Two new tiny crustaceans emerge from high Andean peatlands

High in the Andes, in peatlands where the water sits cold under thin air, tiny freshwater crustaceans have been living unnamed. Researchers Isa-Miranda, Peralta and Nieto combined microscope-level anatomy with DNA evidence to describe two new species of Hyalella amphipods from South America's high-altitude wetlands, published in Evolutionary Systematics. Peatlands store carbon and cradle unique life; knowing exactly who lives there is the first step toward keeping these fragile wetlands intact.

SDG 15 · Life on land