Prehistoric Beast of the Week: Procoptodon: Prehistoric Animal of the Week

This week is result of another request. Let's check out a HUGE prehistoric marsupial from Australia, Procoptodon goliah! Procoptodon was an extinct genus of kangaroo that lived in what is now mostly Southern Australia during the Plestiocene era, about 50 thousand years ago. The genus name, Procoptodon, translates to "Forward Hill Tooth". It was the largest macropod (marsupials with big hopping feet...get it? macro(big) pod(foot)...yeah kangaroos, wallabies, bettongs...) that ever lived and stood over six feet tall. Six feet is roughly the same height as a modern male Red Kangaroo, but Procoptodon was about twice as heavy as its extant relative at over 400 pounds!

Procoptodon goliah hopping alongside some flying cockatoos by Christopher DiPiazza.

Its common name is the "Short-Faced Kangaroo" in reference to its forward-facing eyes and blunt snout, which are unlike those of modern macropods. With the short face, this animal also had a very deep jaw which would have been backed up with extremely powerful chewing muscles in life. It also had very unique teeth for a marsupial that are actually similar to those of apes (convergent evolution). This combination of adaptations, plus looking at modern animals with similar adaptations, tell us that Procoptodon was adapted to eating tougher vegetation than its cousins. This could have been the bushes and trees in its arid, almost desert habitat, or even grass. In fact, despite being a kind of kangaroo, Procoptodon's face was more similar in appearance to other marsupials like koalas and wombats which also have powerful chewing muscles.

Skeleton of Procoptodon on display in the Naracoorte Caves in Southern Australia, where it was unearthed.

Procoptodon's limbs were also unique. Its arms were very long, which probably allowed it to reach up and grab higher vegetation for food. Its hands each had five fingers, two of which were extra long and tipped with sharp claws. On each of its feet, Procoptodon only had one functioning toe. Digits 1, 2, 3 and 5 were reduced to the point where they served no purpose anymore. The one toe that was left, however, digit 4, was widened to provide more support and the muscles that attached there and at the ankle were simple, yet extremely powerful. The toe was also tipped with a wide claw, similar in shape to a horse's hoof. In life, Procoptodon would have been a very fast-moving animal once it got a good stride going.

Procoptodon actually has a little pop culture status too. The most recent movie in the Ice Age franchise, Ice Age: Continental Drift, features a villainous Procoptodon, voiced by the hilarious Rebel Wilson. (who is also Australian!)

Procoptodon, named "Raz" from Ice Age: Continental Drift. See? One toe per foot.

For thousands of years Procoptodon actually would have coexisted with humans in Australia. To this day, thanks to generations of oral culture, Aboriginal people tell stories of giant kangaroos from distant times.

That's all for this week! Check us out next week for an EGGstremely appropriate Easter-themed Prehistoric Animal! As always we welcome comments below or on our facebook page!

References

Bartholomai, A. 1970. The extinct genus Procoptodon Owen (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) in Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 15, 213-233. - See more at: http://australianmuseum.net.au/Procoptodon-goliah/#sthash.8HT22iWn.dpuf

Prideaux, Gavin J., et al. "Extinction implications of a chenopod browse diet for a giant Pleistocene kangaroo." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106.28 (2009): 11646-11650.

"Procoptodon goliah". Australian Museum.

Pages

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Procoptodon: Prehistoric Animal of the Week

No comments:

Post a Comment