What percentage of species on Earth do you think humans have discovered so far? 50%？ 60%？ Or 90%?
It seems that we are more worried about the extinction of some organisms. However, through mathematical statistical methods, it is estimated that at least more than 1 million unknown creatures have not been discovered. We probably know less than 30% about life on this planet.
Inventory of recent newly discovered species
Start with a handle on Pliotrema kajae, Pliotrema annae (six-gill sawshark)
Previously thought by scientists that the six-gill sawshark was the only species in the genus Sixgill sawshark, the discovery of the Western Indian Ocean near Madagascar and Zanzibar has added two more species to the genus. It is called "six-gills" because sharks usually have only 5 gill fissures on each side, but six-gill sawsharks have 6.
This more comic-looking expression was shot from the bottom up.
Normal point of view is actually like this drop.
Acrotaphus wasps (parasitic wasp)
It is a parasitic wasp found in the lowland rainforest regions of the Andes Andes and the Amazon. They mainly parasitize spiders. Female parasitic wasps will attack spiders in the web, temporarily paralyzing them with stingers. After this, the parasitic bee lays an egg on the spider and the larvae hatch from the egg. After that, the larvae gradually eat the spider and eventually pupate it.
Protoptilum Nybakkeni is a new species of coral.
Hippocampus nalu (a pygmy seahorse)
A new pygmy seahorse was discovered in South Africa, named Hippocampus nalu. Probably the size of a fingernail.
Trimeresurus Salazar (a bamboo leaf green snake)
The genus was found in southern Tibet in China and includes at least 48 species.
Maratus constellatus (Australian jumping spider)
Pattern a bit bohemian?
Gonzaga leaf frog
Image credit: DIEGO J. SANTANA
In 2020, the Gonzaga leaf frog was found in northeastern Brazil. There may be more undescribed vertebrates there.
Lebbiea Grandiflora (waterfall vanilla)
Professor Aiah Lebbie discovered an unusual vanilla near a waterfall in Sierra Leone, Africa, capable of climbing on the rocks next to the falls.
Kindia gangan (Kindia Guingamp)
Scientists have recently discovered a new plant, named "Kindia gangan," and are members of the coffee family. Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens discovered the plant during a field trip and grows on sandstone cliffs near the town of Kindia in Guinea, West Africa.
Himalayan armor
In July 2020, researchers discovered for the first time in Tengchong that the Himalayan orchid added an important new record plant species to the southern section of the Gaoligong Mountain.
Lushui big bell flower
In early August 2020, researchers at the Kunming Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered a new population of rare species Lushui Bell Flower in Lushui City, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture.
Map of unknown species
Ecologists have taken a step in mapping all life on Earth by predicting where those unknown beings are waiting to be discovered. As a first step, the researchers created an interactive map showing hotspots of diversity that are most likely to occur for new species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, Science reported. Recently, researchers reported this research in Nature Ecology and Evolution.
"Unknown species are often overlooked in conservation planning, management and decision-making." Mario Moura, an ecologist and co-author of the paper at the Federal University of Paraíba in Brazil, said, "If we want to improve the conservation of biodiversity worldwide, we need to better understand species. ”
It is estimated that 85% of the species on Earth have not yet been described. So, in 2018, Moura, who just earned her Ph.D. in ecology, teamed up with Walter Jetz, an ecologist at Yale University, to come up with a better way to predict where unknown species are. "Early detection and description of opportunities are unequal across species." Moura explains, "For example, large mammals that live around humans are more likely to be documented by scientists than small frogs that live in remote jungles." ”
Over a period of more than two years, Moura and Jetz collected data on size, habitat, and nine other attributes for all 32,000 known vertebrate species. Using computer models, they determined the probability that different combinations of organisms with these attributes would be found (and will be discovered), and where they would be discovered. "Our approach is to predict unknown species using known species." Moura said.
They predict that some places— such as the Guinea Forest in West Africa and many Southeast Asian islands— may be rich in unknown organisms because of the high density of species in these places but relatively inaccessible to humans.
Moura and Jetz conclude that more than 10 percent of the world's undiscovered land vertebrates live in Brazil, and Madagascar, Colombia and Indonesia each have 5 percent. Overall, they note, such hotspots make up only 10 percent of the Earth's land surface, but there are nearly 70 percent of new species that go undetected.
Unknown island
The researchers report that many of the newly discovered species will appear in tropical forests, including large numbers of frogs, geckos and other amphibians and reptiles, which account for 3/4 of the currently unknown species population. Among mammals, they expect to discover more new species of rodents, bats, and primates; among birds, perhaps only a handful of songbirds will be found.
Jetz said the new map of "species discovery potential" could help develop conservation plans. "I think this presents a huge opportunity to use limited resources and time more effectively for discovery." For example, to better understand the impacts of climate change, researchers can use the map to target areas that are more severely affected by climate change in advance. Next, they hope to develop similar maps that will help scientists discover and describe thousands of species of invertebrates and plants.
Van view: The diversity of life on earth and even in the universe is estimated to be unimaginable to human beings.