8.7 Million different species exist on earth
Some 86% of terrestrial species and 91% of marine species are still unknown
Our world is a precious and diverse place, but no one really knew how diverse until now. It appears that science has managed to categorize the existence of millions of different critters, some not even discovered yet. We can only hope that these creatures are left unharmed so that they will still be here 100 years from now.
Here’s the story:
It seems that humanity shares the planet with roughly 8.7 million species, most of them still undiscovered, according to a new study. Researchers used complex mathematical models to tackle a question that has long puzzled scientists, identifying numerical patterns in data from 1.2 million known species, excluding viruses and microorganisms, reports the Washington Post. Previous estimates ranged from 3 million to 100 million species. Some 86% of terrestrial species and 91% of marine species are still unknown, the researchers believe.
The researchers compare the planet to a machine with 8.7 million parts, each performing an important function. “If you think of the planet as a life-support system for our species, you want to look at how complex that life-support system is,” says one of the study’s co-authors. “We’re tinkering with that machine because we’re throwing out parts all the time.” The research, he says, shows that we are “really fairly ignorant of the complexity and colorfulness of this amazing planet. We need to expose more people to those wonders. It really makes you feel differently about this place we inhabit.”
One has to wonder just how many of these species we will end up killing before the year is out.
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Professor Mike
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“The research shows we are really fairly ignorant of the complexity and colorfulness of this amazing planet.” Could have shortened that sentence to “the research shows we are really fairly ignorant of complexity.”