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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/evolution/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 08:22:37 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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					<title>Genetic blueprint of four Asian hornbills offers new tool for hornbill research</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/genetic-blueprint-of-four-asian-hornbills-offer-new-tool-for-hornbill-research/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/genetic-blueprint-of-four-asian-hornbills-offer-new-tool-for-hornbill-research/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Aug 2026 11:40:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gene]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genetics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genome]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/31102922/Great_Hornbill_Flock_Valparai_Tamil_Nadu_Western_Ghats_DSCN3369-scaled-e1788152726315-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40557</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Endangered species, Evolution, Technology, Technology and Conservation, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Scientists have generated a reference genome, a genetic structure model, for four threatened Asian hornbill species. The high-quality genome assemblies were generated for the great hornbill, rufous-necked hornbill, Malabar-pied hornbill and wreathed hornbill by researchers from the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. “My research interest is [in] [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Scientists have generated a reference genome, a genetic structure model, for four threatened Asian hornbill species. The high-quality genome assemblies were generated for the great hornbill, rufous-necked hornbill, Malabar-pied hornbill and wreathed hornbill by researchers from the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. “My research interest is [in] understanding how wildlife responds to their changing environment,” says corresponding author of the research paper Pooja Pawar, who has studied great hornbills (Buceros bicornis) in both protected areas and in coffee plantations. For her master’s dissertation, Pawar compared the behaviour and breeding biology of these large, majestic birds in protected areas in the Anamalai Hills and the human-modified landscape of Valparai, Tamil Nadu. Then, for her Ph.D. at the Nature Conservation Foundation and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Pawar expanded the scope of her research to investigate how climatic, geographic, and anthropogenic factors have influenced hornbill populations across regions and geological epochs. To help answer these questions, the behavioural biologist turned to genomics, the study of an organism’s complete genetic structure. “Genomics allowed me to ask these questions at much larger temporal and geographic scales,” Pawar says. “I could go back in time, to when the species originated or diverged from its sister species, and not restrict [my research] to the Western Ghats or northeast India.” But before she could do that, Pawar first had to create baseline genomic data for Asian hornbill species, which was largely missing despite their flagship conservation status. Whole-genome information&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/genetic-blueprint-of-four-asian-hornbills-offer-new-tool-for-hornbill-research/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>New clues into how animals evolved an internal compass to navigate Earth</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/new-clues-into-how-animals-evolved-an-internal-compass-to-navigate-earth/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/new-clues-into-how-animals-evolved-an-internal-compass-to-navigate-earth/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Aug 2026 14:44:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nupur Fangaria]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bacteria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[migration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[migratory birds]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/07121707/A_Pair_of_Bar-Headed_Geese_in_Flight_50900564713-scaled-e1786085253791-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39947</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Ecology, Environment, Evolution, Migration, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Magnetoreception is like an internal compass that animals use in their journeys, using the Earth’s magnetic field. It helps migratory birds navigate across the central Asian flyway, for example, or turtles, fish and other animals travel across vast distances. Recent research raises new questions about the evolutionary origins of magnetoreception and suggests that it may [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Magnetoreception is like an internal compass that animals use in their journeys, using the Earth’s magnetic field. It helps migratory birds navigate across the central Asian flyway, for example, or turtles, fish and other animals travel across vast distances. Recent research raises new questions about the evolutionary origins of magnetoreception and suggests that it may have evolved independently in complex animals. About three billion years ago, the Earth was still anoxic (oxygen made up less than 0.001% of the atmosphere), and the oceans had an abundance of metal ions, including iron. Eukaryotic cells, which make up  complex life forms, including animals, didn’t exist yet; life was dominated by archaea, the microorganisms that inhabit all kinds of extremes. In this scenario, iron ions found widely in the surrounding waters, could easily pass through a cell membrane and cause toxicity by stimulating free radicals in the cell. But the archaea were highly adaptable. These tiny microorganisms evolved the ability to protect themselves from the toxicity of iron by simply forming crystals out of iron oxide inside cell structures, a process called magnetite biomineralisation. The chiton, a marine mollusc, uses a unique protein to process iron and form magnetite teeth that it uses to graze on algae growing on rocks. Image by Michiko Nemoto. The magnetic abilities of bacteria Like most other abilities, bacteria is assumed to have adapted magnetite biomineralisation, a process where living organisms create iron oxide crystals inside cell structures, from their archaean ancestors. Over time, some bacteria repurposed magnetosomes&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/new-clues-into-how-animals-evolved-an-internal-compass-to-navigate-earth/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>The insect muses that have shaped our world [Book Review]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/the-insect-muses-that-have-shaped-our-world/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/the-insect-muses-that-have-shaped-our-world/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Feb 2026 15:37:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Usha Rai]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollinators]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/12124221/16615449828_b829791fc2_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36856</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Evolution, Insects, and Technology]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The smallest QR code has been designed by studying the bodies of leaf hoppers coated with tiny, granular brochosomes, and the use of fire beetles may help us get an early warning of forest fires. These stories of insects in Geetha Iyer’s Miniature Giants are as fascinating as it is unusual. She looks at insects as [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The smallest QR code has been designed by studying the bodies of leaf hoppers coated with tiny, granular brochosomes, and the use of fire beetles may help us get an early warning of forest fires. These stories of insects in Geetha Iyer’s Miniature Giants are as fascinating as it is unusual. She looks at insects as “nature’s prized creations both in numbers and their diversity.” Their dazzling body colours, the bizarre and outlandish forms, odd and unusual lifestyles are rarely noticed or appreciated. There is geometry in their wing structures and mathematics in their flight. They don’t require a flute or a guitar to create music; nor brushes or paints for arts; their bodies take care of it all.&#8221; Mary Jane West-Eberhard, a theoretical biologist known for her work on the behaviour and evolution of social wasps, has said, &#8220;Insects are the silent storytellers of the natural world, narrating tales of survival, adaptation and co-existence.&#8221; Each of the 10 chapters of the book reveals different facets of the insect world, whether it is Earwigs, The Original Origamists, The Hounds of Warfare, The Enchanting World of Insect Sex, The Longest Insect Migration, Lanternflies or The Shy Scorpionfly. But the chapter I found most fascinating and relevant to our times is the one on insect-inspired technology. Cover image by Penguin Random House. The author, who has previously written a book on insect weavers, tells you in graphic detail how these “critters” have long mastered survival tactics when humans are only just beginning to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/the-insect-muses-that-have-shaped-our-world/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Development projects in small and micro islands need careful planning [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/development-projects-in-small-and-micro-islands-needs-careful-planning-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/development-projects-in-small-and-micro-islands-needs-careful-planning-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Feb 2026 12:52:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[R.J. Ranjit Daniels]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable development]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/02105926/Female_croc-e1770010218915-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36693</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Ecology, Endemic species, Evolution, Islands, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Charles Darwin may have been the first to observe and document evolutionary changes in island species and ecosystems. Evolutionary changes involve shifts in size, behaviour, reproduction, and physiology, driven by unique island factors such as fewer predators, limited resources and reduced competition. According to Darwin, in any small isolated area, such as an oceanic island, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Charles Darwin may have been the first to observe and document evolutionary changes in island species and ecosystems. Evolutionary changes involve shifts in size, behaviour, reproduction, and physiology, driven by unique island factors such as fewer predators, limited resources and reduced competition. According to Darwin, in any small isolated area, such as an oceanic island, the total number of species inhabiting it will be small. Yet, of these, a large proportion will be endemic. Predictable evolutionary changes are more often seen in island species than in their mainland relatives. This phenomenon is called ‘island syndrome’. Adaptive radiation (a process through which organisms adapt and evolve) in islands far exceeds the mainland. Competition is less severe. Evolutionary innovation is lower. Vulnerability to species invasions is much higher. Similarly, the size of islands constrains ecosystem development. Ecosystems are shaped by competition among member species for limiting resources — resources needed to grow, survive and reproduce. Competition leads to interdependence which in turn affects productivity. Since size determines the number of species that inhabit an island, it also limits competition, interdependence and productivity (amount of carbon fixed and stored in the form of biomass). A Nicobar pigeon. In an oceanic island, the number of species inhabiting it will be small, but largely endemic. Competition among them for resources is low, evolutionary innovation is low, meaning vulnerability to species invasions is much higher. Image by DickDaniels via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Size and ecosystem development The size of an isolated island is the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/development-projects-in-small-and-micro-islands-needs-careful-planning-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Scientists describe a new fishing spider species</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/scientists-describe-a-new-fishing-spider-species/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/scientists-describe-a-new-fishing-spider-species/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jan 2026 13:53:08 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rohini Karandikar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spiders]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/13112331/Adult-female-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36445</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution, Forests, New species, Rainforests, Rivers, Water, Western Ghats, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Arjun Cherukutty, a research intern, learned about fishing spiders — large, semi-aquatic arachnids — during a discussion with an expert. Cherukutty, who worked with entomologist Jithu Unni Krishnan at the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), saw these spiders, soon after, on a field trip to the evergreen rainforests of the Western Ghats near Wayanad, Kerala. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Arjun Cherukutty, a research intern, learned about fishing spiders — large, semi-aquatic arachnids — during a discussion with an expert. Cherukutty, who worked with entomologist Jithu Unni Krishnan at the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), saw these spiders, soon after, on a field trip to the evergreen rainforests of the Western Ghats near Wayanad, Kerala. At that time, the team did not have the permissions to collect specimens from the wild for research. But six months later the spiders were seen again in an ecotourism resort in Wayanad. At the resort, the general manager David Raju, a citizen scientist, naturalist, and author, helped the team collect specimens of the fishing spiders to study. While the spiders are solitary organisms, they were found in dozens near the stream. This could be because the fragmented habitat provided a microniche for all the spiders found in the region. It also indicates the effectiveness in conserving the ecotourism spot. Cherukutty collected the spiders from both sexes, and along with Krishnan, conducted a detailed study of the new species, which is now named Dolomedes indicus sp. nov. The spider had been observed in some parts of India previously; the present study marks the first formal taxonomic description from India. Adapted to fish and swim Fishing or raft spiders have stringent survival conditions. They are mostly found along pristine, slow-moving water streams, within a temperature range of 18-24℃. Unlike other spiders that weave a web, fishing spiders spin a single silk thread with which they keep&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/scientists-describe-a-new-fishing-spider-species/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Climate change shaped primate populations in northeast India</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/climate-change-shaped-primate-populations-in-northeast-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/climate-change-shaped-primate-populations-in-northeast-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Dec 2025 10:58:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anusha Krishnan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gibbon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[macaques]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[monkeys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeast India]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/22161725/Capped_langur-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36193</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ecology, Evolution, Global Warming, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Himalayas, Mammals, Primates, Protected Areas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The forests of northeast India are home to one of the richest primate groups. This region, one of the most biodiverse on the subcontinent, has 14 primate species, including the Phayre’s leaf monkey, hoolock gibbon, Bengal slow loris, and several species of macaques and langurs. What is the story behind this abundance? The answer seems [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The forests of northeast India are home to one of the richest primate groups. This region, one of the most biodiverse on the subcontinent, has 14 primate species, including the Phayre’s leaf monkey, hoolock gibbon, Bengal slow loris, and several species of macaques and langurs. What is the story behind this abundance? The answer seems to be climate change and time. A study, published in Ecology &amp; Evolution, reveals that historic climate shifts played a decisive role in how these primates evolved, dispersed, and adapted to changing forests. The work used genetic data on nine primate species along with habitat modelling to trace how past climate change drove changes in primate populations. “This diversity is a consequence of different evolutionary trajectories followed by various species. We have analysed four different genera and each has exhibited unique characteristics. This will allow us to gain a deeper appreciation for the wildlife and geography of the region and hopefully may inspire more conservation efforts,” says Mihir Trivedi, the lead author, who is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Washington. The results also indicate that population sizes of all the species included in this study have steadily declined, and their habitats have shrunk. As climate change continues to sculpt habitats with shifts in warming, cooling, rainfall, and vegetation patterns, now, at an accelerated rate due to global warming, studies such as this raise important questions about species-specific responses to climate change. Tracing the population patterns of the past indicate that species-wise conservation measures&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/climate-change-shaped-primate-populations-in-northeast-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Scientists correct a century-old misidentified scorpion and describe a new species</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/scientists-correct-a-century-old-misidentified-scorpion-and-describe-a-new-species/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/scientists-correct-a-century-old-misidentified-scorpion-and-describe-a-new-species/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Nov 2025 12:28:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vandana K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arachnids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scorpions]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/17105040/live-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35589</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Endangered species, Environment, Evolution, and New species]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 1915, when India was under British colonial rule, English arachnologist Stanley Hirst described a new scorpion species from Coimbatore — Charmus indicus. It was based on a single immature specimen he had found. The yellowing pages of a report by the British Museum in 1916 also include a notable mention of this species under [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 1915, when India was under British colonial rule, English arachnologist Stanley Hirst described a new scorpion species from Coimbatore — Charmus indicus. It was based on a single immature specimen he had found. The yellowing pages of a report by the British Museum in 1916 also include a notable mention of this species under the section Arachnida, which was presented to the museum, alongside parasitic mites from Calcutta and Colombo. For over a century, scientists assumed C. indicus is widespread across peninsular India, said Shauri Sulakhe, a naturalist who heads the Scorpion Systematics Laboratory (SSL) at InSearch Environmental Society in Pune. But through fieldwork and DNA analysis, Indian researchers have now revealed that C. indicus was a case of mistaken identity — it is actually the same species as Charmus laneus, first described from Sri Lanka in 1879 by German arachnologist Ferdinand Karsch. The researchers were able to establish this based on the lack of physical differences in the appearances and low genetic divergence between the two species. This finding is part of a research paper published in the journal Diversity in May 2025. The researchers include Shauri Sulakhe, Deshabushan Bastawade, a senior retired scientist from Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Shubhankar Deshpande and eight others. The research was a result of collaboration between SSL, the Natural History Museum of Geneva in Switzerland and Charles University in the Czech Republic. Both India and Sri Lanka are major biodiversity hotspots but many of their endemic species are poorly studied. The&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/scientists-correct-a-century-old-misidentified-scorpion-and-describe-a-new-species/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/scientists-correct-a-century-old-misidentified-scorpion-and-describe-a-new-species/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Indian species, Gondwanan roots [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/hidden-gondwanan-flavours-in-our-kitchens-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/hidden-gondwanan-flavours-in-our-kitchens-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Jul 2025 11:18:01 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[R.J. Ranjit Daniels]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fossils]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geology]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/07/21102054/46826387694_d4c489b80d_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33687</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity and Evolution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Six hundred million years ago the world was very different. South America, Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, India subcontinent, Australia and Antarctica were joined together in the form of a ‘supercontinent’ called Gondwanaland. It was during this time that the earliest animals with bilateral symmetry may have first appeared. Terrestrial animal life was minimal, at [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Six hundred million years ago the world was very different. South America, Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, India subcontinent, Australia and Antarctica were joined together in the form of a ‘supercontinent’ called Gondwanaland. It was during this time that the earliest animals with bilateral symmetry may have first appeared. Terrestrial animal life was minimal, at least during the next 100 million years, if not more. Animals with backbones were absent. Four hundred and twenty million years later the situation changed. The world had become a domain of dinosaurs. It was then that Gondwanaland began to break up. Peninsular India started to drift northwards. The drifting biodiversity-raft progressed very slowly, until finally it became a part of the Asian mainland 45 million years ago. What life the raft carried with it, is not fully known. Fishes of the order Osteoglossiformes are living fossils; an Indian example is the feather-fin, which are fairly large and popularly eaten. Image by J.D. Marcus Knight. Living fossils An extant species of animal or plant with an ancient ancestry is popularly called a ‘living fossil’. There are many living fossils among animals (and plants) in India too. In fishes, for instance, the order Osteoglossiformes includes primitive species called ‘bony tongue’. Bony tongues are today found widely across the Earth’s continents. Yet, they all had a common ancestor in Gondwanaland. The most well-known among this order of fishes is probably the arowana, which is South American in origin. Yet only a few may know that we have&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/hidden-gondwanan-flavours-in-our-kitchens-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Indrella ampulla’s genetic tapestry unveils colour morphs isolated across the Palghat Gap</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/02/indrella-ampullas-genetic-tapestry-unveils-colour-morphs-isolated-across-the-palghat-gap/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/02/indrella-ampullas-genetic-tapestry-unveils-colour-morphs-isolated-across-the-palghat-gap/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Feb 2024 12:46:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gene flow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indrella ampulla]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[slug]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Western Ghats]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/02/05204056/DSC_6627-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=26371</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species, Beyond Protected Areas, and India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Evolution, Habitat Fragmentation, Research, and Western Ghats]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A recent study investigates the genetic flow among three colour variations of the semi-slug Indrella ampulla and finds that the Palghat Gap, a low mountain pass in the Western Ghats, is a significant barrier, isolating the red colour morph in the south from its yellow and orange counterparts in the north of the Gap. The [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A recent study investigates the genetic flow among three colour variations of the semi-slug Indrella ampulla and finds that the Palghat Gap, a low mountain pass in the Western Ghats, is a significant barrier, isolating the red colour morph in the south from its yellow and orange counterparts in the north of the Gap. The study also alludes to the influence of paleoclimatic conditions on the species’ genetic diversity. Endemic to the Western Ghats, Indrella ampulla comes in three distinct and vivid colour morphs — yellow, orange and red. The species belongs to the genus Indrella, which is a monotypic genus, a taxonomic category which houses only one species under its umbrella. Distinct from a snail or slug, Indrella not only carries a delicate shell on its back but also the distinction of being one of the most visually appealing understorey inhabitants in the biodiversity hotspot of the Western Ghats. Under duress, this semi-slug, despite possessing a shell, is unable to retreat into it. Instead, when faced with a predatory threat, Indrella froths at the shell. N. A. Aravind, a researcher at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE) who has extensively studied this species, notes that unlike other snails, Indrella does not produce a thick slime as a defence mechanism. Instead, it secretes a white foam to deter its sole known predator, the Cochin cane turtle (Vijayachelys silvatica). A yellow Indrella ampulla feeds on decomposing waste. Photo by Surya Narayanan. The activity period of Indrella ampulla&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/02/indrella-ampullas-genetic-tapestry-unveils-colour-morphs-isolated-across-the-palghat-gap/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/02/indrella-ampullas-genetic-tapestry-unveils-colour-morphs-isolated-across-the-palghat-gap/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>[Commentary] Why are evolutionary scientists studying the crawlies?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/08/commentary-why-are-evolutionary-scientists-studying-the-crawlies/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/08/commentary-why-are-evolutionary-scientists-studying-the-crawlies/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Aug 2023 09:22:38 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Somdatta Karak]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insects]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/08/13191955/Indian_Tiger_Centipede_20874281788-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=24038</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Evolution and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The monsoons have arrived at the Western Ghats. The PhD scholars and researchers from Jahnavi Joshi’s group at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad are in Kerala. They are getting ready to hike in the forests of the Agasthhyamalai Biosphere Reserve at Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary. Carrying ropes, rakes, shovels, forceps, sacks and bags, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The monsoons have arrived at the Western Ghats. The PhD scholars and researchers from Jahnavi Joshi’s group at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad are in Kerala. They are getting ready to hike in the forests of the Agasthhyamalai Biosphere Reserve at Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary. Carrying ropes, rakes, shovels, forceps, sacks and bags, tubes and jars with them, they are on a lookout for the multi-legged centipedes. Joshi leads the only research group in India that studies centipedes. And they stand out in the community for two reasons. One, most research groups that study centipedes focus on their taxonomy – naming, describing and classifying the different members of the family. Joshi’s group takes this work ahead. They use centipedes to understand the rules of ecology and evolution. The second reason they stand out is that most evolutionary biologists in India study either lab-bred model organisms or use wild vertebrates as models to address questions in evolution. Joshi’s group, on the other hand, studies invertebrates like centipedes and millipedes found in the wild that have evolved for millions of years, many of which are older than the vertebrates and are considered living fossils. Centipedes have been around on earth for about 400 million years and come in different sizes. Some are smaller than half a centimetre and some grow up to 30 cm. But it is rather difficult to morphologically identify the species differences in centipedes. Joshi’s group is on a mission to document the different ways the centipedes&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/08/commentary-why-are-evolutionary-scientists-studying-the-crawlies/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>New study traces the evolution of South Asia&#8217;s bulbuls to other parts of Asia and even Africa</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/12/new-study-traces-the-evolution-of-south-asias-bulbuls-to-other-parts-of-asia-and-even-africa/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/12/new-study-traces-the-evolution-of-south-asias-bulbuls-to-other-parts-of-asia-and-even-africa/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Dec 2021 15:44:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Malaka Rodrigo]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Nandithachandraprakash]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/12/10140551/red-whiskered-bulbul-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=16490</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia and South Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Endemic species, Environment, Evolution, Migration, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[South Asia has a rich diversity of bulbuls, and a new study has traced this bulbul diversity all the way to the Sundaland region of Southeast Asia, in the islands that today make up Indonesia and Malaysia. Bulbuls, the Pycnonotidae family of fruit-eating songbirds, number more than 150 species throughout Asia and Africa, with 24 [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[South Asia has a rich diversity of bulbuls, and a new study has traced this bulbul diversity all the way to the Sundaland region of Southeast Asia, in the islands that today make up Indonesia and Malaysia. Bulbuls, the Pycnonotidae family of fruit-eating songbirds, number more than 150 species throughout Asia and Africa, with 24 in South Asia, half of them endemic to the region. Genetic analysis now shows that these South Asian bulbuls trace their origins to Sundaland, coming in several waves of colonisation that crossed through mainland Southeast Asia to get to the Indian subcontinent. “When these bulbuls’ genetic identities are placed on the global bulbul evolution tree, they fit into different spots suggesting that these species occupied South Asia at different time periods,” said Ashish Jha, lead author of the new study and a researcher at the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species in Hyderabad. The yellow-eared bulbul (Pycnonotus penicillatus) is endemic to Sri Lanka and is commonly found in the hill country. Photo by Evarts Ranley. Jha and his colleagues compared the genetics of the South Asian bulbuls mainly with their Asian cousins to recreate a tree of evolution and map other factors to study their phylogeny, or how they developed over time. Data for some South Asian endemic bulbuls were missing from the existing global phylogeny of bulbuls, so the team used the available genetic data and supplemented it with genetic data of endemic species from India and Sri Lanka. The researchers put a special focus on&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/12/new-study-traces-the-evolution-of-south-asias-bulbuls-to-other-parts-of-asia-and-even-africa/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>[Interview] Science on a shoestring budget</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/05/interview-science-on-a-shoestring-budget/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/05/interview-science-on-a-shoestring-budget/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 May 2021 11:40:53 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anusha Krishnan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/05/04104738/Observation-by-RG-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=14059</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Evolution and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Ethologist and evolutionary ecologist, Raghavendra Gadagkar has been researching animal behavior for the last 25 years using simple, inexpensive, and exquisitely thought-out experiments. In his latest book, Experiments in Animal Behavior: Cutting-edge Research at Trifling Cost, which is freely downloadable, Gadagkar points out that scientists need not jump on to the bandwagon of ‘fashionable’ and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Ethologist and evolutionary ecologist, Raghavendra Gadagkar has been researching animal behavior for the last 25 years using simple, inexpensive, and exquisitely thought-out experiments. In his latest book, Experiments in Animal Behavior: Cutting-edge Research at Trifling Cost, which is freely downloadable, Gadagkar points out that scientists need not jump on to the bandwagon of ‘fashionable’ and mostly expensive research to address important scientific questions. Academia and Indian society must recognise and attach more social prestige to low-cost research. With descriptions of studies on common local organisms such as bees, ants, paper wasps, fish, frogs, and street dogs, the book fearlessly tackles the three most common misconceptions about the practice of science. One, that if any research is not immediately applicable to a problem, it is not worth pursuing. As Gadagkar puts it, the “usefulness of useless research” is unpredictable. A real-life example of this situation lies in the development of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines; if the idea of using mRNAs as vaccines had been dismissed as useless since it was ‘too farfetched’, some of the first vaccines against Covid-19 wouldn’t have been rolled out by the end of 2020. Two, that science must be relegated to academia alone. Science should not be practiced only through technical wizardry in an ivory tower; it must become a more democratic and widespread practice in society. Although citizen science projects are gaining popularity in India with initiatives like MigrantWatch and SeasonWatch, we are still a long way from practicing scientific thinking on a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/05/interview-science-on-a-shoestring-budget/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>When and from where did black pepper come to India?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/06/when-and-from-where-did-black-pepper-come-to-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/06/when-and-from-where-did-black-pepper-come-to-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Jun 2019 12:55:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[T. V. Padma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2019/06/18175250/Cover-image_pepper_AlphaTangoBravo_Adam-Baker-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=5661</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Endemic species, Evolution, and Plants]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new study has, for the first time, thrown light on when and from where black pepper (Piper nigrum) had come to India. The species arrived into India from Southeast Asia during the Miocene Age (23 million to 5 million years ago). The findings also put to rest alternate theories that the precious spice had [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new study has, for the first time, thrown light on when and from where black pepper (Piper nigrum) had come to India. The species arrived into India from Southeast Asia during the Miocene Age (23 million to 5 million years ago). The findings also put to rest alternate theories that the precious spice had gone out of peninsular India to the rest of Asia. The Indo-Canadian team of scientists who reported these findings said the Indian peninsula’s biodiversity has fascinated them because of its links with the ancient super-continent, Gondwanaland. Its rich biodiversity is the result of long-term evolution under a complex geological history and the tropical climate, the new study says. Once a part of Gondwanaland, peninsular India separated from Africa and started drifting away from Madagascar by the late Cretaceous Period (Mesozoic Era) 99-66 million years ago (MYA) and collided with Eurasia between 55 and 42 MYA. The two plates joined between 45 and 35 MYA, giving rise to the Himalayas. The chain of geological events &#8212; the isolation of the Indian plate after it split from Madagascar and its second separation from the rest of Eurasia triggered by the Himalayas after it crashed into the Eurasian plate – also meant that some species remained in-situ in the Indian continent and diversified from there, said the scientists. The Indo-Eurasian collision resulted in several species dispersing into and out of the sub-continent and several species from early (Gondwanan) Africa reaching Eurasia and later the Indian peninsula. In the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2019/06/when-and-from-where-did-black-pepper-come-to-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>How Sri Lanka got its lizards</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/11/how-sri-lanka-got-its-lizards/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/11/how-sri-lanka-got-its-lizards/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Nov 2018 12:48:08 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bhanu Sridharan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[evolution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gecko]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lizard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reptiles]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2018/10/31232915/Photo-3.1-e1541009771925-768x450.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=3011</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Endemic species, Evolution, Islands, and Reptiles]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Most households in South Asia would have at some point given shelter to the common house gecko Hemidactylus frenatus. This pale colourless reptile inhabiting the corners of our ceilings, has inspired several ancient myths and superstitions that persist to this day. And now scientists are hoping that the species and its relatives, other Hemidactylus geckos, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Most households in South Asia would have at some point given shelter to the common house gecko Hemidactylus frenatus. This pale colourless reptile inhabiting the corners of our ceilings, has inspired several ancient myths and superstitions that persist to this day. And now scientists are hoping that the species and its relatives, other Hemidactylus geckos, will help tell an even more ancient story – that of the origins of the Indian sub-continent and the island of Sri Lanka. Though separated by the Indian ocean, Peninsular India and Sri Lanka share much of their natural heritage. From massive elephants to tiny rodents, many creatures that are Indian are also Sri Lankan. But there are also differences. Like other island ecosystems, Sri Lanka is also home to several endemic species, found nowhere in the world. What causes this dichotomy? “One way of addressing this question is by understanding how species assembled in a particular region over evolutionary timescales,” said Aparna Lajmi, an evolutionary biologist at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore. The common house gecko, Hemidactlylus frenatus, is widespread across south and southeast Asia. Photo by Basile Morin/Wikimedia Commons. There are two common theories for how any ecosystem develops its set of species. One is by dispersing from the place of origin. Plants and animals constantly look for ways to move across the landscape and colonise new regions but, as Lajmi points out, this is dictated by whether they can reach the place. “If it is very accessible, assembly of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2018/11/how-sri-lanka-got-its-lizards/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Following the sound trail: pulling India&#8217;s cicadas out of oblivion</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/10/following-the-sound-trail-pulling-indias-cicadas-out-of-oblivion/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/10/following-the-sound-trail-pulling-indias-cicadas-out-of-oblivion/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Oct 2018 09:38:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manupriya]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2018/10/09180908/CicadaHeader-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=2723</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Goa and Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Animals, Endemic species, Evolution, Insects, and New species]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On a wet rainy day in 2014, Kiran Marathe was busy looking for loud, clamorous cicadas hiding in the bushes, in Verlem district in South Goa. Marathe, a young 20-something researcher from the National Centre of Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, works on one of India’s most under-studied species of insects &#8212; the cicadas. Since 2013, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[On a wet rainy day in 2014, Kiran Marathe was busy looking for loud, clamorous cicadas hiding in the bushes, in Verlem district in South Goa. Marathe, a young 20-something researcher from the National Centre of Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, works on one of India’s most under-studied species of insects &#8212; the cicadas. Since 2013, he has been combing the Western Ghats looking for cicadas. On June 16 2014 in Verlem, on his trail in search of loud cicadas, Marathe heard a feeble “crick” like sound. “I was intrigued because it sounded like a cicada but not loud enough,” he said. A little bit of poking around revealed a really tiny cicada. At first, he saw only one, but soon enough found several of them on the undersides of leaves on bushes. It was raining and Marathe’s field equipment was refusing to comply. His camera wouldn’t switch on and unfortunately, he did not have a sound recorder with him that day. He could take no pictures and record no sound, but he did manage to collect several samples of the tiny cicada. Anatomical studies of the samples revealed the tiny cicada to be a new species that Marathe and his colleagues named Rustia minuta, on account of its small size. Fast forward three years from that day in Verlem, Marathe and his colleagues found another new species of cicada in July 2017, this time in the Honey Valley estate in Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka. Again a small cicada, but&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2018/10/following-the-sound-trail-pulling-indias-cicadas-out-of-oblivion/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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