Dozens of New Species Discovered

A newly discovered species of tree frog, rhacophorus gadingensis, on the island of Borneo.
Image: Reuters

Scientists have announced that 52 new species of animals and plants have been discovered on the island of Borneo in southeast Asia. Stuart Chapman of the World Wildlife Federation stated that these discoveries reinforce the notion of the island as a critical center for biodiversity. One of the finds, a catfish with suction cups on its belly, has protruding teeth. Borneo is home to one of the world's last remaining rainforests, a habitat which is under threat to the rubber and palm oil industries.

--The USA Today has more information

Collapse of all fish, seafood species within 50 years

A school of fish in Tobago.
Image: www.geodyssey.co.uk

According to a report in the Nov. 3 Science, a current trend points to a 90% decline in the catch of all fish and seafood species by 2048. Currently, 29% of all fish and seafood species have collapsed. This not only impacts a key source of food for human beings, but puts the ocean ecosystem's overall productivity and stability at risk at well. However, this trend is reversible — the researchers found that in 48 areas worldwide protected to improve marine biodiversity, species diversity improved dramatically.

—Read more at Eurekalert.org

Tarantulas Secrete Silk From Feet

A zebra tarantula.
Image: www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~dzs/

As reported in the September 28 Nature, researchers have discovered that zebra tarantulas secrete silk not just from their spinnerets, but from their feet as well, allowing them to cling onto surfaces better. Spiders had only been known to secrete silk from their abdomen to create webs. This newly discovered location and function for silk secretion may change scientists' current understanding of how and why the ability to spin silk evolved in spiders.

—Read more at Eurekalert.org