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Quiz about New Species Since 2000
Quiz about New Species Since 2000

New Species Since 2000 Trivia Quiz


The International Institute for Species Exploration (IISE) compiles an annual top ten new species list from the approximately 18,000 new species named the previous year. This quiz will ask about some from their lists since the year 2000.

A multiple-choice quiz by Trivia_Fan54. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Trivia_Fan54
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
393,105
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
276
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. This fish was found in the deep Mariana Trench and was added to the IISE list in 2018. What is the name of the previously unknown creature that sounds like a cross between something you might find in your garden and something that swims in the sea? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Sometimes, new species are named using colours. What surprising colour made the IISE list in 2008 as part of a name of a new species identified that year? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. What species, reminiscent of Harry Potter, was on the IISE list of top new species in 2017? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Social media is great for keeping in touch with friends and family members, but it can also help science. What new species of carnivorous plant was added to the IISE list in 2016 as a result of some photos that were posted to Facebook? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Not all new species on the IISE lists are animals. Which Asian tree was placed in their new species list in 2014? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Added to the IISE list in 2012, which new species is named after a cartoon character? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. One new species found in 2011 does not have a common name. Given its scientific name "halomonas titanicae", where do you think it was found? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Here is another new species that made the IISE list in 2009 that doesn't have a common name. Why did the phobaeticus chani make the list that year? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Why did the torquigener albomaculosus, a new species of pufferfish, end up on the IISE top ten list in 2015? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The lesula monkey found its way to the IISE top ten list in 2013. Why were scientists so excited about this find? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. This fish was found in the deep Mariana Trench and was added to the IISE list in 2018. What is the name of the previously unknown creature that sounds like a cross between something you might find in your garden and something that swims in the sea?

Answer: Swire's snailfish

This fish, named in honor of one of the officers of the HMS Challenger mission that discovered the Mariana Trench in 1875, was caught at depths of 22,000 and 26,000 feet (6,898 and 7,966 metres) in traps that were baited with mackerel. It is a small, tadpole-shaped fish that is about four inches long.

When it was discovered, it was the deepest-dwelling fish ever discovered to date with verified depth.
2. Sometimes, new species are named using colours. What surprising colour made the IISE list in 2008 as part of a name of a new species identified that year?

Answer: Shocking pink

The shocking pink dragon millipede is found in Thailand. Its legs seem rather spiny, and it has a habit of sitting in the open on rocks and vegetation during the day. This has led scientists to speculate that its bright colour, coupled with its spiny appearance, are defence mechanisms, there to lead potential predators to believe that it is not edible.
3. What species, reminiscent of Harry Potter, was on the IISE list of top new species in 2017?

Answer: Sorting hat spider

The sorting hat spider was found in India. It is small (two millimeters, or less than a tenth of an inch), and its body is shaped like a cone, with a slight bend at the tip, very much like the hat in the "Harry Potter" series that once belonged to Godric Gryffindor and was used to sort new students into their respective houses.

The scientists that named this little creature gave it this name to remind everyone of the magical world of insects.
4. Social media is great for keeping in touch with friends and family members, but it can also help science. What new species of carnivorous plant was added to the IISE list in 2016 as a result of some photos that were posted to Facebook?

Answer: Giant sundew

There are over 200 species in the carnivorous sundew plant genus. The giant sundew is located in Brazil. It was discovered through Facebook photos, but is also a record setter because it was the largest sundew discovered to date at that point. All sundews secrete a thick mucus that traps unsuspecting insects that are then digested to compensate for the inadequate nutrition available in the soils where they grow.

The giant sundew is considered to be critically endangered because it only exists at the top of one mountain 1,550 metres (5,000 feet) above sea level.
5. Not all new species on the IISE lists are animals. Which Asian tree was placed in their new species list in 2014?

Answer: Kaweesak's dragon tree

It is hard to believe that this 40-foot tall tree went unnoticed for so long. It made the IISE list in 2014 after it was discovered growing on limestone in Thailand. The limestone is harvested for making concrete, so the tree was placed on the endangered list as soon as it was identified as a unique species.

It is a beautiful tree, with slender leaves and cream-coloured flowers. It would be a shame if the Kaweesak's dragon tree ended up leaving the earth soon after being identified (another reason to be concerned with habitat loss for all species whether they are newly identified or not).
6. Added to the IISE list in 2012, which new species is named after a cartoon character?

Answer: Spongebob Squarepants mushroom

At first, the scientists who found this mushroom were told that they couldn't use the name "Spongebob Squarepants mushroom", but they persisted and were eventually allowed to use the name. The mushroom is unusual because when squeezed and released, it bounces back to its original form, similar to an actual sponge.

Other similarities with its namesake include the fact that the mushroom smells fruity, while Spongebob lives in a pineapple, and the magnified texture of the mushroom looks like the sea sponges that cover the ocean floor where Spongebob Squarepants lives.
7. One new species found in 2011 does not have a common name. Given its scientific name "halomonas titanicae", where do you think it was found?

Answer: In the ocean

Halomonas titanicae is an iron-oxide consuming bacteria that was discovered on rust from the RMS Titanic. Scientists have discovered that it sticks to steel surfaces and creates mounds of corrosion that contribute, along with other microorganisms, to the deterioration process of metal on the Titanic.

This will eventually lead to the Titanic's disappearance, as well as the disappearance of other sunken ships that are made of steel.
8. Here is another new species that made the IISE list in 2009 that doesn't have a common name. Why did the phobaeticus chani make the list that year?

Answer: The longest insect found to date

This insect is is native to Malaysia. It ended up on the 2009 IISE list of the top ten new species found that year because it was the longest insect found to date. The phobaeticus chani is a very delicate-looking, thin insect, reminiscent of a praying mantis. Unlike a praying mantis, it has a body length of 35.6 centimetres (14 inches) and a overall length of 56.7 centimetres (22.3 inches) with its antennae. That is a pretty long insect!
9. Why did the torquigener albomaculosus, a new species of pufferfish, end up on the IISE top ten list in 2015?

Answer: Because of the unique undersea nests they create

The male torquigener albomaculosus creates a really unique nest that looks like underwater crop circles. They are circles with divots and mounds that are about six feet in diameter. The nests are designed to attract females and are used only once. The circles had been noticed by divers in Japan for over twenty years, but nobody knew what had created them.

When the fish was found and photographed creating them, it solved a puzzle and resulted in a new species being identified (not to mention busting an ocean crop circle myth).
10. The lesula monkey found its way to the IISE top ten list in 2013. Why were scientists so excited about this find?

Answer: It was the first new species of monkey identified in Africa in almost 30 years.

The lesula is an Old World monkey that seems to have been known to locals for some time, but was newly identified by science in 2013. It was found in the Lomami Basin of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and was only the second species of monkey discovered in Africa in the past 28 years at that point.

The lesula is a shy monkey with human like eyes. When found, it was hunted for bush meat, so was placed in the vulnerable list immediately.
Source: Author Trivia_Fan54

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