Farewell to the Melomys: Climate Change Claims the First Mammal Species

Human-driven climate change has officially claimed the world's first mammal extinction. The Bramble Cay melomys, a small rodent native to a remote Australian island, has now been declared extinct.

A recent investigation into the Bramble Cay melomys population came up empty-handed. This small rodent, known scientifically as Melomys rubicola, had been confined to a tiny island within Australia's Great Barrier Reef. A six-day survey revealed no signs of the rodents, only ghost crabs.

The island's elevation is just 10 feet (3 meters) above sea level, which proved fatal for the melomys. Over time, the island has shrunk by 37%, and rising sea levels have caused saltwater to flood its interior. With only 6.3 acres of land left, the salinized soil hindered plant growth, leaving the rodents with less food. Coupled with a 97% loss of habitable space, this led to their population's collapse. The report also suggests that some melomys may have drowned or been swept away by ocean tides.

"The primary factor behind the extinction of this population was almost certainly the flooding of the low-lying cay by ocean waters," the authors of the paper state. "This likely occurred multiple times over the past decade, leading to severe habitat loss and possibly even directly causing the death of individuals."

Global sea levels have risen by 19 inches (48 centimeters) since 1901, a rate not seen in the past 6,000 years. Furthermore, the report highlights that sea levels around Bramble Cay have been rising at twice the global average over the last two decades.

The melomys, also known as the mosaic-tailed rat, was the only mammal exclusive to the Great Barrier Reef. First recorded by sailors in 1845, the last sighting of this species occurred in 2009. In total, 22 other melomys species are found across Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.