Scientists Discover 224 New Species in Mekong Area
2022-01-30
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1The World Wildlife Fund, WWF, identified 224 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong area in 2020.
2The area includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.
3Among the species is a monkey with white circles around its eyes.
4The list also included numerous newly identified reptiles, frogs and newts, fish and 155 plant species.
5A report by the WWF marks the need to protect rich wildlife habitats in the Mekong.
6The report said the discoveries demonstrate the strength of species to survive in environments threatened by deforestation, disease and other harms.
7K. Yoganand is the WWF's Mekong leader for wildlife and wildlife crime.
8He told Reuters that the new species represent "beautiful products of millions of years of evolution."
9Today, however, they are "under intense threat," Yoganand said, with many species disappearing before they are even described.
10The newly discovered monkey is called the Popa langur.
11It got its name because it lives on the hillsides of Myanmar's former Mt. Popa volcano.
12A new type of begonia plant with reddish flowers and a berry-like fruit also was found in a hilly area of Myanmar.
13The area has a problem with illegal mining and logging.
14Scientists have now identified more than 3,000 new species in the Mekong area since 1997, the WWF said.
15Scientists used measurements and samples from public collections to compare and identify important elements of the newly discovered animals and plants, the report said.
16Researchers say identifying new species can be difficult and sometimes requires several different methods.
17In one case, frog calls and genetic data were combined to differentiate the Cardamom leaf-litter frog.
18The animal was found high in the Cardamom mountains in a protected wildlife area.
19Some species can be found in more than one country, including the bright orange twin slug snake.
20The Popa langur was identified based on genetic matching.
21Recently gathered bones were compared with samples from Britain's Natural History Museum found more than a century ago.
22The WWF worked with the group Fauna and Flora International, FFI, to capture images of the monkeys using camera traps in 2018.
23FFI reported the discovery late last year.
24The monkey is a candidate to be listed as a critically endangered species on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the report said.
25Only 200 to 250 of the monkeys are thought to survive in the wild.
26I'm Bryan Lynn.
1The World Wildlife Fund, WWF, identified 224 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong area in 2020. The area includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. 2Among the species is a monkey with white circles around its eyes. The list also included numerous newly identified reptiles, frogs and newts, fish and 155 plant species. 3A report by the WWF marks the need to protect rich wildlife habitats in the Mekong. The report said the discoveries demonstrate the strength of species to survive in environments threatened by deforestation, disease and other harms. 4K. Yoganand is the WWF's Mekong leader for wildlife and wildlife crime. He told Reuters that the new species represent "beautiful products of millions of years of evolution." Today, however, they are "under intense threat," Yoganand said, with many species disappearing before they are even described. 5The newly discovered monkey is called the Popa langur. It got its name because it lives on the hillsides of Myanmar's former Mt. Popa volcano. 6A new type of begonia plant with reddish flowers and a berry-like fruit also was found in a hilly area of Myanmar. The area has a problem with illegal mining and logging. 7Scientists have now identified more than 3,000 new species in the Mekong area since 1997, the WWF said. 8Scientists used measurements and samples from public collections to compare and identify important elements of the newly discovered animals and plants, the report said. 9Researchers say identifying new species can be difficult and sometimes requires several different methods. In one case, frog calls and genetic data were combined to differentiate the Cardamom leaf-litter frog. The animal was found high in the Cardamom mountains in a protected wildlife area. 10Some species can be found in more than one country, including the bright orange twin slug snake. 11The Popa langur was identified based on genetic matching. Recently gathered bones were compared with samples from Britain's Natural History Museum found more than a century ago. 12The WWF worked with the group Fauna and Flora International, FFI, to capture images of the monkeys using camera traps in 2018. FFI reported the discovery late last year. 13The monkey is a candidate to be listed as a critically endangered species on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the report said. Only 200 to 250 of the monkeys are thought to survive in the wild. 14I'm Bryan Lynn. 15The Associated Press, Reuters and the World Wildlife Fund reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. 16We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. 17___________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19species - n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants 20habitat - n. the natural environment of a plant or animal 21evolution - n. a gradual process of change and development 22logging - n. the activity of cutting down trees in order to get wood that can be sold 23sample - n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from 24match - n. a person or thing that is equal to another person or thing