Likewise in conservation biology and ecology, it can refer to species or populations that were thought to be extinct, and are rediscovered.
[4] The term refers to the story in the Christian biblical Gospel of John, in which Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from the dead.
Therefore, reappearance of Lazarus taxa probably reflects the rebound after a period of extreme rarity during the aftermath of such extinctions.
Lazarus taxa are a type of ghost lineage where extinction was originally assumed to occur within the gap, only for younger fossils or surviving members of the group to indicate otherwise.
[7] Finally, the term "Lazarus species" is applied to organisms that have been rediscovered as being still alive after having been widely considered extinct for years, without ever having appeared in the fossil record.
[56] The lack of public engagement around environmental issues has led conservationists to attempt newer communication strategies.