By comparing my observations to what my colleagues and predecessors had found, I figured out what group it belongs to, and was able to determine that within that group, it was a new species.
1	By	by	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	2:mark	Discourse=mode-means:110->111:1
2	comparing	compare	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	15	advcl	15:advcl:by	_
3	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	4:nmod:poss	Entity=(117-abstract-new-cf5-2-sgl(3-person-giv:inact-cf1-1-ana)
4	observations	observation	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	2:obj	Entity=117)
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	6:case	_
6	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	2	obl	2:obl:to	Entity=(118-abstract-new-cf6-1-sgl
7	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	8:nmod:poss	Entity=(119-person-new-cf4-2,4-sgl(3-person-giv:act-cf1-1-ana)
8	colleagues	colleague	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	12:nsubj	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	10:cc	_
10	predecessors	predecessor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	conj	8:conj:and|12:nsubj	Entity=119)
11	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	12:aux	_
12	found	find	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	6	acl:relcl	6:acl:relcl	Entity=118)|SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	2:punct	_
14	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	15:nsubj|27:nsubj:xsubj	Discourse=elaboration-additional:111->105:3|Entity=(3-person-giv:act-cf1-1-ana)
15	figured	figure	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	0:root	_
16	out	out	ADP	RP	_	15	compound:prt	15:compound:prt	_
17	what	what	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	18	det	18:det	Entity=(115-animal-giv:inact-cf3-2-coref
18	group	group	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	obl	20:obl:to	Entity=115)
19	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	20	nsubj	20:nsubj	Entity=(34-animal-giv:inact-cf2-1-ana)
20	belongs	belong	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	ccomp	15:ccomp	_
21	to	to	ADP	IN	_	18	case	18:case	SpaceAfter=No
22	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	25	punct	25:punct	_
23	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	25	cc	25:cc	Discourse=attribution-positive:112->113:0
24	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	25	cop	25:cop	_
25	able	able	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	conj	15:conj:and	_
26	to	to	PART	TO	_	27	mark	27:mark	_
27	determine	determine	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	25	xcomp	25:xcomp	_
28	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	37	mark	37:mark	Discourse=joint-list_m:113->111:0
29	within	within	ADP	IN	_	31	case	31:case	_
30	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	31	det	31:det	Entity=(115-animal-giv:act-cf3-2-coref
31	group	group	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	37	nmod	37:nmod:within	Entity=115)|SpaceAfter=No
32	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	31	punct	31:punct	_
33	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	37	nsubj	37:nsubj	Entity=(34-animal-giv:act-cf2-1-ana)
34	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	37	cop	37:cop	_
35	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	37	det	37:det	Entity=(34-animal-giv:act-cf2-3-coref
36	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	37	amod	37:amod	_
37	species	species	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	27	ccomp	27:ccomp	Entity=34)|SpaceAfter=No
38	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	15	punct	15:punct	_
