Australian archaeologists have documented the remains of ancient giant rats the size of small dogs which were discovered in a remote East Timorese cave.
SYDNEY — Australian archaeologists have documented the remains of ancient giant rats the size of small dogs which were discovered in a remote East Timorese cave.
Ken Aplin of government science agency CSIRO said the rats, detailed in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History this week, grew up to six kilograms (13 pounds) -- nearly the size of an adult Jack Russell.
The remains of the super-rats, three times the size of the largest living species, were among 13 types of rodents discovered during years of research in East Timor.
Aplin told AFP the rats lived there until 1,000 to 2,000 years ago, and were likely wiped out by changes in agricultural practices and habitat clearance.
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Source: AFP