12 Most Bizarre Newly Discovered Species

RAP Launched in 1990, the idea behind the creation of CI’s Rapid Assessment Program was to build a team of the best field biologists from different disciplines, and create what CI founder, CEO, and Chairman Peter Seligmann described in the foreword to the book as “An ecological SWAT team that could accurately assess the health of an ecosystem in a fraction of the time it would normally take”.

RAP’s pioneering team of four included legendary field biologists Ted Parker and Al Gentry, who tragically lost their lives several years later during a field accident, but left an enduring scientific legacy that lives on today.

1. Atewa dinospider (Ricinoides atewa)

This ancient arachnid was found during a 2006 expedition to Ghana’s Atewa Range Forest Reserve (Atewa) led by Conservation International’s Rapid Assessment Program (RAP).

This strange little creature looks like a cross between a spider and a crab, and males have their reproductive organs on their legs. They are considered quite rare, with only 57 other species known from this group throughout the world.

This strange little creature looks like a cross between a spider and a crab, and males have their reproductive organs on their legs. They are considered quite rare, with only 57 other It belongs to a lineage of animals that have remained virtually unchanged since the Carboniferous, over 300 million years ago. Currently, they are found only in Central and South America, and West Africa. This new species is part of the complex cycle of circulating organic matter in the ecosystem – they feed on termites and ant larvae. It is the largest living member of this group of animals (11 mm long). "species known from this group throughout the world

2. The "electric" fish (Paracheilinus nursalim)

Discovered on a Conservation International Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) expedition in west Papua Indonesia in 2006 - The FakFak/Kaimana RAP

The males go through an amazing courtship ritual in which "electric" colours are flashed periodically to attract nearby females. The courtship dance takes place every afternoon, beginning about one hour before sundown and continuing until dusk.

The modified mouth and lips allow the fish to feed, breathe, and attach to the substrate through suction; Parental care is usually well-developed and the male guards the eggs and sometimes the larvae.

3. The Pinocchio frog (Litoria sp. nov.)

Discovered on a Conservation International Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) expedition to the Foja Mountains of Papua province, Indonesia in 2008. The frog has a long, Pinocchio-like protuberance on its nose that points upwards when the male is calling but deflates and points downwards when he is less active, represents a particularly distinctive find that scientists are interested in documenting and studying further. Its discovery was a happy accident, after herpetologist Paul Oliver spotted it sitting on a bag of rice in the campsite.

The abundance and diversity of amphibians are indicators of an ecosystem's general health. Amphibians are often referred to as "the canary in the coal mine" (this is definitely an overplayed reference, but nonetheless true and important) - amphibians have permeable skin meaning that they all too easily absorb toxins or pollutants to which they are exposed, making them some of the first species to disappear from ecosystems declining in health. Their disappearance can be used as an early warning sign that something bad is happening to a given environment - including environments humans inhabit.

4. The RAP katydid (Brachyamytta rapidoaestima)

Discovered on a Conservation International Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) survey in Ghana and Guinea. This newly discovered species is a sit-and-wait predator, hiding on the underside of leaves, and attacking small insects that make the mistake of landing on the leaf. Males communicate with the females by producing ultrasonic songs that are inaudible to humans. It was named after the RAP program because it was first discovered during a survey in 2002 and it lives in the most threatened habitats of West Africa that the RAP program is trying to save. They are part of the complex cycle of circulating organic matter in the ecosystem – Predator of small herbivorous insects

5. Chinchilla tree rat (Cuscomys ashaninka)

This species discovery was made during one of a number of expeditions that were carried out between 1997 and 1998. They were led by Conservation International’s Rapid Assessment Program and the Smithsonian’s Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity Program, formally known as the Man and the Biosphere Program.

The discovery was made by Dr. Louise Emmons, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
The chinchilla tree rat was discovered in the Vilcabamba mountain range, very close to the world famous ruins of Macchu Picchu. It is pale grey in color, possesses a stocky build, has large claws, and is characterized by a white stripe along its head. It is related to the chinchilla rats which are known to have been buried alongside the Incan people in their tombs. The fact that this is a new genus (i.e. a group of individuals that have similar characteristics) made the discovery even more exciting, as it suggests there could be many more similar species just waiting to be uncovered.

6. The blattodean (Simandoa conserfariam)

These interesting insects are known from a single cave in Guinea's Simandoa Range, where we discovered them in 2002. They feed on guano of giant fruit bats that inhabit the cave, and help recycle and and re-release the nutrients trapped in it.

7. "Yodabat" -- tube-nosed fruit bat

This Tube-nosed Fruit Bat Nyctimene sp. from the Muller Range mountains does not yet have a name but has been found in other parts of New Guinea. It is likely restricted (endemic) to hill forests on the island. Fruit bats are important seed dispersers in tropical forests.

8. Large tree frog

Approximately six inches/15 cm, with enormous eyes was found next to a clear running mountain river during a Conservation International (CI) led Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) expedition of Papua New Guinea’s highlands wilderness in 2008. It belongs to a group of frogs with an unusual vein-like pattern on the eyelid and its tadpoles have enormous sucker-like mouths that allow them to graze on exposed rocks in torrential stream environments.

9. Walking shark (Hemiscyllium galei)

Discovered on a Conservation International Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) expedition in Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia in 2006.

Don’t be fooled by its name, this shark can swim! However, it prefers to walk along the shallow reef flats on its fins, preying on shrimp, crabs, snails, and small fish. They emerge above the reef, show off their grandeur with lateral displays and just as quickly dive back into their coral lairs.

10. Suckermouth catfish (Pseudancistrus kwinti)

This catfish was uncovered during a a Conservation International Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) survey in Suriname. 2005. RAP ichthyologists named the new species Pseudancistrus kwinti after the indigenous Kwinti people who live along the lower reaches of the Coppename River.

The suckermouth exhibited by these catfish allow them to adhere to objects in their habitats, even in fast-flowing waters. The mouth and teeth also are adapted to feed on a variety of foods such as algae, invertebrates, and detritus, the fish rotates its lower and upper jaws to scrape the substrate to eat algae etc.

11. Smokey honeyeater

The honeyeater was discovered at an altitude of 1,650 m (5,445 feet) above sea level, in the Foja Mountains of Western New Guinea.

This medium-sized, sooty-gray songbird has a short black bill, and each eye is surrounded by an orange-red patch of bare skin, below which hangs a pendant wattle. It is these features that distinguish it from the more widespread Common Smoky Honeyeater. In addition, the species is exceedingly quiet, rarely giving any vocalizations. The Wattled smoky honeyeater is a common and unwary inhabitant of the Foja uplands. The Honeyeater eats nectar and thus pollinates flowers, it also eats insects and thus helps to regulate their populations, food for larger animals

12. ET salamander (Bolitoglossa sp. nov)

This genus of salamanders has fully webbed feet which help them climb high into the canopy of tropical forests; they also have no lungs and breathe instead through their skin. This new species was found in the wet forests of the tepuis in southern Ecuador.

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6 Surprising Facts About Yuri Gagarin's First Spaceflight

 AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko. An undated portrait of the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, and his award of the Hero of the Soviet Union, at right, part of an exhibition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the first man in space.

Fifty years ago on April 12, 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space, ushering in the era of human spaceflight. 

The rocket carrying Gagarin's Vostok 1 spacecraft blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 6:07 a.m. local time at the Soviet Union launch site. [Photos: Yuri Gagarin, First Man in Space]

Reaching unprecedented speeds for human travel at the time, the spacecraft broke free of the Earth's gravitational pull and entered orbit around the planet, circling once before re-entering the atmosphere and landing back on Soviet soil.

Here are six facts about Gagarin's historic mission:

How long was Gagarin up there?

The total mission lasted just 108 minutes, and the trip once around the Earth at 17,500 mph (most of the way) took less than an hour and a half.

In that time, Vostok 1 completed one not-quite-circular orbit, at a maximum altitude of 203 miles, before slowing down to the point that the capsule was pulled back into the atmosphere for ballistic re-entry.

What kind of vessel was the Vostok 1?

The Vostok was a spherical capsule, designed to eliminate changes in center of gravity. In that way, the craft could assure comfort for its one-man crew no matter its orientation. What it wasn't designed to do was land with a human still on board.

Unlike later Russian space vehicles, such as the modern Soyuz capsule, Vostok 1 was not outfitted with thrusters to help slow it down as it headed back toward Earth, so Gagarin had to eject before reaching ground, at an altitude of around 4 miles.

But since the achievement would not have been regarded as the first successful manned mission to space unless it included a manned landing, the Russians kept this little detail out of official press releases.

What prevented earlier missions from reaching orbit?

In a word: speed.

In order to escape Earth's gravitational pull, a ship needs to hit 17,500 mph, or about 5 miles per second. Before the Vostok 1 mission, no rocket was powerful enough to get a vessel going that fast. The Vostok capsule's cannonball shape helped the rocket and spacecraft reach the necessary velocity.

How did they test the Vostok before Gagarin’s mission?

A few weeks prior, a prototype of Gagarin's craft, the Vostok 3KA-2, completed one low-Earth orbit carrying a life-size dummy named Ivan Ivanovich and a dog called Zvezdochk.

Ivan was sold in a Sotheby's auction in 1993.

Who was Yuri Gagarin?

Yuri Gagarin was a 27-year-old Soviet Air Force pilot when he made his first and only trip into space. Upon his triumphant return he instantly became a national treasure, too valuable to send on such a dangerous mission again.

It's a sad irony, then, that when Gagarin was finally scheduled to ascend to the cosmos once more, he died in a crash during a routine training exercise. Gagarin remained a hero after the fall of the Soviet Union; statues of him were preserved while monuments to Russia's Communist leaders were torn down.

Modern cosmonauts still observe a sacred launch-day tradition based on Gagarin's preflight preparations in 1961. On the way to the launch pad, the bus carrying the crew stops so that the members can hop out and "take a leak," just as Gagarin did the morning he made history.

Launch pad still in use

One lasting legacy of Gagarin's historic spaceflight is the mission's launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launch pad is still in use today – with the latest crew of the International Space Station blasting off from the site last week on April 5 local time (late April 4 EDT).

Baikonur Cosmodrome is one of several launching sites used by Russia's Federal Space Agency (also known as Roscosmos), but it is not in Russia. The launch site is in Kazakhstan, a country that was part of the Soviet Union during the Cold War but is now a separate nation.

Cosmonauts continued launching from Gagarin's Vostok 1 pad throughout the Cold War, and the tradition continues to this day.

via : foxnews.com

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10 People with Unbelievable Abilities

We are used to see people with special abilities in fiction. But people with amazing abilities actually do exist in real life! here's a list of 10 of the most amazing of these people!

1. The Incredible Brain (Daniel Tammet)

Daniel Paul Tammet is a British high-functioning autistic savant gifted with a facility for mathematical calculations, sequence memory, and natural language learning. He was born with congenital childhood epilepsy. Experiencing numbers as colors or sensations is a well-documented form of synesthesia, but the detail and specificity of Tammet's mental imagery of numbers is unique. In his mind, he says, each number up to 10,000 has its own unique shape and feel, that he can "see" results of calculations as landscapes, and that he can "sense" whether a number is prime or composite. He has described his visual image of 289 as particularly ugly, 333 as particularly attractive, and pi as beautiful. Tammet not only verbally describes these visions, but also creates artwork, particularly watercolor paintings, such as his painting of Pi. 

Tammet holds the European record for memorising and recounting pi to 22,514 digits in just over five hours. He also speaks a variety of languages including English, French, Finnish, German, Spanish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Estonian, Icelandic, Welsh and Esperanto. He particularly likes Estonian, because it is rich in vowels. Tammet is creating a new language called Mänti. Tammet is capable of learning new languages very quickly. To prove this for the Channel Five documentary, Tammet was challenged to learn Icelandic in one week. Seven days later he appeared on Icelandic television conversing in Icelandic, with his Icelandic language instructor saying it was "not human." 



2. The Boy with Sonar Vision (Ben Underwood)

Ben Underwoodtaught is blind, both of his eyes were removed (cancer) when he was 3. Yet, he plays basketball, rides on a bicycle, and lives a quite normal life. He taught himself to use echo location to navigate around the world. With no guide-dogs, he doesn't even need hands: he uses sound. Ben makes a short click sound that bounces back from objects. Amazingly, his ears pick up the ecos to let him know where the objects are. He's the only person in the world who sees using nothing but eco location, like a sonar or a dolphi.

3. The Rubberboy (Daniel Browning Smith)

Five time Guiness Record holder, The Rubberboy is the most flexible man alive and the most famous contortionist. He has been in many professional basketball or baseball games and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ESPN's Sports Center, Oprah Winfrey, Ripley's Believe It or Not, Cirque du Soleil, Best Damn Sports Show Period, The Discovery Channel, Men in Black 2, HBO's Carnivale, and CSI: NY and American got a talent. He dislocates his arms to crawl through an unstrung tennis racquet. He performs contortion handstands and unique acrobatics. 

4. Mister Eat-it-All (Michel Lotito)

Michel Lotito (born 1950) is a French entertainer, famous as the consumer of undigestables, and is known as Monsieur Mangetout (Mister Eat-it-all). Lotito's performances are the consumption of metal, glass, rubber and so on in items such as bicycles, televisions, a Cessna 150, and smaller items which are disassembled, cut-up and swallowed. The aircraft took roughly two years to be 'eaten' from 1978 to 1980. He began eating unusual material while a child and has been performing publicly since 1966. Lotito does not often suffer from ill-effects due to his diet, even after the consumption of materials usually considered poisonous. When performing he consumes around a kilogram of material daily, preceding it with mineral oil and drinking considerable quantities of water during the 'meal'. He apparently possesses a stomach and intestine with walls of twice the expected thickness, and his digestive acids are, allegedly, unusually powerful, allowing him to digest a certain portion of his metallic meals. 

5. King Tooth (Rathakrishnan Velu)

On August 30, 2007, the eve of Malaysia's 50th Independence Day, Rathakrishnan Velu (or Raja Gigi, as he is known locally) broke his own world record for pulling train with his teeth, this time with 6 coaches attached weighing 297.1 tons over a distance of 2.8 metres at the Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. Raja Gigi, from Tampin in Malaysia learned a technique of concentrating his powers to any part of his body from an Indian guru at a young age of 14. 




6. The Magnetic Man (Liew Thow Lin)

Liew Thow Lin, a 70-year-old retired contractor in Malaysia, recently made news for pulling a car twenty meters along a level surface by means of an iron chain hooked to an iron plate on his midriff. He says that he discovered he had the amazing ability to make objects stick "magnetically" to his skin, and now he's added car-pulling to his repertoire. After reading an article about a family in Taiwan who possessed such power, he says he took several iron objects and put them on his abdomen, and to his surprise, all the objects including an iron, stuck on his skin and didn't fall down. Since this "gift'' is also present in three of his sons and two grandchildren, he figures it's hereditary. 
7. The Man who doesn't Sleep (Thai Ngoc)

Sixty-four-year-old Thai Ngoc, known as Hai Ngoc, said he could not sleep at night after getting a fever in 1973, and has counted infinite numbers of sheep during more than 11,700 consecutive sleepless nights. "I don't know whether the insomnia has impacted my health or not. But I'm still healthy and can farm normally like others," Ngoc said. Proving his health, the elderly resident of Que Trung commune, Que Son district said he can carry two 50kg bags of fertilizer down 4km of road to return home every day. His wife said, "My husband used to sleep well, but these days, even liquor cannot put him down." She said when Ngoc went to Da Nang for a medical examination, doctors gave him a clean bill of health, except a minor decline in liver function. Ngoc currently lives on his 5ha farm at the foot of a mountain busy with farming and taking care of pigs and chickens all day. His six children live at their house in Que Trung. Ngoc often does extra farm work or guards his farm at night to prevent theft, saying he used three months of sleepless nights to dig two large ponds to raise fish. 

8. The Torture King (Tim Cridland)

Tim Cridland doesn't seem to feel pain like the rest of people. He astounded everyone by pushing needles into his arms without flinching and he now performs a terrifying act for audiences all over America. Scientific tests have shown that Tim can tolerate much higher levels of pain than are humanly possible. He explains that, by using mind over matter, he is able to push skewers through his body and put up with extreme heat and cold unharmed - but to do this safely he has extensively studied human anatomy, because puncturing an artery could be fatal. 

9. The Lion Whisperer (Kevin Richardson)

Animal behaviourist Kevin Richardson says he relies on instinct to win the hearts and form an intimate bond with the big cats. He can spend the night curled up with them without the slightest fear of being attacked. His magic works not only work for lions but other animals such as cheetahs, leopards and even hyenas do not hold a threat against him. Lions are his favourites and its a wonder how he can play, carress, cuddle with them whose teeth are sharp enough to bite through thick steel. Its a dangerous job but to Kevin, its more of a passion for him. 

10. The Eye-Popping Man (Claudio Pinto)

Claudio Pinto can pop both of his eyes 4 cm (about 1 and a half inch) or 95% out of their sockets. He's now aiming (poppin'?) for a world record. Mr Pinto has undergone various tests and doctors say they have never seen or heard of a person who can pop the eyes as much as him. Mr Pinto, from Belo Horizonte, said: "It is a pretty easy way to make money. "I can pop my eyes out four centimetres each, it is a gift from God, I feel blessed." 

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