How many species of creatures are there in the world?
Elephants, blue whales, monkeys, mosquitoes... We can't count the species we know, and in fact, we don't know how many different species there are on Earth.
Humans have been classified according to species for more than 250 years. So far, we have registered more than 1.2 million species, but one study shows that at least 86 percent of Earth species and 91 percent of marine species have yet to be described. This means that there are still many species waiting to be discovered.
With the development of humans, many species have become extinct due to the existence of humans, but it is undeniable that many new species are constantly being discovered.
Next, let's take a look at what new species we've discovered over the past decade.
1. Mini Chameleon: 2012
Scientists have discovered four new chameleons in Madagascar, all of which are very small.
Among the four types of chameleons, the pygmy leaf chameleon is the smallest, no more than 3 cm in total length, the world's smallest chameleon, and one of the smallest reptiles in the world, as large as a matchhead.
The new species was discovered in 2012 and was only found on Nosy Hara in Madagascar, usually living on the forest floor.
The reason why the pygmy leaf chameleon is so miniature may be due to a phenomenon of "island dwarfism".
In islands, species trapped on the islands will gradually evolve into miniature versions of land cousins due to limited resources.
As soon as the mini chameleon was discovered, it was sought after by people because it was too miniature and too cute, but unfortunately, due to the lack of government protection, the habitat of this species was threatened by deforestation, and its survival was worrying.
2. Dabanuri orangutan: 2013
In the orangutan family, in addition to the dark colored orangutans, there are also brightly colored orangutans, and in the past, only two kinds of orangutans were known: Sumatran orangutans and Bornean orangutans.
Left Borneo, Central Sumatra, Right Dabanuri orangutan
Recently, however, scientists have discovered a new species: the Dabanuri orangutan.
This orangutan has only been found in a handful of forests in central, northern and southern Indonesia. There are fewer than 800 orangutans in the world, and of the three species, the Dabanuri orangutan has the lowest number.
Due to the geographical isolation and small population size of the Dabanuri orangutans, coupled with the fact that road construction, illegal deforestation and hydropower development projects are rapidly changing their habitat, they are at high risk of extinction, so how to protect them is a very urgent issue.
3. Wakanda Silk Head Fish: 2019
Wakanda's head fish are remote and prefer moderately warm coral ecosystems until last year.
This fish is only found on the east coast of Zanzibar in Tanzania, about 6 cm long, and inhabits an area between 50 and 80 meters, a depth that is inaccessible to the average recreational diver, making it difficult to spot their presence.
The researchers also had to use special equipment to observe how well the fish was doing in its natural habitat.
4. Trees (Dinizia jueirana-facao): 2017
Between 2010 and 2020, the discovery of new species was not limited to mammals and fish, but also extended to the plant kingdom!
Dinizia jueirana-facao is an emerging tree species that grows in semi-deciduous forests and is very large, reaching a height of 40 meters and weighing about 62 tons. It grows at altitudes of 40-150 meters, and it can only be found in two places in Brazil.
It is hard to imagine why such a huge tree has only been discovered now.
So far, 25 wild individuals have been found, of which 12 have been found in nature reserves. Since the number of such large trees is very small when they are found, and more importantly, the few individuals found outside the protected area are under threat from human activities, it can be said that they are already on the verge of extinction as soon as they are discovered.
5. InuYasha Raccoon: 2013
The species is a species of raccoon and is endemic to Ecuador and Colombia.
It is about 35 cm long and weighs about 1 kg, with long orange-yellow hair and large eyes, and is a solitary nocturnal animal that generally lives at an altitude of 5,000 to 9,000 meters above sea level.
The species reproduces slowly, with females usually producing only one offspring at a time.
6 Wakaleo schouteni: 2017
It turns out that scientists have discovered not only new species that exist and are still alive on Earth, but also some species that went extinct millions of years ago.
Australian scientists have found a marsupial lion from fossil remains. Smaller than dogs, the animal weighs slightly more than 20 kilograms and is said to have lived between 18 and 26 million years ago and was found in tropical rainforests.
However, there is still much to be learned about this species and its habitat.
At last
The earth does not belong to people, to all living things.
But because of our presence, the rate of extinction of most species has been pressed by humans to press the fast-forward button.
According to statistics, in the 20th century, 110 species of mammals and 139 species of birds disappeared from the earth, and this is just the tip of the iceberg, scientists estimate that every 20 minutes, 1 species goes extinct.
That is to say, so many lovely creatures in the world, before we can know and understand, have disappeared.