Page 13 - aruba-today-20240426

Science Friday 26 april 2024
A13

The first glow-in-the-dark animals may have been HEALTH

ancient corals deep in the ocean DOCTOR ON DUTY

Oranjestad
ously earliest known exam- Hospital 7:00 pm / 10:00pm
Tel. 527 4000
ple: a glowing prehistoric
shrimp. It also places the San Nicolas
origin of light production Imsan 24 hours
to around the time of the Tel.524 8833
Cambrian explosion, when Women in Difficulties
life on Earth evolved and PHARMACY ON DUTY
diversified rapidly giving Oranjestad:
rise to many major animal Central : Tel.585 1965
groups that exist today. San Nicolas:
“If an animal had a novel San Nicolas:Tel. 584 5712
trait that made it really
special and helped it sur- OTHER
vive, its descendants were Dental Clinic 587 9850
more likely to endure and Blood Bank Aruba 587 0002
pass it down,” said Stuart Urgent Care 586 0448
Sandin, a marine biologist Walk-In Doctor’s Clinic
+297 588 0539
at the Scripps Institution of Women in Difficulties
Oceanography, who was EMERGENCY
This image from video provided by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in April 2024 not involved in the study.q
shows bioluminescence in the shaggy bamboo coral Isidella tentaculum filmed in the ocean by Police 100
a remotely operated vehicle. Oranjestad 527 3140
Associated Press Noord 527 3200
Sta. Cruz 527 2900
By CHRISTINA LARSON trolled underwater rover, to sure if this luminous reac- San Nicolas 584 5000
Police Tipline
11141
AP Science Writer identify and study luminous tion is meant to attract or Ambulancia 911
WASHINGTON (AP) — species, said Steven Had- repel other organisms, or Fire Dept. 115
Many animals can glow in dock, a study co-author perhaps both. But its fre- Red Cross 582 2219
the dark. Fireflies famously and marine biologist at the quency suggests that it
blink on summer evenings. Monterey Bay Aquarium serves a crucial function TAXI SERVICES
But most animals that light Research Institute. in many coral species, she Taxi Tas 587 5900
588 0035
Prof. Taxi
up are found in the depths Soft coral may look like said. But how long have Taxi D.T.S. 587 2300
of the ocean. waving reeds, skeleton fin- some coral species had Taxi Serv. Aruba 583 3232
In a new study, scientists gers or stalks of bamboo the ability to glow? A1 Taxi Serv. 280 2828
report that deep-sea cor- and glow pink, orange, To answer this question, the Women in Difficulties
als that lived 540 million white, blue and purple un- researchers used genetic TRAVEL INFO
years ago may have been der the researchers’ spot- data from 185 species of
the first animals to glow, light, he said. luminous coral to construct Aruba Airport 524 2424
far earlier than previously “For some species, the a detailed evolutionary American Airlines 582 2700
588 0059
Avianca
thought. whole body glows for tree. They found that the Jet Blue 588 2244
“Light signaling is one of others, only parts of their common ancestor of all Surinam 582 7896
the earliest forms of com- branches will glow,” said soft corals today lived 540 Women in Difficulties
munication that we know Danielle DeLeo, a study million years ago and very AID FOUNDATIONS
of it’s very important in co-author and evolution- likely could glow or biolu-
deep waters,” said Andrea ary marine biologist at the minescence. FAVI- Visually Impaired
Quattrini, a co-author of Smithsonian. That date is around 270 mil- Tel. 582 5051
the study published Tues- For corals, scientists aren’t lion years before the previ- Alcoholics Anonymous
day in the journal Proceed- Tel. 736 2952
ings of the Royal Society B. Narcotics Anonymous
Tel. 583 8989
Today, marine creatures
that glimmer include some Fundacion Contra Violencia
Relacional Tel. 583 5400
fish, squid, octopuses, jelly- Centre for Diabetes
fish, even sharks all the re- Tel. 524 8888
sult of chemical reactions. Child Abuse Prevention
Some use light to startle Tel. 582 4433
predators, “like a burglar Quota Club Tel. 525 2672
alarm,” and others use it to Women in Difficulties
lure prey, as anglerfish do, General Info
said Quattrini, who is cura- Phone Directory Tel. 118
tor of corals at the Smithso-
nian National Museum of
Natural History.
Still other animals use light
as a beacon to find mates.
Many deep-sea soft cor-
al species light up briefly
when bumped or when
stroked with a paintbrush.
That’s what scientists used,
attached to a remote-con-
facebook.com/arubatoday/