One ton rodent found in Uruguay
Paleontologists in Uruguay have discovered a rodent that likely weighed a metric ton when it was alive around two million years ago. The researchers estimated the animal's size based on the skull they found that measures 53 centimeters long. From New Scientist:
Link"Our work suggests that 4 million years ago in South America, 'mice' that were larger than bulls lived with terror birds, sabre-toothed cats, ground sloths, and giant armoured mammals," say the Uruguayan researchers.
the latest
latest episodes
There's a rodent of similar weight in South Dakota. It lives outside The Ranch Store of the Badlands.
oh,I thought you were referring to the Governor.
ROUS!!!!
^^^ I don't think they exist!! *gets tackled by one*
Pshaw. Come check out Dupont Circle in DC. Those rats eat one ton rodents for breakfast.
"...'mice' that were larger than bulls lived with terror birds, sabre-toothed cats, ground sloths, and giant armoured mammals,"
Those were the good old days.
terror birds...that has to be the coolest name ever.
I can just imagine Lothar of the Hill People defending his fresh ground-sloth kill from a murder of terror-birds.
What did it taste like? I suppose we'll never know.
I'm not getting all the fuss. It just sounds like they found the king of capybara's who all currently hold the title of royalty over guinea pigs.
U.Pooper, you know it had to taste just like chicken.
I don't know. Maybe this is one of those fossil jokes God loves to play on us to test our faith.
I don't know why, but something about this story suggests a big rat to me.
"Gee Brain, what are we going to do tonight?"
"Same thing we do every night, Pinky ... increase our weight to 1000kg and try to take over the world!"
Wow. What does a rodent that big gnaw on to keep its teeth short? Trees? Boulders? I wonder if the Amazon forests of its day showed signs of, err, slash-and-chew agricultural damage. :-)