Two new species of 'paintbrush-tailed' marsupials discovered in Australia: 'They are ferocious predators'

Two new species of 'paintbrush-tailed' marsupials discovered in Australia: 'They are ferocious predators'

Two new species of 'paintbrush-tailed' marsupials discovered in Australia: 'They are ferocious predators' On June 26, researchers from the University of Western Australia solved a giant mystery surrounding a very tiny creature.  In a study, published in Ecology and Evolution, the research team released findings on two new species of kultarr (“cool-tar”), a carnivorous marsupial.  “Prior to this study, Antechinomys was considered to contain two species: A. laniger and A. longicaudatus ,” wrote Cameron Dodd, lead author and a PhD student from UWA’s School of Biological sciences.   “With the description of A. auritus and resurrection of A. spenceri , A. laniger is now recognized as a species complex comprising three distinct taxa.”  In the study, Dodd and his colleagues identified the three unique species by examining the genetic makeup of museum specimens.  Now, the gibber kultarr ( A. spenceri ) of central Australia and the long-eared kultarr ( A. auritus ) of the Western Australia…