Scientists have uncovered the remains of an ancient, quarter-ton marsupial that once walked vast distances across Australia. The new fossils help shed light on mysteries surrounding other, even more gigantic extinct marsupials.
The newly described species, Ambulator keanei, had a body plan similar to a bear or rhinoceros. It likely weighed around 550 pounds (250 kilograms) and was around 3.3 feet (1 meter) tall at the shoulder. A. keanei belongs to the family Diprotodontidae, which once included giant marsupials that were loosely related to wombats. The largest species in this group, Diprotodon optatum, grew to the size of a large car and weighed up to 3 tons (2.7 metric tons).
