Silvabestius
Encyclopedia
Silvabestius is an extinct genus of marsupial
dating to the Early Miocene
. They were grazing
animals about the size of a modern sheep.
This animal is known from two skulls found close together which have come to be known as the "Madonna and Child" fossils.
Silvabestius is an extinct genus of marsupial dating to the Early Miocene. They were grazing animals about the size of a modern sheep. This is proven as the skull size was about 25cm long. The Silvabestius is 1m long in length. The Silvabestius was a herbivore which browsed on soft plant matter such as leaves and stems. Silvabestius lived in an environment that largely consisted of tropical rainforests. The Silvabestius has close living relatives that exist now such as koalas and wombats which are found in Australia. The Silvabestius is in the extinct family called the Diprotodontidae and is therefore closely related to the giant marsupial Diprotodon. Two well preserved fossils were found belonging to a Silvabestius these fossils were 2 skulls believed to be a mother and child, These skulls were found in Riversleigh Queensland, Australia. The two skulls were found extremely close together. The baby believed to of been in the mothers pouch when they died. The fossil is referred to Madonna and child.
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
dating to the Early Miocene
Early Miocene
The Early Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages....
. They were grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
animals about the size of a modern sheep.
This animal is known from two skulls found close together which have come to be known as the "Madonna and Child" fossils.
Silvabestius is an extinct genus of marsupial dating to the Early Miocene. They were grazing animals about the size of a modern sheep. This is proven as the skull size was about 25cm long. The Silvabestius is 1m long in length. The Silvabestius was a herbivore which browsed on soft plant matter such as leaves and stems. Silvabestius lived in an environment that largely consisted of tropical rainforests. The Silvabestius has close living relatives that exist now such as koalas and wombats which are found in Australia. The Silvabestius is in the extinct family called the Diprotodontidae and is therefore closely related to the giant marsupial Diprotodon. Two well preserved fossils were found belonging to a Silvabestius these fossils were 2 skulls believed to be a mother and child, These skulls were found in Riversleigh Queensland, Australia. The two skulls were found extremely close together. The baby believed to of been in the mothers pouch when they died. The fossil is referred to Madonna and child.
See also
- HulitheriumHulitheriumHulitherium is an extinct genus of Zygomaturidae, a marsupial from New Guinea during the Pleistocene...
- NeohelosNeohelosNeohelos is an extinct sheep-sized marsupial from the late Oligocene to middle-Miocene aged deposits of Bullock Creek in the Northern Territory, Lake Ngapakaldi South Australia and riversleigh of Queensland. There are four species in this genera, N. tirarensis from Bullock Creek and the...
- ZygomaturusZygomaturusZygomaturus is an extinct giant marsupial from Australia during the Pleistocene. It had a heavy body and thick legs and is believed to be similar to the modern Pygmy Hippopotamus in both size and build. The genus moved on all fours. It lived in the wet coastal margins of Australia and became...
- KolopsisKolopsisKolopsis is an extinct genus of diprotodontid marsupials from Australia. It contains three species:*†Kolopsis rotundus Plane 1967*†Kolopsis torus Woodburne, 1967*†Kolopsis yperus Murray, Megirian & Wells, 1993K...