Natural Environment Blog

This dolphin is a new species of bottlenose dolphin, which was discovered off the coast of Australia. Photo: Kerstin Bilgmann.

Scientists have discovered a new species of bottlenose dolphin swimming in the southern waters of Australia.

Researchers from the Macquarie and Monash university made the discovery while collecting genetic samples from what they thought were coastal bottlenose dolphins. After DNA testing 200 dolphins, they realized that these weren’t coastal bottlenose dolphins after all. 

“They look alike but they are genetically quite different,” said Luciana Moller, of Macquarie University. ”We were surprised.”

The discovery, which was reported in Molecular Phylogenetics And Evolution, is quite significant. It’s not often that a new species of large mammal is discovered.

“Large mammals are not discovered very often. It shows we still have a lot to learn about how many marine species are out there.” said Dr Moller.

Special Protection

Dr Moller believes the new dolphin species will need protection because of its limited range.

“Due to their coastal habitat, these dolphins are also more likely to face threats such as pollution, overfishing and entanglement in nets” she said.

Previously Known Bottlenose Dolphin Species

Until now, only two species of bottlenose dolphins were known. These are:

• Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), also known as the Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Bottlenose Dolphin, Bottlenosed Dolphin. Lives in most tropical to temperate oceans. Its colour is grey, with the shade of grey varying among populations; can be bluish-grey, brownish-grey, or even nearly black; often darker on the back from the rostrum to behind the dorsal fin.
• Indo-pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), also known as the Indian Ocean Bottlenose Dolphin. Lives in the waters around India, northern Australia, South China, the Red Sea, and the eastern coast of Africa; back is dark-grey and belly is lighter grey or nearly white with grey spots.

The following dolphins are sometimes recognized as a subspecies of the T. truncatus:

• Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (T. gillii or T. truncatus gillii), living in the Pacific; has a black line from the eye to the forehead
• Black Sea Bottlenose Dolphin (T. truncatus ponticus), living in the Black Sea.

The Researchers

The Macquarie University researchers are from the Marine Mammal Research Group, Graduate School of the Environment, and the Molecular Ecology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences.

The Monash University researchers are from the Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research (CESAR) and Australian Centre for Biodiversity: Analysis, Policy and Management, School of Biological Sciences.

A newly discovered turtle species has provided scientists with a missing link between the terrestrial turtles from the Triassic period to the modern day aquatic turtles.

The discovery provides scientists with proof that aquatic turtles were roaming the earth at least 164 million years ago.

The new species, called Eileanchelys waldmani, was discovered after six fossils were found embedded in a rock on the Scottish Island of Skye.

“Although the majority of modern turtles are aquatic forms, it has been convincingly demonstrated that the most primitive turtles from the Triassic, about 210m years ago, were exclusively terrestrial.” said Jérémy Anquetin of the department of palaeontology at London’s Natural History Museum.

“Until the discovery of Eileanchelys, we thought that adaptation to an aquatic habitat might have appeared among primitive turtles but we had no fossil evidence of that.”

“Now we know for sure that there were aquatic turtles around 164m years ago. This discovery also demonstrates that turtles were more ecologically diverse early in their history than had been suspected before.”

The ancient turtle (Eileanchelys waldmani), in its natural habitat 164 million years ago. This illustration represents a reconstruction of the Kilmaluag Formation fauna (late Bathonian, Isle of Skye, Scotland).

About The Turtle’s Name

Anquetin, who was also one of the researchers who analysed the fossils, also created the name for the species. 

“I liked the idea of giving it a name in Gaelic, so I tried to find words that sound good in Gaelic and Latin.” he said.

“I chose ‘Eilean’, so the whole name means ‘the turtle from the island’.”

The Turtle’s Appearance

Mr Anquetin says that, although the ancient turtle would have resembled a modern freshwater turtle on the outside, on the inside there are key differences.

“The differences are on the inside - in the cranial anatomy. They are small differences but very important. There is no other turtle like this one.” he explained. 

Analyzing The Fossils

The six fossils were found at the bay of Cladach a’Ghlinne, on the Strathaird peninsula in 2004. Researchers from the Natural History Museum and University College London then cut the slab of rock away, painstakenly released the fossils from the rock, then analyzed them.  

The new species is the most complete Middle Jurassic turtle species ever described. The findings were reported in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

The specimens are now being housed in the National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh.

The Waitaha penguin's extinction 500 years ago appears to have made way for the yellow-eyed penguin (above). Unfortunately, the yellow-eyed penguin is now an endangered species. Photo: Christian Mehlführer.

A species of penguin, previously unknown to science, has recently been identified in New Zealand more than 500 years since it became extinct. 

The species, called the Waitaha penguin (Megadyptes waitaha), is thought to have become extinct shortly after Polynesian settlement.

“It is estimated that the so-called Waitaha penguin became extinct between 1300 and 1500AD, soon after Polynesian settlement,” said Sanne Boessenkool, University of Otago PhD student and leader of the project.

Enter The Yellow Eyed Penguin

One of the most significant findings from the research is that, the penguin’s extinction appears to have made way for the yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes).

With an estimated 7000 remaining in New Zealand, the yellow eyed penguin is one of the most endangered penguin species on the planet.  

“Our findings demonstrate that yellow-eyed penguins on mainland New Zealand are not a declining remnant of a previous abundant population, but came from the sub-Antarctic relatively recently and replaced the extinct Waitaha Penguin,” said team member Dr Jeremy Austin, deputy director of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA.

“Previous analysis of fossil records and anecdotal evidence suggested that the yellow-eyed penguin was more abundant and widespread in the past, but it now appears they have only been around for 500 years,” he continued.

The presence of the Waitaha penguin appears to have limited the yellow eyed penguin’s population to the South Island of New Zealand.

“Competition between the two species previously prevented the yellow-eyed penguin from expanding northwards but environmental changes in the predator population, such as the severe decline of sea lions, may have facilitated their colonisation in the South Island” Dr Austin said. 

Relevance To Climate Change

The research has reiterated the idea that some species are more adaptable to major changes, such as climate change, than others.

“What these unexpected results highlight is the dynamic nature of ecosystem change, where the loss of one species may open up opportunities for the expansion of another.” said Dr Phil Seddon, Director of the Wildlife Management Programme at University of Otago.

Dr David Penny of the Allan Wilson Center for Molecular Ecology and Evolution at Massey University said ”…it is vitally important to know how species, such as the yellow-eyed penguin, are able to respond to new opportunities.”

“It is becoming apparent that some species can respond to things like climate change, and others cannot. The more we know, the more we can help.”

Findings of the research have been published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Satellite tracking has revealed that Great White Sharks travel large distances to unlikely places. Photo: Terry Goss.

Two great white sharks have traveled 4,000 kilometers from the cold waters of southern New Zealand to the tropical waters of North East Australia.

The sharks began their journey in Stewart Island - 30 kilometers south of New Zealand’s South Island, and made their way to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of the Australian state of Queensland.

The journey, of which one shark dived 1,000 meters, has surprised scientists who were studying the sharks. 

“We used to think great white sharks were shallow-water coastal species that lived in cold areas, where there were lots of seals to eat,” said Malcolm Francis, of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Wellington.

“Now we have changed our impression of what they do.”

Possible World Record

Dr Francis added that the 1,000 meter dive could even be a world record for a great white shark.

Although various reports on the Internet claim that great whites have been known to dive to as much as 1,280 meters, great whites, which are known for swimming close to the surface, rarely dive to more than 800 meters below the surface. 

It’s likely that the shark was chasing a giant squid or phosphorescent fish at the time. Dr Francis says that at those depths, it would have been pitch black, and the shark would have been guided by the glow of the fish.

Great Whites “Know Where They’re Going”

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and the Conservation Department have been attaching satellite tracking devices to great white sharks to measure position, depth and water temperature. After several months, the devices eventually detach themselves from the shark and float to the surface, where data is transmitted to a satellite.

Dr Francis was also surprised to learn that the sharks traveled in a straight line, and covered up to 120 kilometers per day. 

“They seem to know where they are going,” he said.

Census researchers from New Zealand hold giant Macroptychaster sea stars that can grow up to 60cm across. Photo: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand, 2007.

Scientists are well on their way to releasing the world’s first Census of Marine Life (CoML), with astonishing discoveries continuing to being made and more than 5,300 new species found since 2003.

In fact, new species are being discovered faster than they can be described and named.

Discoveries aren’t just limited to new species though. Many of the surprising discoveries are related to distribution and abundance of known marine species throughout the world. 

Highlights of the discoveries will be officially released at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity being held in Spain this week. The conference, organized by the Census’s European affiliate program on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning, will take place in Valencia between 11th and 15th of November.

In the meantime, the CoML fourth highlights report outlines some of the major discoveries.

Highlights

There are many highlights outlined in the report. Some of the major ones include:

A male sea spider carries its eggs on specially adapted appendages under its body; it is one of many possible new species from the Antarctic. Census researchers are trying to understand the evolutionary history of these curious animals. Photo: Cédric d’Udekem, Royal Belgium Institute for Natural Sciences 2007.

• “White Shark Café” - Scientists have discovered previously unknown behavior of white sharks travelling long distances to the Pacific each winter. During this time, the sharks will make frequent, repetitive dives to depths of 300 meters. While researchers are unsure of the reason, they suspect that it may have something to do with feeding or reproduction.
• Giant amphipod - During an expedition to the Antarctic, scientists discovered one of Antarctica’s biggest-ever amphipod crustaceans, measuring almost 10 centimeters long. The CAML scientists also found around 1,000 other species, including eighteen potentially new species. The discovery was made possible due to the collapse of the Larsen A and B ice shelves, which allowed the scientists to explore a 10,000 kilometer section of the Antarctic Weddell Sea.
• High percentage of new species - An Australian expedition - COMARGE “Voyages of Discovery” - resulted in a very high discovery rate of new species. Of the 524 Decapoda (crabs, shrimps, prawns, lobsters, etc) species found, 33 percent are thought to be new species. Furthermore, 25 percent are records in the region, and eight percent are records for Australia. 
• Giant oysters - The COMARGE explorers discovered dense communities of gigantic oysters. The oysters, thought to be a new species, are 20 cm long and reside at a depth of 700 meters.
• World’s deepest known active hot vent - ChEss scientists in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge explored the world’s deepest known active hot vent, field named Ashadze. The hot vent is over 4,100 meters deep, dominated by anemones, polychaete worms and shrimp.

Juvenile representatives of the Antarctic and deep-sea genera of octopuses. Clockwise from top left , (1) Pareledone charcoti, a shallow-water species from the Antarctica Peninsula, (2) Thaumeledone gunteri, a deep-water species endemic to South Georgia, (3) Adelieledone polymoprha, a species endemic to the western Antarctic, (4) Megaleledone setebos, a shallow-water circum-Antarctic species endemic to the Southern Ocean. Photo credit: I. Everson (T. gunteri), M. Rauschert (M. setebos), L. Allcock (P. charcoti. A, polymorpha).

Good Progress

A brightly colored comb jelly swims in the high Arctic waters of the Canada Basin. Photo: Kevin Raskoff, Monterey Peninsula College.

Scientists involved in the project appear to be happy with the progress so far.

“Not only do we have a better picture of the distribution of the animals that stay in place, we are approaching a global picture of the movements of animals, whether swirling in eddies the size of Ireland, or commuting 8,000 kilometers across ocean basins,” said Ron O’Dor Canadian squid expert and Census co-senior scientist.

“And understanding how behavior and the environment combine to determine the movement of many animals is within reach.” he continued.

French deep-sea explorer and vice-chair of the Census, Myriam Sibuet (France) said “The impressive number of landmark findings over the past two years reveals the richness of what remains to be discovered.  The vastness of the ocean and our new research tools keep marine biology forever young.”

About Census of Marine Life

The Census of Marine Life (CoML) is a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain life in the oceans. Including a global network of more than 2,000 researchers from 82 nations, the purpose of the initiative is to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life. The first consensus will be released in 2010.

The project was brought about by the fact that we still have relatively little knowledge about what lives in our oceans. To date, there isn’t a single list or database that contains all known marine species - let alone their distribution, and abundance. 

Scientists estimate that there could be more than a million marine species if all small animals and protists are included. To date, only about 230,000 species have been described and reside in jars in collections in museums of natural history and other repositories.

The 4th CoML highlights report will be officially released at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, Valencia, Spain, Nov. 11-15.

This tiny, new species of gecko was hatched from an egg found in Vanuatu. Photo: Associated Press/Francois Mori

An egg discovered in the Vanuatuan island of Espiritu Santo has produced a new species of gecko, according to France’s Natural History Museum in Paris.

The new species, which is about 3 inches long as an adult, has recently been described and named Lepidodactylus buleli. 

The museum says that this is the first time a new lizard species has been catalogued based on an individual raised from an egg.

The discovery came during an expedition to Vanuatu by the French scientists in 2006. The expedition to study the ecosystems of the forest canopy included climbers who scoured the canopy for plant and animal samples.

Ivan Ineich, a reptile specialist at the museum, said he first noticed the gecko when he saw a bloody carcass accidentally hacked in half by one of climbers.

“I said to myself ‘this guy looks bizarre,’ but I couldn’t tell right away it was a new species because it had been so massacred,” he said.

Climbers then found nine more eggs hidden in a plant by female geckos.

Following the discovery of the gecko eggs, the scientists carried the eggs from Vanuatu to Paris in a box lined with tissues. 

Unfortunately, eight of the nine geckos died due to low temperatures during a power outage, but one lived.

Amy, reportedly weighing 22 kg is possibly the world's largest rabbit. Photo: Paul Lewis.

According to the UK’s Daily Mail, the world’s largest rabbit is a Continental Giant called Amy.

Amy, from Worcester in the UK, is more than 120 cm (4 feet) long and weighs as much as a medium sized dog.  

Her weight? Well that depends on which report you choose to believe. In February this year, the Daily Mail reported that Amy weighs two and a half stone (15 kg). But then in March, it reported that the giant rabbit weighs three and a half stone (22 kg).

Perhaps she put on 7 kilograms within a month!

In any case, whichever weight it is, this could make Amy the heaviest rabbit in the world too.

Big Appetite

Amy’s owner, Annette Edwards, says that each day, Amy goes through enough rabbit food to fill a dog’s bowl, as well as two apples, a handful of carrots, half a cabbage and fresh hay.

But Mrs Edwards insists that Amy is quite healthy and not overweight.

“She is enormous but not because she over eats on junk but because she gets plenty of exercise and eats very healthily.”

“Amy is a fussy eater, the carrots must have their green tops still on, and the hay has to be fresh and green or she won’t go near it” she continues.

Other Large Rabbits & Previous Record Holders

Herman, a German Giant, weighing 7.7 kg

There are a lot of large rabbits out there.

Here are some examples:

• Herman, a German Giant reportedly weighing 7.7 kg (although he looks much heavier than that)
• Rudi, also a German Giant, weighing 8.7 kg
• Roberto, weighing in at 16 kilograms (possibly the world’s heaviest rabbit?)
• Humphrey, weighing over 12 kg and still growing

Largest Rabbit Breed

The largest species of rabbit is the Flemish Giant. The largest Flemish Giant can grow to around 9.5 kg. The smallest weigh in at around 5 kg.

Flemish Giants are usually steel grey in colour. They are long with a large full head and the ears are long and erect.

The Flemish Giant’s diet should include plenty of fresh hay, fresh fruit and vegetables, a well-balanced dry rabbit mix and plenty of clean water.

Guinness Book of World Records

Amy or Roberto may be the largest and heaviest rabbits in the world, but they won’t be making it into the Guinness Book of World Records any time soon (at least, not for their size or weight).

Unfortunately, some rabbit owners cruelly over feed their rabbits in an attempt to get them into the record books. As a result, the Guinness World Records no longer lists the world’s largest (or heaviest) rabbit.

I’ve been reading a little about ‘acoustic smog’ and its affect on marine life within our oceans.

Acoustic smog is basically another way of saying ‘noise pollution’. In particular, it is a term often used to describe the noise in our oceans that come from man-made sources. This typically includes sources such as:

The Impact of Acoustic Smog on Nature

It seems that acoustic smog could be having a devastating affect on the whales, dolpins, and other mammals in our oceans. Sound plays an important part in the survival of the 80 or so cetacean species, which includes whales, dolpins and porpoises.

Because these animals use acoustic signals for orientation, reproduction, and even feeding, the introduction of man-made noises over the last hundred years or so appears to be impacting on the cetaceans’ ability to do these things. There’s also widespread concern that acoustic smog is directly contributing to the death of many cetaceans. 

It is thought that the affects of acoustic smog on cestaceans include:

• displacement
• avoidance reactions
• collisions with ships
• mass stranding
• hearing damage
• death

Furthermore, evidence strongly suggests that man-made noise often causes lesions in acoustic organs of cestaceans, which are severe enough to cause death. 

Further Research

Unfortunately, there isn’t enough scientific knowledge to be able to come to strong conclusions on understanding the relationships of frequencies, intensities, and duration of exposures in producing damage. More research needs to be done in this area, and many research bodies are appealing for assistance in this area.

Sons de Mar, for example, say this about their continued efforts in this area:

Academic research generally depends on external funding through public channels and commercial companies. Since the effects of noise pollution on the marine environment have not yet been completely implemented in national programs, funding through these sources is limited.

And:

Therefore, we appeal to private sources to guarantee the continuity of this research. ‘Sons de Mar’ (Sounds of the Sea) was created as a public interface aimed at involving society through donations that will allow to collaborate with all the aspects of the scientific work.

The impact of dangerous sonor on marine life is not a new concern. The Cetacean Society International (CSI) website provides articles on this subject dating as far back as 1995. 

Also, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) first wrote a report on this subject in 1999. The report has since been updated and is called Sounding the Depths II: The Rising Toll of Sonar, Shipping and Industrial Ocean Noise on Marine Life. The online report includes an acompanying movie, narrated by Pierce Brosnan.

Two rare species of gecko have been discovered and identified as new species in Australia.

Scientists discovered the geckos recently during expeditions to Northwest Cape and the southern deserts of Western Australia and South Australia.

Geckos are small to medium sized lizards which are found in warm climates around the world. They are known for their ability to stick to vertical surfaces, and for their high pitched “chirping” sounds during interactions with other geckos.

The newly described species are known as the Cape Range Gecko (scientific name: Diplodactylus capensis) and the Southern Sandplain Gecko (scientific name: Lucasium bungabinna).

Cape Range Gecko

Cape Range Gecko - Male. Photo: Western Australian Museum

The Cape Range Gecko was named after Cape Range in the north-western part of Australia. It had previously been mistaken for a Pilbara species, but it is more closely related to another species - the closest of which is 600 kilometers to the south of Cape Range.

WA Museum curator of herpetology Dr Paul Doughty said ”The Cape Range is made up of an ancient block of limestone which has created a unique habitat to which the species has adapted”

The Cape Range Gecko is characterised by a distinctive broken stripe on its back, larger head and reddish coloration which matches the color of the rocks on the Cape Range.

“Little is known of this new species and we are still in the process of describing other new species of reptiles from this special area of Western Australia.” said Dr Doughty.

Southern Sandplain Gecko

Southern Sandplain Gecko - Male. Photo: Western Australian Museum

The Southern Sandplain Gecko occurs in the southern deserts in Western Australia and South Australia, north of the Nullarbor Plain. 

The species has smaller toe pads than other geckos, and it has been observed climbing low shrubs.

The scientific name ‘bungabinna’ is derived from the Bungalbin Sandplain in Western Australia and the Yellabinna Sandplain in South Australia where it occurs.

The Research

The research was carried out by scientists from the Western Australian Museum and South Australian Museum. The project was funded by a grant from the Australia and Pacific Science Foundation.

WWF, the global conservation organization, is expected to release the 2008 version of its “Living Planet Report” on Wednesday.

The Living Planet Report, released every couple of years by WWF, is an update of the state of the world’s ecosystems. The report is based on two indicators:

• the Living Planet Index, which reflects the health of the planet’s ecosystems; and 
• the Ecological Footprint, which shows the extent of human demand on these ecosystems. 

Previous reports have shown a bleak future for the planet. According to the 2006 report: 

Since the late 1980s we have been in overshoot – the Ecological Footprint has exceeded the Earth’s biocapacity – as of 2003 by about 25 per cent.

Earth’s regenerative capacity can no longer keep up with demand – people are turning resources into waste faster than nature can turn waste back into resources.

What this basically means is that, in 2003, it took around 1 year and 3 months for nature to produce the ecological resources that we used in that year. 

And the 2008 report is not expected to make things look any brighter - things are only going to get worse if we don’t do something to change this. 

The report should be available from WWF’s Living Planet Report page.