Overview

• Researchers formally describe Bettongia haoucharae from Nullarbor and southwest Australian cave subfossils, and report it is probably already extinct.
• The taxonomic revision also recognizes two living subspecies within the surviving woylie populations.
• Findings stem from measurements of skulls, teeth and bones across cave deposits and museum collections in Australia and the UK.
• The authors recommend combining fossil evidence with genetic tools to guide recovery efforts for the critically endangered marsupial.
• The team plans to collaborate with Indigenous Australians, including the Noongar people, on an appropriate name for the newly described species.