Tag: new species

Is this the world’s tiniest reptile?

Meet the nano-chameleon, a new contender for the title of world’s smallest reptile Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/nano-chamelion-smallest-reptile…

Whale that stranded off Florida is completely new species (and already endangered)

A 38-foot-long (11.5 meters) whale that washed ashore in the Florida Everglades in January 2019 turns out to be a completely new species. And it’s already considered endangered, scientists say. Source: https://www.livescience.com/stranded-whale-new-species-endangered.html

A new species of baleen whale has been found in the Gulf of Mexico

Baleen whales include the largest animals ever to exist, but despite their size, they remain mysterious – and a new species has just been found near the US south coast Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2266074-a-new-species-of-baleen-whale-has-been-found-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Discovery of ‘Cryptic Species’ Shows Earth is Even More Biologically Diverse

A growing number of “cryptic species” hiding in plain sight have been unmasked in the past year, driven in part by the rise of DNA barcoding, a technique that can identify and differentiate between animal and plant species using their genetic divergence. From a report: The discovery of new species of aloe, African leaf-nosed bats and chameleons that appear similar to…

New species are more likely to evolve in areas where few already exist

It has long been thought that new species are most likely to evolve in biodiversity hotspots like the Amazon rainforest, but a genetic analysis of birds suggests that extreme environments where few species exist help drive evolution Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2262570-new-species-are-more-likely-to-evolve-in-areas-where-few-already-exist/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Dinosaurs Were Not on the Way Out Before Asteroid Hit, Study Claims

New analysis has refuted the claim that dinosaurs were in decline at the time of their extinction. If an asteroid had not hit Earth 66m years ago, dinosaurs might have continued to dominate the planet, according to new research. From a report: A team from the University of Bath and the UK National History Museum has published a study to Royal…

Giant seal fossil found in New Zealand hints they evolved in the south

The discovery of a new species of extinct monk seal in New Zealand suggests that many seals evolved in the southern hemisphere and repeatedly crossed the equator Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2259375-giant-seal-fossil-found-in-new-zealand-hints-they-evolved-in-the-south/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Scientists Discover Two New Mammals in Australia

CNET reports:
Two new species of greater glider, a cat-size marsupial that lives in the forests of Australia, have been discovered after scientists ran DNA tests on new tissue samples of the animals. A new study published in Nature’s public access Scientific Reports journal details the findings… Using genetic sequencing tests from tissue samples taken from various gliders found in areas of…