Giant Koala

Taxobox
name = Giant Koala
fossil_range = Pleistocene
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
infraclassis = Marsupialia
ordo = Diprotodontia
familia = Phascolarctidae
genus = "Phascolarctos"
species = "P. stirtoni"
binomial = "Phascolarctos stirtoni"
binomial_authority =

The Giant Koala ("Phascolarctos stirtoni") was an arboreal marsupial which existed in Australia during the Pleistocene epoch. "Phascolarctos stirtoni" was about one third larger than the contemporary Koala,cite web | title = Parks South Australia: Naracoorte Caves website | url = http://www.parks.sa.gov.au/naracoorte/wonambi/animals/extinct/005792 | accessdate = 2007-10-27] and has had an estimated weight of 13 kg (which is the same weight as a large contemporary male Koala).cite journal | author = Prideaux, Gavin J. | title = Mammalian responses to Pleistocene climate change in southeastern Australia | url = ftp://rock.geosociety.org/pub/reposit/2007/2007016.pdf | journal = Geology | year = 2007 | volume = 35 | pages = 33 | doi = 10.1130/G23070A.1] Although considered a part of the Australian megafauna, its body mass excludes it from most formal definitions of Megafauna. It is best described as a more robust koala, rather than a "giant"; whereas a number of Australian megafauna, such as "Diprotodon" and "Procoptodon goliah", were unambiguously "giants".

The two koala species co-existed during the Pleistocene, occupying the same arboreal niche. The reason for the extinction of the larger of the two about 50,000 years ago is unknown.

References

External links

* [http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~jpeng/KOALA/khistory.html A Brief History ... ]