Comments on: New Legless Amphibian Found

By: shumway10973

shumway10973 — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 23:38:08 +0000

First of all, Molecular studies? Are they talking DNA? Personally, I could never tell those things appart from nightcrawlers. I’m glad they found them, but something tells me most are saying, “So what?”

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 15:47:04 +0000

I wonder if this creature was ethnoknown at all? Perhaps people living in the area knew all about this creature and don’t know what all the fuss is over? A creature isn’t really a new species until a scientist finds it and documents it, but I have a feeling there are a lot of “new species” out there that the native people know all about. This could even include some of our more major cryptids. They might find a body of, say, Mokele Mbembe and it is going to be this big sensation but the natives will be thinking “Duh! We’ve been telling you they are there all along!”

By: youcantryreachingme

youcantryreachingme — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:35:32 +0000

Pete - to answer the question on distinguishing genetic mutants from separate species, they can do so using DNA.

A friend of mine is a marine biologist specialising in invertebrates. He has frequently found new species of crayfish (fresh and salt and the like), shrimp and so on.

Usually, the first step when he suspects a new species is to take a tissue sample to be used for DNA analysis. Then, if the results show that the sequencing is sufficiently different to other known species, permission is sought to secure a number of specimens to be used for the type description.

You can have a quick flashback to the Malaysian bigfoot debacle where this subject came up in the context of having to kill a bigfoot to proove it's a new species.

By: Mnynames

Mnynames — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 04:21:16 +0000

A few years ago there was a new waterfall discovered in Yosemite National Park. If we can’t even find a waterfall in our own backyard, is it any wonder a burrowing Caecilian can remain hidden?

By: springheeledjack

springheeledjack — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 04:07:20 +0000

good call selrach! I am always amazed at how little people pay attention to their environment and the world around them. It is awfulllllly easy to miss things.

People assume that with 6 billion plus bodies on the planet, that every square inch of earth and water is mapped out and has been explored so that nothing new is out there. Most people couldnt’ tell you everything living in their own backyard.

cool discovery is what I am getting at:)

By: Selrach

Selrach — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 01:36:09 +0000

India is pretty densely populated, and yet we discover a “new ” species.

Seems possible there may still be a mongolian death worm waiting for us in the gobi.

By: heinselman

heinselman — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 23:31:38 +0000

The news came about a few weeks ago , but was not broadcast around much. In the Times News Network for January 19, 2007 they show the amphibian, and another name for it "immandehavu". See the pdf file here: Zootaxa. Craig Heinselman Peterborough, NH

By: Pete.Wilson

Pete.Wilson — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 22:08:20 +0000

I sometimes wonder. How would you tell the difference in reptiles from a new species versus a genetic mutation, given all of the issues and problems within the reptile community over the last 15-20 years in various part of the world? I would think it would be even worse in some 3rd world or other developing countries.