Scientists have discovered a new species which is distantly related to Tyrannosaurus rex and they say is the oldest carnivorous dinosaur found in the UK. This new species is the size of a chicken and is called Pendraig milnerae.

Scientists have discovered a new species which is distantly related to Tyrannosaurus rex and they say is the oldest carnivorous dinosaur found in the UK. This new species is the size of a chicken and is called Pendraig milnerae. Pendraig in middle Welsh means “chief dragon” and milnerae is in honour of the late Angela Milner, a stalwart of the Natural History Museum’s dinosaur gallery and a researcher and deputy keeper of palaeontology at the museum for more than 30 years. As per the journal Royal Society Open Science, Pendraig milnerae is a "new small-sized coelophysoid theropod from the Late Triassic of Wales" that roamed the UK over 200 million years ago. Theropods are two-legged carnivores with hollow bones and three-toed feet, including T. Rex. Also read | Titus the T-Rex goes on display in England The Natural History Museum in London, in a news release said that scientists mistook the fossils for those of an already-identified dinosaur species. However, the re-identification helped in further analysing the species. Dr Stephan Spiekman, a research fellow at the Museum and the paper's lead author in the press release said, "There is no obvious character that set this species apart. It has a certain combination of several characters that are unique amongst its group, which showed to us it was clearly a new species." Also read | Discovered; Footprints of the very last Dinosaurs to walk on UK ground The scientists also said that they do not know whether the fossils are small because they are from a juvenile or whether they are those of a small adult specimen. Richard Butler, a co-author on a paper on the dinosaur and professor of palaeobiology at the University of Birmingham was quoted by the Guardian as saying, "Dinosaur discoveries are really rare in Wales, and this is only the third dinosaur species known from the country. It’s very exciting to learn more about the dinosaurs that lived here in the UK during the Triassic, right at the dawn of dinosaur evolution.”

New species discovered is the oldest meat-eating dinosaur found in UK

According to new research, the 2019–20 bushfires had a devastating impact on 11 species of native Australian bees.

The scientists in Australia have analysed the effect of the fires on 553 native bee species. Almost one-third of all species of bees discovered in the country to date. &nbsp;

In the analysis, 11 species are found to be eligible to get listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of threatened species. &nbsp;

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Before the fires, only three Australian species of bees were threatened. &nbsp;

Two bee species, Leioproctus nigrofulvus or the solitary bee and Leioproctus carinatifrons, now fit the IUCN’s criteria for an endangered listing. During the bushfires, large areas of their native habitat were burnt. Nine bee species were assessed to be “vulnerable”. &nbsp;

Using publicly available data, the researchers modelled the bees’ extinction risk from the wildfires. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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An adjunct lecturer at the University of Adelaide, study co-author Stefan Caddy-Retalic, said it was surprising that a single fire event pushed 11 species of bees much closer to extinction. &nbsp;

Although there are 1,654 known bee species in Australia, the scientists believe the real figure may be more. &nbsp;

“There are so many native bees that are still left to discover – a lot of these species are at risk of being lost before they’re even found, which is an incredible indictment on the impact that we’re having on Australia’s biodiversity,” Caddy-Retalic said. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;&nbsp;

According to new research, the 2019–20 bushfires had a devastating impact on 11 species of native Australian bees. The scientists in Australia have analysed the effect of the fires on 553 native bee species.

According to new research, the 2019–20 bushfires had a devastating impact on 11 species of native Australian bees. The scientists in Australia have analysed the effect of the fires on 553 native bee species. Almost one-third of all species of bees discovered in the country to date. In the analysis, 11 species are found to be eligible to get listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of threatened species. Also Read: People in this country 'sing' to sharks and then catch them by hand Before the fires, only three Australian species of bees were threatened. Two bee species, Leioproctus nigrofulvus or the solitary bee and Leioproctus carinatifrons, now fit the IUCN’s criteria for an endangered listing. During the bushfires, large areas of their native habitat were burnt. Nine bee species were assessed to be “vulnerable”. Using publicly available data, the researchers modelled the bees’ extinction risk from the wildfires. Also Read: La Palma volcano eruption forces stay-home order for some residents An adjunct lecturer at the University of Adelaide, study co-author Stefan Caddy-Retalic, said it was surprising that a single fire event pushed 11 species of bees much closer to extinction. Although there are 1,654 known bee species in Australia, the scientists believe the real figure may be more. “There are so many native bees that are still left to discover – a lot of these species are at risk of being lost before they’re even found, which is an incredible indictment on the impact that we’re having on Australia’s biodiversity,” Caddy-Retalic said. (With inputs from agencies)

Bushfires pushed 11 bee species towards extinction in Australia

Conservationists dedicate their lives to save species from extinction but at times, the situation is not under their control. Here, we bring you one such story from US, where 23 species have been declared as extinct.

United States declare 23 species extinct, list includes Ivory-billed woodpecker

In Pics | COVID-19 in animal world, here is a list of the infected species

A new study has confirmed the discovery of two massive new dinosaur species in northwest China. These are some of the first vertebrates uncovered in the region. A number of fossils have been unearthed from China's northwest region in recent years, including Xinjiang and the Turpan-Hami Basin.

A new study has confirmed the discovery of two massive new dinosaur species in northwest China. These are some of the first vertebrates uncovered in the region. A number of fossils have been unearthed from China's northwest region in recent years, including Xinjiang and the Turpan-Hami Basin. The fossils include a number of pterosaurs, preserved eggs and embryos. The fossils also consist of fossil fragments of spinal vertebrae and rib cages. Scientists initially identified them as belonging to three mystery dinosaurs. Also read | World's third-busiest port partly shut down by China as worker tests positive As per the researchers, two of those specimens were from previously unknown species, named as Silutitan sinensis, meaning "Silk Road" in Mandarin, and Hamititan xinjiangensis, a nod to the region where it was found. The Silutitan specimen is estimated to be over 20 meters long, while the Hamititan specimen was 17 meters long. This implies that the dinosaurs are almost as large as blue whales, which range from 23 to 30 meters, depending on the hemisphere they're located in. The fossils date back to the early Cretaceous period, about 120 to 130 million years ago. As per the study, apart from one pterosaur species and a theropod tooth, these two dinosaurs are also the first vertebrates reported in this region, "increasing the diversity of the fauna as well as the information on Chinese sauropods". The third specimen was not a new species but may have been a somphospondylan sauropod, which is a group of dinosaurs that lived from the late Jurassic to late Cretaceous periods.

Two new dinosaur species discovered in China

A new study has revealed that venom contributed to the extraordinary diversity of insects and fishes.&nbsp;

Published in the journal 'BMC Ecology and Evolution', the research showed venomous fishes and insects diversify around twice as fast as their non-venomous counterparts.

Over 1 million species of insects have so far been identified. This is three-quarters of all invertebrate species on Earth.&nbsp;

There are 31,269 species of fish, which make up almost half of all vertebrate species.

As of now, around 10 per cent of fish families and 16 per cent of insect families contain venomous species.&nbsp;

The research showed that venom has independently evolved at least 19-20 times in fishes and at least 28 times in insects across their evolutionary history.

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Dr Kevin Arbuckle of Swansea University, lead researcher was quoted by ANI as saying, "Our results provide evidence that venom has played a part in generating the diversity of insects and fishes, which have the largest number of species amongst invertebrates and vertebrates respectively".&nbsp;

He added, "Venom is not the only factor driving species richness in these animal groups, but we show that it has played an important but previously unrecognised role in generating the amazing diversity we see today amongst insects and fishes.

Although tentative, the pattern of timing in the origins of venomous fishes suggests tantalising clues of what was driving the evolution of their venom. Unlike insects, where venom evolved fairly evenly throughout their history, most origins of fish venom were concentrated in the Late Cretaceous and Eocene periods".

A new study has revealed that venom contributed to the extraordinary diversity of insects and fishes. Published in the journal 'BMC Ecology and Evolution', the research showed venomous fishes and insects diversify around twice as fast as their non-venomous counterparts.

A new study has revealed that venom contributed to the extraordinary diversity of insects and fishes. Published in the journal 'BMC Ecology and Evolution', the research showed venomous fishes and insects diversify around twice as fast as their non-venomous counterparts. Over 1 million species of insects have so far been identified. This is three-quarters of all invertebrate species on Earth. There are 31,269 species of fish, which make up almost half of all vertebrate species. As of now, around 10 per cent of fish families and 16 per cent of insect families contain venomous species. The research showed that venom has independently evolved at least 19-20 times in fishes and at least 28 times in insects across their evolutionary history. Also read | Tiger kills woman working at Chilean safari park Dr Kevin Arbuckle of Swansea University, lead researcher was quoted by ANI as saying, "Our results provide evidence that venom has played a part in generating the diversity of insects and fishes, which have the largest number of species amongst invertebrates and vertebrates respectively". He added, "Venom is not the only factor driving species richness in these animal groups, but we show that it has played an important but previously unrecognised role in generating the amazing diversity we see today amongst insects and fishes. Although tentative, the pattern of timing in the origins of venomous fishes suggests tantalising clues of what was driving the evolution of their venom. Unlike insects, where venom evolved fairly evenly throughout their history, most origins of fish venom were concentrated in the Late Cretaceous and Eocene periods".

Study reveals how venom contributed to formation of new species of insects, fishes

A new extinct crocodile species dating back to millions of years ago has been discovered in the sparesely-populated Australian Outback. 
 
A team from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (NT) on Monday announced that they have identified the new species belonging to the Baru genus but have not yet named it, reports Xinhua news agency.

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Adam Yates, the senior earth science curator at the museum, said the best example of the crocodile's skull was found north-east of Alice Springs in central Australia in 2009.

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Based on the skull, which is 8 million years old, Yates said the Baru was comparable in size to a saltwater crocodile but significantly heavier. 
 
"This particular specimen is one of the last of its kind. It is by far the nicest and most complete skull of a Baru crocodile tha'`s ever been found," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 
 
He said the crocodile probably weighed more than an equivalent length to a saltwater crocodile, or probably hundreds of kilos. 
 
"Its really strongly built thick, heavy, deep jaws, and really massive teeth all indicate that this was a crocodile that was specialized in taking megafauna," he said. 
 
"(Modern crocodiles) subsist mostly on small fish and small prey. This guy didn't subsist on small things. It was specialized for taking big things all the time." 
 
Baru crocodiles have inhabited Australia for up to 25 million years while modern crocodiles arrived on the continent from Africa a few million years ago. 
 
"The Australian crocodiles are actually recent arrivals on the Australian continent. They belong to the genus Crocodylus, which probably has an origin in Africa," Yates said. 
 
"Whereas Australia's original endemic crocodiles like this one, have gone extinct completely." 
 
The name of the new species will be announced in 2022.

A new extinct crocodile species dating back to millions of years ago has been discovered in the sparesely-populated Australian Outback. A team from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (NT) on Monday announced that they have identified the new species belonging to the Baru genus but have not yet named it, reports Xinhua news agency.

A new extinct crocodile species dating back to millions of years ago has been discovered in the sparesely-populated Australian Outback. A team from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (NT) on Monday announced that they have identified the new species belonging to the Baru genus but have not yet named it, reports Xinhua news agency. Also read- Sharks have in-built navigation system similar to GPS. Here's how it works Adam Yates, the senior earth science curator at the museum, said the best example of the crocodile's skull was found north-east of Alice Springs in central Australia in 2009. Also read- 'Talkative' dinosaur? Mexican paleontologists make unique discovery Based on the skull, which is 8 million years old, Yates said the Baru was comparable in size to a saltwater crocodile but significantly heavier. "This particular specimen is one of the last of its kind. It is by far the nicest and most complete skull of a Baru crocodile tha'`s ever been found," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). He said the crocodile probably weighed more than an equivalent length to a saltwater crocodile, or probably hundreds of kilos. "Its really strongly built thick, heavy, deep jaws, and really massive teeth all indicate that this was a crocodile that was specialized in taking megafauna," he said. "(Modern crocodiles) subsist mostly on small fish and small prey. This guy didn't subsist on small things. It was specialized for taking big things all the time." Baru crocodiles have inhabited Australia for up to 25 million years while modern crocodiles arrived on the continent from Africa a few million years ago. "The Australian crocodiles are actually recent arrivals on the Australian continent. They belong to the genus Crocodylus, which probably has an origin in Africa," Yates said. "Whereas Australia's original endemic crocodiles like this one, have gone extinct completely." The name of the new species will be announced in 2022.

New extinct crocodile species found in Australia

Many species around the world possess the otherworldly capability to re-engineer their body - to essentially be able to grow new organs in place of old ones that may have been rendered unusable by injuries or natural factors.

Now, scientists believe that a particular species can actually grow a whole body out of severed heads, but they're unsure why.

For perspective - starfish are able to regenerate their arms, axolotls can reconfigure their spinal cords among many. But none of them compare&nbsp;to the newly found sea slugs that can grow a whole new body of their own.

According to researchers from the Nara Women's University in Japan, who published their study in Current Biology - a peer-reviewed journal, two species of sea slugs can regrow bodies that come equipped with a heart and other internal organs intact.

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Along with this, scientists witnessed the unthinkable as creatures were seen floating without their bodies. One of them moved around with a body twice!

Upon separation, the head was able to move on its own, and in a matter of a few days, the wound behind the head of the slug had healed and closed off.

Scientists also found that within hours of detachment, young sea slugs began feeding on algae. In less than a week, they were able to regenerate their hearts.&nbsp;

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An adult's head lived for about ten days, after which researchers found a new body with new organs which was formed by the detached head within three weeks. 
 
Even then, there were some limitations for the old bodies were not able to regenerate body parts both among the young and old sea slugs. But even then, these cast-off bodies of slugs could feel sensation for days, and in some cases months.

Many species around the world possess the otherworldly capability to re-engineer their body - to essentially be able to grow new organs in place of old ones that may have been rendered unusable by injuries or natural factors.

Many species around the world possess the otherworldly capability to re-engineer their body - to essentially be able to grow new organs in place of old ones that may have been rendered unusable by injuries or natural factors. Now, scientists believe that a particular species can actually grow a whole body out of severed heads, but they're unsure why. For perspective - starfish are able to regenerate their arms, axolotls can reconfigure their spinal cords among many. But none of them compare to the newly found sea slugs that can grow a whole new body of their own. According to researchers from the Nara Women's University in Japan, who published their study in Current Biology - a peer-reviewed journal, two species of sea slugs can regrow bodies that come equipped with a heart and other internal organs intact. Also read: Scientists just spotted most distant radio blast to ever reach Earth! Along with this, scientists witnessed the unthinkable as creatures were seen floating without their bodies. One of them moved around with a body twice! Upon separation, the head was able to move on its own, and in a matter of a few days, the wound behind the head of the slug had healed and closed off. Scientists also found that within hours of detachment, young sea slugs began feeding on algae. In less than a week, they were able to regenerate their hearts. Also read: Astronomers detect best place and time to live in Milky Way An adult's head lived for about ten days, after which researchers found a new body with new organs which was formed by the detached head within three weeks. Even then, there were some limitations for the old bodies were not able to regenerate body parts both among the young and old sea slugs. But even then, these cast-off bodies of slugs could feel sensation for days, and in some cases months.

This sea slug species can regrow its whole body - out of its head!

Australia has officially confirmed the extinction of 13 species endemic to the country. These include 12 mammals, along with the first reptile to have gone extinct since European colonisation ended.

The country is increasingly becoming the capital of mammal extinction, for at least 34 species have perished in the country.

Most of these extinctions don't come as a surprise, for many of them had disappeared between the 1850s and 1950s. Out of the 13, only two species were lost in the last decade - both belonging to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, as reported by The Guardian.

In 2009, the last Christmas Island pipistrelle - a species of bat, became extinct. Later, the first Australian reptile to go extinct perished in 2014 - the Christmas Island forest skink. With these fresh inductions in the long list of extinctions coming in from Australia, over 10 per cent of 320 mammals that were known to habituate Australia in 1788 have now become extinct.

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Trailing Australia is Haiti, which experienced nine extinctions.

Among mammals that are now extinct are desert bettong, the Capricorn rabbit-rat, the Liverpool Plains striped bandicoot, the marl, the Nullarbor barred bandicoot, the blue-grey mouse, the Percey Island flying fox, the Nullarbor dwarf bettong, and the broad-cheeked hopping mouse.

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Scientists believe that the extinction was caused by feral cats, who are a predatory species. It is also possible that the event was triggered by the destruction of their habitats, including fire.

The government has listed 100 species that are endemic to Australia and have not gone extinct. But scientists believe the real number is expected to be much higher by at least 10 times.

Australia has officially confirmed the extinction of 13 species endemic to the country. These include 12 mammals, along with the first reptile to have gone extinct since European colonisation ended.

Australia has officially confirmed the extinction of 13 species endemic to the country. These include 12 mammals, along with the first reptile to have gone extinct since European colonisation ended. The country is increasingly becoming the capital of mammal extinction, for at least 34 species have perished in the country. Most of these extinctions don't come as a surprise, for many of them had disappeared between the 1850s and 1950s. Out of the 13, only two species were lost in the last decade - both belonging to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, as reported by The Guardian. In 2009, the last Christmas Island pipistrelle - a species of bat, became extinct. Later, the first Australian reptile to go extinct perished in 2014 - the Christmas Island forest skink. With these fresh inductions in the long list of extinctions coming in from Australia, over 10 per cent of 320 mammals that were known to habituate Australia in 1788 have now become extinct. Also read: Iceberg about size of Greater London breaks off in Antarctica Trailing Australia is Haiti, which experienced nine extinctions. Among mammals that are now extinct are desert bettong, the Capricorn rabbit-rat, the Liverpool Plains striped bandicoot, the marl, the Nullarbor barred bandicoot, the blue-grey mouse, the Percey Island flying fox, the Nullarbor dwarf bettong, and the broad-cheeked hopping mouse. Also read: 'Dear Moon': Japanese billionaire invites applications for space expedition Scientists believe that the extinction was caused by feral cats, who are a predatory species. It is also possible that the event was triggered by the destruction of their habitats, including fire. The government has listed 100 species that are endemic to Australia and have not gone extinct. But scientists believe the real number is expected to be much higher by at least 10 times.

Australia: 13 more species have now gone extinct

Scientists claimed to have recovered the oldest DNA which is being extracted from Siberian Mammoths which roamed 1.2 million years ago, According to researchers, the newest DNA in these 3 mammoths is around 700,000 years old. Researchers also shed light on Bygone species.

Mammoth's Oldest DNA found in eastern Siberia

Orchids are not often called ugly, but that is how the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, described a new species of the normally vibrant and delicate flower discovered in the forests of Madagascar.

Gastrodia agnicellus, one of 156 plants and fungal species named by Kew scientists and their partners around the world in 2020, has been crowned "the ugliest orchid in the world".

"The 11 mm flowers of this orchid are small, brown and rather ugly," Kew said in its list of the top 10 discoveries of the year. The orchid depends on fungi for nutrition and has no leaves or any other photosynthetic tissue.

Although assessed as a threatened species, the plants have some protection because they are located in a national park.

Among the other discoveries officially named this year were six new species of webcap toadstool mushrooms in the United Kingdom and a strange shrub encountered in southern Namibia in 2010.

Botanist Wessel Swanepoel could not place the shrub in any known genus and neither could anyone else, and so Swanepoel called Kew's molecular expert Felix Forest and his team for analysis.

The result was that it was not just a new species, but a new genus and a new family, called Tiganophyton karasense.

While around 2,000 plants are named new to science annually, new families are only published around once a year.

The shrub has bizarre scaly leaves and grows in extremely hot natural salt pans, hence its name Tiganophyton, derived from the Latin 'Tigani', or 'frying pan', and 'Phyton', or 'plant'.

Martin Cheek, senior research leader at Kew, welcomed the latest natural discoveries.

"Some could provide vital income to communities while others may have the potential to be developed into a future food or medicine," he said.

But he warned: "The bleak reality facing us cannot be underplayed. With two in five plants threatened with extinction, it is a race against time to find, identify, name, and conserve plants before they disappear."

Orchids are not often called ugly, but that is how the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, described a new species of the normally vibrant and delicate flower discovered in the forests of Madagascar.

Orchids are not often called ugly, but that is how the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, described a new species of the normally vibrant and delicate flower discovered in the forests of Madagascar. Gastrodia agnicellus, one of 156 plants and fungal species named by Kew scientists and their partners around the world in 2020, has been crowned "the ugliest orchid in the world". "The 11 mm flowers of this orchid are small, brown and rather ugly," Kew said in its list of the top 10 discoveries of the year. The orchid depends on fungi for nutrition and has no leaves or any other photosynthetic tissue. Although assessed as a threatened species, the plants have some protection because they are located in a national park. Among the other discoveries officially named this year were six new species of webcap toadstool mushrooms in the United Kingdom and a strange shrub encountered in southern Namibia in 2010. Botanist Wessel Swanepoel could not place the shrub in any known genus and neither could anyone else, and so Swanepoel called Kew's molecular expert Felix Forest and his team for analysis. The result was that it was not just a new species, but a new genus and a new family, called Tiganophyton karasense. While around 2,000 plants are named new to science annually, new families are only published around once a year. The shrub has bizarre scaly leaves and grows in extremely hot natural salt pans, hence its name Tiganophyton, derived from the Latin 'Tigani', or 'frying pan', and 'Phyton', or 'plant'. Martin Cheek, senior research leader at Kew, welcomed the latest natural discoveries. "Some could provide vital income to communities while others may have the potential to be developed into a future food or medicine," he said. But he warned: "The bleak reality facing us cannot be underplayed. With two in five plants threatened with extinction, it is a race against time to find, identify, name, and conserve plants before they disappear."

'World's ugliest orchid' among new species named in 2020

Gray wolves, one of the first animals shielded by the Endangered Species Act after Americans all but exterminated them in the lower 48 states, will no longer receive federal protection, officials announced Thursday.

“After more than 45 years as a listed species, the gray wolf has exceeded all conservation goals for recovery,” Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said in a statement.

Environmentalists condemned the decision as dangerously premature and vowed to take the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service back to court, where they have successfully blocked previous attempts to strip wolves of federal protections. “Wolves just occupy a fraction of their former range,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and chief executive of Defenders of Wildlife, an environmental group. “There’s so much work that needs to be done.”

The new rule will officially publish Tuesday and become effective 60 days after that. Then, states and tribes will assume control of the nation’s wolves, except for a subspecies called the Mexican wolf that remains under federal protection.

Thursday’s decision came despite significant concerns raised by scientists who performed the independent review that is required before the Fish and Wildlife Service can delist a species. Four of the five researchers charged with reviewing the proposal raised substantive concerns.

“I thought it was critically flawed,” said Carlos Carroll, an independent biologist with the Klamath Center for Conservation Research who said the Fish and Wildlife Service proposal, which is based on the consensus that wolves now face a low risk of extinction, ignored the importance of genetic variation in species.

That variation will be critical to allowing the animals to adapt to future threats like climate change, Carroll said, and is essential for their long-term survival.

Another reviewer, Adrian Treves, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said he was troubled that the Fish and Wildlife Service seemed to disregard his concerns that the proposal did not accurately estimate how many wolves would be killed by people.

“I predict that the consequence of the inaccurate risk assessment is that gray wolves are not secure in the Western Great Lakes,” he wrote last month in a follow-up memo to the federal Office of Management and Budget, “and the federal government will have to re-list them again, either by federal court mandate or after another wolf population crash.”

Gray wolves, one of the first animals shielded by the Endangered Species Act after Americans all but exterminated them in the lower 48 states, will no longer receive federal protection, officials announced Thursday.

Gray wolves, one of the first animals shielded by the Endangered Species Act after Americans all but exterminated them in the lower 48 states, will no longer receive federal protection, officials announced Thursday. “After more than 45 years as a listed species, the gray wolf has exceeded all conservation goals for recovery,” Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said in a statement. Environmentalists condemned the decision as dangerously premature and vowed to take the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service back to court, where they have successfully blocked previous attempts to strip wolves of federal protections. “Wolves just occupy a fraction of their former range,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and chief executive of Defenders of Wildlife, an environmental group. “There’s so much work that needs to be done.” The new rule will officially publish Tuesday and become effective 60 days after that. Then, states and tribes will assume control of the nation’s wolves, except for a subspecies called the Mexican wolf that remains under federal protection. Thursday’s decision came despite significant concerns raised by scientists who performed the independent review that is required before the Fish and Wildlife Service can delist a species. Four of the five researchers charged with reviewing the proposal raised substantive concerns. “I thought it was critically flawed,” said Carlos Carroll, an independent biologist with the Klamath Center for Conservation Research who said the Fish and Wildlife Service proposal, which is based on the consensus that wolves now face a low risk of extinction, ignored the importance of genetic variation in species. That variation will be critical to allowing the animals to adapt to future threats like climate change, Carroll said, and is essential for their long-term survival. Another reviewer, Adrian Treves, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said he was troubled that the Fish and Wildlife Service seemed to disregard his concerns that the proposal did not accurately estimate how many wolves would be killed by people. “I predict that the consequence of the inaccurate risk assessment is that gray wolves are not secure in the Western Great Lakes,” he wrote last month in a follow-up memo to the federal Office of Management and Budget, “and the federal government will have to re-list them again, either by federal court mandate or after another wolf population crash.”

US to remove wolves from protected species list

This is the year of remarkable discoveries. Recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/egypt-announces-discovery-of-27-coffins-buried-2500-years-ago-329084">Egypt discovered&nbsp;27 coffins buried 2,500 years ago</a>&nbsp;and Siberian scientists discovered <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/russia-39000-year-old-cave-bears-remains-found-intact-in-siberia-327171">39,000-year-old cave bear's remains</a>.

Now, Chilean scientists have added to the list by rediscovering a&nbsp;species of frog which was last seen more than 80 years ago.

This has raised the topic of the discovery made by&nbsp;American researcher and collector Frank Gregory Hall who had discovered the species in 1935 which was named as&nbsp;Hall’s water frog. He had discovered the species&nbsp;in a tiny hot spring oasis near Ollagüe in Chile’s Atacama desert.

This discovery has pointed that the ghost species is the same as the one discovered by Hall.

“We asked the museum where Hall’s (discovery) is registered. ... They sent us photographs of the larvae, photographs, comparisons, drawings,” said César Cuevas, a researcher with the Catholic University of Temuco.

Researchers continue to work to establish the frog’s taxanomic ties to other species found in the region in order to determine how different, and therefore, how rare, it really is, Cuevas said.

The main aim of the scientists is to protect its habitat as the increasing mining and tourism industry can face a threat to this aquatic species. “These animals are strictly aquatic. In just five minutes out of the water, they die,” Cuevas said.

The research was published in the journal Zootaxa.

This is the year of remarkable discoveries. Recently Egypt discovered 27 coffins buried 2,500 years ago and Siberian scientists discovered 39,000-year-old cave bear's remains.

This is the year of remarkable discoveries. Recently Egypt discovered 27 coffins buried 2,500 years ago and Siberian scientists discovered 39,000-year-old cave bear's remains. Now, Chilean scientists have added to the list by rediscovering a species of frog which was last seen more than 80 years ago. This has raised the topic of the discovery made by American researcher and collector Frank Gregory Hall who had discovered the species in 1935 which was named as Hall’s water frog. He had discovered the species in a tiny hot spring oasis near Ollagüe in Chile’s Atacama desert. This discovery has pointed that the ghost species is the same as the one discovered by Hall. “We asked the museum where Hall’s (discovery) is registered. ... They sent us photographs of the larvae, photographs, comparisons, drawings,” said César Cuevas, a researcher with the Catholic University of Temuco. Researchers continue to work to establish the frog’s taxanomic ties to other species found in the region in order to determine how different, and therefore, how rare, it really is, Cuevas said. The main aim of the scientists is to protect its habitat as the increasing mining and tourism industry can face a threat to this aquatic species. “These animals are strictly aquatic. In just five minutes out of the water, they die,” Cuevas said. The research was published in the journal Zootaxa.

Chilean researchers rediscover species of 'ghost' frog that was found decades ago

A flutter of wings faster than the eye can see, a quick sip of nectar, and he vanishes from view. Once a common site in Mexico City but in 2020 a rarity in the sprawling metropolis.

Urban gardens in Mexico fight hummingbirds' extinction

Scientists have recently discovered remnants of ancient humans who lived in Africa about half a million years ago.

The genes of these humans continue to live on in people inhabiting the planet contemporarily, The Guardian reported.

It has been dubbed the ''ghost population''

The researchers stumbled upon the traces while analysing genomes from populations in West Africa.

They claimed that a fifth of the sample DNA came from the ''ghost population''.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/california-academy-of-sciences-discovers-71-new-species-of-animals-and-plants-this-year-267509">California Academy of Sciences discovers 71 new species of animals and plants this year</a>

According to researchers, modern west Africans interbred with the yet-to-be-discovered archaic humans over thousands of years ago, similar to the copulation of ancient Europeans with Neanderthals.

“In the west Africans we looked at, all have ancestry from this unknown archaic population,” said Sriram Sankararaman, a computational biologist who led the research at the University of California in Los Angeles to The Guardian.

A long time ago, the world was inhabited by human species or subspecies that were related to each other. Upon interaction with each other, mating was inevitable.

<h6><img alt="pppp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1264ad2e-eaf9-458a-b7da-2f05508d40f2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%283%29.jpg" /> 
Handout photo released by the CNRS on September 2, 2014 shows lines engraved into rock made by Neanderthals at the Gorham's Cave in Gibraltar | AFP</h6>

&nbsp; 
Consequently, modern Europeans have bit of Neanderthal genes. Similarly, Australians, Polynesians, and Melanesians carry genes from Denisovans.

There were speculations earlier of ancient humans roaming Africa, but with no proof.

Arun Durvasula and Sankararaman, the researchers on the project gathered 405 genomes from multiple West African populations, and followed it up with statistical techniques.

The goal was to ascertain whether interbreeding had possibly happened in the past, which the results suggested it did.

Then the researchers looked out for inconsistencies in the DNA, ie, the ghost population. With extrapolation, they realised that these probably came from ancient relatives that had no proof of existence.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dna-research-reveals-two-new-species-of-eel-that-delivers-strongest-electric-jolt-249193">DNA research&nbsp;reveals&nbsp;two new species of eel that delivers strongest electric jolt</a> 
 
“They seem to have made a pretty substantial impact on the genomes of the present day individuals we studied,” Sankararaman said. “They account for 2% to 19% of their genetic ancestry”, the researcher added.

The sample populations grouped as four came from three countries: two from Nigeria, and one each from Sierra Leone and the Gambia.

Even though difficult to ascertain, the researchers believe that that ''ghost population'' split from the ancestors of Neanderthals and modern humans between 360,000 and 1 million years ago.

“It’s very likely that the true picture is much more complicated,” he said.

“We do not know what this African population may have been. It is tempting to speculate. But I’ve got to say it is just too soon to know. We haven’t discovered enough fossils in most of Africa to say we know what was there”, Sankararaman added.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scientists-warn-a-million-species-at-risk-of-extinction-216395">One million species risk extinction due to modern civilisation</a>

Scientists have recently discovered remnants of ancient humans who lived in Africa about half a million years ago. The genes of these humans continue to live on in people inhabiting the planet contemporarily, The Guardian reported.

Scientists have recently discovered remnants of ancient humans who lived in Africa about half a million years ago. The genes of these humans continue to live on in people inhabiting the planet contemporarily, The Guardian reported. It has been dubbed the ''ghost population'' The researchers stumbled upon the traces while analysing genomes from populations in West Africa. They claimed that a fifth of the sample DNA came from the ''ghost population''. Also read: California Academy of Sciences discovers 71 new species of animals and plants this year According to researchers, modern west Africans interbred with the yet-to-be-discovered archaic humans over thousands of years ago, similar to the copulation of ancient Europeans with Neanderthals. “In the west Africans we looked at, all have ancestry from this unknown archaic population,” said Sriram Sankararaman, a computational biologist who led the research at the University of California in Los Angeles to The Guardian. A long time ago, the world was inhabited by human species or subspecies that were related to each other. Upon interaction with each other, mating was inevitable. Handout photo released by the CNRS on September 2, 2014 shows lines engraved into rock made by Neanderthals at the Gorham's Cave in Gibraltar | AFP Consequently, modern Europeans have bit of Neanderthal genes. Similarly, Australians, Polynesians, and Melanesians carry genes from Denisovans. There were speculations earlier of ancient humans roaming Africa, but with no proof. Arun Durvasula and Sankararaman, the researchers on the project gathered 405 genomes from multiple West African populations, and followed it up with statistical techniques. The goal was to ascertain whether interbreeding had possibly happened in the past, which the results suggested it did. Then the researchers looked out for inconsistencies in the DNA, ie, the ghost population. With extrapolation, they realised that these probably came from ancient relatives that had no proof of existence. Also read: DNA research reveals two new species of eel that delivers strongest electric jolt “They seem to have made a pretty substantial impact on the genomes of the present day individuals we studied,” Sankararaman said. “They account for 2% to 19% of their genetic ancestry”, the researcher added. The sample populations grouped as four came from three countries: two from Nigeria, and one each from Sierra Leone and the Gambia. Even though difficult to ascertain, the researchers believe that that ''ghost population'' split from the ancestors of Neanderthals and modern humans between 360,000 and 1 million years ago. “It’s very likely that the true picture is much more complicated,” he said. “We do not know what this African population may have been. It is tempting to speculate. But I’ve got to say it is just too soon to know. We haven’t discovered enough fossils in most of Africa to say we know what was there”, Sankararaman added. Also read: One million species risk extinction due to modern civilisation

Ghost populations? Scientists find evidence of unnacounted human species in Africa

A zoo in San Andres Cholula in the Mexican state of Puebla is celebrating the arrival of three lion cubs. The cubs, two males and one female, were born at Parque Loro Zoo on January 10, and all three are in reportedly good health.

Mexico zoo celebrates birth of three lion cubs

A 100-year-old tortoise called Diego is responsible for the fertilization of 800 offspring and for contributing substantially to the salvation of one of the species of giant tortoise in the Galapagos Islands.

Species-saving Diego returning to original habitat

10,000 birds found dead within a span of 9 months. The cause of death remains unknown

10,000 birds found dead in Sambhar Lake

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