No one knows how many species of life inhabit the Earth, but estimates range from 9 to 10 million, not including microbes which likely number in the hundreds of millions more. Of those 9 to 10 million species, only about 1.7 million have been cataloged and named.
In the age of the Anthropocene, species are becoming extinct at a faster pace (100–1,000 times faster) than before modern man began to lay a heavy hand on the land and seas. So, it’s exciting when new species are discovered. And important. Only if we know that rare species exist can conservation actions be implemented to protect them, actions like habitat protection from loss and fragmentation. This article describes a recent effort by Conservation International to document species biodiversity in the Alto Mayo Landscape of the Peruvian rainforest. Among the 151 mammal, 68 fish, 45 reptile and amphibian, and 289 insect species the survey recorded were 27 species new to science. The list includes four mammals, eight fish, three amphibians, and ten butterfly species that were previously unknown! Now can humanity do what’s necessary to ensure their persistence?
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