These are what biologists call Lazarus taxon- species thought dead and then ‘brought back to life’ by a new discovery. 6 The Laotian Rock RatLet’s get this out the way: Laotian rock rat is an excellent band name and I have dibs. Our family is Hominidae and it includes all living and extinct apes, including all extinct humans. But experts were able to place the rock rat after all, and it made it even more of an oddball. Fossil evidence of its existence was found in 1930 in Argentina, and without living examples, scientists assumed it an extinct species.

Source: The Nation April 25, 2021 08:03 UTC