Scottnema
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''Scottnema lindsayae'' is a species of
nematode The nematodes ( or ; ; ), roundworms or eelworms constitute the phylum Nematoda. Species in the phylum inhabit a broad range of environments. Most species are free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but many are parasitic. Parasitic worms (h ...
belonging to the family Cephalobidae. First described in 1971, it is
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to Antarctica and most commonly found in the
McMurdo Dry Valleys The McMurdo Dry Valleys are a row of largely Antarctic oasis, snow-free valleys in Antarctica, located within Victoria Land west of McMurdo Sound. The Dry Valleys experience extremely low humidity and surrounding mountains prevent the flow of ...
. ''S. lindsayae'', a microscopic worm, feeds on microbes, including bacteria, yeast, and algae. Adapted to very cold and dry climates, its population may be decreasing as a result of
climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
.


Taxonomy

''S. lindsayae'' is the only described member of ''Scottnema''. Originally described by R. W. Timm (1971), it was named after the polar explorer Robert Scott and the collector of the
holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...
specimen, Kay Lindsay.


Description and lifecycle

''S. lindsayae'' is between half a millimeter and a millimeter in length and between two and four
micrometers The micrometre (Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a unit of length in the International System ...
in width. ''S. lindsayae'' reproduces sexually, with females laying eggs. The minimum observed lifecycle length at is 218 days, with four juvenile stages outside of the egg. As it enters hibernation during Antarctic winters, ''S. lindsayae'' likely needs more than one summer to complete one lifecycle. Temperatures above were harmful to its reproductive cycle, with development being significantly impaired at . As a result, significantly warming temperatures in Antarctic may pose a threat to this species. In 2006, the population had decreased by 65% since 1993.


Habitat

''S. lindsayae'' is one of three nematodes found in the soil of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and the only one endemic to the continent. It has also been found in other parts of Antarctica, including
East Ongul Island East Ongul Island is an island in the Flatvaer Islands off of Antarctica. It is long, lying immediately east of the northern part of Ongul Island at the east side of the entrance of Lutzow-Holm Bay. East Ongul Island this island was original ...
and Admiralty Bay. In the dry valleys, ''S. lindsayae'' is the dominant nematode, representing about 80% of the worms recorded, especially in the colder and drier parts where other species often cannot be found. It is also more common at higher altitudes. Found as far south as 83.48 degrees, it is the southernmost worm species recorded.


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q21299221 Rhabditida Fauna of Antarctica Nematodes described in 1971 Species that are or were threatened by climate change