Megalania
Largest species of lizard (extinct) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Megalania (Varanus priscus) is an extinct species of giant monitor lizard,[1] part of the megafaunal assemblage that inhabited Australia during the Pleistocene. It is the largest terrestrial lizard known to have existed, reaching an estimated length of 3.5 to 7 metres (11.5 – 23 ft), and weighing between 97–1,940 kg (214–4,277 lb), but the fragmentary nature of known remains make estimates highly uncertain.
Megalania | |
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Megalania skeletal reconstruction on Melbourne Museum steps | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Varanidae |
Genus: | Varanus |
Species: | †V. priscus |
Binomial name | |
†Varanus priscus | |
Synonyms | |
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Megalania is thought to have had a similar ecology to the living Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). The youngest fossil remains of giant monitor lizards in Australia date to around 50,000 years ago.[2] The first indigenous settlers of Australia might have encountered megalania,[3] and been a factor in megalania's extinction.[4][2][5] While originally megalania was considered to be the only member of the titular genus "Megalania", today it is considered a member of the genus Varanus, being closely related to other Australian monitor lizards.