 | Fernando Martínez-Freiría, Guillermo Velo-Antón and José C. Brito. Diversity and Distributions. This study exemplifies how the combination of phylogeographic and ecological niche-based models is a powerful tool for inferring evolutionary scenarios and responses of species to Pleistocene climatic oscillations. Vipera seoanei responded accordingly to a cold temperate model and fits a simplified example of ‘R’ type species where interglacial warming periods during the Pleistocene probably caused major range reductions with persistence in a single refuge in north-western Iberia. The single mtDNA lineage observed in this study does not support the differentiation at subspecific level in V. seoanei. Leer más. |
A new species of poison dart frog so teeny it can fit on a fingernail has been discovered in a rain forest in Panama, a new study says. Leer más.
A group of Peruvian and Mexican scientists say they have uncovered at least six new species near South America’s most famous archaeological site: Machu Picchu. The discoveries include a new mammal, a new lizard, and four new frogs. While the scientists are working on formally describing the species, they have released photos and a few tantalizing details about the new discoveries. Leer más.
The study shows that the familiar anatomical features of birds – such as feathers, wings and wishbones – all first evolved piecemeal in their dinosaur ancestors over tens of millions of years. However, once a fully functioning bird body shape was complete, an evolutionary explosion began, causing a rapid increase in the rate at which birds evolved. This led eventually to the thousands of avian species that we know today. Leer más.
Johann Jakob Scheuchzer, naturalista suizo, encontró un peculiar fósil en el año 1726, cerca de la localidad bávara de Öhningen, a orillas del lago Constanza. -Scheuchzer creía que todos los fósiles eran las víctimas del bíblico diluvio universal que no se habían salvado en el arca de Noé. Había dado con restos de numerosos peces y otros vertebrados, pero su máximo interés era hallar algún resto humano. Leer más
