Remains of 2,000 year-old monster rodent found
July 25th, 2010 - 1:00 pm ICT by IANSSydney, July 25 (IANS) The remains of a giant rodent, believed to be the biggest among the species ever to have scurried on the earth nearly 2,000 years ago, have been found in East Timor.
Bones found during cave excavations in East Timor in Southeast Asia showed the rat would have weighed about six kg. Thirteen other rodent species, 11 of which are new to science, were also found, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The present day’s biggest rats weigh about two kg and live in rainforests in the Philippines and New Guinea.
Carbon dating of the bones showed the biggest rat may have roamed around 2,000 years ago. Only one of the smaller species found there survives today.
Each of the islands of eastern Indonesia is known to have evolved it own collection of rats.
“Rodents make up 40 percent of mammalian diversity worldwide and are a key element of ecosystems, important for processes like soil maintenance and seed dispersal. Maintaining biodiversity among rats is just as important as protecting whales or birds,” Ken Aplin, a scientist in the discovery team, said.
- Remains Of Giant Dog Sized Rat Found In East Timor - Jul 28, 2010
- Giant dog-sized rats discovered in Australia - Jul 28, 2010
- Remnants Of Giant Dog-Sized Rats Unearthed In An East Timorese Cave - Jul 28, 2010
- Archaeologists Find Remains of Giant, Dog-sized Rats - Jul 28, 2010
- Mole rat may hold key to human longevity - Jul 03, 2012
- Protein key to African rodents long, robust life - May 11, 2012
- Shrew like rat species lives off earthworms - Aug 22, 2012
- Rats have best bite of rodent world: Study - Apr 29, 2012
- Fossils of giant bird discovered on 'hobbit' island of Flores - Dec 08, 2010
- World's five hotspots of biodiversity - Mar 03, 2012
- Thriving rodent population in prehistoric Africa could shed light on human evolution - Dec 22, 2010
- World's biggest insect - Weta insect discovered in New Zealand - Dec 02, 2011
- How whales have changed over 35 million years - May 30, 2010
- 3D scan used to create model of the colossal sea monster - Dec 23, 2010
- Cocaine production speeding up destruction of Colombia's rainforests - Feb 10, 2011
Tags: bones, discovery team, east timor, eastern indonesia, excavations, giant rodent, maintaining biodiversity, morning herald, new guinea, present day, rainforests, rats, rodent species, rodents, scientist, seed dispersal, soil, southeast asia, sydney morning herald, whales