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FLORA AND FAUNA
Singapore in second major pangolin seizure in a week
 by Staff Writers
 Singapore (AFP) April 10, 2019

Giant sea cumcumber species named after H.P. Lovecraft creature 'Cthulhu'
Washington (UPI) Apr 10, 2019 - Scientists have discovered a new extinct species of sea cucumber thanks an exceptionally-preserved fossil found along the coast of England.

Researchers named the giant sea cucumber, Sollasina cthulhu, after the H.P. Lovecraft monster "Cthulhu."

In the first short story in which H. P. Lovecraft introduces the creature, the famed science fiction writer describes Cthulhu as: "A monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind."

With a body measure just more than an inch across, Sollasina cthulhu was not quite as fearsome. But the primitive sea cucumber's many tentacle-like "tube feet" would have made the creature look larger than it was -- at least to the other small animals on the ocean floor.

Sollasina cthulhu lived some 430 million years ago and used its many tentacles to capture food and scoot along the ocean floor.

To get a better understanding of what the ancient species looked like, scientists ground away at the fossil layer-by-layer, taking a photograph of each layer. Researchers then scanned the photographs and used the digitized layers to reconstruct a 3D model of the miniature monster.

Their computer analysis offered scientists a better understanding of the species' anatomy.

"Sollasina belongs to an extinct group called the ophiocistioids, and this new material provides the first information on the group's internal structures," Imran Rahman, deputy head of research at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, said in a news release. "This includes an inner ring-like form that has never been described in the group before. We interpret this as the first evidence of the soft parts of the water vascular system in ophiocistioids."

Originally, scientists thought ophiocistioids were most closely related to sea urchins, but the latest research -- published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B -- suggests sea cucumbers are Sollasina cthulhu's closest relatives.

"We carried out a number of analyses to work out whether Sollasina was more closely related to sea cucumbers or sea urchins," said Jeffrey Thompson, research fellow at University College London. "To our surprise, the results suggest it was an ancient sea cucumber. This helps us understand the changes that occurred during the early evolution of the group, which ultimately gave rise to the slug-like forms we see today."

Singaporean authorities said Wednesday they had discovered nearly 13 tonnes of pangolin scales worth about $38 million in a shipping container, the second major seizure of the creatures' parts in a week.

Authorities across Southeast Asia are battling to stop the rampant poaching and smuggling of pangolins, the world's most heavily trafficked mammal, which is sought for use in traditional medicine.

In the latest seizure, Singaporean customs and immigration officials on Monday found 12.7 tonnes of the creatures' scales in 474 bags on a container which was labelled as carrying seeds usually used to make tea.

They estimated that around 21,000 pangolins were killed to harvest such a huge quantity of scales, according to a government statement.

The container started its journey in Nigeria and was passing through the city-state -- a major trading hub -- en route to Vietnam, it said.

"The Singapore government adopts a zero-tolerance stance on the use of Singapore as a conduit to smuggle endangered species and their parts," said the statement.

On April 3, officials seized 12.9 tonnes of pangolin scales worth some $38.7 million from a container in Singapore which was also en route to Vietnam from Nigeria.

Under Singaporean law, those found guilty of the illegal import or export of wildlife can be fined up to S$500,000 ($370,000) and jailed for up to two years.

Pangolins, and particularly their scales, are highly prized in China and Vietnam for use in traditional medicine, despite the fact there is no scientific proof of their medical benefits.

Singapore's extensive trade links and efficient ports have lured wildlife smugglers, who use the country as a transit point to ship exotic creatures to customers worldwide, according to animal welfare activists.


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FLORA AND FAUNA
Galapagos home to 53 invasive species, 10 times previous estimates
 Washington (UPI) Mar 29, 2019
 The Galapagos Islands hosts at least 53 invasive species, ten times as many as previously thought. The survey was conducted by a team of scientists with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Williams College and the Charles Darwin Foundation, and published this week in the journal Aquatic Invasions. Researchers began their search for non-native species in 2015 by hanging underwater settlement plates from docks on Santa Cruz and Baltra, two the archipelago's larger islands. Scien ... read more

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