Scientists Discover New Species in Australia

A recent scientific expedition to the Cape Melville rainforest in Australia, led in part by a Harvard researcher, resulted in the discovery of three new vertebrate species. The scientists identified a golden colored skink, a leaf-tailed gecko, and a boulder-dwelling frog—all of which have been isolated in their environment for millions of years.

Tropical biologist Conrad Hoskin of James Cook University and Timothy G. Laman, a researcher at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology and a National Geographic photographer, headed the team that made the discovery.

The rainforest, which is approximately nine miles long, is surrounded by large granite boulders and isolated from the rest of the Cape. Early on, Hoskin said he recognized the scientific potential of an area of such seclusion.

“The rainforest on top is very isolated from other rainforest areas and, if it had been persistent over millions of years, I believed it would surely have unknown species,” Hoskin said. “I decided that one day I must explore it.”

Hoskin’s opportunity arose earlier this year when he partnered with Laman and received funding from the National Geographic Expeditions Council. However, getting to the rainforest proved harder than expected. The crew had to be helicoptered in and had to land on treacherous granite boulders.

Once in the rainforest, though, the team was quick to make discoveries. The first was a Cape Melville Shade skink (Saproscincus saltus), a lizard-like reptile with long limbs.

“The skink lizard is unique in being golden and having long legs. Long legs are for moving around in this rocky environment, big eyes probably for seeing in the dimly lit boulder-field,” Hoskin said.

The next discovery was the Blotched Boulder-frog (Cophixalus petrophilus), which was unique because of its exclusive residence on the rocks of Cape Melville. Appropriately, its species name means “rock-loving.” Additionally, the newfound frog differs from other frogs in that it lays its eggs in the damp cracks of the boulder, instead of in water; the tadpole develops completely within the egg and hatches as a fully-matured frog.

The final discovery was the Cape Melville Leaf-tailed Gecko (Saltuarius Eximus), which Hoskin noted was distinct because of its “extremely long legs and huge eyes.”

These three species are only found in Cape Melville, according to Hoskin, indicating the uniqueness of ecological communities.

“These species and other low dispersal rainforest species up there have been isolated in this tiny area for millions of years,” Hoskin said. “These species have all evolved and adapted to their uniquely rocky environment in various ways—e.g. long legs, big eyes.”

The researchers were also surprised by the fact that such distinct creatures could still be found in Australia, a place whose flora and fauna had been considered mostly explored.  Hoskin says that he is planning to return to Cape Melville.

“I'm going back for another expedition mid-December and will be surveying a variety of things, including insects, snails, spiders, et cetera. I'll also survey the mammals and birds up there.”