New millipede specie with 486 legs discovered

Recently, a tiny arthropod was found underground by naturalists at a Southern California hiking area near a freeway in Los Angeles.

About the length of a paperclip but skinny as a pencil lead, it’s translucent and sinuous like a jellyfish tentacle. The creature burrows four inches below ground, secretes unusual chemicals and is blind, relying on hornlike antennas protruding from its head to find its way. Under a microscope, the millipede has 486 legs and helmet-like head.

Their findings on the species, whose scientific name is Illacme socal, were published in the journal ZooKeys. The species’ vernacular name is Los Angeles Thread Millipede.

Chief Uno players required

Toy company Mattel announced it is seeking a “Chief Uno Player” to get paid $4,444 a week for four weeks to play the latest variation of the game, Uno Quatro.

The company said the chosen candidate will be called upon to dedicate four hours a day, for four days a week to Uno Quatro, which combines the popular card game with a four-in-a-row drop-down game. Their duties will include challenging strangers to play the game, teaching new players the rules and creating Uno-related content for the game’s social media channels.

The Chief Uno Player will be paid $17,776 to $4,444 a week.

Colossal whale fossils found in Peru

Scientists have unearthed the fossils of a colossal whale that could rival the blue whale as the heaviest animal to ever live. The whale, named Perucetus colossus, lived 39 million years ago in what is now Peru and weighed up to 375 tonnes (340 metric tonnes). The fossils include 13 vertebrae, four ribs and a hip bone, which are much larger than any modern whale bones. The researchers believe that the whale was a filter-feeder that swam in shallow waters and had no teeth. The discovery sheds new light on the evolution and diversity of ancient whales.

Rare orange lobster found in shipment

An ultra-rare orange lobster arrived in a shipment at a Red Lobster restaurant in Arkansas, and will now live out the rest of its life in an aquarium.

Employees at the Red Lobster in Hot Springs discovered the unusual crustacean in a shipment that arrived from Maine. Restaurant officials decided to donate the approximately seven-year-old lobster to Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The rare coloration is believed to occur in only one in 30 million lobsters.

Published in Dawn, Young World, Aug 19th, 2023