True Giant Wombat Discovered
Published:30 Jan.2023 Source:Griffith University
While the Diprotodon -- the extinct megafauna species that is distantly related to wombats but was the size of a small car -- is commonly (but incorrectly) thought of as Australia’s ‘giant wombat’, researchers from Griffith University have shed light on a large species that does belong in the modern-day wombat family. Associate Professor Louys said the discovery provided unprecedented insights into the biology and appearance of these previously little known ‘gentle giants’.
“The extinct megafauna of Australia never ceases to amaze and intrigue not just Australians, but people all over the world,” he said. “Although one of the most charismatic of the giant mammals to go extinct, Diprotodon is commonly referred to as a ‘giant wombat’. But this is incorrect as Diprotodon belongs to an entirely different family -- equivalent to saying a hippo is just a giant pig. “There were however, true giant wombats. These have traditionally been poorly known, but the discovery of the most complete skull of one of these giants, Ramsayia, has provided us with an opportunity to reconstruct what this creature looked like, where and when it lived, and how the evolution of giant wombats took place in Australia.”