🦐 A new animal species lay in a museum for 40 years — and no one noticed
9 October — Tübingen, Germany.
Scientists at the University of Tübingen have told a story that perfectly shows: sometimes a new discovery is not found at the bottom of the ocean, but in the neighbouring museum cabinet.
In the university's collection, since the 1980s, a large deep-sea crustacean measuring 32,2 centimetres.
For decades it lay quietly among the other specimens, until researchers finally took a closer look.
And it turned out:
it is an entirely separate species, previously unknown to science.
It was given the name Bathynomus tuebingoborikensis.
That is, the animal patiently waited more than 40 years for humanity to officially understand who it was.
This sounds especially wonderful against the backdrop of endless scientific expeditions, bathyscaphes, satellites and searches for new species all over the world.
While some scientists set off to the other end of the planet, the new species lay in the museum and probably thought to itself:
"Maybe take a look here first?" 😄
In short, the scientific conclusion of the day:
sometimes the main discovery has already been made.
It's just that the label hasn't been updated yet.
