Bizarre Australian mole even more unusual than first thought, new research reveals

Experts say marsupial mole DNA shows they are closely linked to bandicoots and bilbies and their ancestors probably evolved in rainforests

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

New research into one of Australia's most specialised and bizarre animals has revealed the marsupial mole's biology is as unusual as its appearance.

University of Melbourne researchers, who led the study, extracted DNA from a museum specimen then sequenced and analysed its genome to uncover the evolutionary secrets of the golden-haired species, about which almost nothing is known".

Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email