An ancient island utopia that sank long ago is more than a fairytale for Australia's tree lobster: it's where the strange insect may have actually evolved millions of years ago, say researchers. One species of the insect, Dryococelus australis, was previously thought to be native to Lord Howe Island, 600 km east of Australia.
"DNA data suggests the Lord Howe tree lobster is actually older than Lord Howe Island itself" - Thomas Buckley, a New Zealand-based zoologist studying the species.