Extinct S. American Rodent Weighed 1 Ton

Jan 17, 11:32 PM

LONDON (AP) - Eeek! Imagine a rodent that weighed a ton and was as big as a bull.

Uruguayan scientists say they have uncovered fossil evidence of the biggest species of rodent ever found, one that scurried across wooded areas of South America about 4 million years ago, when the continent was not connected to North America.

A herbivore, the beast may have been a contemporary, and possibly prey, of saber-toothed cats - a prehistoric version of Tom and Jerry.

For those afraid of rodents, forget hopping on a chair. Its skull, more than 20 inches long, suggested a beast more than eight feet long and weighing between 1,700 and 3,000 pounds.

"These are totally different from the rats and mice we're accustomed to," said Bruce Patterson, the curator of mammals at the Field Museum in Chicago.

The fossil was found in 1987 about 65 miles west of the capital of Montevideo, near the vast River Plate estuary. That area is site of ancient riverbanks and other deposits where fossils have been found, he said.

An Argentine fossil collector identified as Sergio Viera donated the skull to Uruguay's National History and Anthropology Museum nearly two decades ago, said museum director Arturo Toscano.

It spent years hidden away in a box at the museum and was rediscovered by curator Andres Rinderknecht, who enlisted the help of fellow researcher Ernesto Blanco to study it.

(c) 2008 Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved. Extinct S. American Rodent Weighed 1 Ton
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