Some Dublin zoologists working in Asia have discovered TWO new species that had never been seen before.
The Trinity College workers in Indonesia have revealed the Wakatobi white-eye and Wangi-wangi white-eye birds in the latest Journal of the Linnean Society.
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The publication in itself is a huge achievement as the workers follow in the footsteps of famous researchers such as Alfred Wallace and Charles Darwin.
The new cute critters were found in the Wakatobi Archipelago of Sulawesi area by the researchers who had been working along with Halu Oleao University and Operation Wallacea for 20 years.
The White-eyes species are growing faster than any other bird, so it comes as no surprise new species have evolved.
A press release said: "The two new white-eye species found by Trinity and UHO follow this trend; they are both found on the Wakatobi Islands, just off mainland South-east Sulawesi.
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"However, the two species could not be more different. The Wakatobi white-eye is found throughout the Wakatobi Islands and split from its mainland relatives in the last 800,000 years.
"In contrast, the Wangi-wangi white-eye is a much older species found on only one tiny island, with its closest relatives found more than 3,000 km away! While this is an incredible discovery, living on only one tiny island means the Wangi-wangi white-eye is very vulnerable to habitat loss."
Professor in Zoology, in Trinity’s School of Natural Sciences, Nicola Marples, said: “To find two new species from the same genus of birds in the same island is remarkable. The Wangi-wangi White-eye is a particularly special discovery, as it is found on only one tiny island and its closest relatives live more than 3,000 km away.”
Lead author of the journal article, Dr Darren O’Connell said: “These discoveries are not just of evolutionary interest – they will also be of real conservation relevance.
"By highlighting the unique species special to the Wakatobi Islands we can help safeguard the remaining habitats on the islands, which are under huge pressure. We ultimately hope to have the islands recognised as an Endemic Bird Area so that they receive more conservation support.”
