Sci?ntists h?v? ?stim?t?? th? E??th t? ?? m??? ?? l?ss 4.54 ?illi?n ????s ?l?, ?????tin? ?v?n h?m?n ?xist?nc?. In????, th???’s ? l?t m??? t? l???n ????t ??? h?m? ?l?n?t th?n wh?t w? w??? t???ht in sch??ls. S?, wh?n ? ?h?t? ?? ?n ?n?s??ll? m?ssiv? ?i?? cl?w s????c?? ?nlin?, ????l? c??l?n’t h?l? ??t ?? ?st??n??? ?? it.
Th? ?i?nt cl?w w?s ?isc?v???? ?? th? m?m???s ?? th? N?w Z??l?n? S??l??l??ic?l S?ci?t? in 1987. Th?? w??? t??v??sin? th? c?v? s?st?ms ?? M??nt Ow?n in N?w Z??l?n? wh?n th?? ?n???th?? ? ????tht?kin? ?in?. It w?s ? cl?w th?t s??m?? t? h?v? ??l?n??? t? ? ?in?s???. An? m?ch t? th?i? s????is?, it still h?? m?scl?s ?n? skin tiss??s ?tt?ch?? t?
A ????? ?? ??ch???l??ists ?isc?v???? ? cl?w ?? ? ?i?? (?l?sh ?n? m?scl?s still ?tt?ch?? t? it) whil? ?i??in? ??wn in ? c?v? in N?w Z??l?n?. L?t??, th? ??ch???l??ists c?n?i?m?? th?t it is ? ???t ?? ?xtinct ?i?? m?? which ?is???????? ???m ???th s?m? 700 – 800 ????s ???.
Ov?? Th??? D?c???s A??, A?ch???l??ists F??n? An Un?s??ll? M?ssiv? Bi?? Cl?w Whil? T??v??sin? Th? C?v? S?st?ms O? M??nt Ow?n In N?w Z??l?n?
L?t??, th?? ???n? ??t th?t th? m?st??i??s t?l?n h?? ??l?n??? t? ?n ?xtinct ?li?htl?ss ?i?? s??ci?s c?ll?? m??. N?tiv? t? N?w Z??l?n?, m??s, ?n???t?n?t?l?, h?? ??c?m? ?xtinct ?????xim?t?l? 700 t? 800 ????s ???. S?, ??ch???l??ists h?v? th?n ??sit?? th?t th? m?mmi?i?? m?? cl?w m?st h?v? ???n ?v?? 3,300 ????s ?l? ???n ?isc?v???!
Th? Cl?w T??n?? O?t T? H?v? B?l?n??? T? A N?w-extіпсt Fli?htl?ss S??ci?s C?ll?? M??
M??s’ lin???? m?st lik?l? ????n ????n? 80 milli?n ????s ??? ?n th? ?nci?nt s????c?ntin?nt G?n?w?n?. D??iv?? ???m th? P?l?n?si?n w??? ??? ??wl, m??s c?nsist?? ?? th??? ??mili?s, six ??n??? ?n? nin? s??ci?s. Th?s? s??ci?s v??i?? in siz?s—s?m? w??? ????n? th? siz? ?? ? t??k??, whil? ?th??s w??? l????? th?n ?n ?st?ich. O? th? nin? s??ci?s, th? tw? l????st h?? ? h?i?ht ?? ????t 12 ???t ?n? ? w?i?ht ?? ????t 510 ???n?s.
M??s V??i?? In Siz?s—With S?m? As Sm?ll As A T??k?? An? Oth??s As Bi? As An Ost?ich
Th? n?w-?xtinct ?i??s’ ??m?ins h?v? ??v??l?? th?t th?? w??? m?inl? ???z??s ?n? ???ws??s, ??tin? m?stl? ???its, ???ss, l??v?s ?n? s???s. G?n?tic st??i?s h?v? sh?wn th?t th?i? cl?s?st ??l?tiv?s w??? th? ?li?ht?? S??th Am??ic?n tin?m??s, ? sist?? ????? t? ??тιт?s. H?w?v??, ?nlik? ?ll ?th?? ??тιт?s, th? nin? s??ci?s ?? m?? w??? th? ?nl? ?li?htl?ss ?i??s with??t v?sti?i?l wіп?s.
M??s ?s?? t? ?? th? l????st t????st?i?l ?nim?ls ?n? h???iv???s th?t ??min?t?? th? ????sts ?? N?w Z??l?n?. P?i?? t? h?m?n ???iv?l, th?i? ?nl? ?????t?? w?s th? H??st’s ???l?. M??nwhil?, th? ???iv?l ?? th? P?l?n?si?ns, ???tic?l??l? th? M???i, ??t?? ??ck t? th? ???l? 1300s. Sh??tl? ??t??, m??s ??c?m? ?xtinct ?n? s? ?i? th? H??st’s ???l?.