Jyotirmath
The Centre approved the Uttarakhand government’s proposal for renaming the Joshimath tehsil in Chamoli district to Jyotirmath
- One of the 4 cardinal mathas
- Established by – Adi Shankaracharya across India to promote Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
- Also known as – Winter abode of Lord Badrinath.
- Also a base camp for mountaineers attempting to climb Nanda Devi peak.
Bioluminescence
Recently, Scientists have discovered that bioluminescence is pretty common among deep-sea shrimp.
- Property of a living organism to emit light.
- Produced by – Energy released from enzyme-catalysed oxidation reactions in organisms.
- Chemical involved – Luciferin
- Species exhibiting Bioluminescence – Sponges, jellyfish, hatchet fish, worms, Sea Walnuts, fireflies, fungi, bacteria, etc.
- Functions – Counter-illumination (Camouflage against predatory animals), prey attraction, intra-species communication, etc.
Exercise Tarang Shakti
India will host its Tarang Shakti in August 2024.
- India’s 1st multinational air exercise
- Scheduled in 2 phases – 1st will be held in southern India and the 2nd will be in the western sector.
Speciation
A study has found that Asiatic lions & Bengal tigers co-existed for so long in the Subcontinent due to Sympatric Speciation.
- A lineage-splitting event that produces 2 or more separate species.
- Modes of Speciation –
- Allopatric – New species formed from geographically isolated populations.
- Peripatric – New species formed from a small population isolated at the edge of a larger population.
- Parapatric – New species formed from a continuously distributed population.
- Sympatric – New species formed from within the range of the ancestral population
Pantanal Wetland
South America’s Pantanal wetlands is grappling with devastating wildfires.
- World’s largest tropical wetland
- Spread across 3 countries – Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.
- Significance – Comprises a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve and 2 Ramsar sites.