Yetis Turn Out To Be Black Chinese Bears, New Deepest Fish Discovered & Fluffy Dinosaurs

When it comes to all the latest animal research, sciencedaily is my go to place where I get most of my news. Lately however, the animal-related research has been quite mundane, at least for my taste. Today though was a different day since there was a total of 3 news stories that peaked my interest. Let's see them:

1# Yeti "Samples" Actually Come From Asian Black Bears

Most of us have heard the myth of the Yeti (or Abominable Snowman), an ape-like entity, taller than an average human, that is said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. Generally, the scientific community has discredited the Yeti as a legend, although there have been anecdotal reports of sightings, footprints, stories and samples passed from generation to generation.  

Now, a new research that examined 9 "Yeti" specimens (bone, tooth, skin, hair and even feces!) from private collections and museums revealed that 8 of them belonged to Asian black bears and one to a dog. 

"Bears in this region are either vulnerable or critically endangered from a conservation perspective, but not much is known about their past history. The Himalayan brown bears, for example, are highly endangered. Clarifying population structure and genetic diversity can help in estimating population sizes and crafting management strategies." said lead scientist Charlotte Lindqvist,  from the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences. [source]

Rumors say cryptozoologists were not amazed by the findings.

Asian Black Bear (credit)

2# New Species Breaks The Record For World's Deepest Fish

Meet the Mariana snailfish (Pseudoliparis swirei), a newly discovered species that starting from today has the honor of being  the world's deepest fish:

A CT scan of the Mariana snailfish. The green thing, a small crustacean, is seen in the fish’s stomach. (credit)

The species occurs in depths of up to about 8,000 m and as its name suggests is found  in the Mariana Trench,  the deepest part of the world's oceans, located in the western Pacific Ocean.

"This is the deepest fish that's been collected from the ocean floor, and we're very excited to have an official name. They don't look very robust or strong for living in such an extreme environment, but they are extremely successful." said lead author Mackenzie Gerringer, researcher from the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Laboratories. [source]

Here's a link to the paper if you want to learn more about the world's deepest vertebrate! 

3# Dinosaurs Were Fluffy!

The last thing that got my interest today was a paper revealing how some feathered dinosaurs, like the crow-sized Anchiornis huxleyi, had a much, much fluffier appearance when compared to modern flying birds.

Depiction of Anchiornis (credit)

Unlike modern birds that typically have “zipped” feathers, the anchiornis dino appears to have an "extinct, primitive feather form consisting of a short quill with long, independent, flexible barbs erupting from the quill at low angles to form two vanes and a forked feather shape.", giving it a fluffy, not-very-fierce appearance.

Other than providing new insight on the appearance of dinosaurs, the study also indicates that modern wings and feathers developed much later than previously assumed.

The study has some other cool findings and might even radically change the way we depict dinosaurs. If you are into dinosaurs like me I think you will enjoy reading about the study. Just click here and here!

The End

So, that's all for today! Make sure to click the various links to learn more about these three studies. 

See you in the next post, in the meantime here's a random red lipped batfish just because:

Red lipped batfish (credit)

More Strange Animal Stuff

If you enjoyed reading  this post I am sure you will love some of my previous work:

• The Jesus Christ Lizard: A Lizard That Can "Walk" On Water
• It's a Scorpion...It's a Fly...It's a Scorpionfly! (Panorpa communis)
• Hagfish Have One Of The Weirdest And Coolest Defense Mechanisms
• Weird MRI Photos, 3-Eyed Beetles, Deep Sea Creatures And Other Cool Animal Stuff
• Can You Guess What Animal Has The Biggest Penis In The World?
• Meet The World's Strangest Ants 
• The Squid With The Human-Like Teeth! (Promachoteuthis sulcus!)
• Halloween Special: A Real-Life Monster Compilation
• Alien-Like Moth With Tentacles Terrifies The Internet - But Is This Creature Real?