Species confirmed/documented

[Pajarita]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... nce-world/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 081845.htm

[shiraartain]

"Birds are the most well-known animal class on earth, so the fact that a novel bird species can still be found on the well-explored island of Sulawesi in the 21st century," Rheindt said, "demonstrates how little we actually know about our planet."


So true! Even with all the technology available, there's so much still unknown about the world!

Also, a fun fact: Calling someone "ullo"(owl) in urdu is considered an insult because owls are thought to be stupid in Pakistani culture- the exact opposite of America, where they're a symbol of wisdom. My mom always becomes cross with me whenever she hears me talking to Fajr and saying "ullo" affectionately.

[Wolf]

I read this post within a couple of minutes of it being posted, but did not reply because I wanted to think about it a little bit first.
I try to be somewhat aware of this type of event as well as the other side of the same coin, the loss of species due to extinction. I suppose that one of my largest concerns is that the discovery of new species does not keep pace with the rate of extinction and that a new species will go extinct shortly after its discovery due to the way that we pollute and destroy the environment.
I do find it somewhat amusing that we can trace these new species to their closest relatives in the plant and animal kingdoms but although our sciences tell us that there should be some evidences of the period of development of these new species that we only find a blank and then it is filled by a new species in what appears to be its completed form, such as with this bird. And this holds true so far as I am aware of for whatever and wherever we find a new species to be. from insects to fish to birds and plants there does not appear to be any intermediate form. With this being the case with the new species that are found every year, it makes me wonder why our sciences keep looking for an intermediate species, a missing link for man. It also illustrates that we really know very little about our world or its processes, other than it appears that nature does not tolerate a vacuum.