`Extinct` Rodent Rediscovered in Laos, page 1

By chance , scientists in Laos discovered the freshly captured corpses of a rodent previously thought extinct . The rat known to locals as kha-nyou was spotted on a market stall , where it is sold for its meat . After tests , it was confirmed that the creatures were Laotian rock rats ,previously though extinct , though no western scientist has seen a live one in the wild , yet .

news.bbc.co.uk
A rodent that "came back from the dead" after supposedly going extinct millions of years ago appears to be more common than previously thought.
The Laotian rock rat, known locally as the kha-nyou, was identified as a species new to science in 2005.

It was spotted at a hunter's market in Laos by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

I shall now perform the simian dance of vindication

, I have said all along that previously unknown species would turn up on the butches slab , or in the cook pot of peoples who don’t care exactly what it is , or its value to science .
Their only concern is , is it palatable , tasty and easy to catch . To find what is really out there , follow the hungry hunters , if its edible they will find it .

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Edit: Fixed title.

[edit on 6-4-2006 by intrepid]