Olive Sea Snake Can Sense Light With The Skin On The Tip Of Its Tail
Points clés
- The olive sea snake has the ability to perceive light with the skin on the tip of its tail, apart from its eyes.
- In the study led by Jenna Crowe-Riddell, 17 sea snakes from 8 different species were tested.
- It is thought that this ability evolved in the common ancestor of the Aipysurus genus and affects about 10 percent of the species.
- The details of the research were shared with the scientific world in the journal Molecular Ecology.
En chiffres
The olive sea snake (Aipysurus laevis) possesses a very rare ability to perceive light solely through the skin on the tip of its tail, without using its eyes. This feature is called "dermal phototaxis" (response to light through the skin) in the scientific literature. This reptile species, which lives in the reef waters of the Indo-Pacific region including Indonesia, stands out from other creatures with this unique sensory feature.
A research team led by Jenna Crowe-Riddell from Adelaide University examined this interesting phenomenon in detail. Scientists conducted tests on 17 sea snakes belonging to 8 different species. As a result of the examinations, it was revealed that the said light perception ability is also found in two other species, A. duboisii and A. tenuis, in addition to the olive sea snake.
Researchers believe that this ability evolved in the common ancestor of the Aipysurus genus, which encompasses about 10 sea snake species. The fact that the other five species subject to the study lack this sensory organ confirms that the feature developed only in a specific evolutionary process. The findings obtained were published in the journal Molecular Ecology.
Réagir à cet article
Poser une question
Réponses générées par IA, à partir de cette actualité uniquement.
Questions fréquentes
- What exactly is the function of the "second eye" feature on the tail of the olive sea snake?
- This feature allows the snake to perceive light (dermal phototaxis) directly through the skin on the tip of its tail without using its eyes.
- In which animals has the ability to sense light through the tail been observed?
- In addition to the olive sea snake, this ability was also found in the sea snake species named A. duboisii and A. tenuis.
- How many sea snakes were examined within the scope of the research?
- The researchers conducted tests on a total of 17 sea snakes representing 8 different species.
Ceci est un court résumé généré par l'IA. L'article complet est à la source.
Lire l'article complet à la sourcemongabay.co.id