another thing we learned about life on earth

I always love reading about the discovery of a new species of plant or animal on earth.  As a kid I used to think we had catalogued most life forms but then I grew up. We continue to find new plants, insects and microbes all the time.  Recent reports have detailed life forms found deep underground, deep in the ocean, under glaciers and now existing on the surface of the space station, even though these environments seem decidedly unfriendly.  Now we have the unusual finding of a new whale.  The ocean assuredly contains much we do not know but how did we miss finding a large mammal that populates much of the tropical ocean?  Sure, this newly discovered species is similar to another so for a long, long time was probably seen and then assumed to be known, but some diligent scientists have discovered that these whales are quite distinctive. They sing at very low frequencies, have different bodies, coloring and skulls, and do not migrate.  This, to me, is science at its best, challenging the assumed orthodoxy and proving it wrong.  (Now if we can only get some people to understand their orthodox notions of racial and religious differences and their assumed superiority are wrong, we can get on with living in peace.)  Anyway, check out the whale story at the NYT and keep a sharp eye out for an Omura whale: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/science/omuras-whales-habitat.html.