- Coryphomys
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Coryphomys Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Superfamily: Muroidea Family: Muridae Subfamily: Murinae Genus: †Coryphomys
Schaub, 1937Species - Coryphomys buhleri Schaub, 1937
- Coryphomys musseri Aplin & Helgen, 2010
Coryphomys is an extinct genus of rats, known from sub-fossils found on Timor. Species include Coryphomys buhleri and Coryphomys musseri.[1] Archaeological research on East Timor has revealed the bones of rats weighting up to 6 kilograms = 13.2 pounds when adult. They seem to have died out between 1000 and 2000 years ago, perhaps due to large-scale forest clearance for farming.
Its name is Greek for "top-of-the-head mouse" or "summit mouse".
External links
- http://io9.com/5596239/2000+year+old-giant-rat-was-forty-times-bigger-than-its-modern-relatives
- Archaeologists Discover Biggest Rat That Ever Lived: Weight of About 6 Kilograms (Over 13 Lb)
- http://news.discovery.com/animals/giant-rat-fossil-discovered.html
- Giant, dog-sized rat documented in East Timor
- http://www.neatorama.com/2010/07/26/skeleton-of-giant-rat-discovered/
- http://www.france24.com/en/20100727-giant-dog-sized-rat-documented-east-timor
References
- ^ K. P. Aplin & K. M. Helgen (2010). "Quaternary murid rodents of Timor part I: new material of Coryphomys buehleri Schaub, 1937, and description of a second species of the genus". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 341: 1–80. doi:10.1206/692.1.
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