Scientists stunned as cameras capture footage of 200-million-year-old creature once thought extinct: 'The whole team was euphoric'
A surprising discovery has left the scientific community speechless. According to Inkl, a species previously believed to be extinct has been spotted.
The unique 200-million-year-old species, famously named after Sir David Attenborough, was caught on camera in Indonesia.
A group of researchers from Oxford University made the rediscovery, proving the existence of the Zaglossus Attenboroughi species, also known as Attenborough's long-beaked echidna.
In the video clip, viewers can see the mammal's distinct beak and furry exterior. Before this footage, the only proof of the ancient species' existence was a specimen of a deceased Zaglossus Attenboroughi that had been preserved for museum display. However, that creature was alive "several decades ago," according to Inkl.
Since echidnas roamed the planet alongside the dinosaurs, they're known as "living fossils," dating back 200 million years. The discovery of Attenborough's echidna came at the end of the researchers' expedition, concluding the trip on an exciting note.
"I was euphoric, the whole team was euphoric," Dr. James Kempton, a biologist from Oxford University, told BBC News. "I'm not joking when I say it came down to the very last SD card that we looked at, from the very last camera that we collected, on the very last day of our expedition."
Echidnas consist of four species, differentiated by their beaks. However, what makes these mammals so interesting is that they are one of the only mammals that lay eggs.
The footage of Attenborough's echidna wasn't the only monumental discovery of the expedition. Dr. Kempton and his team also identified new insect and frog species. Discoveries like this underscore the importance of preserving the world's biodiversity.
From both a scientific and cultural perspective, the discovery of Attenborough's echidna is significant. According to Inkl, in Papua local tradition, the echidna is one of the creatures that "symbolize the resolution of conflict and a return to harmonious relationships once found."
Do you think we still have a lot to learn from ancient cultures?
Definitely
Only on certain topics
I'm not sure
No — not really
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
How scientists confirmed the existence of 200-million-year-old species thought to be extinct
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. MORE: Elusive predator hunted to local extinction returns to its historical range 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. However, evidence of the echidna's existence was found throughout the region in recent decades. In 2007, a team of researchers found "nose pokes" -- trace signs the echidnas make when they forage underground for invertebrates -- in the Cyclops, according to the paper. MORE: Fish species thought to be extinct for 85 years rediscovered Indigenous groups have also reported sightings of the species in the past two decades. In 2017 and 2018, researchers combined participatory mapping with indigenous and other knowledge to assess the probability that echidnas still existed. Camera trapping also played a key role in confirming their existence. Camera traps deployed in the Cyclops in 2022 and 2023 garnered the photographic evidence -- 110 photos total from 26 individual events -- needed for researchers to continue pursuing the lost species. The long-beaked echidna is one of just five egg-laying mammals in existence today, including the platypus and two other species of modern echidna, the researchers said. MORE: Key Largo tree cactus becomes 1st-ever US species to become extinct due to rising sea levels These mammals are the "sole living representatives" of monotreme -- or egg-laying -- lineage that diverged from therians, or marsupials and placental mammals, more than 200 million years ago, according to the paper. The long-beaked echidna once also lived in the Oenaka Range of Papua New Guinea. But the Cyclops Mountains are the only location where the long-beaked echidna has been recorded in modern times. MORE: Reconstructed DNA of ancient bird could change how scientists study extinct species: Report There are currently more than 2,000 "so-called lost species" -- species that have gone undocumented for sustained periods of time, according to the paper. "Rediscoveries offer hope that others survive, especially in places where biological research has been limited," the researchers said. How scientists confirmed the existence of 200-million-year-old species thought to be extinct originally appeared on
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
How scientists confirmed the existence of 200-million-year-old species thought to be extinct
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. MORE: Elusive predator hunted to local extinction returns to its historical range 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. However, evidence of the echidna's existence was found throughout the region in recent decades. In 2007, a team of researchers found "nose pokes" -- trace signs the echidnas make when they forage underground for invertebrates -- in the Cyclops, according to the paper. MORE: Fish species thought to be extinct for 85 years rediscovered Indigenous groups have also reported sightings of the species in the past two decades. In 2017 and 2018, researchers combined participatory mapping with indigenous and other knowledge to assess the probability that echidnas still existed. Camera trapping also played a key role in confirming their existence. Camera traps deployed in the Cyclops in 2022 and 2023 garnered the photographic evidence -- 110 photos total from 26 individual events -- needed for researchers to continue pursuing the lost species. The long-beaked echidna is one of just five egg-laying mammals in existence today, including the platypus and two other species of modern echidna, the researchers said. MORE: Key Largo tree cactus becomes 1st-ever US species to become extinct due to rising sea levels These mammals are the "sole living representatives" of monotreme -- or egg-laying -- lineage that diverged from therians, or marsupials and placental mammals, more than 200 million years ago, according to the paper. The long-beaked echidna once also lived in the Oenaka Range of Papua New Guinea. But the Cyclops Mountains are the only location where the long-beaked echidna has been recorded in modern times. MORE: Reconstructed DNA of ancient bird could change how scientists study extinct species: Report There are currently more than 2,000 "so-called lost species" -- species that have gone undocumented for sustained periods of time, according to the paper. "Rediscoveries offer hope that others survive, especially in places where biological research has been limited," the researchers said. How scientists confirmed the existence of 200-million-year-old species thought to be extinct originally appeared on
2 hours ago
How scientists confirmed the existence of 200-million-year-old species thought to be extinct
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. However, evidence of the echidna's existence was found throughout the region in recent decades. In 2007, a team of researchers found "nose pokes" -- trace signs the echidnas make when they forage underground for invertebrates -- in the Cyclops, according to the paper. Indigenous groups have also reported sightings of the species in the past two decades. In 2017 and 2018, researchers combined participatory mapping with indigenous and other knowledge to assess the probability that echidnas still existed. Camera trapping also played a key role in confirming their existence. Camera traps deployed in the Cyclops in 2022 and 2023 garnered the photographic evidence -- 110 photos total from 26 individual events -- needed for researchers to continue pursuing the lost species. The long-beaked echidna is one of just five egg-laying mammals in existence today, including the platypus and two other species of modern echidna, the researchers said. These mammals are the "sole living representatives" of monotreme -- or egg-laying -- lineage that diverged from therians, or marsupials and placental mammals, more than 200 million years ago, according to the paper. The long-beaked echidna once also lived in the Oenaka Range of Papua New Guinea. But the Cyclops Mountains are the only location where the long-beaked echidna has been recorded in modern times. There are currently more than 2,000 "so-called lost species" -- species that have gone undocumented for sustained periods of time, according to the paper. "Rediscoveries offer hope that others survive, especially in places where biological research has been limited," the researchers said.
