Plant Species Thought Extinct Since 1967 Rediscovered in Northern Australia
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The plant species Ptilotus senarius, undocumented since 1967 and considered extinct in the wild, has been rediscovered in remote northern Australia. Professional horticulturalist Aaron Bean found the plant and uploaded photos to the citizen science platform iNaturalist, where botanist Anthony Bean from the Queensland Herbarium identified it. The species has now been moved from the extinct classification to critically endangered.
Facts First
- Ptilotus senarius, a delicate shrub with purple-pink flowers, has been rediscovered after being undocumented since 1967.
- The find was made by a horticulturalist on private land in rugged terrain near the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland.
- Identification was confirmed via the iNaturalist citizen science platform by a botanist who had previously described the species.
- The plant's conservation status has been updated from extinct to critically endangered.
- The discovery highlights the role of private land and citizen science in biodiversity documentation.
What Happened
Professional horticulturalist Aaron Bean discovered the Ptilotus senarius plant while helping band birds on a large outback property in Queensland near the Gulf of Carpentaria. He photographed the plant and uploaded the images to the citizen science platform iNaturalist. Botanist Anthony Bean identified it from the photos. Researchers confirmed the species survives with assistance from Anthony Bean and the property owner, who helped collect a specimen. The plant has been moved from the extinct classification to the critically endangered list.
Why this Matters to You
This rediscovery demonstrates that species thought lost can still survive in remote areas, which may offer hope for other presumed-extinct plants. For landowners, programs like the Land Libraries project provide training and equipment to document wildlife, potentially leading to more discoveries on private property, which constitutes about one third of the Australian continent. Your own observations of nature, shared on platforms like iNaturalist, could contribute to significant scientific knowledge, as the platform has been cited in scientific papers involving 128 countries and thousands of species.
What's Next
The property owner who assisted in collecting a specimen may play a role in the ongoing protection of the Ptilotus senarius population on their land. Researchers are likely to continue studying the species to understand its ecology and support its conservation. The success of this iNaturalist-assisted identification may encourage further use of citizen science platforms for biodiversity monitoring, potentially leading to more rediscoveries.