Rio De Janeiro, Brazil — Marc van Roosmalen, a Dutch scientist claims to have discovered a new species of wild pig measuring over four feet (1.2 meters), nearly twice the size of other Amazon pigs.

Van Roosmalen, said he discovered the peccary — a kind of wild pig he dubbed Pecari maximus — by accident in 2000 while searching for a new monkey species.

Van Roosmalen said local woodsmen confirmed the existence of a giant peccary called "caitetu munde," which means "giant peccary that lives in pairs" in the Tupi Indian language.

Van Roosmalen said the peccary was remarkable for traveling in small groups, usually two adults, sometimes accompanied by one or two offspring, while other peccaries tend to move in large herds.

DNA analysis of three peccaries captured later showed the animal diverged from the most closely related species, Pecari tajacu, or collared peccary, about 1 million to 1.2 million years ago, not long after the Madeira river grew from a small river into a huge, largely impassible barrier that allowed the species to evolve separately.

The peccary's large size, as much as 40 kilograms (90 pounds),is often twice the size of a collared peccary or javelina.
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