🔍 Grave beetle: superhero against superbacteria!
Scientists have discovered that the American grave beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) is not just a rare species, but a potential key to new antibiotics!
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Here's why it's unique
Beetle Features
🟣 Buries animal corpses, creating “meat balls” for larvae.
🟣 Treats prey with antibacterial secretions, keeping it fresh for weeks.
🟣 Withstands lethal doses of neonicotinoids (insecticides) - recovers quickly after “intoxication”!

🔬 Scientific discoveries
- The genome and microbiome (composition of microorganisms inside the insect) of the beetle are being studied to look for detoxification genes and antimicrobial substances.
- Eleven species of bacteria have been discovered in its body, including a new to science!
- Resistance to pathogens (like Staphylococcus aureus) may help fight MRSA and other superbacteria.

❗️ Threats
Despite its survivability, the beetle is endangered due to habitat loss and pesticides. After population rehabilitation, its status was mitigated from “endangered” to “vulnerable” in 2020.

✅ Why it's important
Studying the beetle could lead to a medical breakthrough - creating the next generation of antibiotics!
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The article was published in the journal PLOS One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0314243.
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#facts #animals #insects #bacteria

🌿 A new plant species has been discovered in China!
Scientists have described Aristolochia geantha, a unique liana from the Circazon family found in Yunnan province.
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Here's what makes it special:
▪️ Unusual flowers: flat calyxes with golden hairs and a pink-beige throat.
▪️ Rare growth: flowers bloom on the ground rather than on stems, which is not found in other species.
▪️ Endemic: grows only in karst mountains at 1300-1500 m altitude.

❓ Why it's important.
🔍 The species is easily confused with A. petelotii, but genetic and morphological differences have confirmed its uniqueness.
⚠️ Endangered: less than 50 mature plants found! Populations are suffering from agriculture and collection in traditional medicine.

🌐 Call for conservation
Scientists propose listing the species under the CR (Critically Endangered) category of the Intergovernmental Union for Conservation of Nature and establishing protected areas.
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The article was published in the journal Taiwania. DOI: 10.6165/tai.2025.70.293.
#facts #plants #perennials

🦟 Jurassic scorpionesses: how males 'showed off' to females 165 million years ago
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Scientists have discovered an amazing feature in scorpionfish fossils from China! Examining fossils 165 million years old, they found that males of two families (Orthophlebiidae and Holcorpidae) had strongly enlarged first segments of their hind legs - like balls! This trait is only found in males, indicating sexual dimorphism.

⚠️Why is this important?
🟣 The enlarged segments probably played a role in mating rituals:
🟣 May have served as a “visual cue” to attract females.
🟣 Or helped hide a “wedding gift” (such as food), as in modern scorpionesses.

➡️ Interesting details
Analysis of 87 fossils showed that the degree of “bloating” of the penises varied from species to species - it's like an evolutionary imprint!
The scientists compared the structures with insects living today: for example, the enlarged legs of the toad flies are also used in courtship.

❕ A Jurassic mystery
These scorpionflies lived in the age of the dinosaurs, but their complex mating rituals resemble the behavior of modern insects. How did they transmit signals? Were their “gifts” edible? For now, the answers remain a mystery!

Bottom line: The discovery not only expands knowledge of ancient ecosystems, but also shows that love games are an eternal theme in evolution!
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The paper was published in the journal BMC Ecology and Evolution. DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01771-3.
#fossils #animals #insects

🦑 First ever footage of a live Antarctic giant squid!
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Scientists at the Schmidt Institute have made a sensation! In March 2025, for the first time they managed to film a live baby Antarctic giant squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) in its natural environment - in the waters off the South Sandwich Islands.

👉 Why is this important?
🟠 This giant is the heaviest invertebrate on the planet (up to 14 meters long and 700 kg!).
🟠 Until now, they have only been studied from remains in whale stomachs or caught by fishermen.
🟠 Young individuals are transparent, but lose this feature as they age.

🅰️ How did this happen?
The SuBastian deep-sea vehicle captured the 30-centimeter squid at a depth of 600 meters. And back in January, the same team recorded the first video of a glass squid (Galiteuthis glacialis) off the coast of Antarctica!

🔬 Scientific details:
The distinguishing feature of colossal squid is the hooks on the tentacles.
Both species are transparent when young and have sharp hooks at the ends of their tentacles.

💬 Scientists' quotes:
“It's incredible to see them living without knowing we exist!” - Dr. Kat Bolstad.
“Two unique discoveries in a row show how little we know about the ocean” - Dr. Jyotika Virmani.
👌 Why it's inspiring.
Technologies like teleconferencing allow scientists from around the world to participate in research right from land. And high-quality footage helps to accurately identify species!
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Information according to: schmidtocean.org.
#news #animals #mammals