Report unveils 381 new plant and animal species in Amazon

A report released this week reveals 381 new species of plants and animals found in the Amazon between 2014 and 2015. There are 216 new species of plants, 93 fishes, 32 amphibians, 19 reptiles, one bird, 20 mammals (two of them fossils). On average, a new species was discovered in the region every two days.

The findings can be found in a report whose title translates as “Update and Listing of New Amazon Vertebrates and Plant Species 2014-2015”, edited by the Mamirauá Institute and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It contains descriptions of species provided by researchers from all around Brazil and abroad. The two previous updates include discoveries from 1999 to 2009 and from 2010 to 2013. In all, more than 2,000 new species have been described in the past 17 years.

According to Ricardo Mello, who spearheads WWF-Brasil's Amazon Program, a mere 20% of the forest's ecosystem is known. Most of the discoveries in the latest issues occurred in conservation units in the Amazon. Most striking among the new species are the dolphin Inia araguaiaensis, found in the River Araguaia basin, and the new primate species, the fire-tailed titi-monkey Plecturocebus miltoni.

“It's always a surprise, because they're not small animals, like bugs. They were found in the deforestation crescent, which is impacted by roads and the creation of hydroelectric power plants. We can't be certain about how endangered they are, but they must be registered at least as vulnerable,” said Fernanda Paim, biologist at the Mamirauá Institute.

RENCA

Four new fish species were discovered in the National Copper Reserve and Associates (RENCA), abolished by a presidential decree on Wednesday (23). “The fish move easily through the river, they're ornamental fish, but they're part of the food chain. There are signs of contamination through mercury, which makes an impact on the fauna and the local population,” Paim said.

Mello argues for the promotion of more discussions about the effects of the decision to abolish the reserve. “These fishes reveal something special. These changes in legislation, this hustle and bustle, show us that we have to expose it before the public, promote social debate on what the [end of RENCA] means to Brazil. The future of Brazil is at stake—the future of the world,” she added.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira