This is a graphic image of the Liang Bua rat species used in the study. [Credit: Image from the research paper]
Posted on 03/17/2019 11:30:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Murids, as the rat family is known, are more taxonomically diverse than any other mammal group and are found in nearly every part of the world... The study was based on remains recovered from the limestone cave known as Liang Bua, where partial skeletons of H. floresiensis have been found, along with stone tools and the remains of animals -- most of them rats. In fact, out of the 275,000 animal bones identified in the cave so far, 80 percent of them are from rodents... The study encompassed about 10,000 of the Liang Bua rat bones. The remains spanned five species with distinct sizes, from the mouse-sized Rattus hainaldi up to the housecat-sized Papagomys armandvillei -- commonly known as the Flores giant rat. After categorizing the bones, the researchers could then directly link them to both species and environmental types. While rats can adjust to new environments, the morphologies of different species tend to be adaptive to their preferred environment. For example, the habitat of the medium-sized Komodomys rintjanus, included in the study, is primarily open grasslands intermittent with patches of forest. In contrast, the tiny R. hainaldi and the giant P. armandvillei both prefer more closed or semi-closed forested habitats. Tracking the relative abundances of the different rat species over time indicated that the local ecology was mostly open grassland 100,000 years ago, transitioning to a more-closed, forested habitat around 60,000 years ago. That is around the same time that skeletal elements belonging to Homo floresiensis, the pygmy Stegodon, giant storks, vulture and Komodo dragons disappear from Liang Bua.
(Excerpt) Read more at eurekalert.org ...
Humans are more closely related to rats than cats and dogs.
After Cohen's testimony show before congress, that' is most evident.
What message do the sheep sized rats in NYC say?
The Tale Of The Giant Rat Of Sumatra.
Hence, no more hobbits.
Rodents Of Unusual Size
Rodent you know.
Pet rats are intelligent, loyal, affectionate and clean. People like having the critters around them.
Same is said about tarantulas.
The hairy spiders are cute. People choose their own pocket pets.
Eensy-beensy spider crawled up the birthday cake
Eensy quickly learned he'd made a big mistake
crawling up a candle as the cake was cut
Eensy-beensy spider, he burned his little butt.
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![This is a graphic image of the Liang Bua rat species used in the study. [Credit: Image from the research paper]](https://media.eurekalert.org/multimedia_prod/pub/web/195471_web.jpg)
