If you really want to discover new things you should take up entomology. I
just had a meeting with an entomologist who has been working in Panama for
the last two years. She suffers from taxonomic burnout, having described
more than 100 new species of insects in the last year alone. Based on the
rate of new species from the tropics, it is estimated that more than a
million new insects will be classified in the next 20 years.


Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer
The Environmental Science School
http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm
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-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Kelly
Cassidy
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 7:06 PM
To: uglyduckling at comcast.net; tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] Exploration?

Brendan,

It is certainly true that there are few vertebrate species left undescribed.
If you can look beyond the seductive attractiveness of birds, however there
are plenty of undescribed insects, spiders, and fungi. If I had to do it
over again, I would study the biota of leaf litter, which, incidentally, is
critical for many birds. Detritus is where it's at.

Then, there is the vast unknown of the deep ocean floor. Too alien for me,
but barely explored.

Kelly Cassidy

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Tweeters at u.washington.edu
http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

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