Researchers found a new amphipod species in an Incan hot spring, thriving at extreme temperatures. These creatures, though called freshwater shrimps, usually inhabit cooler environments. The discovery in a high-temperature setting surprised scientists, highlighting greater habitat diversity for amphipods than previously known.
The new species, Hyalella yashmara, was named after a researcher's daughters. Hyalella belongs to a genus of amphipods native to the Americas.
New Shrimp-Like Species Adapted to Climate Change
In the new study published in the journal Invertebrate Systematics, researchers reported that H. yashmara shares several similarities with another amphipod species, H. meinerti, such as features like head structure and antenna length. They also noted significant differences in attributes like gnathopods, sternal gills, uropod 3, and tail plate shape.
Despite its ability to navigate cooler waters with temperatures as low as 19.8°C (67.64°F), H. yashmara is unable to endure habitats colder than this for more than 24 hours. In contrast, Baños del Inca experiences temperatures reaching approximately 78°C (172.4°F) near the thermal spring's origin.
Field investigations have revealed that these amphipods predominantly inhabit pools with temperatures around 50°C (122°F) near the hot spring's source, as well as channels cooled to 35°C (95°F).
The amphipods exhibit a preference for higher temperatures, showing limited activity during the early morning when temperatures range from 35-40°C (95-104°F). However, their activity intensifies as the day grows warmer.
Experimental assessments have demonstrated their resilience to temperatures as high as 52.1°C (125.78°F), marking the highest recorded temperature tolerance among amphipods. Professor Ko Tomikawa said in a news release that such extreme temperatures have the capacity to fatally impact other crustaceans, even including some of their shrimp counterparts.
H. yashmara's heat resistance is linked to evolved heat-resistant proteins, offering potential insights into bolstering heat tolerance for cold-water freshwater organisms threatened by rising temperatures.
As global warming increasingly endangers these organisms adapted to colder habitats, in-depth research into the ecology and physiology of Hyalella yashmara may reveal essential mechanisms for high-temperature survival, thereby contributing to their conservation efforts.
The study's corresponding author, Tomikawa, emphasizes the significance of this knowledge in protecting cold-water freshwater species amid a warming world.
Understanding Its Gondwanan Origins
The molecular phylogenetic analyses conducted by the researchers unveiled a shared Gondwanan ancestor for amphipods belonging to the Hyalellidae family, which includes the Hyalella species, and the Chiltoniidae family, prevalent in Australia and New Zealand. Gondwana is an ancient supercontinent that brought together the land masses of present-day South America, Africa, and Australia.
This ancestral lineage transitioned from marine environments to colonize new freshwater habitats during the Mesozoic era, which occurred approximately 252 to 66 million years ago. This period coincided with the fragmentation of Earth's single landmass, Pangaea, leading to the formation of the current continents.
The analysis also indicated that South American species of Hyalella had distinct ancestral origins, while those in North America likely share a most recent common ancestor with H. yashmara.
This discovery reshapes the narrative of the genus Hyalella's distribution expansion, proposing that Hyalella likely extended its range from South America to North America through the introduction of a South American clade closely related to Hyalella yashmara into North America.
Their molecular phylogenetic investigation encompassed 34 species from nine families within the superfamily Hyaloidea and four species from two families in the superfamily Talitroidea.
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