Saturday, October 8, 2011

A Second Living Fossil


I was looking through some new species and found an article on Glypheids and the discovery of a new living fossil

The Glypheids, a group of crustaceans thought to have gone extinct about 50 million years ago, can now boast two living species. Originally collected in 1906 but not identified until 1975, Neoglyphea inopinata proved to be a fantastic discovery of a "living fossil". Since 1975, new specimens of N. inopinata have been collected. However, in October 2005, a second living Gypheid species was discovered.
Bertrand Richer de Forges found a strange shrimp in the results of a deep trawl. While this shrimp superficially resembled N. inopinata, Dr. Richer de Forges suspected that it was a new species. Later, his discovery was confirmed by two colleagues in France and Singapore as a new species of the Genus Neoglyphea. Further study of this specimen has led to the suggestion that this may, indeed, be a whole new genus of Glypheid (tentatively named Laurentaeglyphea) as opposed to just a new species.
While little is known about the specifics of this crustacean's ecology, the discovery of its existence has been compared, in terms of importance, to the discovery of the second coelacanth species in Indonesia in 1998.
However, it is known, from where it was captured, that it inhabits the rocky slopes of seamounts, and that, because of its highly developed eyes and strong pseudochelae, that it is likely a predator. While little is known about this species, scientists suggest that this little shrimp has large implications for marine science. The discovery of this living fossil suggests that the relatively unexplored deep ocean and the isolated seamounts in the deep ocean could act as reservoirs or refuges for species that may not be found elsewhere. Likewise, the fact that this species has had such longevity through million of years with no apparent change can have implications in the fields of genetics and evolutionary ecology.

The implications of a living fossil are profound.  Not only do living fossils offer insight into the past, but they also prove that  old species can be rediscovered through ocean expeditions.  Just imagine how many other living fossils are out there!  While we probably won't find a plesiosaur or a liopleurodon, other smaller species must exist which can then be discovered to offer insights.  I mean, the discoveries of these new species go beyond archaeology-medical advances, biological innovations, and even new foods can stem from these living fossils.  The possibilities are truly endless.

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