DNA experts from the University of Adelaide using museum specimens up to 160 years old say populations of ground parrots in eastern and western Australia are highly distinct from each other and that the western populations should be recognized as a new species, Pezoporus flaviventris, BiologyNews.net reported.

"The discovery has major conservation implications," said research leader Stephen Murphy of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.

"The Western Ground Parrot has declined rapidly in the last 20 years, there are now only about 110 birds surviving in the wild and most of these are confined to a single national park. It is now one of the world's rarest birds," he says.

"Our findings demonstrate that museum collections, some going back more than 150 years, continue to be relevant and can provide critical information for understanding and conserving the world's biodiversity into the future," Jeremy Austin of the Australian Center for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide said.

"Even after 200 years of study, we are still recognizing new species of birds in Australia," Leo Joseph of the Australian National Wildlife Collection said.

"This finding highlights the need for further research on Australia's unique, and sometimes cryptic, biodiversity."

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