Extinct fauna in Australia
Introduction
It was the year 1969 when Rod Wells, fond of fossil search, entered the Victoria cave, in southern Australia. Surely you would never imagine that what they lay there were the fossils of the extinct megafauna of Australia. This article that we present to you includes some of the most fascinating and enormous animals that lived during the Pleistocene in Australian territory. Diprotodon, the giant marsupial of the megafauna until today, is the most gigantic marsupial. We are facing a herbivorous animal with the approximate size of a rhinoceros. The largest specimens could measure about three meters high and have an approximate weight of three tons.
Developing
His closest living relatives are the Koalas and the Kombats. These animals populated Australia’s island 1.6 million years ago, and it is believed that they lived in herds. They used to inhabit forest and grassland areas, but always near lakes or rivers. There they fed on leaves, pastures and some shrubs. However, their large size and maneuver difficulty could play against them. This made them easy prey from another component of the megafauna, nothing less than the Marsupial lion. The Marsupial Lion, a born hunter. This relentless predator weighed between 100 and 160 kilos, and was the size of a leopard. Without a doubt, this made him the largest carnivorous mammal in the territory.
The Marsupial Lion (Thylacoleo Carnifex) was able to stalk and reduce animals much larger than him. His strong and sharp claws helped him not let his prey escape. A curious fact about this component of the megafauna is its origin. The ancestors of the Marsupial lion were herbivores and, therefore, their teeth was adapted for this purpose. To solve it, the Marsupial lion supplied the absence of canines with sharp incisors. Additionally, they developed a knife -shaped premolars that, together with the bite power of their jaw, had a devastating effect. For example, it is believed that all these fearsome tools allowed the Marsupial León to end their prey in a minute.
Procoptodon, Kangaroo Goliath. Once again, we are facing one of the most impressive megafauna specimens. The short -faced giant kangaroo (Procoptodon Goliah) was physically very similar to current kangaroos, but his face was more flattened and his eyes were directed forward. With a height of more than two meters and up to 230 kilograms of weight, these marsupials could reach the leaves of the trees to feed. Their arms ended in some long fingers and provided with claws, which allowed them to reach the furthest branches. Despite being very similar to current kangaroos, there are scientific evidence that suggests that these animals did not travel jumping.
conclusion
Their anatomy resembles more biped walkers, such as humans. They were one of the last members of the Megafauna, and they were extinguished approximately 50,000 years ago. Why did they become extinct? What happened to the Australian megafauna is still not clarified today. Many studies responsible for climate change as the main cause. Researchers like Tim Flannery point to the arrival of man to the Australian continent, 50,000 years ago. Hunting and deforestation could contribute to their disappearance, but this aspect is much discussed. Be that as it may, it is evident that millions of years ago there were unparalleled animals. Modern paleontology and research have helped these beings not fall into oblivion.
Leave feedback