06/12/2025

Scientists Confirm the Existence of 200-million-year-old Species Thought to be Extinct

The long-beaked echidna had not been documented since the 1960s

Biologists have confirmed the existence of a 200-million-year-old species of egg-laying mammal that has been assumed to be extinct.

Suspected footage of Zaglossus attenboroughi -- the long-beaked echidna named after famed English broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough -- was initially captured in 2023 by Oxford University during an expedition to the Cyclops Mountains, a rugged rainforest in Indonesia.

By combining modern technology with indigenous knowledge, researchers recently confirmed that the long-beaked echidna had been found, according to a paper published in the journal NPJ Biodiversity last month. The species hadn't been recorded for more than 60 years, when a dead specimen was found in the region, the researchers said.

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