The Kimberley Throws Out Another New Species

Acanthophis cryptoamudros kimberley death adder
You would think that all the snakes in Australia are known.  However a new species has been found.  It is a death adder in the Acanthopis family.  Official named Acanthophis cryptoamudros the Kimberley death adder is two thirds of a meter long.  Like many snakes its head is diamond shaped.

Adders hide and blend in with the underbrush then ambush prey.  Four legged reptiles and small mammals are the main food.  Oddly, the new adder does not look like other adders.  It is similar to snakes of other species.

Australia has been a happy hunting ground for scientists recently.  Many new animals have been identified.  The search goes on in this sparsely populated region of the dry continent.    New species include: shark, dolphin, antechinus, seadragon, lizard, fish and spider, ,     A new water flower has also been discovered.
◆Biology by Ty Buchanan ◆
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THE KIMBERLEY IS THE CENTER OF DISCOVERY FOR NEW SPECIES
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Fox Night Out

"I enjoyed the night out.  How about you?"
Funny Animal Pictures
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FOXES NIGHT ON THE TILES DRINKING
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New Finding for Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever

Catching dengue fever is a constant fear in Australia. Like malaria it is spread by mosquitoes. Its full name Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever. You can become very sick indeed if you develop the hemorrhagic form, though it seldom causes death.
A patient with Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever showing red spots of hemorrhage
Drugs made for sepsis infection are being used to treat dengue in mice. They has yet to be used on humans. Hopefully new methods for early detection and treatment with drugs will stop progression to the severe dengue.

A new finding could move treatment along a bit. The dengue virus NS1 protein causes immune cells to "leak" blood vessels. TLR4 is the pathway that triggers the response. Some existing drugs do block this pathway. Ironically, many of them did not stop sepsis. They were failures!

Other diseases also use the NS1 method of infection. Work has to be done to explore the battery of drugs already available to hopefully find successful treatments for these related illnesses.
◆ Chemistry by Ty Buchanan ◆
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SIGNIFICANT FINDING ABOUT DENGUE FEVER
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Tickle Tortoise

Stop tortoise being tickled by a toothbrush
"Stop!  Stop!  It tickles."
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TICKLING A TORTOISE
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Volcanic Chain Found in Australia

Scientists have always said that Australia is the safest country on earth in regard to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.  Now we find that this is totally wrong.  A massive volcanic chain has been discovered stretching from Hillsborough in central Queensland in a straight line down to Cosgrove in Victoria, then into the sea.
Cosgrove hot spot volcanic chain north to south in the east of australia
The Australian continent has moved right over the top of the chain leaving volcanoes under the sea in Bass Strait.  Yellowstone in North America is only a third as long as the new Australian hot spot.  It is unusual because it is not located on a tectonic plate boundary.  This type of volcanic chain was not thought to exist.

A weakness above a mantle plume has allowed volcanoes to break through to the surface.  The mantle is 3,000 kilometers below.  The Cosgrove hot spot could become active especially in the south where it is younger.  This could happen as the Australian tectonic plate is the fastest moving on the planet.

Active volcanoes normally exist where the mantle is less than 100 kilometers thick on average.  Cosgrove is 150 kilometers thick at its greatest.  This is not a law for activity.  Eruptions are still possible.  Seismic activity is occurring off the north coast of Tasmania.
◆ Science by Ty Buchanan ◆
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WORLD'S LONGEST CONTINENTAL VOLCANIC CHAIN DISCOVERED IN AUSTRALIA
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