The American Museum of Natural History has identified more than 70 species new to science this year – with one being rediscovered in its own collection.
From a tiny long-nosed mouse opossum to a feathered dinosaur (and even a mineral never documented before), the discoveries span a whole range of life on Earth.
While some of the newly-described species were uncovered after recent fieldwork expeditions, others came to light after researchers re-examined specimens that had been stored in the museum’s collections for decades.
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Ancient finds
Prehistoric species that have been identified this year include Breugnathair elgolensis, a Jurassic reptile with python-like teeth. The fossil was discovered in the Isle of Skye in 2016, with a team of scientists spending almost ten years preparing the specimen and analysing it with high-powered X-rays.
It’s one of the oldest relatively complete fossil lizards to be discovered, and has links to the origins of the lizards and snakes we see today.
Two new species from the group of earliest feathered dinosaurs that lived around 125 million years ago were also identified. Initially identified as a primitive bird, Sinosauropteryx lingyuanensis was discovered more than 10 years ago.
Huadanosaurus sinensis was found with the remains of its last meal in its abdomen: two mammal skeletons.
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Modern discoveries
Measuring just 10cm long, a small mouse opossum (Marmosa chachapoya) with a notably long nose and tail was found in Parque Nacional Rio Abiseo in a remote area of the Peruvian Andes. The area was formerly occupied by people of the pre-Columbian Chachapoya culture, after which the species is named.
Related species of mouse opossum are not typically found at that altitude: 2,664 meters above sea level; making it a particularly unusual discovery.
A suckermouthed minnow, Supradiscus varidiscus, was initially shelved by Museum ichthyologists after it was collected 25 years ago. But the specimen, which was found in the highlands of Vietnam, was recently examined – and is the first species of this genus to be discovered in Vietnam.
A new mineral, Lucasite-(La), was also discovered within volcanic rock in Russia and was officially approved by the International Mineralogical Association this year.
Other highlights include forty-seven species of fossil and modern insects (primarily bees) and a new genus and species of a crinoid: an ancient group of marine animals still alive today that are related to starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers.
Four different arachnids were also identified – including Mastigoproctus spinifemoratus, a giant whip scorpion that was discovered in collections borrowed from the California Academy of Sciences.
“Together, these discoveries highlight the remarkable richness of Earth's biodiversity and underscore the enduring value of natural history collections,” said the Museum's senior vice president and provost of science Cheryl Hayashi.
“Specimens preserved across generations continue to reveal new insights, reminding us how much there is still to learn about life on our planet.”
Top image: a new species of mouse opossum, Marmosa chachapoya.
