At the very heart of taxonomy lies the discovery of new species, their naming and description. Because of the ongoing biodiversity loss our planet is experiencing, we are probably loosing more unknown species everyday than we can discover. This is why taxonomy matters! 

Every month CETAF will gather here all the news of newly discovered species:

 

We start with 2 new "vampire crabs" from Java, Indonesia: 

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/two-new-vampire-crabs-trace...

 

 

 

 

Two  new genera and species of parasitoid wasps described by the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig and the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde (Germany):

http://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=6470

 

 

Then, we have 3 new toads from Brazil. Sadly, just discovered but already on the endangered list: 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/12/151203-toads-brazil-new-speci...

                                                               

 

Palaeoplethodon hispaniolae, , a fossil salamander from the Caribbean, the first salamander recovered from any amber source and the first undisputed salamander reported from the Caribbean region:

http://www.palaeodiversity.org/pdf/08/03Palaeodiversity_8-15_Poinar-Wake...

 

A 90-year-old error stands corrected and a new branch is drawn on the sperm whale family tree with the “Albicetus”:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/10/albicetus-new-whale-s...

 

 

A new species of plant-eating dinosaur found in the Gobi Desert, in China:

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/new-dinosaur-species-discovered-in-china-58...

 

A flightless bird discovered (as fossilized remains) by a family taking a stroll on a canadian beach: 

http://www.citynews.ca/2015/12/15/new-species-of-flightless-bird-discove...

 

The Persian dwarf snake expanded to 6 species:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151123203432.htm

 

Narcissus xdezanus, a new nothospecies from North West of Spain:

 http://www.ville-ge.ch/cjb/publications/cando701/C701_5-7.pdf

 

 

And we close this edition of New Species Focus, with the impressive discovery of 74 new beetle species on an Hawaiian volcano:

http://www.sciencespacerobots.com/74-new-beetle-species-discovered-on-ha...

   

We'll be back soon!