A brilliant green tree frog with huge black eyes, jumping spiders and a striped gecko are among more than 50 new animal species scientists have discovered in a remote, mountainous region of Papua New Guinea.
The discoveries were announced on Wednesday by the US-based Conservation International, which spent the past several months analysing more than 600 animal species the group found during its expedition to the South Pacific island nation in July and August.
Of the animals discovered, 50 spider species, three frogs and a gecko appear to have never been described in scientific literature before, the conservation group said.
The new frogs include a tiny brown animal with a sharp chirp, a bug-eyed bright green tree frog and another frog with a loud ringing call. One of the jumping spiders is shiny and pale green, while another is furry and brown.
“If you’re finding things that are so spectacular and new, then it is an indication that there’s a lot out there, which we don’t know about,” said expedition leader Steve Richards. “It never ceases to amaze me the spectacular things that are turning up from that island.”
The findings are significant, particularly the discovery of the new frog species, said Craig Franklin, a zoology professor who studies frogs at The University of Queensland in Australia.
“They’re often regarded as a great bio-indicator of environmental health,” said Franklin, who was not involved in the expedition. “Often, we see declines in frogs as a direct pointer to an affected environment.”
Researchers from Conservation International explored the region with scientists from the University of British Columbia in Canada and Montclair State University in the US, as well as local scientists from Papua New Guinea.
The area the researchers explored provides a critical source of drinking water to thousands of people living in surrounding communities, and local clans rely on the region for hunting.
Montclair University anthropologist William Thomas worked with the local Hewa clan to document the area’s resources during the expedition as part of a project he started with scientist Bruce Beehler of Conservation International.
“In a place like Papua New Guinea, the local communities are very close to their environment,” Beehler said. “By working with these very traditional people, we actually learnt a lot more because they already know so much.”
Conservation International plans to conduct three more expeditions to Papua New Guinea this year, in the hopes of turning up even more new animals.
“Most of us live in urban worlds where we think everything’s totally well-known,” Beehler said. “It’s a little bit of a reminder, just a wake up call, that we really need to know our world better so we can manage it better.” AP
The discoveries were announced on Wednesday by the US-based Conservation International, which spent the past several months analysing more than 600 animal species the group found during its expedition to the South Pacific island nation in July and August.
Of the animals discovered, 50 spider species, three frogs and a gecko appear to have never been described in scientific literature before, the conservation group said.
The new frogs include a tiny brown animal with a sharp chirp, a bug-eyed bright green tree frog and another frog with a loud ringing call. One of the jumping spiders is shiny and pale green, while another is furry and brown.
“If you’re finding things that are so spectacular and new, then it is an indication that there’s a lot out there, which we don’t know about,” said expedition leader Steve Richards. “It never ceases to amaze me the spectacular things that are turning up from that island.”
The findings are significant, particularly the discovery of the new frog species, said Craig Franklin, a zoology professor who studies frogs at The University of Queensland in Australia.
“They’re often regarded as a great bio-indicator of environmental health,” said Franklin, who was not involved in the expedition. “Often, we see declines in frogs as a direct pointer to an affected environment.”
Researchers from Conservation International explored the region with scientists from the University of British Columbia in Canada and Montclair State University in the US, as well as local scientists from Papua New Guinea.
The area the researchers explored provides a critical source of drinking water to thousands of people living in surrounding communities, and local clans rely on the region for hunting.
Montclair University anthropologist William Thomas worked with the local Hewa clan to document the area’s resources during the expedition as part of a project he started with scientist Bruce Beehler of Conservation International.
“In a place like Papua New Guinea, the local communities are very close to their environment,” Beehler said. “By working with these very traditional people, we actually learnt a lot more because they already know so much.”
Conservation International plans to conduct three more expeditions to Papua New Guinea this year, in the hopes of turning up even more new animals.
“Most of us live in urban worlds where we think everything’s totally well-known,” Beehler said. “It’s a little bit of a reminder, just a wake up call, that we really need to know our world better so we can manage it better.” AP
Nyctimystes, a large tree frog with enormous eyes
Cyrtodactylus, a bent-toed gecko, lives in dense rainforests
Tabuina varirata, a jumping spider, is from a new genus
Orthrus, a shiny and pale-green jumping spider
Litoria, a frog that uses a loud song to call for a mate
Uroballus, a spider that can jump at least 6 inches high
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment