The Discovery of New Animals Part 1
March 21st 2007 09:03
If there's one thing that keeps me smiling in this perpetually downtrodden world of doom, gloom and naysaying, it's the continuing discovery of mammals previously unknown to science. Just when it seems like we've charted every milimetre of this world and catalogued every mammal known (indeed, of all the various groups within the Animal Kingdom, it's the Mammal class which is the most well-known) up pops another fantastic and wondrous new species. Here are some of the most recent discoveries...
Bornean Clouded Leopard
Okay, so this one isn't really a recent discovery. Apparently we've known about it for around 100 years... the thing is, no one bothered to really look at it all that closely until just recently. Upon genetic examination it was discovered that the Clouded Leopards of Borneo were a completely different species to the other Clouded Leopards of south-east Asia.
Laotian Rock Rat
This unique and distinctive rodent isn't actually a rat at all, but something more akin to a spineless porcupine. Scientists felt it was so unusual a rodent that, in terms of classification, it was placed in it's own family. The Laotian Rock Rat was first 'discovered' when some scientists found dead specimens on sale as meat in a Laotian market back in 1996. Noticing that this food was from an as-yet undocumented animal they quickly started researching the source of these creatures, and by 1998 they had found two other minor new species of rodent and a further new species of insectivore. By 2005 the Laotian Rock Rat was officially confirmed to be alive and existent.
Strictly-speaking, this might not even be a new species either. Recent studies have shown that it could be a creature last thought to have become extinct a massive 11 million years ago. The re-emergence of a extinct animal is referred to as the 'Lazarus Effect'.
Annamite Striped Rabbit
Like the Laotian Rock Rat, this new species of rabbit was discovered by a scientist in a Laotian marketplace. Aside from the rare Sumatran Striped Rabbit, this is the only other rabbit known to have stripes. The Sumatran Striped Rabbit has only been seen twice in history, once in 1916 and once again in 1972. The Annamite Striped Rabbit was discovered in 1999.
Okay, so this one isn't really a recent discovery. Apparently we've known about it for around 100 years... the thing is, no one bothered to really look at it all that closely until just recently. Upon genetic examination it was discovered that the Clouded Leopards of Borneo were a completely different species to the other Clouded Leopards of south-east Asia.
Laotian Rock Rat
This unique and distinctive rodent isn't actually a rat at all, but something more akin to a spineless porcupine. Scientists felt it was so unusual a rodent that, in terms of classification, it was placed in it's own family. The Laotian Rock Rat was first 'discovered' when some scientists found dead specimens on sale as meat in a Laotian market back in 1996. Noticing that this food was from an as-yet undocumented animal they quickly started researching the source of these creatures, and by 1998 they had found two other minor new species of rodent and a further new species of insectivore. By 2005 the Laotian Rock Rat was officially confirmed to be alive and existent.
Annamite Striped Rabbit
Like the Laotian Rock Rat, this new species of rabbit was discovered by a scientist in a Laotian marketplace. Aside from the rare Sumatran Striped Rabbit, this is the only other rabbit known to have stripes. The Sumatran Striped Rabbit has only been seen twice in history, once in 1916 and once again in 1972. The Annamite Striped Rabbit was discovered in 1999.
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Comment by Deorre
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Comment by Lilla
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Wow this is an amazing post! Sorry it's taken me so long to get back here ...
My initial thoughts are two-fold fold.
One : nature is regenerating...evolving... mutating to suit altered habitats - for example: extra hunting skills for food, extra colour for camoflauge against suburban pavements... that type of thing...
Two : These species have been driven out into the open by deforestation and loss of antural habitat.
Wow really amazing though either way. That Rabbit Rocks! Is it possible they have been bred that way for fur coats, to save the big cats?
I have also just posted a rare sighting on Enviro of a Frill Shark, if you haven't seen one?
Checking out Part 2 now...
Lilla ...