BIRD FLU DANGER FOR ANTARCTIC PENGUINS
T he H5N1 strain of avian influenza, also known as bird flu, has affected bird populations worldwide since emerging in 2022. The virus has reached even the most remote regions inhabited by wildlife, spreading to Antarctica and the Arctic. Scientists are trying to understand the full impact as it could threaten vulnerable populations. Since the virus first arrived in mainland Antarctica in February, researchers have been conducting monitoring expeditions across the continent. A team from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile returned from a sampling trip where they detected the virus in Antarctic wildlife no signs of illness. Nine Adélie penguins and one Antarctic shag tested positive for H5N1. The discovery of asymptomatic infections in Adélie penguins is a concern because these carrier birds can cause wider undetected spread of the virus. Colin Butter, an associate professor from the University of Lincoln who was not involved with the study, explained. “These asymptomatic cases may seem reassuring for the species in question, but they have implications for Antarctic wildlife, potentially leading to unnoticed and widespread virus transmission.” On Heroina Island near the Antarctic Peninsula, wildlife biologist Meagan Dewar from Federation University Australia and her team found over 500 dead Adelie penguins, with many
thousands estimated killed, according to a Reuters report. Approximately 280 000 Adelie penguins breed on Heroina annually. “This has the potential to have a massive impact on wildlife that is already being affected by things like climate change and other environmental stresses,” warned Dewar. Field tests for these deaths were inconclusive, but they suspect H5N1. Results are not available yet. The current strain of the virus is affecting a far broader range of animals beyond seabirds. It has been detected in various mammals, including a dead walrus in Norway and foxes, otters, mink, sea lions, and seals. Alarmingly, a polar bear in northern Alaska has also fallen. The British Antarctic Survey estimates the total number of breeding pairs of penguins in the Antarctic region is around 20 million. It may cover a massive geographical area, but penguins are concentrated in coastal regions, huddling up in the winter. Emperor penguins, for example, can reach a density of 19 birds per square meter. Several penguin species live in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands. Emperor, southern rockhopper, and macaroni penguins are listed as vulnerable or near threatened already.
A living Mesechinus orientalis from Xuancheng, Anhui.
HEDGEHOG HIDDEN FOR CENTURIES IN CHINESE FOREST
While very similar to previously identified species, the newly discovered hedgehog has different DNA – and it has been undetected for over a million years.
S cientists misidentified a tiny spiked mammal found in eastern China when they first picked it up in 2018. Researchers at various universities in China initially thought that the hedgehog they had collected was Hugh’s hedgehog ( Mesechinus hughi ) but some elements were not adding up since the Hugh species occurs a thousand kilometres west of Anhui, the province where they found the critter. Upon closer investigation, the DNA didn’t match the Hugh hedgehog either. This prompted the researchers to find more hedgehogs around the provinces of Anhui and Zhejiang. They contrasted the physical appearance and DNA matches with Hugh’s hedgehogs and various other species sharing the Mesechinus genus. The analysis revealed no direct matches, confirming the Anhui hedgehogs were previously unrecorded. Dubbed the eastern forest hedgehog ( Mesechinus orientalis ), this discovery brings the list of identified hedgehog species to 19. These findings, shared in the open- source ZooKeys journal, detail the morphological, morphometric, and genetic evidence separating Mesechinus orientalis from it counterparts. There are some morphological similarities with Mesechinus hughi but key differentiators are the hedgehog’s diminutive size, a shorter spine, a four-colour ring spine, and a parietal higher than the frontals in skull formation.
CHINA
Anhui Zhejiang
As for when the gene divergence occurred, researchers calculated the time from the most recent common ancestor, finding the Mesechinus genus to have first appeared around 1.7 million years ago in the early Pleistocene period. Mesechinus orientalis diverged from its closest relatives, Mesechinus hughi and Mesechinus wangi 1.1 million years ago. This tells us how long the hedgehog genus isolation in the region has existed and points towards evidence of climate shifts in the Pleistocene era that impacted the migration habits of the little spiked critters. The new species of hedgehog is an exciting (and adorable) development for the field and is a testament to the rich and varied flora and fauna landscape of eastern China. These discoveries affirm the importance of efforts to conserve wild species in China and globally.
King penguins on ice. Credit: Pixabay, Pexels
Written by Taylor Blaire
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