Duo chance upon ‘living fossil’

Treasured find: Despite the name, the Borneo Earless Monitor is capable of hearing, al­­though it lacks visible external ears. — Borneo Bulletin/ANN

Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) field assistants recently made an unexpected “living fossil” discovery in Temburong, dubbed the Green Jewel of Brunei.

The Borneo Earless Monitor (Lanthanotus borneensis) is a rare Bornean endemic lizard, the only known species in the family Lanthanoidae, an ancient lineage of lizards.