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- Diprotodon lived during the Pleistocene Epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago) in Australia and is a close relative of living wombats and koalas. Its name in Latin means “two forward teeth.”
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May 13, 2024 · Diprotodon evolved from Euryzygoma about two million years ago, and later it may have diverged into as many as three species. Because of its large size, Diprotodon is considered (along with rhinoceroses , elephants , hippopotamuses , and horses ) to be a megaherbivore.
Diprotodon was formally described by English naturalist Richard Owen in 1838, and was the first named Australian fossil mammal, and led Owen to become the foremost authority of his time on other marsupials and Australian megafauna, which were enigmatic to European science.
The oldest fossils of the genus Diprotodon come from late Pliocene deposits at Lake Kanunka, South Australia and Fisherman's Cliff, New South Wales. Diprotodon optatum is known from the Pleistocene, becoming extinct at about 25,000 years ago.
- Bob Strauss
- The Largest Marsupial That Ever Lived. During the Pleistocene epoch, marsupials (like virtually every other kind of animal on Earth) grew to enormous sizes.
- They Once Ranged Across Australia. Australia is a huge continent, the deep interior of which is still somewhat mysterious to its modern human inhabitants.
- Many Herds Perished From Drought. As big as Australia is, it can also be punishingly dry — almost as much two million years ago as it is today. Many Diprotodon fossils have been discovered in the vicinity of shrinking, salt-covered lakes.
- Males Were Larger Than Females. Over the course of the 19th century, paleontologists named a half-dozen separate Diprotodon species, differentiated from one another by their size.
Sep 24, 2023 · Sir Richard Owen officially named the Diprotodon in 1838, based on fossil remains discovered in Australia. Diprotodon comes from Greek roots: di – meaning two, proto – meaning first or early, and odon meaning tooth. This name was chosen because of the unique dental features of the creature.
Sep 17, 2018 · Diprotodon Life: Where Did They Come From? The oldest fossils of diprotodon are from the late Pliocene epoch (5.3-2.5 million years ago) at Lake Kanunka, South Australia and Fisherman’s Cliff, New South Wales.
Diprotodon was formally described by English naturalist Richard Owen in 1838, and was the first named Australian fossil mammal, and led Owen to become the foremost authority of his time on other marsupials and Australian megafauna, which were enigmatic to European science.
