Comments on: Caution About “New Species” News

By: Jeremy_Wells

Jeremy_Wells — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:59:45 +0000

The coloration between the eastern bluebird and the red breasted fly catcher are similar, but there is a definite difference in beak structure. Look at the flycatchers thin beak, designed for catching insects on the wing, and compare that to the thicker beak of the bluebird which is used for foraging for insects on the ground.
Yay Darwin!

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:00:34 +0000

Since a great deal of cryptids are quite known to the native inhabitants of where they live, sometimes even almost commonplace, it strikes me that most cryptids would fall under the category of “The new species could be one that is ethnoknown, a part of the traditions and encounters of the local peoples who may have assisted in finding it.”

By: U.T. Raptor

U.T. Raptor — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 21:44:13 +0000

I didn’t know a type of Oviraptor made it into the Americas?

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 19:00:32 +0000

youcantryreachingme says-
“I suppose one other category of “new” species is that which has only newly been discovered and described by western science, but which (typically) has been known for hundreds of years by various people groups. The Laotian rock rat comes to mind.”

I think that’s mentioned in the article as-
“The new species could be one that is ethnoknown, a part of the traditions and encounters of the local peoples who may have assisted in finding it.”

By: kaboobi

kaboobi — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 18:49:27 +0000

Wow,
Alton Higgins, you have a very good point. I am no ornithologist by any means, but the Red-breasted Flycatcher and the Eastern Bluebird look almost identical to me too..

By: shumway10973

shumway10973 — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 00:16:19 +0000

absolutely, everyday creatures of every size and catagory are being discovered. The reason why it seems so amazing is that the media sources available to us seem almost afraid (lack of better word) to rock the boat. People are comfortable with their nice little world placed in a box, when something new gets added in most people get scared.

By: youcantryreachingme

youcantryreachingme — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 14:38:33 +0000

Great to have the clarification! But hearing about species return to former distributions is still exciting! If only mildly cryptozoological!

I suppose one other category of “new” species is that which has only newly been discovered and described by western science, but which (typically) has been known for hundreds of years by various people groups. The Laotian rock rat comes to mind.

Chris.

By: Alton Higgins

Alton Higgins — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 14:28:13 +0000

That Red-breasted Flycatcher sure reminds me of an Eastern Bluebird.

By: thescribe

thescribe — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 13:51:48 +0000

Naturalist E.O. Wilson has documented multitudes of ‘unknown’ new ants. When I learned that, I realized that new species are perhaps not as rare as you’d think.