Smart News: Expedition Discovers 27 New Species in Peru....

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Expedition Discovers 27 New Species in Peru, From an ‘Exceedingly Rare’ Amphibious Mouse to a Blob-Headed Fish

The hidden creatures were found in a densely populated region known for its successful—and controversial—conservation tactics

Between the Andes Mountains and the Amazon, a verdant pocket of land known as Alto Mayo supports roughly 280,000 people—but despite decades of human encroachment and deforestation, scientists have discovered it also hosts a staggering level of biodiversity.

In June and July 2022, researchers led by the nonprofit Conservation International made a 38-day expedition to the Alto Mayo region of Peru and uncovered 27 new species. The previously unknown creatures include four mammals, eight fish, three amphibians and ten butterflies, the team writes in a 474-page report published Friday.

In a region with high human population density—with settlements dotted between scribbles of rivers and towers of forested mountains—these finds were unexpected.

“People had been operating under the assumption that with so much human influence, there wouldn’t be very high biodiversity,” Trond Larsen, senior director for biodiversity and ecosystem science at Conservation International, explains to Annie Roth of the New York Times. “But we found the exact opposite.”

Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

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