Scientists at Brazil's National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) and the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA) on Wednesday published a study on the extinction of Tovomita cornuta, a newly discovered plant species in the Amazon, in the journal Acta Botanica Brasileira. 

The new species found in the nutrient-poor, sandy Campinarana forest in the northeastern Brazilian Amazon region, is small with horn-like fruit and found in densely vegetated areas, often close to shallow water channels, according to the study.

 The species was considered "critically endangered" – the highest risk category – when it was discovered, the researchers said.

The Brazilian Amazon rainforest, one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth, has been severely affected in recent years by unplanned urban expansion, deforestation, sand mining for residential buildings and other practices.

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