Does the discovery of new species depend on "looking" or "touching"? What hazards will you encounter in field investigation? How to verify that a species is really "new"? On May 22, international biodiversity conservation day, let's learn about the discovery of new species.
Huang Heqing, senior engineer and doctor of the Institute of ecological environment of Chongqing Academy of ecological and Environmental Sciences, introduced that the discovery of new species is a combination of accidental and inevitable factors. In November last year, the scientific research team of Huang Heqing Institute found a new species of palmar process toad during the biodiversity survey in Qiyao mountain municipal Nature Reserve in Yunyang. After morphological and molecular biological identification, it was determined to be a new species of amphibians in the world and was named Yunyang palmar process toad. At present, this achievement has been officially accepted by the international authoritative journal of animal taxonomy, Asian ethnological research.
\u3000\u3000 "Last year, during our field investigation, we first heard the chirp of the suspected second-class national protected animal Longhorned toad on the first night. When we followed the sound, we found a black palmed toad on the dead leaves of a stone slab. At that time, it was preliminarily identified as a new species that has not been recorded. However, in order to determine that this special chirp was not caused by individual differences, the investigation team again the next day Return again, check carefully nearby, and finally collect enough specimens for identification. " Huang Heqing recalled.
In Huang Heqing's view, the process of discovering suspected new species is not easy. In the field investigation stage, they will face many difficulties. For example, in case of landslides, mudslides and extreme weather, they are bitten by poisonous insects such as snakes, ticks and leeches. "Therefore, before each departure, we will prepare in advance for various factors such as terrain and weather in relevant areas, including some field first-aid equipment (satellite phone), drugs and so on."
How to identify a species as a true new species? Huang Heqing introduced that taking the determination of Yunyang palm process toad as an example, first of all, they will collect a large amount of data and literature in the laboratory to identify the species morphologically. Then, they need to analyze their genetic information through molecular biology, and then they need to write relevant professional papers.
Huang Heqing said that the discovery of new species not only enriches the current situation of biodiversity background, but also reflects the good local ecological environment background and remarkable ecological protection results of the reserve, which is conducive to the follow-up work of biodiversity protection.
