Extinct animal with creepy physique half discovered dwelling in jungle after 6,000 years
The pygmy long-fingered possum is one of two mammal species that scientists found in the remote jungle in West Papa, both of which were previously thought to be extinct
The creature was thought to be extinct(Image: Australian Museum/ Carlos Bocos)
A tiny animal thought to have gone extinct more than 6,000 years ago has been found living in a remote rainforest in what scientists are calling a “remarkable” discovery.
Weighing just 200g, the minuscule mammal is about the size of a toy car, and so it’s no surprise it took scientists so long to find it. The long-lost animal belongs to the possum family, and is instantly recognisable due to possessing one extra-long finger, which it uses for scraping maggots out from wood.
The pygmy longfingered possum, as it sensibly named, was thought to have gone extinct during the last Ice Age in Australia six millenia ago, although it has clearly been alive and well all that time.
The discovery, which took place in a remote jungle in the Indonesian province of West Papa, has been celebrated by scientists and animal lovers alike.
And incredibly, it is not the first animal previously declared extinct to be discovered in West Papa in recent times.
Another “lazarus taxon”, a term given to animals thought to have died off which are found to be still living, was also discovered, some mere months before the return of the long-fingered possum.
The second species scientists found is the ring-tailed glider, a squirrel-like creature that lives inside the hollows of tall trees.
Both discoveries were made by a team of scientists who had spent years analysing fossil records, old photos and more before embarking on their mission into the remote jungle in hopes of finding them.
The discoveries were revealed in a paper published in the Records of the Australian Museum journal on Friday (March 6).
Australian Professor Tim Flannery, a senior scientist working on the project, described the findings as “remarkable”.
“The discovery of one lazarus taxon… is an exceptional discovery,” said Flannery
“But the discovery of two species, thought to have been extinct for thousands of years, is remarkable.”
He also emphasised how the finds would not have been possible without the help of the indigenous communities that live and hail from the region, who regard the glider especially as a sacred part of their culture.
Some of the community elders they spoke to had not been in contact with outsiders for nearly 70 years.
“They’re very traditional people,” Flannery revealed, adding that they regard the glider as so important that “not only won’t they hunt it, they won’t mention its name”.
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