On Aug. 31, 2020, in a study published in PNAS, researchers used conservation biology and genomics to discover that the New Guinea singing dog, thought to be extinct for 50 years, still thrives. This finding opened new doors for protecting a remarkable creature that can teach biologists about human vocal learning.

The New Guinea singing dog can also be utilized as a valuable and unique animal model for studying how human vocal disorders arise and finding potential treatment opportunities. The study was performed by researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute, Cenderawasih University in Indonesia, and other academic centers.