Orenburg1

This month has seen an incredible amount of activity creating high quality content, with 3 FAs, 3 FACs, and a veritable flood of GAs and GANs, not to mention the FLs and FLCs. To help maintain this high level of activity going forward, WikiProject Tree of Life is starting a new monthly rolling contest, inspired by the contest run by WikiProject Military History. This contest should hopefully help incentivize editors to contribute in ways that are less daunting than writing articles that are GA and FA-quality. Even improving articles from stub to start class, or helping other editors by reviewing their work at GAN, FAC, or FLC, gets you points, with bonus points for articles with especially high page views. Make sure to participate in any way you can, and help improve the 'pedia while having fun and winning Barnstars!

 

Two salt marsh snakes

 

Blackburnian warbler

• ... that orcas have been teaching each other to attack boats? (August 2)
• ... that Ameles decolor has one of the most complex mating rituals of any praying mantis? (August 4)
• ... that salt marsh snakes (examples pictured) drink only rainwater? (August 6)
• ... that by 1967, staff at the Home Office were told not to feed Peta morsels of food as she had become "inordinately fat"? (August 8)
• ... that the perigynia of the few-flowered sedge spring outward when brushed against? (August 16)
• ... that three burnt golf balls are preserved at Kew Gardens as a "rare fungal species"? (August 19)
• ... that the chemicals responsible for the smell of freshly cut grass are a plant defense mechanism? (August 20)
• ... that the Blackburnian warbler (example pictured) is named after Anna Blackburne, who provided specimens to Thomas Pennant? (August 22)
• ... that Tylocephale possibly used their domed skulls to fight one another? (August 24)
• ... that John Cleese once called Olivia Benson "the weirdest cat I've ever seen in my life"? (August 25)
• ... that Winston Churchill was often portrayed as a bulldog (pictured), but his personal pet dog during the Second World War was a poodle? (August 25)
• ... that a report by the philosopher Jonathan Birch and colleagues led to cephalopods and decapods being recognised as sentient under the UK's Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act? (August 27)
• ... that Mike Wingfield named a fungus after his first grandchild, Rachel? (August 27)
• ... that depending on who you ask, an anomochilid could be a dwarf or a giant? (August 28)

The first edition of our new monthly contest had perhaps a little less participation than I hoped for, but it still resulted in a huge amount of content work, mainly focussed on de-stubbing articles on little-known species, although we did also see two GAs for Holozoa and Hypericum perforatum. Overall, over 60 articles were improved, with most going from stubs or redlinks to fully fleshed out articles. The winner this month was Simongraham, who improved 21 articles about spiders, mainly to B and C class, and racked up 70 points, over twice the next highest. Hopefully, we'll continue to see such great work next month, with even more participants and even more articles improved.
Also anyone who wants to help coordinate the contest can just drop by at the talk page, I really need help.

 

Republicopteron douseae fossil

 

Male Phallichthys fish

 

Mimodactylus reconstruction

 

Adult ashy flycatcher

• ... that with all known Palae­orehniidae fossils (example pictured) being incomplete, the relationships of the family are uncertain? (September 2)
• ... that butterfly collector Ian Heslop was once required to supervise an execution? (September 3)
• ... that the Munich Mouser, Neville Chamberlain's pet, and Nelson, Winston Churchill's pet, had a rivalry during World War II? (September 6)
• ... that Phal­lich­thys (literally 'penis fish') species are so called because the males (example pictured) have "comparatively huge" sex appendages? (September 8)
• ... that merry widows like soft bottoms? (September 10)
• ... that Mimodactylus (reconstruction pictured) is the first complete pterosaur from the Afro-Arabian continent? * ... that small Poecilia gillii males have longer sex organs than larger males, to facilitate mating with females that flee from them? (September 12)
• ... that the dwarf merry widow is not very brave? (September 13)
• ... that dwarf mollies hit rock bottom when they grow up? (September 14)
• ... that the Siberian crane is considered more threatened than the whooping crane, despite there being an estimated ten times more of them? (September 15)
• ... that one way to tell the African dusky flycatcher apart from the ashy flycatcher (example pictured) is that the former is "cuter"? (September 18)
• ... that the spiky inedible grass Triodia scintillans tastes like salt and vinegar chips? (September 19)
• ... that the bicolor molly inevitably goes off the deep end in adulthood? (September 27)
• ... that the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve is the only known nesting area for the eastern great egret in New Zealand? (September 28)

The second edition of our monthly contest was even better than the last month, with 80 articles improved spanning the entire tree of life. The winner this month was Quetzal1964, who contributed to 47 articles, mainly relating to marine fish, and racked up 81 points in the process. In second place was simongraham, who got 60 points from 14 articles on various species of jumping spiders. simongraham is still at the top of our overall standings, with 130 points, and Quetzal1964's close behind on 108. The November edition of the contest is now open: feel free to drop by and participate if you work on any TOL-related articles this month.

 

Illustration of swordtail mollies

 

Lycorma meliae

 

Illustrations of the front foot (A) and hind foot (B) of Diplobune quercyi

• ... that the Siberian columbine has been crossed with another species in the genus Aquilegia to determine the gene behind the genus's nectar spurs? (October 2)
• ... that the swordtail molly (examples pictured) and the Petén molly have been named and renamed so often, one even ending up with the other's name at one point, that the swordtail molly's current scientific name means 'confusion'? (October 8)
• ... that the early big cat Pachypanthera may have weighed as much as 142 kilograms (313 lb) and had teeth similar to a hyena's? (October 9)
• ... that ancient Greek philosopher Xenophon thought the alopekis was part dog, part fox? (October 11)
• ... that the katydid-like fossil Republicopteron douseae possibly could not sing? (October 12)
• ... that a Brontosaurus stamp led to the United States Postal Service being accused of "fostering scientific illiteracy"? (October 16)
• ... that the wings of Lycorma meliae (example pictured) undergo multiple color changes throughout their lives? (October 16)
• ... that the three-toed species of Diplobune (fossils pictured) were mammals of the order of "even-toed ungulates"? (October 17)
• ... that although fossils of the extinct mammal Asiavorator were first found in 1922, the genus was not named until 73 years later, in 1995? (October 18)
• ... that in aquariums, the humpbacked limia is known to cannibalise the young? (October 21)
• ... that Hypericum perforatum was a common component of classical cure-all concoctions called theriacs? (October 21)
• ... that Aristotle classified living things based on whether they had a "sensitive soul" or, like plants, only a "vegetative soul"? (October 22)
• ... that in June 2022, a neurosurgeon found a roundworm in someone's brain? (October 23)
• ... that ancient permafrost can preserve viable microorganisms, some of which contain antibiotic-resistance genes that may be transferred to modern bacteria? (October 27)

The third edition of our monthly contest saw Quetzal1964 win for the second month in a row, scoring 68 points from 39 articles about a variety of marine fishes. In second place for the month is Olmagon, who scored 45 points from 10 articles on extinct crustaceans and geckoes. In the overall standings, Quetzal1964 leapfrogged over simongraham into first place, with 176 points from 109 articles; simongraham is now in second place with 136 points from 37 articles. The December edition of the contest is now open: feel free to drop by and participate if you work on any TOL-related articles this month.

Now, this newsletter is technically not new, but I have only recently become aware of its existence and am only a month late, so it still counts. Wikiproject Fungi's Lichen task force has a new newsletter that is very nicely formatted and also features much better writing than this newsletter. Anyone interested in receiving the newsletter can add their name here.

 

A bacterium that thrives in the deep ocean

 

Georges Cuvier's reconstruction of Anoplotherium commune

 

Paroedura maingoka

 

Field of Wyethia amplexicaulis in bloom

 

An adult dwarf pufferfish

 

Adult Balkan terrapin

 

Planocarina marginata, a hyalospheniid amoeba

• ... that a variety of the Connecticut field pumpkin is known as "the original commercial jack-o'-lantern pumpkin"? (November 1)
• ... that insects not only destroyed the personal plant collection of John Hunter Thomas, but also bear his name? (November 3)
• ... that life exists in every part of the biosphere, from the deepest parts of the ocean (bacterium pictured) to altitudes of up to 64 km (40 miles) in the atmosphere? (November 6)
• ... that Sivapardus was larger than a leopard, smaller than a lion, and had a face like a cheetah? (November 7)
• ... that Lillian V. Holdeman Moore identified a spike in hydrogen-gas-producing bacteria in Skylab astronauts? (November 8)
• ... that euglossine bees distribute the seeds of vanilla tlatepusco? (November 11)
• ... that in 1822, the Paleogene mammal Anop­lo­therium commune (reconstruction pictured) was the first fossil species to be subjected to a brain cast study? (November 12)
• ... that the island bronze-naped pigeon is a popular food at bars and parties on São Tomé? (November 12)
• ... that little pink elephants are parasitic? (November 12)
• ... that the gecko Paroedura maingoka (pictured) imitates venomous scorpions to discourage predators? (November 13)
• ... that the scenic fields of northern wyethia (pictured) found in the western United States are sometimes a sign that an area has been overgrazed? (November 15)
• ... that a 1950s album of frog calls developed a cult following? (November 15)
• ... that at a maximum standard length of roughly 2 cm (0.8 in), dwarf pufferfish are some of the smallest pufferfish in the world? (November 18)
• ... that the authors of The Neanderthals Rediscovered learned that their book proposal had been accepted on the same day they took their twin sons home from hospital? (November 20)
• ... that hatchling Balkan terrapins are only 3 to 4 centimetres (1.2 to 1.6 in) in length, while adults (example pictured) can grow as long as 25 cm (9.8 in)? (November 21)
• ... that organisms could harvest kinetic energy to survive? (November 22)
• ... that pollution in rivers scatters far-red light, making it harder for plants like Noveloa to germinate? (November 23)
• ... that many hyalospheniid amoebae (example pictured) construct shells by stealing mineralized particles from the shells of their prey? (November 28)
• ... that an ancient wildcat species is known only from a part of the jaw of a single animal discovered in Poland? (November 29)

And so ends the fourth edition of the monthly rolling contest, as well as the 2023 Tree of Life Contest as a whole. This month saw simongraham win with a very impressive 120 points from 27 articles. Quetzal1964 was second with 74 points from 37 articles. The annual contest was a close race between simongraham and Quetzal1964; simongraham won first place with 256 points from 64 articles, and Quetzal1964 was second with 250 points from 146 articles. Snoteleks was third with 79 points from 33 articles. Congratulations to everyone who won this year and my gratitude to everyone else who helped raise the quality of articles in our little corner of Wikipedia this year. Additionally, a very Happy New Year to everyone in the project and here's looking forward to continuing our good work in 2024!

 

Snowy plover with chicks

 

Bofedales in the foreground

 

Adult female Varroa mite

 

Dennstaedtia christophelii fossil frond

• ... that a "bat ensnared by a plant" was discovered in the garden of the Palestine Museum of Natural History? (December 2)
• ... that female snowy plovers often abandon their families as soon as the chicks hatch? (December 4)
• ... that Lepas testudinata can form colonies of more than 1000 members at a time? (December 5)
• ... that the gecko Teratoscincus roborowskii eats caper fruits and disperses the plant's seeds in its feces? (December 5)
• ... that Henk Zwartepoorte quacked at caimans? (December 5)
• ... that the green colour of bofedales (examples pictured) stands out in the yellow surrounding landscape? (December 6)
• ... that Desulfovibrio vulgaris can remove toxic heavy metals from the environment? (December 8)
• ... that Varroa destructor (example pictured), the Varroa mite, is an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on honey bees and is one of the most harmful honey-bee pests in the world? (December 11)
• ... that young orange-billed lorikeets are actually yellow-billed? (December 16)
• ... that stinking tutsan smells like goat? (December 20)
• ... that orange paintbrushes are guarded by rufous hummingbirds? (December 21)
• ... that the Antarctic lichen Buellia frigida has been to outer space? (December 22)
• ... that the closest modern fern relatives to Dennstaedtia christophelii (fossil pictured) of the Pacific Northwest are tropical species from South America? (December 24)
• ... that in Icelandic folklore, the Yule cat eats people who do not receive new clothing for Christmas? (December 25)
• ... that the Lake Patzcuaro salamander's native habitat is limited to a single lake in Mexico? (December 28)
• ... that plant species like Hypericum bupleuroides can reproduce by a callus? (December 29)

• Our first double issue in almost four years, although we will try to return to a monthly schedule henceforth (incidentally, the last double issue saw Markham's storm petrel at GAN, and this one sees it finally pass FAC).
• A highly competitive first round of the WikiCup sees four Tree of Life editors advance to the second round: MtBotany, Fritzmann2002, Ealdgyth, and AryKun
• The March 2024 GAN Backlog Drive starts today; everyone is welcome to participate and help reduce the backlog of GANs.
• The January edition of our monthly rolling contest was won by Quetzal1964 with 100 points from 40 articles, mainly related to various species of marine fish. simongraham was second with 80 points from 14 articles on jumping spiders.
• The February edition saw Quetzal1964 win for the second time in a row, with 114 points from 43 articles. In second place was Snoteleks, with 21 points from 7 seven articles on various unicellular eukaryotes, including the GA Telonemia.

• ... that Dacrytherium, literally meaning 'tear beast', was named after its "tear-pit"? (3 January)
• ... that misidentifications of the crested cuckoo-dove have led to claims that the extinct Choiseul pigeon is still around? (4 January)
• ... that the wood-pasture hypothesis posits that semi-open wood pastures and not primeval forests are the natural vegetation of temperate Europe? (5 January)
• ... that until April 2023, when the genus Triassosculda was discovered, the mantis shrimp fossil record contained a gap of more than a hundred million years? (5 January)
• ... that although Olga Hartman believed that her basic research on marine worms had no practical value, it was applied to experimental studies of oysters? (6 January)
• ... that Oxford ivy grows towards the light to bloom and then towards the darkness when going to seed? (17 January)
• ... that S. F. Light (pictured) disliked using his full name? (20 January)
• ... that the fossil turtle Acherontemys was named for a "river of the fabled lower world"? (26 January)
• ... that a species of spider is named after Barack Obama? (27 January)
• ... that Boquila trifoliolata is the only known plant capable of simultaneously mimicking multiple species? (27 January)
• ... that Harpegnathos alperti worker ants have black heads and chocolate-colored mandibles? (28 January)
• ... that all known populations of Epipterygium opararense (example pictured) live within a 5-metre (16 ft) radius in New Zealand? (28 January)
• ... that female swamp guppies (pictured) show no preference for orange or red coloration during courtship? (29 January)

• ... that black-billed magpies are known to eat ticks off deer and other large mammals (example pictured)? (1 February)
• ... that scientist Adelaida K. Semesi was known as "mama mangroves" due to her specialist knowledge of their ecology? (2 February)
• ... that for the southern molly, sexual selection favors smaller males because they copulate by sneaking up to females? (2 February)
• ... that eyelash seaweed may have been made extinct by a single 2016 earthquake? (4 February)
• ... that conservation in Indonesia had little local support after independence because it was associated with the Dutch colonial period? (5 February)
• ... that the artiodactyl Ephelcomenus is thought to have been capable of burrowing? (6 February)
• ... that male mangrove mollies mate sneakily? (14 February)
• ... that barley was once used as a form of money? (14 February)
• ... it has been suggested that Crassispira incrassata may be a southern variation of Crassispira bottae and not its own species? (15 February)
• ... that the shining St John's wort owes its bright colors partly to carotenoid compounds? (18 February)
• ... that having lived in Central Park for more than a year after becoming homeless, Flaco (pictured) has been accused of being a peeping tom? (19 February)
• ... that the horned sungem (example pictured) is sometimes a nectar robber? (24 February)
• ... that the sea slug Bosellia mimetica benefits from photosynthesis? (25 February)
• ... that almost all members of a flock of tufted jays work together to build a nest? (28 February)
• ... that the hippocampus of the black-capped chickadee grows in the fall and shrinks in the spring? (29 February)
• ... that an Indian rhinoceros, sent as a gift to Pope Leo X in 1515, was immortalised as Dürer's Rhinoceros after dying in a shipwreck? (29 February)

• The newsletter will not be returning to a monthly format (mainly because the author is busy failing every exam imaginable) and is on a bimonthly schedule for the foreseeable future.
• The second round of the WikiCup was very competitive, requiring the highest points total to advance since 2014. Two TOL editors, AryKun and Fritzmann2002, advanced to the third round.
• The March edition of our monthly rolling contest was won by simongraham, who amassed 118 points from 21 articles on various species of jumping spider; in second place was Quetzal1964 with 109 points from 53 articles on marine ray-finned fish.
• Quetzal1964 and simongraham were also the top two in the April edition, although Quetzal was ahead this time, with 68 points to simongraham's 48. In the annual leaderboard, Quetzal and simongraham are in first and second place respectively, with 291 and 246 points; in third place is Snotoleks, with 76 points.

• ... that an Indian rhinoceros, sent as a gift to Pope Leo X in 1515, was immortalised as Dürer's Rhinoceros after dying in a shipwreck? (1 March)
• ... that due to a misunderstanding, Catodontherium was moved from its original genus name? (3 March)
• ... that a malaria-control program in rural Brazil attracted droves of annoying, colorful bees that collect pesticide (example pictured) into homes? (4 March)
• ... that popular garden plants like malfurada often escape from cultivation and become invasive? (5 March)
• ... that the cherry blossom was used symbolically in Japanese World War II propaganda, with falling petals representing "young soldiers' sacrifice for the emperor"? (8 March)
• ... that off-roading at Muriwai Beach in New Zealand may be damaging the habitat of the newly described korowai gecko (example pictured)? (9 March)
• ... that Will Smith took part in the expedition that discovered the northern green anaconda? (13 March)
• ... that the Kīlauea lava cricket disappears from a lava field as soon as any plants start to grow there? (13 March)
• ... that Julian Assange's lawyer argued that the rules set by the Ecuadorian embassy requiring Assange to take care of his pet cat Michi were "denigrating"? (13 March)
• ... that mule deer sometimes prefer the flavor of one Rocky Mountain juniper tree, like "ice cream", over another? (21 March)
• ... that the skeleton panda sea squirt was known on the Internet for its skeleton-like appearance years before its formal description? (26 March)
• ... that only one fruit but several thousand seeds were known when Allenbya collinsonae was named? (26 March)
• ... that while named for alliums, the fossil Paleoallium (pictured) was not necessarily directly related to any allium species? (27 March)
• ... that the extinct genus Mixtotherium, meaning 'mixed beast', has traits of both extinct primates and hyraxes? (28 March)
• ... that the fossil fern Dickwhitea was described from a single block of chert? (28 March)
• ... that Scytalopus krabbei is named after Niels Krabbe, who discovered seven other species in its genus? (29 March)
• ... that Institutiones rei herbariae, published in 1700, sought to give a unique name to every plant based on their "essence"? (29 March)
• ... that in some rare cases, large Siberian tigers prey on adult brown bears? (30 March)
• ... that only six years after its 2016 discovery, the Meratus blue flycatcher (pictured) was found being sold in Indonesian songbird markets? (30 March)
• ... that the spirit liverwort is called such because of its proximity to the Māori afterlife? (31 March)
• ... that cultures of the fungus Lentinus brumalis have been flown on three different satellites? (31 March)
• ... that the English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper claimed that eating alkanet leaves would make a person's spit deadly to serpents? (31 March)

• ... that despite its name meaning 'unscented', Hypericum × inodorum can smell strongly of goat? (1 April)
• ... that color-changing cats (artist's impression pictured) could help us communicate with the future? (2 April)
• ... that Pep the dog was falsely accused of murdering a cat and sent to Eastern State Penitentiary? (2 April)
• ... that an extinct French scarab beetle was discovered in a Prague factory? (3 April)
• ... that the white-tailed jay (example pictured) found in Ecuador and Peru was once thought to have been brought to Mexico by pre-Columbian trade? (5 April)
• ... that saving the Guadalupe cypress included the help of 40 Judas goats? (5 April)
• ... that the fork-tailed drongo gives genuine alarm calls but will sometimes lie to steal food from other animals? (5 April)
• ... that Bangiales, an order of red algae, contains both the oldest-known sexually reproducing organism and the seaweed used to make sushi wrappers? (7 April)
• ... that beavers, mules, and dogs have been parachuted from airplanes? (8 April)
• ... that Aphaena submaculata (pictured) uses specialized mouthparts to suck the sap of trees? (8 April)
• ... that female Eriopis connexa beetles prevent sibling cannibalism by laying unfertilized eggs? (9 April)
• ... that Androsaemum androsaemum is botanically unacceptable, but Aniculus aniculus is perfectly valid? (9 April)
• ... that there is one male for every 31 females in an E. interjectus colony, and each female can start its own colony? (10 April)
• ... that the first extant deer discovered in the 21st century is only 38 centimetres (15 in) tall? (10 April)
• ... that Buellia aethalea, a species of fungus, is also known as the "darkened button lichen" due to the small black spots on its crusty grey surface? (14 April)
• ... that despite commonly being caught with a hook and line, the holotype of the Rapa Nui lizardfish was instead collected with a spear? (14 April)
• ... that ochrophyte algae have twice as many membranes around their chloroplasts as plants? (16 April)
• ... that while the lichen species Enchylium conglomeratum is considered secure globally, it has been designated as extinct in the UK and regionally extinct in Switzerland? (18 April)
• ... that Cladonota's extravagant dorsal structures have been called both "grotesque" and "particularly charismatic"? (19 April)
• ... that the damselfly-relative Okanagrion is suggested to have eight species due to both alpha and beta diversity drivers? (21 April)
• ... that trees of the extinct genus Calamophyton (example pictured) formed the earliest known forest? (22 April)
• ... that the color of a black-headed tailorbird's throat was thought to depend on sex, but later turned out to depend on age? (23 April)
• ... that Biodiversity Impact Credits seek to stop species extinction? (30 April)