A team of scientists discovered two new species of crocodiles in Mexico. One was found on the island of Cozumel and the other on the Banco Chinchorro atoll, both off the Yucatan Peninsula.
The research with the details was published in the Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal.
These findings challenge deep-rooted assumptions about the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and highlight the urgent need for conservation efforts, the researchers affirm.
## New crocodile species in Mexico: the research
“Biodiversity is disappearing at a rate faster than we can discover what we are losing,” stated in a press release Professor of Biology Hans Larsson, lead researcher of the team from McGill University in charge of the investigation.
“Most crocodile species are already endangered, and rapid coastal development threatens almost all populations,” he noted.
“Our research aimed to discover the true diversity of crocodiles on these isolated islands,” he added.
Larsson and his team analyzed the genetic sequences of the crocodile populations from Cozumel and Banco Chinchorro.
By comparing these sequences with those of crocodiles from the Caribbean, Central America, and the Mexican Pacific coast, they found surprising levels of genetic differentiation. This led them to conclude that these populations were not simply variants of Crocodylus acutus.
Both new species have not yet been identified. “These results were completely unexpected,” stated José Ávila Cervantes, a former graduate student of Larsson and lead author of the study.
“We assumed it was a single species ranging from Baja California to Venezuela and throughout the Caribbean. Our study is the first to thoroughly explore the genomic and anatomical variation in these animals,” he detailed.
## The implications
This discovery, according to experts, has significant implications for conservation, the researchers affirmed.
The newly identified species live in small and isolated populations, each with fewer than 1000 breeding individuals. While both populations seem stable, their limited number and habitat restrictions make them vulnerable.
“The rapid loss of biodiversity can only be halted if we know which species are at the greatest risk,” Larsson concluded.
Among the points mentioned by specialists to conserve the habitat, limiting urban development and implementing rigorous conservation strategies in Cozumel and Banco Chinchorro stand out.
