paleontology Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure ge ...

, a Lazarus taxon (plural ''taxa'') is a

taxon In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; : taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and ...

that disappears for one or more periods from the

fossil record A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

, only to appear again either in later fossil records, or as actual living organisms, and often in isolated, obscure, or otherwise very specialized habitats. Likewise in

conservation biology Conservation biology is the study of the conservation of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an i ...

and

ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...

, it can refer to species or populations that were mistakenly thought to be extinct, and are rediscovered to be still living. The term Lazarus taxon was coined by Karl W. Flessa and David Jablonski in 1983 and was then expanded by Jablonski in 1986. Paul Wignall and

Michael Benton Michael James Benton (born 8 April 1956) is a British palaeontologist, and professor of vertebrate paleontology, vertebrate palaeontology in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol. His published work has mostly concentrated on ...

defined Lazarus taxa as, "At times of biotic crisis many taxa go extinct, but others only temporarily disappeared from the fossil record, often for intervals measured in millions of years, before reappearing unchanged". Earlier work also supports the concept though without using the name Lazarus taxon, like work by Christopher R. C. Paul. The term refers to the story in the Christian biblical

Gospel of John The Gospel of John () is the fourth of the New Testament's four canonical Gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "Book of Signs, signs" culminating in the raising of Lazarus (foreshadowing the ...

, in which

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

raised Lazarus from the dead.

Potential explanations

Lazarus taxa are observational artifacts that appear to occur either because of (local)

extinction Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

, later resupplied, or as a sampling artifact. The

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

record is inherently sporadic (only a very small fraction of organisms become fossilized, and an even smaller fraction are discovered before destruction) and contains gaps not necessarily caused by extinction, particularly when the number of individuals in a taxon is very low. After

mass extinction An extinction event (also known as a mass extinction or biotic crisis) is a widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth. Such an event is identified by a sharp fall in the diversity and abundance of multicellular organisms. It occ ...

s, such as the

Permian–Triassic extinction event The Permian–Triassic extinction event (also known as the P–T extinction event, the Late Permian extinction event, the Latest Permian extinction event, the End-Permian extinction event, and colloquially as the Great Dying,) was an extinction ...

, the Lazarus effect occurred for many taxa. However, there appears to be no link with the abundance of fossiliferous sites and the proportion of Lazarus taxa, and no missing taxa have been found in potential refuges. Therefore, reappearance of Lazarus taxa probably reflects the rebound after a period of extreme rarity during the aftermath of such extinctions.

Related but distinct concepts

Fossil_record_gaps_-_animals_with_hard_body_parts

An Elvis taxon is a look-alike that has supplanted an extinct taxon through

convergent evolution Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last comm ...

. A zombie taxon is a taxon that contains specimens that have been collected from strata younger than the extinction of the taxon. Later such fossils turn out to be freed from the original seam and refossilized in a younger sediment. For example, a

trilobite Trilobites (; meaning "three-lobed entities") are extinction, extinct marine arthropods that form the class (biology), class Trilobita. One of the earliest groups of arthropods to appear in the fossil record, trilobites were among the most succ ...

that gets eroded out of its Cambrian-aged limestone matrix, and reworked into

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

-aged siltstone. A ghost lineage is a pronounced gap in time for the fossil record of a group, indicating that the group continued evolving throughout the gap, without direct fossil evidence from within the gap. Lazarus taxa are a type of ghost lineage where extinction was originally assumed to occur within the gap, only for younger fossils or surviving members of the group to indicate otherwise. A

living fossil A living fossil is a Deprecation, deprecated term for an extant taxon that phenotypically resembles related species known only from the fossil record. To be considered a living fossil, the fossil species must be old relative to the time of or ...

is an

extant taxon Neontology is a part of biology that, in contrast to paleontology, studies and deals with living (or, more generally, '' recent'') organisms. It is the study of extant taxa (singular: extant taxon): taxa (such as species, genera and families) w ...

that appears to have changed so little compared with fossil remains, that it is considered identical. Living fossils may occur regularly in the fossil record, such as the lampshell '' Lingula'', though the living species in this genus are not identical to fossil

brachiopods Brachiopods (), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, while the fron ...

. Other living fossils however are also Lazarus taxa if these have been missing from the fossil record for substantial periods of time, such as applies for

coelacanth Coelacanths ( ) are an ancient group of lobe-finned fish (Sarcopterygii) in the class Actinistia. As sarcopterygians, they are more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods (the terrestrial vertebrates including living amphibians, reptiles, bi ...

s. In paleovirology, divergent clades of genomic elements from presumably extinct viruses are often known only from host genomes. However, in some cases extant viruses have later been associated with these "fossil" elements, indicating Lazarus-like taxa. For example, a clade of paleoviruses from presumed extinct filoviruses found in shrews was later found to contain an extant filovirus (Tapajós virus, TAPV). Finally, the term "Lazarus species" is applied to organisms that have been rediscovered as being still alive after having been widely considered extinct for years, without ever having appeared in the fossil record. In this last case, the term Lazarus taxon is applied in

neontology Neontology is a part of biology that, in contrast to paleontology, studies and deals with living (or, more generally, '' recent'') organisms. It is the study of extant taxa (singular: extant taxon): taxa (such as species, genera and families) wi ...

Reappearing fossil taxa

From Quaternary (2.6 to 0 million years ago)

Bush dog The bush dog (''Speothos venaticus'') is a canine found in Central and South America. In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare in most areas except in Suriname, Guyana and Peru; it was first described by Peter Wilhelm Lund from fossils ...

(''Speothos venaticus''), last surviving species of the genus '' Speothos''; first described as an extinct taxon in 1842 by

Peter Wilhelm Lund Peter Wilhelm Lund (14 June 1801 – 25 May 1880) was a Danish Brazilian paleontologist, zoologist, and archeology, archeologist. He spent most of his life working and living in Brazil. He is considered the father of Brazilian paleontology as wel ...

, based on fossils uncovered from

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

ian caves; Lund found and described living specimens in 1843 without realizing they were of the same species as the fossils, dubbing the living bush dogs as members of the genus "''Icticyon''"; this was not corrected until some time in the 20th century. *

Chacoan peccary The Chacoan peccary or ''tagua'' (''Catagonus wagneri'' or ''Parachoerus wagneri'') is the last extant species of the genus ''Catagonus''; it is a peccary found in the Gran Chaco of Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina. Approximately 3,000 remain i ...

(''Catagonus wagneri''), last surviving species of the genus ''Catagonus''; believed to be the closest living relative to the extinct genus ''Platygonus''. First described as extinct in 1930 as fossils; live specimens found in 1974. *

False killer whale The false killer whale (''Pseudorca crassidens'') is a species of oceanic dolphin that is the only extant representative of the genus ''Pseudorca''. It is found in oceans worldwide but mainly in tropical regions. It was first species descriptio ...

, first described by the British paleontologist and biologist Richard Owen based on a skull discovered in 1843 found in Stamford, Lincolnshire in England and dated to the Middle Pleistocene around 126,000 years ago. The first carcasses washed up on the shores of Kiel Bay in Denmark in 1861; until this point the species was thought to be extinct. * Bulmer's fruit bat (''Aproteles bulmerae''), originally described from a Pleistocene garbage pile, it was subsequently discovered alive elsewhere in its native New Guinea. * The arboreal chinchilla rats ('' Cuscomys'' spp.), which were originally described based on a single species ('' Cuscomys oblativus'') known only from archaeological remains discovered in ancient

Inca The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

tombs described in 1912 and believed to be extinct for almost a century. A second species ('' Cuscomys ashaninka'') was discovered alive in Peru in 1999, and photographs taken at

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain ridge at . Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is the most familiar icon of the Inca Empire. It is located in the ...

in 2009 suggest that ''C. oblativus'' is still alive as well. * Majorcan midwife toad (''Alytes muletensis''), in the family Alytidae, described from fossil remains in 1977, discovered alive in 1979. *'' Cymatioa cookae,'' a small bivalve mollusk of family Galeommatidae; originally documented in 1937 from

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

fossil specimens near

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, then living specimens discovered in 2018 on the coast of Santa Barbara. * Mountain pygmy possum (''Burramys parvus''), first discovered in the fossil record in 1895; rediscovered alive in 1966. *'' Calliostoma bullatum'', a species of deepwater

sea snail Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...

; originally described in 1844 from fossil specimens in deep-water coral-related sediments from southern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, until extant individuals were described in 2019 from deep-water coral reefs off the coast of

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

From Neogene (23 to 2.6 million years ago)

* Nightcap oak ('' Eidothea hardeniana'' and '' Eidothea zoexylocarya''), representing a genus previously known only from fossils 15 to 20 million years old, were recognized in 2000 and 1995, respectively. * '' Gracilidris'', a genus of dolichoderine

ant Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...

s thought to have gone extinct 15–20 million years ago was found in

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

, and

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

and redescribed in 2006. *

Laotian rock rat The Laotian rock rat or ''kha-nyou'' (''Laonastes aenigmamus'', Lao: ຂະຍຸ), sometimes called the "rat-squirrel", is a species of rodent found in the Khammouan region of Laos. The species was first described in a 2005 article by Paulina ...

(''Laonastes aenigmamus''), a member of a family (

Diatomyidae Diatomyidae is a family of hystricomorph rodents. It is represented by a single living species, '' Laonastes aenigmamus,'' native to Laos in Southeast Asia. Fossil species are known from the Oligocene and Miocene of Asia and eastern Europe. "La ...

) thought to have gone extinct 11 million years ago; found in 1996. *

Monito del monte The monito del monte (''Dromiciops gliroides''), or colocolo opossum, is a diminutive species of marsupial native only to south-western South America (Argentina and Chile). It is the only extant species in the ancient order Microbiotheria, and ...

(''Dromiciops''), sole surviving member of the order Microbiotheria; first described in 1894, thought to have gone extinct 11 million years ago. *''

Submyotodon ''Submyotodon'' is a genus of vespertilionid bats, published as a new taxon in 2003 to describe a Miocene fossil species. Extant species and subspecies previously included in ''Myotis'' were later transferred to this genus. Species in this genus ...

'', a genus of

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

originally known from a single fossil species ('' S. petersbuchensis'') described in 2003 from the

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, about 11 to 16 million years ago. In 2015, a phylogenetic analysis of bats from

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

found three species previously classified in ''

Myotis The mouse-eared bats or myotises are a diverse and widespread genus (''Myotis'') of bats within the family Vespertilionidae. The noun "''myotis''" itself is a Neo-Latin construction, from the Greek "''muós'' (meaning "mouse") and "''oûs''" ( ...

'' ('' M. caliginosus'', '' M. latirostris'', and '' M. moupinensis'') to be wholly distinct from any other member of ''Myotis'', and instead more closely allied to the fossil ''Submyotodon'', and thus reclassified them in ''Submyotodon'', making the genus extant once more. * Dawn redwood (''Metasequoia''), a genus of

conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

, described as a fossil in 1941, rediscovered alive in 1944. * Wollemi pine (''Wollemia''), a genus of coniferous tree in the family Araucariaceae; previously known only from fossils from 2 to 90 million years ago, rediscovered in 1994.

From Paleogene (66 to 23 million years ago)

* '' Lignobrycon'', a

characiform Characiformes is an order of Actinopterygii, ray-finned fish, comprising the characins and their allies. Grouped in 18 recognized families, more than 2000 different species are described, including the well-known piranha and tetras.; Buckup P.A ...

fish from southern Brazil, was originally described from well-preserved fossil remains from the late

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

in 1929. In 1998, the extant fish "''Moojenichthys''" ''myersi'', described in 1956, was identified as belonging to the same genus as the fossil ''Lignobrycon''.

From Cretaceous (145 to 66 million years ago)

Coelacanth Coelacanths ( ) are an ancient group of lobe-finned fish (Sarcopterygii) in the class Actinistia. As sarcopterygians, they are more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods (the terrestrial vertebrates including living amphibians, reptiles, bi ...

(''Latimeria''), a member of a subclass (

Actinistia Coelacanths ( ) are an ancient group of lobe-finned fish (Sarcopterygii) in the class Actinistia. As sarcopterygians, they are more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods (the terrestrial vertebrates including living amphibians, reptiles, bi ...

) thought to have gone extinct 66 million years ago; live specimens found in 1938. * '' Alavesia'', a genus of Atelestid fly, originally discovered as a fossil in amber over 100 million years old in 1999, living species found in Namibia in 2010.

From Devonian (419 to 359 million years ago)

Monoplacophora Shell of Monoplacophora Monoplacophora , meaning "bearing one plate", is a polyphyletic class of molluscs with a cap-like shell, inhabiting deep sea environments. Extant representatives were not recognized as such until 1952; previously they wer ...

, a class of

molluscs Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...

believed to have gone extinct in the middle

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...

Period (c. 380 million years ago) until living members were discovered in deep water off Costa Rica in 1952.

From Cambrian (539 to 485 million years ago)

* '' Schinderhannes bartelsi'', an extinct Devonian member of the order

Radiodonta Radiodonta is an extinct Order (biology), order of stem-group arthropods that was successful worldwide during the Cambrian period. Radiodonts are distinguished by their distinctive frontal appendages, which are morphologically diverse and were u ...

. The discovery of its fossils in Devonian was astonishing because previously, radiodonts were known only from the

Cambrian The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordov ...

, 100 million years earlier. * It was discovered that the living genus '' Rhabdopleura'' is an extant

graptolite Graptolites are a group of colonial animals, members of the subclass Graptolithina within the class Pterobranchia. These filter-feeding organisms are known chiefly from fossils found from the Middle Cambrian ( Miaolingian, Wuliuan) through t ...

, which was previously known from the

Middle Cambrian Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek (di ...

through the Lower Carboniferous.

Reappearing IUCN red list species

Plants

* '' Afrothismia pachyantha,'' in the family

Burmanniaceae Burmanniaceae is a family of flowering plants, consisting of 99 species of herbaceous plants in eight genera. Description These plants are annual or perennial herbs, with generally unbranched stems, some lacking leaves. Some members of this fam ...

; first discovered in 1905, rediscovered in 1995. * '' Stenostomum tomentosum'' (syn. ''Antirhea tomentosa''), in the family

Rubiaceae Rubiaceae () is a family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with Petiole ( ...

; first discovered in 1780, rediscovered in 1975. * '' Asplundia clementinae,'' a species of plant in the family Cyclanthaceae. * '' Astragalus nitidiflorus'' * '' Badula platyphylla,'' a species of plant in the family

Primulaceae The Primulaceae ( ), commonly known as the primrose family (but not related to the Onagraceae, evening primrose family), are a family (biology), family of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous and woody flowering plants including some favourite garden pla ...

. * Blunt chaff flower (''Achyranthes mutica''), a species of plant in the family

Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae ( ) is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus '' Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, maki ...

. * '' Bulbophyllum filiforme,'' a species of

epiphytic An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

plant in the family

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family (biology), family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan plants that ...

; first botanically described in 1895. * '' Bulbostylis neglecta,'' an endemic member of the family

Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae () are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as wikt:sedge, sedges. The family (biology), family is large; botanists have species description, described some 5,500 known species in about 90 ...

; first collected in 1806, rediscovered in 2008. * Café marron (''Ramosmania rodriguesii''), thought extinct in the 1950s, but rediscovered in 1980. * '' Camellia piquetiana'', in the family

Theaceae Theaceae (), the tea family, is a family of flowering plants comprising shrubs and trees, including the economically important tea plant, and the ornamental camellias. It can be described as having from seven to 40 genera, depending on the sour ...

; discovered in the 19th century, rediscovered in 2003. * Climbing alsinidendron (''Alsinidendron viscosum''), in the family

Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family (biology), family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranth ...

. * '' Coffea stenophylla'' * '' Cyanea dunbariae,'' in the

bellflower family The family (biology), family Campanulaceae (also bellflower family), of the order (biology), order Asterales, contains nearly 2400 species in 84 genus, genera of herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plant, plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees ...

; rediscovered in 1992. * '' Cyanea kuhihewa'' * '' Cyanea procera,'' in the bellflower family. * Pygmy goosefoot (''Dysphania pusilla''), thought extinct since 1959, but rediscovered in 2015. * '' Eidothea hardeniana'' (Nightcap oak) * '' Eugenia bojeri,'' a species of plant in the family

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae (), the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All ...

. * '' Euphrasia arguta'', a plant from the genus ''

Euphrasia ''Euphrasia'', or eyebright, is a genus of about 215 species of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants in the family (biology), family Orobanchaceae (formerly included in the Scrophulariaceae), with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are P ...

'', in the family

Orobanchaceae Orobanchaceae, the broomrapes, is a family (biology), family of mostly parasitic plants of the order (biology), order Lamiales, with about 90 genus, genera and more than 2000 species. Many of these genera (e.g., ''Pedicularis'', ''Rhinanthus'', ...

; thought extinct since 1904, rediscovered 2008. * Franciscan manzanita (''Arctostaphylos hookeri''), thought to be extinct in the wild since 1942, rediscovered in 2009. * Furbish's lousewort (''Pedicularis furbishiae''), Canadian species identified as an extinct species in 1880, rediscovered in the 1970s. * '' Hibiscadelphus woodii'', a species of flowering plant in the family

Malvaceae Malvaceae (), or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include Theobroma cacao, cacao, Cola (plant), cola, cotton, okra, Hibiscus sabdariffa, ...

, declared extinct in 2016, and rediscovered three years later. * Jellyfish tree (''Medusagyne oppositifolia''), the only member of the genus ''Medusagyne'', of the family

Ochnaceae Ochnaceae is a Family (biology), family of flowering plants in the Order (biology), order Malpighiales.Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. ''Flowering Plant Families of the World''. Firefly Books: Ontario, Can ...

; thought extinct until 1970. * '' Mammillaria schwarzii,'' a species of plant in the family

Cactaceae A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

; thought to be extinct for some time, until rediscovered in 1987. * '' Ligusticum albanicum'' * '' Medemia argun'' in the family

Arecaceae The Arecaceae () is a family (biology), family of perennial plant, perennial, flowering plants in the Monocotyledon, monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbing palm, climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly k ...

, it is the only species in the genus ''Medemia''. * '' Metasequoia'' (Dawn redwood) * Mount Diablo buckwheat (''Eriogonom truncatum''), in the family

Polygonaceae The Polygonaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants known Common name, informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The Botanical name, name is Basionym, based on the genus ''Polygonum'', ...

; thought to be extinct around 1935, but found again in 2005, then again in 2016. * '' Madhuca diplostemon'', a tree in the family

Sapotaceae 240px, '' Madhuca longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' in Narsapur, Medak district, India The Sapotaceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to the order (biology)">order Ericales">family (biology)">family of flowering plants belonging to th ...

; first collected in 1835, rediscovered in 2019. * Pernambuco holly ''(Ilex sapiiformis)'', native to the Atlantic Forest of

and not seen since 1837; rediscovered in Igarassu, Pernambuco in 2023. * '' Pittosporum tanianum'', a species of plant in the family

Pittosporaceae Pittosporaceae is a family of flowering plants that consists of 200–240 species of trees, shrubs, and lianas in 9 genera. Habitats range from tropical to temperate climates of the Afrotropical, Indomalayan, Oceanian, and Australasian r ...

. * '' Ranunculus mutinensis'' * '' Rhaphidospora cavernarum'', a plant species in the family

Acanthaceae Acanthaceae () is a Family (biology), family (the acanthus family) of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species. Most are Tropics, tropical Herbaceous plant, herbs, shrubs, or twining vines; some are epip ...

; thought to be extinct since 1873, but relocated in 2008. * She cabbage tree (''Lachanodes arborea'') a small tree in the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

. * Sicilian fir (''Abies nebrodensis''), in the family

Pinaceae The Pinaceae (), or pine family, are conifer trees or shrubs, including many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as Cedrus, cedars, firs, Tsuga, hemlocks, Pinyon_pine, piñons, larches, pines and spruces. The family is incl ...

. * '' Takhtajania perrieri,'' a genus of flowering plants in the family

Winteraceae Winteraceae is a primitive family of tropical trees and shrubs including 93 species in five genera. It is of particular interest because it is such a primitive angiosperm family, distantly related to Magnoliaceae, though it has a much more south ...

; first collected in 1909, rediscovered, and reclassified multiple times between 1963 and 1997. * '' Turbinicarpus gielsdorfianus,'' a species of plant in the family Cactaceae. * Virginia round-leaf birch (''Betula uber''), a rare species of tree in the

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

family; first discovered in 1914, thought to be extinct until 1975 * Yellow fatu (''Abutilon pitcairnense''), a species of plant in the family

. The plant was once considered extinct until 2003. * York groundsel, a daisy native to

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

, England that disappeared by 2000, seeds were rediscovered in the Millenium Seed Bank and were replanted in 2023.

Cultivars

* Judean date palm, a distinct cultivar of date palm that disappeared around the 14th century, seeds dated from between 155 BC to 64 AD were found in the 1960s and were replanted in 2005. * Montreal melon, a common commercial plant in the 19th century that disappeared in the 1920s but was rediscovered after a couple of generations in a

seed bank A seed bank (also seed banks, seeds bank or seed vault) stores seeds to preserve genetic diversity; hence it is a type of gene bank. There are many reasons to store seeds. One is to preserve the genes that plant breeders need to increase yield, ...

in 1996, replanted in 2024.

Fungi

* Big puma fungus ''(Austroomphaliaster nahuelbutensis)'', seen once in the wild in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

in the 1980s, rediscovered in 2023.

Sponges

* Neptune's Cup (''Cliona patera''), a species of

demosponge Demosponges or common sponges are sponges of the class Demospongiae (from + ), the most diverse group in the phylum Porifera which include greater than 90% of all extant sponges with nearly 8,800 species A species () is often de ...

in the family

Clionaidae Clionaidae is a family of ectoparasitic demosponges which are found worldwide. This group of sponges are well known for boring holes in calcareous material such as mollusc shells and coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the ...

; thought to be extinct from overharvesting in 1908, rediscovered in 2011.

Annelids

* Hirudobdella antipodum ('' Hirudobdella antipodum''), a species of

leech Leeches are segmented parasitism, parasitic or Predation, predatory worms that comprise the Class (biology), subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the Oligochaeta, oligochaetes, which include the earthwor ...

endemic to Open Bay Islands of

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. The species was thought to have gone extinct in 1969 due to the introduced

weka The weka, also known as the Māori hen or woodhen (''Gallirallus australis'') is a flightless bird species of the rail family. It is endemic to New Zealand. Some authorities consider it as the only extant member of the genus '' Gallirallus''. ...

until its rediscovery in 1987. * Giant Palouse earthworm ('' Driloleirus americanus''), a species of

earthworm An earthworm is a soil-dwelling terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. The term is the common name for the largest members of the class (or subclass, depending on the author) Oligochaeta. In classical systems, they we ...

belonging to the genus ''Driloleirus;'' thought extinct in the 1980s, but found again in 2006.

Insects

Lord Howe Island stick insect Dryococelus australis 10June2011 PalmNursery

* Lord Howe Island stick insect (''Dryococelus australis''); a species of stick insect in the family Phasmatodae; thought to be extinct by 1920, rediscovered in 2001. * Canterbury knobbed weevil (''Hadramphus tuberculatus''), in the family

Curculionidae The Curculionidae are a family of weevils, commonly called snout beetles or true weevils. They are one of the largest animal families with 6,800 genera and 83,000 species described worldwide. They are the sister group to the family Brentidae. Th ...

; first discovered in 1877, last seen in 1922 until it was rediscovered in 2004. * The cloaked bee ''( Pharohylaeus lactiferus)''; a bee in the subfamily Hylaeinae which had not been found since 1923 and was rediscovered in 2018. * '' Lestes patricia'', a species of

damselfly Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies (which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Epiprocta) but are usually smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the win ...

discovered in 1924. Only a single male specimen was collected during the discovery. The species was left unseen until 2020 where a colony of them was rediscovered. * '' Megachile pluto'', the world's largest bee. Not seen after 1858, when it was first collected, until it was rediscovered in 1981. * Dinosaur ant (''Nothomyrmecia macrops''), a rare genus of ants consisting of a single species, discovered in 1931, not seen again until 1977. * '' Petasida ephippigera'', a species of grasshopper in the family

Pyrgomorphidae Pyrgomorphidae is a family of grasshoppers in the order Orthoptera; it is the only family in the superfamily Pyrgomorphoidea. Pyrgomorphidae are found worldwide in tropical and warm temperate regions (though none are from US mainland), but the va ...

; thought to be extinct from 1900 until 1971, when a single male specimen was spotted, followed by a breeding pair shortly afterwards. * '' Schizodactylus inexspectatus'', a dune-inhabiting cricket from

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, known from a single specimen seen in 1901 and presumed extinct until it was found again in 2005. * Bone skipper fly (''Thyreophora cynophila''), in the family

Piophilidae The Piophilidae are a Family (biology), family of "true flies", in the Order (biology), order Diptera. The so-called cheese flies are the best-known members, but most species of the Piophilidae are scavengers in animal products, carrion, and fun ...

; first described (1794) and last seen in Central Europe (1850), before being photographed in Spain in 2009. * Pitt Island longhorn beetle (''Xylotoles costatus''), is a species of beetle in the family

Cerambycidae The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns (whose larvae are often referred to as roundheaded borers), are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characterized by anten ...

; last seen on

Pitt Island Pitt Island ( Moriori: , ) is the second largest island in New Zealand's Chatham Islands, with an area of . It lies about to the east of New Zealand's main islands, and about to the southeast of Chatham Island, from which it is separated by ...

in 1910, and found again on a nearby island in the

Chatham Islands The Chatham Islands ( ; Moriori language, Moriori: , 'Misty Sun'; ) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island, administered as part of New Zealand, and consisting of about 10 islands within an approxima ...

in 1987.

Crustaceans

* Short-tailed rain crayfish (''Ombrastacoides parvicaudatus'') * Sierra Leone river crab ''(Afrithelphusa leonensis)'', recorded from three specimens in

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

in 1955, and Afzelius's crab ''(Afrithelphusa afzelii)'', recorded from two specimens from before 1800 in Sierra Leone, both rediscovered in 2021 by biologist Pierre Mvogo Ndongo.

Arachnids

* '' Alopecosa fabrilis'' * Fagilde's trapdoor spider ''(Nemesia berlandi)'', first recorded from two specimens in 1931 in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, rediscovered in 2023.

Fish

* Batman River Loach, a loach species not seen since 1970s. Rediscovered in 2021. * Black kokanee (''Oncorhynchus nerka kawamurae''), a Japanese species of salmon in the family

Salmonidae Salmonidae (, ) is a family (biology), family of ray-finned fish, the only extant member of the suborder Salmonoidei, consisting of 11 extant genera and over 200 species collectively known as "salmonids" or "salmonoids". The family includes salmo ...

; believed extinct in 1940 after attempts at conservation seemingly failed. The species was rediscovered in Saiko Lake in 2010, having survived after prior conservation efforts had introduced it there.

Shark

* Smoothtooth blacktip shark (''Carcharhinus leiodon''), a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae; known only from a specimen caught in 1902, the shark was rediscovered at a fish market in 2008. *

Pondicherry shark The Pondicherry shark (''Carcharhinus hemiodon'') is an extremely rare species of requiem shark, in the family (biology), family Carcharhinidae. A small and stocky gray shark, it grows not much longer than and has a fairly long, pointed snout. ...

* Whitetip weasel shark * Flapnose houndshark * Ornate sleeper-ray *

Ganges shark The Ganges shark (''Glyphis gangeticus'') is a critically endangered species of requiem shark found in the Ganges River (Padma River) and the Brahmaputra River of India and Bangladesh. It is often confused with the more common bull shark (''Car ...

(''Glyphis gangeticus''), the world's sole freshwater shark found in the Ganges River and Brahmaputra River in India and Bangladesh; previously only known from three museum specimens caught in the early 19th century, but was rediscovered at a fish market in Mumbai in February 2016.

Amphibians

* Armoured frog (''Litoria lorica''), a species of frog in the family

Hylidae Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as " tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semiaquatic. Taxonomy and ...

; first discovered in 1976, until its rediscovery in 2008. * '' Ansonia latidisca'' (Sambas stream toad, Borneo rainbow toad) in the family

Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category Category, plural categories, may refer to: General uses *Classification, the general act of allocating things to classes/categories Philosophy * Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) * Category (Kant) * C ...

; first discovered in 1924, until its rediscovery in 2011. * Starry night toad (''Atelopus arsyecue''), not seen for over 30 years until rediscovery in 2019. * Painted frog (''Atelopus ebenoides marinkellei''), a species of true toad in the family Bufonidae, believed to be extinct since 1995, until it was rediscovered in 2006. * '' Atelopus ignescens'' (Jambato toad, Quito stubfoot toad), a species of toad in the family Bufonidae; thought to be extinct since its last recorded sighting in 1988, until its rediscovery in 2016. * '' Atelopus laetissimus,'' a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. * '' Atelopus longirostris'' * Mindo harlequin toad (''Atelopus mindoensis'') * San Lorenzo harlequin toad (''Atelopus nahumae''), a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. * '' Atelopus varius'' a toad endemic to the Talamancan montane forests, between Costa Rica and Panama. * Booroolong frog (''Ranoidea booroolongensis'') *

Hula painted frog The Hula painted frog (''Latonia nigriventer'') is a species of frog endemic to the Lake Hula marshes in northern Israel. It is the only living member of the genus '' Latonia,'' which is otherwise known from fossils from Europe spanning from th ...

(''Discoglossus nigriventer''), the only living member of the genus '' Latonia;'' thought to be extinct in the 1950s, until it was rediscovered in 2011. * American cinchona plantation treefrog (''Isthmohyla rivularis''), a rare species of frog in the family Hylidae; thought to have become extinct, until its rediscovery in 2007. * Bolivian Cochran frog (''Nymphargus bejaranoi''), not seen for over 18 years until its rediscovery in early 2020. * Black jumping salamander (''Ixalotriton niger''), a species of salamander in the family

Plethodontidae Plethodontidae, or lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. With over 500 species, lungless salamanders are by far the largest family of salamanders in terms of their diversity. Most species are native to the Western Hemisphere, from B ...

; believed to be extinct, until rediscovered in 2000 and again in 2006 and 2007. * '' Confusing rocket frog (Ectopoglossus confusus)'', thought to be extinct in 1989 until it was rediscovered in 2016. * Large-crested toad (''Incilius cristatus''), a critically endangered species of true toad in the family Bufonidae. * Majorcan midwife toad (''Alytes muletensis''), rediscovered in 1979 * '' Taudactylus rheophilus'' (northern tinker frog, tinkling frog), a species of frog in the family

Myobatrachidae Myobatrachidae, commonly known as Australian ground frogs or Australian water frogs, is a family of frogs found in Australia and New Guinea. Members of this family vary greatly in size, from species less than long, to the second-largest frog in ...

. * '' Philautus chalazodes'' (chalazodes bubble-nest frog, white-spotted bush frog or Günther's bush frog), a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae; no verifiable reports of this species, until its rediscovery in 2011. * Guttman's Stream frog (''Pulchrana guttmani'') * Sumatra toad (''Bufo sumatranus''), a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. * '' Telmatobufo venustus'', a species of frog in the family Calyptocephalellidae, not seen from 1899 until 1999. * '' Thorius minutissimus'', a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. * Jackson's climbing salamander ''(Bolitoglossa jacksoni)'', only recorded from mid-1970s in

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

, rediscovered in a 2017 expedition.

Mammals

* Attenborough's long-beaked echidna (''Zaglossus attenboroughi''), echidna species found in Cyclops Mountains of Papua New Guinea; formerly last seen in 1962 and believed to be possibly extinct, until it was recorded again in November 2023. * Bavarian pine vole (''Microtus bavaricus''), is a vole in the family

Cricetidae The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats, and New World rats and mice. At over 870 species, it is either the largest or second-largest family ...

; believed extinct in the 1960s, until it was rediscovered in 2000. *

Black-footed ferret The black-footed ferret (''Mustela nigripes''), also known as the American polecatHeptner, V. G. (Vladimir Georgievich); Nasimovich, A. A; Bannikov, Andrei Grigorovich; Hoffmann, Robert S. (2001)''Mammals of the Soviet Union''Volume: v. 2, pt. 1 ...

(''Mustela nigripes),'' a North American species presumed extinct in 1979 until it was rediscovered in 1981. A captive breeding program of the discovered ferrets successfully reintroduced the species into the wild. * Brazilian arboreal mouse (''Rhagomys rufescens''), a South American rodent species of the family Cricetidae; first described in 1886, was believed to be extinct for over one hundred years. * Bouvier's red colobus (''Piliocolobus bouvieri''), a species of colobus monkey rediscovered in 2015. * '' Onychogalea fraenata'' (Bridled nail-tail wallaby, bridled nail-tailed wallaby, bridled nailtail wallaby, bridled wallaby, merrin or flashjack), a vulnerable species of macropod; thought to be extinct since the last confirmed sighting in 1937, but rediscovered in 1973. * Caspian horse (''Equus ferus caballus''), previously only known from remains dating back to 3400 BC and

Persian art Persian art or Iranian art () has one of the richest art heritages in world history and has been strong in many media including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and sculpture. At different times, influences ...

, rediscovered in 1965. * '' Zyzomys pedunculatus'' (known by a variety of names, including central rock rat, central thick-tailed rock-rat, Macdonnell Range rock-rat, Australian native mouse, rat à grosse queue or rata coligorda), a single species of rodent in the family

Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are either the largest or second-largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 870 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. ...

; thought to be extinct in 1990 and 1994, until a reappearance in 2001 and in 2002, then the species went unrecorded until 2013. *

Cuban solenodon The Cuban solenodon or ''almiquí'' (''Atopogale cubana'') is a small, furry, shrew-like mammal endemic to Cuban moist forests, mountainous forests on Cuba. It is the monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Atopogale''. An elusive animal, it ...

(''Atopogale cubana''), thought to have been extinct until a live specimen was found in 2003. *

De Winton's golden mole De Winton's golden mole (''Cryptochloris wintoni'') is a species of mammal in the family Chrysochloridae. It is endemic to South Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical dry shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, and sandy shores. I ...

''(Cryptochloris wintoni)'', last seen in western

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

in 1937 until being rediscovered in 2023. * Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat, assumed extinct after discovery in 1974, but rediscovered in 2012. * Eastern black crested gibbon * Egyptian population of

spotted hyena The spotted hyena (''Crocuta crocuta''), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus ''Crocuta'', native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUC ...

(''Crocuta Crocuta''), presumed to have been

extirpated Local extinction, also extirpation, is the termination of a species (or other taxon) in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinctions. Local extinctions mark a chan ...

5000 years ago like most sub-Saharan fauna due to climate change, rediscovered in 2024 * Fernandina rice rat (''Nesoryzomys fernandinae''), thought extinct in 1996 (last seen 1980) but found again in the late 1990s. * Gilbert's potoroo (''Potorous gilbertii''), extremely rare Australian mammal presumed extinct from the 19th century until 1994. * Gould's mouse (''Pseudomys gouldii'') * Humboldt marten (''Martes caurina humboldtensis''), subspecies of the Pacific marten thought to be extinct until rediscovered in 1996 on remote camera traps in the Six Rivers National Forest in northern California. *

Julia Creek dunnart The Julia Creek dunnart (''Sminthopsis douglasi'') is a marsupial with a buffy brown upperside and white underside. This dunnart has a body length of 100–135 mm with a tail of 60–105 mm to make a total length of 160–240 mm ...

(''Sminthopsis douglasi''), thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the 1990s. * Miller's langur (''Presbytis canicrus''), presumed extinct 2004, rediscovered 2012. *

Leadbeater's possum Leadbeater's possum (''Gymnobelideus leadbeateri'') is a critically endangered Phalangeriformes, possum largely restricted to small pockets of Eucalyptus delegatensis, alpine ash, Eucalyptus regnans, mountain ash, and Eucalyptus pauciflora, sno ...

(''Gymnobelideus leadbeateri''), thought to be extinct until 1965. * Machu Picchu arboreal chinchilla rat (''Cuscomys oblativus''), believed extinct since the 1400s or 1500s, but rediscovered in 2009 near

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. *

Mahogany glider The mahogany glider (''Petaurus gracilis'') is an endangered gliding possumQueensland Museum The Queensland Museum Kurilpa is the state museum of Queensland, funded by the government, and dedicated to natural history, cultural heritage, science and human achievement. The museum currently operates from its headquarters and general museu ...

in 1989 found a living population. * New Guinea big-eared bat (''Pharotis imogene''), previously, the species was believed to have been extinct since 1890, when it was last spotted. In 2012, researchers realised that a female bat collected near Kamali was a member of this species. * New Holland mouse (''Pseudomys novaehollandiae''), described by George Waterhouse in 1843, it was re-discovered in

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a national park on the northern side of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The park is north of the Sydney central business district and generally comprises the land east of the Highway 1 (New South Wales ...

, north of Sydney, in 1967. * Omilteme cottontail (''Sylvilagus insonus''), a

cottontail rabbit Cottontail rabbits are in the ''Sylvilagus'' genus, which is in the family Leporidae. They are found in the Americas. Most ''Sylvilagus'' species have stub tails with white undersides that show when they retreat, giving them their characterist ...

only found in the Mexican state of

Guerrero Guerrero, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guerrero, is one of the 32 states that compose the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guerrero, 85 municipalities. The stat ...

, previously only known from the

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

specimens collected in 1904, rediscovered in 2025. * Philippine naked-backed fruit bat (''Dobsonia chapmani''), in 1996 the species was declared extinct by the IUCN, as none had been sighted since 1964, but the bat was rediscovered in 2000. * Pinatubo volcano mouse (''Apomys sacobianus)'' * Red-crested tree-rat ''(Santamartamys rufodorsalis)'', recorded from two specimens in

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (English: ''Snow-Covered Mountain Range of Saint Martha'') is an isolated mountain range in northern Colombia, separate from the Andes range that runs through the north of the country. Reaching an elevation of ...

range,

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

in 1898 and 1913; believed extinct until a specimen was photographed in the same location in 2011. * Roosevelt's muntjac (''Muntiacus rooseveltorum''), it was re-discovered in Xuan Lien Nature Reserve in Vietnam's Thanh Hoa province in 2014. * San Quintin kangaroo rat (''Dipodoys gravipes''), previously seen in 1986, feared extinct until rediscovery in 2017. * Santiago Galápagos mouse (''Nesoryzomys swarthi''), thought extinct and last recorded in 1906, but was rediscovered in 1997. * Short-footed Luzon tree rat (''Carpomys melanurus''), believed extinct since 1896, but rediscovered in 2008 on

Mount Pulag Mount Pulag (; ) is Luzon's highest peak at above sea level, List of mountains in the Philippines, third-highest mountain in the Philippines, and the List of islands by highest point, 26th-highest peak of an island on Earth. It is List of Ul ...

in northern

Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...

. * Somali sengi ''(Galegeeska revoilii)'', only recorded from specimens from

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

prior to 1968, rediscovered in nearby

Djibouti Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...

in 2020. * Tammar wallaby (''Macropus eugenii''), the mainland

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n subspecies was presumed extinct from 1925 until genetically matched with invasive wallabies in

in 1998. * Vietnam mouse-deer (''Tragulus versicolor''), last known from a specimen acquired from hunters in 1990, not seen again for nearly 30 years until multiple individuals were sighted with camera-trap photographs in a 2019 survey of prospective habitat. * Woolly flying squirrel (''Eupetaurus cinereus''), known only from pelts collected in

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

in the late 19th century, until live specimens were collected in the 1990s. * Wimmer's shrew (''Crocidura wimmeri''), believed extinct since 1976, but rediscovered in 2012 in

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and ...

. * Yellow-tailed woolly monkey (''Lagothrix flavicauda''), first described from furs in 1812, live specimens not discovered until 1926.

Reptiles

* Albany adder (''Bitis albanica''), rediscovered in 2016. * Arakan forest turtle (''Heosemys depressa''), last seen in 1908 but found again in 1994. * Cropan's boa (''Corallus cropanii''), endemic to the endangered Atlantic forest ecosystem of Brazil, rediscovered in 2017. * El Hierro giant lizard (''Gallotia simonyi''), rediscovered in 1974. * '' Erythrolamprus ornatus'' * Gray's monitor (''Varanus olivaceus''), described in 1845, and not seen again by scientists for 130 years. * La Gomera giant lizard (''Gallotia bravoana''), rediscovered in 1999. * La Palma giant lizard (''Gallotia auaritae''), thought to have been extinct since 1500, but rediscovered in 2007. * New Caledonian crested gecko (''Correlophus ciliatus'') rediscovered in 1994. * Rio Apaporis caiman * Short-nosed sea snake (''Aipysurus apraefrontalis''), rediscovered in 2015, after parting with their original habitat of the

Ashmore and Cartier Islands The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands is an uninhabited Australian States and territories of Australia#External territories, external territory consisting of four low-lying tropical islands in two separate reefs (Ashmore and Cartier), ...

for unknown reasons. * Terror skink (''Phoboscincus bocourti''), a 50-cm-long lizard, was previously known from a single specimen captured around 1870 and was long presumed extinct. In 2003, on a tiny islet, it was rediscovered. * Southern river terrapin (''Batagur affinis'') * Fernandina Island Galápagos tortoise (''Chelonoidis phantasticus''), only known from a single male specimen in 1906 and putative droppings and bite marks throughout the 20th century up to the 2010s. A female individual was rediscovered on the island on an expedition in 2019 for the

Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel focusing on the animal kingdom owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1 ...

show '' Extinct or Alive''. * Floreana giant tortoise (''Chelonoidis niger niger''), initially driven to extinction by 1850 due to overexploitation and introduction of invasive species. In 2012, several hybrids between the subspecies with Volcán Wolf giant tortoises were discovered on Isabela Island, allowing for a revival of the subspecies through backbreeding. * Voeltzkow's chameleon (''Furcifer voeltzkowi'') * Victorian grassland bearded dragon (''Tympanocryptis pinguicolla''), feared extinct since 1969, rediscovered in 2023

Birds

* Antioquia brushfinch (''Atlapetes blancae'') * Bahia tapaculo (''Eleoscytalopus psychopompus'') * Banggai crow (''Corvus unicolor''), not recorded since 1884/1885, confirmed with a photograph in 2008. * Beck's petrel (''Pseudobulweria beckii''), not seen between 1929 and 2007. * Berlepsch's parotia (''Parotia berlepschi'') *

Bermuda petrel The Bermuda petrel (''Pterodroma cahow'') is a gadfly petrel. Commonly known in Bermuda as the cahow, a name derived from its eerie cries, this nocturnal ground-nesting seabird is the national bird of Bermuda, pictured on Bermudian currency. Berm ...

or "cahow" (''Pterodroma cahow''), thought extinct since 1620 until 18 nesting pairs were found in 1951 on an uninhabited rock outcropping in Bermuda. Bermudian David B. Wingate has devoted his life to bringing the birds back, and in the 2011—12 breeding season they passed 100-pairs. * Grand Comoro scops-owl (''Otus pauliani'') * Black-browed babbler (''Malacocincla perspicillata'') * Black-naped pheasant pigeon (''Otidiphaps nobilis insularis''), only seen once in 1882 and was only known from artwork and the holotype specimen, rediscovered in 2022 on

Fergusson Island Fergusson Island is the largest island of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, in Papua New Guinea. It has an area of , and mostly consists of mountainous regions, covered by rain forests. There are three large volcanoes on the island. Fergusson Island ...

. * Blue-eyed ground dove (''Columbina cyanopis'') * Bruijn's brush-turkey (''Aepypodius bruijnii'') * Cebu flowerpecker (''Dicaeum quadricolor'') *

Chinese crested tern The Chinese crested tern (''Thalasseus bernsteini'') is a tern in the family Laridae. It is the county bird of Lienchiang County, Fuchien. Taxonomy It is most closely related to greater crested tern ''T. bergii'', and has hybridised with i ...

(''Thalasseus bernsteini''), feared extinct in the mid-late 20th century for over 6 decades until a small breeding colony was found in 2000. * Cone-billed tanager (''Conothraupis mesoleuca''), undetected from 1938 to 2003, but rediscovered in gallery forest in Emas National Park. * Cuban kite (''Chondrohierax wilsonii''), confirmed with a photograph in 2009. * Dusky starfrontlet (''Coeligena orina'') * Edwards's pheasant (''Lophura edwardii''), a

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

ese

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...

presumed extinct from 1928 until it was rediscovered in 1998. * Fiji petrel (''Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi''), first rediscovered on land in 1983, and at sea in 2009. * Forest owlet (''Heteroglaux blewitti''), assumed extinct in the 19th century, but rediscovered in central

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

in 1997. * Fuertes's parrot (''Hapalopsittaca fuertesi'') * Golden-fronted bowerbird (''Amblyornis flavifrons'') * Green broadbill (''Calyptomena viridis''), it was declared extinct since 1941 but it was rediscovered on June 27, 2021. * Gurney's pitta (''Hydrornis gurneyi'') * Jerdon's courser (''Rhinoptilus bitorquatus''), a

wader 245px, A flock of Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to foraging, ...

from

, assumed extinct until 1986. * Kaempfer's woodpecker (''Celeus obrieni''), a

ian woodpecker feared extinct after no specimen had been found since its discovery in 1926. Rediscovered in 2006. *

Kākāpō The kākāpō (; : ; ''Strigops habroptilus''), sometimes known as the owl parrot or owl-faced parrot, is a species of large, nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrot of the superfamily Strigopoidea. It is endemic to New Zealand. Kākāpō can be u ...

(''Strigops habroptilus'') * Large-billed reed-warbler (''Acrocephalus orinus''), a warbler rediscovered in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

in 2006, previous known only from a specimen collected in

in 1867. * Long-legged warbler (''Trichocichla rufa'') * Madagascar serpent eagle (''Eutriorchis astur''), rediscovered in 1993, sixty years since the previous sighting. * Madagascar pochard (''Aythya innotata''), thought extinct since 1991 until a small group were spotted in 2006. * Myanmar Jerdon's babbler (''Chrysomma altirostre altirostre''), last seen in 1941, rediscovered in 2015. * New Zealand storm-petrel (''Oceanites maorianus''), believed extinct from 1850 but sighted again in 2003. * Night parrot (''Pezoporus occidentalis''), extremely rare Australian bird presumed extinct from the 1880s until 1990. * Noisy scrub-bird (''Atrichornis clamosus'') * São Tomé fiscal (''Lanius newtoni'') * São Tomé grosbeak (''Neospiza concolor'') *

Short-tailed albatross The short-tailed albatross or Steller's albatross (''Phoebastria albatrus'') is a large rare seabird from the North Pacific. Although related to the other North Pacific albatrosses, it also exhibits behavioural and morphological links to the alb ...

(''Phoebastria albatrus'') * Silvery pigeon (''Columba argentina''), confirmed photographically in 2008. * Stresemann's bristlefront (''Merulaxis stresemanni'') * Táchira antpitta (''Grallaria chthonia''), a

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

n antpitta feared extinct since its discovery in 1956, but rediscovered in 2017 in

El Tamá National Park The El Tamá National Park () It is a protected area with the status of a national park that is located between the Andes and plains of Venezuela. It protects part of the Tamá Massif. It has an area of and is located in the states of Táchira (1 ...

. *

Takahē The South Island takahē (''Porphyrio hochstetteri'') is a Flightless bird, flightless swamphen indigenous to New Zealand and the largest living member of the Rail (bird), rail family. It is often known by the abbreviated name takahē, whic ...

(''Porphyrio hochstetteri''), assumed extinct in 1898 but found again in 1948. * Utila chachalaca (''Ortalis vetula deschauenseei''), subspecies of the plain chachalaca from

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

, not recorded between 1963 and 2000 and confirmed photographically in 2005. * White-winged guan (''Penelope albipennis'') * White-collared kite (''Leptodon forbesi'') * Worcester's buttonquail (''Turnix worcesteri'') * Yellow-eared parrot (''Ognorhynchus icterotis'') * Zapata rail (''Cyanolimnas cerverai'')

Molluscs

* '' Discus guerinianus'', a Madeiran land snail thought extinct in 1996 but found again in 1999. * Greater Bermuda land snail (''Poecilozonites bermudensis''), last recorded sighting made in the early 1970s, survey in 1988 and studies in 2000, 2002, and 2004 seemed to confirm extinction, rediscovered in City of Hamilton alleyway in 2014. * '' Elliptio nigella'' (recovery pearly mussel) * '' Endodonta christenseni'' * '' Medionidus walkeri'' * ''

Campanile A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

Discussions

Because its definition is ambiguous, some, like R. B. Rickards and A. J. Wright, reject the very concept of the Lazarus taxon. Rickards and Wright have questioned the usefulness of the concept, writing in "Lazarus taxa, refugia and relict faunas: evidence from graptolites" that anyone could argue that any gap in the fossil record could potentially be considered a Lazarus effect because the duration required for the Lazarus effect is not defined. They have argued that accurate plotting of biodiversity changes and

species abundance In ecology, local abundance is the relative representation of a species in a particular ecosystem. It is usually measured as the number of individuals found per sample. The ratio of abundance of one species to one or multiple other species livin ...

through time, coupled with an appraisal of their palaeobiogeography, is more important than using this title to categorize species.

Communication and education

The lack of public engagement around environmental issues has led conservationists to attempt newer communication strategies. One of them is the focus on positive messages, of which Lazarus species are an important part. One conservation outreach project that has focused exclusively on species rediscoveries is the Lost & Found project which aims to tell the stories of species once thought extinct but that were subsequently rediscovered.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lazarus Taxon 1983 neologisms Conservation biology Phylogenetics Ecology Gaps in the fossil record