Coryphomys
Encyclopedia
Coryphomys is an extinct
genus of rats, known from sub-fossils found on Timor
. Species include Coryphomys buhleri
and Coryphomys musseri. Archaeological research on East Timor has revealed the bones of rats weighting up to 6 kilograms = 13.2 pounds when adult. They seem to have died out between 1000 and 2000 years ago, perhaps due to large-scale forest clearance for farming.
Its name is Greek
for "top-of-the-head mouse" or "summit mouse".
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
genus of rats, known from sub-fossils found on Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
. Species include Coryphomys buhleri
Buhler's Coryphomys
Buhler's Coryphomys is an extinct species of giant rat. It is known only from sub-fossil fragments that were found on Timor Island, Indonesia. It is related to the murines of New Guinea....
and Coryphomys musseri. Archaeological research on East Timor has revealed the bones of rats weighting up to 6 kilograms = 13.2 pounds when adult. They seem to have died out between 1000 and 2000 years ago, perhaps due to large-scale forest clearance for farming.
Its name is Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
for "top-of-the-head mouse" or "summit mouse".
External links
- http://io9.com/5596239/2000+year+old-giant-rat-was-forty-times-bigger-than-its-modern-relatives
- Archaeologists Discover Biggest Rat That Ever Lived: Weight of About 6 Kilograms (Over 13 Lb)
- http://news.discovery.com/animals/giant-rat-fossil-discovered.html
- Giant, dog-sized rat documented in East Timor
- http://www.neatorama.com/2010/07/26/skeleton-of-giant-rat-discovered/
- http://www.france24.com/en/20100727-giant-dog-sized-rat-documented-east-timor