this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2023
124 points (98.4% liked)

World News

39110 readers
2515 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/9066564

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/9066278

Scientists have rediscovered a long-lost species of mammal described as having the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater and the feet of a mole, in Indonesia's Cyclops Mountains more than 60 years after it was last recorded.

top 12 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] GlitzyArmrest@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The species has only been scientifically recorded once before, by a Dutch botanist in 1961.

Wonder if anyone believed them at the time (especially after years of not finding one).

He's still out there with his blimp and hounds.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 7 points 1 year ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


Scientists have rediscovered a long-lost species of mammal described as having the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater and the feet of a mole, in Indonesia's Cyclops Mountains more than 60 years after it was last recorded.

Having descended from the mountains at the end of the trip, biologist James Kempton found the images of the small creature walking through the forest undergrowth on the last memory card retrieved from more than 80 remote cameras.

"There was a great sense of euphoria, and also relief having spent so long in the field with no reward until the very final day," he said, describing the moment he first saw the footage with collaborators from Indonesian conservation group YAPPENDA.

Echidnas share their name with a half-woman, half-serpent Greek mythological creature, and were described by the team as shy, nocturnal burrow-dwellers who are notoriously difficult to find.

They worked with the local village Yongsu Sapari to navigate and explore the remote terrain of northeastern Papua.

The echidna is embedded in the local culture, including a tradition that states conflicts are resolved by sending one party to a disagreement into the forest to search for the mammal and another to the ocean to find a marlin, according to Yongsu Sapari elders cited by the university.


The original article contains 396 words, the summary contains 214 words. Saved 46%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] XbSuper@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Spines of a hedgehog, snout of an anteater, and feet of a mole. Is this thing trying to out-ugly the platypus?

On a more serious note, they're both egg laying mammals, is it possible they're related?

[–] azulavoir@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah, platypus and echidna species are as far as I know pretty closely related

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Which two animals do you mean?

[–] XbSuper@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The one in this post and a platypus? I thought that was pretty clear.

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

It wasn't to me. Thanks.

[–] VO0RHAMER@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I coincidentally saw the only stuffed specimen of this species last weekend and I didn't even realise it was special, because it was just standing between the other animals without a sign saying it was thought extinct or anything.

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

The rare mammal in question is the long-beaked echidna.

[–] MonkderZweite@feddit.ch 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Huh, somehow i landed at Echidna, after reading about platypus in wiki a while ago. Didn't know it was thought extinct.

Btw, it's related to and equally as weird as platipy. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna#Reproduction