Rediscovery of "Extinct" Marsupials in West Papua

Date: 6 March 2026
Reporting: Lana Lam (Sydney) & Carlos Bocos

In a scientific breakthrough described as "exceptional," researchers have located two animal species in the remote rainforests of West Papua that were believed to have vanished $\approx 6,000$ years ago.

The animals—a tiny possum and a specialized glider—were thought to be ~~extinct~~ long gone, but they have been found thriving in isolation. This finding was detailed in the latest issue of the Records of the Australian Museum journal.

Scientific Note: This phenomenon is referred to as a lazarus taxon. The term is a reference to the biblical figure Lazarus, who was brought back to life, symbolizing a species that reappears after a long period of being absent from the fossil record or sightings.

The Rediscovered Species

The two marsupials possess unique biological adaptations that allow them to survive in their specific niches.

Species	Weight/Physical Trait	Primary Characteristic	Habitat/Diet
Pygmy Long-fingered Possum	$\approx 200\text{g}$	Fourth finger is $2\times$ the length of others	Digs out wood-boring insect larvae
Ring-tailed Glider	Not specified	Prehensile tail for gripping	Hollows of towering trees

The Pygmy Long-fingered Possum

This striped marsupial is believed to have disappeared from the Australian mainland during the Ice Age. Its most striking feature is the elongated fourth digit on each hand, which serves as a specialized tool for extracting larvae from wood.

Pygmy long-fingered possum on a branch

The Ring-tailed Glider

Similar to the greater glider found in Australia, this species makes its home in the cavities of tall trees.

Ring-tailed glider in hand

The Path to Discovery

The rediscovery was not a matter of luck, but a meticulous process of "piecing together a puzzle." The research team, including Prof Tim Flannery (author of The Weather Makers), Prof Kris Helgen, and experts from the University of Papua, followed a specific investigative pipeline:

The Role of Indigenous Knowledge

The scientists collaborated with the Maybrat and Tambrauw clans. Some members of these communities have had minimal contact with the outside world since the 1960s. Rika Korain, a Maybrat woman and co-author of the study, emphasized that the identification would have been impossible without the clans' guidance.

Prof Flannery noted that the local people are deeply traditional. In particular, the ring-tailed glider is viewed as so sacred that the locals:

Refuse to hunt the animal.
Will not even speak its name.

Close up of the long finger

Conservation and Threats

Despite the joy of their rediscovery, the future of these species is precarious. The primary threat is logging, which is destroying the gliders' essential habitat.

To combat this, scientists and environmental organizations are working toward the following goals:

Secure native title for the rainforests.
Ensure logging cannot occur without explicit local consent.
Establish protected zones for the lazarus taxa.

Tiny possum and glider thought extinct for 6000 years found in remote West Papua