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New species just discovered in Spain: Tiny creature with huge eyes found in ancient Roman mine in Seville
Scientists have made a rare find in the 2,000-year-old, man-made tunnels: a new species that has never been seen before
A team of researchers exploring an ancient Roman water mine near the village of Carmona, in Seville province, has made an unexpected discovery. Deep inside the tunnels, they identified a completely new species of crustacean, something almost never found in man-made spaces.Named Baeticoniscus carmonaensis, or the Carmona isopod, the tiny creature measures just 2.5 millimetres in length. It has a pale, colourless body and large black eyes, which appear strikingly oversized compared to the rest of its body. These features are a common trait of animals that have evolved in total darkness.
The discovery was made in the San Antón Water Mine, a structure built during the Roman era to collect underground water. Although long abandoned, parts of the mine still contain flowing water, and much of the old system remains intact.
In 2021 and 2022, caving experts and biologists entered the tunnels to study the mine’s little-known ecosystem. Using torches, they waded through the water and collected samples of decaying wood from the tunnel floor. Back in the laboratory, those samples revealed something remarkable… an unknown creature living among the remains.
The Carmona isopod was found hidden in the damp wood, moving slowly and likely feeding on bacteria and fungi. Its isolated underground habitat, with no light and barely any temperature change, makes it a fascinating example of life adapting to extreme conditions.
Experts say it is incredibly rare to discover a new species in a man-made space. Most similar finds take place in natural caves, not historical, man-made constructions like this Roman aqueduct.
Researchers say the find highlights the unexpected biodiversity that can exist in forgotten spaces, even those shaped by human hands thousands of years ago.
Image: J Cifuentes/research.net
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