PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

The venom spider: New genus named after Tom Hardy’s Marvel character

The venom spider: New genus named after Tom Hardy’s Marvel character
2023-09-11
(Press-News.org) Tom Hardy and his Marvel character Venom have given their names to a newly discovered Australian spider. The genus Venomius and its only current species Venomius tomhardyi were described following an expedition to Tasmania.

Scientists MSc Giullia Rossi, Dr Pedro Castanheira and Dr Volker Framenau from Murdoch University (Perth, Australia) partnered with Dr Renner Baptista from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to describe the new genus of orb-weaving spiders published in the open access journal Evolutionary Systematics.

Tom Hardy portrays Eddie Brock and his alter-ego Venom, an antihero closely associated with Spider-Man, across two Marvel films and gives his name to the sole species of the new genus. The distinctive black spots on the spider’s abdomen reminded the scientists of Venom’s head, inspiring them to select the unusual name.

The genus belongs to the Araneidae family of spiders that build upright circular webs to capture prey. Despite resembling the related genus Phonognatha as both do not have tubercles on the abdomen, the newly described spiders are distinct in their behaviour of creating silk-lined holes in the branches of trees for shelter, as well as their different genitalia.

The holotype of the new species was discovered and subsequently preserved at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery following an expedition to Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

Supplementary specimens were also sourced from scientific collections, with the researchers examining approximately 12,000 records in Australian and overseas institutions.

Regarding the bigger picture of the study, Dr Pedro Castanheira said:

“This is part of a long-term research that aims to document the entire Australian spider fauna, which will be of extreme importance for conservation management plans and the continuation of the decadal plan for taxonomy and biosystematics in Australia and New Zealand.”

“It is really important to keep describing new spiders to assess the total biodiversity of these predators in Australia,” added the study's first author MSc Giullia Rossi.

Original source:

Rossi GF, Castanheira PS, Baptista RLC, Framenau VW (2023) Venomius, a new monotypic genus of Australian orb-weaving spiders (Araneae, Araneidae). Evolutionary Systematics 7(2): 285-292. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.7.110022

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
The venom spider: New genus named after Tom Hardy’s Marvel character The venom spider: New genus named after Tom Hardy’s Marvel character 2

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Press registration now open for one of the world’s largest meetings in fluid dynamics

2023-09-11
More than 3,500 scientists from around the world will meet to present new research on the physics of fluids at the 76th annual meeting of the American Physical Society’s (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics. The conference will be held in person only at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, Nov. 19-21. News media with valid APS press credentials may register for the meeting at no cost. To request press credentials, visit APS’s virtual press office. Registration will remain open throughout ...

New ionic materials boost hydrogen fuel cell efficiency!

New ionic materials boost hydrogen fuel cell efficiency!
2023-09-11
A team of researchers, affiliated with UNIST has made a groundbreaking advancement in improving the efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells, which are gaining significant attention as eco-friendly next-generation energy sources. Led by Professor Myoung Soo Lah in the Department of Chemistry at UNIST, the team successfully developed solid electrolyte materials utilizing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This innovative approach significantly enhances the conductivity of hydrogen ions within the solid electrolyte employed in hydrogen fuel cells. Furthermore, the research team ...

Researchers a step closer to effective heparanase inhibitor

2023-09-11
The cellular protein heparanase plays an important role in allowing diseases, including viruses and cancers, to spread within our bodies. For this reason, researchers investigating a wide range of diseases are eager to find an effective heparanase inhibitor.  Scientists from the University of Illinois Chicago, along with colleagues at the University of Georgia and Utrecht University in the Netherlands, found a molecule effective at inhibiting heparanase activity related to the herpes simplex virus and reduced the spread of the virus when tested on human cells. The new research is published in Angewandte ...

FAU Harbor Branch researcher receives US patent for underwater imaging device

FAU Harbor Branch researcher receives  US patent for underwater imaging device
2023-09-11
Underwater imaging plays a critical role in many fields such as marine exploration, oceanographic engineering, environmental protection and identifying dangerous objects on the ocean floor. However, in turbid or turbulent waters, image quality is often severely degraded due to the complexities of the underwater environment and equipment limitations. Underwater captured images often suffer from contrast loss because light is scattered and absorbed as it travels in water, resulting in major degradation of detail and distorted or blurred images. A new invention about the size of a ...

AI can help write a message to a friend – but don’t do it

2023-09-11
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Using artificial intelligence applications to help craft a message to a friend is not a good idea – at least if your friend finds out about the use of AI, a new study suggests.   Researchers found that people in the study perceived that a fictional friend who used AI assistance to write them a message didn’t put forth as much effort as a friend who wrote a message themselves.   That perception may be understandable, but the effect goes beyond the message itself, said Bingjie Liu, lead author of the study and assistant professor of communication at The Ohio State University.   “After ...

Efficacy, tolerability of gefapixant for treatment of refractory or unexplained chronic cough

2023-09-11
About The Study: In this dose-response meta-analysis that included nine randomized clinical trials and 2,980 patients, compared with placebo, gefapixant (45 mg orally twice daily) led to modest improvements in cough frequency, cough severity, and cough-specific quality of life but increased taste-related adverse events. Authors: Imran Satia, M.D., Ph.D., of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2023.18035) Editor’s Note: Please ...

Preschoolers show cultural differences in generosity, competitiveness

2023-09-11
RICHLAND, Wash. – In a set of sharing experiments, Spanish-speaking Latino preschoolers were more likely to choose options that would be more generous to others, even over a more equal sharing choice. Their English-speaking peers in the Washington State University study more often chose the most competitive option, one that advantaged themselves over others. The most competitive among that group were English-speaking Latino children, a finding that the researchers believe may reflect their desire to transition ...

Scientists find evidence of sea star species hybridization

Scientists find evidence of sea star species hybridization
2023-09-11
New York, September 11, 2023 – Scientists have long suspected two species of sea stars—commonly referred to as starfish—along rocky European and North American coastlines of crossbreeding in the cool waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Now, according to recently analyzed genomic data, hybrid starfish are living and thriving, from the shores of New England to the Canadian Maritimes. A new study, published in the journal Molecular Ecology, presents genomic evidence of hybridization between two closely related species of sea stars– Asterias rubens, the common starfish, and Asterias forbesi, known as Forbes’ sea ...

How should clinicians prescribe opioids for cancer-related pain in patients who use cocaine or methamphetamines?

2023-09-11
Clinicians treating cancer-related pain must consider whether and how to prescribe opioids to patients who use nonmedical stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamines; however, no guidelines exist related to these common and challenging situations. In a new study, palliative care and addiction experts deemed it appropriate to continue opioids, increase monitoring, and avoid opioid tapering in such patients. The results are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Using opioids and nonmedical stimulants ...

Sorghum bran packs bigger punch than whole grain

Sorghum bran packs bigger punch than whole grain
2023-09-11
Sorghum bran has much higher levels of some essential amino acids and minerals needed for human health and development than a whole grain or dehulled sorghum flour, researchers from the University of Johannesburg have found. Sorghum bran packs a calcium, magnesium, leucine and valine punch much higher than the whole grain flour. The climate-resilient gluten-free grain also holds its own on macro – and micronutrients compared to the biggest grains produced worldwide. Dr Janet Adebo and Dr Hema Kesa investigated and compared the nutritional quality and functional properties of the different ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] The venom spider: New genus named after Tom Hardy’s Marvel character