New Species Discovered

[Cedars]

On a whim, I decided to google "north america" and "new species". Yep. They are still discovering new species. Not just microbes or algae or fungus. Big stuff.

First one. Hill cane. I had no idea there are native Bamboo plants in North America but there are now three types.

Botanists Identify New Species Of North American Bamboo

So then I am clicking on more links on my google results and came across this gem. I had no idea theres been a decade long survey called the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory project, a project to inventory all of the species in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

890 new to science discoveries within this park alone. Even if you take off the bacteria, you still have 520 new to science discoveries. In one park! 36 butterflies and moths. 41 new spiders. 42 new beetles. 27 new flies.

New Species Taxa Table - Biodiversity of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

[freeztar]

A new species of bird was discovered recently in Africa.

The newly found olive-backed forest robin (Stiphrornis pyrrholaemus) was named by the scientists for its distinctive olive back and rump. Adult birds measure 4.5 inches in length and average 18 grams in weight. Males exhibit a fiery orange throat and breast, yellow belly, olive back and black feathers on the head. Females are similar, but less vibrant. Both sexes have a distinctive white dot on their face in front of each eye.

The bird was first observed by Smithsonian scientists in 2001 during a field expedition of the National Zoo's Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity Program in southwest Gabon. It was initially thought, however, to be an immature individual of an already-recognized species. Brian Schmidt, a research ornithologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and a member of the MAB program's team, returned to Washington, D.C., from Gabon in 2003 with several specimens to enter into the museum's bird collection. When he compared them with other forest robins of the genus Stiphrornis in the collection, Schmidt immediately noticed differences in color and plumage, and realized the newly collected birds might be unique.

New Bird Species Discovered In Gabon, Africa

[Cedars]

"Given the Latin name Lepidodactylus buleli, the gecko makes its home near the tops of the trees that line the west coast of Espiritu Santo, one of the larger islands of the Vanuatu archipelago east of Australia, France's National Museum of Natural History said.

A 2006 expedition to Espiritu Santo to study the ecosystems of the forest canopy led to the discovery of the 3-inch-long (8-centimeter-long) gecko. The expedition included climbers who scoured the canopy for plant and animal samples."

French scientists discover new gecko species - Science

One thing that struck me was the part about the power failure causing the loss of 8 eggs. You would think someone hatching out a brand new species would have invested a few hundred dollars for a generator.

[Ganoderma]

very cool! i remember reading about 3 new jumping spiders found in taiwan. the strange thing is they were collected in the early 1900's and when they were looking at them in collection, they realized they were new...due to taiwans economic growth and environmental disaster they have never been seen since.

i think it very interesting how old collections from previously lush regions may be the ONLY example of a specie left as these nations are quickly being transformed.


that new gecko is amazing!!!! glad to hear it!

there was a recent discovery of a new peyote specie as well, but it isn't so much accepted by many.

[Cedars]

Originally Posted by Ganoderma

very cool! i remember reading about 3 new jumping spiders found in taiwan. the strange thing is they were collected in the early 1900's and when they were looking at them in collection, they realized they were new...due to taiwans economic growth and environmental disaster they have never been seen since.

i think it very interesting how old collections from previously lush regions may be the ONLY example of a specie left as these nations are quickly being transformed.


that new gecko is amazing!!!! glad to hear it!

there was a recent discovery of a new peyote specie as well, but it isn't so much accepted by many.

I think I remember reading something about the taiwan spiders. I know a few years back some botanists were going through the Minnesota Science museum collection and found a few interesting plants that had not been cataloged correctly and this changed some data on the plants of MN.

[Cedars]

"Genetic material has revealed that one species of the acrobatic primate is really three.

Before now, scientists recognized just two colugo species, the Sunda colugo (Galeopterus variegatus) and the Philippine colugo (Cynocephalus volans).

The finding is detailed in the Nov. 11 issue of the journal Current Biology."

I find the info about wider color variations being interesting and probably evidence of a continued evolution where one coloring variation has not yet emerged as a dominant survival feature for these animals.

Two new 'flying lemur' species identified - LiveScience

Also noted at:

PHOTO IN THE NEWS: New Flying Lemur Species Announced

[Ganoderma]

wow, not everyday you find new lemurs!!!

here is the article about the taiwan jumping spiders.....even if not interested in spiders, its an interesting read and really opens ones eyes to what else may be found ion collections!
http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/41.1/1.pdf

[Cedars]

Originally Posted by Ganoderma

wow, not everyday you find new lemurs!!!

here is the article about the taiwan jumping spiders.....even if not interested in spiders, its an interesting read and really opens ones eyes to what else may be found ion collections!
http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/41.1/1.pdf

Interesting read Gano! One of the disappointments I have had over the course of this summer is regarding the spiders (and other insects) which require a dissection for an absolute specie ID. Another thing is trying to get photos of their tiny legs or sex organs for ID purposes. Much different from bird ID

Still, I have learned (and relearned) much this past year.

[Lis432]

I believe there are hundreds of species yet to be found as there are so many places where humans have not even been to.
I found this video on youtube a few days ago, they even found new spieces buried under ground! You can find it by putting up Remains of deformed horses found on youtube, it's really intersting! Actually makes me wanna go to Russia to check them remains out.

[Moontanman]

I've been involved in the search for new species around where I live with a friend of mine, he has discovered two new species, one fish and on mudpuppy. I helped him collect specimens for DNA samples. he says there are lots of secretive animals waiting to be described.