Free Republic

Facetotectans (aka y-larvae) have been a mystery since their discovery in the 1800s. Scientists are unsure of what they grow up to become, but we now know where these crustaceans fit in the tree of life. This image shows a cypris larvae, or y-cyprid. Credit: Niklas Dreyer Y-larvae, mysterious crustaceans related to barnacles, may be parasitic and are key to understanding barnacle evolution. When most people think of barnacles, they imagine shell-like organisms clinging to boats, docks, or even whales. Yet some barnacles go far beyond passive attachment — they can actually invade and take over their hosts. “Instead of...

This bizarre resident of the deep sea is certainly one of the most unique creatures we've ever seen. Imagine traveling through the darkest depths of the ocean around 2,000ft down where everything around you is pitch black. You shine your torch into the gloom and something catches your eye. As it gets closer, you realize that this is no ordinary fish - you can see straight through its head! Meet the barreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma) - a creature so bizarre that if there weren't pictures and videos of it you could almost believe that it was something completely made up....

Bearded dragons are famous for their ability to change sex depending on heat and genes. Two new genome projects have revealed the likely master gene, Amh, behind this switch — finally solving a reptile mystery that has baffled scientists for years. Credit: Shutterstock Scientists have finally cracked one of the strangest mysteries in reptile biology: how bearded dragons decide their sex. Breakthrough Genomes Reveal Bearded Dragon’s Secrets Two separate research teams have now released near-complete reference genomes of the central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps), a lizard species that ranges widely across central eastern Australia and is also a favorite pet...

Unicorns appeared in Arthurian legend and are Scotland’s national animalA MYSTERIOUS “unicorn” skull has been unearthed near King Arthur’s castle. Tourist John Goodwin dug it up after spotting the long horn sticking out of moss on the edge of a Cornish cliff. When he pulled it free, he found a skull with a single tusk in the middle of its forehead — like the mythical creature. John, a plumber from Canada was near Tintagel — the supposed site of King Arthur’s Camelot castle — with wife Val and their daughter. He found the skull at St Nectan’s Glen, a spot...

See the so-called evidence that allegedly proves Bigfoot's existenceA CAMPER believes he's unlocked the secret behind one of the world's most famous cryptids after finding a so-called Bigfoot corpse. Charles “Snake” Stuart, also known as the Bigfoot hunter, presented his stunning findings in a bizarre exhibition on Wednesday. He brought the massive 8-foot-tall hairy body to the New York State Fair in Syracuse and displayed it behind a glass case. The grisly figure was placed on top of a wooden coffin in a dark room with spooky growls playing on speakers. Beside the alleged body is a video of Star...

What was the Beast of Gévaudan? | 9:45 The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered 1.58M subscribers | 389,358 views | June 29, 2017

Despite its distinctive and bright markings, the rainbow snake has been spotted only once in Florida in the last 56 years. Any information regarding rainbow snake populations are vital for conservation efforts. Image credit: Marioxramos / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 Florida wildlife officials are turning to the public to help locate one of the state’s most elusive reptiles, the rainbow snake (Farancia erytrogramma). This distinctive, nonvenomous species has seen its population steadily decline, with only one sighting recorded since 1969, which has left biologists scrambling to piece together clues about its current whereabouts. Last seen in February 2020 by...

Let’s face it, the sea is full of proper freaky looking creatures, from Barbie lobsters to disco worms and everything in between. However, normally in the shark world, the species relies on sharp teeth and speed to make an impression. Well, one shark species has taken a rather different approach from stealthy gray. For the first time, a nurse shark has been recorded in the Caribbean being bright orange. The nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) was seen in Costa Rican waters during a sport fishing trip near Tortuguero National Park last year, and the photos were shared on its Facebook page....

Panic! Among the pink crustaceans (Patagonian lobsterette, Thymops birsteini). Image credit: ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) ============================================================================= An offshore canyon that’s twice as deep as the Grand Canyon recently turned up 40 potential new-to-science species when scientists embarked on the first-ever high-tech dive to the region. Using the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s remotely operated vehicle, ROV SuBastian, the expedition was livestreamed as it captured alien-looking squids, Barbie-pink lobsters, and a sea star with some serious junk in the trunk, if you know what we mean. Sounds like quite the adventure, right? Well, it would seem nearly 4 million people...

A JCU researcher has helped discover a new species of stick insect in the Atherton tablelands. Credit: James Cook University ====================================================================== James Cook University researcher Professor Angus Emmott helped identify the new Acrophylla alta species and explained that the most surprising feature of this giant stick insect was its weight, which, at around 44 g, is slightly less than a golf ball. Details of the discovery have been published in the journal Zootaxa. "There are longer stick insects out there [in the region], but they're fairly light-bodied," he said. "From what we know to date, this is Australia's heaviest insect."...

Scientists diving to astounding depths in two oceanic trenches in the northwest Pacific have discovered thriving communities of marine creatures. Amazingly, these trenches lie at depths greater than the height of Mount Everest, Earth's tallest peak. The deepest one reaches 9,533 metres (31,276 feet) below the ocean surface in the Kuril–Kamchatka Trench. This is almost 25 per cent deeper than such animals had previously been documented anywhere. While most animals get their sustenance by eating organic matter, the researchers were surprised to discover that these creatures get their energy from chemicals. This is a process known as chemosynthesis.

Scientists have described a new species of prehistoric reptile with unusual features resembling both a monkey and a lizard. The animal, named Mirasaura grauvogeli, carried a striking sail-like crest along its back and a tail similar to that of a monkey. The discovery, detailed in the journal Nature, sheds light on the diversity of ancient reptiles and the early evolution of skin structures. The 247‑million‑year‑old fossil was uncovered at the Grès à Voltzia site in northeastern France, a region known for well-preserved remains from the Middle Triassic period. Researchers classified the reptile within drepanosauromorphs, an extinct lineage that split from...

Oh, to be a tiny snake basking on a cool silver coin. Image credit: Professor Blair Hedges In what must have been like looking for a needle in a stack of small, wiggly needles, scientists have rediscovered a "lost species" of snake that’s so small, it makes a coin look massive. The Barbados threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae), the smallest snake in the world, was rediscovered under a rock in central Barbados during an ecological survey back in March. The Barbados threadsnake had been lost to science for 20 years, earning it a spot on a global list of 4,800 lost species...

"After I see the people run, I just see something big, just walking just right over there, it went right over there I swear, I promise you, it went right over there. And it said 'rawr,' and I just kept walking," he recalled. "I seen it, seeing me, see it, so in my head I’m like, ‘Nah, I got to go man, I’m out.'" Jones said he remains on edge. "I am going to keep this bat right here, man, just in case," he said during Thursday's interview. "I am going to protect us, I ain’t going to let nothing...

A mysterious creature found in Brazil has scientists questioning everything they know about wild canids. With a strange mix of dog and fox traits, this rare hybrid is raising serious concerns. Dogxim' Was Discovered After A Car Accident In 2021. Credit: Instagram/forrest.galante | The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel ================================================================ A strange discovery in southern Brazil has left the scientific community stunned. In 2021, a female canid was found near Vacaria, a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, after being struck by a car. What seemed like an ordinary accident quickly turned into an extraordinary puzzle. Veterinarians...

A groundbreaking new collaboration is working to resurrect one of New Zealand’s most enigmatic lost species, the South Island Giant Moa. Blending ancient knowledge with cutting-edge science, the cooperative initiative has been launched between the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre in collaboration with U.S.-based biotech firm Colossal Biosciences and filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson. The initiative seeks to place indigenous values and ecological restoration at the forefront of de-extinction science, representing a historic development in conservation biology. The collaboration marks the first time that an indigenous-led research team will direct a de-extinction initiative of this scale. Based at the University of Canterbury,...

The strangeness began when a research boat known as the Blue Heron started experiencing mechanical difficulties during a trip to Lake Erie and was dry-docked for repairs. While investigating the issue, Captain Rual Lee discovered a strange thick, black tar-like substance that seemed to be oozing out of the rudder. Unable to determine what it was, he sent a sample to the University of Minnesota Duluth. When researchers analyzed the substance, they discovered that it contained 20 DNA sequences and while many could be identified, several were completely novel and unknown to science. They concluded that the substance - now...

The genetically modified “dire wolves” created by Colossal Biosciences have hit a major milestone: they’re now six months old, and their growth is nothing short of remarkable. These animals, Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi, are part of a groundbreaking project aimed at resurrecting features of an ancient species that roamed Earth thousands of years ago. A Rapid Growth Surge At just six months old, Romulus and Remus, the older siblings of the trio, now weigh over 40 kilograms (around 90 pounds), nearly 20% heavier than a typical gray wolf. These shaggy cubs are becoming the living embodiment of the extinct dire...

Analysis of swabs from China's Tiangong Space Station has revealed a new strain of bacteria sporting new adaptations for surviving outer space. Scientists have discovered a new microbe never-before-seen on Earth inside China's Tiangong space station. The new strain of bacteria, named Niallia tiangongensis after the space station, is a variant of a soil-dwelling terrestrial microbe that can cause sepsis, and was found inside one of the station's cabins. Now, a new analysis of the strain has revealed that the bacterium isn't only one of a kind, but has also picked up some key adaptations that could be helpful in...

Chinese scientists discovered a novel strain of bacterium with “unique abilities” that allowed it to thrive on the Tiangong Space Station, according to a report. The newly named Niallia tiangongensis was isolated by taikonauts from surface hardware on the China Space Station, according to a paper from the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. The novel strain is closely related to the terrestrial bacterium Niallia circulans, which is found in soil, sewage, food and human stool — but exhibits several mutations that could prove beneficial in the study of life...