How many species were described for the first time in the literature in 2007? Five hundred? 1,000? 10,000? Would you believe 18, 516? That’s right, in a single calendar year! “The majority of the 18,516 species described (named) in 2007 were invertebrate animals (75.6 percent), vascular plants (11.1 percent) and vertebrates (6.7 percent),” reports ScienceDaily.com in the story Pea-sized Seahorse, Bacteria That Live in Hairspray, Caffeine-free Coffee Among Top 10 New Species of 2008.

The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University is the organization that keeps track of this information. In addition, an international group of taxonomists named a top 10 list as part of their State of Observed Species (SOS) report. The report is part of a public awareness campaign and the top 10 are chosen for their interest level. The ScienceDaily story lists and describes the top 10 for 2008. See http://species.asu.edu/SOS for access to both 2008 and 2009 SOS reports in pdf. See http://species.asu.edu/Top10 for this year’s top 10 list, with photos and links to more information regarding each species. Also shown on that page is a world map, indicating where in the world the top 10 species were found.

In the ScienceDaily story, Carolus Linnaeus, founder of our modern classification system, is also referenced: “The 300th anniversary of his birth on May 23 was celebrated worldwide in 2007. Last year marked the 250th anniversary of the beginning of animal naming.” The publication of the top 10 list is meant to coincide with his birthday.

How to Turn This News Event into an Inquiry-Based, Standards-Related Science Lesson

Here we connect to two National Science Education Standards domains: Life Science and Science as Inquiry. The species described cut across all domains of the taxonomic system. The science of taxonomy uses a variety of particular methods to arrive at the final verdict in classifying an organism, though not always with unanimous agreement. Thus, scientific evidence and argumentation are necessary.

You can begin class discussion with the same question that opened this blog entry: How many species were described for the first time in the literature in 2007? If that number has been fairly steady for past 10 years, what can you infer regarding the number of species on the planet?

You have probably already had some lessons in classification. You can connect to those lessons with these questions: What is taxonomy? Why does it matter? Who was Carolus Linnaeus?

Before sharing the top 10 list with students, ask a few of these questions: How small is the smallest sea horse? Snake? Are there bacteria in hairspray? How long is the longest bug? Can fossils be classified just as living things are? Can you grow caffeine-free coffee beans?

Have students reflect. Does the number of species described in 2007 surprise you? Why do you think you never thought it could be so high? Which of the top 10 species are you most impressed by? Explain why. Have students write out their reaction to the statement below in complete sentences, providing evidence and support for their reaction:

Thousands of species may be going extinct each year, before they ever are discovered and described.

The following are some related resources from the National Science Digital Library Middle School Portal: Carnivorous Plants; Taxonomy: Classification of Life; and Have You Seen an Arthropod Lately?

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