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Editorial: A lot that’s new out there under the sun to bring us wonder

Not yet identified 86 per cent of species on Earth, and 91 per cent of ocean species
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The Euoplos dignitas is a newly discovered species of trapdoor spider from Australia. (Queensland Museum photo)

Sometimes it can feel like the only news is bad news.

From Russia’s war on Ukraine to the rise of autocrats determined to stamp out progress and freedom in nations around the globe it can seem like a depressing world out there.

News stories about atrocities and injustice abound. Which was why it was so refreshing last week to read about a spider.

It’s a giant trapdoor spider (growing up to 5 cm long), which may sound like the start of a horror film for those with an aversion to our eight-legged friends, but what’s really so special about Euoplos dignitas is that it was just discovered in Queensland, Australia. And for those whose hearts beat faster at the very thought of spiders, be reassured, it is not dangerous to humans.

Reading about the discovery, now, in 2023 of a new-to-us form of life on Earth begged the question of just how rare such a new find is. After all, we humans have traipsed all over the globe with our technology and thirst for adventure, how much can we really still not know?

A lot, as it turns out. A 2019 article in Business Insider states that scientists estimate that they have not yet identified 86 per cent of species on Earth, and 91 per cent of ocean species. Positively mind-blowing numbers, especially for species on land (most people understand that we have barely begun to understand what lives in our oceans and other bodies of water).

Apparently, new species are discovered and catalogued every year.

In 2017 a new Tapanuli orangutan was found. In 2013 the olinguito, a small carnivore, was re-discovered in the forest of Ecuador. In 2017 the Vangunu giant rat was found on the Solomon Islands. In 2015 the Phuket Horned Tree Agamid, a lizard, was found in Thailand.

Already in 2023 DiCaprio’s snail-eating snake was found in Panama and Colombia, the stream treefrog was found in Ecuador, the bent-toed gecko was found in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, and a new hairy hedgehog (gymnures) was found in the Phillipines.

Recognizing all of the things we don’t know, things that remain a mystery to us, things still to be discovered, is an incredibly hopeful thing. The world is a vast and amazing place that we haven’t even come close to grasping with all of our exploration and science.

So while the world can seem dark when we look at all of our human-caused problems, there’s also a vast unknown to bring us wonder and curiosity. There is indeed still a lot that’s new out there under the sun.