Scientists can only estimate the number of species that share planet Earth with us and new species are discovered all the time. Some species, like Kiwa hirsuta—a furry crustacean found deep within the waters of the South Pacific—are so unique they seem alien. Others, like Neofelis diardi—a new species of clouded leopard—have been known to science for some time, but were simply classified as belonging to another species.
June 9, 2006. A new species of hammerhead shark has been discovered in the waters off the coast of South Carolina. Scientists have not yet given the new species a scientific name. They plan to tag the shark to find out more about the extent of its range and identify where it breeds.
May 11, 2006. For the first time in 83 years, scientists have established a new genus of monkey. The monkey that inspired the creation of the new group inhabits isolated high-altitude locations in Tanzania. It has a grey-brown coat that fades to off-white on its stomach. It has a long curvy tail and a crest of long hair on its head.
May 8, 2006. Researchers have discovered a new type of crickets that inhabits the caves of Arizona's Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. The crickets are so unique, they have been assigned to a new genus. The crickets fill a crucial role in the cave environment by serving as the subterranean ecosystem's primary decomposers.
April 16, 2006. A new species of freshwater stingray has been discovered in the Mekong Basin of western Thailand. The stingray was first described in 2004 by ichthyologist Kittipong Jaruthanin and later confirmed by experts from the WWF and the Smithsonian Institute. The WWF cautioned that the newly described stingray is endangered and faces severe threats that are prevalent throughout the Mekong Basin such as pollution, overfishing, and dam building.
March 9, 2006. Marine biologists have discovered a new crustacean living near hydrothermal vents in deep waters 900 miles south of Easter Island. The organism, Kiwa hirsuta, is white and has a 'fur-like' covering (setae) on its pincers. The function of the 'furry' covering is not yet fully understood.
February 28, 2006. According to a recent press release by BirdLife International, the New Zealand Storm-petrel (Oceanites maorianus), not recorded for over 100 years and thought to be extinct, was recently rediscovered and photographed.
February 10, 2006. In December 2005, a team of researchers organized by Conservation International set out on an expedition to the Foja Mountains of western New Guinea. During the trip, the team discovered dozens of new species including the golden-mantled tree kangaroo, the orange-faced honeyeater, more than 20 new species of frogs, and four new species of butterflies.
December 6, 2005. WWF scientists have captured images of a new species of mammal in the jungles of Borneo. The creature, photographed at night using a motion-sensitive camera, is about the size of a cat and has a dark reddish-brown coat and a long bushy tail. Experts believe the animal to be a new species of carnivore. If this is true, the animal is the island's first new carnivore to be discovered in more than a century.
May 22, 2005. A new species of primate, the highland mangabey (Lophocebus kipunji), has been discovered by two separate teams of researchers in Tanzania. The highland mangabey is a medium-sized primate with a long tail, well suited for its arboreal (tree-dwelling) lifestyle. Researchers estimate that the population of highland mangabeys is less than 1000 but formal population counts have yet to be completed. If this estimate is accurate, the highland mangabey is expected to be placed on the World Conservation Union's critically endangered list.
December 21, 2004. The Arunachal macaque (Macaca munzala) is a newly named species of monkey that has recently been discovered in the Arunachal Pradesh region of India. This is a significant finding, as it represents the first new monkey species to be discovered in over a century. The newly described macaque species is stocky in build and has a darker face than other closely related species. The Arunachal macaque inhabits the highest elevations of all macaques and occurs between 1600 and 3500 meters above sea level.
