科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)了10種新的鳥類

科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)了10種新的鳥類

A group of scientists set out on a six-week expedition near Sulawesi, Indonesia, in hopes of learning more about the region's bird population. What they discovered was far more exciting — undiscovered bird species.

一組科學(xué)家在印度尼西亞的蘇拉威西島附近進行了為期六周的考察，希望更多地了解該地區(qū)的鳥類數(shù)量。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)的更令人興奮的是未被發(fā)現(xiàn)的鳥類。

The Togian jungle flycatcher is one of the new subspecies discovered during the island trek. (Photo: James Eaton/Birdtour Asia)

Frank E. Rheindt, a professor from the University of Singapore, led the team through three small islands. They trekked through miles of forest, identifying dozens of birds along the way.

新加坡大學(xué)教授弗蘭克·e·萊茵特帶領(lǐng)團隊穿過了三個小島。他們跋涉了數(shù)英里的森林，一路上辨認出幾十只鳥。

Shortly into the trip, the group began to encounter birds they had never seen before. Over the six weeks, the scientists discovered five new songbird species and five new subspecies.

旅行剛開始不久，這群人就遇到了他們以前從未見過的鳥。在六周的時間里，科學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn)了五種新的鳴鳥種類和五種新的亞種。

Rheindt and others published their findings in the journal Science to share the discoveries.

萊茵特和其他人在《科學(xué)》雜志上發(fā)表了他們的發(fā)現(xiàn)，以分享這些發(fā)現(xiàn)。

Hilly and forested Peleng is one of the three islands in Indonesia where the research team focused their efforts. (Photo: Philippe Verbelen)

To put the news into perspective, only five or six new bird species have been discovered each year since 1999. Within a few weeks during their November 2013 expedition, the scientists in Indonesia filled that avian quota.

從長遠來看，自1999年以來，每年只發(fā)現(xiàn)五六種新的鳥類。在2013年11月的探險中，印尼的科學(xué)家們在幾周內(nèi)就完成了鳥類配額。

They visited three islands during their trip; Taliabu, Peleng and Batudaka. Among the avian species discovered were leaf-warblers, grasshopper-warblers, myzomela, fantail and jungle flycatchers.

他們在旅途中參觀了三個島嶼;塔利亞布、佩棱和巴圖達卡。在發(fā)現(xiàn)的鳥類中，有葉鶯、蚱蜢鶯、真菌、扇尾鶯和叢林捕蠅鳥。

This is the Taliabu grasshopper-warbler and it's one of the five new species discovered. (Photo: James Eaton/Birdtour Asia)

The team chose the three islands specifically after researching bathymetry, the science of sea level depth. They determined the sea level depth around the islands was enough that species living on them would have remained isolated during an ice age or other global climate events.

研究小組在研究了水深測量法(一種研究海平面深度的科學(xué))后，特別選擇了這三個島嶼。他們認為，這些島嶼周圍的海平面深度足以讓生活在島上的物種在冰河時代或其他全球氣候事件期間保持孤立。

The area's isolation, along with neglect from previous explorers, led Rheindt and his group to explore the islands, based on the higher probability they might harbor undiscovered species.

該地區(qū)的與世隔絕，加上之前探險者的忽視，使得萊茵特和他的團隊開始探索這些島嶼，他們認為這些島嶼上很可能有未被發(fā)現(xiàn)的物種。

The researchers explained in their findings that using similar methods to single out other unseen regions around the world could lead to the discovery of even more unknown species.

研究人員在他們的發(fā)現(xiàn)中解釋說，使用類似的方法來挑出世界上其他看不見的區(qū)域，可能會發(fā)現(xiàn)更多的未知物種。

This is the Taliabu leaf-warbler. (Photo: James Eaton/Birdtour Asia)

As they scoured the jungle, the scientists used a tried-and-true method to track the birds. They listened for their songs and followed close by until they were able to find them.

當(dāng)他們在叢林中搜尋時，科學(xué)家們使用了一種可靠的方法來追蹤這些鳥。他們聽著自己的歌，跟著他們直到找到為止。

Once located, they collected specimens of the birds and recorded their songs. They used the DNA samples and songs to determine whether they were new species or subspecies.

一旦確定了位置，他們就收集鳥類標本并記錄它們的叫聲。他們用DNA樣本和歌曲來確定它們是新物種還是亞種。

Findings like this prove that some of the world's biodiversity is still hidden away.

這樣的發(fā)現(xiàn)證明了世界上的一些生物多樣性仍然被隱藏著。

A Taliabu grasshopper-warbler hides in the underbrush. (Photo: Robert Hutchinson/Birdtour Asia)

"Some of the 10 newly described species and subspecies of bird are already seriously endangered," Rheindt told MNN. "Both islands suffer from extreme levels of forest loss: on Peleng mostly through burgeoning village communities with an ever-growing demand for timber and land, and on Taliabu mostly through commercial logging operations that have logged most areas multiple times over."

Rheindt告訴MNN:“新發(fā)現(xiàn)的10種鳥類和亞種中的一些已經(jīng)嚴重瀕危。”“這兩個島嶼都遭受著極端程度的森林損失:在佩隆島，森林砍伐主要是通過迅速發(fā)展的村莊社區(qū)，對木材和土地的需求不斷增長;在塔里亞布島，森林砍伐主要是通過商業(yè)采伐，大部分地區(qū)的森林被砍伐了好幾次。”

Rheindt and the group of researchers behind this study hope that discoveries aside, their findings can bolster the argument for conservation efforts.

萊茵特和這項研究背后的研究小組希望，撇開這些發(fā)現(xiàn)不談，他們的發(fā)現(xiàn)可以支持保護努力的論點。

"I definitely believe that the world needs a renewed impetus in biodiversity discovery," Rheindt told MNN. "In the year 2019, a worldwide environmental crisis, driven by habitat loss and climate change, entered its main stage, resulting in abrupt spikes in biodiversity extinction at a speed that is unprecedented for this planet. We can only protect what we know, and our efforts to safeguard the world’s remaining organismic diversity will strongly depend on our knowledge of this biodiversity."

萊茵特對MNN表示:“我堅信，世界在生物多樣性的發(fā)現(xiàn)上需要新的動力。”“在2019年，一場由棲息地喪失和氣候變化引發(fā)的全球環(huán)境危機進入了主要階段，導(dǎo)致生物多樣性的急劇滅絕，其速度之快在地球上前所未有。我們只能保護我們所知道的，而我們保護世界上現(xiàn)存的生物多樣性的努力將很大程度上取決于我們對這種生物多樣性的了解。”

The highlands of Peleng and the other islands are not easy to clamber through. (Photo: Philippe Verbelen)

This is a Peleng leaf-warbler. (Photo: Philippe Verbelen)

The Togian jungle-flycatcher has striking colors. (Photo: James Eaton/Birdtour Asia)

The Taliabu myzomela is a stunning red. (Photo: James Eaton/Birdtour Asia)