750 new species entries in Australia, including a spider named after a Marvel character
The official list of Australia’s animal and plant species has been expanded by 750 entries, including a laughing frog and a worm named after Sir David Attenborough.
Australia’s national species list grows with each passing day. The abundance of its fauna and flora is overwhelming. Scientists believe they still haven’t named or described most of its native creatures.
In Australia, 2 new species are described every day.
– Many people may be shocked to hear that over 70 percent of the country’s species remain unknown to science – emphasized Minister Tanya Plibersek, responsible for the environment and water management. – Australia is a global epicentre of biodiversity with over 150 thousand species, and taxonomists name two new species every day, previously unknown to science – she added.
Taxonomy is the discipline that describes, names, and records life on Earth. Its practitioners search for differences in physical appearance, genetics, behavior, and location to establish the existence of new species in modern science.
Hardy’s Spider and Attenborough’s Worm
The latest group of 750 described Australian organisms includes the laughing tree frog Litoria ridibunda, which makes a distinctive sound that sounds like laughter, David Attenborough’s worm Marphysa davidattenboroughi, and a new species of clay-dwelling weevil Planigale tealei.
Venomius tomhardyi is a spider named after the Marvel comics character Venom and actor Tom Hardy, who played the role. The orange desert lizard Ctenophorus tjakalpa and the blue, snail-like worm Planipapillus absonu are also beautiful. In honor of Lady Elliot, a sea creature Tomiyamichthys elliotensis was named.
Australia is unique in its diversity
Professor Euan Ritchie from Deakin University emphasises that Australia is renowned for its unique and rich biodiversity. “It is extremely important that we continue to support research and taxonomy across this vast continent, as there are undoubtedly many species yet to be formally described by science,” he emphasised.
“While many species may not be known to Western science, they have likely been known to indigenous people for thousands of years,” he noted. He noted that the overwhelming majority of Australian animals are invertebrates. He emphasized that many of the species may have been discovered and named thanks to research funded by the Australian Biological Resources Study program.
