Buzz
A Lazarus species, also known as a Lazarus taxon, refers to an organism once believed to be extinct, only to make an astonishing reappearance. The Coelacanth is perhaps the most iconic example, but this compilation highlights several recent rediscoveries, emphasizing the ongoing nature of scientific research and the thrilling new findings continually being unveiled. The list encompasses mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Rather than being exhaustive, this is a glimpse into the remarkable species still emerging from obscurity, with no specific order of importance.
10. Mount Diablo Buckwheat Eriogonum truncatum
Believed to be extinct: 1936 Rediscovered: 2005 Current status: Critically Endangered
This modest little pink flower may not seem like the most captivating species, but it became a sought-after 'holy grail' for botanists in the East Bay area. It is one of only three plant species endemic to Mount Diablo in Northern California and was last seen in 1936, presumed extinct due to the encroachment of non-native grasses on its habitat. Despite several survey trips, the plant remained undiscovered until 2005, when graduate student Michael Park, taking a different route from his usual survey, ventured into a more remote part of the mountain. There, he found about 20 of these rare plants. Today, the plant is still critically endangered, though seeds collected from the 2005 specimens have been successfully cultivated at UC Botanical Gardens in Berkeley.
9. Lord Howe Stick Insect Dryococelus australis
Believed extinct: 1930 Rediscovered: 2001 Current status: Critically Endangered
This impressive stick insect earned the title 'the rarest insect in the world' upon its rediscovery, with only 30 individuals initially found. It was rediscovered on a small, uninhabited islet called Ball's Pyramid, part of the Lord Howe island group. Once common on the islands, these large, wingless insects saw their numbers decline after rats arrived on the island following the wreck of the SS Makambo. The rodents fed on the insects, pushing their population to near extinction. Hopes were revived in the 1960s when climbers discovered newly dead specimens, and living individuals were finally found in February 2001. There are now approximately 450 individuals, with some being reintroduced to Lord Howe Island. Efforts are also underway to remove the rats, offering the insects a better chance to thrive.
8. Black Kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka kawamurae
Thought extinct: 1940 Rediscovered: 2010 Current status: Insufficient Information
This Japanese fish, a subspecies of salmon, was believed to have vanished in 1940 when its sole native habitat, Lake Tazawa, underwent modifications for a hydroelectric project, which resulted in more acidic water. Despite the transport of eggs to Lake Saiko, roughly 300 miles away, it was thought that the effort had failed. However, in 2010, scientist Tetsuji Nakabo and a team of researchers from Kyoto University discovered living specimens in Lake Saiko, providing hope for the species' survival.
7. Painted Frog Atelopus ebenoides
Believed extinct: 1995 Rediscovered: 2006 Current status: Critically Endangered
This amphibian, native only to Colombia, was last seen in 1995 before it was assumed to have fallen victim to the fungal disease chytridiomycosis, which has caused widespread declines in amphibian populations worldwide. Despite numerous efforts to locate the species, it remained elusive until May 2006, when Professor Carlos Rocha and his research team from the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia spotted the species. The rediscovery raised hopes among scientists that some amphibians might be developing resistance to this deadly disease.
6. Bavarian Pine Vole Microtus bavaricus
Believed extinct: 1962 Rediscovered: 2000/2001 Current status: Critically Endangered
The rediscovery of this small rodent, native to the Alpine regions of Bavaria, Austria, and Italy, highlights how long it can sometimes take for a species once thought extinct to be recognized as still existing. The Bavarian Pine Vole was last recorded in 1962 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, which was then its only known habitat. It was feared extinct in the 1980s when the meadows it inhabited were developed, but a population was discovered in the Austrian Tyrol in 1976/77. These were not confirmed as Bavarian Pine Voles until 2000. The following year, Frederike Spitzenberger, a Viennese scientist, found a live specimen in a trap, and DNA tests confirmed it as the rare vole. Unfortunately, the population continues to decline, with fewer than 50 individuals collected, and it is now considered locally extinct in Germany, surviving only in one location in the Rofan Mountains, Northern Tyrol, Austria.
5. Cuban Solenodon Solenodon cubanus
Last specimen seen: 1890 Officially declared extinct: 1970 Rediscovered: 2003 Current status: Endangered
In 2003, a Cuban Solenodon was captured, filmed, studied for two days, and then released back into the wild. It was given the name Alejandrito, marking it as the 37th Cuban Solenodon ever recorded. This small venomous species, native to Cuba, was first discovered by German naturalist Wilhelm Peters in 1861. After no sightings since 1890, the Solenodon was feared extinct by 1970. Although three specimens were found in 1974/75, little information exists about these, and there were no further sightings until 2003. Since then, no live specimens have been found, though a dead one was discovered in 2005.
4. La Palma Giant Lizard Gallotia auaritae
Believed extinct for 500 years Rediscovered: 2007 Current status: Critically Endangered
The exact date of extinction for this reptile is uncertain, but scientists agree its decline began when humans first began inhabiting the Canary Islands. Factors like rats, human consumption, and habitat loss contributed to its decrease. It was thought to have gone extinct around 500 years ago. In 2007, researcher Luis Enrique Minguez captured a photograph of the creature while hiking, confirming the discovery of the La Palma Giant Lizard. Interestingly, other presumed extinct reptiles were also rediscovered on the Canary Islands, including the El Hierro Giant Lizard in 1974 and the La Gomera Giant Lizard in 1996.
3. Banggai Crow Corvus unicolor
Last recorded: 1885 Rediscovered: 2007 (confirmed 2009) Current status: Critically Endangered
This bird was known to scientists only from a few specimens collected from an unknown island in the Banggai archipelago of Indonesia during the 1880s. Afterward, there was no confirmation that the species still existed. A potential sighting in 1991 did not yield any definitive evidence, though rumors of the birds being seen on Peleng Island persisted. In 2007/8, Indonesian ornithologist Mochamad Indrawan captured and photographed the bird, but it wasn't until 2009 that Pamela C Rasmussen from the American Museum of Natural History confirmed it as the Banggai Crow after comparing it with earlier specimens. Today, the species is estimated to number around 500 individuals. Indrawan is actively working to protect the birds, which are hunted by the local population.
2. New Zealand Storm Petrel Oceanites maorianus
Feared extinct: 1850s Rediscovered: 2003 Current status: Critically Endangered
This small seabird, like others on this list, was known to scientists only by a handful of specimens. It was believed to have vanished by the 1850s. Its rediscovery is remarkable because a single ambiguous photograph sparked further investigation. In early 2003, some unclear photos were taken off New Zealand's North Island, followed later by clearer images and a video showing about 10 of these birds in the Hauraki Gulf. Two years later, live specimens were captured in the same area, and they are occasionally spotted there. The population is still unknown, and the breeding grounds of the birds remain undiscovered.
1. Terror Skink Phoboscincus bocourti
Not recorded since the 1870s Rediscovered: 2003 Current status: Endangered
Little is known about this animal, which, until less than a decade ago, was known to scientists only from a single specimen found in 1876. Both the original specimen and the recently discovered ones were located on Ile de Pin in New Caledonia. In 2003, Ivan Ineich from Muséum national d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, found a live specimen. The animal was filmed and photographed before being released, and another individual was found by Ineich on the uninhabited island in 2005. Its current population is unknown but estimated at fewer than 250 individuals, and it is considered endangered due to the vulnerability of the island to wildfires and tsunamis, even though no human threats exist.
+ Ivory-billed Woodpecker Campephilus principalis
Extinct: Circa 1944 Current status: Unknown
This is included as a bonus since the debate over the ivory-billed woodpecker's status is still ongoing. So far, no conclusive evidence has been found, and no specimens—either living or dead—have been captured. The IUCN lists the bird as critically endangered, while the American Birding Association considers it to be, if not definitely, then probably extinct. The last definitive record of the bird's existence in the USA dates back to 1944, but it was sighted as recently as 1987 in Cuba. Since the 1990s, numerous expeditions have been launched in the bayous of Louisiana, where the bird once lived. Despite sound recordings and video footage, these are still deemed inconclusive; the sound has been attributed to distant gunshots, and the video may simply feature a pileated woodpecker. While some scientists are hopeful the bird may still exist, without concrete proof, the status of the ivory-billed woodpecker remains shrouded in mystery.
