• Home
  • About
  • Publications
  • Photos & Videos
  • New taxa
  • Support
  • Blog
Ana Sofia Reboleira

What on Earth?: 100 of Our Planet's Most Amazing New Species

30/4/2013

 
 Imagem
"What on Earth? is a compendium of the hundred coolest, weirdest, and most intriguing new species of this century as determined by the International Institute for Species Exploration. From animals to plants, fossils to bacteria, What on Earth? is an accessible, informative, and offbeat look at the creatures that also call our planet home.
Featuring visually striking images alongside surprising facts about each new species, What on Earth? is a testament to the incredible and ever-evolving diversity of our planet.
 Imagem
The giant cave-dwelling pseudoscorpion from caves of Portugal - Titanobochica magna Zaragoza & Reboleira, 2010 - was selected as one of the 100 amazing new species of Earth. This incredible pseudoscorpion is featured as the first species of the 8th Chapter: Going to Extremes - new species from the most extreme environments.


Reference:
Wheeler Q. & Pennak S. (2013). What on Earth?: 100 of Our Planet's Most Amazing New Species. Penguin Books, 276 pp.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
QUENTIN WHEELER and SARA PENNAK are both professors at Arizona State University and work at the International Institute for Species Exploration.

New paper published: Groundwater Ecotoxicology

12/4/2013

 
Acute toxicity of copper sulfate and potassium dichromate on stygobiont Proasellus: general aspects of groundwater ecotoxicology and future perspectives
 Imagem

Abstract
Karst systems harbor large groundwater resources for human consumption and represent an important habitat for rare and unprotected specialized animals, the so-called stygofauna. Due to the highly adapted features towards underground life, together with the geographic isolation provided by the subterranean aquifers, groundwater-dwelling animals may lose the ability to face sudden changes on their ecosystems, and therefore the risk of extinction is remarkably high. A little is known about their sensitiveness, especially linked to contamination pressure in urbanized karst areas. Understanding the impact of contaminants on stygofauna is important for setting groundwater environmental quality and management of karst systems. We have investigated acute toxicity responses in two endemic stygobiont species of the peri-Mediterranean genus Proasellusfrom two different karst areas and in freshwater standard species Daphnia magna exposed to two contaminants (copper sulfate; potassium dichromate). Groundwater from both sites was characterized in order to depict possible responses resulting from the long-term exposition of organisms to contaminants. Stygobiont Proasellus spp. were remarkably more tolerant than the epigean D. magna. The less groundwater-adapted revealed to be more tolerant to acute exposure to both toxics, suggesting that the degree of adaptation to groundwater life can influence the acute response of Proasellus spp. to pollutants, and that the tolerance to wide environmental conditions could be a key factor in groundwater colonization. This study highlights the worldwide need to use local specimens to infer the effects of pollution in their corresponding karst systems, which is important to define specific environmental quality thresholds for groundwater ecosystems that will certainly contribute for its protection.


Reference:
Reboleira A.S.P.S., Abrantes N.A., Oromí P. & Gonçalves F. (2013). Acute toxicity of copper sulfate and potassium dichromate on stygobiont Proasellus: general aspects of groundwater ecotoxicology and future perspectives. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 224(5): 1550. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11270-013-1550-0.
    Dimidium facti qui coepit habet: sapere aude

    Archives

    October 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    August 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    December 2009
    September 2009
    May 2009
    March 2009
    June 2007

    Categories

    All
    Algarve Karst Massif
    Andalusia
    Arrábida
    Azores
    Brazil
    Canary Islands
    Catalogue
    Cave
    Cave Beetles
    Coleoptera
    Congresses
    Crustacea
    Cylindroiulus
    Diplopoda
    Domene
    Estremenho Karst Massif
    Events
    Expedition
    Groundwater
    Humor
    Hypogene Karst
    Hypogenetic Karst
    Iberian Peninsula
    Iran
    Krubera Cave
    Laboulbeniales
    Larva
    Litocampa
    Lusoblothrus
    Madeira
    Millipede
    Millipedes
    Montejunto Karst Massif
    Mss
    New Genus
    New Species
    Oniscidea
    Outreach Activity
    Popular Science
    Pseudoscorpion
    Sico Karst Massif
    Sireuma
    Squamatinia
    Timor
    Titanobochica
    Trechus
    Video
    World's Deepest Cave

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.