A psammophile (/ˈ(p)sæmoʊfaɪl/ (P)SAM-oh-fyle)[1] is a plant or animal that prefers or thrives in sandy areas. Plant psammophiles are also known as psammophytes. They thrive in places such as the Arabian Peninsula and the Sahara[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 can convergently evolve similar features, sometimes referred to as ecomorphological convergence.[3] The Crotalus cerastes native to American deserts, and the Bitis peringueyi native to Namibian deserts, have both independently evolved the sidewinding behavior to traverse across sand.[4] As well, the African Jerboa and the American Kangaroo Rat have separately evolved a bipedal form with large hind legs that allow them to hop.

Etymology

Psammo is from Ancient Greek ψάμμος (psámmos, “sand”); -philo is from Ancient Greek φίλος (phílos, “dear, beloved”) via Latin -phila.[5]

With the correct spelling of the word psammophile, Florida eighth-grader Dev Shah, one of 231 contestants, won the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee in June 2023 and was awarded $50,000 in prize money.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Definition of PSAMMOPHILE". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  2. ↑ Mo'atsah (1992). Israel Journal of Zoology. p. 182.
  3. ↑ 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. ISSN 0140-1963.
  4. ↑ Elbein, Asher (2021-02-01). "The Skin-Deep Physics of Sidewinder Snakes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
  5. ↑ Information from Wiktionary
  6. ↑ "Chthonic, psammophile: The best spelling bee words to add to your vocab". Washington Post. 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-07-28.


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