Jakarta, Indonesia
Associated Press
December 17, 2007
Researchers in a remote jungle in Indonesia have discovered a giant
rat and a tiny possum that are apparently new to science,
underscoring the stunning biodiversity of the Southeast Asian
nation, scientists announced Monday.
The discoveries by a team of American and Indonesian scientists are
being studied further to confirm their status as newfound
species.
The animals were found during a June expedition in the
Foja-mountain rain forest in eastern Papua province, said
U.S.-based Conservation International (CI), which organized the
trip along with the Indonesian Institute of Science.
"The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat,"
said Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington, according to CI's press release. "With no fear of
humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the
trip."
The possum was described as "one of the worlds smallest
marsupials."
