Equally strange looking!!
Posted on 09/07/2009 11:36:01 AM PDT by NYer
A lost world populated by fanged frogs, grunting fish and tiny bear-like creatures has been discovered in a remote volcanic crater on the Pacific island of Papua New Guinea.
A team of scientists from Britain, the United States and Papua New Guinea found more than 40 previously unidentified species when they climbed into the kilometre-deep crater of Mount Bosavi and explored a pristine jungle habitat teeming with life that has evolved in isolation since the volcano last erupted 200,000 years ago. In a remarkably rich haul from just five weeks of exploration, the biologists discovered 16 frogs which have never before been recorded by science, at least three new fish, a new bat and a giant rat, which may turn out to be the biggest in the world.
The discoveries are being seen as fresh evidence of the richness of the world's rainforests and the explorers hope their finds will add weight to calls for international action to prevent the demise of similar ecosystems. They said Papua New Guinea's rainforest is currently being destroyed at the rate of 3.5% a year.
"It was mind-blowing to be there and it is clearly time we pulled our finger out and decided these habitats are worth us saving," said Dr George McGavin who headed the expedition.
The team of biologists included experts from Oxford University, the London Zoo and the Smithsonian Institution and are believed to be the first scientists to enter the mountainous Bosavi crater. They were joined by members of the BBC Natural History Unit which filmed the expedition for a three-part documentary which starts tomorrow night.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Seem identified to me.
Thanks for the pings and for the topic!
The rat that’s the size of a cat: BBC team discovers 40 new species in ‘lost world’
dailymail.co.uk | 07th September 2009 | Paul Revoir
Posted on 09/07/2009 5:35:41 AM PDT by Wardenclyffe
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2333850/posts
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Thanks NYer and GeronL. |
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Lost World? Did they find any T-Rex running around?
Equally strange looking!!
No, that’s not a medicine man, that is a prime example of a “tube nosed politician”, once thought to be rare but increasing in numbers through out North America.
Is that photoshopped?
Bet a little searching in obscure places and we’ll find there is nothing new here.
Are there any pics of the tiny bear-like creature?
LOL!!!!
Well, I guess the locals can stop tossing all those strange critters into the crater to keep the fire god happy...
The Bosavi silky cuscus mammal Photograph: Jonny Keeling/BBC
all the pics here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2009/sep/06/wildlife-endangeredspecies
[at least three new fish, a new bat and a giant rat]
They could have saved themselves a dangerous trip through the jungles and just brought their camera’s to a joint meeting of Congress.
Would you believe "varieties"?
I spent a few weeks as an exchange student in Quebec, Quebec in ‘73. I saw the movie La Valle’ (The Valley, did I spell that right?) at a theater. Obscured By Clouds is the soundtrack to it. Amazing that it came out just before Dark Side of the Moon and never really got noticed, except by you of course.
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