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Science News

Scientists Find New Species In Remote New Guinea 179

An anonymous reader writes "A team of scientists exploring an isolated jungle in one of Indonesia's most remote provinces said they discovered dozens of new species of frogs, butterflies and plants as well as large mammals hunted to near extinction elsewhere. The team also found wildlife that were remarkably unafraid of humans during their rapid assessment survey of the Foja Mountains, which has more than two million acres of old growth tropical forest."
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Scientists Find New Species In Remote New Guinea

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  • So tell us. (Score:5, Funny)

    by falzer ( 224563 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @02:32AM (#14658104)
    How do they taste?
    • by Anonymous Coward
      Surprisingly like chicken.
    • Save the endangered species! Collect the whole set!
    • How do YOU taste (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Mrs. Grundy ( 680212 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @02:57AM (#14658187) Homepage
      If you read the article you may have notice the passing reference to the giant cassowary. It's basically a four foot chicken with a bad temper and a crazy look in its eye who can use its razor-sharp talons to disembowel a man where he stands. That's right, this is one of the last remaining birds that can easily kill a person and while it's not a man-eater, I'm sure there are plenty of other animals in the jungle that would be happy to let the cassowary play the butcher and carve you up like a holiday ham for their culinary delight. So before you start wondering about what kind of wine to server with tree kangaroo, you might first stop to ask yourself, how do you taste.
      • Sloppy, sloppy research. All you had to do was use SPELL CHECK! Even Word spell check! Then you would realize that you were actually talking about the Giant Cappowary. It is also a giant chicken (kismet favors you, my friend), and it can also disembowel you (also correct...miraculously), but it doesn't just use its claws like a raptor. It uses an artistic blend of dancing and martial arts to rend your innards. Much like the American system of gym-kata, a rich blend which evolved in the mid-eighties, t
      • Re:How do YOU taste (Score:5, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @08:59AM (#14659266)
        Actually, like pork.

        You may recall that the South Sea islanders who enjoyed a little cannibalism refered to man as 'long pig'. They may still do so, for all I know.

        And the pig has very similar body structures to ourselves - so much so that pig heart valves were once used for organ transplants (and may still be, for all I know).

        But the cincher for me was an experience while welding in the kitchen (as you do...). When you hit rust you get a shower of sparks, and one minute globule of molten metal hit me on an unprotected tbumb. It was very small, but white hot, and burnt straight through my skin before stopping. I put my thumb in my mouth (reflex action) and was rewarded with a strong taste of pork crackling. Under a glass, the edges of the wound looked exactly like the skin on a pork roast.

        So /. has now had a post from an auto-cannibal. And if this doesn't get modded informative, I'll eat my ......

      • Very good with some fava beans and a nice chianti.
      • Re:How do YOU taste (Score:3, Informative)

        by kalirion ( 728907 )
        Wow, never heard of this bird before, so I wikipedia'd [wikipedia.org] it. Of particular interest:

        The Southern Cassowary is the second-largest bird in Australia and the third-largest remaining bird in the world (after the ostrich and emu). Adult Southern Cassowaries are 1.5 to 1.8 m (5½ feet) tall and weigh about 60 kilograms (130 pounds). They have a bony casque on the head that is used to batter through underbrush, making them the only armoured bird in the world. Females are bigger and more brightly coloured.
        • On a somewhat related note, combining U.S. Service personel and dangerous animals has traditionally been a problem. For example in the history of the U.S. Navy Seals there has not been a single injury from shark attack. And by that they mean none that weren't the result of the shark being provoked for fun by the Seals. Actual numbers vary but its significantly higher than 0. I can't remember the source of that tidbit but it might have been Richard Marcinco.
      • So, sometimes you eat the giant cassowary, sometimes the giant cassowary eats you...
      • Actually, you could probably make some money from that. Outfit a guy with armour and a sword, and let him fight the giant cassowary. Rent the armour & sword and charge a fee for each cassowary, and you could make a packet...
      • Do the chickens have large talons?
    • "seriously tasty" according to reports [theonion.com]
  • by Iron (III) Chloride ( 922186 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @02:32AM (#14658106)
    Hopefully this might provide more public incentive in terms of supporting conservation efforts.
    • by jurt1235 ( 834677 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @02:44AM (#14658150) Homepage
      Sarcasm on

      They could only reach the remote mountainous area by helicopter, which they described it as akin to finding a "Garden of Eden".

      Wood logging companies & local farmers have been found willing to provide easier access to the area, as a local farmer said:
      I will burn down 5 hectares a month to create new places for my crops. That way tourist will be able to get closer to these pretty animals everyday without having to endanger them (the editor: By them he meant the tourist, because everybody knows that road travel in Indonesia is the safest way to travel) by helicopter.

      A loggin company responded too:
      2 million years without forest maintenance is not good for tourism. We are willing to trim the trees for easier access.

      Sarcasm off
    • Hopefully this might provide more public incentive in terms of supporting conservation efforts.

      I think in the united states, conservatives have already done their share. Maybe we could get some liberalisation efforts?
    • by Savage-Rabbit ( 308260 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @03:55AM (#14658330)
      Hopefully this might provide more public incentive in terms of supporting conservation efforts.

      This raises some interesting possibilities. According to some of the local tribes, Thylacines [wikipedia.org] supposedly still exist in some of the high mountain valleys of New Guinea. It would be really nice if a viable population was found and this sounds like just the place where that might happen. If that was the case the I bet the Australians will be interested.
    • more public incentive in terms of supporting conservation efforts.

      Swear to God, the folks who think "environmentalists" are irritating luddites who want to return humanity to the stone age have already long since had the thought: "If these 'near extinction' species can be found in a place like this, then they don't need to be protected quite so much. What was all the stink about? Can the island of Komodo put out licenses on dragons yet?..."

      Those people bend any environmental issue into a caricature. Spo

      • Those people bend any environmental issue into a caricature.

        No, the environmentalist movement largely did this to itself.

        Spotted owls were just a representative of the entire temperate rainforest ecosystem they lived in, they weren't the whole story.

        Of course they were the whole story! If they weren't, then there was another species in the "temperature rainforest ecosystem", as you call it, which would have been put forth as endangered. But no, it was the spotted owl that was at issue.

        More impor

        • That's because environmentalists ARE wacky people who want to ruin entire industries and send mankind back to the stone age. Perhaps you don't feel that way, and I sympathize with you and other moderates of your movement who simply want reasonable conservation measure. But the "leaders" of the environmentalist movement, the ones getting on TV and running organizations like Greenpeace and PETA and so on, really DO want to eliminate entire industries, free all animals from any human involvement, ban the eati

  • by __aahlyu4518 ( 74832 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @02:41AM (#14658141)
    So anyone taking bets on how long it will take before these 'hunted to near extinction' mammals will really be extinct?
  • Uh-oh (Score:5, Funny)

    by Council ( 514577 ) <rmunroe.gmail@com> on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @02:42AM (#14658143) Homepage
    the team also found wildlife that were remarkably unafraid of humans

    That's what happens whenever you find animals that haven't encountered humans before. Thing is, the after the first few encounters they'll sort themselves into two groups.

    One group is the ones who learn to be afraid of us. The other, well . . .
    • Re:Uh-oh (Score:5, Funny)

      by B3ryllium ( 571199 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @03:13AM (#14658232) Homepage
      We call that other group "tasty".
      • Re:Uh-oh (Score:3, Funny)

        by Belseth ( 835595 )
        We call that other group "tasty".

        There are two subgroups to the "Tasty" group, the "Fast" and the "Slow" groups. The Fast animal group tends to be greasier and often deep fried. The Slow group tend to be healthier but not as tasty. It's not clear how wild animals in the Fast group came to be deep fried but it's thought to be a survival adaptation. Of coarse the Intellegent Design faction claim that God simply made them that way. I third theory involves natives with deep fryers but both sides have discoun

    • Not always. Some animals have evolved to be cute and fuzzy like cats. They survive better _not_ being afraid of humans.

      Cats have an added advantage surviving in a human dominated environment. As my Chinese friend told me when I asked whether Chinese people really eat cats: "No!! Cat sour."

      • Re:Cats (Score:3, Funny)

        by st1d ( 218383 )
        Great, now all I have to do is figure out what the "sweet" is in "sweet and cat pork". :)
  • by malia8888 ( 646496 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @02:48AM (#14658158)
    Dr Beehler, an expert on birds of paradise, which only live in northern Australia and New Guinea, said: "It was very exciting, when two of these birds, a male and a female, which no one has seen alive before ... came into the camp and the male displayed its plumage to the female in full view of the scientists."

    Which is the closest thing to a sex life these scientists have ever had in their bespectacled, nerdy lives. ... Bespectacled? nerdy? I must be projecting heavily here.

  • Tourism (Score:4, Insightful)

    by MichaelSmith ( 789609 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @02:48AM (#14658160) Homepage Journal

    This whole island: Papua and W New Guinea is too dangerous for normal people to consider going there. But is has forests and wildlife which have been wiped out in most other parts of Asia.

    If the politics can be sorted out the people living there will be sitting on an economic goldmine from tourism alone.

    • I'm more interested in the various germs they'll be bringing back to share with the rest of us.

      ---

      Maybe I'm living in a vacuum, but I don't get your sig. :)
      • Re:Tourism (Score:3, Informative)

        Maybe I'm living in a vacuum, but I don't get your sig. :)

        The Apollo lunar surface journal [nasa.gov] is the official record of everything which happened on the moon during the apollo program. It is very detailed. I have plucked it on to my palm pilot and I read it when I have free time.

        Pete Conrad was the commander of the Apollo 12 mission and he is (alas was) a real character. Mike Collins (CM pilot on Apollo 11) said in his book that Conrad was the only astronaut who exactly fitted the public perception of "Buck

    • Re:Tourism (Score:3, Insightful)

      With cannibalism (in some parts), administration problems (to put it mildly) and rampant missionaries trying to save souls, I'm pretty sure tourism is PRETTY low on their list right now.
      • Re:Tourism (Score:1, Redundant)

        With cannibalism (in some parts), administration problems (to put it mildly) and rampant missionaries trying to save souls, I'm pretty sure tourism is PRETTY low on their list right now.

        Yep

    • Re:Tourism (Score:3, Interesting)

      by krystofa ( 537840 )
      PNG does have a reputation for being dangerous. However, it is possible to visit. As a child I used to live in Goroka, although crime was apparent I don't remember it being more of a menace than where I live now, Manchester UK.

      Of course, the /. article isn't clear as to whether this is PNG (East side of the island) or Irian Jaya (The Indonesian province). My understanding of Irian Jaya is that it is dangerous, whereas I have every intention of visiting PNG again I would draw the line at Irian Jaya.

      As wit
      • Re:Tourism (Score:3, Funny)

        by digidave ( 259925 )
        Everywhere looks favourable when you compare it to Manchester.
      • 'PNG does have a reputation for being dangerous.'

        Justifiably so, if you're running Windows:

        http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin /ms05-009.mspx [microsoft.com]
      • by jd ( 1658 )
        I guess you could argue that Hulme and Moss Side are probably about as dangerous as Papau New Guinea during an armed riot by berserkers. On the other hand, the Arndale Centre is generally considered safe (well, unless it's being blown up) and there are parts of Salford that don't require viking chainmail armour.


        In terms of type of criminal activity, I'd rate anywhere around the Medlock and between UMIST and Picadilly Circus as about on-par with the worst of Thailand or the Philipines.

      • Hey, I used to work in Goroka, and later in Madang.

        I think the "danger" in PNG is vastly overstated.
    • Re:Tourism (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Weh ( 219305 )
      Hmm, I was born in PNG, it is true that Port Moresby is one of the most dangerous cities in the world and there is a lot of unrest going on in the country (Bougainville etc.). However the Indonesian part (I also lived there for a few years) is relatively safe, basically the Indonesians (Javanese) took over the role of the Dutch as colonizers and (at the time) there was military everywhere.

      The biggest threat to wildlife in west papua comes from the mining companies (like Freeport [ptfi.com] and logging.
      • However the Indonesian part (I also lived there for a few years) is relatively safe

        The media here in Melbourne is full of articles about atrocities comitted against the local people by the Indonesian military. These are stories about large groups of people being starved to death and others being more directly murdered.

        With all this stuff coming out I wouldn't be surprised if they go the way of East Timor (ie, having Australia take 80% of their mineral wealth in return for some military help) in the next 2

  • Homer:Do'h Do'h.
  • Dangerous? (Score:2, Interesting)

    I don't understand the dangerous comment? I was there in 1994 when I was in the Marines and it didn't seem dangerous to me at all. The people were actually very friendly and the diving is awesome.

    They did warn us not to go anywhere alone but there was some kind of civil war going on at the time. That was nowhere near Papua though.

    Overall, I thought it was a pretty cool place!
  • Well, obviously... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by st1d ( 218383 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @02:55AM (#14658182) Homepage
    ...we'll have to send a number of scientists into the area to catalog all these new finds. Several teams of to catalog plants, birds, insects, mammels, etc. Then we'll need to create research areas for these scientists to work, because they'll need time to do all the research needed. Naturally, they'll need supplies, and flying in supplies to so many scientists will be extremely costly, so we should build a few roads to deliver goods to all the areas they'll be working in. It's a large area, so we should probably build a little infrastructure for refueling and medical needs, as well. That infrastructure will require power, so we should run a number of power lines to each of the various places. Of course, with this much research to be done, it would be a lot to ask for those scientists to have to leave their families behind for long periods of time, so we should build accomodations for their families. Those kids of theirs will need an education, so schools are a must. All work and no play is bad for morale, so we should build a few different types of entertainment for the residents, too. Naturally, with this many people in a newly discovered source of rare and unknown plants and animals, we need to make sure no one takes animals and plants out of the area, so we'll need to make sure we provide a healthy number of resource control officers, and they have needs and families as well. Geez, with this many people, we're bound to have crime and disorganization, so we'll need police and government officials to help maintain the order. Of course, we'll need judges and lawyers, to keep the police and politicians honest and make sure balance is maintained somewhat. We'll need construction workers to help build all this, and they'll need... :)
    • The problem is that people confuse need and want. Once you've gotten used to something being available you think you need it. Really it's just that life is "easier" with it, or possibly that you have become addicted to the presence of it through habituation. You want it because it's familiar and makes you comfortable.

      You know what we really need out here? An -mart. (insert your choice of big box store here).

      Humanity replicates familiar environments, not because we need them, but because the presen

    • But did they find any oil?
  • pictures? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by phyl0x ( 656298 )
    any idea when pictures are going to show up? magazines? tv specials?
  • How many? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by deep44 ( 891922 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @03:06AM (#14658207)
    We found dozens, if not hundreds, of new species ..
    Dozens? Hundreds? Do you mean to tell me that nobody actually counted?
    • Re:How many? (Score:3, Informative)

      by st1d ( 218383 )
      They did, but the darn things kept running/flying away.

      "1, 2, 3...1, 2...1, 2, 3..."
    • Re:How many? (Score:3, Informative)

      by FleaPlus ( 6935 )
      We found dozens, if not hundreds, of new species ..

      Dozens? Hundreds? Do you mean to tell me that nobody actually counted?


      I think the problem is that you can't always tell two organisms are of different species with a quick glance. Sometimes you actually need to do things like behavioral or genetic studies to be sure. Also, until they've had time to sort through the records, there's also the possibility that some of the species they've discovered have already been found elsewhere.
  • What extra features does this new guinea pig have?
  • Did they find the Koala/Dolphin cross hinted at here [leasticoulddo.com] with a picture here [leasticoulddo.com] ?

  • Just started reading "Guns, Germs and Steel" [amazon.com] by Jared Diamond yesterday. An interesting book which promises to trace and explain the evolution of human societies.

    The book starts out by mentioning how large mammals went extinct in America and Australia when humans reached there. The reason was because these animals evolved without co-existing with man(hunter) and hence did not develop a natural fear of man. As a result when man came upon them, he literally clubbed them to extinction.

    I guess the new mam
    • Speared, not clubbed. The first guy that tried clubbing one probably learned his own lesson about survival of the fittest...
    • The book starts out by mentioning how large mammals went extinct in America and Australia when humans reached there. The reason was because these animals evolved without co-existing with man(hunter) and hence did not develop a natural fear of man. As a result when man came upon them, he literally clubbed them to extinction.

      That might have happened in some places at some time, but to state it like that (and I know that Diamond uses a lot of 'just-so-stories' like this in his book) is a gross oversimplificati
  • Noah (Score:4, Insightful)

    by quokkapox ( 847798 ) <quokkapox@gmail.com> on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @03:33AM (#14658281)
    Noah had a big ark, and was really thorough.

    Or there maybe could be something to this new "Theory" of "Evolution".

    How many more of these discoveries do we need before the fanatics finally give it up?

    Tree Kangaroos [google.com]. Five hundred previously unknown plant species. Wow. Just wow.

    • Re:Noah (Score:3, Funny)

      by CmdrGravy ( 645153 )
      Actually "Noahs Ark" was a franchise, there were millions of arks all over the world. Unfortunately they weren't perfect and millions of animals never made it onto the ark but you wont have heard of them because the ones which weren't fish all died.
    • Noah had a big ark, and was really thorough. Or there maybe could be something to this new "Theory" of "Evolution". How many more of these discoveries do we need before the fanatics finally give it up?

      That is because this is not a proof of macro-evolution. Macro-evolution is the idea that a generation of a particular species can create brand new genes that take their offspring in a totally new direction. Micro-evolution is the idea that different species can form from similar genetic ancestors through

      • It is interesting to note that the human race has three primary races -- the mongol, the negro, and the anglo -- and Noah is said to have had three sons, each of which could have had their own dominant genes.

        Sorry, but an absurd claim like this one undermines your credibility.

        Are you aware of the state of modern genetic research into human ancestry? Do you think your claim will hold up in the face of new experiments?

        Race is a joke. Woohoo, we all have lighter or darker skin, facial features, mayb

        • Race is a joke. Woohoo, we all have lighter or darker skin, facial features, maybe some other minor physiological variations like digestive enzymes adapted to local environment. Whatever.

          You misunderstand me completely, but I must admit that I was wrong on one point. There are definite races of man based on both genetics and forensic study [shorturl.com], but there are five [shorturl.com] basic races of man, though three are more prominent (what does this mean about my conjecture -- don't know :-) ).

          Any further distinction is cultur

  • no man's land... (Score:2, Insightful)

    "This is a place with no roads or trails and never, so far as we know, visited by man ... This proves there are still places to be discovered that man has not touched."

    Lets keep it that way. "Do Not Feed The Animal" sign is kinda getting old right now.
  • makes me wonder (Score:3, Interesting)

    by CAIMLAS ( 41445 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @03:39AM (#14658295)
    It's finds like this which make me wonder: are there still what we consider to be "dinosaurs" - and what were considered "dragons" prior to 1850 or so - roaming the remote places of the earth? There seems to be quite a few first-hand accounts of such sightings, but no hard evidence.
    • It's finds like this which make me wonder: are there still what we consider to be "dinosaurs" - and what were considered "dragons" prior to 1850 or so - roaming the remote places of the earth?

      Sure there are. They've got quite a lot smaller, grown feathers, and learned to fly, though.

      I doubt there's any really big animals left to be discovered on land. The likes of giant dinosaurs need to eat a lot. A breeding colony of those things would be hard to hide.

      So: don't hold your breath waiting for the disco

    • are there still what we consider to be "dinosaurs" - and what were considered "dragons" prior to 1850 or so - roaming the remote places of the earth?

      Why "remote" ? You've got plenty of them right out the window ! [berkeley.edu]

      Thomas
    • Check out the Komodo dragon [wikipedia.org]. Their saliva is so infectious that just a bite kills the prey. It could have been the source of fire-breathing dragon mythology.
  • Save them! (Score:2, Funny)

    by ben_1432 ( 871549 )
    When will they be hosing them down with tugboats?
  • Recommended Reading (Score:3, Informative)

    by bmgoau ( 801508 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @04:09AM (#14658363) Homepage
    Recommended Reading: Throwim Way Leg - Tim Flannery

    Documents the journy's of a mammalian biologist during his 11 years in Puapua New Guinuie

    *First Contact with new tribes
    *Discovery of new spiders, snakes, tree kangaroos etc
  • by Life700MB ( 930032 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @04:10AM (#14658364)

    For the ignorants out there, an area of two million acres is equivalente to a 1,264M Volkwagens one.

    No, really.


    --
    Superb hosting [tinyurl.com] 20GB Storage, 1_TB_ bandwidth, ssh, $7.95
    • For the ignorants out there, an area of two million acres is equivalente to a 1,264M Volkwagens one. No, really.

      I hereby nominate you for the Slashdot Most Incoherent Post award for today, February 7, 2006.

  • which has more than two million acres of old growth tropical forest.

    Does somebody say wood [forests.org] chipping [forests.org]?
  • by stunt_penguin ( 906223 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @04:41AM (#14658457)
    It's not that hard to find a new species- walk into any isolated forested region on earth and before you know it you'll be batting away unclassified insects, hacking your way through undiscovered shrubs, and if you're really unlucky, being poisoned by some new snake venom or frog toxin. People should realise that we really don't know shit about what's in the rainforests of the Amazon, never mind Papua New Guinea.

    This is, however an excellent discovery, and I don't mean to just dismiss the achievements of the scientists involved- I just want to point out that there are thousands of types of plants and animals out there that we haven't classified yet.
    • While I agree with what you say, evolution on an island happens much quicker than on a continent.

      Therefore we are likely to find life that has evolved much further than life on a continent. Or perhaps it has just evolved differently.

      Either way islands force life to deal with limited resources and adapt, or die and become extinct.
  • by animeshpathak ( 873597 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @05:19AM (#14658545) Homepage
    Here it is [nytimes.com]. Free registration/bugmenot required :-).
    -A
  • by orthogonal ( 588627 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @07:08AM (#14658829) Journal
    Any nasty hobbitses?
  • From the article: Like all the mammals found in the area, it was completely unafraid of humans and could be easily picked up, suggesting its previous contact with man was negligible.

    I suppose it would be impossible for humans to interact with animals in such kind or friendly ways that the animals wouldn't learn to be frightened of them, eh? That's too bad.

    • I still find it kind of weird though.

      If it was an environment with reasonably large predators, then most animals small enough to be picked up by a human wouldn't want to be close to any strange unknown animal.

      It must be a relatively safe environment then? Either that or the animals could sense that they weren't in any danger and there are very few sneaky/deceptive predators there[1]?

      Anyway, IMO it's usually not really a matter of "learning to be afraid", it's more like the fearless and ignorant get killed.

      M
  • Most people don't realize how high the mountain range that runs down the spine of New Guinea is... the article mentions the Foja Mountains go up to about 2200 meters (which is in the 6500 to 7000 foot range which is only half the height of the highest peaks on the range, but still, given the differences between there and sea level, spectacularly rugged. Puncak Jaya (aka Mt. Wilhelm) is the highest peak on an island in the world.
  • That's your signal to run for your life.
  • by mveloso ( 325617 ) on Tuesday February 07, 2006 @01:03PM (#14661149)
    You can't find new stuff when you're sitting behind a desk in a university basement. Seek, and ye shall find!

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