involved, the age class, and the position of the dolphins in relation to the whale´s main body parts - the rostrum or 'beak', the flank or side, and fluke or tail).In total they recorded interactions from 425 baleen whales from six different species, with humpback whales the most popular at 68%, and 1570 dolphins were observed, with bottlenose dolphins the most common at 51%.They discovered the most common whale-dolphin interaction involved dolphins swimming near the whale's rostrum, similar to how they swim near the front of ships, which the researchers think could be an energy-efficient mode of swimming and a form of one-sided play by the around one-third of all the interactions, the whale responded positively by rolling from side to side, presenting its belly and moving slowly towards the dolphins."I hope that this study can serve as a foundation for future studies." said Olivia Crawley.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Breakthrough therapy helps worst chronic low back pain sufferers feel better... and it lasts for years
A groundbreaking therapy that encourages back pain patients to slowly take on movements they fear or that trigger pain, could relieve their suffering for at least three years, a study suggests. Researchers in Australia asked nearly 500 patients with chronic lower back pain that limited their daily movements to undergo cognitive functional therapy (CFT) for three months. The therapy involved participants describing their pain to doctors to help understand its causes, followed by gradually attempting movements that caused discomfort in order to build confidence and equip them with strategies to better manage their pain. Over the first three months, participants who tried the therapy reported significant improvements in movement and pain compared to those who relied on typical care, such as over-the-counter painkillers and surgeries. After three years, those who received CFT were still reporting lower pain levels and fewer limits on movement than those who received typical care. Dr Matt Hancock, a physiotherapist at Macquarie University who led the study, said: 'CFT is the first treatment for chronic disabling low back pain with good evidence of large, long-term (over 12 months) effects on disability. 'It offers a high-value, low-risk intervention with long-term benefits for patients with persistent, disabling low back pain.' The researchers are now calling on doctors to begin recommending the therapy for all patients, calling it a cost-effective method of relieving back pain. An estimated 75 to 85 percent of Americans experience back pain at some point during their lifetimes, while 25million currently suffer from lower back pain. Doctors normally treat the pain, which can be caused by sprains, arthritis and traumatic injuries, with over-the-counter painkillers, physical therapy and, in some cases, surgery. Patients have also been offered talk therapy since 2017, with doctors referring some patients for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). With CBT, patients attempt to reconceptualize their pain in order to reduce it. Pain reductions from this tend to be short-lived, however. In the new study, scientists recruited patients who had been suffering from moderate back pain who said it limited their day-to-day activities, such as causing them to move slowly or struggle to pick up heavy objects. Participants were 47 years old on average, overweight and said they had been seeking care for the pain for four years. They were asked to attend 20 clinics in Perth and Sydney, Australia, to receive treatment between October 2018 and August 2020 and split into three groups. The first received CFT, the second received CFT plus biofeedback, where sensors are used to map movements, and the third received typical care, or followed the care plan recommended by their doctor. Participants in both CFT groups attended seven treatment sessions over three months and a booster session at six months. Each session lasted 60 minutes and was led by a physical therapist. In the CFT sessions, participants were first encouraged to share the story of their pain to help them understand their discomfort and its underlying causes. They were then guided through movements and activities that they previously said were painful, feared or avoided, to help them learn how to manage the pain. At the end of the sessions, patients also received lifestyle guidance on healthy habits such as the need for regular physical activity, improved sleep, diet and regular socializing. In the initial study, published in The Lancet Rheumatology, all participants had a moderate level of disability from back pain. Three years later, however, in the groups that received CFT this had dropped to and remained at a mild level of disability, when back pain causes some limitations but does not impair overall function. Those with mild impairment may be able to walk around with little difficulty but can still struggle to lift heavy objects. There was no significant difference between the groups that received CFT only and those that received CFT and biofeedback. In the group continuing typical care, however, people still experienced a moderate level of disability. A moderate level of disability suggests participants can move only a short distance before requiring a break and can still perform basic daily activities like dressing or cooking but may take longer than usual. The study was first revealed in 2023 but was republished again this month with updated data from three years after the study began, showing that the therapy could reduce pain for three years. The scientists said CFT boosted participants' movement and reduced their pain because it reduced their fear of certain actions that had caused pain and made them less likely to avoid these behaviors. They said the course was also carried out by trained therapists and had a booster session six months later, which ensured patients got better training. In the latest paper, the researchers said: 'CFT produces clinically important effects for activity limitation at three-year follow-up.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
How dangerous are wildfires and how can we stop them from getting worse?
With bigger and stronger wildfires becoming more common as Europe swelters in record-breaking heat, people will need to adapt and learn how to stay safe. Wildfires directly kill hundreds of people around the world each year. Though they may seem apocalyptic, the death toll is far lower than from floods, which kill thousands, and from heatwaves, which kill hundreds of thousands. But when you factor in smoke, the human cost rises rapidly. The latest study estimates that the air pollution spewed by wildfires kills a staggering 1.5 million people each year. The toxic fumes can reach so far that tendrils of smoke from Australian bushfires have menaced South America, while smoke from Canadian fires – which regularly suffocate cities across the US – have fouled the air in Europe. Many things can spark a wildfire: natural causes such as lightning, faulty infrastructure such as downed power lines, or people behaving badly. Devastating blazes in recent years have been started by smokers tossing cigarette butts, tourists failing to put out campfires, and even arsonists intentionally setting nature alight. But whether those sparks turn into small fires or raging blazes depends on the weather. Fires need hot, dry fuel to burn, and they spread further with strong winds. Fossil fuel pollution has heated the planet by about 1.3C, raising the risk of prolonged heat that turns forests and grasslands into tinderboxes. In some regions, such as the Mediterranean, global heating is also fuelling droughts that dry out lush greenery. Scientists have found that such shifts have made the wildfires that have happened this year in places including California, South Korea and Australia more likely – in some cases doubling the chance of extreme weather conditions that help fires spread. Even as the planet has heated up, the area torched by fires has fallen. This is because people have taken nature that used to burn freely and turned it into farms or cities – in recent decades mainly in Africa – that stop the spread of flames. The latest models find land use changes and other human drivers have shrank the burned area by 19.1% since 1900, while climate changes increased it by 15.8% – resulting in a small decline of 3.3% overall. The conditions for ferocious fires are expected to worsen as the planet bakes. Two separate indices of fire weather project a steady rise in the number of days with high fire danger as temperatures inch higher, a recent study found. By the end of the century, the total burned area is projected to rise by 40% even in an optimistic scenario for cutting carbon pollution, according to a separate study. In a worst-case scenario, it is set to double. The danger that wildfires pose to people and property can drop sharply by managing land better. This can include creating fire breaks to stem the spread of an inferno, stopping new settlement in places prone to fires, and even sending herds of goats into abandoned farmland to graze away overgrown vegetation. In some places firefighters are trying the technique of intentionally burning land to avoid a buildup of fuel that could lead to catastrophic fires – a long-running Indigenous practice in Australia and North America that European fire experts are starting to adopt. If you live somewhere at risk of wildfires, put a plan together before disaster strikes. This could include identifying safe routes and nearby shelters, and packing an emergency bag. Some fire services recommend creating a safe zone around your home that is free from leaves and flammable materials. Experts say you should vacate immediately if authorities tell you to – or if your home is at risk but warnings have not come. To avoid the smoke, keep windows closed and use respirator masks.
