Scientists Thought These Marsupials Went Extinct 6,000 Years Ago. They Just Found the Animals Alive

 

The pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider are rare examples of “Lazarus species”

                          Smithsonian Magazine - 9 March 2026

"Two marsupial species presumed to be extinct have “risen from the dead” after being rediscovered on the island of New Guinea, which lies north of Australia. One is the pygmy long-fingered possum (Dactylonax kambuayai), a small, striped animal with one exceptionally long digit on each hand. The other is the ring-tailed glider (Tous ayamaruensis), which nests in holes in trees and uses its long, strong tail for gripping branches and vines as it moves around the rainforest.

Researchers worked with members of the Tambrauw and Maybrat Indigenous communities to confirm the existence of the two creatures. They describe the discoveries in two papers published March 6 in the journal Records of the Australian Museum.

Both the pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider were believed to have disappeared more than 6,000 years ago, which makes them rare examples of “Lazarus species,” named after a Biblical figure who was brought back to life. The chances of finding one Lazarus mammal species is “almost zero,” says Tim Flannery, a zoologist at the Australian Museum who co-authored both papers, to the Guardian’s Adam Morton. But finding two is “unprecedented and groundbreaking.”

Other researchers were similarly shocked and thrilled. “In a world awash with bad news, and no more so than for the environment, it is always joyous when species once thought extinct turn out not to be,” Euan Ritchie, a wildlife ecologist at Deakin University in Australia who was not involved with the research, tells Peter de Kruijff of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Until now, scientists have only known about the animals from fossils. But they suspected the creatures might still be alive, because the remote, difficult-to-navigate region where the fossils were discovered hadn’t been thoroughly surveyed for marsupials.

The animals were recently photographed on Bird’s Head Peninsula, also known as the Vogelkop Peninsula—which means “bird’s head” in Dutch—an area in the northwest corner of New Guinea. Scientists think the peninsula was once a part of the Australian continent that broke off and became incorporated into the island.

The pygmy long-fingered possum is about 14 inches long from nose to tail tip, and about half that length comes from the tail. In addition to its long digits, the creature has “a whole lot of specializations in their ear region,” Flannery tells New Scientist’s James Woodford. He thinks the creatures listen for low-frequency sounds made by wood-boring beetle larvae, then rip open the rotting wood and use their long digits to “fish out the grub,” he tells the outlet.

The ring-tailed glider, meanwhile, eats tree sap and leaves, and possibly fruit and invertebrates. The nocturnal animal’s body is “about the length of two open palms (hands),” according to tribal elders, the researchers write in the paper describing the species.

They are closely related to Australia’s three species of greater gliders, which belong to the Petauroides genus. But the researchers recently determined the ring-tailed glider represents an entirely new genus, which they’ve dubbed Tous to honor how Indigenous peoples refer to these animals, “Tous wansai” or “Tous wan.” The scientists think Tous is an ancient branch of the possum family tree that dates back millions of years, though the ring-tailed glider is the only known member alive today.

Some Indigenous groups living on the peninsula, including the Tambrauw and Maybrat peoples, revere the ring-tailed glider, as they believe the animals represent their ancestors’ spirits, per the Guardian. They also have deep respect for the old-growth forest where the animals live and say it’s “the place where all of the living things came from,” Flannery tells ABC.

Scientists don’t know much about either species, but they suspect they’re both threatened by habitat loss, primarily driven by logging. David Lindenmayer, an ecologist at the Australian National University who was not involved with the research, tells New Scientist he is “hugely concerned” about the extent of land clearing underway in New Guinea. Now that the creatures have been found alive, the researchers want to learn more about exactly where they’re living, as well as their ecological needs, in hopes of protecting them.

In the meantime, they’re keeping the animals’ location under wraps to prevent wildlife traffickers from trying to capture the cute critters.

“They would be incredibly difficult to keep in captivity because their diet is so highly specialized,” Flannery tells New Scientist. “Advanced warning for anyone who’s thinking of keeping one as a pet: It won’t live long.”