Newly found prehistoric "giant rat" species named after princess
A giant rodent weighing around 66 pounds roamed what is now southern Thailand 33 to 35 million years ago, scientists said, after identifying a previously unknown species from two fossilized teeth.
The ancient animal, which one geologist on the team called a "giant rat," was among the largest known from the Paleogene period, offering new clues about how early rodents evolved to enormous sizes.
The findings, published Wednesday in the journal Scientific Reports, were based on a molar and an incisor discovered in 2004 at a coal mine in southern Krabi province.
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