Satellite Remote Sensing Data Aids Prediction of New Species Discovery

During a recent project, scientists integrated satellite remote sensing data, museum records, and genetic computer algorithms to predict the discovery of seven news chameleon species in Madagascar, a large island off the coast of Africa. Existing museum records, some over 100 years old, provided location data where different chameleon species had been found. Remote sensing data from NASA’s Terra satellite, NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mapping Mission, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites provided environmental information, including seasonal vegetation changes and topography. These data were processed by a genetic algorithm called GARP (Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction), which predicted locations where chameleons should be found. Field studies using these predictions confirmed that chameleons, including the seven previously unknown species, do live in the predicted areas.

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