http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121105130353.htm
It is amazing how relatively common discoveries like this still are in the 21st century.
Also, DNA sequencing is completely changing the way that we classify species. I remember sitting in on a talk that suggested DNA sequencing will reveal well over 1000 new species of birds in the next couple of decades. For those who don't know, birds are the most well studied taxa of animals, given that they are typically easy to observe, even in the wild. When natural philosophy took off in Europe during the 1600-1800s, birds were a favorite subject among naturalists. Not too long ago, scientists were confident that well over 99% of all living bird species in the world had already been identified. However, thanks to genetic testing, it is now evident that we have been lumping together several species (upwards of 15-20% of the total), potentially leading to oversight in conservation policies. These new bird species will come from populations that look very similar morphologically to another described bird species, but have distinct, segregated gene pools. The same sort of thing applies to mammals (like the whale in this article), reptiles, and every other taxa.
It is amazing how relatively common discoveries like this still are in the 21st century.
Also, DNA sequencing is completely changing the way that we classify species. I remember sitting in on a talk that suggested DNA sequencing will reveal well over 1000 new species of birds in the next couple of decades. For those who don't know, birds are the most well studied taxa of animals, given that they are typically easy to observe, even in the wild. When natural philosophy took off in Europe during the 1600-1800s, birds were a favorite subject among naturalists. Not too long ago, scientists were confident that well over 99% of all living bird species in the world had already been identified. However, thanks to genetic testing, it is now evident that we have been lumping together several species (upwards of 15-20% of the total), potentially leading to oversight in conservation policies. These new bird species will come from populations that look very similar morphologically to another described bird species, but have distinct, segregated gene pools. The same sort of thing applies to mammals (like the whale in this article), reptiles, and every other taxa.
