LazarusTaxa

Lazarus taxa are species or other biological lineages that disappear from observable records for a long period and then are found again, either alive in the modern era or reappearing in the fossil record after a gap. The term is used in both paleontology and contemporary biology to describe organisms that seemingly “come back from the dead” after extended periods with no verified sightings or remains.

The concept originates from the biblical Lazarus and has been adopted to denote rediscovery events that challenge assumptions about extinction or absence. In practice, Lazarus taxa may reappear due to genuine persistence in hard-to-survey habitats, extremely low population densities, cryptic behavior, or insufficient historical sampling. Taxonomic revisions and improved identification methods can also create the appearance of a Lazarus event when the organism was never truly missing, only misidentified.

Notable examples include the coelacanths, Latimeria chalumnae and Latimeria menadoensis, long regarded as extinct until late 20th century rediscoveries in 1938 off South Africa and in 1999 off Indonesia, respectively. The Wollemi pine, a conifer known only from fossils and living in 1994 in a remote Australian canyon, is another celebrated Lazarus taxon. The Lord Howe Island stick insect, Dryococelus australis, was thought extinct after 1920s surveys but was found alive on Ball’s Pyramid in 2001.

Lazarus taxa have implications for conservation and biogeography. They highlight gaps in our knowledge, underscores the resilience of certain species or lineages, and influence how scientists prioritize surveys, monitor populations, and interpret historical biodiversity patterns.