Production Of Tellurium In Neutron Star Mergers.

• A neutron star is an extremely dense and compact celestial object that forms after the core of a massive star collapses under its own gravity during a supernova explosion. 
• Tellurium is a semi-metallic, lustrous, crystalline, brittle, silver-white element.
• Atomic Number: 52
• It has the properties of both metals and nonmetals.
• It forms many compounds corresponding to those of sulphurand selenium.
• When burned in the air, tellurium has a greenish-blue flame and forms tellurium dioxide as a result.
• Tellurium is a semiconductor material and is slightly photosensitive.
• It is one of the only elements that readily combine with gold (Au).
• Sources:Tellurium is sometimes found free in nature.More commonly, it is found combined with metals, such as in the minerals calaverite (gold telluride, AuTe2) and sylvanite (silver-gold telluride).
• Commercially, tellurium is obtained as a byproduct of electrolytic copper refining.
• Applications:
• Tellurium is alloyed with copper and stainless steel to make these metals more workable.
• It is added at very low levels to lead to decreases the corrosive action of sulfuric acid in batteries and to improve the lead’s strength and hardness.
• It is used as a colouring agent in ceramics.
• It is also used in the electronics industry, for example, with cadmium and mercury to form photosensitive semiconductors.
• It is used in vulcanizing rubber, and in catalysts for petroleum cracking, and in blasting caps for explosives.

50 Odonata Species Identified in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.

• Odonata is an insect order consisting of three groups: Anisoptera(which includes dragonflies), Zygoptera (which includes damselflies), and Anisozygoptera (a relict group represented by only two living species).
• It is one of the ancient orders of insects. 
• Odonata is a diverse group, with over 6,000 known species.
• Distribution:
• They are globally distributed, from the tropics, where they are most numerous and varied, to the boreal forestsof Siberia and North America.
• They are also found throughout the Southern Hemisphere, with the exception of Antarctica.
• India is highly diverse, with more than 500 known species.
• Habitat: They are found in a variety of habitats, such as freshwater environments like ponds, rivers, and lakes, and are typically associated with bodies of water during their larval stage.
• Features:
• Many characteristics distinguish Odonata from other groups of insects: minute antennae, extremely large eyes (filling most of the head), two pairs of transparent membranous wings with many small veins, a long slender abdomen, and an aquatic larval stage (nymph).
• The abdomen is almost always longer than any of the wings.
• More than 80% of their brain is devoted to analysing visual information.
• Large, active by day, and often strikingly coloured, they are usually seen flying near water.
• Their mouths have been adapted for biting, making them efficient hunters.
• Adult odonates are voracious predators, as are the aquatic larvae.

Key Facts about Mudumalai Tiger Reserve:

• It is located in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu, spread over 321 sq. km. at the tri-junction of three states, viz, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
• It lies on the Northeastern and Northwestern slopes of the Nilgiri Hills, which are part of the Western Ghats.
• It is part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, the first Biosphere Reserve in India.
• It has a common boundary with Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) on the West, Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) on the North, the Nilgiris North Division on the South and East, and Gudalur Forest Division on the Southwest.
• The name Mudumalai means ” the ancient hill range”. Indeed, it is as old as 65 million years when the Western Ghats were formed.
• Terrain: The terrain is undulating, with the elevation ranging from 960m to 1266m.
• Habitat: A variety of habitats ranging from tropical evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, moist teak forest, dry teak forest, secondary grasslands, and swamps are found here.
• Flora:It has tall grasses, commonly referred to as “Elephant Grass”, bamboo of the giant variety, and valuable timber species like Teak, Rosewood, etc.It has wild relatives of cultivated plants: wild rice, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, etc.
• Fauna: Includes Tiger, Elephant, Indian Gaur, Panther, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Common Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Mangoose, and Hyena, among others.
• The recent Oscar-winning ‘Elephant Whisperers’was filmed at the Theppakadu Elephant Camp, located inside the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.

New Species Of Epiphytic Plant Discovered In Arunachal Pradesh.

• Scientists of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have discovered a new species of epiphytic plant, Lysionotus namchoomii, from the Pakke-Kessang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

• It is named Lysionotus
• Range: The native range of the genus Lysionotus is the Himalayas to Japan and Indo-China, and about 50% of the species found are endemic.
• Species of the genus are mostly epiphytic, lithophytic, or terrestrial evergreen erect or climbing subshrubs.
• The new species bears thick leaves and attractive purple flowers.
• The conservation status of this new species is provisionally assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’, in accordance with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. 
• It is epiphytic in nature and grows another plant.
• Epiphytic plants are mostly found in tropical and subtropical

Key Facts about the Botanical Survey of India

• It is the apex taxonomic research organisation of the country, which is under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India.
• It was established on 13^th February 1890 under the direction of Sir George King.
• The mandate of the organisation has been broadened to includebiosystematics research, floristic studies, documentation, databasing of National Botanical collection, digitization of herbarium specimens,
• Headquarters: Kolkata

Environmental DNA – A Novel Method To Detect All Life Forms In An Ecosystem.

• Researchers from the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad have developed a new eDNA sequencing method to assess biodiversity.

• eDNA is DNA shed by all organisms into their surroundings through natural processes during their lifetime or after death.
• Source: It originates from cellular material shed by organisms (via the skin, excrement, etc.) into aquatic or terrestrial environments that can be sampled and monitored using new molecular methods.

Key points about the new method

• The new non-invasive method can assess the total biodiversity of any ecosystem by sequencing the DNA fragments found in environmental samples such as water, soil, or air.
• This method can detect all kinds of organisms, including viruses, bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes such as fungi, plants, insects, birds, fish and other animals.
• This method requires just a few litres of water sample without any direct capture or counting of species.
• The researchers filter out eDNA from environmental samples, read their sequences, and thus identify the source of the eDNA.

Significance

• Such methodology is important for the early detection of invasive species as well as the detection of rare and cryptic species.
• eDNA can also reveal the presence of human remains
• The new method is cheaper, faster, and highly scalable to large freshwater and marine ecosystems, which can help in monitoring and conserving the rich biodiversity of our country.