"Guinea-zilla"—World's Largest Rodent?

<i>Phoberomys pattersoni</i>
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Phoberomys pattersoni, a 1,500-pound (680-kilogram) rodent the size of a buffalo, roamed South America eight million years ago. Researchers say Phoberomys looked more like a giant guinea pig than an oversized house rat. Like the buffalo and many dinosaurs, it flourished on a diet of vegetation.

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Illustration by Carin L. Cain, copyright Science
 

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