In Ireland and Scotland there are Gaelic forms of the name which may, or may not be etymologically related to the name introduced by the Bretons. In Breton, alan is a colloquial term for a fox and may originally have meant deer, making it cognate with Old Welsh alan (cf.here are numerous differing etymologies attributed to the name. The name was first introduced into England by Bretons who took part in the Norman Invasion in the 11th century. Today there are numerous variations of Alan, a short form, and there are also numerous feminine forms of the name as well.
About 8.7 million (give or take 1.3 million) is the new, estimated total number of species on Earth -- the most precise calculation ever offered -- with 6.5 million species on land and 2.2 million in oceans. Announced by the Census of Marine Life, the figure is based on a new analytical technique.
Earth is a planet of unfathomable biodiversity. Scientists have already identified nearly 2 million individual species, and even conservative estimates state that more than 9 million more remain undiscovered [source: O'Loughlin ].