Bones of giant tree-wombat unearthed

[Still Waters]

In Australia today, the biggest tree-dwelling mammals are our iconic and much loved koala and the enigmatic Bennett’s tree-kangaroo. The largest males of both species weigh a mere 14 kg.

But a study of skeletons unearthed in a World Heritage–listed fossil cave in Queensland – published in PlosONE this week – has revealed that 15 million years ago, Australia’s ancient forest canopies were home to herds of 70 kg wombat-like marsupials. These marsupials were called Nimbadon, and were the largest arboreal marsupial herbivores ever known.

http://www.sbs.com.a...e-wombat-solved

[Simbi Laveau]

Owwwww. I've never heard of them before . Very cool

[Ashotep]

Seems like we are always discovering something that was much larger or smaller. Makes you wonder what some of the animals we have around today will look like in the distant future if they survive.

[issues]

Mate of mine with Aboriginal family in Central Qld told me about this back in the 1990's how a valley was forbidden to enter cause the Bunyip lived there.People from the University were given permission to explore & found the remains of a Carnivorous Wombat.

Old legends & tales have beginnings in truth sometimes

[NatureBoff]

In Australia today, the biggest tree-dwelling mammals are our iconic and much loved koala and the enigmatic Bennett’s tree-kangaroo. The largest males of both species weigh a mere 14 kg.

But a study of skeletons unearthed in a World Heritage–listed fossil cave in Queensland – published in PlosONE this week – has revealed that 15 million years ago, Australia’s ancient forest canopies were home to herds of 70 kg wombat-like marsupials. These marsupials were called Nimbadon, and were the largest arboreal marsupial herbivores ever known.

http://www.sbs.com.a...e-wombat-solved

This fits with the giant spider-monkey bones found in the longest cave in South America. This species lived high in the canopy, just like the wombat-like marsupials. I propose that it was the fruit trees which were giant size too, which explains why there was so many of them as well as much more forest cover over the whole continent. Edited July 14, 2013 by NatureBoff