Giant Rodent The Size Of Buffalo Roamed Earth 3 Million Years Ago
- 9 years ago
Researchers unearthed a rodent skull and have determined that it belonged to a guinea pig relative that was about the size of a buffalo and had a set of truly enormous incisors.
Rodents as we know them today tend to be small, furry sorts, some of which make adorable house pets.
In prehistoric times, that wasn’t necessarily the case.
Researchers unearthed a rodent skull and have determined that it belonged to a guinea pig relative that was about the size of a buffalo and had a set of truly enormous incisors.
To get a sense of how strong its bite was, the team of scientists performed scans and built a computer model.
They determined that the animal had the jaw power of a tiger only its incisors could handle 3 times the force.
Given that the combination of exertion and strength is far greater than would be needed to tackle the tasks of biting and chewing, the team came to the conclusion that the teeth served multiple purposes.
It’s likely the rodent used its strong, giant pearl
Rodents as we know them today tend to be small, furry sorts, some of which make adorable house pets.
In prehistoric times, that wasn’t necessarily the case.
Researchers unearthed a rodent skull and have determined that it belonged to a guinea pig relative that was about the size of a buffalo and had a set of truly enormous incisors.
To get a sense of how strong its bite was, the team of scientists performed scans and built a computer model.
They determined that the animal had the jaw power of a tiger only its incisors could handle 3 times the force.
Given that the combination of exertion and strength is far greater than would be needed to tackle the tasks of biting and chewing, the team came to the conclusion that the teeth served multiple purposes.
It’s likely the rodent used its strong, giant pearl