Megalibgwilia
Encyclopedia
Megalibgwilia is a genus of echidna
known only from Australia
n fossil
s that incorporates the oldest known echidna species. It lived during the Pleistocene
, becoming extinct about 50,000 years ago.
Megalibgwilia was first described from a broken left humerus
by Richard Owen
when he identified M. ramsayi in 1884. Complete skulls and postcranial fossils have since been described. A second species, M. robusta, was described in 1896 by Australian paleontologist William Sutherland Dun
.
Although they are sometimes commonly referred to as giant echidnas, Megalibgwilia species are thought to have been similar in size to the contemporary Western Long-beaked Echidna
, but with slightly longer forearms. They were smaller than a large species known from fossils in Australia, Zaglossus hacketti
. M. ramsayi fossils have been found in deposits across mainland Australia and on Tasmania
. M. robusta has only been found in New South Wales. Megalibgwilia was probably an insect-eater, like the Short-beaked Echidna
, rather than a worm-eater like members of Zaglossus.
M. robusta is the oldest known echidna and the only known Miocene species.
Echidna
Echidnas , also known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. There are four extant species, which, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of that order and are the only extant mammals that lay eggs...
known only from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s that incorporates the oldest known echidna species. It lived during the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
, becoming extinct about 50,000 years ago.
Megalibgwilia was first described from a broken left humerus
Humerus
The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow....
by Richard Owen
Richard Owen
Sir Richard Owen, FRS KCB was an English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist.Owen is probably best remembered today for coining the word Dinosauria and for his outspoken opposition to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
when he identified M. ramsayi in 1884. Complete skulls and postcranial fossils have since been described. A second species, M. robusta, was described in 1896 by Australian paleontologist William Sutherland Dun
William Sutherland Dun
William Sutherland Dun was an Australian palaeontologist, geologist and president of the Royal Society of New South Wales....
.
Although they are sometimes commonly referred to as giant echidnas, Megalibgwilia species are thought to have been similar in size to the contemporary Western Long-beaked Echidna
Western Long-beaked Echidna
The western long-beaked echidna is one of the four extant echidnas and one of three species of Zaglossus that occur in New Guinea. As Tachyglossus bruijni, this is the type species of Zaglossus....
, but with slightly longer forearms. They were smaller than a large species known from fossils in Australia, Zaglossus hacketti
Zaglossus hacketti
Zaglossus hacketti is an extinct species of long-beaked echidna from Western Australia that is dated from the Pleistocene. It is known only from a few bones found in Western Australia. It was the size of a sheep, weighing probably up to 100 kg . This makes it the largest monotreme to have ever...
. M. ramsayi fossils have been found in deposits across mainland Australia and on Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. M. robusta has only been found in New South Wales. Megalibgwilia was probably an insect-eater, like the Short-beaked Echidna
Short-beaked Echidna
The short-beaked echidna , also known as the spiny anteater because of its diet of ants and termites, is one of four living species of echidna and the only member of the genus Tachyglossus...
, rather than a worm-eater like members of Zaglossus.
M. robusta is the oldest known echidna and the only known Miocene species.
External links
- Extinct Animals : Megalibgwilia ramsayi - Reconstructions and skull images from Parks and Wildlife, South Australia