Several new species of tropical birds have been found on remote islands in Indonesia. Researchers have discerned the Wakatobi sunbird, a new species that lives on the small Wakatobi Islands, located in central Indonesia. They also studied olive-backed (橄榄背的) sunbirds and black sunbirds and found that some of the birds they examined actually belonged to some previously unrecognized species.

The new Wakatobi sunbird looks similar to the olive-backed sunbird, but has darker feathers, shorter wings, and a higher-toned song. Zoologists believe that because it has such short wings, it never spread beyond the tiny islands. The olive-backed sunbird, however, can fly long distances, so it was able to inhabit other locations.

These discoveries were part of a long-time cooperation between scientists at Trinity College Dublin and Universitas Halu Oleo in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

“Specifically, we became interested in the Wakatobi sunbird because of the work of Ernst Hartert, a German bird expert active at the beginning of the 20^th century,” Fionn O Marcaigh, first author on the paper, says. “He described the Wakatobi sunbird as a population with distinctive dark feathers, but he and the rest of the scientific community eventually decided that it was only a subspecies of the widespread olive-backed sunbird. We were eager to use modern methods to put this to the test.”

For their research, scientists used DNA, recordings of songs and body measurement analysis to compare the sunbirds they studied, “We used a system called integrative taxonomy, which combines data on a number of aspects of the birds, including their songs, feathers, and body structures,” O Marcaigh says. “We recorded their songs using digital recorders, measured live birds caught and released by licensed netters, and used computational statistics to analyze the differences.” The scientists also obtained genetic samples which they analyzed in the lab and they found that the patterns they found were also reflected in the birds’ DNA.

“I’m excited that we’ve added to the list of known species from this wonderful part of the world,” O Marcaigh says.

It’s a common belief that cats hate water. They don’t beg to play with water or jump in a pond or pool like dogs do. But what makes them hate one of the most plentiful substances on Earth? They have to drink it to survive, so what’s the big deal?

The easy answer is that they’re just not used to being wet. Cats clean themselves by licking (舔), so humans don’t usually bother to introduce them to bathing in water the way we do with dogs. Show cats, for example, to learn very early on to take baths and they don’t have that typical fear of water. If you want a cat that likes water, introduce it as a kitten to the idea that water is nice. Ideally, you start introducing them to water during their socialization period before they reach l6 weeks old.

The cat’s preference for bathing itself without any help from humans is another factor in its dislike of water. All that licking means cats have little oil buildup on their fur. Oil helps avoid water, so when cats do get wet, the water soaks all the way down to their skin. It makes their fur feel heavy and they can feel less quick and flexible.

We also use water for punishment. When they jump on the counter or lick our bowl of yogurt, or scratch (抓) the arm of the couch, we often spray (喷洒) them with water. It works because it’s an unpleasant surprise. It’s cold and uncomfortable, so they stop the behavior we don’t want them to do and run off to stare at us from a distance.

But not all cats hate all water. Big cats — like tigers — often even go for a dip. Even house cats like to drink from running water or play at the edge of a filled bathtub. They seem to enjoy the splashy noise and the sparkle of light on the water’s surface. Some breeds of pet cats even like to swim!

On March 22, 2021, the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution published a new map of undiscovered species. This new effort is of great importance for Walter Jetz, study co-author and professor at Yale University, US. “At the current pace of global environmental change, there is no doubt that many species will die out before we have ever learned about their existence and had the chance to consider their fate,” Jetz said.

Less than a decade ago, Yale researchers mapped out the world’s life. Now Yale researchers have launched a more ambitious project—creating a map where life has yet to be discovered, whose goal is to help support biodiversity discovery and preservation across the globe. According to the researchers, “Conservative estimates suggest only 13 to 18 percent of all living species have been identified, although this number could be as low as 1.5 percent.” In the rapidly changing global environment, researchers are racing against time to discover the remaining species.

“Finding the missing pieces of the Earth’s biodiversity puzzle is therefore crucial to improve biodiversity conservation worldwide, ” explained lead author Mario Moura, a biologist at the Federal University of Paraiba in Brazil. The map of undiscovered life is based on a model estimating where unknown species likely exist today, based on environmental, biological and sociological factors. The most undiscovered vertebrates (脊 椎 动 物) —potentially 25 percent of all future discoveries — are expected to live in Brazil, Colombia, Madagascar and Indonesia. Tropical forests in these countries need protection and we must stop deforestation (滥砍滥伐) rates to discover our biodiversity.

“It is a fascinating project that allows us to better know biodiversity patterns on the planet, ” Moura said. “We hope to motivate citizen scientists and biodiversity enthusiasts about the importance of species discovery and ignite (点燃) discussions and agreements from those responsible for decision-making and conservation planning.”