http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/new_species/ New species discovered! Read the latest research news on newly discovered frogs, cave crickets, monkeys and more. en-us Mon, 12 May 2008 23:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 23:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/new_species/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508142820.htm An endangered species of flora or fauna ups the risk of the extinction of the other species in its ecological community. Trophically unique species are more vulnerable for cascading extinction, according to studies of a team of theoretical biologists. Sun, 11 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508142820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083955.htm Nearly 35% of all amphibians are now threatened of extinction raising them to the position of the most endangered group of animals in the world. Decline of amphibian populations and species is ongoing due to habitat loss, fungal disease, climate shift and agrochemical contaminants. These impacts are even worse to frogs that reproduce in water bodies such as streams and ponds. Scientists now propose a priority set of areas for the conservation of frogs and toads in Latin America. The study is unprecedented in terms of not only the proposition of key-conservation areas, but also because it shows that the inclusion of species biological traits, such as reproductive modes, affects the performance of area-prioritization analyses. Fri, 09 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083955.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508181914.htm A biologist has brought his admiration of Neil Young to a whole new class. Or species, to be exact. A professor of biology has named a newly discovered trapdoor spider, Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi, after the legendary rock star. Thu, 08 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508181914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507084005.htm Some Malagasy mouse lemurs are so similar that picking a mate of the right species, especially at night time in a tropical forest, might seem like a matter of pot luck. However, new research has shown that our desperately cute distant cousins use vocalizations to pick up a partner of the right species. Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507084005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429095049.htm Researchers discovered a legless lizard and a tiny woodpecker along with 12 other suspected new species in Brazil's Cerrado, one of the world's 34 biodiversity conservation hotspots. The Cerrado's wooded grassland once covered an area half the size of Europe, but is now being converted to cropland and ranchland at twice the rate of the neighboring Amazon rainforest, resulting in the loss of native vegetation and unique species. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429095049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418105531.htm The global Fish Barcode of Life Initiative plans to collect at least five representatives each of all 30,000 plus marine and freshwater species in the world. FISH-BOL is part of the global Consortium for the Barcode of Life, started in 2003 to barcode everything from fishes, mushrooms and flowers, to microbes, insects and animals of every description. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418105531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415210623.htm One of Hawaii's most dominant plants, Metrosideros, has been a resident of the islands far longer than previously believed. Metrosideros, commonly called "ohi'a" in the Hawaiian Islands, has puzzled researchers for years. Although previously thought to be a newcomer to the islands, these plants are well integrated into the islands' ecosystems. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415210623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409204024.htm Every year scientists discover new species of marine life from deep within the vast global oceans. Each of these new discoveries adds to the catalog of known organisms on Earth, and deepens the knowledge of ocean biodiversity. Every year collections staff and researchers discover new species of marine creatures. Some specimens set new records, such as the stout infantfish, co-described by Scripps as the world's smallest fish in 2004. Traditionally, the person who first describes a newfound plant or animal is entitled to name it, but now, Scripps is inviting the public to share in the process by naming select newly discovered species acquired by the institution. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409204024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407123824.htm Researchers have confirmed the first case of complete lunglessness in a frog. The little aquatic frog apparently gets all the oxygen it needs through its skin. Previously known from only two specimens, two new populations of the aquatic frog were found by biologists during a recent expedition to Indonesian Borneo. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407123824.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404131211.htm The discovery of a new genus of a tiny booklouse from a northern Arizona cave may lead to further protection for cave ecosystems. This is the third new genus of invertebrates found by the same two scientists since 2006. They discovered a new cricket genus and a new millipede genus in Grand Canyon region caves. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080404131211.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083359.htm Molecular evidence provides strong evidence that speciation rates slow down through time. New species seem to appear less and less as the number of species in a region approaches the maximum number that it can support. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319085411.htm A new genetic analysis suggests that the parasitic worm Schistosoma mekongi is more widespread than previously thought. According to the study, the human population at risk of infection could be up to 10 times greater than previously estimated. Furthermore, it posits an increased possibility of the spread of the parasite across Laos and Vietnam. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319085411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314095059.htm The discovery of a new bird comes with a twist: It's a white-eye, but its eye isn't white. Still, what this new bird lacks in literal qualities it makes up for as one of the surprises that nature still has tucked away in little-explored corners of the world. Ornithologists describe for science a new species of bird from the Togian Islands of Indonesia -- Zosterops somadikartai, or Togian white-eye. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314095059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312160247.htm One of the world's most endangered species -- a North Island brown kiwi -- has just hatched at the Smithsonian's National Zoo Bird House. Keepers had been incubating the egg for five weeks, following a month long incubation by the chick's father, carefully monitoring it for signs of pipping: the process in which the chick starts to break through the shell. The chick remained in an isolet for four days and is now in a specially designed brooding box. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312160247.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311160514.htm After 14 years without having been seen, several young scientists have rediscovered the Carrikeri harlequin frog in a remote mountainous region in Colombia. Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311160514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080308223914.htm A bird not seen for almost 80 years has been discovered in the Pacific to the delight of conservationists. Only two records of Beck's petrel existed previously, from the late 1920s when ornithologist Rollo Beck collected two of the tube-nosed seabirds on his quest for museum specimens from the region. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080308223914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305194942.htm What looks at first to be a slimy mess in a Petri dish represents a highly-significant advance in conservation and restoration ecology. Ecologists are celebrating the arrival of the first Maud Island frogs (Leiopelma pakeka) to hatch on mainland New Zealand for many years. No larger than a human adult's little fingernail, the Maud Island froglets differ from most frog species in that they hatch from the egg as fully-formed froglets without going through the usual tadpole stage. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305194942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307110337.htm Microbiologists have discovered a new species of bacteria that can live in hairspray. Scientists now need to determine the clinical importance of the new species, as similar bacteria have been found to infect humans. Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307110337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304191213.htm When most of us think of Ancient Egypt, visions of pyramids and mummies fill our imaginations. For a team of paleontologists interested in fossil mammals, the Fayum district of Egypt summons an even older and equally impressive history that extends much further back in time than the Sphinx. Six new bat species dating to around 35 million years ago, which sheds new light on the early evolution of bats, have just been discovered Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304191213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080223121818.htm Researchers have discovered a way to domesticate "stubborn" microbial species. The revolutionary method capitalizes on an earlier technology to grow microorganisms in diffusion chambers incubated in natural environment. Now they have shown that a series of such incubations lead to the appearance of variants capable of growth on standard media. Additionally, they designed a "chip" allowing massively parallel growth and isolation of pure microbial cultures. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080223121818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080217090219.htm NOAA Fisheries Service is looking at how marine mammals react to underwater sound. Increasing evidence suggests that exposure to intense underwater sound in some settings may cause certain marine mammals to strand and ultimately die. Some of these strandings are associated with mid-frequency active military sonar, and most have involved beaked whales; the dominant species is Cuvier's beaked whale, but the genus Mesoplodon has also been involved. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080217090219.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218172312.htm A new method for measuring the impacts of species on local biodiversity has been developed. The system makes it possible to determine whether a certain species promotes or suppresses species diversity. The new method extends a procedure familiar to biologists that involves investigating species numbers in relation to area, by adding sophisticated statistical methods so that it can be used to describe the role of individual species in their impact on biodiversity. The new method makes it easier to identify key species. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218172312.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214144429.htm NOAA researchers and their international partners in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands are using satellite transmitter technology to track the endangered leatherback sea turtle across the Pacific Ocean. Transmitters attached to the carapace of the turtle send signals to satellites providing researchers with information on the animals' geographic location, diving behavior, and sea temperatures. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214144429.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080216095738.htm Biologists urge that interactions among species, the effects of climate change, and the effects of human impacts such as harvesting are among the factors that need to be considered in moving toward an ecosystem-based fishery management plan. Conventional fishery management practices concentrate on individual species rather than a holistic approach that looks at the bigger picture. Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080216095738.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211132056.htm A young scientist has discovered a previously undescribed species of parasite that infects farmed fish and produces serious disease. Single-celled parasites of the genus Spironucleus are known to produce serious illness in farmed and aquarium fish. In farmed salmon, these parasites create foul-smelling, puss-filled abscesses in muscles and internal organs. After the first outbreaks of this disease were described in farmed salmon in the late 1980's, it was assumed that the cause was Spironucleus barkhanus, which is a fairly common parasite in the intestine of wild grayling and Arctic char. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211132056.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207171703.htm The number of plant species worldwide may be dwindling from the effects of chronic low levels of nitrogen on terrestrial ecosystems, according to a University of Minnesota study. Loss of biodiversity from high levels of atmospheric nitrogen has been reported in parts of Europe and the United States, but this is the first long-term study of the impact of much lower levels of nitrogen deposition over much of the developed world. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207171703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204212915.htm Mapping worldwide freshwater fish invasions allowed the identification of major invasion hot spots and demonstrated that economic activity is the main determinant of freshwater fish invasions at the global scale. Sat, 09 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204212915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205111733.htm A 'barcode' gene that can be used to distinguish between the majority of plant species on Earth has been identified. This gene, which can be used to identify plants using a small sample, could lead to new ways of easily cataloguing different types of plants in species-rich areas like rainforests. It could also lead to accurate methods for identifying plant ingredients in powdered substances, such as in traditional Chinese medicines, and could help to monitor and prevent the illegal transportation of endangered plant species. Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205111733.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080201085759.htm When Francesco Rovero first saw the image captured by one of his automatic cameras in a remote Tanzanian forest, he knew he'd never seen anything quite like it. It was the size of a small dog, covered in orange and gray fur, and had a long snout like an elephant. Its markings and general appearance suggested it was a member of the elephant-shrew family, called a sengi in Swahili. Now the Journal of Zoology reports that Rovero discovered a new species of giant elephant-shrew. Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080201085759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113319.htm An unusual new species of whirligig beetle from India is being named Orectochilus orbisonorum in honor of the late rock 'n' roll legend Roy Orbison and his widow Barbara. Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124132336.htm A gigantic, ancient relative of the newt, a drawing-pin sized frog, a limbless, tentacled amphibian and a blind see-through salamander have all made it onto a list of the world's weirdest and most endangered creatures. ZSL EDGE program is highlighting some of the world's most extraordinary creatures currently threatened with extinction. This year ZSL scientists have assessed all amphibian species according to how Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) they are. Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124132336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080116202051.htm A gigantic palm that flowers itself to death and exists as part of an entirely unique genus has been discovered in Madagascar. The mystery palm has a huge trunk which towers over 18m high and fan leaves which are 5m in diameter -- among the largest known in flowering plants. This is the most massive palm ever to be found in Madagascar. Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080116202051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080111221340.htm All species of termites are social insects, like ants. Entomologists have listed over 2000 species across the world and more than one-third of them live in Africa. This continent harbors 160 from the subfamily Macrotermitinae. Unlike other termites, the species of this subfamily cannot digest either cellulose or lignin, basic constituents of their food plants, and therefore call on the services of a symbiotic relationship with a higher fungus. Using roughly chewed and only slightly digested plant material, they make a small ventilated structure, the fungus comb or garden, on which another fungus will grow. Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080111221340.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104170859.htm How do we know that interactions between plant species affect their evolution? While there is abundant evidence to suggest that plant-pollinator interactions influence the evolution of floral traits, there is little direct evidence that interactions between plant species shape the evolution of such characteristics. Evolutionary biologists recently examined this question in a study of two morning glory species that commonly co-occur in the southeastern United States. Mon, 07 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104170859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104173642.htm Most ecological theories deal with simple consumer--resource interactions. Scientists now provide a novel approach to incorporate nontrophic interactions, such as pollination and habitat modification, in ecosystem models, which allows them to study the dynamics of complex interaction webs. Their model adds nontrophic interactions to a food web in the form of modifications of trophic interactions. It also tracks nutrient fluxes in the food web and hence satisfies the principle of mass conservation. Sat, 05 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104173642.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103144451.htm Scientists have known for some time that most major groups of complex animals appeared in the fossils record during the Cambrian Explosion, a seemingly rapid evolutionary event that occurred 542 million years ago. Now paleontologists, using rigorous analytical methods, have identified another explosive evolutionary event that occurred about 33 million years earlier among macroscopic life forms unrelated to the Cambrian animals. Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103144451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071204180035.htm An online auction for naming rights to a new owl butterfly species brought a winning bid of $40,800, with proceeds benefiting continued research on Mexican butterflies. Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071204180035.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221094911.htm Two articles provide further evidence that we have hugely underestimated the number of species with which we share our planet. Today sophisticated genetic techniques mean that superficially identical animals previously classed as members of a single species, including the frogs and giraffes in these studies, could in fact come from several distinct 'cryptic' species. Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221094911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220140810.htm Most modern-day groups of beetles have been around since the time of the dinosaurs and have been diversifying ever since, says new research in Science. Beetles have displayed an exceptional ability to seize new ecological opportunities and develop a great range of life styles and feeding types. Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220140810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213152310.htm Two new species of soft corals were discovered during a recent expedition to Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles, the largest atoll in the Caribbean. Marine biologists collected 40 species of soft corals and nearly 100 different species of crustaceans in just ten days of SCUBA diving and exploration. One of the likely new species was found in deep water (70 m), and the other, surprisingly, was found to be common in shallow water (20 m). Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213152310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219082607.htm Tiny photosynthetic plankton less than a millionth of a millimeter in diameter numerically dominate marine phytoplankton. Their photosynthesis uses light to drive carbon dioxide uptake, fueling the marine food web over vast areas of the oceans. A new study illuminates how the environment regulates the distributions of these ecologically important species. Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219082607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071210214707.htm Geographic range maps that allow conservationists to estimate the distribution of birds may vastly underestimate the actual population size of threatened species and those with specific habitats, according to a study in the journal Conservation Biology. Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071210214707.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129113747.htm Indigenous water frogs can be crowded out by immigrant or imported species. This is the finding of a Franco-German study. The scientists investigated water frog populations in France and Northern Spain and noticed that the marsh frog (Rana ridibunda), which normally occurs only in Eastern Europe, has the potential to crowd out indigenous species like Graf's hybrid frog (Rana grafi) and the Iberian water frog (Rana perezi). Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129113747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126144446.htm Several marine turtle nesting sites on the beaches of Senegal have been discovered, prompting calls from conservationists to improve protection of the endangered species. The survey discovered nine new green turtle nests on the beaches of Joal-Fadiouth in the Saloum Delta south of the capital, Dakar. Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126144446.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203090131.htm A study based on an extensive data-gathering effort concludes that expected climate change this century could shift the ranges of 130 North American tree species northward by hundreds of kilometers and shrink the ranges by more than half. Ranges may decrease sharply if trees cannot disperse in altered conditions. Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203090131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071130200450.htm Scientists have identified the virus that causes great damage in tomato cultivation in Mexico where the disease is known as 'Marchitez', which means 'withered'. The name of the new virus is tomato marchitez virus. The virus was found to be related to the tomato torrado virus. Identification of the virus now makes it possible for breeding companies to develop cultivars with resistance to the virus. Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071130200450.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126152711.htm "One potato, two potato, three potato, four" turns out to be exactly right--when classifying cultivated potatoes, that is. Scientists have used morphology--the outward appearance of a plant -- in combination with molecular markers to revise the number of potato species from seven to four. Until recently, potato species designations have been based primarily on morphological characteristics and estimates --- often incorrect --- of how many chromosome sets they possessed. Sat, 01 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126152711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071113160351.htm Whereas most birds are sole proprietors of their nests, some tropical species "time share" together -- a discovery that helps clear up a 150-year-old evolutionary mystery, says a biology professor. Tue, 20 Nov 2007 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071113160351.htm