Extinct koala discovered in northern Australia

Researchers say they've named a newly discovered extinct species of koala that lived in northern Australia 20 million years after an Australian entrepreneur. The small ancient koala, Litokoala dicksmithi, has been named to honor entrepreneur, philanthropist and explorer Dick Smith, they said. "We chose the name to thank Mr. Smith for his long-term financial support of Australian science, in particular of fossil research at the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in north western Queensland," lead researcher Karen Black of the University of New South Wales told China's official Xinhua news agency. Smith is the founder of the Dick Smith Electronics chain, Dick Smith Foods and Australian Geographic. The fossil find, about a third the size of living koalas and weighing 6 to 8 pounds, is one of 18 known extinct koala species. There is only one surviving species of koala living today. Large eye sockets may suggest the newly discovered koala was nocturnal, Black said. "Combined with its small body size, this suggests that Litokoala dicksmithi was a more active, agile tree climber than its sleepy, relatively sedentary, cousin that we know," she said.