Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

New species of clam shrimp discovered in 390-million-year-old fossils in USVI

New species of clam shrimp discovered in 390-million-year-old fossils in USVI

A species of a clam shrimp (Eulimnadia insularis) with fossils dating back to 390 million years ago has been discovered at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) campus on St Thomas, United States Virgin Islands.

News of the discovery was revealed in a special issue of the educational institution’s zoological studies publication on Wednesday.

According to the VI Consortium, the new species was found on the golf course of UVI. The University said this goes to prove how much of the biodiversity of the region remains undiscovered.

Notably, the discovery came when professors of the university teamed up on a project to make an inventory of the freshwater animals on the St Thomas.

In the aforesaid publication, Dr D Christopher Rogers from the University of Kansas and Dr Edwin Cruz-Rivera from UVI’s Department of Biological Sciences said the discovery was made after they compared the specimens found on the island to other species.

“It is very surprising that we would find a new species on a university campus that has been in use for decades and has a thriving biology programme,” Dr Cruz-Rivera, associate professor of biology reportedly stated.

He also said ‘relatively little’ is known of shrimp on St Thomas in comparison other islands such as St Croix, Puerto Rico, and St John.

Colonization appears to be recent


The report said the “peculiar occurrence and particular habitat of this species in a golf course at a university campus suggests a relatively recent colonization event”.

The report continued: “No previous samplings of this habitat exist to determine the age of the population with accuracy, but the golf course was constructed by the American Virgin Islands government in the early 1950s from an area that was originally part of the Bourne Field airport’s alternative runway, which was operated by the US Marine Corps until the end of World War II.”

It added that no fish were stocked as the ponds are seasonally astatic.

“Thus, the most logical route of introduction appears to be transport via aquatic birds which are commonly observed foraging in the area. During our surveys, Spotted Sandpipers were observed feeding in all the water hazards on the golf course, with at least four birds present per pond.”

These shrimp have a translucent shell that the animal’s entire body can be encased in the event it feels threatened.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×