Kathmandu, January 2. In the past year, an increasing number of “cryptic species” hiding in plain sight have been revealed, driven by the development of DNA barcoding, a technique that can use genetic divergence to classify and distinguish between animal and plant species. The discovery of new aloe species, leaf-nosed bats from Africa, and chameleons have thrilled scientists and conservationists. It is said that the earth is house to 8.7 million species of plants and animals.

Brian Brown, entomology curator at the LA Natural History Museum said, “DNA barcoding is a tool that allows us to detect differences among species at a finer scale than before, like a microscope allows us to see fine details of surface structure that are invisible to the naked eye. It gives us a way to delimit some of the previously suspected, but unexplored, diversity within what we call species. It is showing that the world is even more wonderfully biodiverse than we suspected.”

The Jonah’s mouse lemur was only introduced this summer to the world, but is already on the brink of extinction. In Myanmar, the newly identified Popa langur, previously confused with another species, numbers about 200 and is likely to be listed as critically endangered, threatened by deforestation and habitat loss.

Many others scientists and ecologists also have researched to find out that there are many other species that are yet to be discovered. One scientist also faced criticisms for his experiment on one insect species as DNA barcoding revealed that that the insect had 10 distinct other species.

Brown and other conservationists say that although barcodes may have their own drawbacks, it could help in conserving rare species and even discovering new ones.