Record Discovery of New Species Expected

New species of plants and animals are found every year, but this year 20,000 are expected to be found.

Yet undiscovered species of insects, monkeys, birds and dolphins are anticipated to be uncovered by zoologists. This is due in part to the destruction of animal habitats.

With this influx of new animals, an online registration system has been set up to speed up the process. The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature launched ZooBank, an online database where zoologists report their findings.

Part of the reason so many discoveries have been made is because of DNA. With DNA codes, scientists can distinguish genetic differences between species. The destruction of the species’ habitat is another reason for the expected findings.

It’s a race against time, biology Professor James Mallet, of University College London, told the Observer. We are wiping out species at a terrible rate while we are finding thousands of new ones.