Research
Scientists discover a giant 66-pound rodent that lived 34 million years ago
The Brief
- Fossils of a giant rodent, named Yakamys sirindhornae, were found in Thailand.
- The animal lived about 34 million years ago and may have weighed around 66 pounds, roughly twice the weight of comparable rodents (per the source's comparison).
- The finding suggests enormous rodents evolved much earlier than previously thought.
Why it matters
The find pushes back the estimated timing of large rodent evolution, which matters for anyone reconstructing how mammal body sizes and lineages changed over time.
Who’s affected
- paleontologists and evolutionary biologists
- anyone interested in the history of mammal evolution
- #paleontology
- #rodents
- #fossils
- #thailand
- #mammal evolution
Scientists have uncovered fossils of a giant rodent that lived in Thailand 34 million years ago, revealing that enormous rodents evolved much earlier than previously thought. Named Yakamys sirindhornae, the ancient animal may have weighed around 66 pounds, roughly twice as much…
Timeline
Discovery of the Yakamys sirindhornae fossils reported by ScienceDaily
Plants & Animals News -- ScienceDaily
Scientists discover a giant 66-pound rodent that lived 34 million years ago