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Species count put at 8.7 million
The natural world contains about 8.7 million species, according to a new estimate described by scientists as the most accurate ever. But the vast majority have not been identified - and cataloguing them all could take more than 1,000 years.
The number comes from studying relationships between the branches and leaves of the "family tree of life".
The team warns in the journal PLoS Biology that many species will become extinct before they can be studied.
Although the number of species on the planet might seem an obvious figure to know, a way to calculate it with confidence has been elusive.
More:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14616161
Makes us feel like mere mortals
The natural world contains about 8.7 million species, according to a new estimate described by scientists as the most accurate ever. But the vast majority have not been identified - and cataloguing them all could take more than 1,000 years.
The number comes from studying relationships between the branches and leaves of the "family tree of life".
The team warns in the journal PLoS Biology that many species will become extinct before they can be studied.
Although the number of species on the planet might seem an obvious figure to know, a way to calculate it with confidence has been elusive.
More:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14616161
Makes us feel like mere mortals