The Bramble Cay melomys was wiped out by sea level rise, according to a new study

By John R. Platt on June 15, 2016.–“Climate change has claimed its first confirmed mammal extinction. The tiny Bramble Cay melomys (also known as the Bramble Cay mosaic-tailed rat, Melomys rubicola) has been declared extinct by the government of Queensland, Australia after an exhaustive search failed to turn up any evidence of its continued existence.

“The Bramble Cay melomys lived in just a single habitat, a small reef island at the northern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. The sandy cay—which only measures 340 meters by 150 meters—has been repeatedly buffeted by storm surges from extreme weather events over the past decade, wiping out about 97 percent of its vegetation. High tides now cover the majority of the entire island. With nothing to eat and few places left to escape the ocean, the melomys appears to have now disappeared.”  Continue reading:  Climate Change Has Claimed Its First Mammal Extinction – Scientific American Blog Network

Save

Save