subject: Large Rats In The History [print this page] Ken Aplin of Australia's research organization CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and Chris Helge from Smitsoninanskogo Institute (USA) described the results of excavations in East Timor in an article published in the journal Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.
Overall during the excavation of the remains were found 13 species of rodents, 11 of which were previously unknown to science. Eight species of rats weighed a kilogram or more. Among them were champions and rats, weighing up to six kilograms.
Radiocarbon dating method showed that the largest ever existed rats lived on the island of Timor roughly 1000-2000 years ago. Only one of the discovered species - the smallest - are now in Timor.
"People live on the island of Timor, more than 40 thousand years, and they hunted and ate rats to eat all the time, but they did not disappear until recently. We think that this means that the extinction of these animals were not inevitable after the arrival of people on the island . Large-scale felling of forests for crops may lead to the extinction of giant rats, "- said Applin.
He noted that Eastern Indonesia - a very important place for the evolution of rodents.
"Rodents are responsible for 40% of the diversity of mammals worldwide, they are key elements of ecosystems, in particular, they are important for processes such as maintaining soil fertility and the spread of seeds. Maintain the diversity of species of rat is just as important as the protection of whales or birds, - Baker says.
Each of the islands of eastern Indonesia has its own unique collection of species of rats. In fact Timor few mammals, most species are rodents and bats. However, although the island was left with only 15% of virgin forests, it is possible that there may dwell, and others yet unknown species of rodents.
