#mascarene

[inatungulates]

Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus

Observed by coralwaters, CC BY-NC

[birdstudies]

March 7, 2024 - Mascarene Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone bourbonnensis) Found on the islands of Reunion and Mauritius, these monarch flycatchers live in and around forests, plantations, and gardens. Usually foraging alone, they eat insects, capturing them in short flights, sometimes while hovering, or picking them from leaves in flight or while perched. They build cone-shaped nests from green moss, lichen or spider egg cases, and spiderweb in small trees where females lay clutches of two or three eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks.

[sheltiechicago]

Mind-boggling optical illusions you can find in nature

There's a simple geographical explanation for this phenomenon.

Along the shoreline of Mauritius, there appears to be a flowing river underneath the turquoise water of the Indian Ocean. While underwater waterfalls do exist, according to the National Ocean Service, this isn't one of them. In this case, what looks like water is actually sand getting pushed off an underwater shelf called the Mascarene Plateau, according to Britannica.

 Myroslava Bozhko/Shutterstock

[witchstone]

but also infuriated at the whole situation because i missed out on two rare vagrant birds that rocked up nearby that would have been major ticks because i simply couldn't get there

[moonstruck-stormy]

For Day 2 of Bat week this is the Greater Mascarene or the Mauritian Flying Fox (relative of the extinct small Mauritian flying Fox)

This species is endangered and has occasional culls because of fruit farmers’ protection. It’s the island’s most important pollinator and seed disperser. So uh stop doing that.

It doesn’t threaten fruit farms any more than invasive species which don’t disperse seeds as well :-)

[todropscience]

THREE NEW SHARK SPECIES THIS WEEK!

The second week of July 2023 something extraordinarily beautiful happened, the findings of 3 new species of sharks for were announced

A new angel sharks species was identified, from the western Indian Ocean on the Mascarene Plateau and off southwestern India in 100–500 m depths, the Lea’s angel shark Squatina leae, was recognized to be different genetically and morphologically distinct from its congeneric species Squatina africanae, following unique morphological features.  This species was first detected in 1988 after finding  three unusual, small sharks, but till today was completely understood. The angel shark is named after one of the author’s fiancee’s late sister, Lea-Marie Cordt.

-  Squatina leae, adult male, in dorsolateral.

Angel sharks are “flatter sharks”, possesing distinctly broad, dorsoventrally flattened bodies, a short snout with large mouth and nostrils, eyes on top of the head close to the large spiracles, very large pectoral fins, and a lateral caudal keel. They've evolved to be ambush predators, they lie in wait for prey to pass closely overhead before attacking.

Reference (Open Access):  Weigmann et al., 2023. Revision of the Western Indian Ocean Angel Sharks, Genus Squatina (Squatiniformes, Squatinidae), with Description of a New Species and Redescription of the African Angel Shark Squatina africana Regan, 1908. Biology 

From North Australia, another species of hornshark is described based on six whole specimens and a single egg case. The painted hornshark Heterodontus marshallae was previously considered to be the same with the zebra bullhead shark another well know bullhead shark from the central Indo-Pacific from Japan  to Australia, but genetic and morphological analyses indicated the sharks were different, but looking alike. The painted hornshark is endemic to northwestern Australia and occurs in deeper waters, at 125–229 m below surface.

-  Lateral view of two mature female painted hornshark Heterodontus marshallae showing small differences between individuals

The painted hornsharks is named in honour of Dr. Lindsay Marshall www.stickfigurefish.com.au a scientific illustrator and elasmobranch scientist who expertly painted all the sharks and rays of the world for the Chondrichthyan Tree of Life Project.

Reference (Open Access): White et al., 2023 Species in Disguise: A New Species of Hornshark from Northern Australia (Heterodontiformes: Heterodontidae). Diversity.

And from an unidentified shark egg collected from the deep waters of northwestern Australia, in 2011 recently helped researchers identify a new species of deep water cat shark. Called ridged-egg catshark Apristurus ovicorrugatus after its eggs, it was collected in the earlys 90 but remained unknown to date. This sharks presents white eyes, and is small in size, reaching less than a half meter in length. .

- Lateral view of female Apristurus ovicorrugatus before preserved. Photo by  CSIRO. 

Egg cases belonging to this species had been documented as early as the 1980s, but could not be matched to any species of Australian shark until recently scientists examined a shark specimen of previously uncertain identity in the CSIRO collection.

 -egg cases of Apristurus ovicorrugatus. Scale bar is 10 mm

Reference (Open Access) White,et al., 2023 What came first, the shark or the egg? Discovery of a new species of deepwater shark by investigation of egg case morphology. Journal of Fish Biology.

[awkwardbirdsdreaming]

Day 19 of extinct birds - the broad-billed parrot (note that we don't actually know what colour they are, this depiction is only my guess!)

This was another bird from the Mascarene islands. With only short accounts, a few bones and a single sketch to go by, we know almost nothing about them. They were called 'indian crows', which could imply dark colours and/or harsh calls. The only notes on their colour are that they were red with blue heads - one sailor noted they were 'beautifully coloured' but we might never get to know them.

[fresh-frogs]

So I went to Africa and found some frogs… here is a mascarene ridged frog (I think, not 100% sure lol)

[gemini-enthusiast]

Mascarene Islands, Gemini VI-A.

[coelophysoid]

Kadalia

Kadalia is a medium-sized continent, located within the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres, surrounded by the Kadalian Ocean from the north, west and east and by the Sagastanian Ocean from the south. The Voay Sea (also called the Voay Channel) lies between Kadalia and Africa, while the Sea of Sejuk separates Kadalia from Sagastan. The archipelago of Tanana, as well as multiple islands, such as Panya, lay on Kadalian continental shelf and are considered part of the continent, especially since many of them (though not the Tanana Archipelago) were connected to the mainland during the glacial maximums.

Kadalia is composed of different parts of ancient continent of Gondwana, those that in OTL would form Madagascar, Kerguelen, Seychelles and Mascarene Islands. On Tehar, they are conjoined in the form of a large landmass above sea level.

Kadalia has a variety of climates, from frigid tundras of Sejuk to hot rainforests of Tanana. It has relatively few mountains and is mostly flat. Kadalia is home to an extraordinarily unique biota, since it existed separate from the other landmasses for at least 66 million years. It's human history is long, and nowadays it is home of a variety of ethnic groups. Historically it was often considered "the crossroads between Libya and Tanah", and humans first came to it's shores from both sides.

Compared to the mountainous landmasses, such as Skiffia or Hatunwata, Kadalia is relatively flat. It's highest mountain is Mount Hitam, part of the Besar Mountains, in the southeast. It reaches just 3568 meters above sea level. The lowest point of Kadalia, the marshy lowlands of Lubang Rawa, is -13 meters below sea level. Most of the continent is either flat or hilly, with only a few minor ridges. The lowlands are home to multiple large rivers, flowing from the mountain peaks towards seas or lakes.

Volcanism is relatively prevalent in the southernmost parts, such as Besar, as well as in the Alas and Ramona Ridges. Active volcanoes exist, with multiple eruptions in the last few hundred years.

Glaciation exists in a significant portion of the mountains of Kadalia. While no part of the continent is covered by ice shields, unlike, for example, the frozen Sagastan, the glaciers in the southeast frequently reach low latitudes. Ocean waters south of Kadalia are often full of icebergs.

The most famous lake on Kadalia, the Ularair Lake, is of glacial origins. It has been carved up during the LGM.

Kadalia has been isolated since Late Cretaceous, when it completely broke away from Arda, right before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event. Prior to that, it was a part of the ancient continent Gondwana, which causes a large portion of it's biota to share common origins with those from other Southern Hemisphere landmasses.

The minerals of Kadalia include copper, iron, manganese, gold, sapphires and others. Fossil fuels found include moderate amounts of oil, gas and relatively larger reserves of coal.

[parrotsinart]

Mascarene Parrot by Nick Bibby

The Mascarene parrot is an extinct parrot from the Mascarene island.

[cansomebodytellmewhatsgoingon]

Speculative evolution and alternate history bros are sleeping on the endless possibilities that come by saying "hey what if this seamount/oceanic plateau was an island?"

Sure, everybody and their mother's seen or done spec work on a surviving Doggerland or Zealandia, but we're all missing out on the Mascarene Plateau or the New England seamounts or the Rockall Plateau or literally ANYTHING else that lies just beneath the waves. Think of the unique cultures and wildlife that would form on these islands, think of how much they could impact broader world history

I mean GUYS

[new-dinosaurs]

Geokichla longitarsus Hume, 2022 (new species)

(Select bones of Geokichla longitarsus [scale bars = 10 mm], from Hume, 2022)

Meaning of name: longitarsus = long [in Latin] foot [in Greek]

Suggested common name: Mauritius ground thrush

Age: Holocene (more precise age uncertain)

Where found: Vallée des Prêtres, Port Louis, Mauritius

How much is known: Several limb bones, including a tarsometatarsus (fused ankle and foot bones), humeri (upper arm bones), and tibiotarsi (fused shin and ankle bones). It is unknown whether any of these bones belonged to the same individuals.

Notes: Geokichla is a genus of thrushes from Afro-Eurasia, of which many species feed primarily on the ground. G. longitarsus is the first extinct species of Geokichla to be identified. In terms of skeletal anatomy, it was similar to but slightly larger than the extant orange-headed thrush (G. citrina) of Southern and Southeast Asia. G. longitarsus may have descended from Asian thrushes that reached Mauritius during a period when sea levels were lower than they are today, conditions that would have exposed more land in the island archipelagos of the Indian Ocean and made overseas crossings more manageable.

Over 60% of bird species unique to Mauritius are known to have gone extinct in recent times, including G. longitarsus. No firsthand observations of this thrush have been found in records of Mauritian fauna, so it is possible that it died out before the arrival of the Dutch (who wrote the oldest known accounts of the wildlife of Mauritius in the late 16th Century). The introduction of black rats by Arab traders in the 14th Century may have been what caused the extinction of G. longitarsus, as a small, ground-dwelling bird unfamiliar with mammalian predators would have probably been very vulnerable to rat predation.

Reference: Hume, J.P. 2022. A new subfossil ground thrush (Turdidae: Geokichla) from Mauritius, Mascarene Islands. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 142: 388–403. doi: 10.25226/bboc.v142i4.2022.a2

[amrehmar]

LIONEL SABATTÉ - PETITS OISEAUX DES ÎLES, 1989-2014

Series of 20 drawings, oxydation on Arches paper

"I grew up in Reunion. In 2014 I returned to the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Mascarenes, it had been 20 years since I had returned to the region. I found the birds, these little birds from the islands that I had forgotten and that make up a whole diversity of shapes, songs and behaviors. They took me instantly back to the 90s, to my teenage days… I decided to draw a set of 20 imaginary birds to translate this emotion. Drawings by oxidations of metallic solutions on paper where the deterioration of the material becomes a verdigris and rust plumage. These birds are also for me like land, islands seen from the sky, both birds and the flight of birds. They are small escape spaces where what damages and destroys, rust, is transformed into a construction element. I hope they will act as such in Kyiv and that they will share something of the wonder of the islands where they were drawn like little flights to lands to come…"

Lionel Sabatté

Small wonders of the islands spotted at Module of Temporality, Kyiv, 2023

[strid3rofthen0rth]

By being a badass. Pink pigeons are the only mascarene pigeon to have not gone extinct. Critically endangered.

Or maybe it just ate a lot if shrimp like a flamingo

there is a pink pigeon wandering around nyc I wonder how she got here

[plantsgeoph]

English:

Plant Name: Bottle Palm

Scientific Name: Hyophorbe lagenicaulis

Origin: Native to the Mascarene Islands, specifically the island of Mauritius.

Description:

The bottle palm is a small, slow-growing palm, recognized for its unique swollen, bottle-shaped trunk, which becomes more pronounced as the plant matures. The crown of the palm holds a small number of arching, pinnate leaves. It typically reaches around 10-12 feet in height, making it ideal for ornamental purposes in gardens and landscapes. The palm has a compact growth habit and distinctive aesthetic appeal due to its thick trunk and elegant leaves.

Care:

• Light: Prefers full sun but can tolerate partial shade.

• Water: Requires regular watering, but the soil should be well-drained to prevent root rot.

• Temperature: Thrives in warm climates (above 60°F). It is not frost-tolerant and should be protected in colder areas.

• Soil: Well-draining, sandy or loamy soil is best.

• Fertilizer: Feed with a balanced palm fertilizer two to three times a year.

• Pruning: Minimal pruning is needed, only removing dead fronds.

Uses:

The bottle palm is primarily used as an ornamental plant in tropical or subtropical gardens due to its unusual shape and size. It’s also suitable for container planting in patios or indoor environments. Its unique appearance makes it a focal point in landscaping designs.

Español:

Nombre de la Planta: Palma de Botella

Nombre Científico: Hyophorbe lagenicaulis

Origen: Originaria de las Islas Mascareñas, específicamente de la isla Mauricio.

Descripción:

La palma de botella es una pequeña palma de crecimiento lento, reconocida por su tronco hinchado en forma de botella, que se hace más pronunciado a medida que la planta madura. La corona de la palma sostiene un pequeño número de hojas arqueadas y pinnadas. Generalmente alcanza entre 3 y 4 metros de altura, lo que la hace ideal para propósitos ornamentales en jardines y paisajes. Su hábito de crecimiento compacto y su estética distintiva la hacen especialmente atractiva.

Cuidados:

• Luz: Prefiere pleno sol, pero puede tolerar sombra parcial.

• Riego: Requiere riego regular, pero el suelo debe estar bien drenado para evitar la pudrición de las raíces.

• Temperatura: Prosperan en climas cálidos (por encima de 16°C). No es tolerante a las heladas y debe protegerse en zonas frías.

• Suelo: Prefiere suelos arenosos o limosos bien drenados.

• Fertilización: Fertiliza con un abono balanceado para palmeras dos o tres veces al año.

• Poda: Se requiere poca poda, solo para eliminar frondas muertas.

Usos:

La palma de botella se utiliza principalmente como planta ornamental en jardines tropicales o subtropicales debido a su forma y tamaño inusuales. También es adecuada para plantar en macetas en patios o ambientes interiores. Su apariencia única la convierte en un punto focal en diseños paisajísticos.