Category: Environment

Nyctibatrachus mewasinghi: New Night frong species

-According to a scientific paper published in The Journal of Threatened Taxa (an international journal on conservation and taxonomy) a new night frog species ‘Nyctibatrachus mewasinghi’ was discovered from Kerala. -The frog has been named after wildlife scientist Mewa Singh, in honour of his contributions to behavioural ecology and primate studies. -This species belongs to a genus endemic to the Western Ghats, from Kozhikode’s Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary. Features: This new species iss Read More …

‘Tetramorium krishnani’ and ‘Tetramorium jarawa’: New species of ants in Andman

Scientists of the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan have discovered two new endemic species of ant in Andman. These species were named ‘Tetramorium krishnani’ and ‘Tetramorium jarawa’ in honour of late scientist K.S. Krishnan of the NCBS, and after the Jarawas, an indigenous people of the islands . According to the study published in PeerJ , the newly discovered ants Read More …

Madhya Pradesh recorded largest tiger deaths in 2017

According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), total 95 tiger deaths were recorded in 2017. It is less 2 of 2016. As per the report, Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest tiger death in the country for a second consecutive year in 2017. 25 out of the 95 tiger deaths reported in the country took place in MP, followed by 17 in Maharashtra and 15 each in Karnataka and Uttarakhand. In Read More …

China ivory sale ban came into effect

-China’s complete ban on ivory trade came into effect on December 31, 2017. -All of the country’s licensed ivory carving factories and retailers have been closed. -Chinese President Xi Jinping and then U.S. President Barack Obama had reached on a landmark judgement in 2015 to ban ivory trade. -China and the U.S. both had agreed to “near-complete” ivory bans. It prohibits the buying and selling of all but a limited Read More …

Desis bobmarleyi-a new water spider named after Bob Marley

-A water adapted species of spiders, discovered in Australia in 2009, is named after Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley. -It was discovered in 2009 in the sea along the coastline of Queensland in Australia. -According to the Evolutionary Systematics journal, this species have adapted to the underwater life by hiding in barnacle shells, corals or kelp holdfast during high tide. -Researchers associated the emergence of the spiders with Marley’s song Read More …

Regional Project to Tackle Stubble Burning

-To combat climate change, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has approved a regional project on ‘Climate Resilience Building among Farmers’ through ‘Crop Residue Management’ under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC). -The project was approved at the meeting of the National Steering Committee on Climate Change, held on 28 December, 2017, under the chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. -The first Read More …

Six new species of water beetle discovered in Manipur

-Scientists have discovered six new species of water beetle from water bodies of the of Manipur. -These new species are: Enochrus nigropiceus, Chasmogenus abnormalis, Paracymus Sp, Elmomophes brevicornis, Hydrocanthus guinuoti, Helochares atropiceus. – These species help in nutrient recycling and improving food chain in water bodies. -These six species were discovered as part of a three year study on importance of aquatic beetle (coleoptera) in fresh eco-systems of Manipur. -These beetles Read More …

Bamboo, now not a tree

The bill to exclude bamboo from a definition of tree under Indian Forest Act, 1927, has been passed by the both houses of parliament. -The Lok Sabha had passed it on December 20, the Rajya Sabha passed it on December 27. -Earlier government had promulgated the Indian Forest (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 to exempt bamboo grown in non-forest areas from definition of tree in November 2017. Section 2 (7) of the Indian Forest Read More …

Golden-crowned manakin: First known hybrid bird species

-Researchers have discovered first known hybrid bird species in Amazon rain forests of Brazil. Known as Golden Crowned manakin, has yellow crown over green body. -This bird is hybrid of two bird species, namely; opal-crowned and snow-capped manakins. -This bird was discovered in 1957 but wasn’t seen again till 2002. -Although hybrid plant species are very common but vertebrates hybrid species are rare.

Bangiomorpha pubescens: photosynthesis in plants first took place 1.25 billion years ago

The study conducted by the researchers from McGill University in Canada, revealed that the process of photosynthesis in plants first took place 1.25 billion years ago. Earlier estimates had placed it somewhere between 720 million and 1.2 billion years. -The study is based on an algae fossil, believed to be the world’s oldest known direct ancestor of modern plants and animals. The study could resolve a long-standing mystery over the age of Read More …

Bottlenose dolphins on the brink of extinction

According to a new study Bottlenose dolphins in Panama’s Bocas Del Toro Archipelago are on the verge of extinction. -During the study, the researchers found that there are 80 bottlenose dolphins in Panama’s Bocas Del Toro Archipelago, and they are not interbreeding with Carribean bottlenose dolphins. -The researchers also added that local boat traffic is another factor which negatively affects the survival of these marine creatures. In 2012, the boat Read More …

Asiatic Cheetah, near extinction

According to conservationists The Asiatic cheetah which is also known as Iranian Cheetah is on the verge of extinction. Only less than 50 of the critically endangered species still alive. It is the second rarest cat species. -Iran, home to all these cheetah, has already witnessed the extinction of the Asiatic lion and the Caspian tiger. The warning comes in the wake of the United Nation’s decision to pull funding from Read More …

IUCN latest Endangered Red list

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ (IUCN) in its latest red list of threatened species (which was published in Tokyo in the first week of December 2017)upgraded the status of the two birds of New Zealand Okarito kiwi and the Northern Brown Kiwi from”endangered” to “vulnerable” because of a steady increase in population. -Some 91,523 out of nearly 1.9 million described species have been assessed for the Red List, Read More …