ESF International Institute for Species Exploration
Taxonomists of ESF’s International Institute for Species Exploration selected the Top 10 from among the approximately 18,000 new species named during the previous year.
It is incredible that there are still animals discovered that humans did not know existed. In the past year 18,000 new species have been discovered. Taxonomists of ESF’s International Institute for Species Exploration selected the Top 10 new species and there are some mind blowing creatures among this year’s list.
Meet the cartwheeling spider. This agile arachnid from the desert uses cartwheeling to escape from threatening situations. It cartwheels its way out of danger. In danger the spider first assumes a threatening posture. If the danger persists, the spider runs and, about half the time that running turns into cartwheeling which is twice as fast.
The Bone-house Wasp found in China could be the star of a new Hollywood horror movie. It builds nests by building cells to lay her eggs in. For each egg she kills a spider and packs it with the egg in the cell and seals it. To seal the door to the cell structure she fills the final cell with as many as 13 (Thirteen!) dead ants. This creates a chemical barrier.
An extinct animal also made the list. The feathered dinosaur aka Chicken from hell made the Top 10 new species list. With a mixture of bird and dinosaur features, Anzu wyliei is from a bird-like group of dinosaurs that lived in North America. A contemporary of the more famous T. rex and Triceratops, this species made nests and sat on the eggs until they hatched. Among their bird-like features were feathers, hollow bones and a short snout with a parrot-like beak.
ESF released this year’s list /4/21 to recognize the birthday, /4/23, of Carolus Linnaeus, an 18th century Swedish botanist who is considered the father of modern taxonomy. The annual list, established in 2008, calls attention to discoveries that are made even as species are going extinct faster than they are being identified.
The ESF setup a site featuring each new species from the Top 10.
Now Watch
You /4/Also Like
Advertisement
Share this Story
Read the Latest from I4U News