Scientists Discover Largest Giant Kangaroo Ever Recorded
Protemnodon Viator, also found in New Guinea, is an animal known to weigh up to 170kg, making it the largest kangaroo ever discovered.
The research on complete skeletons from an ancient giant kangaroo species led to the discovery of three new species, with one weighing twice as much as a modern-day male red kangaroo.
A study conducted by palaeontologists from Flinders University focused on the extinct Protemnodon species, describing their distinctive hopping style compared to modern kangaroos.
Protemnodon is a genus of extinct marsupials that lived during the Pleistocene epoch in Australia. Fossils collected from sites in South Australia form the basis of the research.
The Flinders research revealed that two ancient kangaroos resembled modern-day grey kangaroos, while the Protemnodon Viator from New Guinea weighed up to 170 kilograms, making it the largest kangaroo known.
The Viator was a long-limbed kangaroo capable of hopping quickly and efficiently. Protemnodon species were large herbivores adapted to various environments and had robust skulls and strong jaws for grinding tough vegetation.
The extinction of Protemnodon species, driven by factors like climate change and human activities, led to their disappearance around 40,000 years ago.
Other Species Had Different Characteristics
The study, based on data from museums across four countries, detailed the characteristics of three new Protemnodon species discovered by Flinders University researchers.
The research also showed that some Protemnodon species moved differently than previously thought, with some likely using all four feet for walking and running, while others hopped only occasionally.
The newly described Protemnodon mamkurra and Protemnodon dawsonae had unique characteristics, with Mamkurra likely being a slow-moving, robust kangaroo and Dawsonae a mid-speed hopper similar to a swamp wallaby.
The study emphasized the diverse habitats inhabited by different Protemnodon species, ranging from arid central Australia to the forested mountains of Tasmania and New Guinea.
