Humanity has long ceased to wait for discoveries from its home planet. We are waiting for meetings with other civilizations, launching telescopes into orbit and sending radio signals to the borders of the solar system. Meanwhile, the Earth can still give us a lot of surprises.
Scientists regularly encounter species previously unknown to science. Today we publish Top 10 New Plant and Animal Speciesfound in different parts of the world. Data was collected in 2011 by the International Institute for Species Research at Arizona State University (USA).
10. Tarantula Sazima (Pterinopeima sazimai)
found on the mountain plateau of Chapada Diamantina in the Brazilian state of Bahia. For the first time, these large tarantulas were discovered in the 1970s by the Brazilian zoologist Ivan Sazima, in whose honor they were named. A distinctive feature of the spider is the bright blue villi on the body and limbs.
9. Walking Cactus (Diania cactiformis)
- It’s not at all a new species of terrestrial flora, but a petrified find by archaeologists, which got its name because of its resemblance to a thorny plant. These invertebrates inhabited the Earth about 520 million years ago. They had a worm-like body and an impressive number of legs.
8. Millipede giant (Crurifarcimen vagans)
has a size of about 16 cm. The largest millipedes on Earth in East Tanzania live. The body diameter is about 1.5 cm, the body consists of 56 segments, each of which is equipped with a pair of legs.
7. Nepali autumn poppy (Meconopsis autumnalis)
- A new plant found in Nepal at an altitude of 3,300 to 4,200 meters above sea level. The alpine flower has bright yellow petals and is very decorated with slopes, the vegetation of which at this height is quite poor. Most likely, the species has not been described to date only because botanists rarely find themselves at such a height.
6. Mushroom “Sponge Bob Square Pants” (Spongiforma squarepantsii)
was named after the hero of the famous cartoon. Indeed, it is possible to squeeze the mushroom’s spruce like a sponge, after which it easily returns to its usual state. An amazing mushroom grows in the forests on the island of Borneo.
5. Wasp parasite (Kollasmosoma)
seeks out ants that become food for future offspring. Moreover, the speed of the process is amazing: to lay eggs the wasp spends only 1/20 of a second. The parasite wasp lives in the vicinity of Madrid.
4. Night orchid (Bulbophyllum nocturnum),
revealing its flowers exclusively in the dark. This plant lives in Papua New Guinea. This is the only one of 25 thousand species of orchids that prefers darkness. Scientists have yet to find out who pollinates this mysterious orchid at night.
3. Devil Worm (Halicephalobus mephisto)
- one of the smallest animals of the planet. The body length of this new worm is about 0.5 mm. Found it at a depth of 1.3 km in a mine in South Africa. Devil Worm Recognized the most deeply living terrestrial multicellular organism on Earth. His living conditions are truly hellish - consistently high air temperature and huge pressure.
2. Boxed jellyfish Boneira (Bonaire banded box jelly, Tamoya ohboya)
- An amazingly beautiful animal with long ribbon-like tail tentacles. The jellyfish got its name after the Dutch island of Bonaire, located in the Caribbean Sea.
1. Snub Nosed Monkey Snub-nosed Monkey
Is a new species of primates discovered by scientists in Northern Myanmar in 2011. The first monkeys with prominent lips and wide, looking up nostrils were noticed by local hunters. The body of the animal is covered with black fur, and a small white beard grows on the chin. Due to the amazing structure of the nose, monkeys sneeze during rain from moisture entering the nostrils. Scientists estimate the population size at 260-330 individuals. Such a small number puts only the discovered species on the brink of extinction, so we are talking about entering it in the Red Book.
