The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University released a report May 23, announcing this year's top 10 New Species.
The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University released a report May 23, announcing this year's top 10 New Species. This is the sixth year this list has been released.
"We have identified only about two million of an estimated 10 to 12 million living species and that does not count most of the microbial world," said Quentin Wheeler, founding director of the International Institute for Species Exploration at ASU and author of "What on Earth? 100 of our Planet's Most Amazing New Species" (NY, Plume, 2013). "For decades, we have averaged 18,000 species discoveries per year which seemed reasonable before the biodiversity crisis. Now, knowing that millions of species may not survive the 21st century, it is time to pick up the pace. We are calling for a NASA-like mission to discover 10 million species in the next 50 years. This would lead to discovering countless options for a more sustainable future while securing evidence of the origins of the biosphere."
The list reads:
1. Lilliputian Violet (Viola lilliputana)- Listed among the smallest violets in the world, the Lilliputian Violet can be found only in a single locality in an Intermontane Plateau of the high Andes of Peru.
2. Lyre Sponge (Chondrocladia lyra) - This lyre-shaped carnivorous sponge was discovered in deep water from the northeast Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
3. Lesula Monkey (Cercopithecus lomamiensis) - The Lesula Monkey is an Old World monkey and was discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the second species of monkeys discovered in Africa over the last 28 years.
4. No to the Mine! Snake (Sibon noalamina) - This snail eating snake was discovered in the highland rainforests of western Panama. It feeds on only soft bodied prey like slugs, earthworms and amphibian eggs.
5. A Smudge on Paleolithic Art (Ochroconis anomala) - This fungus was discovered on the walls of Lascaux Cave in France. Scientists say one of two new species of this fungus is harmless while the other one causes disease in humans who have weak immune systems.
6. World's Smallest Vertebrate (Paedophryne amanuensis) - This tiny frog was found in Amau village in Papua New Guinea and now owns the title of being the "smallest living vertebrate."
7. Endangered Forest (Eugenia petrikensis) - A new found species of Eugenia, E. petrikensis is a shrub growing to two meters with emerald green, slightly glossy foliage and beautiful, dense clusters of small magenta flowers. It was found in South America, New Caledonia and Madagascar.
8. Lightning Roaches? (Lucihormetica luckae) - This glow-in-the-dark cockroach was discovered in Ecuador.
9. No Social Butterfly (Semachrysa jade) - This species is a beautiful green lacewing with dark markings at the base of its wings which was discovered in a park near Kuala Lumpur.
10. Hanging Around in the Jurassic (Juracimbrophlebia ginkgofolia) - This hangingfly fossil was discovered in Middle Jurassic deposits in the Jiulongshan Formation in China's Inner Mongolia.
