Description

The Giant Wombat (Diprotodon optatum) was a massive, slow-moving marsupial belonging to the order Diprotodontia, which includes modern wombats and koalas. Fully grown adults reached lengths of 4 meters, stood 2 meters tall at the shoulder, and weighed an estimated 2,500–2,800 kilograms. Its body was barrel-shaped, supported by thick, column-like legs adapted for walking long distances across arid plains. The skull was large and heavy, featuring forward-facing incisors used to shear tough vegetation—similar to the grazing patterns of today’s wombats.

Fossil evidence suggests Diprotodon inhabited open grasslands, riverine forests, and saltbush flats across most of mainland Australia during the late Pleistocene (roughly 2.6 million to 46,000 years ago). It fed primarily on leaves, shrubs, and salt-tolerant plants, surviving dry seasons by migrating between water sources. Herd-like behavior is inferred from fossil assemblages, with multiple individuals—sometimes families—found together in ancient lakebeds.

Diprotodon was a keystone herbivore that helped maintain vegetation balance in its ecosystem. Its massive size likely deterred most predators except the fearsome marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex). However, its dependence on open, well-watered landscapes made it highly vulnerable to both climate drying and the environmental changes brought by early human fire management practices.