Traces of rats 'terrible' weigh 6 kg

Scientists from Australia's Scientific and Industrial Resources Research Organization (CSIRO) have recently discovered the largest mouse fossil in the world ever in East Timor.

This is the fossil skeleton of the largest rat known to man.Photo: LiveScience.

The world's largest known fossil fossil record has been discovered by scientists in a dynamic class on the island of East Timor.

In addition, scientists also found that in this cave 13 fossils of different rodents, including 11 new species first discovered on Earth, with many species weighing more than 1kg .

After studying the fossils of giant rats, scientists estimate that this animal can reach 6 kg in weight, much heavier than the average 150 grams of house mice. The current.

The largest mouse on Earth is now the Heftiest rat, weighing about 2kg, living in tropical forests in the Philippines and New Guinea.

Carbon radioactivity analyzes show fossils of giant rats between 1000 and 2000 years old. Among the 13 rodent fossils discovered by scientists, only one small mouse is living on the island of East Timor today.

"Humans began living on the island of East Timor 40,000 years ago. These river dwellers during that period often hunted rats to eat and giant rats on the island just disappeared. This is about 1000 to 2000, 'said Dr. Kenplin, head of CSIRO's research

Dr. Ken Aplin is the main cause of the extinction of giant rat species on Timor Island, not due to hunting, but mainly due to deforestation for agricultural land by the islanders. this.

The islands in eastern Indonesia are considered the evolutionary cradle of rodent species. Each island in eastern Indonesia usually has a specific type of mouse. During their study in this area, CSIRO scientists also discovered six new rodents in a cave on Flores Island (Indonesia).

Source: Live Science