It is quite amazing to consider that scientists may have only discovered 10% of the Earth's species. Of course, many of the unknown species are small (insects, microbes) or in remote or extreme environments (deserts, the deep sea), which provides some explanation for why we have not found or identified them yet. Luckily, certain research institutions such as the California Academy of Sciences still sends scientists out on research expeditions to search for, describe, and classify new species. In fact, CalAcademy researchers described 221 new species last year! These include:
-28 fishes
-24 sea slugs
-9 barnacles
-2 marine worms
-2 octocorals
-1 waterbear
-25 plants
-16 beetles
-3 spiders
-110 ants
-1 mammal
These new species were found in two oceans and on five continents. The article gives further detail about the mammal (Etendeka round-eared sengi, a type of elephant-shrew), the hero-ant, the gigantic deepwater worm-eel, and a fossil megamouth shark.
http://www.calacademy.org/press/releases/221-new-species-described-by-the-california-academy-of-sciences-in-2014
Meanwhile, Popular Science shared photos of the coolest-looking new (or potentially new) species of 2014. I can't believe that jellyfish that looks like a muddy puddle.
http://www.popsci.com/coolest-looking-new-species-2014/?image=0
-28 fishes
-24 sea slugs
-9 barnacles
-2 marine worms
-2 octocorals
-1 waterbear
-25 plants
-16 beetles
-3 spiders
-110 ants
-1 mammal
These new species were found in two oceans and on five continents. The article gives further detail about the mammal (Etendeka round-eared sengi, a type of elephant-shrew), the hero-ant, the gigantic deepwater worm-eel, and a fossil megamouth shark.
http://www.calacademy.org/press/releases/221-new-species-described-by-the-california-academy-of-sciences-in-2014
Meanwhile, Popular Science shared photos of the coolest-looking new (or potentially new) species of 2014. I can't believe that jellyfish that looks like a muddy puddle.
http://www.popsci.com/coolest-looking-new-species-2014/?image=0