A new
tarantula genus and species, formally called Kankuamo marquezi, has
been discovered in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. The genus’ name
honors an indigenous people from the Caribbean coast region, while its species'
name pays tribute to Nobel laureate and renowned Colombian author Gabriel
García Márquez. An international research team,
led by Carlos Perafán, University of the Republic, Uruguay, made the discovery.
Here are
the conclusions of the researchers
Conclusions
Kankuamo gen. n. fits the diagnostic
characters of Theraphosinae, but also shows a very divergent palpal bulb
morphology and the presence of a new abdominal urticating setae type. These
setae are unique, and here are proposed to be the only contact released
urticating setae yet known within the Theraphosinae, although this release
mechanism was previously well known only for Aviculariinae. Also, the
supernumerary keels on the male palpal bulb clearly distinguish it from all
known theraphosid species. Kankuamo gen. n. was resolved as
the sister group of Metriopelma on our preferred phylogeny of Theraphosinae.
Details
of the research appears in the open access journal ZooKeys
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