London, England (CNN) -- Animals that were thought to be extinct for hundreds of years may in fact still be alive, according to a new study by Australian scientists.
Biologists at the University of Queensland examined more than 180 different extinct species, only to discover that a third of them were still alive.
The study which appeared in the journal "Proceedings of the Royal Society B" claims that conservationists have been overplaying the number of species driven to extinction.
The study also criticized conservationists by saying too much emphasis had been placed on trying to find species that would never be found again.
Diana Fisher, one of the authors of the study said it was more likely that species who were thought to be extinct because of habitat loss rather than human interference or disease were the most likely to be rediscovered.
CNN
