Study Identifies Two New Bandicoot Species
A ten-year review of museum specimens across Australia and New Guinea has reshaped the classification of the genus Isoodon.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Life Sciences
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Researchers reviewing hundreds of historical and modern bandicoot museum specimens recognised two additional species and several new subspecies within the genus Isoodon. The little brown bandicoot (Isoodon microtis), believed to have become extinct around a century ago, was described from South Australia.
Why it matters
The findings suggest existing species classifications may be inaccurate, with implications for how threatened bandicoot populations are monitored and protected. Recognising previously unknown lineages could also shift conservation priorities across Australia and New Guinea.
The study drew on hundreds of museum specimens, compared with more than 20 living bandicoot species worldwide and five living Isoodon species across Australia and New Guinea. Whether the little brown bandicoot survives in any living population remains unconfirmed.
The players
Travouillon
A researcher whose 2016 comparison of century-old specimens with Australian museum material prompted a reassessment of existing bandicoot species classifications.
The details
Researchers used DNA analysis and detailed skull measurements to reassess how bandicoot populations were related, and reclassified the New Guinea brown bandicoot (Isoodon moresbyensis) as a species in its own right. The study also described two new golden bandicoot subspecies and four new quenda subspecies, and expanded the known historical range of the quenda to include Adelaide, Kangaroo Island and the Nuyts Archipelago.
Timeline
2016: Travouillon studied bandicoot specimens held in European and United States collections, comparing century-old material with Australian museum holdings.
Around a century ago: The little brown bandicoot is believed to have become extinct.
Roadmap
Museum-based taxonomic revision of Australian marsupials has long relied on historical specimens to define species boundaries. This study extends that tradition by combining century-old material with modern DNA analysis to revisit classifications that may no longer hold.
Accurate species classification shapes which animals receive conservation protection and funding. Readers with interest in Australian wildlife may find that revised classifications affect how local bandicoot populations are monitored.
The takeaway
Species names are only as reliable as the specimens and methods behind them, and revisiting museum collections can reveal lineages that were overlooked. Those interested in wildlife classification can follow how museum research informs conservation decisions.
Further reading
Explore more research in Life Sciences for context on how species are identified and classified.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Conversation.
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