‘Miniature' creature seen running ‘quickly' on Angola plain. It's a new species
It turned out to be a new species.
A team of researchers spent seven years doing 'extensive' wildlife surveys of 'the less explored coastal regions of southern Angola,' according to a study published June 27 in the peer-reviewed journal Ecology and Evolution. Their fieldwork focused on a group of 'unique' but 'poorly understood' lizards known as Namib day geckos.
During some of their searches, researchers found several unfamiliar-looking patterned geckos, the study said. They took a closer look at the animals, analyzed their DNA and realized they'd discovered a new species: Rhoptropus minimus, or the miniature Namib day gecko.
Miniature Namib day geckos are considered 'small-sized,' reaching about 3 inches in length, the study said. Researchers said they named the new species after the Latin word for ''smallest' or 'very small'' because of its size.
A photo shows the tannish-gray coloring of the new species. Its pattern is a mixture of 'soft orange-rust' markings and black and cream blotches. Its belly is 'whitish to cream' with 'darker' fingertips and toes.
Miniature Namib day geckos are 'primarily associated with gravel and sand plains' and were found 'in more open areas, where (they move) quickly between small rocks and loose flakes on the ground, using them for shelter,' the study said.
Much about the lifestyle and behavior of the new species remains unknown.
So far, the new species has only been found in 'the coastal regions of Namibe Province,' a region of southwestern Angola that borders Namibia, the study said. Angola also borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Zambia.
The new species was identified by its scale pattern, coloring, size and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 8% genetic divergence from related species.
The research team included Javier Lobón-Rovira, Matthew Heinicke, Aaron Bauer, Werner Conradie and Pedro Vaz Pinto.
The team also discovered two more new species: the large-spotted Namib day gecko and the cryptic Namib day gecko.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Forest creature with ‘starry sky'-like pattern discovered as new species
In 'one of the wettest areas in southeastern Brazil,' a forest creature with 'fringed' feet sat in the rain and called out. Its 'large' copper eyes scanned the soggy ground, but it wasn't the only one looking around. Nearby scientists spotted the 'robust' animal — and discovered a new species. A team of researchers visited the Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar in southern Brazil several times between 2013 and 2022 to survey its amphibians, according to a study published July 9 in the peer-reviewed journal Herpetologica. During the searches, researchers found a few unfamiliar-looking frogs with a unique call, the study said. Intrigued, they took a closer look at the animals, analyzed their DNA and realized they'd discovered a new species: Paratelmatobius stellaris, or the starry rapids frog. Starry rapids frogs have 'robust' bodies measuring less than an inch in length, the study said. Their 'copper-colored' eyes are 'large and protuberant,' and their snouts are 'rounded.' They have 'robust' arms with 'short' fingers and 'medium-sized' legs with 'fringed' feet. A photo shows the brown coloring of the new species. Its back is scattered with 'whitish and greenish flecks,' the study said. Overall, it appears to blend in with the surrounding leaf. Researchers said they named the new species after the Latin word meaning 'star; stellar, (or) starry' because its belly coloring 'resembles a starry sky.' A photo shows the frog's stomach, which has a 'gray or brown background with small white blotches and flecks.' Its arms have orange blotches. Starry rapids frogs live in 'dense' mountain forests 'with an average annual rainfall exceeding 3,300 mm (about 10 feet),' the study said. 'In December 2021 we visited the area during periods of intense rainfall (the rain paused only briefly throughout our fieldwork).' Researchers found two frogs near the park lodging; both 'were vocalizing in the leaf litter.' Based on the limited number of specimens and the area being 'well-sampled,' the new species 'appears to be a rare species,' but the team recommended further surveys to confirm, the study said. So far, starry rapids frogs have only been found at the Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar which is a roughly 250-mile drive southwest from Rio de Janeiro. The new species was identified by its call sound, finger shape, coloring, feet shape and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 5% genetic divergence from related species. The research team included Marcus Thadeu Santos, Lucas Vilela, Brenda Carvalho, Igor Silva, Miguel Rodrigues, Paulo Garcia, Thiago Carvalho and Célio Haddad.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
The grisly discovery that shows our ancestors ate children
Human ancestors ate small children 850,000 years ago, a gruesome discovery has shown. Archaeologists working at the Gran Dolina cave site in Burgos, northern Spain, found a human neck bone belonging to a child aged between two and four years old, with clear butchery marks. The vertebra was found with other bones and teeth belonging to Homo Antecessor, considered to be the last common ancestor of both Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals, and who lived between 1.2 million and 800,000 years ago. Although cannibalism is well documented in early humans, experts say it is unusual to find a child being eaten and it marks the earliest evidence of the practice found to date. The site of the marks on the neck bone suggests the youngster was decapitated. 'This case is particularly striking, not only because of the child's age, but also due to the precision of the cut marks,' said Dr Palmira Saladié, the co-director of the Gran Dolina excavation of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution. 'The vertebra presents clear incisions at key anatomical points for disarticulating the head. It is direct evidence that the child was processed like any other prey.' Other adult bones belonging to Homo Antecessor found at the site show evidence of defleshing marks and intentional fractures, similar to those found on animal bones consumed by humans. Experts say it suggests that 'early humans exploited their peers as a food resource' and may also have used cannibalism as a method of controlling territory. Homo Antecessor is the earliest human to move into Europe and was given the species name antecessor because it means 'pioneer' or 'early settler' in Latin. It was of stockier build than modern humans, with males ranging in height from 5.2ft to 5.9ft, but had some modern facial features, such as a hollowed cheekbones and a projecting nose, unlike earlier hominids. The earliest evidence of human cannibalism dates back to 1.45 million years where a butchered Homo Erectus bone was found in northern Kenya and it is likely the practice existed until relatively recently. Some archaeologists suggest that before formal burials, human populations would eat the dead as a funerary ritual. At Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, human skulls were found that appeared to have been used as cups, dating from 15,000 years ago. Gnawed human bones were also excavated from the same period. Experts believe that, during the Ice Age, cannibalism would have been a good way of finding food in tough times while also removing rival groups and ritually absorbing their power. Hundreds of stone tools have been discovered previously at Gran Dolina, as well as human bones showing evidence of human chewing. 'What we are documenting now is the continuity of that behaviour: the treatment of the dead was not exceptional, but repeated,' added Dr Saladié, a specialist in prehistoric cannibalism. 'Every year we uncover new evidence that forces us to rethink how our ancestors lived, how they died, and how the dead were treated nearly a million years ago.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
European Space Agency Is Building A Hypersonic Spaceplane
The European Space Agency is throwing its weight behind a design effort for a hypersonic spaceplane, with hopes of getting the final idea airborne (and spaceborne) by 2031. The ESA is putting up funding for the Invictus research program, which wants to achieve one of the space industry's most coveted breakthroughs: The ability for a spacecraft to launch horizontally off a runway, like a normal plane, and then land back there all in one piece. There have been several attempts over the decades to build a so-called Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) vehicle, but thus far, none have succeeded. Invictus (Latin for "invincible") is hoping to solve the engineering puzzle, which would make spaceflight radically cheaper and simpler than it is today. The program is headed by Frazer-Nash Consultancy, with support from Spirit AeroSystems, Cranfield University, and a few smaller companies. Critically, the project has hired a bunch of staff from Reaction Engines Ltd, a British company that had been working on spaceplane engines for decades before going bankrupt last year. Reaction's core innovation was pre-cooling technology, which it always said was the key to unlocking hypersonic and orbital travel. While the company itself didn't live long enough to find out, with the ESA's money, Invictus is going to try to find out for sure. Read more: These Cars Are Police Magnets Pre-Cooling Air Before It Hits The Engine Going to space is expensive. You need a big rocket that launches vertically, which requires a launch pad and launch tower. Rockets are usually multi-stage, and most (if not all) of those stages are discarded during the flight. SpaceX is developing ways to make those stages fly home for later reuse, but it's still a massively complex endeavor. Spaceplanes are a much simpler and theoretically cheaper idea — just take off and land like a plane! — but the trick is building cost-effective engines that can power both air and space flight. Ordinary jet engines need oxygen to burn, which they pull out of the air. But to reach the speeds needed to break orbit, hypersonic speeds of Mach 5+, the sheer heat of air friction hitting the engine would actually melt it. Pretty bad! Reaction's purpose in life was more or less to figure out a way to get the air temperature down before it hit the engine, a process called pre-cooling. With that system installed, even traditional jet engines should, theoretically, be able to reach speeds over 15,000 mph, enough to get anywhere in the world in just a few hours. Then, if the craft goes up past the atmosphere and into space, the engines would switch over to onboard oxygen tanks. If it all works, it should be able to ferry cargo to space for radically less than current systems and to other places on Earth at much faster speed. The Spaceplane Race The ESA, it should be clear, is only putting €7 million of its money into Invictus, which won't exactly build a working plane. This investment is to see if the Invictus team can come up with a workable design within 12 months. If not, well, game over again. If they can, however, then humanity has an exciting future ahead of it. Meanwhile, there are a number of other projects around the world trying to get their own spaceplanes off the ground. Startup company Sierra Space has been working on its Dream Chaser design since 2015, which is getting close to being able to fly to the ISS. China has flown the Shenlong a few times since 2023. The U.S. Space Force has been flying the remotely operated X-37B since 2010, a program that just got a $1 billion from the Big Beautiful Bill. All of these are experimental and not in any kind of active use just yet. If any of them get ready for showtime, then the days of the massive rocket on a launchpad may be numbered. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
