[OT] This is cool!

I didn't think something like this could happen anymore!
Joyce

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Eight New Animal Species Found in Israeli Cave
Matthew Kalman
San Francisco Chronicle Foreign Service
Thursday, June 1, 2006

Jerusalem -- A chance discovery by a teenage enthusiast has revealed
the existence of eight previously unknown animal species in an
underground cave in central Israel.

The unique creatures were discovered in a huge cavern 328 feet below
ground, which experts said had probably remained untouched for
millions of years.

Scientists at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem said the discovery
includes the first recorded example of a land animal species unknown
to the Earth's surface.

Matan Avital, an 18-year-old student from Beit Horon near Jerusalem,
stumbled across the animals this month while exploring a newly
discovered network of underground tunnels in a cement quarry near the
main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway.

"I went down to check out an underground lake we found in this huge
cavern when I noticed there were tiny animals swimming around in the
water," Avital said. "We managed to catch one, and when we showed it
to the experts, they said they had never seen anything like it
before. It was a totally new animal.

"It was very exciting. I've always been interested in nature, but now
I'm thinking of studying in this field when I go to university,"
Avital said.

The teenage explorer had been volunteering at the geography
department of the Hebrew University during an off year between
leaving school and entering the Israeli army.

He said some of the underground tunnels were barely large enough to
crawl through, while others had perilous drops that could only be
negotiated with climbing gear.

The cave, which is more than 1.5 miles long, is Israel's
second-largest limestone cave. It was uncovered during routine
digging in a cement quarry near the town of Ramle.

Yoel Feldschue, managing director of Nesher Industries, a cement
manufacturer that operates the site, said the company would cease
digging to preserve the cave network and allow the scientists to
continue their research.

Avital's discovery led scientists at the Hebrew University in
Jerusalem to discover a total of four waterborne crustaceans and four
terrestrial species in and around the underground lake. The largest
of the animals is an albino crustacean about 2 inches long with a
cigar-shaped body, six legs and two pincerlike claws. The creature
appears to be related to species found in only three other places --
southern Italy, the coast of Libya and the northern corner of the
nearby Sea of Galilee, scientists say.

But initial tests show that this animal's DNA and physical structure
are different from the others. Like all species discovered in the
cave, it has no eyes and is blind because there is no daylight at the
site.

Two of the aquatic crustaceans were sal****er species, while the
other two were freshwater, suggesting they arrived in the cave from
different sources at different times. All but one -- a tiny scorpion
-- were found alive. The scientists said they were confident further
exploration would yield live examples of this creature as well.

The animals have been sent for laboratory testing by experts around
the world. They have not yet been named and cannot be until their
full descriptions and classifications have been accepted and
published in scientific journals. The sealed cavern, dubbed the
Ayalon Cave by the scientists, is impermeable to rainwater because of
a thick layer of chalk above the roof.

Scientists believe that the cave has been isolated from the outside
world for millions of years, creating a unique ecosystem. The
temperature of the water inside the cave is 87.8 degrees, 12.6 warmer
than surface water, suggesting it was fed by sources deep inside the
Earth, scientists said.

"This is the first discovery of terrestrial animals found only in a
cave and not on the surface. Ecologically, this is a unique cave
unparalleled anywhere else in the world," said Hanan Dimentman of the
Hebrew University Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences.
"Water, nutrients and animals cannot enter from above. It has been
isolated from above for millennia."

Dimentman said there were no plants in the cavern because a lack of
sunlight rules out photosynthesis, but he identified several bacteria
that serve as the basic food supporting the unique life system.

"The eight species found thus far are only the beginning" of what
promises to be "a fantastic biodiversity," said Dimentman, adding
that he expects further exploration to reveal more unique species.

This is REALLY cool. It gives me goosebumps (good ones). Thanks for
posting.

Cantate

it shows how much of our world we still have left to discover what other
secrets can man or woman discover if we actually took the time to care
about the world.

Of god or man comes to mind


"Cantate" wrote in message
ups.com...
This is REALLY cool. It gives me goosebumps (good ones). Thanks for
posting.

Cantate

wrote:
I didn't think something like this could happen anymore!

New species are discovered every day. Some scientists say most lifeforms
in the planet have not been identified yet. Granted, most of these are
insects or unicellular organisms.

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

Victor Martinez wrote:

New species are discovered every day. Some scientists say most lifeforms
in the planet have not been identified yet. Granted, most of these are
insects or unicellular organisms.

This is true. And most of them are in the ocean. What was fascinating
about this was that some of these were land animals that weren't bugs.

Joyce

wrote in message
...
Victor Martinez wrote:

New species are discovered every day. Some scientists say most lifeforms
in the planet have not been identified yet. Granted, most of these are
insects or unicellular organisms.

This is true. And most of them are in the ocean. What was fascinating
about this was that some of these were land animals that weren't bugs.


I really fail to understand why we can travel into outer space, but can't
explore the part of our own planet that is under water.

How deep is the Mariana Trench, and how far down can we explore and collect
samples? Who cares whets on Mars?

Jo

Jo Firey wrote:

I really fail to understand why we can travel into outer space, but
can't explore the part of our own planet that is under water.

Don't we? I thought there was a lot of oceanic (and freshwater, too)
exploration.

Joyce

wrote in message
...
Jo Firey wrote:

I really fail to understand why we can travel into outer space, but
can't explore the part of our own planet that is under water.

Don't we? I thought there was a lot of oceanic (and freshwater, too)
exploration.

Joyce

Yes there is a lot. But there are still places we can't reach. Or even send
"explorers"

Jo

On 2006-06-02, Jo Firey penned:

I really fail to understand why we can travel into outer space, but
can't explore the part of our own planet that is under water.

How deep is the Mariana Trench, and how far down can we explore and
collect samples? Who cares whets on Mars?

I guess it's easier to build something for very little pressure than
to build something to withstand extremely high pressure.

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

On 2006-06-02, Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
On 2006-06-02, Jo Firey penned:

I really fail to understand why we can travel into outer space, but
can't explore the part of our own planet that is under water.

How deep is the Mariana Trench, and how far down can we explore and
collect samples? Who cares whets on Mars?

I guess it's easier to build something for very little pressure than
to build something to withstand extremely high pressure.
In any case there is a great deal of underwater exploration being done.
Not by cats, however.