“Extinct” mouse is alive and well

A species of mouse that was thought to be extinct has been rediscovered on remote islands in western Australia, thanks to painstaking research. The large, shaggy Gould’s mouse was once widespread on the Australian mainland in the states of Western Australia and New South Wales. It disappeared in the 19th century after being hunted by cats that arrived with British settlers. However, scientists from the Australian National University started a project comparing DNA samples from extinct rodents with their living relatives, and they made a surprising discovery. (DNA is a chemical that carries information about a living thing’s body and characteristics.) Similarities in DNA show how closely species are related. The scientists found that DNA from Gould’s mouse specimens was identical to that of the Shark Bay mouse, which still…

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The Week Junior (Digital) - 1 Issue, 291

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