Long believed to be extinct on the main island of Lord Howe Island, the wood-feeding cockroach was found at the foot of a single Banyan tree. A University of Sydney biology student has uncovered a large, wingless, wood-eating cockroach that was believed to be extinct since the 1930s and is unique
Long believed to be extinct on the main island of Lord Howe Island, the wood-feeding cockroach was found at the foot of a single Banyan tree.biology student has uncovered a large, wingless, wood-eating cockroach that was believed to be extinct since the 1930s and is unique to Australia’s Lord Howe Island.
University of Sydney Honours student Maxim Adams under the banyan tree where they made the surprise discovery. Credit: Nicholas Carlile/NSW DPE “These cockroaches are almost like our very own version of Darwin’s finches, separated on little islands over thousands or millions of years developing their own unique genetics,” he added.
“There is still so much to learn,” said Professor Lo, head of the Molecular Ecology, Evolution, and Phylogenetics Lab in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences. “We are hoping to study their habitat, behaviors, and genetics and learn more about how they managed to survive, through further experiments on the island.”
They carry specialized micro-organisms in their guts that help digest the cellulose in the wood. Females give birth to nymphs which stay in family groups with the adults. But the unique arthropods behave differently and may have been misnamed.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
David Taylor's Decades, 5 Years in the Making, Debut at Thought BubbleDecades is a 172-page graphic novel serial killer thriller by Scottish cartoonist David Taylor. Recently successfully Kickstarted, it will make its retail
Read more »
Here's How Different The Hottest Man Alive Was For 'Old People' Vs. Teenagers For Over 20 YearsIt's basically like who your mom thought was hot vs. who you thought was hot.
Read more »
The Moon Had Volcanoes Much More Recently Than We Thought, Says New StudyFifty years ago, NASA and the Soviet space program conducted the first sample-return missions from the Moon.
Read more »
Perspective | Food for thought: Mostly bad thoughts, actuallyPity the poor mother (invariably, the mother) who had to cook in the 1950s, ’60s and/or ’70s.
Read more »
Artists offer food for thought in dual fall exhibits at the Wexner Center for the ArtsA pair of fall exhibits, 'Your Monsters, Our Idols' and 'Sharing Circles,' will be on view through Dec. 30 at the Wexner Center for the Arts.
Read more »
Sylvester Stallone Gets Candid About Career, Regrets, Feuds: “I Thought I Knew Everything”At 76 years old, the Hollywood icon is still fighting: On his battle for the 'Rocky' rights, the future of 'Rambo,' his pivot to TV (‘Tulsa King’ and a reality show), and the time he turned down $34 million for a movie role.
Read more »