WASHINGTON (AFP) – Scientists said Wednesday they have uncovered 56 new species in the teaming virgin tropical forests of Papua New Guinea including jumping spiders and a tiny chirping frog.
The 2008 two-month expedition by British, Canadian and PNG scientists to the Pacific islands found a wealth of treasures and documented some 600 species, said Conservation International (CI) which organized the trip.
Among them were 50 spider species, two plants, three frogs and an elegant striped gecko which are believed to completely new to science."The vast Kaijende Uplands and nearby valleys represent one of Papua New Guinea's largest undeveloped highlands wilderness areas, and all of it is under the tenure of local clan landowners. These forests are essential to their traditional lifestyles," said CI scientist Steve Richards, who led the expedition.
The three new frogs include a tiny brown one with a sharp chirping call, a bright green tree frog with enormous eyes and a torrent-dwelling frog that has a loud ringing call.
Much of PNG's forests remain unexplored, and have been kept in pristine condition thanks to the care of the local tribes who inhabit them.
"Their intimate knowledge of and stewardship over a large tract of this vast upland wilderness has led to conservation of their wildlife and environment," said Bruce Beehler from Conservation International.
The tribes rely on the wilderness for hunting as well as gathering forest products, and the region provides fresh drinking water to thousands of people living in the Enga Southern Highlands as well as Western and Saudaun provinces.
The group, based in Arlington, Virginia, also highlighted that the vast forested wilderness played a critical role in helping slow climate change as it sucks in large amounts of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
Since 1990, Conservation International, which is a private organization, has led more than 60 expeditions to different parts of the globe, discovering more than 700 new species.
Scientists find new species in Papua New Guinea
Kristen Gelineau, Associated Press Yahoo News 25 Mar 09;
SYDNEY – A brilliant green tree frog with huge black eyes, jumping spiders and a striped gecko are among more than 50 new animal species scientists have discovered in a remote, mountainous region of Papua New Guinea.
The discoveries were announced Wednesday by Washington D.C.-based Conservation International, which spent the past several months analyzing more than 600 animal species the group found during its expedition to the South Pacific island nation in July and August.
Of the animals discovered, 50 spider species, three frogs and a gecko appear to have never been described in scientific literature before, the conservation group said. The new frogs include a tiny brown animal with a sharp chirp, a bug-eyed bright green tree frog and another frog with a loud ringing call. One of the jumping spiders is shiny and pale green, while another is furry and brown.
"If you're finding things that are that big and that spectacular that are new, that's really an indication that there's a lot out there that we don't know about," said expedition leader Steve Richards. "It never ceases to amaze me the spectacular things that are turning up from that island."
The findings are significant, particularly the discovery of the new frog species, said Craig Franklin, a zoology professor at The University of Queensland in Australia who studies frogs.
"They're often regarded as a great bioindicator of environmental health," said Franklin, who was not involved in the expedition. "Often we see declines in frogs as a direct pointer to an affected environment."
Researchers from Conservation International explored the region with scientists from the University of British Columbia in Canada and Montclair State University in New Jersey, as well as local scientists from Papua New Guinea.
The area the researchers explored provides a critical source of clean drinking water to tens of thousands of people living in surrounding communities and local clans rely on the region for hunting.
Montclair State University anthropologist William Thomas worked with the local Hewa clan to document the area's resources during the expedition as part of a project he started with scientist Bruce Beehler of Conservation International.
"In a place like PNG, the local communities, the traditional communities, are so close to their environment," Beehler said. "By working with local communities, you actually get a leg up — you learn a lot more because they already know so much."
Conservation International plans to conduct three more expeditions to Papua New Guinea this year, in the hopes of turning up even more new animals.
"Most of us live in urban worlds where we think everything's totally well known," Beehler said. "It's a little bit of a reminder, just a wake up call, that we really need to know our world better so we can manage it better."