Giants of the Past.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 October 1921, Page 3

Giants of the Past.

A! ST KAMA'S I XI INCT ANDIAI.S. SVDN'KV. Scpti'inlsT -*■ ! Krniii tilin' to i inn* il i'' - i■ i ■ 11 1 1 *in various i >ll it" til A ust i-!i ! i:l whit'll 1.111\<- the o■ii; <■l kaiipurous of 11i-i liv 111 l"‘ Inn tlm pnii.v ili-~ii-ii>l.iills ip emii'iiinn;. i I i';i t uios. « hose skulls aloiii' n:u linil n yard in l''"Utli. ’l' l ''" latest 1'1‘ltlllt! 11l 111 this'.' ni;|llts Ilf tinpast is ti jilu'iionu'iia 1 jaw wliii-h li is just hi'i'ii found in n fossilised -tilt!' mi the biinU of Kind's Creek. iu'iir tin' Dili Imp |)i..ins. in South Queensland. Tli'.' director "I tin' (,h i'i'lis In lit! Aittsi'iiin states that it resents tlm incomplete hiWiT jllW "I till' piallt e\- * in- l innrsupin 1 known as tlm ili|irntinliin A n.-lralis. NiimiTi.iis remains he sit vs. have In ml found in (iimi'iislnml "I this vi'i v larpo ailiintil, iiinl i-ijinpli’t'* skeletons have been secured in tin- bed nf l ike Cnlktlxninn, South Australia. Sumo iih'a of tho si/.o of this inarsu|iial lIUIV In' na Uni'll f mill till' ll'liutll of tho skull, whioli in au adult may h<* fully a yard limp;. The diprotuilnu was unilniihtoilly liorliivnruiis. ami its up|ior and lower tooth snniowliat roselilililo. thus.' uf tho kanpaino, aith.uiph very mill'll lurper. Tho I'uro and hind timhs wore of a hunt tho same lenpth. and in this res pert there is a likeness tu tin' niinlerii wumhat. '1 lie dipruiodnii was prnhahly a sluppisli and inoffensive animal. and evidently roamed over the ureator part of Australia. Its marsupial nature is iihundaiitly revealed hy many features ui the skeleton, iiielmlinp the marsupial holies. In lSdb the late Sir Kiehai'il Owen, lirst used the i'. one diprolndou, which means “two front teeth.’’ havilip referenee to the two larpe incisors in the Iront ol the lower inw.