Question Mark

Natural Optimist: #GoodAncestor? Champion of #Steppe & #Freshwater in #Kazakhstan & naturally #GenerationRestoration! My views are all my own

[nature @Nature]

Fresh water in deserts often points to sites with signs of early humans and stone tools. But, in Arabia’s Rub’ al Khali region, water alone does not predict occupation

https://t.co/4MifQqvHPI

[COP17 Armenia @COP17_Arm2026]

🌿 Armenia’s Regions at the COP17 Green Zone

Armenia’s regions are represented at the COP17 Green Zone, showcasing their local initiatives, unique characteristics, and environmental projects.

This video features the regions of Shirak, Lori, and Tavush. The series continues.

[American Rivers @americanrivers]

🚨🔊 DEADLINE: Last day to speak up for the #RoadlessRule! It's the sole protection for over 80,000 miles of rivers on public lands and has tremendous importance for drinking water, wildlife, and recreation.

Act now: https://t.co/1aVXvxK90Y

[American Rivers @americanrivers]

Today marks two years of a free-flowing Klamath River! 🎉

On this 2nd anniversary of the completion of the largest dam removal in U.S. history, we celebrate this river restoration project for its benefits for people and wildlife: https://t.co/eMeT2Khb6g

[American Rivers @americanrivers]

We have until October 6 to submit public comments in defense of the #RoadlessRule, which is tremendously important for drinking water, fish and wildlife, wildfire reduction, and more.

📢🌲 Act now: https://t.co/g9hI1eCzw9

[We Own It @We_OwnIt]

This morning, 99% of delegates polled at Labour Conference said that Thames Water should be brought into public ownership.

It's SO obvious what the public want.

Now it's time for Andy Burnham to do it. #labour26 https://t.co/nKCkiaL83I

[Geoffrey Lean @GeoffreyLean]

The amount of freshwater on earth is seriously declining, reports the World Meteorological Organisation. Last year rivers carried 36% less water than usual and glaciers lost 400 gigatons of ice. Reserves of groundwater are also shrinking in most places

https://t.co/vOuAR1xw31

[Fish in the News @FishInTheNews]

In recent years, environmental DNA (eDNA) analyses of freshwater environments by researchers have contributed to the rediscovery of species previously considered extinct. Here, researchers report on the "rediscovery" of the Jindai Dojo, an undescribed 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑝𝑝. (Cobitidae), with mythical-like properties in folklore.

🔓 (In-press) -https://t.co/wGJ6dAsp15

Long thought extinct, the authors' findings support the hypothesis that the Jindai Dojo is conspecific with 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑝. Type I and indicate that this lineage persists within its historical range and nearby river basins.

"Our study demonstrates the value of integrating species-specific eDNA assays with phylogeographic information to rediscover threatened lineages and clarify the taxonomic identities of organisms presumed to be extinct."

The "mythical" status of the Jindai Dojo stems from a blend of localised folklore and historical anomalies. According to local historians, a severe epidemic swept through the region during the Edo period, local villagers believed that if sick people ate the unusually large loaches caught from the deep, mud-heavy local rice fields, they would miraculously recover from the illness. Believing the fish was a holy entity taking on human suffering, they began calling it the Shindai or Jindai Dojo - the loach where a God became a body substitute.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Environmental DNA supports persistence of the mythical Japanese freshwater fish “Jindai Dojo” and its conspecificity with an Eastern Japanese relict species

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Ito, G., Yashima, Y., Ohgita, S. et al. Environmental DNA supports persistence of the mythical Japanese freshwater fish “Jindai Dojo” and its conspecificity with an Eastern Japanese relict species. Sci Rep (2026). https://t.co/R7QmydrDp3

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis provides a means of detecting cryptic and rare taxa and identifying their genetic lineages, even when they are no longer detected by conventional surveys.

The freshwater dojo loach locally known as the “Jindai Dojo” was historically collected in Iga City, central Honshu, Japan, and morphological evidence has suggested that it is conspecific with 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑝. Type I, a cryptic relic species distributed in eastern Japan that is of high conservation concern. However, the “Jindai Dojo” has long been considered extinct, and neither its proposed taxonomic identity nor its persistence has been evaluated using genetic evidence.

Therefore, we integrated a 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑝. Type I-specific eDNA assay with a phylogeographic framework and analyzed water samples collected from 33 sites in and around Iga City. 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑝. Type I eDNA was detected at six sites, including three sites within the historical range of the “Jindai Dojo” and three sites in nearby river basins with no previous collection records. Sequence analysis of the amplified mitochondrial DNA fragments showed that all detections belonged to subclade J of the Japan Sea-side clade of 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑝. Type I. These findings support the hypothesis that the “Jindai Dojo” is conspecific with 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑝. Type I and indicate that this lineage persists within its historical range and nearby river basins.

Our study demonstrates the value of integrating species-specific eDNA assays with phylogeographic information to rediscover threatened lineages and clarify the taxonomic identities of organisms presumed to be extinct.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Loaches of the genus 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑢𝑠 in the Japanese Archipelago. (a) Specimen of the “Jindai Dojo,” 119.1 mm SL (standard length) (MIE-Fi1512). (b) Specimen of 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑝. Type I, 92.7 mm SL (KUN-P59954). (c) Specimen of 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑠, 96.3 mm SL (KUNP59924).

© 2026 the Author(s). Published in the journal Scientific Reports. An open access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. https://t.co/J9WovbJ9xe

#RelictSpecies #eDNA #Ichthyology #EnvironmentalDNA #Biodiversity #AquariumHobby #Fishkeeping #Aquarist #TropicalFish #FishTank #Japan #JindaiDojo #Loach #Loaches #Conservation #FreshwaterConservation #Misgurnus #LostFishes #MythicalFishes #Cobitidae

[NXT EU @NXT4EU]

CANADA HAS BEEN INVITED TO BE AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF THE EU!

"We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible. We are opening the door for Canada to being the first associate member of the European Union"

[Yale Environment 360 @YaleE360]

At least 124 environmental defenders worldwide were killed last year, according to a stark new report.

Authors say that deep cuts to foreign aid by wealthy nations have weakened human rights groups that support defenders.
https://t.co/JPQcnCwNEU

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

"Public ownership of water industry could save £22billion, MPs are told."

Oh look, you were lied to, nationalising the water industry isn't going to cost you billions, it could in fact save you £22 billion.

Who'd have guessed it.

https://t.co/Xyd9CCfnIk

[am in umbria @AmUmbria]

Everyone please contact your representative and ask to vote NO to HR9171. Go to https://t.co/SyQxW42DIf Look to the lower right corner, you will see: Contact Your Member. All you need to do is enter your zip code in the box "Find address", it will take you to your representative and senators. Ask your congressman to vote Nay. Before 9/8/26.

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

"Just to make clear how dramatic these [E. coli] readings were, the level considered unsafe for bathing is 1,000 colony-forming units per 100ml. The group’s highest reading showed 370,000."

Christchurch Harbour everyone, Christchurch Harbour.

https://t.co/CH7nvPaAVr

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

"In the first five months of 2026, there were 7,280 incidents of water firms in England and Wales dumping sewage, chemicals, and other pollutants on days of little or no rainfall."

Oh look, they lied, AGAIN. "We only do it during heavy rain to stop sewage flooding into people's houses."

https://t.co/zH2O5Le5KR

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

"‘It was all about selling things off. Sell, sell, sell’."

A tale of how Thames Water, its customers and now govt got screwed. By someone who was there...

https://t.co/ZqqEVjnDOn

[Question Mark @markday331]

@poniesatemylife @Rainmaker1973 That’s true, but in Kazakh they are called “Kertagy” Kitty

[We Own It @We_OwnIt]

"We can take control of our future"

Ash Smith's (@WindrushWasp) petition has secured a parliamentary debate on Monday 14th September on a referendum to bring water into public ownership

DO YOUR BIT NOW. Take just 2 mins to ask your MP to attend the debate and support a referendum: https://t.co/5CsNnaOuJ4

[Philip Lymbery @philip_ciwf]

Japan killed 14,000 bears after a rise in deadly attacks on people – but will it work? @guardian
The scale of bear culling in Japan is unrivalled in the modern era 💔
“Bears killed 13 people in Japan last year, as a lack of forest foods increased conflicts. Yet some say the country’s controversial cull could threaten the endangered species”
Tragic how humankind destroy habitats and then destroy the animals who leave their homes to seek food
#WildForLife

https://t.co/lrb5abPLEM

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

👏👏👏👇👇👇👏👏👏

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

The America vulture capitalists now running Thames Water are trumpeting Liz Barber, former CEO of Yorkshire Water, as the new saviour of the company.

Would that be the same Liz Barber who put up customer's bills by 41% and then refused to give up her own bonus? Of course it would.

Liz Barber was paid £1.32 million in her final year as CEO of Yorkshire Water.

https://t.co/notyxQXAGB