Scientists: Large Wombat-like Animal Lived in Australia 25 Million Years Ago

Scientists say a relative of modern wombats¹, about the size of a black bear, lived in central Australia around 25 million years ago.

Fossils of the creature's head and other bones were discovered in 1973, under Lake Pinpa, a dry, salt lake in South Australia state. The fossils were housed in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and went unstudied for years.

Robin² Beck, a professor at the University of Salford in Britain, led the research, which appeared in the publication Scientific Reports.

"It may have looked a bit wombat-like, but with a smaller head," Beck said. He said the animals also had longer tails and strong legs.

The researchers named the plant-eating mammal Mukupirna nambensis. The name means big bones in the local Aboriginal⁴ language. The shape of the creature's hands and forelimbs suggest it was a skillful and powerful digger, scientists say.

Mukupirna is one of the earliest-known large-bodied Australian marsupials, the report said. Its discovery helps explain the development of a marsupial⁵ group called vombatiforms. The group includes wombats as well as koalas.

Marsupials are mammals that give birth to less developed young that are carried and fed in a pouch⁶ on the mother's body. They were the common mammals found across Australia following the end of dinosaurs⁷. Other mammals, like cats, dogs, elephants, apes, horses, developed more commonly on the other continents.

Mukupirna was not a direct ancestor of wombats but a close relative. At about 150 kilograms, it was about five times the size of modern wombats.

Beck said in a news release Mukupirna "probably lived in an open forest environment without grasses, and developed teeth that would have allowed it to feed on sedges, roots, and tubers that it could have dug up with its powerful front legs."

"It is a very unusual animal," he added. In fact, researchers have identified Mukupirna as its own animal family.

Mike Archer³ is a professor at the University of New South Wales, Australia. He helped write the report on the Mukupirna. He was also among the scientists that discovered the bones almost 50 years ago. He said the find was extremely lucky.

Normally, Lake Pinpa is covered with sands from nearby hills. "But because of rare environmental conditions" before the team arrived, he said, the fossil-rich surface was on full show.

Archer described the unexpected sight as "breathtaking."

I'm Caty Weaver⁹.

Words in This Story

mammal -n. a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin

forelimb -n. an arm, fin⁸, wing, or leg that is located toward the front of the body

pouch -n. a pocket of skin on the stomachs of some female animals (such as kangaroos and koalas) that is used to carry young

allow -v. to permit; to let

sedge -n. a plant like grass that grows in wet ground or near water

1 wombats   

n.袋熊( wombat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Wombats:Not big difference. 袋熊：没有很大的区别。 来自互联网
• Wombats wanted to wiggle along the ground. 袋熊想在地面上扭动前进。 来自互联网

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 archer   

n.射手，弓箭手

参考例句：

• The archer strung his bow and aimed an arrow at the target.弓箭手拉紧弓弦将箭瞄准靶子。
• The archer's shot was a perfect bull's-eye.射手的那一箭正中靶心。

4 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

5 marsupial   

adj.有袋的，袋状的

参考例句：

• Koala is an arboreal Australian marsupial.考拉是一种澳大利亚树栖有袋动物。
• The marsupial has been in decline for decades due to urban sprawl from car accidentsdog attacks.这种有袋动物其数量在过去几十年间逐渐减少,主要原因是城市的扩张、车祸和狗的袭击。

6 pouch   

n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件

参考例句：

• He was going to make a tobacco pouch out of them. 他要用它们缝制一个烟草袋。
• The old man is always carrying a tobacco pouch with him.这老汉总是随身带着烟袋。

7 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

9 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。