Marsupials Discovered in The 2000s - Mountain Brush-tailed Possum Trichosurus Caninus (2002)

Mountain Brush-tailed Possum Trichosurus Caninus (2002)

In 2002 it was discovered that the Mountain Brush-tailed Possum (Trichosurus caninus) of Australia actually consists of two separate species. Confusingly, due to taxonomic rules, the northern population has been dubbed the Short-eared Possum, but will keep the scientific name T. caninus, while the creature now known as the Mountain Brush-tailed Possum is named T. cunninghami. This is because the original type specimen of the species was actually of the northern population, and therefore must keep the original name.