Heritage Expeditions Plays Crucial Role in Professor Tim Flannery’s Rediscovery of a Marsupial Extinct for 6,000 years
Pioneering small-ship expedition cruise company Heritage Expeditions is proud to have played a crucial role in supporting legendary mammalogist, conservationist, author, scientist and longtime collaborator Professor Tim Flannery in the rediscovery of a marsupial previously thought to be extinct for the last 6 millennia.
Flannery, a regular special guest and guide with Heritage Expeditions said “it felt like I had travelled back in time” when he saw the first images of the Ring-tailed Glider (Tous ayamaruensis), a ‘Lazarus taxa’ (species that appears to have come back from the dead) known as Tous.
Tous’ discovery was more than a decade in the making for Flannery, and made possible by piecing together evidence gathered across the globe, including multiple voyages on Heritage Expeditions Indonesian Explorer expedition visiting Indonesia’s Misool Island, and connecting with the elders at Tomolol Village along with guest lecturing at the University of Papua’s Manokwari Campus.
“Heritage Expeditions played a crucial role in our project, I was also able to scout the coast along the PNG-Indonesian border, where fossils of Tous were found, and plan fieldwork there,” said Flannery.
“Given the remoteness of these regions, the cost involved in getting to them, and the other difficulties involved, I simply could not have undertaken this project without Heritage Expeditions.”
“Heritage Expeditions and their guests were foundation partners in a real scientific adventure, and I enjoyed sharing our new discoveries with them so much, often in real time, it was just unforgettable!” said Flannery.
He fondly recalls the moment he confirmed the rediscovered species, the nearest living relative of the Australian Greater Glider and first new genus of New Guinean marsupial described since 1937.
“I was on another Heritage Expeditions voyage at the time and gave a lecture that night that even had me excited,” he said.
Heritage Expeditions Commercial Director Aaron Russ, who was the Expedition Leader on all of Flannery’s voyages, said it was an honour and continuation of Heritage Expeditions own legacy of discovery, partnering with Flannery.
“Tim really is one of the world’s true explorers and it’s a real privilege to support and share these voyages of discovery with him and our guests,” said Aaron.
“This incredible rediscovery follows Tim and our guests discovering 11 new mammals species when we first visited Kofiau Island and my father Rodney’s work which included rediscovering the previously thought extinct Campbell Island Teal more than 50 years ago,” he said.
“This further highlights the value of expedition cruising and Heritage Expeditions’ commitment to exploring unknown regions in support of research and science,” said Aaron.
Flannery said Tous’ discovery suggests possible further scientific breakthroughs may lie in the dense jungles of Indonesia’s Vogelkop Peninsula, an ancient piece of the Australian continent.
“Its forests may shelter yet more hidden relics of a past Australia,” said Flannery.
(Heritage Expeditions Plays Crucial Role in Professor Tim Flannery’s Rediscovery of a Marsupial Extinct for 6,000 years)
