LEUNG_JL_DIPROTODON

Modern Animal>> =Diprotodon (//Diprotodon Optatum//)= Retrieved from: [] ||
 * [[image:http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120621-diprotodon-giant-wombat-720a.photoblog600.jpg]] ||
 * Figure 1: //Model of Diprotodon//

Scientific Classification

 * **Kingdom** || Animalia ||
 * **Phylum** || Chordata ||
 * **Class** || Mammalia ||
 * **Order** || Diprotodontia ||
 * **Family** || †Diprotodontidae ||
 * **Genus** || †Diprotodon ||
 * **Species** || †D. optatum ||

Environment/Habitat
The diprotodon was believed to exist on Earth during the Pleistocene epoch, where the climate was extremely windy and dry. During the Pleistocene epoch, Australia had frequent droughts; causing the diprotodons to be desperate for food and water they started eating salt bushes. Years later, diprotodon were able to handle food that had a high content of salt. Because of the diprotodon’s large size, it rested on hard soil unlike common wombats, who lived in burrows. It preferred to live in woodland and eucalyptus forests and avoided mountainous areas, because it did not want to be spotted by its predator. It was believed to have been distributed in mainland Australia.

Picture
Retrieved from: [] Further edited by: James Leung ||
 * [[image:tumblr_lr3zrrBx0U1r289k3o1_1280.jpg width="800" height="542"]] ||
 * Figure 2: Picture showing aspects of the Diprotodon habitat/environment

Structural Adaptation
Seen from diprotodon skeletons, it is observed that the diprotodon possessed 4 pairs of incisors at the front and 4 molars at the back of the mouth. Observing the teeth structure, it is believed that it helped the diprotodon to survive by allowing it to eat rough types of food that required chewing, such as branches, protect itself and fight for the dominant position in their herd, but it was never used to kill other animal, as it was a herbivore.

Behavioral Adaptation
The diprotodon is believed to have lived in herds of around 10 diprotodons, seen that the male diprotodon skeletons had battle scars, it is estimated that the males fought for dominance over the herd. The herd they lived in was believed to have consisted of one male leader, around 3 to 4 female Diprotodons, and the rest as the offspring. Diprotodons were believed to be polygnous. Living in herds allowed better protection for the young, as they lived inside the backwards pouch of the mother, it also allowed easier acquiring of food and protected themselves from some predators due to their mass number in their herd.

Physiological Adaptation
Living in a warm environment like Australia, diprotodons did not need to hibernate, simply because during the cold winter, diprotodons had thick fur coats to keep their body warm. Also, as their size was big, it was easier for their predators to spot them, thus it was safer and essential for diprotodons to move around and rested at different areas each night rather than resting at one particular spot for the whole season.

Selection Pressure
It is believed that the diprotodon became extinct because of climate change. Australia became an hot and arid continent after splitting from Gondwana 40 million years ago, thus its fur coat was no longer suitable in the new environment. Being unable remove it, It is believed the Diprotodon species that died out from exhaustion and heat stroke. Many plants had died out too from climate change, causing diprotodons to have more conflicts for the limited food, and with the introduction of humans, it did not had the suitable teeth to eat them, whereas humans could just hunt them with their weapons.

**Structural Diagram**
Retrieved from: [] Further edited by: James Leung ||
 * == [[image:leungj-wombat/Diprotodon11122.jpg width="480" height="316"]] == ||
 * Figure 3: Diagram showing all adaptations of the diprotodon(behavioral, structural, and physiological)