Researchers discovered 381 new species in the Amazonian rainforest
(Mirror Daily, United States) – The future might not be that grim for the Amazonian rainforest after all. A recent report developed by the World Wildlife Fund, in collaboration with the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development, found out that humans discovered a total of 381 new species in the forest, between 2014 and 2015.
Although trees are cut at a rapid rate in the Amazonian rainforest, there are plenty of life forms hiding there, which are waiting to be discovered. The last review on the recent discoveries mentions 381 species, including several unique specimens.
The Amazonian rainforest is home to many interesting species
Among these unusual animals, there is a titi monkey with a fire tail, a stingray with a honeycomb pattern, a yellow-moustached lizard, a pink river dolphin and, last but not least, a bird which received its name from Barack Obama. The bird is not the first and definitely not the last one to be named after the former US president.
All the 381 species are made up of 93 fish, 20 mammals, 32 amphibians, 216 plants, 19 reptiles, and this one Barack Obama bird. Apart from bringing good news for the future of the Amazonian rainforest, the discovery is great for offering researchers a new perspective on life. Every new living specimen discovered offers us hints on how life forms evolved.
We should protect the new species and the trees in the rainforest
However, we should not take them for granted. New life forms come with new responsibility, reminding us we have to take better care of the Amazonian rainforest. The ecosystem already houses around one tenth of the world’s species, but researchers say there’s much more hidden in its depths. They estimate that around 80 percent of all Earth’s species haven’t been discovered yet, and they are hiding in the rainforest.
Also, given the dangerous deforestation trend, all these species are already endangered. All these newly discovered species live in areas highly threatened by humans and their activity, and the rainforest risks to lose about a quarter of its trees. The discovery means a lot for biodiversity, but we should still protect these species.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Matthew Slotkin
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