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Lazarus Taxa

All articles tagged with #lazarus taxa

science1 month ago•11 min saved

Ancient fossil-only marsupials rediscovered alive in New Guinea with museum and Indigenous aid

Two marsupials known only from fossils, the ring-tailed glider Tous ayamaruensis and the pygmy long-fingered possum Dactylonax kambuayai, have been confirmed alive in New Guinea’s Vogelkop Peninsula. The confirmation came from a misfiled Australian Museum specimen, rare field photographs, fossil comparisons, and crucial knowledge from Tambrauw and Maybrat Indigenous elders, with the findings published in Records of the Australian Museum. The discovery underscores the Vogelkop as an ancient relic landscape and reinforces habitat protection to safeguard these Lazarus taxa.

via Space Daily|

#conservation #lazarus-taxa #marsupials

science4 months ago•2 min saved

Two Lazarus marsupials reappear in New Guinea after millennia

Two marsupials once known only from fossils — the pygmy long-fingered possum (Dactylonax kambuayai) and the ring-tailed glider (Tous ayamaruensis) — were rediscovered alive in New Guinea, earning Lazarus taxa status; the glider is placed in a new genus Tous in honor of local Indigenous communities, highlighting collaboration with Traditional Owners and the persistence of life in isolated forests.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#fossil-record #lazarus-taxa #marsupials

science5 months ago•6 min saved

Ancient Marsupials Reemerge in New Guinea After 6,000 Years

Researchers have rediscovered two marsupial species—the pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider—in New Guinea, after about 6,000 years of presumed extinction. Documented in studies led by Tim Flannery, the finds label them Lazarus taxa and underscore New Guinea’s role as a haven for ancient biodiversity. The work also spotlights urgent conservation needs amid deforestation and wildlife trade, with Indigenous communities aiding in locating and identifying these species.

via Indian Defence Review|

#conservation #lazarus-taxa #marsupials

science5 months ago•3 min saved

Millennia-Old Marsupial Rediscovered in New Guinea; Researchers Uncover New Glider Genus Tous

Researchers in Australia and Papua New Guinea report the pygmy long-fingered possum (Dactylonax kambuayai) alive after about 6,000 years on New Guinea’s Vogelkop Peninsula, and describe a previously unknown marsupial-glider genus Tous (including Tous ayamaruensis). The findings, linked to Lazarus taxa, rely on rare living specimens and fossil records, and highlight conservation concerns as rainforest habitat faces logging threats.

via Gizmodo|

#lazarus-taxa #new-guinea #pygmy-long-fingered-possum