New river dolphin species discovered in Brazil. It is the first time this has happened since the end of the First World War. It is called Araguaian Boto or Boto-do-Araguaia and they gave it the name of the watercourse in which it was found, the Araguaia. It is the fifth of its kind in the world, at least among those so far known by scientists.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
New river dolphin species discovered in Brazil. It is the first time this has happened since the end of the First World War. It is called Araguaian Boto or Boto-do-Araguaia and they gave it the name of the watercourse in which it was found, the Araguaia. It is the fifth of its kind in the world, at least among those so far known by scientists.
In their study, published in the journal Plos One, the researchers argue that it is separated from the other South Americans two million years ago. There are an estimated 1.000 individuals living in this tributary of the Amazon River, which is more than 2600 kilometers long.
“It is very similar to the others - explains the author, Dr. Tomas Hrbek, of the Federal University of Amazonas -. It was something very unexpected, it is in an area where people always see it, is a large mammal, the fact is that no one must have observed well. It is very exciting “.
Scientists say there are some differences in the number of teeth and they suspect the Araguaia River species is smaller, but most of the clues have been found in the genes. Analyzing DNA samples from dozens of dolphins in both rivers, the team concluded that the creature inhabiting the Araguaia River is indeed a new species. There is no lineage sharing. Mitochondrial DNA says so.
River dolphins are among the rarest creatures in the world. But also among those most at risk of extinction, affected by habitat loss, boat accidents and indiscriminate hunting. According to the IUCN, there are only four known species and three of them are on the red list because they are critically endangered. The new species, due to the threats it faces, should also be classified as Vulnerable on the Red List, the authors say.
These dolphins are only distant relatives of their sea cousins - they tend to have long beaks that allow the hunting of fish in the mud at the bottom of the rivers. One of the best known species, the Baiji, or Yangtze River dolphin, was believed to be extinct in 2006, only to be reborn in 2007.
Roberta Ragni
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