US EditionTwo Marsupials Believed Extinct for 6,000 Years Found Alive in Papua
Two marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years were confirmed alive through photos, fossils, and Indigenous knowledge; habitat loss threatens their survival, with over 25% of mammals vulnerable or endangered.
- On the Vogelkop Peninsula, researchers led by Tim Flannery at the Australian Museum in Sydney confirmed two marsupial species long thought extinct for at least 6,000 years are alive, keeping exact locations secret due to wildlife traders.
- Years of reanalysis and community reports led to discovery as local indigenous communities regarded the glider as sacred and researchers confirmed it after recent photographic proof.
- Field observations reveal the glider has a prehensile tail and unfurred ears, while the pygmy long-fingered possum uses its elongated finger to extract grubs, with fossils spanning 3-million-to-4-million years and 280,000 years ago.
- Conservationists warn that researchers say logging and land clearing threaten habitats, teams withhold site details to prevent wildlife traders’ targeting, and Flannery cautions against capturing the animals.
- Longer-Term, the discoveries reshape questions about the fossil record, while scientists say species' specialised diets and unknown ranges complicate conservation efforts amid collaboration with local indigenous communities.
6 Articles
6 Articles
Times of India
The Economic TimesCalled up for duty from extinction
Two marsupial species, the pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider, have been rediscovered in West Papua after being considered extinct for 6,000 years. This scientific triumph is viewed with regret, as extinction offered these creatures freedom from human attention. Their rediscovery brings them back into the spotlight, facing conservation efforts and public scrutiny.
Two marsupials believed extinct for 6000 years found alive
Indigenous people in Papua, Indonesia, have helped scientists track down two animals that were thought to have gone extinct thousands of years ago: a relative of Australia’s greater glider and a palm-sized possum with a bizarre, elongated finger
Two Extinct Marsupials Rediscovered After 6,000 Years: A Remarkable Find
Pygmy Longfinger Possum Flannery et al. Exciting news from New Guinea! Two marsupial species, believed extinct for over 6,000 years, have been rediscovered. The Ring-tailed Gliders and Pygmy Longfinger Possums, previously known only from fossils in Australia, were recently observed on the Vogelkop Peninsula in Papua, Indonesia, thanks to the support of local indigenous communities. [...] The post Two Extinct Marsupials Rediscovered After 6,000 Y…
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