Giant Wombat Unearthed!

[3113]

For your next sci-fi story:

The find, in Queensland, Australia, of about 50 diprotodons - the largest marsupial that ever lived - has been called a "palaeontologists' goldmine".

The plant-eating giants, the size of a rhinoceros, had backward-facing pouches big enough to carry an adult human.

 

[Safe_Bet]

The plant-eating giants, the size of a rhinoceros, had backward-facing pouches big enough to carry an adult human.

So if you tell the stork to "supersize it" when you order a baby, a giant wombat shows up at your door?

Do you need to tip them more???

 

[voluptuary_manque]

The mental image is too frightening to contemplate . . .


A reconstruction to give you the idea . . .

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii177/1volupturary_manque/imagesqtbnANd9GcTp3INbiUw_6yvOA5HSYS33fE-KtvOt6-bijdEnLzL3ENp0QGTt.jpg

 

[oggbashan]

Imagine the burrows that Giant Wombats would dig.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Hmmm . . . if trained they could rough out underpasses or subway tunnels.

 

[R. Richard]

Quote:
The find, in Queensland, Australia, of about 50 diprotodons - the largest marsupial that ever lived - has been called a "palaeontologists' goldmine".

The plant-eating giants, the size of a rhinoceros, had backward-facing pouches big enough to carry an adult human.

Thanks, but I'll just take the bus instead.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Quote:
The find, in Queensland, Australia, of about 50 diprotodons - the largest marsupial that ever lived - has been called a "palaeontologists' goldmine".

The plant-eating giants, the size of a rhinoceros, had backward-facing pouches big enough to carry an adult human.

Thanks, but I'll just take the bus instead.

That's kind of what I was thinking . . .

 

[Stella_Omega]

"just take the west wombat."

or: "Like wombats, there's always one coming around the corner."

 

[Fierywhore]

Ha this is cool a giant one..

Wombats eat = roots, shoots and leaves..............like a lot of men eh....

 

[estragon]

It's a combat wombat!

 

[oggbashan]

Of course the pouches are backward-facing.

Wombats burrow. A forward-facing pouch would fill with earth. Intelligent Design wins again.

But imagine what 50 Giant Wombats could do to the foundations of your house.

You'd have that sinking feeling.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

Of course the pouches are backward-facing.

Wombats burrow. A forward-facing pouch would fill with earth. Intelligent Design wins again.

But imagine what 50 Giant Wombats could do to the foundations of your house.

You'd have that sinking feeling.

They should remake tremors

 

[JackLuis]

Speaking of Wombats

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Australian-mega-wombat-via-AFP-512x345.jpg​

This is a longer version, same wombats.

“We’re almost certain that most of these carcasses of diprotodon have been torn apart by both the crocodiles and the lizards, because we’ve found shed teeth within their skeletons from both animals,” Hocknull said.

Towering super-kangaroos up to 2.5 metres tall called protemnodon have also been discovered at the location, along with the remains of tiny frogs, rodents and fish — an important find in what is now an extremely arid region.

“Very little is known about arid zone fish and their evolution, and finding a fossil record for them is amazing,” said Hocknull.

A relative of the modern-day wombat, the herbivorous diprotodon was just one of a host of megafauna to roam ancient Australia including the tree-sized kangaroos and gigantic crocodiles.

Megafauna are thought to have evolved to such large sizes to cope with inhospitable climates and food scarcity, with fossils found in Australia of prehistoric emus, tree-dwelling crocodiles and carnivorous kangaroos.

"tree-dwelling crocodiles! " Holy Crap!

 

[JackLuis]

Speaking of Fossils

Palaeontologists find 47 million year-old turtles caught in final ‘embrace’

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/turtles-via-AFP-e1340170657559.jpg

German palaeontologists have dug up the remains of nine turtle pairs that died while mating some 47 million years ago, sinking into poisonous waters while locked in a final embrace, a report said Wednesday.

But the animals died accidentally when they sank while locked together into deeper, poisonous layers, their skins absorbing the noxious substances in the volcanic lake.

“There is no doubt that this lake killed many unsuspecting animals,” said Joyce of the University of Tuebingen.

"Oh baby, oh baby, oh, gasp!"