Natural History Wanderings

NPR  reported

Officially, Earth boasts roughly two million species. Unofficially, scientists suspect there could be millions — perhaps over 100 million — more.

Each year, scientists add thousands of new species to the scientific record in an attempt to get a better count. Some discoveries stem from intrepid adventures deep into the jungle, while others come from reanalyzing old specimens stored in dusty museum collections.

Each new plant, fish, beetle or bird is a unique and irreplaceable answer to the question of how to make a living on Earth, and scientists are racing to describe them. Climate change and the ongoing biodiversity crisis add extra urgency to these efforts, since many of these new species risk going extinct just as soon as they’re discovered.

Read more at  Tiger-cats, sea squirts and beetles, oh my! Meet some species identified in 2024 : NPR