Orcas in Eden hunted alongside humans, receiving payment in whale tongues

There is a documented record of animals modifying their food. In a study conducted in the 1950s, scientists provided sweet potatoes and other snacks to Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) on the beaches of Kojima Island, located in northern Japan.

Initially, most of the small monkeys consumed the vegetables immediately after receiving them, including the sand. However, a young female, known as Imo, began washing her meal in a nearby stream before eating. This behavior was gradually assimilated and replicated by the other young monkeys on the island, leading to the fact that, after a few years, almost all the animals washed the potatoes.

At first, the use of the freshwater from the stream was more frequent to remove the sand. However, on certain occasions, the little macaques also washed the food in the sea itself. Years later, researchers observed that they all started preferring to use the ocean, as the saltwater probably gave the meal a flavor.

The man was sentenced to pay a fine of approximately six thousand euros after more than 700 animals and animal remains were discovered on his property in Victoria, Australia. He was heard in court, and the conviction followed after pleading guilty to charges related to improper treatment of wildlife species.

According to international reports, the 74-year-old man ran an antique business. The state's conservation regulator reported that hundreds of preserved (or taxidermy-in-progress) animals were found.

Frozen animal carcasses were also discovered both in his home and in the premises of the antique business. The search and seizure related to this case continued for four days. The frozen carcasses were distributed across 14 freezers.

According to the regulator, among the approximately 700 animals, 78 emus (birds), 26 echidnas (mammals), and 42 Australian possums were found. Fifteen live reptiles were also found, some of which are classified as prohibited in the state of Victoria, including red-eared turtles (from the USA) and corn snakes, which are invasive species.

Remains of endangered species in Australia were also found: the cassowary, diamond python, and short-snouted Murray turtle.

The judge responsible for the case stated on Tuesday that it was incomprehensible how a person with a convicted background could keep these animals and carcasses. He quoted international reports stating: 'It is baffling that a person with his intelligence, knowledge, and love for wildlife would so brazenly and widely violate the law.'

According to information preliminarily released on Thursday, the fine could have been higher, around nine thousand euros, had he not pleaded guilty.

Kyle Happell, Director of Operations at the Conservation Regulator, stated in a release: 'Our laws and licensing systems help protect wildlife from illegal exploitation, ensure that animals receive proper care, and safeguard Victoria's environment and biodiversity from potential threats.'

Kyle Happell, Director of Operations at the regulatory body, appeared in the case, reiterating that the laws 'and licensing systems help protect wildlife from illegal exploitation, ensure that animals receive proper care, and safeguard Victoria's environment and biodiversity from potential threats.' He then added: 'These requirements are not optional. Anyone who keeps, trades, or owns wild animals must comply with the law.'

A new species of cecilia, a type of amphibian popularly known as the blind snake, has been named after 'Maria,' the most common female name in Brazil and worldwide. Researchers decided to use this name to raise awareness about this animal, which is little known even among specialists in the field. The scientific name of the new species is Siphonops maria.

Amphibian expert Luis Felipe Toledo, a professor at the Institute of Biology of the State University of Campinas (IB-Unicamp), who participated in the work with support from FAPESP and is one of the co-authors of the publication in the Zoological Journal, noted that he had only seen this animal once in the field.

This new species was discovered based on samples collected in Rio de Janeiro. Initially, the name was given in honor of a specific Maria who was part of a group of 11 slaves who planted over 100,000 trees in the Tijuca Forest between 1861 and 1874. This area later became part of Tijuca National Park, the world's largest reforested urban grove.

Adriano Oliveira Masiel, a researcher at the Paranaense Emilio Goeldi Museum (MPEG) in Belém and the first author of the paper, added that it is also a tribute to Brazilian women, as Maria is the most popular name in the country and one of the most frequently used globally. He emphasized that there are over 12 million Marias living in Brazil.

Cecilias are subterranean amphibians, meaning they spend most of their time underground. With reduced eyes, their vision is limited (the name cecilia comes from the Latin caecus, meaning 'blind'), but they possess sensory organs on their heads that allow them to perceive their surroundings. The morphological features of the body across different species are very similar, which makes them difficult to distinguish with the naked eye.

Nevertheless, in recent years, genetic tools and microtomography have helped better understand the evolution of this group. However, such studies still require collecting numerous samples for comparison, which may take years.

The holotype of the new species, the specimen serving as the standard for the entire group, was collected in 2015 in Serra dos Órgãos National Park, Rio de Janeiro, and deposited in MPEG. Masiel initially assumed it was the species Siphonops hardyi, but upon receiving the sample, he noticed differences in the number of body rings and dental structure compared to the known species. After sequencing some genes used for species differentiation, it was confirmed that it was a distinct lineage.

Over time, other colleagues, such as Toledo from Unicamp, were able to find more individuals with very similar external morphology. In 2018 and 2022, years after the discovery of the sample in Serra dos Órgãos, Masiel visited the Natural History Museum in Paris and the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro to compare other cecilias of this genus with the potentially new species. There, he found specimens identified as S. hardyi, but possessing characteristics of S. maria, one of which was collected in 1902 in Serra dos Órgãos.

In addition to genetic data and external morphology, the use of high-resolution computed tomography helped characterize the new species. Studying the animal's skeleton using this method allowed visualization of subtle cranial features that also distinguish it from closely related species.

The complex of analyses went beyond simply describing a new species. When compared with other genera in the same family, researchers found that the genus Luetkenotyphlus is not distinct from Siphonops, the genus cecília maria. Thus, the study establishes Luetkenotyphlus as a synonym of Siphonops.

Masiel explained that three species previously belonging to the genus Luetkenotyphlus are now named Siphonops brasiliensis, S. fredi, and S. insulanus.

Comparing the new species—which is apparently endemic to the state of Rio de Janeiro—with others, researchers discovered two more cecilia lineages resembling S. hardyi that potentially represent two new species. One was found based on samples collected in Ubatuba, on the coast of São Paulo state. The other was found in the municipalities of Castelo and Domingos Martins, Espírito Santo state.

However, as Toledo reported, they do not have samples from Porto Real [RJ], the collection site of the S. hardyi holotype, nor the holotype itself for comparison with these samples from Ubatuba and Domingos Martins. Furthermore, at least two specimens from Porto Real are housed in the Natural History Museum in London, United Kingdom. These samples were collected in Brazil in the 19th century and sent to England. A request was made to extract a small piece of tissue for sequencing using modern methods that extract DNA from degraded samples, but the museum refused permission.

The collection of scientific materials from Global South countries for storage in institutions of the Global North began during the colonial period and continues. Among other issues, this practice hinders developing countries from studying their own biodiversity. In recent years, scientists from the Global South have proposed ways to mitigate or eliminate this problem, such as facilitating access or even repatriation of collected specimens.

Another way to confirm whether the lineages from Ubatuba and Espírito Santo are new species is to search for and analyze additional samples with similar characteristics in other parts of the Atlantic Forest. 'This may take several more years, but we continue the search,' concluded Masiel.