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Xibalbanus tulumensis contains toxins that are suitable for the development of active substances against neurological diseases. Credit: Björn M. von Reumont ================================================================== Venom from the marine remipede, Xibalbanus tulumensis, exhibits unique medical potential for treating neurological disorders, showcasing the importance of marine biodiversity in pharmacological research while facing environmental threats. Many animals use venom for self-defense or hunting. The components of venom, known as toxins, affect a wide variety of physiological processes, making them particularly interesting for the development of new pharmacological agents. While the venoms of some animal groups, such as snakes, spiders, scorpions, and insects, have been extensively...

The scientists found the secret subterranean habitat tucked away beneath the Larsen Ice Shelf — a massive, floating sheet of ice attached to the eastern coast of the Antarctic peninsula that famously birthed the world's largest iceberg in 2021. Satellite photos showed an unusual groove in the ice shelf close to where it met with the land, and researchers identified the peculiar feature as a subsurface river, which they described in a statement(opens in new tab). The team drilled down around 1,640 feet (500 meters) below the ice's surface using a powerful hot-water hose to reach the underground chamber. When...

A SMUGGLER flew from Scotland to Israel with more than 300 baby lobsters in his suitcase. Somehow he managed to get his bizarre haul through Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, without raising any alarms. He was caught with more than 300 baby lobsters in his suitcase His unusual operation was only rumbled after he was caught with the lobsters and officials launched a probe into where they’d come from. Experts revealed wildlife can only be brought into Israel under licence to protect native populations from infection. It’s claimed the smuggler could have wiped out Israel’s lobsters if he’d not been...

Octopuses, crabs, and lobsters will be recognized as sentient beings under UK animal welfare laws after a review concluded there is strong evidence they are capable of feelings. The UK government announced Friday that decapods, an order of crustaceans, and cephalopods, a class of mollusks, will now fall under the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill. Decapods include animals like crabs, lobsters, shrimp, prawns, and crayfish, and cephalopods include octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish. The announcement said the bill "already recognizes all animals with a backbone (vertebrates) as sentient beings. However...decapod crustaceans and cephalopods have complex central nervous systems, one of the key...

Full Title: "Scientists find preserved animal carcasses in mysterious Antarctic lake 'twice the size of Manhattan' buried under 3,500 feet of ice" Scientists in Antarctica have found preserved carcasses of tiny animals in a mysterious lake buried under more than 3,500 feet of ice. Mercer Subglacial Lake is a hydraulically active lake that lies more 1000m beneath the Whillans Ice Plain, a fast moving section of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Researchers managed to drill into the lake for the first time earlier this year, and have now revealed they found signs of life. According to Nature, researchers found the...

Paleontologists have discovered the fossilized remains of a new arthropod. Yawunik kootenayi was swimming around oceans in Canada in the Cambrian period, 508 million years ago. It's thought to share a common ancestor with today's spiders and scorpions. The arthropod had four eyes and arms lined with both tiny claws to help it feed, and long antennae to sense its surroundings. The study's lead author says species today don't have limbs that function like that. "This dual function is very, very special, because it does not appear in modern forms. If you take insects as an example, they have a...

A trio of paleontologists has announced the discovery of a fossil belonging to a new species of ancient arthropod that rivals the largest ever found. They detail their finding in Wednesday's publication of the journal Nature. Hundreds of millions of years ago, arthropods, which include modern-day spiders, insects, and crustaceans, were much larger, and we're not talking the size of a small dog. An extinct millipede called Arthropleura reached up to 8.5 feet in length, making it the largest land invertebrate ever known to exist. Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, which extended 8.2 feet, dwelled in the water (pictured right).

A kinder, gentler stance on seafood By ELIZABETH LEE Cox News Service Sunday, May 21, 2006 ATLANTA — Animal welfare concerns usually evoke images of overfed ducks and farm animals crammed into cages. Add to that a tray of live soft shell crabs, which evoke images of big gray spiders. The buglike creatures are at the center of the latest controversy over how seafood and meat are being treated on their way to the table. From veal to foie gras, many delicacies with potential ethical issues are disappearing from some restaurants and supermarkets. Live seafood is next. Last week, Whole...