Latest news with #EcologyandEvolution
4 days ago
- Science
Elusive predator hunted to local extinction returns to its historical range
A species that was hunted to local extinction made a comeback on its historical range, scientists who witnessed the population recovery via satellite imagery said. The wolverine, listed as endangered due to over-hunting in the 20th century, has returned to the forests of southern Finland, according to a paper published last month in Ecology and Evolution. Wolverine populations are distributed throughout boreal regions in the northern hemisphere, including arctic and subarctic regions and western North America, the Wolverine Foundation noted. Historically, in Europe, they could be found as far south as Norway, southern Sweden and northeast Poland. Today, wolverines are only found in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. In Finland, the wolverine was classified as endangered in the 1980s. While they were known to have inhabited southern parts of the country as recently as the 19th century, hunting eradicated the species from the region, according to researchers at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland. Scientists used remote sensing and field data to track the mammals, by combining snow track counts of wolverines with national forest inventory data based on satellite images and field measurements. "Understanding habitats is essential for improving species conservation and management," Miina Rautiainen, a remote sensing expert at Aalto University and co-author of the paper, said in a statement. Remote sensing is "an excellent tool" for studying the distribution of animal species, according to Rautiainen. Satellite and aerial images can provide increasingly detailed information about how changes in forest landscapes affect wildlife. Fragmentation of forests poses a particular threat for the wolverines, the researchers said. The elusive predator tends to favor large, forested areas with deciduous trees whose leaves fall off seasonally. Wolverines were rarely observed near recent clear-cut trees, the researchers said. They were attracted to older felling sites -- around 10 years old. In Finland, the average forest compartment is relatively small, which can lead to a patchwork-like fragmentation of forest landscapes, Pinja-Emilia Lämsä, a doctoral researcher at Aalto University and lead author of the paper, said in a statement. The research shows that the deciduous-dominated mixed forests native to southern Finland may be more important habitats for wolverines than previously thought, according to Lämsä. Previous studies focused on mountainous regions with vegetation dissimilar to the low-lying boreal forests of Finland, the researchers said. Wolverine populations have recovered steadily in recent years, but the species remains endangered in Finland -- due to its small population size, low genetic viability and fragmented distribution, the researchers said. In the U.S., the North American wolverine is protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
IOL News
26-05-2025
- Science
- IOL News
Discovering a new Velvet Worm species in the Swartberg Mountains
Peripatopsis barnardi represents the first ever species from the little Karoo, which indicates that the area was historically more forested than at present. It is one of seven new species from the Cape Fold Mountains described in a paper published in Ecology and Evolution. Image: Savel Daniels In March 2022, Stellenbosch University (SU) student Rohan Barnard was out and about on a farm in the Swartberg Mountains between Calitzdorp and Oudtshoorn, flipping over rocks looking for ants, reptiles and other critters, when he stumbled upon the finding of a lifetime. Buried deep in the moist sand below a pile of leaf litter at the periphery of a small river, he found a slate black velvet worm. Being familiar with how rare velvet worms are, he took a specimen and also posted an image of it to the biodiversity observation app, iNaturalist. 'I had a basic knowledge of the Cape velvet worms, having found one for the first time on Table Mountain in 2019. My older brother was under assignment from his zoology lecturer, Prof. Savel Daniels, to collect velvet worms. With my interest in ants, I gladly assisted him in this task,' Rohan, now a third year BSc student in Conservation Ecology and Entomology, explained. Velvet worms' lineage dates back to over 500 million years ago., making it a living relic of the Cambrian period. With their soft bodies and non-jointed legs, these critters have changed little over millions of years, earning them the title of 'living fossils'. Little did Rohan know at the time that he had just found a new species of velvet worm, now aptly named Rohan's velvet worm or, in scientific terms, Peripatopsis barnardi. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ A new velvet worm species, Peripatopsis barnardi, is named after Rohan Barnard, currently a third year BSc student in Conservation Ecology and Entomology at Stellenbosch University. He found a specimen while looking for insects in an ancient forest patch in a kloof in the Swartberg Mountains. Image: Supplied. Even more remarkable is the fact that it representsthe first ever species from the little Karoo, which indicates that the area was historically more forested than at present. In other words, with prehistorical climate changes, and aridification, the species became isolated and underwent speciation. According to Prof. Daniels, an evolutionary biologist from SU's Department of Botany and Zoology and one of South Africa's foremost specialists on velvet worms, it is utterly remarkable that such a prehistorical lineage is still around today. After viewing this rare find on iNaturalist, he visited the same area in July 2022 and collected a paratype and another nine specimens for analysis. The results of his analysis, and the announcement of seven new species of velvet worms, were published in the journal Ecology and Evolution recently. Daniels, the first author on the paper, said South Africa's velvet worms are mainly found in prehistoric Afro temperate forest patches that persist in deep gorges in the Cape Fold Mountains 'The origin of these forest patches can be traced to the early Miocene, about 23 to 15 million years ago, when the region used to be temperate and sub-tropical. During the late Miocene, however, the region underwent significant climatic changes, with a decrease in rainfall due to the advent of the proto-Benguela current along the West Coast and two geotectonic uplifting events. These events resulted in a complex mosaic of habitat connectivity and isolation, what we know today as the Cape Fold Mountains, driving the speciation of habitat specialists such as velvet worms,' he explains. Daniels used new mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequencing techniques, combined with morphological analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to determine that P. barnardi diverged from its most recent common ancestor about 15.2 million years ago. Another novel finding from the Cederberg Mountains, P. cederbergiensis, can trace its lineage to 12.47 million years ago. Daniels welcomes the efforts of citizen scientists to share their findings on biodiversity apps: 'It is thanks to citizen science data that we were able to identify the new species. In the Cape Fold Mountains, we now know that every mountain peak has an endemic species. This suggests that in unsampled areas there are likely to be additional novel diversity, waiting to be found.' Most importantly, though, it means that we must conserve these prehistoric forest fragments to limit extinction. To Rohan, it still feels surreal to have such a fossil-like creature named after him: 'It is incredible to realise that I've uncovered a living fossil. It is as if I have found a missing link that we did not even know about. It gives me hope that there is still so much left to discover. But it also makes me worried for the future, that we will lose animals and plants to extinction that we did not even know existed,' he warned. The seven new species are P. fernkloofi, P. jonkershoeki, P. kogelbergi, P. landroskoppie, P. limietbergi and P. palmeri. Apart from P. barnardi, all the new species were named after their places of origin. The results were published in the article titled 'Perched on the plateau: speciation in a Cape Fold Mountain velvet worm clade' in Ecology and Evolution. Why are velvet worms so unique? Like the indestructible water bears (Tardigrades), modern velvet worms are looked on as a separate line of evolution (and placed in a distinct phylum) that arose independently from some long forgotten marine ancestor – probably the Hallicogenia. Fossils show that velvet worms have not changed much since they diverged from their ancient relative about 540 million years ago. This means Onycophorans have been living on Earth ever since what is called the Cambrian period of prehistory. Today, modern velvet worms live on land and are found only in damp, moist habitats in areas that were originally part of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Iceland's Orca Pods Mysteriously Include Baby Pilot Whales
One day in June 2022 Chérine Baumgartner, a researcher at the Icelandic Orca Project, was watching from a dinghy as a pod of killer whales fed on herring—when she noticed something very odd about what seemed to be a young member of the pod. 'At first, we were like, 'Oh my god, this killer whale calf has a problem,'' she says. It was far tinier than normal and lacked an infant orca's characteristic black-and-pale-orange coloration. Baumgartner, now a Ph.D. student at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, suddenly realized she was seeing an entirely different species: a baby pilot whale. She and her team observed the pod for nearly three hours before weather conditions forced them back to land. They found the pod the next day, but the pilot whale calf was nowhere to be seen. Scientists noticed orcas interacting with baby pilot whales off Iceland every year from 2021 to 2023. Each instance was short-lived and featured different individual pilot whales (dark-gray members of the dolphin family with a bulbous forehead) and different pods of orcas. Now, in a new study in Ecology and Evolution, Baumgartner and her colleagues describe the 2022 and 2023 incidents and posit three potential explanations: predation, play or parenting. In all the sightings, a weeks-old pilot whale swam by a female killer whale in what scientists call an echelon position, with the young whale located beside and slightly behind the adult orca. In the 2022 and 2023 instances, the killer whales occasionally nudged the calf along. In 2023 a calf was seen swimming ahead of the group, possibly as if to run away—and at one point it was lifted, belly-up, out of the water on the back of an orca. With the first possible explanation, the killer whales could have been keeping the young pilot whales around like a living lunch box; some orcas in Iceland are known to eat harbor seals and porpoises. But Baumgartner notes that these Icelandic killer whales are predominantly fish eaters and that they didn't display overtly aggressive behavior toward the pilot whale calves. So predation is less likely, though not impossible, she and her colleagues say. Alternatively, the killer whales could have been playing with the young whales or using them to practice hunting. Iceland's orcas often herd herring, and they could have been incorporating the pilot whale calves in their hunting games. Finally, the killer whales could have been extending their parental instincts to the young calves. Whales and dolphins in the wild often care for the young of other members of their pod, and although it's rare, dolphins have adopted calves from different species. In the pilot whales' case, Baumgartner says, she wouldn't categorize the relationship as adoption because the interactions seemed to be short-lived. The young pilot whales would likely have died without milk, and none of the female orcas were lactating at the time. These three possibilities also aren't mutually exclusive, she says. 'It could be [that the orcas] encountered the pilot whale opportunistically, and some individuals played with the whale, and others tried to nurture it,' Baumgartner adds. The other conspicuously missing pieces of the puzzle are how, in each instance, the orcas came across a pilot whale calf in the first place and what happened to that calf afterward. 'Was it lost or abandoned?' asks study co-author Filipa Samarra, principal investigator at the Icelandic Orca Project and director of the University of Iceland's research center on the Westman Islands. 'Or did the killer whales actively approach to take the calf away?' The researchers also wonder if the calves escaped or died or were killed or eaten by the orcas. Sarah Teman, a graduate student in ecology at the University of Washington, who was not involved with the new study, says her jaw dropped when she saw pictures of the pilot whales with the orca pods. Teman previously studied southern resident killer whales interacting with porpoises in the Salish Sea off British Columbia and Washington State. In that research, she observed interactions that may have been motivated by nurturing, hunting practice or 'play'—and often ended up killing the porpoises. 'It was fascinating to see such similar behaviors' in the Icelandic orcas, she says, adding that the animals' interactions with the pilot whales seemed to be largely driven by nurturing or play behavior, just as had been seen in the southern resident killer whales' interactions with porpoises. Samarra also speculates that the unusual interactions off Iceland could be a result of climate change because pilot whales increasingly follow schools of mackerel moving into warmer waters that overlap with the killer whales' range. She hopes that, next summer, her group will finally observe how the young pilot whales get entangled with the orcas and what happens to them next.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists raise alarm after disturbing shift in famed reptile's survival instincts: 'Particularly dire for the species'
Scientists discovered troubling news about the Gila monster, one of the most beloved reptiles in the Southwestern United States. A warming climate could make it much harder for them to survive, potentially pushing them toward extinction. According to a team of climatologists, ecologists, and conservation biologists found that Gila monsters could face unbearably harsh conditions in the Mojave Desert in the coming decades. Gila monsters are a species of venomous lizard native to northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States. Due to their heavy bodies and slow metabolism, they don't travel far, preferring to stay close to home. They're most active at night to avoid the desert heat during the day and spend much of their time underground. These evolutionary mechanisms may have helped them adapt to the unforgiving desert, but rising global temperatures could threaten their survival in the future. In a study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, the team found that in an ideal scenario where temperatures barely rise, Gila monsters will likely not be impacted much. But if the climate becomes too hot under a worst-case scenario, they could disappear from many parts of the desert by 2082. They could move to cooler areas, such as higher in the mountains or burrow deeper in the ground, but scientists said the lizards haven't indicated they're "capable of doing either." "We're not likely to see dispersals and establishment of populations in those [new] areas just because they're too far from where populations currently are," Steve Hromada, a conservation biologist at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, told Science News. "It suggests that those high emission scenarios could be particularly dire for the species." While Gila monsters are among the most venomous lizards, they are considered an iconic part of the desert landscape and hold cultural significance for many Native American tribes. Their venom has even been used in modern medicines for type 2 diabetes and weight loss, per 12 News. Gila monsters are also a crucial part of the desert ecosystem, as they help control populations of small mammals and reptiles. Their digging behavior aerates the soil and gives other desert creatures a place to cool off from the scorching sun. If the Mojave Desert becomes too hot, its population could drop significantly and upset the delicate balance of biodiversity. Even if they could migrate to cooler areas in the mountains, it's unlikely that many of them would survive the journey because of their limited range. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The team calculated that more than 90% of the existing and projected Gila monster habitat in the Mojave is protected, giving the species an advantage in the changing climate. "Maintaining those protected statuses — whether that's the national parks or the national conservation areas around these areas — can be really important for keeping the species on the landscape," Hromada said to Science News. Conservationists have helped save iconic desert species, such as the Joshua tree and the night parrot, from the brink of extinction by planting more trees and managing vegetation. Similar efforts could allow the Gila monster to thrive in a harsher climate. Individually, we can make a difference by donating to wildlife organizations or conservation groups and learning more about how our warming world is impacting Gila monsters. If you visit any parks where they live, make sure to report off-roading or other activities that could disturb their habitat. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
National Observer
30-04-2025
- Science
- National Observer
Wildflowers could be absorbing toxic metals that pass on to bees, study finds
This story was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Wildflowers could be absorbing toxic metals from soil in urban areas and passing toxins on to pollinators, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that common plants including white clover and bindweed, which are vital forage for pollinators in cities, can accumulate arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead from contaminated soils. These metals have been found in previous studies to damage the health of bees and other pollinators, which feed on the contaminated nectar. This leads to reduced population sizes and death. Even low metal levels in nectar can hinder bees' learning and memory, which degrades their foraging abilities. The contaminated soils tend to be have been leached into the land from buildings and factories that once stood there. The scientists who carried out the study are now recommending that urban areas are tested for contaminants and potentially cleaned before wildflowers are planted. The study, published in Ecology and Evolution, was carried out in the post-industrial US city of Cleveland, Ohio, which was once a hub for iron and steel production, as well as oil refining and car manufacturing — all industries that potentially contaminate land with trace metals. Now, the city has more than 33,700 vacant lots as people have moved away. The researchers extracted and tested nectar from a range of self-seeded flowering plants that are popular with pollinators and found growing across the city. Lead was consistently found at the highest concentrations, but different species of plant accumulated different amounts and types of metals. The plants absorb the toxic metals from contaminated soils where buildings and factories once stood. Pollinators then feed on the contaminated nectar of those plants, leading to reduced population sizes and death. The bright blue-flowered chicory plant (Cichorium intybus) accumulated the largest total metal concentration, followed by white clover (Trifolium repens), wild carrot (Daucus carota) and bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). Cities worldwide face metal contamination in soils and the level of contamination usually increases with the age of the city. Sources include cement dust and mining. But people should not be discouraged from planting wildflowers for bees, the report authors said. Dr Sarah Scott, from the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and first author of the report, said: 'It's really important to have wildflowers as a food source for the bees, and our results should not discourage people from planting wildflowers in towns and cities. 'We hope this study will raise awareness that soil health is also important for bee health. Before planting wildflowers in urban areas to attract bees and other pollinators, it's important to consider the history of the land and what might be in the soil — and if necessary find out whether there's a local soil testing and cleanup service available first.'
