I grew up with a guinea pig, and they are some of the cuddliest, sweetest little buggers ever. However, two to four million years ago, they weren’t quite house pets.
Josephoartigasia monesi (or “Big Rodent”), the cousin species to the guinea pig, existed in prehistoric times and was about the size of a bull. They had tusks they could use to bite with the same force as a tiger fueled up on RedBull.
They were vegetarians, but their teeth-tusks were used to help fight off predators and burrow and build shelter, amongst many other advantages this creature had with its tusks.
We can all look in awe as paleontologist continue to research more on this fine creature, and hope it never returns to the modern era, so we can avoid this…
