Laotian Rock Rat Back From the Dead.

By Alex in Animals & Pets, Science & Tech on Mar 10, 2006 at 8:44 pm

Laotian Rock Rat (Kha-nyou or Laonastes aenigmamus), is a squirrel-like rat (rat-like squirrel?), thought to be extinct some 11 million years ago.

Turns out that this animal is alive and well in Asia. How did we find out? It was being sold for food in the markets of Laos.

The discovery is an example of the ‘Lazarus effect’ – after the Biblical character resurrected by Jesus – in which an animal reappears in the fossil record or the flesh after it was thought to be extinct.

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  1. Gary
    Mar 15th, 2006 at 9:59 am

    Gee – kinda makes you wonder what else is lurking around the planet after the dinosaures checked out.


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