Image by: Jonathon Dashper
March 5, 2026
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Bishop Museum and Australian Museum Scientists Describe Two Species Previously Thought to Be Extinct
The discovery of the live animals in New Guinea, originally known only from fossils, is a story of hope for biodiversity and the importance of conservation across the Pacific.
A media package of photos, interview clips, and b-roll can be accessed via this shared Box link.
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi —Bishop Museum, the State of Hawai‘i Museum of Natural and Cultural History, announces the discovery of two marsupial species previously thought to be extinct. The pygmy long-fingered possum (Dactylonax kambuayai), and the ring-tailed glider (Tous ayamaruensis), were found in New Guinea through a collaboration by scientists, citizen scientists, and indigenous communities, and were described by Bishop Museum president and CEO Kristofer Helgen, Ph.D., and Australian Museum distinguished visiting fellow Tim Flannery, Ph.D.
Both species were originally known only from fossils, making this discovery the first confirmation of live specimens in more than 7,000 years.
“Both of these species are beautiful, and they’re probably like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” said Dr. Helgen. “To be able to say that they indeed are alive brings me joy as a scientist and conservationist. It feels like a second chance to learn about, and protect, these remarkable animals,” he said.
Dr. Helgen and Dr. Flannery have spent much of their careers focused on understanding the mammals of New Guinea. Over the past two years, they utilized specimens at Bishop Museum and the Australian Museum to document their findings and prove the continuing existence of the two species.
“For decades, scientists at Bishop Museum have been involved in the study of biodiversity — the richness of life — here in Hawaiʻi as well as across the Pacific in areas like New Guinea, the world’s largest tropical island,” said Dr. Helgen. “I have worked in New Guinea for more than 25 years, and I always wondered why these two particular marsupials became extinct. These are fairly small animals that live in forest habitats that, athough very endangered now, have not faced a lot of threats until the recent past. While we only knew of them previously from the fossil record, I’ve always thought that maybe, they’re still out there as living animals. Now we know that they are.”
Image: Bishop Museum president and CEO Kristofer Helgen, Ph.D.
The story of rediscovery.
The story of these two species’ rediscovery goes back 30 years to the 1990s, when caves in western New Guinea (West Papua Province of Indonesia) were excavated during an archaeological dig, and fossil teeth were found from two marsupials previously unknown to science.
“My best friend, Dr. Ken Aplin, named these two fossil marsupials as new to science, not realizing that someday they would be found as living animals,” said Dr. Helgen. “Ken was one of the most knowledgeable experts on the animals of New Guinea, where he spent much of his lifetime studying biodiversity.”
The friendship between Dr. Aplin and Dr. Helgen created a fateful connection with the rediscovery of one of the species.
“Sometimes, the world works in mysterious ways,” shared Dr. Helgen. “Ken sadly passed away in 2019. Within a week of his passing, a colleague in New Guinea sent me a photo of an animal in the wild, and I immediately knew what it was — it was a gliding ring-tailed possum, and it had to be one of the two ‘extinct’ species Ken had originally named years ago.”
Photo of Dactylonax kambuayai. Image by: Jonathon Dashper
Photo of Tous ayamaruensis.
Photo of Tous ayamaruensis. Image by: Dewa/FFI
Later, knowledge shared from indigenous communities revealed that the species is culturally important in the Tambrauw and Maybrat areas of West Papua and provided information about this marsupial’s unique lifestyle. “We worked very carefully and collaboratively with Tambrauw Elders and identification would not have been possible without cooperation with Traditional Owners, and this connection has been essential for ongoing work,” said Rika Korain, a co-author of the paper, from Maybrat.
Dr. Flannery also emphasized this importance of knowledge shared by indigenous communities and co-authors in documenting these rediscoveries. “The older members of the communities we worked with are the true professors of New Guinea biology,” he said.
The story of the pygmy long-fingered possum diverges a bit: after being described from fossils, Dr. Aplin later found two specimens in a jar, fur and all, overlooked in a teaching collection at the University of Papua New Guinea.
“Looking closer at these specimens, Ken realized that these were the same species that he had originally described from fossil teeth,” said Dr. Helgen. “That was the first clue that these animals were still here in modern times.”
Later, on the online platform iNaturalist, where citizen scientists from around the world post photos of their natural science findings, Dr. Helgen and Dr. Flannery started seeing photos of this species originating from New Guinea. Some of these were taken by Carlos Bocos, a citizen scientist and self-described “mammalwatcher” who joined in co-authoring the paper announcing the survival of the pygmy long-fingered possum.
“The advent of instantaneous communication and the ability to share content not only made the world smaller, it also let us learn more about these animals, and start to work with communities in New Guinea to protect them,” said Dr. Helgen. “Slowly, we learned more about these species, including their habitat, way of life, and what threats they may face.”
The uniqueness of these New Guinea marsupials.
Both of these marsupials represent distinctive offshoots of the marsupial tree that represent millions of years of independent evolution, and both of these lineages are previously known only as fossils in both Australia and New Guinea.
The pygmy long-tailed possum (Dactylonax kambuayai) is the smallest living striped possum, marsupials which are adorned with bold black and white stripes, similar to a skunk. On its front paw is an extremely long fourth finger, unique to its genus, proportionally longer compared to the other fingers than in any other mammal. It weighs about 200 grams (7 oz). The possum taps this finger and listens with its ear, searching for grubs and other insects buried under bark. It has one baby at a time.
The ring-tailed glider (Tous ayamaruensis) is a gliding possum that lives in hollows in large trees. It is a powerful leaper, and can also glide from tree to tree, using a patagium, a large flap of skin on each side of the body that serves as a gliding membrane. The new genus name, Tous, comes from the animal’s name in the Maybrat language group of western New Guinea. It also has a long prehensile tail with a strong grip. It weighs about 300 grams (11 oz). This species eats leaves and tree sap. It is nocturnal, monogamous, and has one young at a time.
It is most closely related to the Greater glider (Petauroides volans) of eastern Australia, a species that is larger, has much larger ears, and no functional prehensile tail. “Tous is a gliding marsupial that is new to our knowledge,” said Dr. Helgen. “Though it was known as a fossil species prior to this, scientists were not sure from the fragmentary remains whether it could glide or not. New Guinea communities knew this already, of course. Now, we know too. And it’s a gorgeous glider.”
The significance of “Lazarus species”
Both Dactylonax kambuayai and Tous ayamaruensis are dubbed “Lazarus species,” a scientific term used to describe organisms that reappear after being thought to be extinct. “The discovery of two Lazarus species, thought to be extinct for millennia, is unprecedented,” said Dr. Flannery.
“There are several examples of Lazarus species here in Hawaiʻi,” said Dr. Helgen. “Some of them are our most endangered land snails, including Godwinia caperata and Hiona exaequata, both of which are currently reared at the Museum. Another species is the largest honeycreeper on the island of Maui, a bird called the ʻĀkohekohe.”
Another famous example of a Lazarus species is the Coelacanth, a large lobe-finned fish that lives in the Indian and Pacific oceans, thought to be extinct since the time of the dinosaurs before living populations were uncovered in the 20th century, “One of my colleagues called Tous the ‘Coelacanth of the Marsupials,’ and I like that,” said Dr. Helgen.
“Lazarus species serve as hopeful indicators of the resilience of our ‘āina, our islands, the environment in which we rely on for life,” said Dr. Helgen. “These ʻredisoveries’ show that extinction can be averted, and remind us of the importance of looking after all parts of nature. The more we protect and preserve our natural resources, the more likely they will be available for future generations.”
Photo of Godwinia caperata. Image by: Samantha Shizuru, Bishop Museum collections manager for the Museum’s Pacific Center for Molecular Biodiversity.
Photo of Hiona exaequata. Image by: Samantha Shizuru, Bishop Museum collections manager for the Museum’s Pacific Center for Molecular Biodiversity.
The connections across the Pacific
“At Bishop Museum, we think of ourselves not only as Hawaiʻi’s Museum, but the museum for all of the Pacific. This story highlights our connections with all of our Pacific neighbors,” said Dr. Helgen.
“It’s a message of hope, one of second chances. Biodiversity is interconnected, and species that survive on one side of the Pacific can help us learn more about those on the other,” he said. “Moreover, this story also shares the connection that people around the world have in contributing to the protection of biodiversity through education, conservation, and discovery: from professional scientists to citizen scientists, to indigenous communities and museums like ours, where culture and natural science are not separate but interconnected. We all play a part in sustaining our delicate and precious natural world.”
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About Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History:
Bishop Museum’s mission is to inspire our community and visitors through the exploration, celebration, and perpetuation of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in memory of his wife Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a royal descendant of King Kamehameha I. Today, the Museum thrives as an educational center for the community and is widely regarded as the world’s premier institution for Hawaiian and Pacific content.
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