SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY

Scientists Look for Yellowstone's Hidden Species

from the San Diego Union-Tribune (Registration Required)

HELENA, Mont. (Associated Press) -- Scientists searching for Yellowstone National Park's lesser-known life forms--beyond its famed bison, bears and wolves--found more than 1,200 species, including several never known before to exist in the park.

A one-day study of the park in late August found microscopic worms, mushrooms, a bluish-green lichen, a slender grass and a colorful tiger beetle, among other creatures, in about two square miles of Yellowstone, according to initial results released this week.

Some 125 scientists and volunteers spent 24 hours canvassing an area in northern Yellowstone during the "bioblitz" -- a scientific mad dash to document as many species as possible over the course of a day.