May 24, 2013 — Biodiversity seems to be having a tough go of it lately. Many scientists believe we’re in or entering a sixth mass extinction, and given that we discover 15,000 or more new species each year, we’re bound to lose some things we never even knew existed. Still, those 15,000 or so are cause for a renewed sense of awe every year when looking at our planet. Which is exactly how Quentin Wheeler, founding director of the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University, feels. “I don’t know whether to be more astounded by the species discovered each year, or the depths of our ignorance about biodiversity of which we are a part,” he said as the IISE recently announced its annual list of top 10 new species. The list — which includes a new monkey with “human-like eyes,” a butterfly discovered through social media and the world’s smallest vertebrate — not only serves to highlight some of the strangest and most interesting species among us, but also as a sounding bell meant to raise awareness about biodiversity loss.