Moroccan flic flac spider11/6/2023 With similarities to Precambrian faunal groups, the placement of this new species may result in the movement of extinct kingdoms. When we say that its closest relative might be either a Ctenophore or a Cnidarian we are entering the realm of deep time and issues surrounding the evolution of the first animals, a topic I’ve explained before. It may represent an entirely new phylum, which means a major new branch on the tree of life.ĭiscovered in 1986, the species took so long to name precisely because its existence led to further questions about the origins of multicellular organisms. Found in Australia in my own state of Victoria, this species has several claims to fame. Last but not least is a species whose very name ( Dendrogramma enigmatica) refers to the branching diagrams we use to draw evolutionary trees (see its picture at the top of this post). Growing up to 1.5 m tall, Tillandsia religiosa was used to decorate Christmas scenes by villagers long before science gave it a name. High in the branches of the cloud forests of Mexico, a colourful plant known as a bromeliad grows on trees and rocky cliffs. I’ll call them eggs and branches – what species do with their eggs is key to their identity and behaviour, and the evolutionary branches they sit on is no mere metaphor, as some of them live and grow on or look exactly like actual branches.Ī bromeliad used as a Christmas decoration. I have found a couple of themes to organise this year’s Top 10. The classification of the world’s diversity is critical to understanding our planet and to the preservation of life on earth. With that context, it should be clear that the Top 10 species of the year are ambassadors for this massive endeavour and were chosen both to highlight the passion of the scientists involved and to activate the imagination of people who do not usually think about taxonomy. Linneaus would be astonished to know that modern scientists named 18,000 new species just last year, and that current estimates are that 10 million species still await discovery. Linneaus not only established the system we still use to classify species, he and his students made a heroic start by naming 4,400 animal and 7,700 plant species. This year the announcement has been timed to honour the birthday of Carolus Linnaeus, the founder of modern taxonomy, who was born on. It is that time of year again, when the International Institute for Species Exploration based at the State University of New York announces the Top 10 new species.
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