Protemnodon
Encyclopedia
Protemnodon is a genus of megafaunal macropods that existed in Australia
, Tasmania
and Papua New Guinea
in the Pleistocene
. Based on fossil evidence it is thought that Protemnodon was physically similar to wallabies
but far larger; Protemnodon hopei was the smallest in the genus weighing about 45 kilograms, the other species all weighed over 110 kg.
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...
, 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...
and Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
in 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 ....
. Based on fossil evidence it is thought that Protemnodon was physically similar to wallabies
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
but far larger; Protemnodon hopei was the smallest in the genus weighing about 45 kilograms, the other species all weighed over 110 kg.