2014 in biodiversity

It's time to pick up a theme mentioned in The limbo bar drops to $1.95 plus 2014 in energy and environment--not gas prices, but what EcoWatch called "wildlife conservation and loss" along with more positive stories about biodiversity.

Because I believe in "if it moves, it leads," I begin with Discovery News counting down The Weirdest New Species Of 2014.

There were a bunch of animal discoveries in the past year, but these 6 have to be our favorites!

The frog wasn't particularly weird, but I do understand why DNews would find it interesting.

National Geographic News has its own ideas of Top 10 Weirdest Animal Stories of 2014: Editors' Picks.

This was a banner year for the bizarre, with a snake virgin birth, an extremely rare black sea devil, and a real-life unicorn making headlines in Weird & Wild.

Luckily for our fans, we've rounded up our editors' picks of the ten best weird stories of 2014.

Now, those are weird, even if they aren't new species.

Follow over the jump for more stories about biodiversity from 2014.

The Scientist: New Species Galore
A look back at the latest microbes, plants, and animals to have secured a spot in science’s known tree of life in 2014
By Jef Akst
December 27, 2014

In addition to the Top 10 new species chosen by the International Institute for Species Exploration this year (which included a penicillium fungus, a large dragon tree, and a new carnivorous mammal), dozens of other organisms were recognized by science for the first time this year. These discoveries proffer a welcome break from stories of threatened populations and impending extinctions. Here’s a selection of notable new species identified in 2014:

The Scientist: Top 10 New Species
The International Institute for Species Exploration announces its picks of novel species discovered in the past year, including a carnivorous mammal, a tiny shrimp, and a fungus.
By Jef Akst
May 23, 2014

Each year, the International Institute for Species Exploration chooses its favorite new species of the year. This year, the Top 10 includes species from all walks of life, from a penicillium fungus and an amoeboid protist to the large dragon tree and a new carnivorous mammal. Others on the list include a shrimp, a snail, a gecko, an anemone, and a fairyfly.

Finally, a story that serves as a reminder that the theme of this blog is collapse and decline, including ecosystem decline, and how to avoid or forestall them.

Scientific American: The Best (or Worst) of 2014
By John R. Platt
December 27, 2014

I wrote more than 150 articles about endangered species in 2014. Very few of them could be considered “good news.” But be they good news or bad, here are some of the best “Extinction Countdown” articles of the past year.

This entry went from slightly silly to very serious in a hurry.