Scientists have found five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs in South East Asia. They had to go on multiple missions to the animals' forest homes to study them. They also looked at specimens that had been kept in museums for a long time. They found that two of the animals in the museums were new to science. They also found that three other animals, which were thought to be different types of one species, were actually different enough to be their own species.
Dr. Melissa Hawkins, one of the lead researchers from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, said that this discovery shows how diverse life on Earth is. She said that even in groups of animals that we know a lot about, like mammals, there is still a lot we don't know. Dr. Hawkins also said that finding animals like these can help us understand and protect rainforests.
The new hedgehog species are part of a group called Hylomys, which live in South East Asia. Before this discovery, we only knew about two species, but now we know about seven. These small mammals have fur instead of spines, like the hedgehogs we're used to. Dr. Arlo Hinckley, also from the Smithsonian, said that this discovery is important because South East Asia has the highest rates of deforestation in the world.
Finding new species can be hard, especially when they're small and live in dense forests. The scientists found differences in their genes and physical features, like the shape of their heads and teeth. They named one of the new species Hylomys macarong, which means "vampire" in Vietnamese because it has long fangs. The researchers also looked at specimens in museums from Asia, Europe, and the US. They found two of the new species in these collections.
Dr. Hawkins said that looking at specimens in museums is like time traveling. It helped them get enough genetic material to confirm that the three other species were actually different from each other. Each Hylomys species lives in a slightly different habitat, with some in lowland forests and others in higher areas. Dr. Hinckley compared finding these animals to finding a Picasso painting in an art gallery or an archaeological site in a city. He said that protecting these habitats is important and can bring in more money.
The discovery of these new hedgehog species has been published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. This shows that scientists are always exploring and finding new things.
Original news source: Five new soft-furred hedgehog species discovered (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Provide each group with a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the groups to read the article together and summarize the main points in a few sentences.
4. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their summaries with the class.
5. Encourage discussion and ask for any additional insights or questions.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Ask each group to come up with a list of questions related to the article, such as "Do you think it is important to discover new species?" or "What do you think can be done to protect rainforests?"
3. After the groups have created their questions, have them circulate around the class and ask other groups for their opinions.
4. Encourage students to engage in meaningful discussions and respect different viewpoints.
5. After a designated amount of time, have each group share some of the interesting responses they received.
– Keyword Hangman
Instructions:
1. Write a series of keywords from the article on the board, leaving out a few letters.
2. Divide the class into two teams.
3. Have one person from each team come to the board and try to guess the missing letters to complete the word.
4. If the person guesses a correct letter, write it in the correct spot. If they guess incorrectly, draw a body part of a hangman.
5. The team that correctly guesses the most words wins.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Instruct each group to discuss the pros and cons of discovering new species and the impact it has on rainforest conservation.
3. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their thoughts and discuss as a class.
4. Encourage students to consider different perspectives and think critically about the topic.
– Future Predictions
Instructions:
1. Instruct each student to imagine they are a scientist studying biodiversity in South East Asia.
2. Ask the students to write a short paragraph predicting what they think future discoveries of new species will reveal about the region.
3. After a designated amount of time, have students share their predictions with a partner or small group.
4. Encourage discussion and ask students to support their predictions with reasons based on the information from the article.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs were found in South East Asia.
The scientists had to go on multiple missions to the animals' forest homes to study them. They also looked at specimens that had been kept in museums for a long time.
The scientists discovered that two of the animals in the museums were new to science. They also found that three other animals, which were thought to be different types of one species, were actually different enough to be their own species.
According to Dr. Hawkins, this discovery shows how diverse life on Earth is. It also shows that even in groups of animals that we know a lot about, like mammals, there is still a lot we don't know.
Finding animals like these is important for rainforest protection because it helps us understand and protect rainforests. It shows us the biodiversity of these habitats and highlights the need to conserve them.
The new hedgehog species belong to a group called Hylomys, which live in South East Asia.
The discovery of these new species is important for South East Asia because it highlights the biodiversity of the region. It also emphasizes the need to protect these habitats, especially since South East Asia has the highest rates of deforestation in the world.
The scientists determined that the three other species were different from each other by analyzing their genes and physical features, such as the shape of their heads and teeth. These differences in genetic material and physical characteristics confirmed that they were distinct species.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Scientists have found five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs in South East Asia. They had to go on multiple missions to the ' forest homes to study them. They also looked at specimens that had been kept in museums for a long time. They found that two of the animals in the museums were new to science. They also found that three other animals, which were thought to be different types of one species, were actually different enough to be their own species. Dr. Melissa Hawkins, one of the lead from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural , said that this discovery how diverse life on Earth is. She said that even in groups of animals that we know a lot about, like , there is still a lot we don't know. Dr. Hawkins also said that finding animals like these can help us understand and protect rainforests. The new hedgehog are part of a group called Hylomys, which live in South East Asia. Before this , we only knew about two species, but now we know about seven. These small mammals have fur instead of , like the hedgehogs we're used to. Dr. Arlo Hinckley, also from the Smithsonian, said that this discovery is important because South East Asia has the highest rates of deforestation in the world. Finding new species can be hard, especially when they're small and live in forests. The scientists found differences in their genes and physical , like the of their heads and teeth. They named one of the new species Hylomys macarong, which "vampire" in Vietnamese because it has long fangs. The researchers also looked at specimens in museums from Asia, Europe, and the US. They found two of the new species in these collections. Dr. Hawkins said that looking at specimens in museums is like time traveling. It helped them get enough genetic material to confirm that the three other species were actually from each other. Each Hylomys species lives in a slightly different habitat, with some in forests and others in higher areas. Dr. Hinckley compared finding these animals to finding a Picasso in an art gallery or an archaeological site in a city. He said that protecting these habitats is important and can bring in more money. The discovery of these new species has been published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. This shows that scientists are always exploring and finding new things.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is a soft-furred hedgehog?
2. How would you feel if you discovered a new species of animal?
3. Do you like studying about animals? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it's important to protect rainforests? Why or why not?
5. What is deforestation and why is it a problem?
6. How do scientists study animals that live in dense forests?
7. Why do you think the scientists named one of the new species "vampire"?
8. What do you think it means to "time travel" when looking at specimens in museums?
9. How do you think protecting habitats can bring in more money?
10. Have you ever discovered something new or unexpected? What was it?
11. Do you think there are still many undiscovered species in the world? Why or why not?
12. How do you think finding new species can help us better understand the world?
13. Have you ever been to a rainforest? If so, what was it like?
14. Would you like to be a scientist who discovers new species? Why or why not?
15. What other types of animals do you think might be living in the rainforests of South East Asia?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
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Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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