Long thought extinct species found to be alive.

A species of rodent (Diatomyidae)thought to have gone extinct eleven million (11,000,000) ears ago, has been recently found to still be around.

Last year scientists described the body of a squirrel-like rodent found for sale in a meat market in Laos. They believed it belonged to a previously undescribed family and named it Laonastes aenigmamus.

But they failed to fully inspect the fossil record. Upon closer analysis of the creature's teeth, a second group of researchers determined it was a member of the previously known rodent family Diatomyidae.

So a family thought to have died out 11 million years ago is still alive and kicking, the scientists report in the March 10 issue of the journal Science.


LiveScience

This just go's to show that we should'nt assume things are gone, just because they existed along time ago, and are'nt abundant anymore.

Just imagine what other species may still be around that we think have gone extinct.


Comments, Opinions?

Originally posted by iori_komei
This just go's to show that we should'nt assume things are gone, just because they existed along time ago, and are'nt abundant anymore.

Just imagine what other species may still be around that we think have gone extinct.

Comments, Opinions?

Agreed!!! And this week seems to be a busy week for discovering new/old/unknown species... Only a matter of time until they find Bigfoot et al. (It would be a pity in a way, wouldn't it... What would we then take bad pictures of?)

... body of a squirrel-like rodent ...

I was hoping it was our little friend from ice-age...

This is an prime example that people should keep an open mind with crypos.