New Species of 2012: Year In Review 2012Article Free Pass
Nature continued to amaze in 2012. Each year dozens of new species are discovered, a testament to Earth’s vast biodiversity.
The annual search for the top 10 new species for 2012 began after a list of more than 200 nominees was compiled in 2011. The final 10 species, which are shown in the photographs, were chosen by Arizona State University’s International Institute for Species Exploration and a select committee of scientists from around the world. The top 10 list, produced each year since 2008, was designed to highlight the biodiversity challenges facing the planet and to reveal to the public some of the most intriguing forms of life known. The final selection was a menagerie of the unique and the bizarre; the list included a plant, a fungus, a mammal, and a host of invertebrates. The species making the list included the deep-dwelling Devil’s worm (Halicephalobus mephisto), the SpongeBob SquarePants mushroom (Spongiforma squarepantsii), the Nepalese autumn poppy (Meconopsis autumnalis), a millipede called the wandering leg sausage (Crurifarcimen vagans), and an iridescent tarantula called Sazima’s tarantula (Pterinopelma sazimai).
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