Amazon: One new species found every three days!

In the Amazon rain forest, one new species of animal or vegetable is discovered on average every three days, according to the latest report from the Worldwide Fund for Nature, "Living Amazon!" after conducting a study in the region between 1999 and 2009.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/775c51e01aed.jpg[/atsimg]
Photo: Credit: Rick C. West. The tarantula Pamphobeteus grandis
The findings of the report confirm that the Amazon rain forest is the champion of biodiversity, hosting over 1,200 new species of animals or vegetables discovered in the last decade.

Among the discoveries reported in the report "Amazon Alive!: A Decade of Discoveries 1999-2009" were 637 new species of plants, 257 different species of fish, 216 amphibians, 55 reptiles, 39 mammals and 16 kinds of birds.

"The volume of discoveries of new species is incredible - and this is without including the new species of insects, where many discoveries have been made as well". Sarah Hutchison adds

Source: www.moscowtopnews.com...

What can one say. The article sadly goes on to tell of the bad things happening in the Amazon. The destruction of it and associated problems.

In my younger years, I remember getting in heated discussions with friends about the Amazon. I then took the stance that: Who are we to tell them what to do with their land? Who are we to deny them a chance at betting their way of live and the current circumstances?

Now, I tend to think we need to explore more and learn more. Maybe help those people their in different ways so they don't have to utilize the Amazon so much. Lets face it. They have the right to expand so their is going to be that expansion into the jungle.

I bet you if an old alien ship and colony was found, people would be screaming: BURN IT DOWN so we can get to the thing.

Thanks for posting this. I saw a bit on the news about this last night but have not been able to sit at my computer for more than a few minutes at a time to look into it more or much less start a thread here about it. I am constantly amazed and shocked at how many wondrous things we still have yet to find right here in our own backyards. It keeps me excited about what is still out there to be discovered as well. Beautiful spider too. For a spider.

Yeah, the truly sad part is how lopsided these findings are.
While we may find 1 new species every 3 days, 3 species go extinct every 1 hour. We may be discovering new plants and animals, but the sad part is, we're running out at a rate that these discoveries cannot match.

www.livescience.com...

reply to post by Mactire

Lopsided?

That's not really a fair comparison, is it? For one thing, you're referring to species on the entire Earth while the OP is only referring to species in the Amazon. Furthermore, and from your article:

HOWEVER—and this is a big however—there are no good data or facts to back the “3 per hour” figure. In fact, only 784 species are officially recorded as having gone extinct since the year 1500. That’s only 284 more than the are supposed to disappear in the next week! The frightening estimate of 3 per hour (which can mysteriously multiply out to anywhere from 18,000 to 55,000 per year depending on who is doing the math) is based on assumptions of habitat loss and the species that might have lived there, including species not yet discovered but presumed to exist based on discovery rates and other techniques.

reply to post by Three_moons


Like anything the numbers can only be construed as averages. Many species, we'll never even discover, are wiped out due to deforestation and from dams being built.
There was an account listed here on ATS about a new species of Monkey that was discovered, and the very next day the monkey had been slaughtered and eaten by the natives. No more of that particular breed of monkey has been seen since.

Then again, some species are thought to be extinct, and years later we find enormous numbers of them. Nothing is certain except that the water is draining out of the tub faster than its filling... in most cases.

reply to post by Mactire



I don't know if I can believe that one. How can we even accurately document these speices going extint so we could make a valdi claim.

Of course, there is the never as true as this: Survival of the Fittest
And the other thing I am pretty sure of: None of these other spiecies would be worring about our demise.

reply to post by Mactire

The OP's article didn't use averages, except for the title, but rather actual findings. Your article states that "there are no good data or facts to back the “3 per hour” figure" while the OP's article cites its specific findings during a ten year study. I see differences that simply don't compare well. I also have an issue with the differing size areas for comparison. The Earth's surface area is almost 197 million square miles while the Amazon is "only" a little over 2 million square miles. I think the math actually works out in your favor, but there's still the differing sources and their methods of gathering the initial numbers. I just don't see the comparison as a fair one, that's all.