Paxton, C.G.M (1998) A cumulative species
description curve for large open water marine fauna. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the
A cumulative species description curve
(from 1830 to 1995) is given for open water marine fauna in excess of 2 m long
in the major axis of the body. This curve has not yet reached an asymptote.
Estimation by maximum likelihood fit of a hyperbola suggests a maximum of some
47 species awaiting formal scientific description and an approximate current
rate of description of one new species every 5.3 years. Consideration of the
most recently described species and recent observations by field workers
suggests that any imminent species descriptions are most likely to be
cetaceans.
N.B. Some recent work as yet unpublished
suggests these figures maybe too high.
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Last modified: 29th July 2009.