Coryphomys
| Coryphomys | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The skull of a black rat (right) compared with a fairly complete skull of one of Timor's other extinct Coryphomys musseri (left). | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Subfamily: | Murinae |
| Genus: | †Coryphomys Schaub, 1937 |
| Species | |
| |
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".
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.
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