The Lost World

[Dr. Shane]

Jungle secrets: 52 new species found in Borneo's 'Lost World'

Quote:

More than 50 new species of animals and plants that have never been seen before have been discovered in a 'Lost World' on the island of Borneo in just 18 months, say scientists.

Quote:

Last year the WWF conservation charity revealed how 361 new species had been identified and described on Borneo since 1994.

Now a new report has revealed how since July 2005 another 52 new species have been discovered.

Quote:

Borneo is very rich in biodiversity compared to many other areas. There are about 15,000 species of flowering plants with 3,000 species of trees, 221 species of terrestrial mammals and 420 species of resident birds in Borneo. Even the largest animals on Borneo have yet to be closely studied by scientists.

It was only in 2003 that experts found that the island's pygmy elephants are genetically distinct from other Asian elephants and are likely a new subspecies. And it wasn't until 2000 that scientists found that Borneo's orang-utan population is a separate species from other orang-utans.