Bramble Cay Melomys Melomys rubicola Thomas 1924: Specimens in the Macleay Museum

Abstract

Four specimens and a lower mandible in spirit of the Bramble Cay Melomys Melomys rubicola were recently found in the Macleay Museum. These specimens were collected during the Chevert Expedition in 1875 and were not published as part of the mammals obtained. The species is now considered extinct. An old newspaper article written by the ship’s captain, Charles Edwards, provided the clue that this extinct species was extant in the Macleay Museum. The DNA of surviving specimens may yet provide the answer to the origin of the endemic Bramble Cay Melomys.