Tiny possum and glider thought extinct for 6,000 years found in remote West Papua

Crossposted from https://lemmy.ca/post/61387290

The first rediscovered species was the long-fingered possum, a striped marsupial weighing about 200g, which is understood to have vanished from Australia during the Ice Age.

A distinguishing feature is that on each hand, the possum's fourth finger is twice the length of other digits, which scientists say help it dig out wood-boring insect larvae, it's main source of food.

The second species is the ring-tailed glider, and just like its Australian cousin the greater glider, it lives in the hollows of tall trees. The discoveries were made by piecing together parts of a puzzle with scientists combing through decades-old fossils, rare photos and old specimens to gather clues before making visits to remote New Guinea locations.