New species described! Scientists unveil a fascinating find in Indonesia

In a new study, published in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club and led by a BirdLife scientist, a colourful honeyeater has been described from the little-known island of Babar in Indonesia.

The beautiful Banda Myzomela occurs across three remote island groups in Indonesia, called the Banda Islands, Tanimbars and Babar.

Feeding on nectar and small invertebrates, males of this charismatic species are distinguished by their vibrant black and red plumage. 

Until now, scientists believed Banda Myzomela occurred as two subspecies (one on the Banda Islands, and another on Tanimbar and Babar).

This means that while these two groups were considered slightly different, they were thought able to interbreed and therefore represent a single species.

However, a new collaborative study led by a BirdLife scientist reveals that the two subspecies differ in plumage, size and – critically – song. 

Careful analyses of voice recordings reveal that birds on the Tanimbar and Babar islands, once thought to be identical, actually have entirely different songs.

As the authors wrote, the analysed complex songs are likely to ‘function as a barrier to mate recognition and reproduction’, and they concluded that the three populations were unlikely to breed with one another and therefore should be treated as three species.

Given the Babar population did not have a scientific name – a formality necessary for the recognition of a new species – they called it Myzomela babarensis.

Lead scientist and Red List Officer at BirdLife International, Alex Berryman explained: ‘‘The exciting discovery of distinct differences in the three populations of Banda Myzomela led us to propose recognition of three species.

Plastic legacy seen in larvae cases

Microplastic fragments have been found in the casings built by larvae of the caddisfly (Trichoptera) group of insects from as far back as 1971.

Taking advantage of a large caddisfly collection at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, the Netherlands, biologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra and his colleagues carefully analysed the larval casings under a microscope.

They saw that the larvae have been incorporating fragments of plastic into their homes for at least fifty years, pushing back the earliest sign of microplastics in these freshwater environments by 47 years, from 2018 to 1971.

A bitter fungus to swallow

Scientists have identified the molecules in Amaropostia stiptica that give the fungus its incredibly bitter taste.

The team isolated molecules produced by A. stiptica and tested whether they activated human bitterness receptors in lab-grown cells.

They found three new molecules that activated at least one type of bitterness receptor, in addition to several previously known ones.

One of the new compounds, named oligoporin D by the team, activated a swathe of taste receptors at a minute concentration — the equivalent of about 1 gram in 106 bathtubs full of water — which earns it a place among the most potently bitter chemicals ever discovered.

FDA moves away from animal research

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is dropping animal-testing requirements for some new drugs, including monoclonal antibodies.

Instead, the agency will encourage researchers to test drugs’ toxicity and efficacy in alternative systems, including computer models and miniature devices known as organs-on-chips that mimic human tissues.

Although some animal rights advocates applauded the move, some researchers question whether these alternative models can mimic human systems well enough to replace animals.

Given that most drug regulators worldwide still require animal testing, said analysts at investment bank Leerink Partners, “we expect minimal near-term impact on pharmaceutical preclinical testing.”

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