SYDNEY, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Scientists in Australia have discovered a new species of a native bushland marsupial that is closely related to kangaroo but already likely extinct.

Researchers analyzed fossils collected from caves of southern Australia's Nullarbor and southwest Australia, uncovering a completely new species of bettong as well as two new subspecies of woylie, according to a statement released Friday by Australia's Curtin University.

Woylies, also known as brush-tailed bettong, are ecosystem engineers capable of turning over several tons of earth each year in search for their favorite mushroom treats.

Native to Western Australia, the cute kangaroo relatives are the country's most translocated mammal because they are moved as part of conservation efforts to save the critically endangered species.

The research, published in the New Zealand-based journal Zootaxa, unlocked vital clues about the diversity of woylies, said the study's lead author Jake Newman-Martin of Curtin's School of Molecular and Life Sciences.

"In this new research, we've named a completely new species based on fossil material, and two new subspecies of woylies for the first time," he said. "Sadly, many of them have become extinct before we've even been aware of them."

"Our results split the critically endangered woylie into two living subspecies, which is very important for conservation when we're considering breeding and translocation initiatives to increase the size and fitness of populations," Newman-Martin said.

The researchers combined bone measurements with genetic analysis to assess the diversity and classification of woylie species, examining specimens from major museums in Australia and Britain. ■