Amazing Spider Silk properties will lead to the creation of artificial muscles

Our muscles are amazing structures. With the trigger of a thought, muscle filaments slide past each other and bundles of contracting fibers pull on the bones moving our bodies. The triggered stretching behavior of muscle is inherently based in geometry, characterized by a decrease in length and increase in volume (or vice versa) in response to a change in the local environment, such as humidity or heat.

Variations of this dynamic geometry appear elsewhere in nature, exhibiting a variety of mechanisms and structures and inspiring development in artificial muscle technology. 

Spider silk, specifically Ornithoctonus Huwena spider silk, now offers the newest such inspiration thanks to research from a collaboration of scientists in China and the U.S., the results of which are published today in Applied Physics Letters, from AIP Publishing.

Credit: British Tarantula Society

"Spider silk is a natural biological material with high sensitivity to water, which inspires us to study about the interaction between spider silk and water," said Hongwei Zhu, a professor in Tsinghua University's School of Material Science and Engineering in Beijing and part of the collaboration. "Ornithoctonus Huwena spider is a unique species as it can be bred artificially and it spins silk of nanoscale diameter."

Besides the shrink-stretch ability of muscles, the way in which the motion is triggered -- how the muscle is actuated -- is a key part of its functionality. These spider silk fibers, actuated by water droplets, showed impressive behavior in all the ways that matter to muscle performance (or to super heroes that may need them to swing from buildings).

"In this work, we reveal the 'shrink-stretch' behavior of the Ornithoctonus Huwena spider silk fibers actuated by water, and successfully apply it on weight lifting," said Zhu. "The whole process can cover a long distance with a fast speed and high efficiency, and further be rationalized through an analysis of the system's mechanical energy."

The research team looked at the actuation process in a few different scenarios, capturing the macro dynamics of the flexing fibers with high speed imaging. They actuated bare fibers on a flat surface (a microscope slide) and while dangling from a fixed point (held with tweezers) before adding a weight to the dangling configuration to test its lifting abilities.

Zhu and his group also investigated the micro structure of the proteins that make up the fibers, revealing the protein infrastructure that leads to its hydro-reflexive action.

Electron microscopy gave a clear picture of the smooth inner threads that make up the fibrous structure, and a laser-driven technique, called Raman spectroscopy, revealed the precise conformation of the protein folding structures making up each layer. Fundamentally, the specific molecular configurations, in this case having proteins that have a strong affinity for water and that rearrange in the presence of water, give rise to the spider silk's actuation.

"Alpha-helices and beta-sheets are two types of secondary protein folding structures in spider silk proteins," said Zhu. "Beta-sheets act as crosslinks between protein molecules, which are thought relevant to the tensile strength of spider silk. A-helices are polypeptide chains folded into a coiled structure, which are thought relevant to the extensibility and elasticity in spider silk protein."

Returning the fiber back to its relaxed state (as one-use muscles are far less useful) requires only removing the water, which offers conservation along with its simplicity. With some fine tuning, there is also potential for designing the precise behavior of the shrink-stretch cycle.

"In addition, as the falling water droplet can be collected and recycled, the lifting process is energy-saving and environmentally friendly," said Zhu. "This has provided the possibility that the spider silk can act as biomimetic muscle to fetch something with low energy cost. It can be further improved to complete staged shrink-stretch behavior by designing the silk fiber's thickness and controlling droplet's volume."

Understanding this remarkable material offers new insight for developing any of a number of drivable, flexible devices in the future.

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The Biggest Bird in History. It was bigger than a horse and weighed 650 kilograms

Dromornis Credit: thevintagenews

Measuring 3 meters in height and weighing up to 65kg, Dromornis is a genus of prehistoric giant birds. Dromornis  belonged to Dromornithidae,  a family of giant birds that lived 8 million years ago until less than  30,000 years ago. Since millions of years by this time, Australia had been separated from the big southern landmass of Gondwana. Typical for animals in Australia is the fact that they had evolved slowly, completely isolated from the animals of the other continents.

A fossil (cast) of the extinct Dromornis stirtoni from Australia. Photographed at Dinoday 2009 By Kevmin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Because of the very poor fossil record of  D. australis (the type species of the genus) and a huge time gap between the  two Dromornis species, D. stirtoni may ultimately be reassigned to the genus of Bullockornis.

Sometimes referred to as  “Stirton’s thunder birds” or Mihirung birds, Dromornis stirtoni  was around 3 meters (9.8 ft) tall and weighed up to 650kg. With a long neck and stub-like wings, the giant birds were taller then Aepyornis and heavier than the Moa. Even though Dromornis stirtoni  had really strong and powerful legs it is not believed to have been a fast runner.The bird’s beak was large and immensely strong, leading some researchers to hypothesize that it was a herbivore that used its beak to shear through tough plant stalks.  However, others  theories suggest that the bird was a carnivore, due to the size of the bird’s beak.

D. stirtoni, artist’s impression Photo Credit

Dromornis was sexually dimorphic. Males were more robust and heavier, though not necessarily taller, than females.It inhabited subtropical open woodlands in Australia during the Late Miocene to the early Pliocene. There were forests and a constant water supply at Alcoota, one area where the Dromornis birds lived, albeit the climate was very changeable.


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Scientists have filmed for first time: A monkey trying to mate with a deer VIDEO

Photo: sciencealert

It might be time for monkeys to have an intervention with themselves, because trying to mate with an unenthusiastic, non-monkey bystander is never a good look.

And while the attempted coupling is nowhere near as violent as when that Antarctic fur seal sexually harassed king penguins before eating them alive, it’s so awkward, we just want to hand that monkey a tissue and run away.

Filmed by French scientists in the dense cedar forest of Japan’s Yakushima Island, the bizarre behaviour involves a low-ranking Japanese macaque attempting to mount two female Sika deer before sliding off in disgrace.

As The Guardian reports, this is only the second recorded example of sexual relations between these two distantly related species.

At one point in the footage below, the monkey appears to have mounted a deer and ejaculated on its back, before deciding to casually pick at itself under a nearby tree.

The deer licks away the evidence with such nonchalance, you can’t help but wonder if it’s all too familiar with the situation:

Later on in the footage, we see the monkey chasing off two other monkeys that got too close to the deer, because no one’s going to get in the way of him and his unwilling sex partner

So what exactly is going on here?

The researchers who caught the behaviour on film, led by Marie Pelé from the University of Strasbourg in France, suspect that a hormonal surge prompted the monkey to seek out the Sika deer.

Being of such low social status in his local monkey troop - the researchers refer to him as a "peripheral" male, meaning he’s only been permitted to occupy the fringe of the social circle - he probably couldn’t get a female monkey to mate with him if he tried.

"It would be interesting to continue to observe these Japanese macaque male groups in Yakushima as this species is known to display cultural behaviours and social learning," team member Sueur Cédric told New Scientist.

"As a consequence of not having access to females, these peripheral males could socially learn to have sexual interaction with Sika deer in order to decrease their sexual frustration."

The fact that the deer barely react to the behaviour suggests that either they’re used to the peripheral monkeys trying to mate with them, or that the behaviour is similar to some more 'innocent' interactions between the two species.

"It could be a manifestation of the known play behaviour between Japanese macaques and the deer they are known to sometimes ride," Pelé said.

The good news that while the monkey might have successful relieved some tension thanks to the whole affair, it wasn’t a total loss for the deer.

"[T]he licking behaviour shown by the deer seems to indicate that the sperm could be a good source of protein," the team reports.

Good job, nature. Good job.

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Rare Ghost Shark was filmed for the first time in Gulf of California - PHOTO, VIDEO

It looks like something out of a horror movie, with two dead eyes peering out of a pale patchwork of flesh, but that's a perfectly happy 'ghost shark' - otherwise known as a spookfish - cruising about in the deep sea off the coast of California.

The species, which features retractable sex organs on its forehead, has never been seen on film before.

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The individual has been identified by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) as Hydrolagus cf. trolli - known commonly as the pointy-nosed blue chimaera.

Chimaeras: Strange Fish With a Cartilaginous Skeleton Owlcation

The "cf." in its species name indicates that its physical characteristics closely match the official species description for Hydrolagus trolli, but without DNA evidence, they can't be sure.

In fact, there's also the possibility that this isn't just the first ever footage of a live Hydrolagus trolli - it could be showing us an entirely new species of ghost shark.

But because these fish are usually too large, fast, and agile to be caught by deep-sea roving vehicles, it's going to be incredibly difficult to find out for sure.

"If and when the researchers can get their hands on one of these fish, they will be able to make detailed measurements of its fins and other body parts and perform DNA analysis on its tissue,"

"This would allow them to either remove the cf. from their species description, or assign the fish to a new species altogether."

The footage was captured by an autonomous rover in the Gulf of California back in 2009, and researchers have only just released it to the public.

The creature is a chimera - an order of deep-sea fish that split off from sharks in the evolutionary tree nearly 400 million years ago, and has remained isolated ever since.

Chimaeras live on the ocean floor at depths of up to 2,600 metres (8,500 ft), and they have a permanent set of 'tooth plates' to grind their prey into pieces, unlike the conveyer belt of replaceable teeth found in sharks.


But perhaps their most creepy characteristic are the deep grooves cut into their flesh that make them look like something a serial killer stitched together:

Photo: MBARI

Until now, the pointy-nosed blue chimaera has only ever been identified in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, particularly around Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia, from specimens dredged up in fishing nets.

This new footage now suggests that the species has a much wider range than anyone had expected, and hints that it could range even further away from its known haunts have made researchers hopeful that it's not rare - just good at hiding.

In reality, those grooves are called lateral line canals, and they form a system of open channels on the heads and faces of ghost sharks.

They're thought to contain sensory cells that help these creatures detect movement in the pitch-black water.


You can see another view of them here, including the rows of dots that are also thought to be tiny sensory organs:

Photo: MBARI

"Similar looking, but as yet unidentified, ghost sharks have also been seen off the coasts of South America and Southern Africa, as well as in the Indian Ocean," Fulton-Bennett reports.

"If these animals turn out to be the same species as the ghost sharks recently identified off California, it will be further evidence that, like many deep-sea animals, the pointy-nosed blue chimaera can really get around."

The sighting has been described in Marine Biodiversity Letters. 


You can see more footage of a ghost shark below - this species has a distinctive purple hue, and a serious parasite problem:

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Latimeria chalumnae "fish with legs from Indian Ocean" the mysterious living fossil reveals its secrets

In 1938, the world zoologists was shaken by a discovery without precedent: in the Indian Ocean was living creature amazing - a fish, no doubt, but one very strange fin provided with a kind of "paws", reminiscent of limbs terrestrial vertebrates.

 Mysterious animal has become one of the "stars" of the living world, where scientists have realized that they were dealing with a species surviving in a group of fish ancient considered missing ago 65 million years . And recently, the strange "fish with legs" back onto the world stage: geneticists have managed to decipher its genome and exciting source of new information about this "living fossil", about its relationship with other creatures and the evolution of the living world.

The discovery "fish with legs" in 1938 in response to a desire biologists old - to find the "missing link" between fish and tetrapods animals - four States - who colonized the terrestrial ago about 395 million years.

Even if further investigation questioned the new-found that fish were direct ancestor of tetrapods, discovery remains one extraordinary landmark in the history of zoology. Here, briefly, the story:

At December 23, 1938, Hendrik Goosen, captain of the fishing vessel Nerine, returned to port South African East London, after an expedition ocean fishing between the mouth of the river Chalumna and Ncera, on the coast west of the country . Captain customary when you have to catch fish most interesting to them and told a friend, Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, who worked at the museum in East London. He called and this time, telling him that she had saved for a very special fish.


Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer was happy to receive the odd fish but although searched all the books they had available, failed to realize what species have to do. L has called one of her friends, chemistry professor James Leonard Brierley Smith, but it was left for Christmas vacation. Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer could not keep the whole fish in good condition, so it has entrusted to a taxidermist to be naturalized ( "stuffed"). 

After your holiday, Professor J. L. B. Smith immediately realized it had to do with something extraordinary: a representative group of ancient celacanţilor (Coelacanth) group considered extinct for 65 million years. Fish received scientific name of Latimeria chalumnae, after the name of Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer and the river Chalumna, and the news has gone around the world, putting them on fire biologists and paleontologists and fueling hopes of finding "missing link" in the chain of evolutionary what tie fish tetrapods.

Latimeria chalumnae photo: pinterest

A very special fish

After three quarters of a century of research, scientists have come to know something about Latimeria chalumnae; very little, yet enough to realize it's a very unusual creature.

Celacanţii now appeared approx. 400 million years ago and was thought to have disappeared at the end of the Cretaceous, now about 65 million years, in large extinction that took place then, that the dinosaurs disappeared. Indeed, the vast majority of species of this group have disappeared and is known only from fossil remains. But behold, two, at least, they have withstood time and catastrophes, surviving until today. In total, it has been described about 80 species of CELAC (including them and the two current).

Latimeria chalumnae is what is called in familiar language, a living fossil, and a newer term, "Lazarus taxon", named after the biblical character brought back to life. A Lazarus taxon is a species or taxonomic group (such as celacanţii) disappears at some point in the fossil record (and is therefore considered extinct), but then reappears after a long time. It is believed that these fish, celacanţii are extinct and yet they are still living, participating in biodiversity by two representatives known world.

Latimeria chalumnae fully deserves its fame it enjoys among biologists. It is a creature with many unusual features. For example, although he lives in the ocean, yea depths large, without leaving the surface, it is more akin to fish lung and tetrapods than fish actinopterigieni group of bony fish "ordinary" which constitutes 99% world fish fauna.


It has many unusual features of the skeleton, a heart made up differently than the other fish, a sort of vestigial lung, filled with fat, and other strange features that distinguish it from most of the fish world.

No its not like the eggs of other bony fish: almost all lay eggs "and what not" - a large number of eggs small size compared to adult fish. Instead, Latimeria chalumnae "factory" eggs the size of oranges, a huge fish (even a big fish like him, because can reach 1.8 meters in length). The species is ovoviviparity, that fertilized eggs develop in the mother's body - gestation is about. 1 year - coming out of the egg here, and the female, eventually eliminates hatched chicks ready ("give birth to live young" after the current expression).


And outside, the most striking feature are "paws" - muscular stalks that are attached to each of the fins and which give so strange appearance of "fish with legs".

But do not use these "legs" to walk on the ocean but swim or get carried currents, using their fins 8 for precise steering maneuvers. These fish live at depths of 100-500 meters; They are predators, feeding on other fish; day stay hidden in the cracks of rocks submarine or underwater caves and night out for food.

Latimeria chalumnae is considered an endangered species (like the Latimeria menadoensis), although they know so little about celacanţii lcururi living today, that the true status of the species is difficult to determine.


Before the scientific world to discover the fish and show interest in it, Latimeria chalumnae not have trouble living areas (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Madagascar, Comoros). It was sometimes caught accidentally by local fishermen, but which threw him back into the water, do not consumed, because his flesh has an unpleasant taste and is somewhat toxic; It contains large amounts of fat, urea, esters of fatty acids and indigestible other substances that can cause diarrhea. But since biologists began marching after CELAC, fishermen do not take these fish, but looking to sell, a behavior that could lead to reduced populations of Latimeria chalumnae. Both this species and "sister" her Latimeria menadoensis, are today the subject of conservation programs aimed at maintaining balance populations. No longer need to stress how important it is to protect these species - "windows" distant past come to life on earth.

Genetics a living fossil

Recently, Latimeria chalumnae experienced a comeback to the forefront of research. An international group of scientists has succeeded in sequencing the genome of this creature, deciphering and "reading" the sequencing of genes that contain the genetic heritage of this animal and that could explain so some features of amazing and mysteries deeper evolution forms life on Earth.

Genome sequencing process itself was challenging in many respects. Chalumnae are rarely captured, threatened, so procuring tissue samples and extracting genetic material from them were difficult stages, not to mention the sequencing itself. But the effort, which involved experts from several countries and has united towards this common goal, and the international nature of this research project is one of its most valuable aspects, I think the scientists involved.

Since its discovery in 1938, biologists have wondered how survived Latimeria chalumnae until today, unchanged for many millions of years, and some have hypothesized that this fish is evolving unusually slowly, that its genes are "conservative" and undergoing changes at a pace slower than other species of creatures.

Latimeria chalumnae photo: commons.wikipedia.org

And indeed, analyzing genome species, scientists have confirmed this assumption:

"We found that, in general, genes [species Latimeria chalumnae] evolving significantly slower than with any fish and any vertebrate land that I studied," said Jessica Alföldi, the Broad Institute, one of the authors published in the journal Nature.

Genome sequencing has enabled researchers to investigate several issues that dated back a long time.


For example, celacanţii have certain characteristics reminiscent oddly specific than the animals living on land, including "paws" fins that resemble the limbs of tetrapods. Another strange group of fish present (called longfish, or long fish), and they have similar fin (picture below). It is likely that in one of these species of ancient fish "legs" to have evolved early amphibian tetrapods that came out of the water and stepped ashore, but until now, researchers had not been able determine which of the two groups - celacanţii or dipnoii - is the most promising candidate.

Now, in addition to whole genome sequenced (almost 3 billion letters - nitrogenous bases - the DNA of Latimeria chalumnae), researchers have studied the RNA CELAC both species compared with that of the longfish. This information allowed the comparison of homologous genes associated with the development and functioning of the brain, kidneys, liver, spleen and intestines from CELAC, lungfish and other 20 species of vertebrates. And the results showed that the genetic tetrapods are closer than fish longfish.

Therefore, the "missing link" between fish and tetrapods celacanţii not seem to be, they are not the direct ancestors of land vertebrates with four limbs.

However, celacanţii key pieces remain in the study process was essential that the conquest of land by vertebrate animals.

Even if dipnoii are closer to tetrapods land than celacanţii genome lungfish still remains a mystery: having 100 billion nitrogenous bases, is simply that too large for scientists to be able sequencing, assemble and analyze the means available now.

Instead, smaller genomes of African celacantului (comparable in size to the human one) suitable deciphering methods available today and provides valuable clues on the genetic changes that allowed tetrapods thrive on land.


Scientists have sought, on the one hand, to find out what genes have lost vertebrates when they took the life on land and on the other hand, what regulatory elements (parts of the genome that control where, when and to what extent are activated certain genes) have acquired.

And the findings were interesting as possible. Here are a few:

The sense of smell

Numerous regulatory changes have influenced genes involved in olfactory perception and detection of odors from the air. The scientists believe that when vertebrates had conquered land, they needed new ways to detect chemicals in this new environment.


Immunity

By comparing the genome with the genomes of terrestrial animals African celacantului, it was discovered a significant endorsement number of regulatory changes related to immune function, and scientists believe that these changes could be related to the body's response to new pathogens found in the terrestrial environment.


Evolutionary development

photo: rationalrevolution.net

Researchers have identified several key areas of the genome that could have been "co-opted" to control body tetrapods innovations, such as the formation of limbs and fingers or placental mammals. One of these areas, called HoxD contains a specific gene sequence that is common celacanţilor and tetrapods; it is likely that this sequence have been made by tetrapods, "in service" training and rear limbs.

Urea cycle

Fish body eliminates excess nitrogen from ammonia in water excretând; instead, terrestrial vertebrates (including humans) have a different mechanism of "management" of nitrogen: ammonia rapidly converted into urea, less toxic, through a succession of chemical reactions that constitute the urea cycle. The study compared the genomes, the CELAC and other vertebrates have been identified indications of evolution that led to the development of this mechanism, essential if living permanently outside the water: the researchers found that the most important genes involved in this cycle were tetrapods modified to allow them to solve the problem of excess nitrogen in the conditions of life on land.

But this is just the beginning discoveries. Celacanţilor genome could hold many other important clues to the evolution of tetrapods researching.


Much more great things to be learned about these fish; experts anticipated that future studies on immunity, physiology, respiration and other aspects of the biology of these creatures will lead us, finally, to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of "great passage" from life in water at the shore - one of most fascinating episodes in the history of life on Earth.



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The genes of extinct species, unidentified, were found in Melanesian DNA, ( NATURAL BLACK BLONDES ) the population is located in the South Pacific

Melanesian Unic People photo: Pinterest

The genes of extinct species, unidentified, were found in Melanesian DNA, the population is located in the South Pacific.

According to new research, this species did not belong to Neanderthal or denisovan, but could represent a third species, unidentified so far.

Ryan BOHLENDER, a geneticist at the University of Texas, said that "perhaps I have missed a species or omitted links between species." He and his team tried to find out the percentage of DNA specific hominids that people today still do have and the result was represented by discrepancies revealing that the pairing of our ancestors with Neanderthal and Denisovan there is In fact, the primary explanation. It is believed that, far from 10,000 years to 60,000 years ago, they migrated from Africa and had contacts with populations living in Eurasia and these contacts have left a footprint specified in our DNA that lasts until today, Europeans and Asians having choices Neanderthal genetic distinct.


Moreover, researchers discovered earlier this year that Europeans have inherited from Neanderthal genes that put them at the disposition emergence of diseases and increased risk of depression. The percentage of DNA that Europeans and Asians have inherited from them is 2.8%.


But when it comes to DNA inherited from denisovan, things get a bit more complicated, especially if the population of Melanesia, an area in the South Pacific that includes Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Papua Western and Maluku Islands. One of the researchers involved in the project said: "Europeans show no gene denisovan and population in China only a very small percentage, 0.1%. However, if Melanesian this percentage is 1.11%." After these investigations, those who started the study concluded that the three species would have much to do with the current population of the Melanesian.

Melanesian People photo: Pinterest

Interaction with other species prehistoric ancestors may have been more complex than we had expected and even if there were no findings that show the existence of other species, that does not mean they did not exist.




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The most interesting 10 species of animals in 2016

An international committee of biologists chose the most interesting species described in 2016

The most interesting10 species described in 2016 were designated as "International Institute for Species Exploration" and a committee of biologists and naturalists, in a sort of "competition" designed to attract public attention to the problems of biodiversity conservation.

In a report entitled significantly "SOS. State of Observed Species" by specialists from the "International Institute for Species Exploration" in conjunction with those from the "International Plant Names Index", "Zoological Record" Thomson Reuters, "International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology "," AlgaeBase "" MycoBank "and" World Register of Marine Species "outlined in 2008, the latest year for which complete data in the field, have been described globally 18.225 in 2140 new species living species and fossils.

The winner ten species are:

• Danionella Dracula - a family over ciprinidae.
• Nephila Komaci - the largest of spiders "weavers", with a diameter of 10 cm.
• Chondrocladia (Meliiderma) turbiformis - a "killer sponge" carnivore.
• Swim bombiviridis - a marine worm.
• Aiteng ater - a mollusk. 
• Histiophryne psychedelia - a fish with unusual coloring.
• Drewesii Phallus - a woody fungus.
• Gymnotus omarorum - an electric fish.
• Nepenthes Attenboroughii - a carnivorous plant "twisted".
• Dioscorea orangeana - a new plant tuber.

1. Danionella Dracula - a family over ciprinidae

2. Nephila Komaci the largest of spiders "weavers", with a diameter of 10 cm.

3. Chondrocladia (Meliiderma) turbiformis - a "killer sponge" carnivore.

4. Swim bombiviridis - a marine worm.

5. Aiteng ater - a mollusk. 

6. Histiophryne psychedelia - a fish with unusual coloring.

7. Drewesii Phallus - a woody fungus.

8. Gymnotus omarorum - an electric fish.

9. Nepenthes Attenboroughii - a carnivorous plant "twisted".

10. Dioscorea orangeana - a new plant tuber

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TINY, EYELESS CATFISH FOUND IN TEXAS CAVE A SUBTERRANEAN BORDER-CROSSER

The species, called the Mexican Blindcat, is a relative of the widespread Channel Catfish and other species in North America, though its coloration and lack of eyes are common with species that have evolved to live in dark and deep ecosystems.

The species, only around three inches in length, lives in limestone caves connected to the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer, which is below the Rio Grande basin.

Until now, sightings of the species were only rumors north of the Rio Grande. The Blindcat was believed to only live in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila, but apparently the fish are also subterranean border crossers.

Originally discovered in 1954, the species is listed as a foreign endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, Zara Environmental LLC, and Texas Parks and Wildlife found the fish in the Amistad National Recreation Area near Del Rio, Texas and have relocated a pair to the San Antonio Zoo.

The researchers believe that protecting this species and its ecosystem is not only important for the survival of the Mexican Blindcat, but also for the human populations around the Rio Grande.

“Aquifer systems like the one that supports this rare fish are the lifeblood of human populations and face threats from contamination and over-pumping of groundwater,” Jack Johnson, the National Park Service resource manager at Amistad who first spotted the Texas fish said in a press release.
“The health of rare and endangered species like this fish at Amistad can help indicate the overall health of the aquifer and water resources upon which many people depend.”

The Mexican Blindcat is the third blind catfish species to be found in the United States, all of which are only found in Texas in the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer.


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The Trinity Aquifer