COUNCIL CHRONICLE – Eleven-year-old Ryleigh Taylor thought she was just going fishing with her family at Douglas Lake near Dandridge Tennessee when she noticed something unusual in a rock.

The young girl picked up the rock and then kept on fishing with her family. When she got home, Taylor begged her parents to contact someone to find out what type of fossil she had discovered.

While her mother was very skeptical, she did, in the end, call Colin Sumrall, an associate professor of paleobiology at the University of Tennessee. After studying the rock, Sumrall confirmed that this actually was the fossil of an ancient sea creature.

The professor dates it as being about 475 million years old. Furthermore, he said it was one of the few fossil exoskeletons of a trilobite to be discovered whole.

 

What is a Trilobite?

 

Trilobites lived in Eastern Tennessee between 521 million and 250 million years ago. They are one of the oldest known marine animals and among the earliest known arthropods. The species is believed to have been wiped out in a mass extinction.

Since trilobites molt, it is highly unusual to find a complete one. Typically, only fossilized pieces are discovered. These are usually parts that the marine animal lost during the molting process.

Sumrall says that is unusual for people to find fossils. He continues by pointing out that finding a sea creature fossil in the middle of the United States is even more amazing.

The researcher says that he hopes the discovery of the 475 million years old fossil will encourage the 11-years-old girl.

 

“To find something like that, it could spark this youngster into a whole career. Maybe she’ll become a great paleontologist someday,” states Sumrall.

 

Ryleigh says that she has not decided what she wants to be when she grows up. Still, she hopes that her discovery of the sea creature fossil will encourage other children to go outside and discover the amazing world around them.

 

Image Source: MaxPixel 

COUNCIL CHRONICLE – Scientists have reported their having found a new shark species in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the paper published in the science journal Marine Biodiversity, genetic tests confirm that the Atlantic sixgill shark is a different and separate species from sixgill sharks in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Scientists’ DNA Tests Confirm New Shark Species

Sixgill sharks are large, deep-sea sharks that are only rarely encountered. Their earliest known ancestors lived sometime around 250 million years ago and thus predated the dinosaurs. Sixgill sharks belong to their own order, family, and genus.

Until recently, authorities believed there were only two such species, the bigeye sixgill (Hexanchus nakamurai) and the bluntnose sixgill (H. griseus). These sharks have been found in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans.

Still, some researchers have been wondering if some of the apparent bigeye sixgills in the Atlantic weren’t actually a separate species.

To find out, lead researcher Toby Daly-Engel of Florida Institute of Technology and his colleagues collected DNA samples. These were taken from sharks in all the three oceans. The scientists analyzed 1310 base pairs from two genes in the mitochondria.

In doing so, they found enough differences to prove the existence of a third, different species. They named this the Atlantic sixgill (H. vitulus).

Researchers had previously suspected the existence of a third sixgill species in the Atlantic Ocean. While the sharks in the Indian and Pacific Oceans could grow to be 15 feet long, the Atlantic sixgill sharks are only six feet long.

They also have unusual, saw-like teeth in their lower jaw. Aside from these differences, Atlantic sixgills strongly resemble their bigger cousins.

Dr. Daly-Engel noted that identifying a new species will help shark conservation efforts. Researchers now know that shark populations in one ocean will not be able to replace an overfished population in another one.

While sixgill sharks have had little contact with humans so far, that could all change as people continue fishing in deeper waters.

Image Source: Flickr

Because karma is such a ‘nice’ lady, we bring you the ironic case of 51-year-old Canadian hunter who ended up in the ER after a hunting session after a dead goose fell on his head.  The doctors listed his head injury as ‘severe.’

Canadian Hunter Had Two Teeth Knocked Out by Falling Goose

For Robert Meilhammer of Maryland, a die-hard hunting fan, the latest experience will be hard to forget. The 51-year-old man set out with a group of buddies to bag some waterfowl and, of course, the enjoy the great outdoors.

According to his buddies, one of sighted a gaggle flying about the unfortunate hunter and decided to fire a few rounds. Shortly after, one of them, visibly hit, started dropping but instead of hitting the ground it hit Meilhammer in the head.

Seeing that the man was unconscious, his friends called in the authorities. The paramedics decided to airlift the very unlucky Canadian hunter to a nearby hospital. MRI tests revealed that the blow was severe, and, at the moment, the patient can’t remember anything short of his name.

Upon impact, the dead goose also knocked two of teeth. While commenting on Meilhammer’s condition, the authorities said that the man is lucky to be alive, considering that adult geese can reach a weight of up to 12 kilograms.

Conclusion

Still, the patient is in a stable condition and appears to be responding to treatment. As for Meilhammer’s willingness to go on a new hunting trip, it remains to be seen but, judging by his concussion and by the fact that he will feel compelled to visit his dentist upon discharge, it’s very likely that he will try out something less dangerous like collecting stamps.

The authorities declared that this is the first case in Canadian history featuring a dead fowl exerting its revenge upon the hunter.

Image source: Wikipedia

COUNCIL CHRONICLE – Wikie, a captured killer whale, just became the first orca that can mimic words in English. According to her trainers, this 16-years-old specimen is capable of reproducing words like hello, bye. It can also count to three.

 

The sounds that come through her blowhole are not a perfect imitation but are still very recognizable. They resemble parrot-like squawks or strident whistles.

 

The researchers in charge of training Wikie state that she can also reproduce Amy¸ the name of her principal trainer. Joe Abramson, a scientist at the Complutense University of Madrid, said that the experiment team did not expect parrot-like mimics from the orca.

 

However, the killer whale is impressive in reproducing the sounds, even though an orca’s vocal anatomy is different from that of humans.

 

“You have to be careful about imposing our human concepts on animals. We will gain more if we try to understand the natural way each species communicates in its own environment than if we try to teach a human language”, said Abramson.

The First Killer Whale to Reproduce Human Words

 

Wikie is undergoing training at Marineland Aquarium in Antibes, France. The experiment results have been published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B journal.

 

Its trainers are aware that the orca may not understand what she is saying. So as it is, they did not add context or meaning to any of the words.

 

Wikie is a wild killer whale, or orca, which is part of the oceanic dolphins’ family. Such species live in groups that use sound dialects as a form of communication form.

 

Researchers consider these signs of a high social intelligence and, therefore, are developing tests targeting them.

 

Although mimicking human sounds is difficult for mammals, whales can seemingly learn to reproduce them by hearing.

 

Based on the success of the killer whale experiment, the research team is claiming that genuine conversations with Wikie might one day become possible.  

Image source: Pixabay

A few years ago, the starfish population across the US West Coast suffered a massive drop in numbers due to a mysterious syndrome which hit them. Now, the environmental authorities have observed how the creatures are slowly starting to regain their numbers.

Starfish populations have started recovering

Between 2013 and 2014, the starfish populations spreading from Mexico to British Columbia were struck by a terrible disease, called the sea star wasting syndrome. This contributed to their sudden decline, and it seemed almost impossible for them to ever regain their numbers. However, a miracle happened.

Several people and environment supporters were amazed to discover an abounding number of starfish around southern California. The areas with the highest number of creatures were Long Beach, Crystal Cove State Beach, and Palos Verdes.

The syndrome caused the starfish to disintegrate

The wasting syndrome was so aggressive that it was impossible for the infected starfish to survive. The condition caused them to develop severe injuries, which quickly turned their limbs mushy. Soon afterwards, they fell off. This wasn’t the first time when a similar condition struck the creatures, but never before did such a huge number get affected.

At first, the epidemic affected the ochre populations living around Washington. Then, it spread to most starfish species in the area, and started going south. The syndrome left a desolating landscape behind, as people could see the limbs of the creatures floating around, or disintegrated pieces of their bodies getting stuck on stones.

The syndrome attacked the creatures like a ghost, without any clear cause. However, researchers assumed it was a bacterial infection. A similar event attacked the East Coast as well, and the analyses revealed it was caused by a virus. They thought the same virus reached the West Coast, too, but they couldn’t explain how that had happened.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Environmental experts have discovered a new threat which arose among snake populations in the US and Europe. This threat is called snake fungal disease, which is caused by a parasitic fungus which attacks snake skin. The disease has already infected 23 species, and none seems to be immune. Therefore, it can quickly turn into a global threat for all the snake species in the world.

The snake fungal disease might be a threat for all snake species on the globe

All experts are extremely worried, as the snake fungal disease seems to be an extremely serious threat. No snake species seems to be safe from it, and it might be possible that all snakes on Earth must already be infected. To know what they have to deal with, researchers developed a study on the infection.

The parasite which causes the snake fungal disease is the fungus called Ophidiomyces ophidiodiicola. Researchers took all the information they had on those species they were aware of being infected, and introduced it into a neural network. What they aimed was to group together the similarities and differences between these species, and thus find out which factors might be responsible for the disease.

Researchers couldn’t tell why the virus attacks only snakes

Unfortunately, the results weren’t really conclusive. This is how they made the frightening realization that all snake species are actually vulnerable to the disease. The database contained both water, land, and tree snakes, and were extremely distinct. It was hard to pinpoint a characteristic common to all, meaning that the disease could attack any kind of snake.

The animals can get rid of the snake fungal disease when they shed their skin. However, many of them don’t get the time to do it, as they often die before this can happen. Either the infection gets to kill them, or it leaves them vulnerable to other threats which prove fatal. This fungus remains a mystery for the researchers, as they don’t know why it only attacks snakes and not other types of reptiles.

The study was published in the journal Science Advances.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have discovered a dangerous trend in the Arctic. They explored the warming and sea ice melting rates over the past millennia, and discovered the area hasn’t suffered such a decline in the ice levels in 1,500 years or even more. Also, the situation will probably not get better.

Ice is thinner and temperatures are higher in the Arctic

The Arctic is going through one of the warmest period is has ever undergone, and it’s highly unlikely that it will return to its old frozen state. Its permafrost has started thawing at an alarming rate, and this event will probably affect the entire world, not only the northern region.

These sudden high temperatures and the change in the sea ice can have a huge impact on the entire planet. They influence the jet stream, which can influence the climate of other countries, including US. Also, as the Arctic gets warmer, the rest of the world starts experiencing extreme weather phenomena. The recent wildfires in California and the sudden temperature drops in the southern and eastern part of US are likely a result of this sudden change at the North Pole.

This calls for greener sources of energy

Among the high temperature in the air and the thinner layer of ice, researchers noticed how the water temperature has also increased. The plankton has also started blooming, as sunlight is now reaching deeper into the ocean. The tundra covering most part of the Arctic is now greener, and has already started replacing the ice.

All of these phenomena influence weather anywhere in the world, as many regions in Asia and North America now experience less snow than they used to. This means the seasons have been greatly affected, which threatens biodiversity. Therefore, environmentalists are militating for a reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions, and an embracing of green energy sources.
Image Source: Pixabay

Most of the time, we associate flies with dirt and diseases, but it turns out they have a lot more pathogens than we thought. A few hundred viruses and disease-carrying particles are attached to their bodies, which are easily spread everywhere they go. However, researchers see a good part in all of it. By analyzing the migration of the insects, they believe they can monitor the evolution of diseases.

Flies are covered in harmful pathogens

Flies really enjoy flying around and landing on rotten carcasses, foods, and even feces. This is why it’s a good idea to keep our fresh food and products away from them. A recent study supports all these claims, as it has discovered that the insects can host hundreds of bacteria, which can turn out extremely harmful for us.

For the study, researchers collected genetic material from 116 species of flies, and from all the bacteria they housed on their bodies. This is how they discovered that, among all the microorganisms present on the insects, there was Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach ulcers. Usually, it was transmitted from one person to another through body fluids, and this is the first time when researchers find another way one can get infected with the bacteria.

The findings can be of great importance for public health

Flies probably get the microbes on their bodies as they step on tainted surfaces. These pathogens stick to their legs and wings, and can easily get on other materials as the insects land on them. It’s their great capacity of the insects to be pollinators that makes it so easy for microbes to get attached to their bodies.

These results are far from pleasant, but they can be of great use for researchers. They want to release pathogen-free flies into an environment and study the bacteria which ends up on their bodies. This way, they can see what germs are present in a certain setting and how they spread.

The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Image Source: Pixnio

Researchers noticed an interesting behavior among a species of whales, which makes them swim a long distance just to scratch their backs. Bowhead whales migrate every summer to the waters of the Canadian Arctic just to rub on rocks. This process helps them exfoliate and get rid of old skin.

Bowhead whales exfoliate their skin by rubbing it on the rocks

Just like reptiles, the majority of whales and dolphins shed their skin and replace it with a new one. However, they cannot do it on their own, so they need a little help to remove that old skin. Therefore, they choose the same spot each summer, where they can rub against some rocks, exfoliate the skin on their backs, and remove all the parasites and dead cells.

Researchers didn’t quite understand this process in Arctic species. Narwhals and beluga whales, for instance, choose warmer regions to live during summer, and this helps them change the texture of their skin. However, a lot less was known about bowhead whales. Therefore, they decided to take a look at a population migrating in Nunavut during summer.

Molting helps them get rid of parasites and of old skin

Therefore, they took still photos of 81 bowhead whales, and recorded four of them. This is how they observed these shed their skin as well, as 40 percent of the specimens still carried molting skin on most of their body surface. Also, the videos captured them rubbing against rocks on the coast. This behavior was quite common among bowhead whales during summertime.

This is how they discovered why these whales return to this area in the warmer season. Rubbing helps them exfoliate their skin, facilitating the molting process. This way, they get rid both of the parasites which might have gathered on their backs, and of the dead and sunburnt skin. All the other details on the behavior of the bowhead whales has been published in the journal PLOS One.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

COUNCIL CHRONICLE – When one thinks of flies around water, the dragonfly might come to mind, but not many else. Deep water means a wet death for many winged insect species, including butterflies and grasshoppers. But the alkali fly or the Ephydra hians is an unlikely flying insect that not only doesn’t mind a little water, it deliberately plunges into it. For years, scientists have been baffled by its aquatic antics. However, they’ve now finally figured out its secret.

Why Lake Mono Seems An Odd “Paradise” For this Fly Species

At first glance, northern California’s Lake Mono looks like a great place to swim and live around. But the lake’s water is so alkaline, it’s highly toxic to most animal species. One notable exception is the brine shrimp. Another is a fly species that is often so actively moving around in shallow waters, that it looks like grains of dark sand.

Few migrating bird species visit Lake Mono to feed on shrimp and flies. But the alkali fly doesn’t seem to have much else of a predator problem, presumably a major reason why it chooses to call such a body of water home.

This fly species also doesn’t just buzz around on shore. These insects dive under the lake’s surface to lay eggs and feed on the algae that grow there. Also, the fly doesn’t just emerge from the water alive, it does so while remaining perfectly dry. Cal Tech scientists believe that they’ve finally discovered the fly’s trick. According to them, this fly species uses body hair and wax to create a “diving bell”.

“When the flies go down, their entire body is covered by one continuous air bubble,” says Cal Tech biology professor, Michael Dickinson.

This bubble is capable of doing more than just breaking water surfaces, as the flies have no trouble controlling it.

Scientists say that the “fly suit” that keeps such specimens dry and alive could be developed and refined for human use in the water. Such techniques could one day mean that human divers will have the means to do currently unlikely and impossible new things in water. Study findings can be accessed in a paper published in the journal PNAS. 

Image Source: Wikimedia