For more than 6,000 years, two marsupial species were thought to have vanished from the earth. Now, researchers have confirmed that both are alive and well in the rainforests of the Vogelkop Peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia, a discovery that is being hailed as nothing short of extraordinary.

The ground-breaking study, led by Professor Tim Flannery, Australian Museum Distinguished Visiting Fellow, has identified the Pygmy Long‑fingered Possum (Dactylonax kambuayai) and the Ring‑tailed Glider (Tous ayamaruensis), both classified as “Lazarus taxa”, species that seemingly have come back from extinction.

This remarkable identification was pieced together from multiple sources: a misidentified specimen at the Australian Museum collected in 1992, rare photographs taken by local researchers, and fossil fragments from collections around the world.

Long-standing collaboration with researchers from The University of Papua and engagement with Tambrauw and Maybrat Elders proved critical in locating the species. Local knowledge helped guide the scientists to the marsupials’ habitats and offered insights that would have been impossible to gain otherwise.

“The discovery of one Lazarus taxon, even if thought to have become extinct recently, is an exceptional discovery. But the discovery of two species, thought to have been extinct for thousands of years, is remarkable,” said Professor Flannery.

“The findings underscore the critical importance of preserving these unique bioregions and the value of collaborative research in uncovering and protecting hidden biodiversity.”

The Pygmy Long‑fingered Possum is a boldly striped marsupial with a remarkable adaptation: one digit on each hand is twice the length of the next longest finger, used to extract insect larvae from wood. Its disappearance from Australia during the Ice Age mirrors the loss of other megafauna, including the diprotodon and marsupial lion, the latter recently featured in the Australian Museum exhibition Surviving Australia.

The Ring‑tailed Glider, smaller than its Australian cousins, is the closest living relative of the Greater Glider. It has unfurred ears, a prehensile tail, forms lifelong pair bonds, and raises just one young per year. Like greater gliders, it nests in tree hollows high in the forest canopy and faces threats from logging. The species also holds critical cultural importance.

“Referred to locally as Tous by some Tambrauw and Maybrat clans, the glider is a sacred animal. Considered a manifestation of ancestors’ spirits and central to an educational practice referred to as ‘initiation.’ We worked very carefully and collaboratively with Tambrauw Elders and identification would not have been possible without cooperation with Traditional Owners, this connection has been essential for ongoing work,” said Rika Korain, Maybrat co-author of the paper.

“I’m very proud that Papuan researchers contributed to these landmark discoveries, and I want to thank the people of the Misool, Maybrat and Tambrauw regions who supported us in the field,” added Dr. Aksamina Yohanita of the University of Papua.

Previously known only from fossils in Australia and early Holocene specimens in New Guinea, both species were located in isolated lowland forests, with no close relatives elsewhere, offering key insights into the region’s geological history.

“The Vogelkop is an ancient piece of the Australian continent that has become incorporated into the island of New Guinea. Its forests may shelter yet more hidden relics of a past Australia,” stated Flannery.

Supported by the Global Wildlife Fund and the Minderoo Foundation, the research highlights the urgent need to protect these critical forests. Conservationists are working with local communities to safeguard the last refuge of these rediscovered species, demonstrating the power of combining Indigenous knowledge with scientific research.