Latest news with #AnjnaO'Connor
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fuzzy new 'wooly devil' plant species discovered at Texas national park
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas – Two national park staff members made an astonishing discovery while walking through Texas' Big Bend National Park last year that has resulted in a new classification of a plant species. The park rangers noticed tiny plants sprinkled among desert rocks while walking in a remote area of the park last March. The two realized the flowers didn't look like anything they had seen before. The rangers took photos of their discovery and upon further investigation, it was determined the plant was previously unknown to science. The results of a genetic analysis have now revealed the plant is so distinctive that it was not merely a new plant species. It is best classified as an entirely new genus within the Asteraceae (Daisy) family. This is the first new genus and species of plant discovered in a National Park in over 50 years, according to the California Academy of Sciences. The name Ovicula Biradiata was given based on its fascinating appearance. Ovicula means "Tiny Sheep," in reference to the fuzzy white "wool" that covers the leaves. Biradiata references the two ray petals in each flower. Space Force Reveals Image Snapped By Top Secret Space Plane For First Time Researchers working on the plant have also referred to it as the "Wooly Devil." "I'm excited to discover whether there are other populations in the park, details of its life cycle, what are the pollinators, and due to the current drought, if it will be observed at all this spring," said Big Bend National Park Superintendent Anjna O'Connor. Big Bend National Park covers over 800,000 acres and has a wide range of habitat types, including riparian ecosystems, low desert bajadas, and sky island woodlands at higher elevations, according to the National Park article source: Fuzzy new 'wooly devil' plant species discovered at Texas national park
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New plant species discovered at Big Bend National Park
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)– Two park employees in Big Bend National Park encountered a tiny plant that they did not recognize. After further examination, it was revealed that they had discovered a brand new plant species. In March 2024, a volunteer with the Big Bend National Park botany program and a supervising interpretive park ranger discovered several extremely tiny plants among the desert rocks in a remote spot in the park's northern reaches. Upon closer examination, they noticed that the fuzzy foliage and intriguing flowers was unlike anything they had ever seen before. Using images of the plants they had taken, they reviewed species databases, herbarium records, plant taxonomy publications, and regional specialists, and even uploaded the photos online to aid in their identification. The plant was officially named Ovicula biradiata, inspired by its interesting appearance. The name originates from Ovicula, meaning 'tiny sheep,' referencing the white wool covering the leaves, and biradiata, referring to the two noticeable ray petals in each flower. Researchers who have worked with the plant have also given it the name 'wooly' or 'wooly devil.' 'Now that the species has been identified and named, there is a tremendous amount we have yet to learn about it,' said Big Bend National Park Superintendent Anjna O'Connor. 'I'm excited to discover whether there are other populations in the park, details of its life cycle, what are the pollinators, and due to the current drought, if it will be observed at all this spring.' Ovicula biradiata joins the over 1,200 species of plants that are found within Big Bend National Park. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New plant species discovered at Big Bend National Park in Texas
A new plant species called the Wooly Devil has been discovered at Big Bend National Park in Texas, the National Park Service announced Monday. The Wooly Devil, or Ovicula biradiata, was first spotted by botany volunteer Deb Manley and a park ranger in March 2024, according to the park service. The tiny, fuzzy-looking plants with yellow flowers growing among desert rocks in a remote area on the northern end of the park were not anything like they had seen before. After searching plant databases, consulting experts and even asking for answers online, park officials said they began to realize that they had found something special. It's the first time a new species of plant has been found at a U.S. national park in nearly 50 years, according to the California Academy of Sciences, which joined Big Bend National Park staff and Sul Ross State University to study the Wooly Devil. According to researchers, who published their findings in peer-reviewed botanical journal PhytoKeys, the Wooly Devil is in the daisy family and it is closely related to paperflowers and bitterweed, both of which have yellow flowers. However, DNA analysis showed that the plant is so genetically distinct that it had to be considered a new genus. The Wooly Devil is much smaller than its sister plants, according to the researchers, ranging from less than 1 centimeter to 3-7 centimeters across. It was given the formal name Ovicula, meaning tiny sheep, and biradiata, a reference to the two ray-like petals in each flower. "Now that the species has been identified and named, there is a tremendous amount we have yet to learn about it," Big Bend National Park Superintendent Anjna O'Connor said in the news release. Big Bend, in southwest Texas, is massive, covering more than 800,000 acres and part of the Chihuahuan Desert, which is considered the most diverse desert ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. Lichter Marck, one of the taxonomists who studied the Wooly Devil, told the California Academy of Sciences that plants thriving in the desert are quite unique because they have evolved to withstand extreme weather conditions — but climate change still poses a threat to their existence. "We have only observed this plant in three narrow locations across the northernmost corner of the park, and it's possible that we've documented a species that is already on its way out," Marck said. Holocaust survivors on bearing witness Latest news on Pope Francis' health after lung infection, kidney failure Behind the scenes of "Survivor" Season 48
CBS News
25-02-2025
- Science
- CBS News
See the "Wooly Devil," new plant species discovered at a U.S. national park for the first time in nearly 50 years
A new plant species called the Wooly Devil has been discovered at Big Bend National Park in Texas, the National Park Service announced Monday. The Wooly Devil, or Ovicula biradiata, was first spotted by botany volunteer Deb Manley and a park ranger in March 2024, according to the park service. The tiny, fuzzy-looking plants with yellow flowers growing among desert rocks in a remote area on the northern end of the park were not anything like they had seen before. After searching plant databases, consulting experts and even asking for answers online, park officials said they began to realize that they had found something special. It's the first time a new species of plant has been found at a U.S. national park in nearly 50 years, according to the California Academy of Science s, which joined Big Bend National Park staff and Sul Ross State University to study the Wooly Devil. According to researchers, who published their findings in peer-reviewed botanical journal PhytoKeys, the Wooly Devil is in the daisy family and it is closely related to paperflowers and bitterweed, both of which have yellow flowers. However, DNA analysis showed that the plant is so genetically distinct that it had to be considered a new genus. The Wooly Devil is much smaller than its sister plants, according to the researchers, ranging from less than 1 centimeter to 3-7 centimeters across. It was given the formal name Ovicula, meaning tiny sheep, and biradiata, a reference to the two ray-like petals in each flower. "Now that the species has been identified and named, there is a tremendous amount we have yet to learn about it," Big Bend National Park Superintendent Anjna O'Connor said in the news release. Big Bend, in southwest Texas, is massive, covering more than 800,000 acres and part of the Chihuahuan Desert, which is considered the most diverse desert ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. Lichter Marck, one of the taxonomists who studied the Wooly Devil, told the California Academy of Sciences that plants thriving in the desert are quite unique because they have evolved to withstand extreme weather conditions — but climate change still poses a threat to their existence. "We have only observed this plant in three narrow locations across the northernmost corner of the park, and it's possible that we've documented a species that is already on its way out," Marck said.
