18,516 New Species (Including a Fascinating Top Ten) Identified in 2007 - But What Is Their Significance?
On 22 May the International Institute for Species Research (IISR) of Arizona State University (ASU) released its list of 18,516 new species discovered in 2007. The top ten selected from these is fascinating, but what does it all really mean?
species from the animalia kingdom
The Top Ten List of New Species
The Top 10 New Species List is chosen by a twelve person panel of international taxon experts chaired by Dr. Janine Caira of the University of Connecticut. The species in the list is selected from the thousands of species that were fully described in the calendar year. Nominations from the public, IISE staff and committee members are judged by the committee which has complete freedom in making its choices and developing its own criteria. The object though is to cover a breadth of species attributes and importance.
