Diprotodon

Diprotodon is an extinct genus of marsupial from the Pleistocene of Australia, containing one species, D. optatum. The earliest finds date to 1.77 million to 780,000 years ago, but most specimens are dated to after 110,000 years ago. Its massive fossils were first unearthed in 1830 in Wellington Caves, New South Wales, before any serious scientists were active on the continent, and were variably guessed to belong to rhinos, elephants, hippos, or dugongs. Diprotodon, formally described by Sir Richard Owen in 1838, was the first named Australian fossil creature, and set Owen on a path to becoming the foremost authority of his time on other marsupials and Australian megafauna so enigmatic to European science. Diprotodon is the largest known marsupial to have ever lived, far dwarfing its closest living relatives, wombats and koalas. It grew as large as 1.8 m at the shoulders, over 4 m from head to tail, and possibly almost 3,500 kg in weight. Females were much smaller than males.

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