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Greg Wood/AFP-Getty Images
The Australian Museum exhibits a reconstructed model of a "diprotodon", an ancient rhino-sized mega-wombat on Thursday.
A mass grave of prehistoric “giant wombats” – a marsupial the size of a rhinoceros – has been discovered in Australia, according to reports.
The discovery of about 50 diprotodon skeletons was the biggest to date and could shed light on why the animal become extinct, BBC News reported.
Diprotodon, a relative of the modern wombat, was the largest marsupial that ever lived and had a pouch that was large enough to carry an adult human.
According to the Australian Museum, it was “widespread across Australia when the first indigenous people arrived, co-existing with them for thousands of years before becoming extinct about 25,000 years ago.” Fortunately for the people, diprotodon ate plants.
“Exact reasons for the extinction of Diprotodon remain unclear. It seems to have co-existed with Aboriginal people for over 20,000 years, so the 'blitzkrieg' model (extinction upon the arrival of humans) does not hold for Diprotodon,” according to a post on the Museum’s website.
“Human activity may have had an effect, either through habitat change ('firestick farming') or perhaps via a slow decrease in numbers through selected hunting of juveniles. Aboriginal people did not have 'big game' weapons, and most likely did not target adult Diprotodon,” it says.
“Climate change may have also been a significant factor. During the Pleistocene, Australia experienced droughts that were much worse than today's, and much of inland Australia was barren, inhospitable and waterless,” it adds.
'Blown away'
The fossils were discovered at the South Walker Creek mine site in central Queensland by the Barada Barna people, according to the Queensland Museum, where the lead scientist on the project, Scott Hocknull, is based.
"When we did the initial survey I was just completely blown away by the concentrations of these fragments,” Hocknull told BBC News.
"It's a paleontologists' goldmine where we can really see what these megafauna were doing, how they actually behaved, what their ecology was,” he added. "With so many fossils it gives us a unique opportunity to see these animals in their environment, basically, so we can reconstruct it."
He said it was thought the animals died after they became trapped in a bog. The remains of other species, such as 20-foot lizards called megalania and giant crocodiles, were also found at the site.
"We're almost certain that most of these carcasses of diprotodon have been torn apart by both the crocodiles and the lizards, because we've found shed teeth within their skeletons from both animals,” Hocknull told the BBC.
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Leave a Comment:
Why do people put so much faith in the science used for this kind of stuff?? the methods used to date these things has been proven to be really inaccurate and I have not seen any evidence proving the earth to be over 12000 years old. Besides look at that thing! It something out of a movie, there is no way that thing is real!
Please I hope that was sarcasm.. really, please be.
I hope it's sarcasm too but I work with people that think the world is only 6,000 years old. One good thing about it, I have convinced them to give me their cars if the rapture happens....
Of course it's only 6,000 years old. Don't you people know how to interpret the Bible? I bet you can't even read the instructions for building a resurrection machine!
Long,long ago..........they were blasted by Luke Skywalker. Heard it right from his own mouth.
I don't think she was kidding. Notice how she cleverly intertwined faith and science in the same sentence.
Doug is the like the Cylon resurrection ship? I want one of those.
hahaha...and the sad thing is, vivian is actually serious. What makes it even funnier is she has her ages all F'd up as well. Some people should be in straight jackets....and definitely not allowed to have any contact with society. Giving people like that the availability of the internet is just not a smart idea.
No, read a little of Vivian's posting history. She's a mistress of message-board irony
And she is going to vote in November.
Vivian,
If radio-dating was incorrect, nuclear physics would also be incorrect and quantum physics would also be incorrect.
This means nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants don't exist, and your computer, which is built of semiconductors based entirely on the quantum physics theory, doesn't exist.
Must be Obama's fault.
Doug,
I heard the instruction is pretty simple. You get two big sticks and nail them across.
for vivian, ignorance is bliss!! she is also a liar making up facts which anyone with above a third grade education could see!
isnt lying a sin, viv?
Alex,
Good start, but it's never gonna work without a bioplasmic rejewzombulator
Oh gods, Vivian is here, tainting this thread with her thumper nonsense... she's the perfect example of what needs chlorinated out of the gene pool.
Vivian,
and then there's this hullaballoo about global warming. Don't people realize that if we lived on a "globe", nearly all of us would walking around sideways, or even upside down?
Indigo-Rage,
Wow, chlorinating out the gene pool. Reckon I'll be staying out of the ole swimmin' pools from now on. (Wonder if it turns us into little green people?)
Yeah, if the world were round, wouldn't we slide off? and the oceans would all drain?
Vivian would reply back, but she is on her way to visit the park in Kansas that has the museum with people and dinosaurs coexisting in harmony. You know, like the Flintstones. The park has a full scale replica of Noahs Ark. Unicorns are not allowed in the park, so keep them at home before visiting.
Maybe Viv has a point. It could be that the wombats were trapped in poured man-made cement and could not escape.
some creationists discredit all scientific evidence, if it is in conflict with the Biblical accounts of regarding the creation of the world.
Vivian was being sarcastic. Those of you who fell for it now look like bigger idiots than what she was pretending to be.
major2, the 'museum' (cough, hack, vomit) is in Kentucky.
It's obvious they lost the means to protect themselves because they would constantly bang their heads against the wall - evident from the curved horn.
Another animal that didn't make it on Noah's boat.....
It was too ugly, that's all.
It ain't gotta be pretty Max. It just has to be tasty. :)
Makes you wonder why they only got 2 of each kind of animal. After 40 days and nights I wonder how many other animals went extinct on the ark?
How do you know the animal wasn't on Noah's Ark and just became extinct later?
According to Vivian, in comment 1 it's not even real so how could it have gotten on Noah's Ark.
Well there you go then...Cause Vivian says so LOL
Maybe they took a couple of the small, modern species, thinking they were babies. It had to pretty crowded on that boat.
The giant Wombats probably were left behind with the giant crocodiles, giant lizards and unicorns.
I wish they'd left behind cockroaches and mosquitos too.
Who plans these things?
I like how the theories for extinction are proposed as one over another. I would think that it would be more a combination of the examples.
"Mass graves" are often an attempt to conceal acts of genocide. I suspect the Koalas (they have always had an inferiority complex and a deep-seated hatred for wombats).
;-)
CLARIFICATION: I'm not accusing the Koalas, mind you. Just suspicious of them based on recent conflicts (and their attempts to control ALL of the eucalyptus).
It could also have been the Kangaroos who did this. Untrustworthy bunch, those 'roos'. And secretive, too! They carry concealed joeys, you know (.... Sort of like a Trojan Horse).
=O
Actually, after the wombats died out the koala's realized it was global warming caused by marsupial behavior. They put aside all their automobiles and electrical power stations for the better of the earth. And then we had the next ice age. But then the fur bearers forgot the lessons of those who came before and started driving again....
Real or not, why in the world is this important? They are extinct and we really don't care how they died, since we can't predict or control the next disaster. Interesting though they may be, they are gone, just like the honest politician.
And like the honest politician, they lived thousands of years ago...
Who's "we"?
Mathuin perhaps this will help you...
The full quote from The Life of Reason (1905-1906) by George Santayana is
Winston Churchill is also credited with the variation:
"Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it"
If that doesnt then you truly are doomed but, "we" are not
Hey! I got an idea! Lets go to the comment section of an interesting science article and tell people how much we don't care and then randomly interject with discussion on politics.
It'll be great because its never been done before!
Actually, I really enjoy these articles precisely because they prove that history is not 'dead.'
They're still discovering things and in some cases even changing the 'facts' that we were taught! It makes history a living and exciting process!!!!
Even if we could, such as global warming, we have proven we wont do what it takes to fix it. (Assuming global warming is due to humans and not some natural cycle)
However, it is true that all of the good music ever created has been recorded already.
Who are "we" that you speak for?? The foundation of modern society which leverages science and technology relies heavily on attempting to understand the world around us and, yes, predict what we can. We see this with tsnami, volcano, earthquake research. We see this manifest in modern electronics where we must understand and "predict" the behavior of subatomic particles as they are manipulated. Light, semi conductors, plastics, etc, all depend on us understanding tiny things. This realm of science is no different. If humans aren't causing global warming and in fact its simply cyclical, then did these creatures die from not being able to adapt? Did they suffocate from the ash caused by eruption? Or blackouts resulting from asteriod/meteoroid impact (nevermind stuff actually mentioned in the article)? Stuff like that. Absolutely "we" care if we hope to try to survive such cataclysm. Of course, all of this is moot if the Almighty snaps his fingers and snuffs us out of existence. /eyeroll
I remember a time in American society when education and learning were revered and respected. People were anxious to learn. The mainstream religions supported education. Only the superstitious, near-illiterate holy rollers were in fear of everything. Now they've gone mainstream. We have good brains whether they came by evolution or intelligent design is irrelevant when one considers that they are not being used to their greatest abilities and capacities. I used to have a dowager cousin who was frequently quoted as saying " I think I've stayed too long at the fair." I now understand the painful reality of that statement.
When did the "honest politician" roam the earth ? Was certainly before any recorded history.
Anyway, I wonder if we can clone these things now that we have good DNA samples ? They would make good pets !
Th.ey look pretty vicious to me but they did say they ate plants and not people. I guess they are basing that on current wombat behavior
For Bscatolakis. And then we invented Britney Spears, Justin Beiber, reality TV, and a way for the loud yet near illiterate holy rollers to spread their message to as many idiots as possible (internet).... Oh how the mighty have fallen....
Learning from history? This isn't history. Pre-history maybe?
This is very cool. Very
Good thing they didn't eat meat then. I would hate to come over a hill and find that staring at me looking if she ate meat. Mathuin, speak for yourself, and feel free to click somewhere else if you aren't interested.
Am I the only one who got the giggles at the thought of Anchient Australians riding arond on giant wombats?
Im giggling about something different.
Nope - but then I started trying to figure out how someone would sit that hump-backed thing.
Brian then youve never been with a large woman ;)
Not big enough where I thought I might slide off.
lol
I think I would rather slide off a large woman than pass out below one....
They would be better than horses. There's a pouch so no need for saddlebags.
Your mom is a giant prehistoric wombat! But I'd still ride her.
I think they didn't survice because they weren't very smart as a species - sounds like lemmings, walking into bogs, thrashing about, getting eaten by giant crocs - over time you run out of other giant wombats to procreate with.
Vivian, if it wasn't real, who cleverly hid all those bones in that bog for someone to randomly find thousands (or hundreds!) of years later and why? Or is this some scientist's scam to get research money? What is your theory?
They're made up - probably a bunch of cow bones encased in fake mud - faked just like the movies of the landing on the moon by men!
More likely bones from Rodents of Unusual Size, like the ones in Princess Bride - that was a documentary, wasn't it?
norecord, thanks for the giggle .... I adore that movie!
norecord, lemmings? you mean democrats? blindly following into bog ...
Must be a lost industrial society there to cause the global warming.
@ralph:
Please take your politically-tinged science denying elsewhere. The grownups are talking here. Perhaps you and vivian can compare notes on the alleged religious and political agenda of the scientific community.
That should keep the two of you busy for a while.
The incredibly sad thing is - there are a lot of "Vivians" out there...people who have never had the slightest inclination to think beyond their Bibles.
I don't think it's even possible for these people to fathom that their Bible's may be totally incorrect.
She was being sarcastic.You are playing fast and loose with your non swollen mouth
Good one Ralph! LMFAO
And if it came from Australia, it's probably poisonous too!
Clone'em and lets get use them for cattle, I bet they were TASTY!
norecord, you're kidding right?
"Vivian, if it wasn't real, who cleverly hid all those bones in that bog for someone to randomly find thousands (or hundreds!) of years later and why? Or is this some scientist's scam to get research money? What is your theory?"
Everybody knows the devil put them there to cause you to question the bible and thus to go to hell. How else is he going to hit his quota?
daddofour - yes, I was kidding. I know your theory is correct b/c the devil IS in the bible and there is no "Parable of the Giant Wombat".
Oral history of the aborigines says they tasted like chicken
Anal history of the aborigines says they burned like hot peppers on the way out.
They're adorable. My kids are gonna want one for a pet. They're gonna be heartbroken when they find out that 'giant wombats' are extinct.
I don't understand why people doubt science so much. There obviously other creatures and animals on this planet before we were here. if they research how these things left the planet it can help us and our existence more than people know!
Let's see, Editors pick, Oh! I know everyone needs to know about the giant wombats so we will use space for that instead of the Holder contempt charges. Subtle manipulation of the news maybe????????
Did you see that story by Rachel Maddow about the pasty slob behind the whole Holder 'scandal'??????? I forgot his name. What a vandalous window-breaking loser!
I wouldn't call Obama pasty.
It's the science section you blithering conservative idiot (I know that's redundant but too bad).
Why can't the conservatives get out of their rut and talk about something other than politics and religion? Why is it no matter what is brought up in science or any other discussion some dumb ass religious right wing red neck has to interject how much they hate the black president? The same sort of behavior is what made the Dodo bird extinct, the sooner the GOP dies off the better for all humanity.
Thanks for the article Ian Johnston ....
Good find ....
this big old world has been around for a long time & when you have had your run it shakes you off. It happens to all living things, one day it will happen to humans. There is nothing that can be done to stop it! We just like to think we can control things! NOT! One day our run on earth will end & in a few thousand years or less you will never know we were here! its a fact get it thru your head we are not that special even if your momma & daddy told you that you were! lol....
It may have already happened a couple of times. Otherwise, how do you explain monolethic structures around the world? Then people went from knowing how to build those things to almost stone age.
Kinda looks like Rosie O'Donnell...only with less hair...
LOL
I bet it is more intelligent too
And quieter.
That is not my Mama or my Dada! NOPE! Mine was a smilin T-Rex.
wait a minute....i thought todays global warming, drought and present day species elimination was caused by modern man and his filthy technology since the industrial revolution the last 125 years or so ? were there left wing liberal environmentalist soccer moms driving gas guzzling 8mpg caddy escalades back 20,000 years ago? i know i see'em every day picking their kids up from school. hmmm. al gore must of had some relatives way back then flying around in fuel consuming polluting lear jets to get to their next global warming summit. damn , now i know why this is happening.i'm going to go screw another expensive mecury poisoned curly-q lightbulb in my lamp socket so i can feel good about saving the planet.good article.
"""Diprotodon, a relative of the modern wombat, was the largest marsupial that ever lived and had a pouch that was large enough to carry an adult human."""
Doesn't that sound nice and snuggely
Hey, this message for "All you people" who like to mistreat anamals, why don't you try picking on a Wombat and see what happens to your WOMBASS !!!
never fails. politics or religion
The best things to argue about.
What do you expect from people who believe in a mythology but not reason and scientific fact? The conservatives will always turn any discussion into religion and politics and blame the negatives on Obama regardless of what is being discussed which leads to my disgust for the lack of intellectual curiosity that is now the hallmark of American culture and we wonder why foreign students come here and excell at higher education and then take "our" jobs, it's because we can't see past "Dancing with tStars" for god's sake.
Michael Vick did it................
I believe in science since my parents are still alive due to drugs and doctors. It sure isn't based on a holy book, since they would have been dead years ago if they have had only faith (worthless). When I look at inventions like the internet, laptops, webpages, and so forth I find it laughable that people who use faith to prove anything still miss the fact that science created the very medium that they comment on to prove evoultion doesn't exist. Its' like me saying people are incapable of flight when I fly on a plane. Same thing I see when people think aliens built the pyramids instead of people. It seems people out there think humans are not competent to create stuff, yet they miss the obvious. If you refuse the existence of modernity or science you can live like the Amish. Me I accept humans are here because of evolution and ability for people to create things besides children.
I also believe that if one person can move a rock, ten thousand can build a great pyramid. If there is one "true" god, then why have there been so many "false" gods? Why is it that in Genesis 1:26 god is referred to in the plural (we, our, our) and in Genesis 1:27 the male singular in which he creates women in his image!
Wombats, like all marsupials, are not as intelligent as typical placental mammals. The dominant mammals of Australia, before humans and dingos, were all marsupials. Monitor lizards are the most intelligent lizards with a relatively high metabolic rate and have done quite well in Australia. Until humans and dingos (dogs) came along, monitors occupied a wide variety of predatory roles. Also, most of the snakes in Australia are venomous. Although humans got to Australia some 40,000 years ago, dingos did not get there until about 4,000 years ago. Could it be that it took humans a few tens of thousands of years to get a handle on the venomous monitor lizards and venomous snakes. (Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that Komodo Dragons and other monitors are venomous.)
Anyway, this is all fascinating. The mass extinctions caused by humans and the introduction of advanced mammals to Australia is additional proof of the truth of evolution. (Survival of the fittest.)
dALE3242
Good question and I have the answer. God was not alone, he had Jesus and the Holy Spirit with him. He said let us make man in our image. Then he made man himself in his own image.
I am a Christian and I believe in science. The good lord gave us a brain to use. I am amazed by some of the accomplishments man has made. It is also quite interesting that science has to keep changing because it proves something then years later proves it wrong and a new truth comes out.
The Bible never changes. The truth is today as it was 1000 years ago. The earth was round then and is now.
As for faith vs medicine it depends on how strong your faith is. A lady at my church had one leg that was 1-1/2 inches shorter than the other. A group of believers gathered around her and prayed for her healing. The short leg grew right then and there in front of everyone. She now walks normal. Another lady was healed of MS. A few have been healed of Cancer. All these were healed by God thru faith.
Hahahahahah... you're kidding right? Then why don't you all pray to do away with something that will benefit everyone like poverty or pollution? You're telling me you can cure some woman's disability with prayer then why not use that prayer to the benefit of mankind instead of one person at a time? Or pray to make people all one color so there's no racism?
I don't know what y'all are smoking but it should be illegal.
Then how come Jesus came and changed the Bible? Why did a New Testament have to amend an Old Testament?