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More bees than we ever thought existed

CBC News · 13 days ago
CBC News
CBC News
13 days ago

A new study reveals there are an estimated 26,000 unique bee species globally, a staggering jump from previous counts. This "specialization explosion" is the result of millions of years of bees co-evolving with specific flowers and microecosystems.

Breakdown
  • Study finds 26,000 unique bee species worldwide, 5,000 more than expected 10s
  • Scientists discover about 117 new bee species each year, causing a naming backlog 27s
  • Most bees are solitary, not colony dwellers like honeybees 2m 25s
  • Conservation should focus on native bees, not just honeybees 2m 28s
  • Many bee species remain unnamed and are vulnerable to environmental changes 3m 9s
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