Melomys rubicola
| Bramble Cay melomys | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Melomys |
| Species: | M. rubicola |
| Binomial name | |
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Melomys rubicola Thomas, 1924 |
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The Bramble Cay melomys, or Bramble Cay mosaic-tailed rat (Melomys rubicola), is an extinct species of rodent in the family Muridae and subfamily Murinae. It was similar to the Cape York melomys except that it had some protein differences and a coarser tail caused by elevated scales. It was prominent in herd-fields and strandline vegetation where it built burrows.
Australia's most isolated mammal, the Bramble Cay melomys was known only from a small population in Bramble Cay, a vegetated coral cay of 340 by 150 metres (1,120 ft × 490 ft). It has not been seen since 2007, despite a search by a team of scientists; it was feared to be extinct.
In June 2016, researchers from Queensland's Department of Environment and Heritage Protection and the University of Queensland jointly reported that the species had indeed become extinct, adding: "Significantly, this probably represents the first recorded mammalian extinction due to anthropogenic climate change". However, writing in Australian Geographic, Lauren Smith noted, "The authors of the report do note that there is a slight chance that there's an as-yet-unknown population of the species in Papua New Guinea around the Fly River delta area, and that until that area is adequately surveyed, the Bramble Cay melomys should have the tag 'Possibly Extinct' added to the IUCN Red listing."
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Wikipedia