Riversleigh Rainforest Koala (Nimiokoala greystanesi)
Riversleigh Rainforest Koala.
Illustration: Copyright © A Musser.
Lived: 16-10 million years ago (middle Miocene)
Size: Length (head and body): 25-30cm
Description: The Riversleigh rainforest Koala lived in the trees and munched on tough leaves, like its closest living relative, the Koala. But whereas today's Koala lives in dry forests, the Riversleigh rainforest Koala lived in rainforests.
Another difference between this little koala and the modern Koala is
Size: the Riversleigh Rainforest Koala was only about a third of the size of today's Koala.
Fossils: Fossils of the Riversleigh Rainforest Koala include part of a skull, several lower jaws and a number of individual teeth. All were found at Riversleigh in northwestern Queensland.
Did you know?: The Riversleigh Rainforest Koala is the only fossil koala for which a skull has been found. Koalas are quite uncommon in fossil sites.
