The top 10 newly identified species of 2012 have now finally been selected and revealed, which include a monkey with blue buttocks, a glow-in-the-dark cockroach, a carnivorous sponge and more.
Of the total 8.7 million different species in the world (give or take 1.3 million), only around 2 million are actually identified, and given the loss of biodiversity, there's a good chance that many of the species, which we may not have actually discovered, may become extinct even before they go on record.
"Knowing that millions of species may not survive the 21st century, it is time to pick up the pace," Quentin Wheeler, entomologist at the Arizona State University and the founding director of ASU's International Institute for Species Exploration, explained.
This is exactly why Wheeler put forth this idea and challenged the scientific community to identify 10 million more species by the year 2063.
"We are calling for a NASA-like mission to discover 10 million species in the next 50 years," Wheeler added.
Of the 140 aspiring candidates, the best 10 finally made it to the list. Here they are -
Chondrocladia lyra: A carnivorous sponge, that lives 2 miles below the surface of the northwest Pacific Ocean.
Viola lilliputana: This tiny, Lilliputian violet stands just 1 cm tall and grows only in the Peruvian Andes.
Cercopithecus lomamiensis: A monkey with a delicate human-like face surrounded by a frill of fur.
Sibon noalamina: Resembling poisonous coral snakes, this harmless snake eats slugs, earthworms and snails.
Ochroconis anomala: Staining the prehistoric arts on the walls of the Lascaux cave, this fungus is black in color.
Eugenia petrikensis: A 6.5 feet high evergreen shrub that's endangered. This shrub displays clusters of dark pink flowers.
Paedophryne amanuensis: Even smaller than the Lilliputian violet, this frog is just a mere 7.7 millimeteres in length.
Semachrysa jade: Posted on Flickr and spotted by an entomologist, this lacewing insect is green in color.
Lucihormetica luckae: A cockroach that glows in the dark! A single specimen discovered 70 years ago, it is thought to be extinct.
Juracimbrophlebia ginkgofolia: Resembling a gingko, this hangingfly lived in the Middle Jurassic period.
