A newly identified honey bee species is part of the genus Apis. Megachile is associated with endangered flowering plant species, such as Marianthus aquilonalis.
Australia is undergoing a pollination crisis, compounded by limited understanding of plant pollinators and taxonomic challenges.
Many endangered plants lack known visitors, threatening efforts to safeguard their populations.
The native bee population in Australia is also at risk due to insufficient monitoring, with numerous regions unexplored and many native species still undescribed.
A new Megachile honey bee species was identified during the survey of Marianthus aquilonarius, which is exclusive to the Bremer Ranges in Western Australia.
Dr. Kit Prendergast, a researcher from the University of Southern Queensland and Curtin University, stated: “We found this species while assessing rare plants in Goldfields and observed that the bees were visiting both endangered wildflowers and adjacent Malayan trees.”
“DNA barcoding confirmed that the male and female belonged to the same species and did not match any known bees in the DNA database, nor did the specimens I collected morphologically correspond to any in museum collections.”
“This is the first new member of this bee group reported in over 20 years, highlighting how much life remains to be discovered, especially in areas threatened by mining like the Goldfields.”
Finding new species of Megachile emphasizes the necessity of understanding Australia’s unique bee habitats before they are irrevocably altered.
“Since the new species was found in proximity to the endangered wildflower, both are likely to be affected by threats such as habitat disturbance and climate change,” Dr. Prendergast said.
“Many mining companies still neglect to survey native honey bees, risking overlooking undiscovered species, including those that are endangered and essential for ecological health.”
“If we remain unaware of the native bees we have and the plants they rely on, we jeopardize both before we even realize they exist.”
This discovery is discussed in the following article: paper published this week in the Hymenoptera Research Journal.
Scientists in Australia have discovered a new species of native bee featuring tiny, devilish horns, leading to its whimsically infernal name, Lucifer.
The species is called megachile lucifer. It was identified in 2019 during research on endangered wildflowers in Western Australia’s Goldfields, as reported in a recent study published Monday in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research.
The lead author of the study, Kit Prendergast, who is also a part-time researcher at Curtin University, explained that the female bee earned its name due to its uniquely upturned horns.
“While crafting a description for the new species, I was watching the Netflix series lucifer,” Prendergast mentioned in a statement on Tuesday. “The name felt just right.”
This species was discovered by scientists researching endangered wildflowers. Kit S. Prendergast; Joshua W. Campbell
Following DNA analysis revealed that this species does not correspond with any known bees in current databases, marking it as the first new member of its group to be described in over two decades, according to researchers.
Researchers hypothesize that the approximately 0.9-millimeter-long horns could be used for accessing flowers, competing for resources, or protecting nests, although their precise function remains uncertain. Male bees of this species lack horns.
Prendergast emphasized the significance of studying native bee species, noting that new species may be endangered due to threats such as habitat disruption and climate change.
“If we are unaware of which native bees exist and the plants they rely on, we risk losing both before realizing their importance,” she stated.
Reports indicate that Australia is home to around 2,000 native bee species, with over 300 yet to be scientifically named and described, according to CSIRO, Australia’s National Science Agency.
Tobias Smith, a honey bee researcher from the University of Queensland, mentioned in an email to NBC News on Tuesday that Australia’s native honey bees are “understudied and data-scarce,” resulting in insufficient knowledge about the conservation status of “nearly every species.”
Smith, who did not participate in the study, noted that Australian authorities need “stronger policies” to safeguard native bees from habitat loss, inadequate fire protection, and the heightened threat of large-scale fires.
Smith encouraged Australians to “venture out and seek out our native bees and appreciate their presence.”
Paleontologists have identified a new genus and species of centrosaurine dinosaur from fossils discovered in the Judith River Formation in the Kennedy Coulee region of Montana, USA. Lociceratops rangiformisThe new species emerged at least 12 million years earlier than its better-known relatives. Triceratops It was the largest ceratopsid of its time.
Reconstruction Lociceratops rangiformis Be amazed by a crocodile in the 78-million-year-old swamps of northern Montana. Image by Andrej Achutin/Museum of Evolution, Maribo, Denmark.
Lociceratops rangiformis It lived in what is now Montana during the Cretaceous period, about 78 million years ago.
This species was about 6.7 metres (22 feet) long and weighed five tons, making it the largest dinosaur in the group called ceratopsians. Centrosaurinae It has never been found in North America before.
“In the dinosaur ecosystem of the ancient island continent Laramidia, ceratopsians were geographically widespread, morphologically diverse and possessed a great deal of variation in cranial ornamentation, including horns and a morphologically diverse parietal scaly frill,” said Professor Mark Loewen of the University of Utah and his colleagues.
“Two distinct lineages within the Ceratopsidae family diverged by at least 83 million years ago.”
“These are the chasmosaurinae, which have long snouts and long frills, and the centrosaurines, which have rounded snouts and relatively short frills.”
“Centrosaurinae represent an ecologically important and diverse lineage of ceratopsians that reached a peak in diversity during the Campanian, 83 to 70 million years ago.”
“Historically known from abundant fossil finds in Alberta, Canada, and Montana, USA, discoveries over the past two decades have rapidly expanded our understanding of this group, particularly its geographic and morphological range, and have also provided new insights into the ontogeny of centrosaurines.”
“Centrosaurinae were locally abundant in some areas of southern Alberta and northern Montana, but were previously rare or poorly known in other parts of Laramidia.”
Fossil skull Lociceratops rangiformisImage courtesy of the Evolution Museum, Maribo, Denmark.
Paleontologists have discovered the skeleton of a mature individual. Lociceratops rangiformis Quarrying at Loki Quarry in 2019 Judith River Formation.
“The Loki quarry, which yielded the new specimen, is located on private land in the Kennedy Coulee Badlands, north of the town of Rudyard in Hill County, northern Montana, USA,” the researchers said.
Lociceratops rangiformis It has the largest frill horns of any ceratopsid ever, and lacks the nasal horns characteristic of its genus.
“This new dinosaur pushes the boundaries of outlandishness in ceratopsian head ornaments, boasting the largest frill horns ever seen on a ceratopsian,” said paleontologist Joseph Sertich of Colorado State University.
“These skull ornaments provide another window into the diversity of horned dinosaurs and demonstrate that evolutionary selection for flashy displays contributed to the dazzling richness of Cretaceous ecosystems.”
“We think dinosaur horns were similar to the displays performed by birds, who used them for mate selection and species recognition.”
Lociceratops rangiformis It coexisted with three other centrosaurine dinosaurs (Wendiceratops pinhornensis, Albertaceratops nesmoiand Medusaceratops Loki) and Chasmosaurinae (Judiceratops tigris).
“The combination of five species is an unprecedented diversity and resembles the range of horned ungulates found on the plains of East Africa today,” Dr Sertich said.
“Unlike the wide-ranging large wild mammals, such as elk, that currently roam the American West, these ancient animals were geographically restricted.”
“discovery Lociceratops rangiformis “It provides evidence that these species evolved rapidly within a small area, a process sometimes seen in birds.”
“at that time Triceratops By the time ceratopsians emerged 12 million years later, regional differences had homogenized to just two species found across Canada and Mexico, probably as a response to a more homogenous climate.”
“This study shows that dinosaur diversity has been underestimated and presents the most complete ceratopsid family tree to date.”
“Lociceratops rangiformis “This study helps us understand that we're only just scratching the surface when it comes to the diversity and relationships of the ceratopsian family tree,” Prof Loewen said.
M.A. Rowen others. 2024. Lociceratops rangiformis A new genus and species (Ceratopsia: Centrosaurinae) from the Campanian Judith River Formation of Montana reveals the rapid regional dispersal and extreme endemism of centrosaurinae dinosaurs. Peer J 12: e17224; doi: 10.7717/peerj.17224
Introducing a new addition to the realm of peculiar dinosaurs, this creature dons magnificent (albeit slightly perilous) headgear that can rival any fashion runway creation. Lociceratops rangiformis is the latest discovery in the realm of dinosaurs, described as one of the largest and most ornate ceratopsians ever found.
Among the distinct features of this ceratopsian are elements previously unseen by scientists, notably the immense, curved, blade-like horns located on the underside of its frill, the largest ever observed on a ceratopsian.
This dinosaur sports an unconventional, asymmetrical spike at the center of its frill, and most uniquely, it lacks a nose horn seen in other horned dinosaurs.
The first part of the dinosaur’s name, Lociceratops, pays homage to the blade-wielding Norse god Loki, while the latter part ‘rangiformis’ indicates its antler-like formations, similar to those of a caribou or reindeer.
The name ‘rangiformis’ was chosen to reflect the peculiarity of this dinosaur’s antler-like feature, reminiscent of the asymmetrical spines seen in caribou or reindeer.
Published in the journal Peer J, this fossil was unearthed in 2019 in the badlands of northern Montana, USA, not far from the Canadian border, where ceratopsians roamed over 78 million years ago.
Despite its blade-like horns and status as the largest ceratopsian of its time, this dinosaur was an herbivore and likely fell prey to predators like Tyrannosaurus rex.
Portrait reconstructions of all four centrosaurine dinosaur species that coexisted in the Kennedy Coulee assemblage of northern Montana and southern Alberta. Lociceratops, at top left, is characterized by its large, curved horns, asymmetrical “spikes,” and lack of a nasal horn. – Image courtesy of Fabrizio Lavezzi
Ceratopsians emerged during the Late Cretaceous period, evolving extravagant features and distinct horn patterns, including those of Lociceratops rangiformis. These dinosaurs were part of an isolated lineage on the island continent of Laramidia (modern-day North America) and exhibited rapid evolution. Ceratopsians survived until the mass extinction event that wiped out all dinosaurs.
The paleontologists involved in the study, led by Joseph Sertich from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Colorado State University, noted that this new dinosaur showcases the peak of eccentricity in ceratopsian head adornments, boasting the largest frill horns ever seen in a ceratopsian.
These findings challenge previous assumptions about dinosaur diversity, expanding the known coexisting species of ceratopsians to five during that era, transforming our understanding of dinosaur life at the time.
A new genus and species of ankylosaurid dinosaur have been identified from two specimens discovered in southeastern China.
type specimen of Datai Inliangis Rebuilt on site. The head, neck, and thorax of the specimen were discovered and extracted from a single block. Image credit: Xing other., doi: 10.18435/vamp29396.
named Datai Inliangisthe newly discovered dinosaur species roamed the Earth during the Late Cretaceous period, about 96 million to 90 million years ago.
ancient beast was a member strongosaursa group of club-tailed armored dinosaurs that reached a peak of diversity in the latest Cretaceous period.
“Ankylosaurids are iconic armored dinosaurs that characterized the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of Asia and Laramidia (western North America) during the Late Cretaceous period,” said a paleontologist from the China University of Geosciences. Rida Singh And my colleagues.
“The earliest members of this clade are known from the Early Late Cretaceous of Asia, but there is little consensus on how they relate to anatomically derived and chronologically younger forms. are not obtained.”
“In southeastern China, Cretaceous red sand beds extend into a basin from Zhejiang to Guangdong.”
“However, horizons corresponding to the early Late Cretaceous remain poorly sampled.”
Two well-preserved immature skeletons Datai Inliangis It was collected from the Zhoutian Formation in southeastern China.
The specimens were found combined, with one head placed on top of the other, representing slightly different stages of the ontogeny of the skeleton.
“This is the first definitive vertebrate skeleton, let alone an armored dinosaur skeleton, excavated from the Ganzhou Formation,” the paleontologists said.
According to the authors: Datai Inliangis It is characterized by having two cheekbones/square zygomatic angle.
“The primary horn develops in the posteroventral horn of the skull and projects posterolaterally,” the researchers explained.
“There is a small attached horn just in front of this that hides the jaw joint when viewed from the side.”
“Morphologically, it is intermediate to older Asian ankylosaurids (e.g. crichton pelta and Giyumperta) and derived post-Cenomanian ankylosaurines (e.g. pinacosaurus),” they added.
“Phylogenetic analyzes broadly support this assessment.”
“The new species will either be placed in the Asian ankylosaurine subfamily, which is close to the lineage of the derived taxon, or it will form a sister lineage.” pinacosaurus”
“Based on these insights, Datai This genus represents an important addition to the Early Late Cretaceous vertebrate fauna of southeastern China and highlights the region's future potential for a better understanding of the origins and early evolution of ankylosaurids. ”
of discovery is reported in Vertebrate anatomy, morphology, and paleontology.
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L. Shin other. 2024. A new armored dinosaur with double cheek horns that lived in the early Late Cretaceous of southeastern China. Vertebrate anatomy, morphology, and paleontology 11; doi: 10.18435/vamp29396
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