Josephoartigasia monesi is an extinct rodent. It lived about 4 to 2 million years ago. It weighed about 1000 kg. This was larger than any other rodent. Its skull was 53 cm long. Its teeth were over 30 cm long. The total body length was about 3 m. The height was about 1.5 m. It lived in forests near estuaries or deltas. It ate soft plants.
The name Josephoartigasia honors José Artigas. He was a Uruguayan hero. The species name honors Álvaro Mones. He discovered many fossils in South America. This includes the first Josephoartigasia fossil.
Josephoartigasia belongs to the family Dinomyidae. This means “terrible mice.” The pacarana is the only living member. Josephoartigasia monesi is the biggest known rodent.
It had huge front teeth. They were used like elephant tusks. Not for biting. But for digging and defense. The teeth could take over 4000 Newtons of force.
The reasons for its extinction are uncertain. Climate changes and new competitors probably played a role. Many giant species died out then. Only fossils remain.
What is Josephoartigasia monesi range?
Josephoartigasia monesi is the largest known rodent ever. It weighed about 1000 kg. This extinct rodent lived approximately 4 to 2 million years ago. It was much bigger than any living rodent today. The rodent was about 3 meters long with a height of 1.5 meters. Researchers estimated its weight ranged from 480 to 500 kg. This is significantly larger than the capybara, the biggest living rodent today. The capybara weighs about 60 kg on average. Josephoartigasia monesi lived in South America. Its fossilized skull measured 53 cm long. This is about the same size as a cow skull. The rodent had very large incisors over 30 cm long. It may have used these long front teeth to dig and as a defense, similar to how elephants use their tusks. The rodent likely ate soft vegetation and fruit. Before this discovery, the largest known fossil rodent was Phoberomys. It weighed about 900 to 1500 pounds. Josephoartigasia monesi weighed over 2000 pounds on average. It may have reached 5700 pounds. This makes it the largest known rodent ever. The rodent was named after José Artigas, a national hero of Uruguay. Its fossils were found along the shore of Kiyú beach in Uruguay.
Who discovered Josephoartigasia monesi?
J. monesi is the first dinomyid whose near complete skull has been discovered. By absolute measure, it is much larger than J. magna. In 2008, Rinderknecht and Blanco estimated a living weight of 468–2,568 kg for an average of 1,211 kg. The largest rodent ever described, the enormous Josephoartigasia monesi, was roughly the size of a buffalo. J. monesi’s skull was discovered in a broken boulder on the coast of Uruguay by Andrés Rinderknecht and Ernesto Blanco. By comparing the skull’s dimensions to body sizes of existing rodents, the researchers determined its owner probably weighed about 1000 kg.
With its impressive size and unique features, this rodent has captured the curiosity of scientists. Adult Size: Unknown. A new Pleistocene fossil rodent called Josephoartigasia monesi further elucidates this trend, being the largest fossil rodent yet discovered with an estimated body mass of about 1000 kg. This animal was not a giant rat but belongs to Dinomyidae, the only living representative being Count Branicki’s terrible mouse. Josephoartigasia is larger than the largest known living and extinct rodents and the mostly-complete skull gives clues as to how it might have lived.
The vegetarian rat looked like a cross between a guinea pig and a beaver. It is thought to have been similar to smaller creatures that can still be found in South America. Although Josephoartigasia monesi is thought to have had an average weight of around one tonne, its biggest examples could have weighed more than 2.5 tonnes. The rodent was estimated to be around three metres long and 1.5 metres tall.
They did a CT scan and made a virtual reconstruction of its skull. This was then subjected to element analysis – a technique predicting stress and strain. Philip Cox and his team found it would have had a similar force to a tiger.
What is the largest among the smallest body mass of the giant rodent Josephoartigasia monesi?
The extinct Josephoartigasia monesi, a giant rodent, is the largest known. Its body mass has been estimated at 1000 kg, although possibly only 350 kg. Most rodent species weigh under 1 kg. Josephoartigasia lived during the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene epochs, about 3-2 million years ago. It was much bigger than the largest living rodent, the capybara, averaging 60 kg. Josephoartigasia also had a massive bite force, rivaling large crocodilians. It may have lived in forests near an estuary or delta, eating soft vegetation. The skull of Josephoartigasia monesi is 53 cm long. The total estimated body length is 3 m, with a height of 1.5 m. By comparing the skull with various extant rodents, the authors estimated a mass between 468 kg and 2,586 kg, with a median of 1,211 kg.
Petter’s big-footed mouse, from Madagascar, is the largest living mouse species, measuring 5.9 in long and weighing 3.7 oz. Without mice keeping plant life balanced, larger herbivores would overgraze areas. Some extinct prehistoric rodents are larger than Josephoartigasia monesi. Phoberomys pattersoni lived in South America during the Miocene Epoch. It had an estimated body mass of 700 kg, over 10 times the capybara’s mass. So among all rodents, extinct or living, Phoberomys is likely the largest ever.