An international team of scientists risked their lives to discover 40 new species of plants and animals in a recent exploration of the Amapa region of Brazil.
The Times of London said despite a few of its members nearly being eaten by hungry animals, the scientific team ultimately exited the nearly unspoiled South American area with thousands of specimens representing dozens of new and intriguing species.
Among those species discovered were a bird and a tree rat, which the scientists were elated to find as new avian and mammal species are rare discoveries.
Dr. Enrico Bernard, who led the Conservation International group in Brazil, said the exploration gave his group a chance to see an area of the world that has been a virtual no-man's land, The Times reported
"The area was a blank in terms of scientific data," he told the paper. "We had some information about the surrounding regions but Amapa was a scientific gap in our database of species. We were assessing the real diversity and have come back with a very good number of new species."
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Related stories:
Leatherback turtles' newly discovered migration route may be roadmap to salvation
With a name like "Leatherback Turtle" you might think the sea turtles could stand up to just about anything the ocean can throw at them, and for more than a hundred million years, they have. But tough, long-lived critters though they are, the population of leatherbacks in the eastern Pacific Ocean has plummeted by over 90 percent in the last 20 years.
Researchers unveil near-complete protein catalog for mitochondria
Imagine trying to figure out how your car's power train works from just a few of its myriad components: It would be nearly impossible. Scientists have long faced a similar challenge in understanding cells' tiny powerhouses — called "mitochondria" — from scant knowledge of their molecular parts.
Tree-killing fungus officially named by scientists
The USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) today announced that an SRS scientist and other researchers have officially named the fungus responsible for killing redbay and other trees in the coastal plains of northeastern Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Japan defends 'scientific' whale hunting at IWC
Japan defended its practice of 'scientific' whale hunting at the annual International Whaling Commission meeting here on Wednesday, insisting it had yielded important scientific results.
Whaling commission buys time to resolve thorny issues
The International Whaling Commission agreed Tuesday to put off votes on a Japanese bid to resume commercial whaling and an environmentalist initiative to create a whale reserve in the South Atlantic.
Irish scientists probe seaweed power
Ireland could become a key player in the production of biofuel from seaweed, scientists told a conference in the west of the country on Monday.
Tuna populations at risk
International agency challenged to stop over-fishing
A historic meeting next week may decide the fate of tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, one of the world's most important marine resources.
Radiation for health
Could exposure to low doses of radiation cure our ills?
For decades, we have been told that exposure to radiation is dangerous. In high doses it is certainly lethal and chronic exposure is linked to the development of cancer. But, what if a short-term controlled exposure to a low dose of radiation were good for our health. Writing in today's issue of the Inderscience publication the
International Journal of Low Radiation, Don Luckey, makes the startling claim that low dose radiation could be just what the doctor ordered!