Who are we sharing the planet with? Millions less species than previously thought, new calculations suggest

ScienceDaily (2010-06-02) -- New calculations reveal that the number of species on Earth is likely to be in the order of several million rather than tens of millions. The findings, from an Australian-led study, are based on a new method of estimating tropical insect species -- the largest and one of the most difficult groups on the planet to study -- having significant implications for conservation efforts.