New species discovered in 2011

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Burrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis)

Every year scientists describe thousands of species for the first time. 2011 was an amazing year.  Here is a look at some of the significant new species discoveries for the year.   A Xenophyophore is a one celled-organism the size of a mango, very big of this kind of thing!  Some other species discovered include a “SpongeBob” mushroom in Borneo, a long-tongued bee, new mice in the Philippines, seabirds, several bats, a new monkey species and even a dolphin off the coast of Australia! Imagine discovering a species the size of a dolphin- what more do we not know!    

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“SpongeBob”mushroom in Borneo

(Spongiforma squarepantsii)

From NOAA's Ocean Explorer (Public Domain image)
A Xenophyophore- A one celled-organism the size of a mango!