Discovered wild flowers thought extinct 40 years ago in Ecuador

Biologists have found the wild flower Gasteranthus extincus - thought to be extinct in Ecuador 40 years ago.

Wildflower species Gasteranthus extincus.

The characteristic of this flower is that it has neon orange petals, shaped like pockets that make it easy to pollinate. Scientists have found this tropical wildflower in the foothills of the Andes and in remnants of forest in the Centinela region of Ecuador, 40 years after it was last seen.

According to scientists, deforestation in western Ecuador at the end of the 20th century is believed to have led to the extinction of several plant species, including Gasteranthus extincus.

Although more than 97 percent of the forests in the western half of Ecuador have been cleared or converted to farmland, including much of the Centinela Ridge area, scientists last summer began their search by trawling. control satellite images to identify intact virgin rainforest. After the first few hours of searching, the scientists identified the flower by consulting photos of dried flower samples, hand drawings and other documents. They photographed and collected previously fallen flowers carefully so as not to harm the remaining individuals, for classification purposes.

The team is currently working with Ecuadorian conservationists to protect some of the species still growing in the Centinelan region, where the flower lives.

Dawson White, a doctoral student at the Field Museum in Chicago (USA) who participated in the search, said: 'The rediscovery of this flower shows that it is not too late to discover new things even in the old days. worst case scenario, in an environment where biodiversity is shrinking and decreasing.' According to him, new species are still being found and humans can still save many plants that are on the verge of extinction.