Weds 9:40 | New species of opossum discovered by Cal Poly Humboldt professor

By Mike Green,

Published October 7, 2025 at 11:15 AM PDT

*The Marmosa chachapoya’s is a small mammal with a delicate body about 4 inches in length and a long tail.*

Dr. Silvia Pavan was on a search for a squirrel that was missing from the genealogy tree when she and her team stumbled upon a new species of opossum in the Peruvian Andes. They found the squirrel they were looking for and more. Dr. Pavan joins the Exchange to discuss her adventure and what the discovery means.

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Mike Green

Mike Green is host of the Jefferson Exchange. Mike has lived in Southern Oregon for more than two decades. He is an award-winning journalist with over 20 years experience in media, specializing in media innovation, inclusive economics and entrepreneurship.

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Natalie Golay

Natalie Golay is the Senior Producer of the Jefferson Exchange. She has a B.A. in Visual Arts, a certificate of recommendation in multimedia from the Vancouver Film school, and a law degree from the University of British Columbia. A communications professional for over 20 years, Natalie is a natural storyteller with extensive audio and video production skills.

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