Can you believe that a bull-sized mouse roamed in this world four million years ago? Yes… Scientists discovered a fossil of 1-1.4 tonnes weight in a broken bolder on the coast of Rio de La Plata in Uruguay.

This fossil was studied by Andres Rinderknecht and ernesto Blanco of Museum of Natural History and Institute of Physics, respectively, in Montevideo.

This team reported this fact in the proceedings of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences journal. The skull of this rhodent is half-a-meter long and reached even bigger than a cow skull.

This mega rhodent incisors confirmed to a diet of aquatic plants, and also suggested this animal is inhabitant of forested areas close to fresh water.

Theory for this Hugeness

Dr.Blanco put forth that these rhodents were such a big creature in order to avoid predation. In addition to this the pointed incisors might be acting as an effective weapons.

Previously, Phoberomys is considered to be a largest rhodent, which weighed about 700 kg. Now this rhodent- Josephoartigasia monesi (named after the South American rhodent expert- Alvaro Mones) is twice as huge as Phoberomys.

As this fossil has been dug in an arid region of Venezuela, it may have been grazed in herds also!

It’s too bad they’re extinct; I’d love to see those things. Isn’t it? Shall we call this creature as “King of rats”? What do you think?