Australia: The Land Where Time Began
Megalibgwilia ramsayi - Tachyglossidae
This animal from the Pleistocene had the appearance of a modern Papua New Guinea echidna, Zyglossus bruijnii, but much larger. It became extinct about 50,000 years ago. The robust construction of their forelimbs indicated that they were powerful burrowers and probably dug out insect larvae. Their beaks would have been able to handle insects and larvae, not just ants as with modern echidnas.Links
Chris Johnson, Australia's Mammal Extinctions, a 50,000 year history, Cambridge University Press, 2006
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