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Researchers have reported living pygmy long-fingered possums and ring-tailed gliders in remote West Papua, after the species were thought to have disappeared thousands of years ago. The findings, published in Records of the Australian Museum, relied on fossil evidence, old specimens, photographs and knowledge from local communities; the glider’s forest habitat faces logging pressure.
Researchers have reported finding living pygmy long-fingered possums and ring-tailed gliders in remote West Papua, species believed to have disappeared thousands of years ago. The findings, published in the journal Records of the Australian Museum on March 6, describe two rare rediscoveries and draw attention to the forests where the animals live, including habitat threatened by logging.
The possum is a striped marsupial weighing about 200 grams. Its most distinctive feature is a fourth finger on each hand that is about twice as long as its other digits. Researchers say the elongated fingers help it extract wood-boring insect larvae, its main food source. The species was understood to have vanished from Australia during the Ice Age.
The second animal, the ring-tailed glider, has a grasping tail and lives in hollows in tall trees, according to the report. The discoveries emerged from work combining decades-old fossils, rare photographs and museum specimens with field visits to remote parts of New Guinea. The researchers’ paper presents the animals as living species, rather than relying on fossil evidence alone.
The research team included Australian scientists and researchers from the University of Papua. They consulted elders from the Tambrauw and Maybrat clans, whose knowledge helped identify the animals, according to co-author Rika Korain. The report says some elders had contact with the modern world only from the 1960s onward. Their knowledge was particularly important to the identification process.
Rediscovery Raises Forest Stakes
The reported findings matter both for biodiversity research and for conservation decisions in West Papua. A species thought to have disappeared may still survive in a remote area, and the discovery of two such animals suggests that local ecological knowledge can help scientists find species missed by conventional records. The findings also show the value of revisiting old museum material, fossils and photographs alongside fieldwork.
The glider’s habitat faces a more immediate concern. Tim Flannery said logging is increasingly threatening the forests where it lives. Scientists and wildlife groups are, he said, working to secure native title for forest areas, with the aim of requiring local consent before logging can proceed. The report does not say that this effort has yet secured legal protection, but the rediscovery adds urgency to questions about how the forest will be managed.
Local communities are not simply sources of information in this work: researchers say their knowledge was necessary to identify the species. The account also describes the glider as sacred to some local people, who will neither hunt it nor speak its name. Conservation planning will therefore involve cultural as well as ecological considerations.
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How Researchers Reassembled the Evidence
The report describes the animals as having been thought extinct for around 6,000 years. The possum was believed to have disappeared from Australia during the Ice Age; the source does not provide an equivalent detailed account of the glider’s earlier range or disappearance. Scientists use the term “Lazarus taxon” for a species that reappears in the record after being considered extinct.
Rather than finding the animals through a single expedition, researchers assembled clues over time. They examined fossils and old specimens, tracked down rare photographs and visited remote New Guinea locations. Conversations with Tambrauw and Maybrat elders helped connect those records with animals known locally. This approach brought together scientific collections, field research and community knowledge.
Flannery, a co-author of the paper, described one Lazarus-taxon discovery as exceptional and the report of two species as remarkable. His assessment reflects the rarity of such rediscoveries; the animals’ reported presence does not, by itself, establish how large their populations are or how secure they are from habitat loss.
“The discovery of one lazarus taxon… is an exceptional discovery. But the discovery of two species, thought to have been extinct for thousands of years, is remarkable.”
— Tim Flannery, paper co-author
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Population and Protection Remain Unknown
The report establishes that researchers identified living examples, but does not give population estimates, a detailed range map, or information about how many animals were observed. It is also unclear how widely the possum and glider are distributed, whether their populations are stable, and what monitoring has been planned after the reported discovery.
The source describes the glider’s habitat as increasingly threatened by logging, but provides no figures on the scale or pace of forest loss. It says scientists and wildlife groups are pursuing native title arrangements; the legal status, timetable and likely coverage of that effort are not specified. The paper’s findings also do not establish that the species have been continuously present throughout the period in which they were considered extinct.
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Field Surveys and Forest Rights
The published research places further fieldwork and habitat assessment among the practical needs raised by the discovery. Researchers and conservation groups will need clearer information about the animals’ distribution, numbers and exposure to logging to judge the level of risk. The report does not announce a survey schedule or a specific conservation plan.
Work to secure native title for local forests is also continuing, according to Flannery. The next steps and outcome remain uncertain. Any protection tied to consent from local communities would depend on the applicable legal arrangements and the communities’ decisions, while research into the animals will depend on cooperation with those who hold knowledge of the area.
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Key Questions
Which two species were reported in West Papua?
Researchers reported living pygmy long-fingered possums and ring-tailed gliders in remote parts of West Papua.
Why were the animals thought to be extinct?
The report says both were thought to have disappeared around 6,000 years ago. It specifically notes that the possum was understood to have vanished from Australia during the Ice Age.
How did researchers identify the animals?
They combined evidence from old fossils, specimens and rare photographs with visits to remote locations. Elders from the Tambrauw and Maybrat clans also shared knowledge that co-author Rika Korain said was necessary for identification.
Are the species’ populations protected?
The report does not provide population figures or confirm that the animals’ habitat has secured legal protection. It says logging threatens the glider’s forest habitat and that scientists and wildlife groups are working to secure native title for forest areas.
Source: hn
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