The desert rat-kangaroo (Caloprymnus campestris), a small, hopping marsupial believed to be extinct since 1994, may still be hiding in the vast and harsh Sturt Stony Desert of Australia. A recent study by researchers at Flinders University, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology has revealed new insights into its diet, which could help pinpoint the best areas to search for this elusive species.
A Missing Marsupial With A History Of Surprises
The desert rat-kangaroo has a history of disappearing and reappearing. Originally thought extinct in the late 19th century, it was dramatically rediscovered in the 1930s, earning it the nickname of a “Lazarus species.”
However, since the last confirmed sighting in 1930, it has remained a ghost of the Australian Outback, officially declared extinct in 1994.
Despite this status, occasional unverified reports persist, suggesting a small, short-faced, hopping creature has been spotted in remote areas of the Lake Eyre Basin in South Australia and into Queensland.
The Bite That Might Bring It Back
To improve search efforts, researchers led by Dr. Rex Mitchell examined the desert rat-kangaroo’s skull biomechanics, comparing it with other similar marsupials such as bettongs and potoroos. Using advanced Finite Element Analysis (FEA), they simulated the forces its skull could withstand while biting different types of food.
The results were unexpected. “We were surprised to find the heftier skull of the desert rat-kangaroo isn’t necessarily adapted for biting into harder foods. When we included the animal’s smaller size into the analysis, the robust features of the desert rat-kangaroo’s skull were only found to be effective enough to handle eating a softer range of foods,” noted Dr Rex Mitchell
This finding has direct implications for conservationists. Knowing that the desert rat-kangaroo likely depended on soft-leaved plants, researchers can narrow down their search to regions where these plants still grow.
Why Did Desert Rat-Kangaroo Disappear?
The decline of the desert rat-kangaroo is attributed to multiple factors, including predation by foxes and feral cats, competition with invasive rabbits, and habitat degradation caused by overgrazing and poor fire management.
Unlike more adaptable species, it appears that this small marsupial was highly specialized, making it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes.
While these pressures pushed it to the brink of extinction, the vastness of the Sturt Stony Desert provides some hope.
The Case For A Second Rediscovery
Lead researcher Dr. Mitchell believes that refining search efforts based on diet could be a game-changer. Instead of blindly scanning vast deserts, conservationists can now focus on regions where the right vegetation still grows, increasing the chances of spotting surviving individuals.
Associate Professor Vera Weisbecker, senior author of the study, reinforces this optimism. “It is plausible that a small, nocturnal species could be evading detection in the vast inland desert. In fact, this species was previously a resurrected ‘Lazarus’ species after its rediscovery in the 1930s,” she points out.
