In the science of biodiversity, the hits keep coming. New species descriptions bring new appreciation for just how amazing and beautiful life on this planet is. I would argue that any species is of inherent value, simply based on the evolutionary longevity of its lineage (billions of years) and the myriad interactions it has with other organisms and its environment. But some species garner more attention from humans than others.
A new book by Quentin Wheeler and Sara Pennak, entitled What On Earth, features 100 recently described species as a way of more generally celebrating biodiversity. It just arrived in my mailbox yesterday, and I was extremely pleased to see that one of the new species that I and colleagues have described was included!
For me, Tamoya ohboya, has been the gift that keeps on giving. Working on this species inspired a public species naming contest sponsored by COPUS (Coalition for the Public Understanding of Science), taught me the importance of citizen science, garnered an award for one of the top ten new species in 2012, and most importantly has laid the ground work for continuing collaborations with a bunch of great people.
I have not fully read the book yet, but I did notice that another species described by an IZ scientist, Chris Mah of the amazing Echinoblog, is featured: Astrosarkus idipi. As is a heat-loving flatfish, Symphurus thermophilus, described by my colleague in NOAA's National Systematics Lab, Tom Munroe. I am pretty certain that other Smithsonian colleagues have worked on species detailed in this new book, which reminds me once again of how lucky I am to work where I work. But most importantly, this book reinforces my sense of awe and amazement at how wonderful and diverse life is.
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