Psammophile
Apsammophile(/ˈ(p)sæmoʊfaɪl/(P)SAM-oh-fyle)[1]is aplantoranimalthat prefers or thrives insandyareas. Plant psammophiles are also known aspsammophytes.They thrive in places such as theArabian Peninsulaand theSahara[2]and also the dunes of coastal regions.
Because of the unique ecological selective pressures of sand, often times animals on opposite sides of the planet canconvergently evolvesimilar features, sometimes referred to as ecomorphological convergence.[3]TheCrotalus cerastesnative to American deserts and theBitis peringueyinative to Namibian deserts have independently evolved sidewinding behavior to traverse across sand.[4]In addition, the Africanjerboaand the Americankangaroo rathave separately evolved a bipedal form with large hind legs that allow them to hop.
Etymology
[edit]Psammois from Ancient Greek ψάμμος (psámmos, “sand” );-philois from Ancient Greek φίλος (phílos, “dear, beloved” ) via Latin-phila.[5]
Popular culture
[edit]With the correct spelling of the wordpsammophile,Florida eighth-grader Dev Shah, one of 231 contestants, won the 95thScripps National Spelling Beein June 2023 and was awarded $50,000 in prize money.[6]
References
[edit]- ^"Definition of PSAMMOPHILE".www.merriam-webster.com.Retrieved2023-07-12.
- ^Mo'atsah (1992).Israel Journal of Zoology.p. 182.
- ^Fet, Victor; Polis, Gary A.; Sissom, W. David (1998-08-01)."Life in sandy deserts: the scorpion model".Journal of Arid Environments.39(4): 609–622.doi:10.1006/jare.1997.0386.ISSN0140-1963.
- ^Elbein, Asher (2021-02-01)."The Skin-Deep Physics of Sidewinder Snakes".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-08-31.
- ^Information from Wiktionary
- ^"Chthonic, psammophile: The best spelling bee words to add to your vocab".Washington Post.2023-06-02.Retrieved2023-07-28.
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