Baluchitherium returns: World-largest land mammal to go on display in capital
The fossils of a Baluchitherium, the largest land-based mammal known to have lived, will be mounted at the Pakistan Natural History Museum (PNHM) in Shakarparian on Friday.
This was said by Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) Chairman Dr Manzoor H Soomro on Tuesday. He said the foundation had prepared a comprehensive strategy in collaboration with France to install the 30-foot long and 50-foot wide Baluchitherium in the museum near Garden Avenue. The fossils were discovered in 2000 in Dera Bugti in Balochistan.
The extinct animal’s bones were sent to the French National Museum of Natural History for preservation after being discovered. The museum sent the fossils back after analysing them. The Baluchitherium lived in what is now Balochistan some 23 million years ago.
Soomro told The Express Tribune that Baluchitherium will be the identity of PSF and it is another major development after the recent whale shark find. He hoped that the skeleton will be helpful in piquing the interest of students in biology and zoology.
Pakistan Natural History Museum Director General Dr Azhar Hussain said the animal used to roam through the forests of Baluchistan some 30 million years ago before global weather changes swept the forest away.
He added that Baluchistan has an abundance of dinosaur and mammalian fossils and more discoveries could come if efforts were made.
About Rs1.6 million have been spent on the life-size model of Baluchitherium, with Pakistani artist Muhammad Asim preparing the model. He said he did it out of love for the country while adding that it would have cost millions if the model were prepared by a European museum.
Published In The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2012.
COMMENTS (11)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@Faiz Baluch: Not again. Can't you guys think straight? We are talking about Science here. Pure Paleozoology. Why are you bringing ethnicity issues here? A major reason you guys could never develop and will drag us down as well You could go to Isloo and study the big mammal there as well which according to you only Baluch students could study.By the way Islamabad is a federal territory, not a Punjab territory.
Balochistan is rich in every aspect but not projected properly. I am wonder that why the local and international media is ignoring this development and not reporting. This must be reported to the public by developing a documentary. The Baloch media like Baloch Hall and Vsh must promote this Baluchtharium
The Occupiers depriving the Baloch students to learn or do research work about the largest mammal which had existed on their own land ''Balochistan'' ,but unjustly it will be displayed for the Punjabi students to learn about something which had never existed in Punjab.... Plunderers always got an excuse, they will try to dodge this time too.
@Amir yeah it doesn't look that good from that photo, another example from the wiki page, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Indricothere_CAS.jpg
Am wondering who the "artisit" is? The model does not even look like the magnificnet beast that it is?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraceratherium
@Mj: i am sure then,, that humans would have made all the efforts to exterminate them..
Why in capital and not in some Baluchistan museum?
Great. Maybe only such things are left in Pakistan to attract people not just from inside but outside too.
What a magnificient creature. Wish they were not extinct.
Is iit the fossils or a model that will be put on display?the writer seems to be muddled on the issue.Obviously the actual fossils have to be preserved and cannot be diplayed like that so the opening sentence is wrong.
gotta see this for sure...