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PHASCOLONUS
(fas-co-lo-nus)
Phascolonus
Named By: Richard Owen in 1872
Time Period: Unavailable
Location: Australia, South Australia, Lake Callabonna
Size: Largest species estimated about 200 kg in weight
Diet: Herbivore
Fossil(s): Skulls and partial post cranial remains
Classification: | Chordata | Mammalia | Marsupialia | Diprotodontia | Vombatidae |
Also known as: | Phascolomys gigas |
About

Phascolonus was a genus of prehistoric Australian marsupials in the wombat family. The largest species, Phascolonus gigas, weighed as much as 200 kg (450 lb). Phascolonus existed alongside an even larger marsupial, Diprotodon, which weighed as much as three tons and was distantly related to wombats. Both disappeared at the end of the Late Pleistocene in a Quaternary extinction event together with many other large Australian animals.

At Tea Tree Cave, a two-million-year-old Phascolonus fossil was found alongside that of the crocodilian Quinkana.

Read more about Phascolonus at Wikipedia
PaleoCodex is a weekend hack by Saurav Mohapatra