One Third of amphibian species still unknown to scientists

[n2doc]

OSLO, May 18, 2011 (Reuters) — One in three of all types of amphibians may yet to be found by scientists and remote tropical forests should get extra protection as the likely homes of such "unknown" creatures, a study said on Wednesday.


A Taipei tree frog climbs a leaf in Tucheng, Taipei County, July 21, 2010. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang
Despite centuries of research by biologists, the report estimated that 3,050 types of amphibians -- a group that includes frogs, toads, salamanders and newts -- were still to be described, compared to 6,296 species known to science.

Likewise, it estimated that at least 160 types of land mammals were yet to be found, about 3 percent of a known total of 5,398 ranging from elephants to tiny shrews.

"Most of these species are likely to be found in tropical forests," Xingli Giam, of Princeton University in the United States and lead author of the report, told Reuters. The Amazon, the Congo basin and Papua island were among likely sites.

more

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre74h2zs-us-species/

[Auggie]

1. I bet scientists would find a few in Congress

Seriously... I'm surprised it's that little.

[Drale]

2. If they don't know about it how do they know its 1/3?

:rofl: But seriously there are thousands upon thousands of all kinds of species that have not been discovered yet.

[n2doc]

3. Statistical methods

For example, one can plot the total number of new species found vs. time or vs. space. What you get is a curve, starting at zero, initially rising fast (because it is easy to find new ones at first) but leveling off at a slower and slower rate. Where that curve flattens off (predicted based on the data) is an idea of the total number of species out there.

[Exultant Democracy]

4. I bet we kill at least 50% before we find them.

goooooo team human.