The world’s first pollinating frog and more — May’s best science images

Pollination partner. The Izecksohn’s Brazilian treefrog (Xenohyla truncata) might be the world’s first known pollinating amphibian. On an expedition near the Brazilian town of Armação dos Búzios, researchers observed the species eating nectar from the milk fruit tree — a messy endeavour that causes pollen to stick to the moist skin on the frog’s back, where it might be transferred to another flower. The discovery is potentially exciting, but more research is needed to prove that the frogs are pollinators.

Ruins and remains. Archaeologists in Peru have discovered a tomb that was constructed more than 1,000 years ago, before the Inca Empire, at a site known as the Matacón cemetery, near the town of Huaral. They found human remains and ceramic artefacts belonging to the Chancay culture, an ancient civilization that once inhabited the country’s central coast valleys. The tomb might have belonged to a high-ranking figure who was buried along with the bodies of sacrificed servants or relatives, as well as four llamas. Researchers say the site’s proximity to houses could have prevented the tomb from being looted.

Found in the trash. This violet sea snail (Janthina sp.) builds rafts by trapping air bubbles and encasing them in mucus. Scientists discovered that oceanic gyres concentrate these floating snails in the North Pacific ‘garbage patch’, more famous for accumulating discarded plastic. By bringing the snails and other floating creatures together, the currents could help them to feed and reproduce.

Yeast snowflakes. A series of experiments in which yeast evolved the ability to form large, branching clumps of cells is shedding new light on the evolution of multicellular organisms millions of years ago. After researchers selected for the largest groups of cells over 3,000 generations, the clumps changed from having a jelly-like consistency to becoming as tough as wood and grew so large that they could be seen by the naked eye. A mutation that prevented the yeast from using oxygen encouraged the explosive growth. The cells even evolved a way to move fluid through their ‘body’, bringing nutrients to the cells deep inside the clump.

Eye test. The irises of northern gannets (Morus bassanus) that have survived avian flu can lose their normal blue colouration and turn black. Researchers made the discovery while studying bird colonies on Bass Rock off the coast of Scotland. It is not yet clear why having the disease prompts the colour change, which could potentially be a non-invasive tool to monitor outbreaks among the gannets. The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian flu currently circulating has killed hundreds of millions of birds worldwide.

Map to the stars. Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile created this vast atlas of five nearby stellar nurseries by piecing together more than one million images. The survey focused on star-forming regions in the constellations of Orion, Ophiuchus, Chamaeleon, Corona Australis and Lupus, and used an infrared camera to capture light coming from deep inside clouds of dust. The atlas reveals objects that no one has ever seen before, including stars that are much less massive than the Sun. It will help researchers to better understand the processes that transform gas and dust into stars.

Born free. Platypuses have been reintroduced into Australia’s oldest national park after disappearing from it more than half a century ago. Conservation scientists released four females into Sydney’s Royal National Park on 12 May. Each animal will be tracked for the next two years to better understand how to intervene and relocate the species in a drought, fire or flood. The egg-laying mammals are reclusive and rarely spotted in the wild. Their numbers are being increasingly threatened by habitat destruction, river degradation, predators and extreme weather.

Gliding gecko. This stunning creature is a new species of parachute gecko discovered in India. Parachute geckos use flaps of skin along their bodies, limbs and tails to glide from tree to tree. Biologists identified the species, Gekko mizoramensis, while surveying gecko populations in northeastern India. The discovery shows that animal and plant life in the region is poorly documented, they say.