Latest news with #ZoologicalJournaloftheLinneanSociety
Time of India
6 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Are Monitor lizards modern dinosaurs? Scientists discover they share a hidden bone structure with the extinct species!
The past often hides clues about the present, especially when it comes to evolution. And sometimes, the most surprising discoveries don't come from deep expeditions into the wild, but from the hidden fossils or preserved museum archives. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Using technological advances like micro-CT scanning, researchers can now revisit old specimens and find out secrets hidden beneath the surface, without damaging the samples. These breakthroughs allow us to find connections across time, between the creatures that walked the earth millions of years ago to animals still living today. One among these is an area of recent study involving osteoderms, which are small bony plates located under the skin. While this is commonly associated with dinosaurs, armadillos, and crocodiles, new research shows they may be much more widespread in today's reptiles than anyone previously thought. Monitor Lizards share an ancient bone structure with Dinosaurs Scientists have found that monitor lizards, known as goannas in Australia, have hidden bone structures called osteoderms beneath their skin. Surprisingly, it is a feature they share with prehistoric creatures like the Stegosaurus. This research, published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, represents the first large-scale study of osteoderms in lizards and snakes. The team scanned over 2,000 reptile specimens using high-resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), according to Museums Victoria. 'We were astonished to find osteoderms in 29 Australo-Papuan monitor lizard species that had never been documented before,' said Roy Ebel, lead author of the study and researcher at Museums Victoria Research Institute and the Australian National University. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'It's a fivefold increase in known cases among goannas,' he added in a press release. What are Osteoderms Osteoderms are well-known bone structures in animals like armadillos, crocodiles, and dinosaurs, including the iconic Stegosaurus. Their purpose isn't completely understood, but researchers believe they provide protection, help regulate body temperature, store calcium, and may even support movement. Jane Melville, Senior Curator of Terrestrial Vertebrates at Museums Victoria Research Institute, explained the bigger picture, 'What's so exciting about this finding is that it reshapes what we thought we knew about reptile evolution. It suggests that these skin bones may have evolved in response to environmental pressures as lizards adapted to Australia's challenging landscapes.' The researchers also talked about the vital role of museum archives in this discovery. Some of the studied specimens were over 120 years old. By using the non-destructive micro-CT scanning, these preserved reptiles could be examined in detail for the first time. The study reveals that more than half of all lizard species may have osteoderms, about 85% more than previously thought. With this growing dataset, researchers are now poised to look for even more secrets hiding in plain sight, bridging the gap between ancient dinosaurs and the reptiles we see today.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Strange new scorpion species that sprays venom discovered
Scientists have discovered a one-of-its-kind venom-spraying scorpion species in the rainforests of Colombia, capable of launching toxins several times its own body length. The new species Tityus achilles, described in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, was found to shoot its venom to a distance of over a foot (36cm) – enough to hit the eyes of an approaching animal. Léo Laborieux, the sole author of the study, suspects venom projection likely developed in the scorpion as an adaptation to deter predators. The study found that the scorpion uses two different modes of venom projection: one where it forcefully sprays venom similar to a spitting cobra, and the other where it flicks drops of the toxin using rapid movement of its tail. MASSIVELY excited to see Tityus achilles, South America's first #venom spraying #scorpion, finally described in @ZoolJLinnSoc !This new species from #Colombia can spray venom at potential predators, a striking case of convergent #evolution 🧵 (1/n) — Léo Laborieux (@leolaborieux) December 17, 2024 Until now, only two of the 2,500 known scorpion species have been documented to spray venom – one genus in North America and one in Africa. Initially Laborieux, a master's student at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, wasn't planning on studying scorpions in the central Colombian rainforest. After an initial attempt to trap and study moths failed, they shifted their focus to scorpions and found one that appeared to be spraying venom inside the cup in which it was trapped. In the lab, video analysis of the scorpion revealed that it was indeed spraying drops of its venom. But researchers suspect the venom is likely not aimed at the scorpion's prey, which includes centipedes and spiders that have tough exoskeletons for the toxin to penetrate. Instead, the sprayed venom-spraying behaviour in Tityus achilles could have evolved as an adaptation to deter predators like rodents, the researcher argues. 'Remarkably, this species is capable of venom spraying, a first for both the genus and the South American continent,' he says. Deeply honored to see my work on #scorpions reach first place at @34thECA2024's poster session and second place in the macrophotography contest ! Huge thank you to @ESArachnology, Julien Pétillon and all organizers for this super cool event. Looking forward to next year's ECA !🦂 — Léo Laborieux (@leolaborieux) September 2, 2024 The study also found that the scorpion uses its venom sparingly, first always resorting to an abundant reserve of prevenom-like secretion in its sprays. 'The new species uses an unusually large reserve of prevenom-like secretion for spraying, as opposed to the costly venom used by other spraying scorpions,' Laborieux writes. Only in higher-stakes encounters with predators it appears to release its more opaque, toxic venom. But future studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis, he says. It also remains unclear what could be the extent of harm the scorpion's venom could cause to humans. The venom from one of the previously known spitting scorpions, the southern African Parabuthus transvaalicus, is known to cause temporary blindness in humans if the sprays hit the eyes.
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The Independent
11-03-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Strange new scorpion species that sprays venom discovered
Scientists have discovered a one-of-its-kind venom -spraying scorpion species in the rainforests of Colombia, capable of launching toxins several times its own body length. The new species Tityus achilles, described in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, was found to shoot its venom to a distance of over a foot (36cm) – enough to hit the eyes of an approaching animal. Léo Laborieux, the sole author of the study, suspects venom projection likely developed in the scorpion as an adaptation to deter predators. The study found that the scorpion uses two different modes of venom projection: one where it forcefully sprays venom similar to a spitting cobra, and the other where it flicks drops of the toxin using rapid movement of its tail. Until now, only two of the 2,500 known scorpion species have been documented to spray venom – one genus in North America and one in Africa. Initially Laborieux, a master's student at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, wasn't planning on studying scorpions in the central Colombian rainforest. After an initial attempt to trap and study moths failed, they shifted their focus to scorpions and found one that appeared to be spraying venom inside the cup in which it was trapped. In the lab, video analysis of the scorpion revealed that it was indeed spraying drops of its venom. But researchers suspect the venom is likely not aimed at the scorpion's prey, which includes centipedes and spiders that have tough exoskeletons for the toxin to penetrate. Instead, the sprayed venom-spraying behaviour in Tityus achilles could have evolved as an adaptation to deter predators like rodents, the researcher argues. 'Remarkably, this species is capable of venom spraying, a first for both the genus and the South American continent,' he says. The study also found that the scorpion uses its venom sparingly, first always resorting to an abundant reserve of prevenom-like secretion in its sprays. 'The new species uses an unusually large reserve of prevenom-like secretion for spraying, as opposed to the costly venom used by other spraying scorpions,' Laborieux writes. Only in higher-stakes encounters with predators it appears to release its more opaque, toxic venom. But future studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis, he says. It also remains unclear what could be the extent of harm the scorpion's venom could cause to humans. The venom from one of the previously known spitting scorpions, the southern African Parabuthus transvaalicus, is known to cause temporary blindness in humans if the sprays hit the eyes.
