New species of gecko discovered
The four groups found have been described as one species, called Cyrtodactylus kampingpoiensis.Researchers believe they could be revealed to be four different species after further study.This is partly because of the geographic isolation of the geckos.When species are separated geographically they can evolve independently and become genetically separate enough to be considered a different species.The geckos were found in karst formations, which is a type of landscape where layers of bedrock have dissolved forming underground streams and sinkholes.
Two other species were discovered during the survey.The Battambang leaf-toed gecko, Dixonius noctivagus, which is covered in tiny leopard-like spots.The gecko is named after their nightly habits - "noctivagus" means "night wanderer" in Latin.A third species of gecko, Hemiphyllodactylus khpoh, was also found during the same survey and but has previously been confirmed as a new species in the Zootaxa journal.Researchers expect the newly discovered geckos to be classed as Critically Endangered.Pablo Sinovas, Country Director, Fauna & Flora Cambodia Programme and survey team member, said the area they explored for their research is "largely uncharted".He said he was concerned about the impact of "human activities" like tourism and mining on the area."We must prioritise the protection of these fragile karst ecosystems before rare species are lost forever."
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The Guardian
15 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘Death spiral': Mekong River megafish have shrunk by half, study reveals
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The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
Air pollution filters help scientists produce first UK wildlife survey using eDNA
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The Guardian
6 days ago
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Gardeners urged to collaborate to help moths and hover flies thrive in cities
Gardeners have been urged to work with their neighbours to support moths and hover flies after research found them to be particularly sensitive to urban landscapes. While bees get most of the attention when it comes to supporting pollinators in our cities, researchers found that their less glamorous – but no less important – counterparts from other orders are even more acutely affected by urbanisation. Three researchers from Sheffield's school of biosciences investigated the impact that urbanisation in the UK was having on pollinators and found that urban landscapes support 43% fewer pollinator species, with the biggest declines evident the further into the heart of the city they went. Emilie Ellis, the lead author of the study who carried out the work as part of her PhD, said: 'The original focus was going to be on bees as they're the most charismatic species. 'But then my interest in moths added this on to it, and then [co-author Stuart Campbell]'s interest in flies included hover flies. That's the kind of cool novelty of this manuscript, that we included three different pollinating groups that are very diverse.' The research, carried out over the summer of 2019, involved Ellis visiting allotments in Leeds, Leicester and Sheffield, in varying urban densities, to sample the number of pollinating insects from all three groups. 'We just collected insects every month for six months in eight sites in each city – so it was a lot of driving.' Their findings were sobering. They found that for every 10% increase in impervious surfaces – such as roads and building cover – there was a reduction of up to 7.5% in the variety of pollinating species. But the number of moths and hover flies of any species took a far greater hit compared with the number of bees. 'We hypothesise that this could be due to the fact that they've got more complex life cycles because they need those different kind of resources other than flowers to become adults,' Ellis said. But that crucial vulnerability also contains a potential answer. If gardeners and urban planners bear in mind the needs of other pollinators, then there are straightforward ways to cater to them. 'We're so good now planting flowers for pollinators like bees and that could be the reason why we're not seeing them decline,' Ellis added. 'It's just a matter of taking these guys into account and maybe having some more shrubs or a pond or something like that to also benefit those insects. 'The diversity of habitat is the most important – so you need your flower patch, you need a tree, you need some shrubs, you need an untouched bit of grass – and kind of just keeping the patches that you have diverse and catering for all different types of insects and animals. 'A huge thing that's important is collaborating and talking to your neighbours and families and friends and encouraging them to do it too. Because an individual allotment or flower garden is pretty small and almost useless, but when you create a whole network of people that are interested and engaged these small little patches can become these huge habitat networks in cities.' Ellis and her colleagues' findings are published in the Royal Society's biological research journal Proceedings B.
