Why All of A Sudden...Are More New Species of Animals Being Discovered?

Question

It seems like every other month there's some fascinating story about new, and exotic ocean creatures being discovered ...along the North Atlantic.. or in rain forests in the Amazon...or wherever ...

Does this convey a sense of hope? OR Could it be just that these animals have always existed in seclusion and peace without no one disturbing them.... until NOW? Do They face a similar fate as all other creatures now..

Answer 1

As other posters have mentioned exploration of previously unseen areas (ie deep sea, mountain tops, etc...) have led to the discovery of new species. But DNA technology has also led to the increase in new species being reported. There are cryptic species that look similar to each other and may not be easily identified using standard morphological keys. These species have probably been around for hundreds of thousands to millions of years in order to be genetically different. The DNA tells us that these species are separate and do not exchange genetic information though they may live in overlapping ranges. DNA "barcoding" using the cytochrome oxidase I gene is becoming more common. This gene is useful because it varies between species, but not within species. There is an attempt by many researchers to compile these "barcodes" for as many living species as possible as a means to better understand how many species inhabit the planet.

Answer 2

The world is a very big place, full of unreachable places for human beings, only recently we became able to reach the deepest parts of the oceans with very high resolution cameras. Also trying to reach the heart of the Amazon or Congo is completely impossible if you don't go by plane or helicopter or something, because when you go in, you can't really go far or have time or resources to check whether this or that butterfly, mosquito, or even sloth is actually a brand new species. If you have a look at a life tree, you'll see many genuses, and within these genuses are many families of animals and plants that sprout out of it, and each family has got it's own sub families (survival of the fittest will choose who keeps on going, and who should stay there and become extinct some time). What we are actually finding is these very similar animals that belong to a group of already known animals (like the mamoth was connected to the modern elephant). We are not actually finding many exotic animals that are completely different from everything else.

Answer 3

I think it helps prove the theory of adaptation.

I also agree with some of the other posters that said we now have technology that allows us to go deeper into the ocean and find animals that before we could only dream about! As a matter of fact I believe in the very near future we will discover things that before may have only been myths or stories. I think you also have to understand that there are many things that the government and other organizations know about but will not tell the general public for whatever reason. I'm sure that there are so many things that have been discovered that we(the general public) dont even know about. Sooner or later it will all come out. its only a matter of time!

Answer 4

Over time, technologies have been developed for research in areas of the ocean that have previously been unreachable for humans. Deep sea submersible robots equipped with cameras and other recording equipment make it possible for undocumented species to be discovered.

Answer 5

I think it is due both to advances in science that allow us to explore places, such as the deep sea, that were previously unreachable and to the destruction of habitat. Animals that lived in deforested areas, for example, are forced to find new ranges and are sometimes forced into the open.

Answer 6

An animal isn't discovered until self-congratulatory biologists say they they discovered them, despite the fact that many of them have been known to exist for decades or even centuries if you ask the locals.

Answer 7

It's because we are the HUMANS! Thanks to the greatest and latest technology, we are able to venture into the lush forests, deep waters, wonderous skies, druy deserts and more! Nothing will sto the humans from growing, learning, and discovering new things!

And it's not a bad thing, you know! Thankfully, now we have specialized organizations that study and protect new species from extinction.

Hope I helped...

Answer 8

As time goes by, the advances in scientific research make it possible to identify things we could only guess at up until now.

Answer 9

This is nothing new, but as we expand further into every nook and cranny on this planet, there are less places for new species to hide.

Answer 10

animals are slowly evolving to adapt to their changing environments... AHEM global warming, melting polar ice caps and deforestation.