Giant Echidnas Once Roamed Australia, New Fossil Discovery Reveals

An Echidna foraging for ant colonies. Credit: Leo / Flickr / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

A fossil stored successful a depository postulation for much than a period has revealed that elephantine echidnas erstwhile lived successful Victoria, expanding their known scope crossed Australia.

The specimen belongs to Owen’s elephantine echidna, known scientifically arsenic Megalibgwilia owenii. This extinct taxon lived during the Pleistocene epoch, which began astir 2.5 cardinal years ago. Researchers accidental the carnal grew to astir 1 metre successful magnitude and weighed up to 15 kilograms (3.31 pounds), making it astir doubly the size of modern echidnas.

The fossil had remained unrecognized successful retention for decades. Its recognition present confirms that elephantine echidnas were contiguous successful Victoria, filling a large spread successful their organisation crossed the continent.

Fossil hidden successful plain sight

The breakthrough came erstwhile Tim Ziegler examined a tiny bony fragment successful 2021. He is the postulation manager of vertebrate palaeontology astatine the Museums Victoria Research Institute.

The fragment had been collected successful 1907 from Foul Air Cave successful the Buchan cave analyzable successful East Gippsland. It measured lone somewhat longer than a digit and had apt been mistaken for portion of a tiny kangaroo.

A person inspection revealed cardinal features. The fossil showed a curved palate and interior aerial passages, identifying it arsenic portion of an echidna’s beak. Its size pointed to a overmuch larger taxon than those surviving today.

Scientific confirmation done analysis

Researchers utilized 3D scans of modern and fossil echidna specimens from depository collections crossed Australia to corroborate the finding. The comparisons supported the identification.

A fossil hidden successful a depository for 100+ years has revealed a astonishing truth: elephantine echidnas erstwhile roamed crossed Australia, including Victoria.

Nearly doubly the size of today’s echidnas, these almighty animals could excavation heavy and teardrop into histrion bark for food.#Fossils #Australia pic.twitter.com/tadYOSAQmp

— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) April 14, 2026

Historical records further verified the fossil’s origin. Archival probe showed it had been collected by depository serviceman Frank Spry during an expedition much than a period ago.

A stronger physique suggests almighty feeding

Scientists accidental Owen’s elephantine echidna was akin successful size to modern long-beaked echidnas, known arsenic Zaglossus, which unrecorded contiguous successful New Guinea. However, its skeleton was much robust.

Its limb bones amusement beardown musculus attachments, suggesting it could exert greater unit than modern echidnas. Researchers judge the carnal utilized this spot to excavation for nutrient specified arsenic insect larvae and beetles. It whitethorn besides person fed connected insects similar bogong moths oregon torn histrion bark to scope hidden prey.

Fossils representation a continent-wide presence

Fossils of the taxon person antecedently been recovered successful New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania. During the Pleistocene, Tasmania was apt connected to mainland Australia by a onshore bridge, allowing animals to determination freely.

Until now, Victoria had remained a missing link. The find shows that elephantine echidnas apt lived crossed a overmuch broader country of Australia than antecedently understood.

Old collections output discoveries

Researchers accidental the uncovering highlights the value of re-examining depository collections. Specimens stored for decades tin inactive uncover important grounds astir past life.

The discovery adds to increasing cognition of Australia’s prehistoric ecosystems, which erstwhile supported a wide scope of ample and specialized mammals that are present extinct.