Monster Rats and Miniature Elephants Once Existed in This Indonesian Island

Most of us know which animals in the kingdom are large and which ones are small. We know that rodents are tiny while elephants are huge. It’s basic elementary knowledge, so to speak.

But interestingly, this wasn’t the case in the tropical archipelago of Indonesia during archaic times. Miniature elephants and giant rodents, ironically, teemed the location. The place was even packed with the weirdest creatures in all of Earth.

Researchers tried to understand why these types of creatures no longer exist today. The island in this case is called Sumba, a place known for incredible species.

The island was believed to house the strangest animals in the planet.

According to IFLScience, the said island was part of a group known as the Wallace Islands. This region became a favorite to numerous biologists due to its peculiarity. It is located somewhere in a gateway between Australia and Asia.

The islands were said to have been populated by bizarre creatures. For a good amount of years, these mixed species were isolated in the island and all came from both continents.

Sumba, in particular, became a ground for evolution. It was where species like giant rodents and komodo dragons existed. Even the smallest elephant race was believed to have existed there.

The miniature elephants were called pygmy stegodon.

The researchers further suggest this:

These discoveries offer a fascinating and poignant glimpse at a lost world, as many of the animals that evolved in isolation on islands in Wallacea were lost following the prehistoric arrival of modern humans.”

One of the lead authors of the study named Dr. Samuel Turvey said that unraveling the mystery of a diverse island is quite important. It gives humanity a better understanding of the various processes of evolution. This should also explain why some of these species “were lost while others survived.”

Turvey and his team are confident that this discovery will help them further understand the enigmas of evolution.

It’s worth noting that some of the species from the island also evolved on Flores, a nearby island similar to Sumba. Interestingly, this island is where researchers discovered the so-called “hobbit” people. They’re scientifically known as Homo Floresiensis, a human species that stood around 3 feet 7 inches (1.1 meters) tall.

The researchers continue to dig in deeper into the mystery of the island. They’re hoping to acquire a breakthrough that will further help humanity in the field of evolution.