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Acutuncus
''Acutuncus'' is a genus of tardigrades containing a single species, ''Acutuncus antarcticus''. Tardigrades, which are eight-legged micro-animals, are commonly referred to as water bears or moss piglets and are found all over the world in varying extreme habitats. First discovered in 1904 and originally named ''Hypsibius antarcticus'', ''Acutuncus antarcticus'' is the most abundant tardigrade species in Antarctica. Morphology The body size of this species varies from 373.8 - 452.9 μm long, having a smooth cuticle and segmented body that appears white or transparent, and four pairs of legs with claws.Kagoshima, H., Imura, S., & Suzuki, A. C. (2013). "Molecular and morphological analysis of an Antarctic tardigrade, Acutuncus antarcticus". Journal of Limnology, 72(1s). doi:10.4081/jlimnol.2013.s1.e The intestines may appear green in color, due to a herbivorous diet consisting but not limited to cyanobacteria and green algae. ''A. antarcticus'' have relatively large eyes and a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hypsibiidae
The Hypsibiidae are a family of water bears or moss piglets, tardigrades in the class Eutardigrada. Subfamilies and genera * Subfamily Diphasconinae ** '' Diphascon'' ** '' Hebesuncus'' ** '' Paradiphascon'' * Subfamily Hypsibiinae ** ''Acutuncus'' ** '' Doryphoribius'' ** '' Eremobiotus'' ** ''Halobiotus'' ** '' Hypsibius'' ** '' Isohypsibius'' ** '' Mixibius'' ** '' Pseudobiotus'' ** '' Ramajendas'' ** ''Ramazzottius ''Ramazzottius'' is a genus of water bear or moss piglet, a tardigrada, tardigrade in the class Eutardigrada, named after the Italian zoologist Giuseppe Ramazzotti. ''Ramazzottius varieornatus'' (see image) is a terrestrial invertebrate that is ...'' ** '' Thulinius'' * Subfamily Itaquasconinae ** '' Astatumen'' ** '' Itaquascon'' ** '' Mesocrista'' ** '' Parascon'' ** '' Platicrista'' References Tardigrade families Polyextremophiles {{Tardigrade-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tardigrade
Tardigrades (), known colloquially as water bears or moss piglets, are a phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals. They were first described by the German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773, who called them . In 1776, the Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani named them Tardigrada, which means 'slow walkers'. They live in diverse regions of Earth's biospheremountaintops, the deep sea, tropical rainforests, and the Antarctic. Tardigrades are among the most resilient animals known, with individual species able to survive extreme conditions – such as exposure to extreme temperatures, extreme pressures (both high and low), air deprivation, radiation, dehydration, and starvation – that would quickly kill most other forms of life. Tardigrades have survived exposure to outer space. There are about 1,500 known species in the phylum Tardigrada, a part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa. The earliest known fossil is from the Cambrian, some 500 million years ago ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology (biology), morphology, behaviour, or ecological niche. In addition, palaeontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. The most recent rigorous estimate for the total number of species of eukaryotes is between 8 and 8.7 million. About 14% of these had been described by 2011. All species (except viruses) are given a binomial nomenclature, two-part name, a "binomen". The first part of a binomen is the name of a genus to which the species belongs. The second part is called the specific name (zoology), specific name or the specific ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cryptobiosis
Cryptobiosis or anabiosis is a metabolic state in extremophilic organisms in response to adverse environmental conditions such as desiccation, freezing, and oxygen deficiency. In the cryptobiotic state, all measurable metabolic processes stop, preventing reproduction, development, and repair. When environmental conditions return to being hospitable, the organism will return to its metabolic state of life as it was prior to cryptobiosis. Forms Anhydrobiosis Anhydrobiosis is the most studied form of cryptobiosis and occurs in situations of extreme desiccation. The term ''anhydrobiosis'' derives from the Greek for "life without water" and is most commonly used for the desiccation tolerance observed in certain invertebrate animals such as bdelloid rotifers, tardigrades, brine shrimp, nematodes, and at least one insect, a species of chironomid ('' Polypedilum vanderplanki''). However, other life forms exhibit desiccation tolerance. These include the resurrection plant ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, being about 40% larger than Europe, and has an area of . Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of . Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest of the continents, and it has the highest average elevation. It is mainly a polar desert, with annual Climate of Antarctica#Precipitation, precipitation of over along the coast and far less inland. About 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen in Antarctica, which, if melted, would raise global sea levels by almost . Antarctica holds the record for the Lowest temperature recorded on Earth, lowest measured temperature on Earth, . The coastal regions can reach temperatures over in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Georgia Island
South Georgia is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east–west direction, South Georgia is around long and has a maximum width of . The terrain is mountainous, with the central ridge rising to at Mount Paget. The northern coast is indented with numerous bays and fjords, serving as harbor, harbours. Discovered by Europeans in 1675, South Georgia had no indigenous population due to its harsh climate and remoteness. Captain James Cook in made the first landing, survey and mapping of the island. On 17 January 1775, Cook claimed it a British possession, naming it "Isle of Georgia" after George III, King George III. Through its history of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, history, it served as a whaling and seal hunting base, with intermittent population scattere ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Sandwich Islands
The South Sandwich Islands () are a chain of uninhabited volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. They are administered as part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The chain lies in the sub-Antarctic region, about southeast of South Georgia and northeast from the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The archipelago comprises 11 main islands forming an island arc running north–south, the largest being Montagu at . It is divided into four groups, from north to south: The Traversay, Candlemas and Central Islands ( Saunders, Montagu, and Bristol), and Southern Thule. The archipelago is prone to violent earthquakes. Over the previous century, nine M 7+ earthquakes have occurred here, the most recent being the M 8.1 in August 2021. None of these earthquakes are known to have caused fatalities due to their remote location. History The southern eight islands of the South Sandwich Islands were discovered by Captain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
