Protemnodon

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Protemnodon[1]
Fossil range: Pleistocene
Protemnodon tumbuna
Protemnodon tumbuna
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Macropodidae
Subfamily: Macropodinae
Genus: Protemnodon
Owen, 1873
Paleospecies

†P. otibandus
†P. buloloensis
†P. hopei
†P. tumbuna
†P. nombe
†P. snewiki
†P. anak
†P. antaeus
†P. goliah
†P. parvus

Protemnodon is a genus of megafaunal macropods that existed in Australia and Papua New Guinea in the Pleistocene. Based on fossil evidence it is though that the known Protemnodon were physically similar to wallabies but far larger; Protemnodon hopei was the smallest in the genus weighing about 45 kilograms, the other species all weighed over 110 kg.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Haaramo, M. (2004-12-20). Mikko's Phylogeny Archive: Macropodidae - kenguroos. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
  2. ^ Helgen, K.M., Wells, R.T., Kear, B.P., Gerdtz, W.R., and Flannery, T.F. (2006). "Ecological and evolutionary significance of sizes of giant extinct kangaroos". Australian Journal of Zoology 54: 293–303. doi:10.1071/ZO05077. 
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