COLOMBO The first time that scientists described the beautiful metallic-green dragonfly that they would later call Flint’s cruiser was in 1970. Based on a single dead male specimen, they named the species Macromia flinti, endemic to Sri Lanka. And then, for the next half century, they never saw another one. No flash of iridescent […]
Genetic diversity of Sri Lanka’s ‘spa fish’ highlights need for informed conservation
by Malaka Rodrigo on 25 May 2021
An endemic freshwater fish species known as the “stone sucker” (Garra ceylonensis) has six genetically different populations spread in different river basins in Sri Lanka despite managing to sport similar looks, a new study shows.
The research estimates that the ancestor of G. ceylonensis first colonized Sri Lanka around 3 million to 4 million years ago via rivers on the land bridge between India and Sri Lanka and that subsequent climatic events trapped them on the island, causing the fish to evolve as a distinct species along with genetic variances.