Latest news with #MichelLecoq
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers stunned after rediscovering thought-to-be-extinct 'living fossil' in natural park: 'An exceptional amount of force was required'
The Miami Herald has reported some good evolutionary news about Cape Verde. A once-declared-extinct insect has been found throughout the mountains on one of its islands. The archipelago nation sits 300 miles off the coast of West Africa and boasts over 2,000 species of known terrestrial fauna, per Visit Santo Antão. Among that number is a new species of grasshopper called a "living fossil" — the Eyprepocprifas insularis or the Monte Gordo grasshopper — originally found in Monte Gordo Natural Park in 1980. Researcher Michel Lecoq discovered a single male but declared the species extinct years later after failing to find another. However, two researchers recorded the presence of this species at high elevations in the mountains, including the first recorded female in 2023. It all happened in the same park as the initial discovery 40 years before. This grasshopper species, which is only on São Nicolau island, stands out with reduced wings highly unlikely to fly, super long legs, and a very thick exoskeleton. The outer skeleton is so thick that researchers noted "an exceptional amount of force was required" to mount specimens. They suggest declaring it vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List — meaning a high risk for extinction in the wild, but not endangered. Why is this species vulnerable? Existing only on a single island means a limited range, not helped by an inability to fly. The Cape Verde archipelago has experienced prolonged droughts and winds blowing elements from the nearby mainland that can threaten its survival, per Bioengineer. Per the Journal of Orthoptera Research study, which marked the rediscovery, "Rain may be absent for several years, causing catastrophic droughts" on the island. As Willy Gonçalves, a Cape Verde farmer, told Africa News, "From 2017 onwards, we began to feel these climate changes more strongly here in Cabo Verde … more pests, more difficulties, and since then everything we've planted has been a struggle." With vegetation losses, humans, animals, and insects seeking habitats and food can be affected, especially herbivores like grasshoppers. Do you think we still have a lot to learn from ancient cultures? Definitely Only on certain topics I'm not sure No — not really Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. However, with conservation efforts like planting native plants, watch lists, wildlife corridors, and new laws, such species have a better chance for survival and removal of such lists. Another species, the rare San Francisco leaf-cutter bee, was spotted for the first time since 1980 by the Tamalpais Bee Lab. The golden lion tamarin is thriving again in Brazil after once only numbering 200. 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.
Miami Herald
29-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Elusive creature — declared extinct decades ago — now rediscovered in Cape Verde
In 1980, researcher Michel Lecoq discovered a new species of grasshopper on Cape Verde's São Nicolau island in Monte Gordo Natural Park. He found a single male specimen, and despite years of searching the archipelago, he never found another. After 1982, Lecoq declared Eyprepocprifas insularis, also known as the Monte Gordo grasshopper, extinct, according to a study published April 24 in the Journal of Orthoptera Research. Nearly 40 years later, in 2023, two researchers rediscovered the species in Monte Gordo Natural Park — the same park where Lecoq discovered it decades earlier, according to the study. They also made the first record of a female of the species, which can be up to twice as large as the males, researchers said. The grasshoppers were found high in the mountains, all at elevations above 2,130 feet, according to the study. The Monte Gordo grasshopper is brachypterous, the study said, which means it has small, reduced wings. These types of wings are often unable to sustain flight, according to experts. Its 'very long hind legs' allow it to jump 'exceptionally far,' researchers said. Researchers said the species is found only on São Nicolau island, which was created by a volcano and is believed to be about 5 million years old, according to the study. The Monte Gordo grasshopper, which researchers call a 'living fossil,' is 'not closely related to known African counterparts,' suggesting the species has evolved in isolation on the island for a long time. Researchers were surprised to discover that the species has an 'extraordinarily thick' exoskeleton. 'Mounting specimens of E. insularis proved quite challenging due to the remarkable difficulty of piercing them with a pin. Surprisingly, an exceptional amount of force was required,' researchers said in the study. The reinforced exoskeleton may be an evolutionary adaption to the island's arid climate where years can pass between rainfall, possibly protecting the grasshopper from excessive water loss or providing enhanced resilience to environmental stress. Researchers recommend the species be designated with vulnerable status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. The research team included Rob Felix, Annelies Jacobs and Lecoq.
