Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Heavy rainfall in Kerala’s Wayanad region triggered landslides and rescue operations along the 169 km Chaliyar River. Originating from the Elambalari Hills in Tamil Nadu, the river passes through Malappuram and Kozhikode districts and drains into the Arabian Sea at Beypore port. Historically vital for timber transport and known for goldfields, the river has faced significant pollution from a pulp factory at Mavoor.

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Recently, over 40 people trapped in the flooded Sone River in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district were rescued by the State Disaster Relief Force. The Sone River, a principal southern tributary of the Ganges, originates in the Amarkantak highlands and flows eastward through Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar before joining the Ganges near Patna. It is 784 km long, wide and shallow, with a narrow floodplain and seasonal flow.

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The intense wildfires in the U.S. and Canada have created “pyrocumulonimbus” clouds, which can produce lightning and potentially spark more fires. These clouds form when extreme heat from wildfires causes hot air, carrying water vapor, smoke, and ash, to rise and cool, creating fire clouds. If the conditions intensify, these clouds can generate thunderstorms but little rain, spreading wildfires further. Climate change may be increasing their frequency due to rising global temperatures.

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A new spider species, Asceua tertia, was found in the Western Ghats’ Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary. It is the third species of its genus documented in India, joining Asceua cingulata and Asceua thrippalurensis. Asceua tertia belongs to the Zodariidae family, known for ant-eating spiders. The spider is small, with unique features like laterally compressed bulbs, developed cymbial folds, convoluted copulatory ducts, and dual femoral glands.

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Scientists in Germany have discovered plastic-eating fungi from the Aspergillus and Pestalotiopsis genera that may help address plastic waste. These fungi can break down plastics, potentially offering a solution to plastic pollution. Challenges include CO2 release and the need for specific environmental conditions to optimize the process. This discovery could significantly help in reducing plastic pollution in the world’s oceans.

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Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) astronomers developed a method to study the Sun’s magnetic fields using the Kodaikanal Tower Tunnel Telescope. The study focused on a sunspot region with complex features like multiple umbrae and a penumbra. Observations were made using Hydrogen-alpha and Calcium II spectral lines, revealing magnetic field differences at various atmospheric heights. The Tunnel Telescope’s 3-mirror Coelostat setup allowed precise Sun tracking and improved data accuracy. Solar magnetic fields are generated by the movement of electrically charged particles, affecting sunspots, prominences, and coronal loops.

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Jaldapara National Park is in the news after five rhino cubs died recently. A similar incident occurred in February 2020, with six rhinos dying before the coronavirus outbreak. Foresters confirmed the deaths were not due to anthrax.
The rhino carcasses were examined in Kolkata, revealing no anthrax. The suspected cause is tapeworm infestation or another toxin. Tapeworms are dangerous to wildlife and can cause severe illness. Jaldapara National Park is situated at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas in northern West Bengal.

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A new dinosaur species named Alpkarakush kyrgyzicus has been discovered in Kyrgyzstan, dating back about 165 million years. It is a large theropod found in the Middle Jurassic Balabansai formation in the northern Fergana Depression. This predator, from the Callovian age, was around 7 to 8 meters long. It had a distinctive protruding ‘eyebrow’ on the postorbital bone, suggesting a horn-like structure. Alpkarakush kyrgyzicus belongs to the Metriacanthosauridae family, known for high-arched skulls and slender hindlimbs. It is the first large Jurassic predatory dinosaur found between central Europe and East Asia.

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International Whale Shark Day is celebrated annually on August 30. The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and a filter-feeding shark species. They are found in temperate and tropical oceans globally, except the Mediterranean Sea.
Whale sharks have a dark gray top with light spots and stripes, providing camouflage, and a mouth at the front of the head. They are filter feeders, processing over 6,000 liters of water per hour through their gills. Their diet includes plankton, small fish, and mollusks like sardines, anchovies, and squid. The IUCN classifies whale sharks as endangered.

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Wildlife researcher Chris Ketola shared a video of a tarantula infected by a zombie fungus called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. This fungus drains its host of nutrients and fills its body with spores for reproduction. The fungus takes control of the host’s mind and motor functions, then eats away at the body. Cordyceps fungi mainly infect invertebrates, especially insects like ants and spiders. Tarantulas are large, hairy spiders belonging to the Theraphosidae family. Over 900 species of tarantulas exist worldwide, except in Antarctica. Tarantulas are nocturnal predators with an average body length of 5 inches and a leg span of up to 11 inches.