Even
as the list of endangered species is increasing and the rampant
industrialization and environmental dangers are posing a great threat to the
wildlife habitats over the world, new species have also been discovered. This
is both remarkable and amazing because, it shows and reflects the resilient
nature of life on earth. It also shows how species adapt themselves to the
environmental changes in spite of the great dangers posed by factors such as
global warming, ozone depletion, pollution and other man made factors.
Recently
many new species have been found in remote and inaccessible parts of the world
and also many new types of life have been discovered in the ocean depths in
conditions regarded by many as impossible to live. For instance, Tubeworms have
been found feeding on the chemicals emitted by the hydro-thermal vents in the
Atlantic ocean floor, where temperatures are very hot. Recent
explorations to the deepest point on earth, The Challenger Deep, in the Pacific
Ocean, revealed many types of single-celled organisms called Foraminifera,
organisms that construct shells. They were found in the sample of dirt from the
ocean floor, where the water pressure is equivalent to 50 Jumbo jets piled on
top of you.
These
new forms of life shows optimism that life finds a way to blossom and to spring
itself, as the legendary Phoenix, the mythical firebird that rises from the ashes, to be born again. In
2008, over 1,25,000 western lowland gorillas have been found in the tropical
dense forests of Congo. Recently 12 new frog species were discovered in the
ecologically fragile, western ghats of India. Every year, the International
Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University along with an
international committee of taxonomists —
scientists who classify and describe new species —
choose their 10 favorites. These includes :
Sneezing
monkey - A snub-nosed monkey found in the mountains of Myanmar, Rhinopithecus
strykeri is named in honor of Jon Stryker, founder of the Arcus Foundation.
Believed to be critically endangered, it has mostly black fur and a white
beard, and it sneezes when it rains.
Bonaire
banded box jelly - This strikingly beautiful but highly lethal jellyfish looks
like a box kite with a colorful long tail. Found on the Dutch island of Bonaire,
it is named Tamoya ohboya because a teacher in a citizen science project
thought a victim might scream "Oh boy!" when stung.
Devil's
worm - Only 0.02 inches long, these nematodes were discovered at a depth of 0.8
mile in a South African gold mine and are the deepest-living multicellular
organisms on the planet. It was named Halicephalobus mephisto from the
Faust legend because it survives at high pressures and temperatures.
Night
blooming orchid - This rare orchid from Papua New Guinea has flowers that open
around 10 p.m. and close early the next morning. Named Bulbophyllum
nocturnum, it is the only orchid known to bloom at night.
Parasitic
wasp - This tiny parasite from Spain cruises at just a half-inch off the ground
looking for ants, into which it inserts an egg in less than 1/20th of a second.
SpongeBob
SquarePants mushroom - This new species of fungus, named Spongiforma
squarepantsii, looks more like a sponge than a typical mushroom. From the
island of Borneo in Malaysia, the mushroom is unusual in that its fruiting body
can be squeezed like a sponge and still bounce back into shape.
Nepalese
autumn poppy - This tall, yellow poppy from Nepal lives at altitudes above
19,800 feet. Named Meconopsis autumnalis because it blooms in autumn, it
is thought to have been collected before, but not recognized as a distinct
species.
Giant
millipede - This giant millipede from Tanzania's Eastern Arc Mountains is about
the length of a sausage and is called the "wandering leg sausage,"
hence the name Crurifarcimen vagans. At 6.3 inches long, it is the
world's largest millipede; it has 56 rings, each bearing two pairs of legs.
Walking
cactus - This fossil of an extinct group known as Lobopodia looks more
like a cactus than an animal, with its wormlike bodies and multiple pairs of
legs. Named Diania cactiformis, the 520-million-year-old specimen was
found in Cambrian deposits in southwestern China.
Sazima's
tarantula - This iridescent hairy blue tarantula is the first new species from
Brazil to be named to the top 10 list. It is called Pterinopelma sazimai
and is found on "island" ecosystems on flattop mountains.
All
these reminds me of the conversation that takes place in the Hollywood movie
Jurassic Park, between a group of leading scientists sitting together in a
scene. The park is made by genetically engineering the DNA of dinosaurs and
then to clone them so that people have a glimpse of how life was, billions of
years ago. They are discussing ways to make the park a leading attraction on
earth, but one scientist, Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) objects to such a idea, saying it a
"rape of the natural world." He could not figure out how such a
genetically engineered dinosaur species can be controlled by a park. He is of
the view that we do not have the power to control the dangers posed by such an
act. Because the dangers are not foreseen by us. This conversation itself, summarizes the whole theme of the movie.
The movie also makes clear the fact that nature has a way to amaze and trick even the most advanced technology available to man. It has a way to protect itself and to reproduce itself in the most remarkable, even hostile conditions.
So protect nature, respect it for what it gives you. Save it, save life itself.
