Scientists have been scouring forests and deserts to find them. Identified in three oceans and five continents, they demonstrate the vastness and dynamism of our planet.
The “catalog” of species of flora and fauna of the Earth expands with 70 new types, including plants and animals, discovered in 2021. Researchers at the California Academy of Sciences have identified 14 beetles, 12 sea slugs, 9 ants, 7 fish, 6 scorpions, 5 starfish, 5 flowering plants, 4 sharks, 3 spiders, 2 pennatulaceae, a moss, a pygmy hippocampus and an earthworm. Scientists found them by scouring forests, deserts and deep sea depths in three oceans and five continents.
The importance of the 70 new animal and plant species
The discoveries confirm how vast and dynamic our planet is with large unexplored areas where beings live that are still unknown to humans. “Biodiversity is critical to the health of our planet, and we are losing it at a rate for which current sustainability actions are no longer sufficient,” explained Shannon Bennet, a virologist at the California Academy. The newly discovered species will be celebrated on January 6, 2022, with a virtual event, called NightSchool, during which researchers will tell their particularities and describe them.
The importance of preserving Earth’s flora and fauna
“Humans, as stewards of the natural world,” Bennet pointed out, “must play an active role in regenerating ecosystems. Our relationship with nature improves through knowledge of new species, which allows us to deepen our understanding of how the Earth works and how best to respond to a future that now appears uncertain. This is, as we continue to battle climate change and a pandemic, the critical time to protect the diversity of life on Earth.” The discovery of the 70 new species opens up new fields of study and may provide additional details about the history and evolution of our planet.
Among the newly observed inhabitants of the planet are Pachyrhynchus obumanuvu, a brightly colored insect species that lives in forests on mountaintops in the Philippines; a new genus of pygmy seahorse, Cylix tupareomanaia, found off the coast of Northland, New Zealand; and six different types of previously unseen bark scorpions from the lowland tropical forests of Mexico and Guatemala.
Among the world’s unique creatures, the world’s longest centipede has also been identified, while, with regard to the past, a new species of dinosaur with a big nose has recently been discovered.
Stefania Bernardini