Zygomaturus
| Zygomaturus Temporal range: Pleistocene
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| Zygomaturus tasmanicus on display | |
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| Genus: | Zygomaturus Owen, 1858
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†Zygomaturus diahotensis | |
Zygomaturus is an extinct giant marsupial from Australia during the Pleistocene. It had a heavy body and thick legs and is believed to be similar to the modern Pygmy Hippopotamus in both size and build.[1] The genus moved on all fours.[1] It lived in the wet coastal margins of Australia and became extinct about 45,000 years ago.[1] Zygomaturus also is believed to have expanded its range toward the interior of the continent along the waterways.[1] It is believed to have lived solitarily or possibly in small herds. Zygomaturus probably ate reeds and sedges by shoveling them up in clumps with its lower incisor teeth.[1]
Related species
References
- ^ a b c d e Ellis, Richard (2004). No Turning Back: The Life and Death of Animal Species. New York: Harper Perennial. p. 101. ISBN 0-06-055804-0.
Further reading
- Wildlife of Gondwana: Dinosaurs and Other Vertebrates from the Ancient Supercontinent (Life of the Past) by Pat Vickers Rich, Thomas Hewitt Rich, Francesco Coffa, and Steven Morton
- Marsupial Nutrition by Ian D. Hume
- Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution by John A. Long, Michael Archer, Timothy Flannery, and Suzanne Hand
- Life of Marsupials by Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe
- Magnificent Mihirungs: The Colossal Flightless Birds of the Australian Dreamtime (Life of the Past) by Peter F. Murray, Patricia Vickers-Rich, and Pat Vickers Rich
- Classification of Mammals by Malcolm C. McKenna and Susan K. Bell
- Australia's Lost World: Prehistoric Animals of Riversleigh by Michael Archer, Suzanne J. Hand, and Henk Godthelp
- World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures: The Ultimate Visual Reference To 1000 Dinosaurs And Prehistoric Creatures Of Land, Air And Sea ... And Cretaceous Eras (World Encyclopedia) by Dougal Dixon
External links
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