GLOBAL EYE
ANIMALS
ANCIENT SKELETONS OF THE LARGEST EVER MARSUPIAL ARE UNEARTHED
WORDS PATRICK PESTER
An illustration of the now-extinct marsupial Diprotodon
A ‘unique’ fossil site in Western Australia is revealing the elusive remains of the world’s largest ever marsupial. The skeletons belong to
Diprotodon, which is related to wombats and koalas and lived during the Pleistocene epoch. These were giants, growing up to 1.7 metres tall at the shoulder, 3.8 metres long and could weigh 2.8 tonnes. Researchers have found at least ten Diprotodon skeletons at the site but have yet to excavate them fully. Adults and juveniles may be among the fossils, which could mean the site was on a major migration route for Diprotodon.