Sunday, June 1, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Study: Butterflies can cross the Atlantic Ocean

Biodiversity

Published 30 June 2024
– By Editorial Staff
The painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui)

The painted lady butterfly (vanessa cardui) can fly over 4200 kilometers and has a route that spans the Atlantic Ocean, research shows. This is the longest distance ever recorded for an insect, and the first time scientists have observed a butterfly flying across the ocean.

It was in October 2013 that Gerard Talavera, a CSIC researcher at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona, identified several painted lady butterflies on the Atlantic beaches of French Guiana. These observations were quite unusual, as this species is not found in South America.

They decided to try to trace the flight paths of the butterflies, which they did by analyzing wind trajectories, and also to study the genetic diversity of the butterflies, which they did by collecting painted lady butterflies from populations on all continents. They found that the specimens observed in South America were related to populations in Europe and Africa. In addition, the researchers analyzed the pollen DNA that the butterflies carried on their bodies and identified two plant species found only in tropical Africa, proving that the butterflies visited flowers in that region.

Finally, the researchers analyzed the stable isotopes of hydrogen and strontium from the butterflies’ wings. The wings retain isotopic signatures unique to the place where they grew up as caterpillars, making it possible to trace their origins. It was found that the butterflies likely originated in Western European countries such as France, Ireland, the United Kingdom or Portugal.

– The painted lady butterflies reached South America from West Africa, flying at least 4200 km over the Atlantic. But their journey could have been even longer, starting in Europe and passing through three continents, implying a migration of 7000 km or more. This is an extraordinary feat for such a small insect, said Clément Bataille, a professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada, in a press release.

With the help of the wind

Scientists have calculated that a flight can take between five and eight days for the butterfly, and without stopping. With the help of the wind, it makes the flight possible.

– The butterflies could only have completed this flight using a strategy alternating between minimal effort to avoid falling into the sea, facilitated by ascending winds, and active flight, which requires more energy consumption. We estimate that without wind, the butterflies could have flown a maximum of 780 km before exhausting all their fat and thus their energy, says Eric Toro-Delgado, one of the authors of the paper.

The researchers highlight the Saharan air layer as a potential ‘highway’ for air dispersion. These wind currents transport large amounts of dust from the Sahara to the Americas and participate in important biogeochemical cycles. They emphasize that the biological components, including living organisms, transported by these winds need further study.

However, this discovery suggests that there may be natural air corridors that connect continents and facilitate the spread of species on a much larger scale than scientists previously thought.

– This discovery opens new perspectives on the capabilities of insects to disperse over long distances, even across seas and oceans. It is possible that we are underestimating the frequency and impact of these movements on our ecosystems, said Gerard Talavera, leader of the study.

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Fines increased for killing protected species in Finland

Biodiversity

Published 30 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The fine for killing an Arctic fox in Finland is €17,656.

The Finnish Ministry of the Environment has significantly increased the fines for killing protected animals. For example, killing a freshwater pearl mussel is now three times more expensive than before.

Recently, it was decided to update the list of protected animals and the penalty for killing one of them. In Finland, the list was last updated in 2002, when a total of 286 animal species were included.

The new updated list now includes 320 animal species as well as 158 plant species that are protected and therefore illegal to kill or harm. Among others, the viper has been added.

The fines for killing a protected species have also been increased. For example, the fine for killing a Arctic fox has increased from €7,400 to €17,656. For the species black tern, it has increased from €185 to €9,865. The freshwater pearl mussel has increased from €589 to €1,496.

Some species on the list have received smaller fines, such as the white-tailed eagle, which has gone from €7,400 to just €407.

The value of a species is assessed on a number of criteria. These include the size of the population, how threatened the species is and how fast it is reproducing.

Swedes earn money clearing invasive species

Biodiversity

Published 28 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Large-leaved lupines are beautiful - but highly invasive.

Through a mobile game, individuals can “play” by heading out into nature, removing invasive plants, and even getting paid for their efforts. This year, seven Swedish municipalities are testing the game.

The Crowdsorsa mobile game has been used in Finland for three consecutive years, where last year it removed invasive plants from 7000 observations. It is also available in Canada.

This year, the municipalities of Hagfors, Örebro, Sunne, Karlsborg, Lilla Edet, Tanum and Falun are trying it out. The idea is that individuals find invasive plants, either via the map in the app or by themselves, remove them and get paid. As proof, they must film before and after clearing.

The total budget for this year in Sweden is SEK 126,000 (€11,600), which individuals can “play” for. At most, you can earn SEK 200 (€18.5) per hour, with the municipality responsible for paying out the reward.

“Fun way to work”

Last year, it was also successfully used in Hagfors and Örebro. In Hagfors, a total of 17 different teams played.

– The players did a great job! We think it’s a fun way to work with invasive alien species and an effective way to reach the public – and especially young people – with knowledge about invasive species, says municipal ecologist Katarina Karlsson in Hagfors municipality to Natursidan.

Invasive species often spread quickly and can displace native species, which in turn can damage the ecosystem. The game starts already in June, where, among other things, large-leaved lupine, Himalayan balsam and Canadian goldenrod will be removed.

“Sweden – trading biodiversity for trophies”

Biodiversity

It is becoming a sore pill to swallow for most Swedish citizens, seeing how the country with one hand portrays itself as a nature-preserving country and with the other hand literally sells out the country’s biodiversity, writes wildlife expert Misha Istratov.

Published 28 April 2025
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

While most Swedes were recovering after their New Year’s celebration, a few hundred were instead preparing for an adventure. On dark parking lots around five wolf territories, masked men in snow-white camouflage were adjusting silencers on their rifles and baiting their specially bred hunting dogs for a pursuit of a lifetime. The second day of the year bore promises of skins and furs from an endangered species, namely the Swedish wolf. Around 4,000 hunters had submitted interest in being chosen for killing one of the 30 wolves, out of which almost 400 were foreign trophy hunters. In the end, 25 wolves were killed, while the remaining five were not present in their territory. The only feasible explanation is illegal hunting, meaning that they had already been shot, but without permission.

The barrels had barely gotten cold before it was time for another next fauna execution. In February, practice is yearly allowed on the iconic lynx, where loose dogs are set loose in order to train the pursuers to find the mysterious cat. The practice is called “treeing” since the lynx has developed a defence against larger carnivores where it most aptly finds refuge in a tree. Unfortunately, this protection does not help against humans, whose rifles easily end the felines lives, after which they fall from the tree. The real hunt started on the first of March, and during the last two years, over 350 lynxes (roughly 13 percent yearly of the endangered population) have been shot to death, with over ten thousand hunters filing for the exclusive right to kill a lynx.

This “right” is delegated by the Swedish Environment Protection Agency to the counties to issue, and it is called “licensed hunting” or simply, culling. Most experts on European law agree that these practices violate the EU’s Habitats Directive since both the lynx and the wolf (as well as the bear and the wolverine, who are both also hunted yearly) are protected animals. Sweden has been under supervision by the EU for an infringement case in 2010 concerning the wolf hunt and this year a new submission will be opened because of the lynx culling.

Swedes are generally eager in shaming trophy hunters that go abroad to kill rhinos and other endangered animals and return with interior design items fashioned from the remains of their kills. Nor does the Swedish public brace itself in antipathy for killers of large African cats such as Cecil the lion. But when it comes to the rare cats in their own forests, such as the endangered lynx, the trophy hunt is met with surprisingly dispassionate reactions from the general public.

Just like African trophy hunters create myths like the ones that trophy hunting helps preserve species, boosts local economies, and is directed towards older individuals (all of which are scientifically inaccurate according to a large number of studies), Nordic trophy hunters have created their own fallacies to pawn in order to sway less knowledgeable politicians and civilians. Here, a myth has been fabricated that licensed hunting reduces illegal hunting, after a paper’s result was distorted by the hunting interest.

Several international studies, as well as a Swedish study, point in the direct opposite, and this is hardly surprising—if the authorities themselves allow the killing of wolves, how wrong can it be if private citizens take matters into their own hands? Since only three people have been convicted for illegal wolf killing in over ten years in Sweden, while hundreds of wolves have gone “missing”, the reward seems to outweigh the risk for certain individuals.

The propagators of these cullings, namely the two large hunting organisations, are receiving millions of governmental funds yearly. Meanwhile, nature protection organisations survive on scraps, and their funding is being cut by half this year. All this despite the fact that we are in the middle of a species crisis where 73 percent of global wildlife populations have disappeared in the last 50 years, according to WWF’s Living Planet Report.

In Sweden, red-listed species among mammals and birds have increased 50 percent in only twenty years. While the four large carnivores are on the Swedish red list, as well as 131 other species, one would expect the government to issue resolute action.

Instead, the authorities do all they can to enable the trophy hunt. It reaches such extents that they do not only allow the shooters to keep the furs of the killed red-listed animals, but the Swedish Veterinary Agency offers all the shooters the service of boiling and preparing the skull to keep as a keepsake for a symbolic cost.

Meanwhile, it is becoming a sore pill to swallow for most Swedish citizens, seeing how the country with one hand portrays itself as a nature-preserving country and with the other hand literally sells out the country’s biodiversity, encouraging trophy hunting of endangered animals.

 

Misha Istratov, entrepreneur, wildlife ambassador and writer

About the commentator

Misha Istratov is the CEO of Elithus and an independent commentator on sustainability in general, specializing in wildlife management.

Game of Thrones wolf recreated

Biodiversity

Published 9 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Today, the three puppies live in a secret location, surrounded by fences and monitored by security staff, drones and cameras.

Three pups of the giant wolf, also known as the dire wolf, have now been re-created by scientists in Texas. It is the first successful case in the world of so-called “de-extinction” – the revival of a previously extinct animal.

The Aenocyon species went extinct about 12 500 years ago and lived in North America. It was larger than its living relative the wolf, growing to around 1.5 meters in height and weighing between 50 and 80 kilograms. It also had thicker fur and a wider jaw than our modern-day wolf.

Researchers at the biotech company Colossal Bioscience have extracted DNA from fossils of the extinct giant wolf and examined them to determine genetic characteristics such as color, fur and size. The information was then used to modify cells of the modern-day relative, the gray wolf. In total, genetic modifications have been made in 14 different genes. Healthy developed embryos were then transferred to domestic dogs, which were large mixed-breed dogs, which then served as surrogate mothers.

Our team took DNA from a 13,000 year old tooth and a 72,000 year old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies, said Ben Lamm, Colossal’s co-founder and CEO, according to CNN.

On October 1, 2024, two male pups were born, and in January of this year, a female was also born.

Game of Thrones author invests

The giant wolf, known as the dire wolf, has made a strong mark on popular culture – not least in books, movies and TV shows. It is best known from the fantasy series Game of Thrones, where the Stark family has a dire wolf as their pet and weapon symbol.

In fact, the author of the book series, George R R Martin, is an investor in the company and the genetically modified wolves. He is also a “cultural advisor” to the company, which has also issued a press release on the cultural influence of the species. The books were also made into a popular TV series by HBO.

The males are named Romulus and Remus, while the female pup is named Khaleesi, which is a title given to the character Daenerys in the book series – who is not a member of the Stark family, but of the Targaryens, who have a dragon on their sigil.

Not a “dire wolf”

Although the scientists behind the genetically modified puppies claim that they are “de-extinction”, other researchers point out that this is not quite the case. The similarities are mainly in appearance, not in the DNA itself.

– This is a grey wolf with an edited genome, not a dire wolf, genome scientist Emily Roycroft told ABC. The genetic edits may have given these wolves a lighter coat to look reminiscent of a dire wolf – but what makes a species is more than just skin deep.

The biotech company emphasizes that the goal is not to recreate species with exact genetic identity, but to create so-called “functional copies”. The technology behind the giant wolf is also hoped to be used to help endangered animals.

– Our goal with de-extinction is always create functional copies of these extinct species. We were focusing on identifying variants that we knew would lead to one of these key traits, says Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief scientific officer.

Secret location

Today, the three pups live in a secret location with a 2,000-hectare area with a three-meter-high fence that is constantly monitored by security personnel, drones and even cameras. The pups are used to humans, but not tame, and are still in a juvenile phase.

– We’re still seeing a lot of juvenile behaviors.  We haven’t seen them really fully express all of their behavior, said Matt James, Colossal’s animal manager. They’re an amazing opportunity for us to learn tons and tons about de-extinction, about cloning, about genetic editing and all the effects after that.

Colossol is also working towards reviving the mammoth, dodo and Tasmanian tiger.

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