List of non-fictional lost worlds

This is a list of non-fictional lost worlds, where the terrain has been isolated from its geological surroundings, and thus gained an independent ecological evolution, often resulting in the birth of species endemic to that area.

List by region

Africa

• Madagascar – many species are indigenous to the island.
• Socotra, Yemen – nearly 700 endemic species have been accounted for on the island.
• Mponeng – Home to an endemic bacterium believed to be the sole participant of an underground ecosphere

Americas

• Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
• Aldama Municipality, Mexico – Thermal sinkholes including Zacatón. Some, including Poza Seca, have been sealed entirely ^[1]
• Monte Roraima, shared by Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana – model of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World
• Suriname – 24 new species were discovered in the remote plateaus of eastern Suriname in 2006^[2]

Antarctica

• Weddell Sea – many undiscovered new animals found ^[3]
• Lake Vida – Endemic bacteria found. ^[4]
• Lake Vostok – Unexplored liquid sub-glacial lake, expected to be explored in the next few years. Discovery of ancient extremophilic microorganisms hypothesized.

Asia

• Flores, Indonesia – remains of homo floresiensis and dwarf elephants.
• Lake Baikal, Siberia – many endemic fish, seals, and zooplankton.
• Vu Quang, Vietnam – discovery of new deer in the 1990s.
• West Papua, Indonesia – indigenous people of South East Asia and still the setting for 'cannibal' horror films.
• Wrangel Island, Siberia – remains of woolly mammoths only recently extinct.

Europe

• Movile Cave, Romania – cave isolated from outside world. Many endemic species discovered.

Oceania

• Foja Mountains, New Guinea – various new species, including a 1.4 kg rat, a honeyeater, and several frogs and plants.
• Hawaiian Islands, United States – many species of birds endemic to the islands.
• Australia – native placental mammals rare, marsupial dominated ecosystem and numerous taxa with unique representatives
• New Zealand – species of birds, insects, reptiles and aquatic mammals endemic to the islands.
• Auckland Islands – number of endemic organisms

Middle east

• Ayalon Cave, Palestine – limestone cave isolated from outside world. New crustaceans discovered.

See also

• Living fossil
• Refugium (population biology)

References