New species of flying squirrel discovered in Pacific Northwest

The northern flying squirrel can be found throughout British Columbia — but a new study has found that those living on the coast are a completely different species from those found inland for about a million years.

The authors of the study analyzed the DNA of flying squirrel specimens collected throughout the Pacific Northwest, previously thought to be the exclusive domain of the northern flying squirrel.

But those found on the Pacific coast between southern B.C. and northern California turned out to be genetically distinct from those found further inland.-read more