paleontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

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

taxon In biology, a taxon ( back-formation from '' taxonomy''; plural 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 n ...

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 later. Likewise in conservation biology and

ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overl ...

, it can refer to species or populations that were thought to be extinct, and are rediscovered. The term Lazarus taxon was coined by Karl W. Flessa & David Jablonski in 1983 and was then expanded by Jablonski in 1986. Paul Wignall and Michael Benton 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 ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...

, in which

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

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 a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed 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 preserved ...

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 change in the diversity and abundance of multicellular organisms. I ...

s, such as the

Permian–Triassic extinction event The Permian–Triassic (P–T, P–Tr) extinction event, also known as the Latest Permian extinction event, the End-Permian Extinction and colloquially as the Great Dying, formed the boundary between the Permian and Triassic geologic periods, as ...

, 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

Elvis taxon In paleontology, an Elvis taxon (plural ''Elvis taxa'') is a taxon that has been misidentified as having re-emerged in the fossil record after a period of presumed extinction, but is not actually a descendant of the original taxon, instead having de ...

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 com ...

. A

zombie taxon In paleontology, a zombie taxon (plural ''zombie taxa'') or the zombie effect refers to a fossil that was washed out of sediments and re-deposited in rocks and/or sediments millions of years younger. That basic mistake in the interpretation of th ...

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 lobes") are extinct marine arthropods that form the class Trilobita. Trilobites form one of the earliest-known groups of arthropods. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record defines the base of the ...

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

living fossil A living fossil is an extant taxon that cosmetically 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 origin of the extant clade. Living foss ...

is an

extant taxon Neontology is a part of biology that, in contrast to paleontology, 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) with membe ...

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 trochozoan 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, wh ...

. 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 The coelacanths ( ) are fish belonging to the order Actinistia that includes two extant species in the genus ''Latimeria'': the West Indian Ocean coelacanth (''Latimeria chalumnae''), primarily found near the Comoro Islands off the east coast ...

s. 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, 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) with members st ...

Reappearing fossil taxa

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 identified by Peter Wilhelm Lund from fossi ...

(''Speothos venaticus''), last surviving species of the genus ''

Speothos ''Speothos'' is a genus of canid found in Central and South America. The genus includes the living bush dog, '' Speothos venaticus'', and an extinct Pleistocene species, '' Speothos pacivorus''. Unusually, the fossil species was identified and ...

''; first described as an extinct taxon in 1842 by

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

, based on fossils uncovered from

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

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 (''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. *

Coelacanth The coelacanths ( ) are fish belonging to the order Actinistia that includes two extant species in the genus ''Latimeria'': the West Indian Ocean coelacanth (''Latimeria chalumnae''), primarily found near the Comoro Islands off the east coast ...

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

Actinistia The coelacanths ( ) are fish belonging to the order Actinistia that includes two extant species in the genus ''Latimeria'': the West Indian Ocean coelacanth (''Latimeria chalumnae''), primarily found near the Comoro Islands off the east coast ...

) thought to have gone extinct 66 million years ago; live specimens found in 1938. *

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 described in 184 ...

, 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. * Nightcap oak (''

Eidothea hardeniana ''Eidothea hardeniana'', commonly named nightcap oak, is a species of tree, up to 40 m (130 ft) tall, of the plant family Proteaceae, which botanist Robert Kooyman recognised as a new species only recently in 2002. It is found only in ...

'' 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 eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of ...

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

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

, and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

and redescribed in 2006. * '' 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. *

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. "Laz ...

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

chinchilla rat Chinchilla rats or ''chinchillones'' are members of the family Abrocomidae. This family has few members compared to most rodent families, with only nine known living species. They resemble chinchillas in appearance, with a similar soft fur and ...

s ('' 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 (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

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 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. *

Dawn redwood ''Metasequoia glyptostroboides'', the dawn redwood, is a fast-growing, endangered deciduous conifer. It is the sole living species of the genus ''Metasequoia'', one of three genera in the subfamily Sequoioideae of the family Cupressaceae. It now ...

(''Metasequoia''), a genus of conifer, described as a fossil in 1941, rediscovered alive in 1944. *

Monito del monte The monito del monte or colocolo opossum, ''Dromiciops gliroides'', also called ''chumaihuén'' in Mapudungun, is a diminutive marsupial native only to southwestern South America (Argentina and Chile). It is the only extant species in the ancient ...

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

Bulmer's fruit bat Bulmer's fruit bat (''Aproteles bulmerae'') is a megabat endemic to New Guinea. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to habitat loss and hunting. It is the only member of the genus ''Aproteles''. Due to its imperiled status, it is ...

(''Aproteles bulmerae''), originally described from a Pleistocene garbage pile, it was subsequently discovered alive elsewhere in its native New Guinea. Fossil_record_gaps_-_animals_with_hard_body_parts

Fossil_record_gaps_-_animals_with_hard_body_parts

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

, a class of

molluscs Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is estim ...

believed to have gone extinct in the middle Devonian Period (c. 380 million years ago) until living members were discovered in deep water off Costa Rica in 1952. *

Mountain pygmy possum The mountain pygmy possum (''Burramys parvus''); also simply known as the burramys, is a small, mouse-sized (weighs ) nocturnal marsupial of Australia found in dense alpine rock screes and boulder fields, mainly southern Victoria and around Moun ...

(''Burramys parvus''), first discovered in the fossil record in 1895; rediscovered alive in 1966. * ''

Schinderhannes bartelsi ''Schinderhannes bartelsi'' is a species of hurdiid radiodont (anomalocaridid) known from one specimen from the lower Devonian Hunsrück Slates. Its discovery was astonishing because previously, radiodonts were known only from exceptionally well ...

'', a Devonian member of the order

Radiodonta Radiodonta is an extinct order of stem-group arthropods that was successful worldwide during the Cambrian period. They may be referred to as radiodonts, radiodontans, radiodontids, anomalocarids, or anomalocaridids, although the last two origina ...

, previously known only from Cambrian fossils, 100 million years earlier. *'' Submyotodon'', a genus of

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". 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 ...

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 is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, 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, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

and China 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 New Latin construction, from the Greek "''muós'' (meaning "mouse") and "''oûs''" (me ...

'' ('' 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. *

Wollemi pine ''Wollemia'' is a genus of coniferous trees in the family Araucariaceae. It was known only through fossil records until 1994, when the Australian species ''Wollemia nobilis'' was discovered in a temperate rainforest wilderness area of the Wollemi ...

(''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. *'' Calliostoma bullatum'', a species of deepwater sea snail; originally described in 1844 from fossil specimens in

deep-water coral The habitat of deep-water corals, also known as cold-water corals, extends to deeper, darker parts of the oceans than tropical corals, ranging from near the surface to the abyss, beyond where water temperatures may be as cold as . Deep-water co ...

-related sediments from southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

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

Reappearing IUCN red list species

Plants

500 x 300 Ramosmania rodriguesii (Rubiaceae)

* '' 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. * '' Antirhea tomentosa'', in the family

Rubiaceae The Rubiaceae are a 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 interpetiolar stipules a ...

; first discovered in 1780, rediscovered in 1975. * '' Asplundia clementinae,'' a species of plant in the family

Cyclanthaceae Cyclanthaceae is a family of flowering plants. Taxonomy Earlier systems, such as the Cronquist system and the Takhtajan system, placed it as the sole family in the order Cyclanthales. In the classification system of Dahlgren the Cyclanthaceae w ...

. * '' 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 evening primrose family), are a family of herbaceous and woody flowering plants including some favourite garden plants and wildflowers. Most are perennial though som ...

. * 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, making it ...

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

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a 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 epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

plant in the family

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

; first botanically described in 1895. * '' Bulbostylis neglecta,'' an endemic member of the family Cyperaceae; 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 of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactacea ...

. * ''

Coffea stenophylla ''Coffea stenophylla'', also known as highland coffee or Sierra Leone coffee, is a species of ''Coffea'' originating from West Africa. It is currently not commercially cultivated due to its low yield and small berries, which makes it inferior to ...

'' * '' Cyanea dunbariae,'' in the bellflower family; rediscovered in 1992. * '' Cyanea kuhihewa'' * '' Cyanea procera,'' in the bellflower family. * Pygmy goosefoot (''Dysphania pusilla''), thought extinct since 1959, but rediscovered in 2015. * ''

'' (Nightcap oak) * '' Eugenia bojeri,'' a species of plant in the family Myrtaceae. * '' Euphrasia arguta'', a plant from the genus ''

Euphrasia ''Euphrasia'', or eyebright, is a genus of about 450 species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae (formerly included in the Scrophulariaceae), with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are semi-parasitic on grasses and other ...

'', in the family

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

; 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 okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...

, declared extinct in 2016 and rediscovered three years later. *

Jellyfish tree ''Medusagyne oppositifolia'', the jellyfish tree, is a species of tree endemism, endemic to the island of Mahé, Seychelles, Mahé, of the Seychelles. It is the only member of the genus ''Medusagyne'' of the tropical tree and shrub family Ochna ...

(''Medusagyne oppositifolia''), the only member of the genus ''Medusagyne'', of the family

Ochnaceae Ochnaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Malpighiales.Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. ''Flowering Plant Families of the World''. Firefly Books: Ontario, Canada. (2007). . In the APG III syst ...

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

Cactaceae A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...

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

Medemia argun ''Medemia argun'' is a rare species of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) native to Egypt and Sudan. It is the only species in the genus ''Medemia''. The palm's dried dates have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Description ''Medemia argun' ...

'' in the family Arecaceae, it is the only species in the genus ''Medemia''. * ''

Metasequoia ''Metasequoia'', or dawn redwoods, is a genus of fast-growing deciduous trees, one of three species of conifers known as redwoods. The living species '' Metasequoia glyptostroboides'' is native to Lichuan county in Hubei province, China. Althou ...

'' (Dawn redwood) *

Mount Diablo buckwheat ''Eriogonum truncatum'', the Mount Diablo buckwheat, is a small pink wildflower, believed to have been extinct since 1936 until its rediscovery in 2005. The species is only known to live on Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County, northern Califor ...

(''Eriogonom truncatum''), in the family

Polygonaceae The Polygonaceae are a family of flowering plants known informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The name is based on the genus '' Polygonum'', and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1 ...

; 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 (biology), family of flowering plants belonging to the order (biology), order Ericales. The family includes about 800 species of ev ...

; first collected in 1835, rediscovered in 2019. * '' 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 realms. T ...

. * '' Ranunculus mutinensis'' * ''

Rhaphidospora cavernarum ''Rhaphidospora cavernarum'' is a plant species in the family Acanthaceae. The species was thought to be extinct in Queensland until rediscovered on Cape York, between Cooktown Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, ...

'', a plant species in the family

Acanthaceae Acanthaceae is a family (the acanthus family) of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species. Most are tropical herbs, shrubs, or twining vines; some are epiphytes. Only a few species are distributed in tem ...

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

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

. *

Sicilian fir ''Abies nebrodensis'', the Sicilian fir, is a fir native to the Madonie mountains in northern Sicily. Taxonomy It is closely related to silver fir, ''Abies alba'', which replaces it in the Apennine Mountains of Italy and elsewhere further no ...

(''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 cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces. The family is included in the order Pinales, formerly kn ...

. * '' 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 s ...

; first collected in 1909, rediscovered and reclassified multiple times between 1963–1997. * '' 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 ...

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.

Cultivars

Judean date palm The Judean date palm is a date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') grown in Judea. It is not clear whether there was ever a single distinct Judean cultivar, but dates grown in the region have had distinctive reputations for thousands of years, and the ...

, found as a seed dated from between 155 BC to 64 AD, replanted in 2005. * Montreal melon, a common plant in the 19th century that disappeared but was rediscovered after a couple of generations in 1996.

Sponges

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

demosponge Demosponges (Demospongiae) are the most diverse class in the phylum Porifera. They include 76.2% of all species of sponges with nearly 8,800 species worldwide (World Porifera Database). They are sponges with a soft body that covers a har ...

in the family

Clionaidae Clionaidae is a family of demosponges which are found worldwide. This family is known for parasitically boring holes in calcareous material such as mollusc shells and corals, using both chemical and mechanical processes.Brusca, R.C. & Brusca, G. ...

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

Annelids

Giant Palouse earthworm The giant Palouse earthworm or Washington giant earthworm (''Driloleirus americanus'', meaning ''lily-like worm'') is a species of earthworm belonging to the genus '' Driloleirus'' inhabiting the Palouse region of Eastern Washington and North Ida ...

('' Driloleirus americanus''), a species of

earthworm An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal segmentation; and they usually have setae on all segments. T ...

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

Insects

* Lord Howe Island stick insect (''Dryococelus australis''); a species of stick insect in the family Phasmatodae; thought to be extinct by 1930, rediscovered in 2001. * Canterbury knobbed weevil (''Hadramphus tuberculatus''), in the family Curculionidae; 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'' * ''

Megachile pluto ''Megachile pluto'', also known as Wallace's giant bee or (), is a large resin bee found in Indonesia. With a wingspan of it is the largest known living bee species. It was believed to be extinct until several specimens were discovered in 1981 ...

'', 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 ''Petasida ephippigera'' (Leichhardt's grasshopper) is a pyrgomorph grasshopper, in the monotypic genus ''Petasida'', native to tropical northern Australia. The species is named after Ludwig Leichhardt. It is known as alyurr in the Kundjeyhmi ...

'', 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, with a pan-tropical distribution. Their name is probably derived from ''pyrgos'' (Greek: ''Πύργος'') meaning "tow ...

; 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 ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

, 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 of "true flies", in the 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 fungi. They may accordingly be impo ...

; 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, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than ...

; last seen on

Pitt Island Pitt Island is the second largest island in the Chatham Archipelago, New Zealand. It is called ''Rangiauria'' in Māori and ''Rangiaotea'' in ''Moriori.Government of New Zealand, Dept. of Conservation (1999) Chatham IslandsConservation Managem ...

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

Chatham Islands The Chatham Islands ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island. They are administered as part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about te ...

in 1987.

Crustaceans

* Short-tailed rain crayfish (''Ombrastacoides parvicaudatus'')

Arachnids

* ''

Alopecosa fabrilis ''Alopecosa fabrilis'', known as the great fox-spider, is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It is predominantly found in Europe and was rediscovered in the United Kingdom in 2020 after being thought extinct. Description ''Alopeco ...

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 of ray-finned fish that constitutes the only currently extant family in the order Salmoniformes . It includes salmon (both Atlantic and Pacific species), trout (both ocean-going and landlocked), chars, freshwater whitefis ...

; believed extinct in 1940 after attempts at conservation seemingly failed. The species was rediscovered in

Lake Saiko A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

in 2010, having survived after prior conservation efforts had introduced it there.

Shark

Smoothtooth blacktip shark The smoothtooth blacktip shark (''Carcharhinus leiodon'') is a species of requiem shark in the family Carcharhinidae. It is known only from the type specimen caught from the Gulf of Aden, off eastern Yemen, and a handful of additional specimens ...

(''Carcharhinus leiodon''), a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 * Whitetip weasel shark *

Flapnose houndshark The flapnose houndshark (''Scylliogaleus quecketti'') is a houndshark of the family Triakidae, and the only member of the genus ''Scylliogaleus''. It is found in the waters off subtropical South Africa, in the western Indian Ocean between latit ...

* Ornate sleeper-ray

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 contains both species commonly called toads, and the true toads from the family Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category Category, plural categories, may refer to: Philosophy and general uses *Categorization, cat ...

; 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 frog (''Atelopus mindoensis'') * San Lorenzo harlequin frog (''Atelopus nahumae),'' a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. * '' Atelopus varius'' a toad endemic to the

Talamancan montane forests The Talamancan montane forests ecoregion, in the tropical moist broadleaf forest biome, are in montane Costa Rica and western Panama in Central America. Setting The Talamancan montane forests cover a discontinuous area of in Cordilleran mounta ...

, between Costa Rica and Panama. *

Booroolong frog The Booroolong frog (''Litoria booroolongensis'') is a species of stream-dwelling frog native to the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales, Australia. It is a member of the Hylidae, or the "tree frog" family. The Booroolong frog is classifie ...

(''Ranoidea booroolongensis'') * Hula painted frog (''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. Most species are native to the Western Hemisphere, from British Columbia to Brazil, although a few species are found in Sardinia, Europe south of the Alps, and South Korea. In ...

; believed to be extinct, until rediscovered in 2000 and again in 2006 and 2007. * '' Confusing rocket frog'' * Large-crested toad (''Bufo cristatus''), a critically endangered species of true toad in the family Bufonidae. * Majorcan midwife toad (Alytes muletensis) * '' 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 The Rhacophoridae are a family of frogs that occur in tropical sub-Saharan Africa, South India and Sri Lanka, Japan, northeastern India to eastern China and Taiwan, south through the Philippines and Greater Sundas, and Sulawesi. They are co ...

; 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 ''Telmatobufo venustus'' is a species of frog in the family Calyptocephalellidae. It is endemic to Chile and occurs on the western slopes of the Andes in Maule and Bío Bío Regions. Its natural habitats are streams in temperate ''Nothofagus'' ...

'', a species of frog in the family

Calyptocephalellidae The Calyptocephalellidae are a family of toads (although not true members of the Bufonidae) found in Chile containing two living genera, ''Calyptocephalella'' and '' Telmatobufo.'' The genus ''Calyptocephalella'' contains one living species, th ...

, not seen from 1899 until 1999. * '' Thorius minutissimus'', a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae.

Mammals

* 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 almost 608 species, it is the second-largest family of mammals, and h ...

; believed extinct in the 1960s, until it was rediscovered in 2000. * Black-footed ferret (''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 The Caspian is an Iranian breed of pony or small horse of Oriental type. The breed was created in 1965 by Louise Firouz, an American living in Iran, from a base stock of a small number of small horses found in the Elburz Mountains. In 2011 ...

(Khazar horse), thought to be descended from Mesopotamian horses; remains dating back to 3400 B.C.E, but it was rediscovered in the 1960s. * ''

Zyzomys pedunculatus The central rock rat (''Zyzomys pedunculatus''), also known as the central thick-tailed rock-rat, Macdonnell Range rock-rat, and Australian native mouse, is a Critically Endangered species of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Australia. De ...

'' (central rock rat, central thick-tailed rock-rat, Macdonnell Range rock-rat, Australian native mouse, rat à grosse queue or rata coligorda), a species of rodent in the family Muridae; 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 mountainous forests on Cuba. It is the only species in the genus ''Atopogale''. An elusive animal, it lives in burrows and is only active ...

(''Atopogale cubana''), thought to have been extinct until a live specimen was found in 2003. * Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat, assumed extinct after discovery in 1974, but rediscovered in 2012. *

Eastern black crested gibbon The eastern black-crested gibbon (''Nomascus nasutus''), also known as the Cao-vit black crested gibbon or the Cao-vit crested gibbon, is a species of gibbon from southeast China and northern Vietnam. The term "Cao-vit" originated from the sounds ...

* Fernandina rice rat (''Nesoryzomys fernandinae''), thought extinct in 1996 (last seen 1980) but found again in the late 1990s. *

Gilbert's potoroo Gilbert's potoroo or ngilkat (''Potorous gilbertii'') is Australia's most endangered marsupial, the rarest marsupial in the world, and one of the world's rarest critically endangered mammals, found in south-western Western Australia. It is a ...

(''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 The Pacific marten (''Martes caurina'') is a species of North American mammal, a member of the family Mustelidae. It is found throughout western North America. Taxonomy The species was formerly considered conspecific with the American 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 Miller's langur (''Presbytis canicrus''), also known as Miller's grizzled langur or Kutai grey langur, is a species of leaf monkey. It is endemic to East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. It is one of the world's most endangered ...

(''Presbytis canicrus''), presumed extinct 2004, rediscovered 2012. *

Leadbeater's possum Leadbeater's possum (''Gymnobelideus leadbeateri'') is a critically endangered possum largely restricted to small pockets of alpine ash, mountain ash, and snow gum forests in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia, north-east of Melbou ...

(''Gymnobelideus leadbeateri''), thought to be extinct until 1965. *

Machu Picchu arboreal chinchilla rat The Machu Picchu arboreal chinchilla rat (''Cuscomys oblativus'') is a large species of South American chinchilla rats, known from skeletal remains found by members of the Peruvian Expedition of 1912. The animals were buried alongside people in a ...

(''Cuscomys oblativus''), believed extinct since the 1400s or 1500s, but rediscovered in 2009 near Machu Picchu in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

. * Mahogany glider (''Petaurus gracilis''), described in 1883 and not recorded between 1886 and 1973. An expedition by the

Queensland Museum The Queensland Museum is the state museum of Queensland, dedicated to natural history, cultural heritage, science and human achievement. The museum currently operates from its headquarters and general museum in South Brisbane with specialist m ...

in 1989 found a living population. *

New Guinea big-eared bat The New Guinea big-eared bat or Papuan big-eared bat, (''Pharotis imogene''), is a vesper bat endemic to Papua New Guinea. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to ongoing habitat loss. It is the only known member of the genus ''Pha ...

(''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 The New Holland mouse (''Pseudomys novaehollandiae'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It was first described by George Waterhouse in 1843. It vanished from view for over a century before its rediscovery in Ku-ring-gai Chase Natio ...

(''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 M1 Pacific Motorway, sout ...

, North of Sydney, in 1967. *

Philippine naked-backed fruit bat The Philippine naked-backed fruit bat or Philippine bare-backed fruit bat (''Dobsonia chapmani'') is a megabat that mostly lives on Negros Island. Two small populations were also found on Cebu Island in the Philippines. Like other bare-backed fru ...

(''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 *

Roosevelt's muntjac A single specimen of the Roosevelt's muntjac or Roosevelt's barking deer (''Muntiacus rooseveltorum'') was presented to the Field Museum in 1929 following the Kelley-Roosevelts expedition organized by Theodore (Jnr) and Kermit Roosevelt. The ...

(''Muntiacus rooseveltorum''), it was re-discovered in Xuan Lien Nature Reserve in Vietnam's Thanh Hoa province in 2014. *

San Quintin kangaroo rat The San Quintin kangaroo rat (''Dipodomys gravipes'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Mexico, where it is known only from western Baja California. Its natural habitat includes arid lowlands with sparse vegetati ...

(''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 in northern

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

. *

Tammar wallaby The tammar wallaby (''Notamacropus eugenii''), also known as the dama wallaby or darma wallaby, is a small macropod native to South and Western Australia. Though its geographical range has been severely reduced since European colonisation, the ...

(''Macropus eugenii''), the mainland Australian subspecies was presumed extinct from 1925 until genetically matched with invasive wallabies in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

in 1998. *

Vietnam mouse-deer The Vietnam mouse-deer (''Tragulus versicolor''), also known as the silver-backed chevrotain, is an even-toed ungulate in the family Tragulidae known only from Vietnam. It was first described in 1910 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas, who ...

(''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 A camera trap is a camera that is automatically triggered by a change in some activity in its vicinity, like presence of an animal or a human being. It is typically equipped with a motion sensor – usually a passive infrared (PIR) sensor ...

photographs in a 2019 survey of prospective habitat. * Woolly flying squirrel (''Eupetaurus cinereus''), known only from pelts collected in

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

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. *

Yellow-tailed woolly monkey The yellow-tailed woolly monkey (''Lagothrix flavicauda'') is a New World monkey endemic to Peru. It is a rare primate species found only in the Peruvian Andes, in the departments of Amazonas and San Martin, as well as bordering areas of La L ...

(''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 The Arakan forest turtle (''Heosemys depressa'') is a critically endangered turtle species native to the Arakan Hills in western Myanmar and the bordering Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. The Arakan forest turtle is a semiterrestrial turt ...

(''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. * Cupola gecko (''Mokopirirakau cupola'') *

El Hierro giant lizard The El Hierro giant lizard (''Gallotia simonyi machadoi'') is a subspecies of lacertid (wall lizard) that can be found on the island of El Hierro, one of the Canary Islands. It is considered to be a subspecies of ''Gallotia simonyi'', Simony ...

(''Gallotia simonyi''), rediscovered in 1974. * ''

Erythrolamprus ornatus '' ornatus'', also known commonly as the ornate ground snake and the Saint Lucia racer, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to the eastern Caribbean. It is the rarest snake on earth with fewer than 20 left in ...

'' *

Gray's monitor The Gray's monitor (''Varanus olivaceus'') is a large (180 cm, >9 kg) monitor lizard known only from lowland dipterocarp forest in southern Luzon, Catanduanes, and Polillo Island, all islands in the Philippines. It is also known as Gr ...

(''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 for unknown reasons. *

Terror skink The terror skink (''Phoboscincus bocourti''), also called commonly Bocourt's terrific skink, Bocourt's eyelid skink and Bocourt's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Île des Pins (Isle of Pin ...

(''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 The southern river terrapin (''Batagur affinis'') is a turtle of the family Geoemydidae found in Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia. Subspecies *''Batagur affinis affinis'' *''Batagur affinis edwardmolli'' Decline Many Asian turtles are in dang ...

(''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 owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily ...

show ''

Extinct or Alive ''Extinct or Alive'' is an American wildlife documentary television programme produced for Animal Planet by Hot Snakes Media of New York City, the United States. It is hosted by conservationist and television personality Forrest Galante, who tra ...

''. * Voeltzkow's chameleon (''Furcifer voeltzkowi'')

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 Beck's petrel (''Pseudobulweria becki'') is a small species of petrel. Its specific epithet commemorates American ornithologist Rollo Beck. It is believed to nest on small islands with tall mountains around Melanesia. Described in 1928, and long ...

(''Pseudobulweria beckii''), not seen between 1929 and 2007. * Berlepsch's parotia (''Parotia berlepschi'') * Bermuda petrel 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''), not seen from 1882 to 2022 *

Blue-eyed ground dove The blue-eyed ground dove (''Columbina cyanopis'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Cerrado region of Brazil. Taxonomy and systematics The blue-eyed ground dove was for a time placed in the monotypic genus ...

(''Columbina cyanopis'') * Bruijn's brush-turkey (''Aepypodius bruijnii'') *

Cebu flowerpecker The Cebu flowerpecker (''Dicaeum quadricolor'') is a small passerine bird. It is endemic to Cebu Island in the Philippines. Feared to have become extinct early in the 20th century, it was rediscovered in 1992 in a small patch of limestone forest ...

(''Dicaeum quadricolor'') * Chinese crested tern (''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 The Emas National Park ( pt, Parque Nacional das Emas, literally meaning " Rhea National Park") is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the states of Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil. Description The National Park is locat ...

. * Cuban kite (''Chondrohierax wilsonii''), confirmed with a photograph in 2009. * Dusky starfrontlet (''Coeligena orina'') * Edwards's pheasant (''Lophura edwardii''), a

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

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 native range is restricted to Eurasia ...

presumed extinct from 1928 until it was rediscovered in 1998. *

Fiji petrel The Fiji petrel (''Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi''), also known as MacGillivray's petrel, is a small, dark gadfly petrel. The Fiji petrel was originally known from one immature specimen found in 1855 on Gau Island, Fiji by naturalist John MacGi ...

(''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 (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

in 1997. * Fuertes's parrot (''Hapalopsittaca fuertesi'') * Golden-fronted bowerbird (''Amblyornis flavifrons'') *

Green broadbill The green broadbill (''Calyptomena viridis'') also known as the lesser green broadbill is a small bird in the family Calyptomenidae. It was formerly classified in the family Eurylaimidae, a group of closely related birds that share the name "b ...

(''Calyptomena viridis''), it was declared extinct since 1941 but it was rediscovered in June 27, 2021. * Gurney's pitta (''Hydrornis gurneyi'') *

Ivory-billed woodpecker The ivory-billed woodpecker (''Campephilus principalis'') is a possibly extinct woodpecker that is native to the bottomland hardwood forests and temperate coniferous forests of the Southern United States and Cuba. Habitat destruction and hunting ...

(''Campephilus principalis''), the "Lord God Bird," thought extinct circa 1987 before unconfirmed sightings in 1999, 2004, and 2006 in Arkansas and Florida. * Jerdon's courser (''Rhinoptilus bitorquatus''), a

wader 245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">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 mudflat ...

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. * Kakapo * Large-billed reed-warbler (''Acrocephalus orinus''), a warbler rediscovered in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

in 2006, previous known only from a specimen collected in

in 1867. * Long-legged warbler (''Trichocichla rufa'') *

Madagascar serpent eagle The Madagascar serpent eagle (''Eutriorchis astur'') is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is placed in the monotypic genus ''Eutriorchis''. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist ...

(''Eutriorchis astur''), rediscovered in 1993, sixty years since the previous sighting. *

Madagascar pochard The Madagascar pochard or Madagascan pochard (''Aythya innotata''; mg, Fotsy maso, Onjo) is an extremely rare diving duck of the genus ''Aythya''. Thought to be extinct in the late 1990s, specimens of the species were rediscovered at Lake Matsa ...

(''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 The night parrot (''Pezoporus occidentalis'') is a small parrot endemic to the continent of Australia. It has also been known as porcupine parrot, nocturnal ground parakeet, midnight cockatoo, solitaire, spinifex parrot and night parakeet. It i ...

(''Pezoporus occidentalis''), extremely rare Australian bird presumed extinct from the 1880s until 1990. *

Noisy scrub-bird The noisy scrubbird (''Atrichornis clamosus'') is a species of bird in the family Atrichornithidae. It is endemic to the coastal heaths of south-western Australia (east of Albany). Description The noisy scrubbird features a dark brown coloure ...

(''Atrichornis clamosus'') * São Tomé fiscal (''Lanius newtoni'') *

São Tomé grosbeak The São Tomé grosbeak (''Crithagra concolor'') is the largest member of the canary genus ''Crithagra'', 50% heavier than the next largest canary species, and possesses a massive bill for a member of that genus. It is endemic to the island of S� ...

(''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 The silvery pigeon (''Columba argentina''), also known as silvery wood-pigeon or grey wood-pigeon is a species of pigeon found in Indonesia and Malaysia. It was thought to be extinct but wild populations rediscovered in 2008 near Masokut Island m ...

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

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

n antpitta feared extinct since its discovery in 1956, but rediscovered in 2017 in El Tamá National Park. * Takahe (''Porphyrio hochstetteri''), assumed extinct in 1898 but found again in 1948. * Utila chachalaca (''Ortalis vetula deschauenseei''), subspecies of the plain chachalaca from Honduras, not recorded between 1963 and 2000 and confirmed photographically in 2005. * White-winged guan (''Penelope albipennis'') *

White-collared kite The white-collared kite (''Leptodon forbesi'') is an Endangered species of bird in tribe Pernini and subfamily Perninae of family Accipitridae, the diurnal raptors. It is endemic to northeastern Brazil. Taxonomy and systematics Until the ear ...

(''Leptodon forbesi'') * Worcester's Buttonquail (''Turnix worcesteri'') *

Yellow-eared parrot The yellow-eared parrot (''Ognorhynchus icterotis'') is an endangered parrot of the tropics in South America. It is found in the Andes of Colombia. This species was thought to be extinct up until April 1999, when a group of researchers that were ...

(''Ognorhynchus icterotis'') *

Zapata rail The Zapata rail (''Cyanolimnas cerverai'') is a medium-sized, dark-coloured rail, the only member of the monotypic genus ''Cyanolimnas''. It has brown upperparts, greyish-blue underparts, a red-based yellow bill, white undertail coverts, and re ...

(''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''

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 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