Reconstruction of Plaisiodon centralis by P. Murray

The Plaisiodon centralis was a very big marsupial with a long narrow head. Its closest living relatives are wombats and koalas. Plaisodons weighed between 500 - 700 kilos and were about 1.5 metres tall and 3 metres long.

The Plaisiodon was very similar to the Kolopsis torus. Both of these animals ate leaves and coarse foliage and probably lived in herds. The female Plaisiodons were much smaller than the males. Plaisiodon fossils are quite common in the Alcoota area.

Plaisiodons lived in the late Miocene era, about 8 million years ago. Australia had been separated from the big southern landmass of Gondwana for millions of years by this time.

The animals of Australia had evolved very slowly in almost complete isolation from the animals of other continents. There were forests and a permanent water supply at Alcoota where the Plaisodons lived.

Scientists have found many bones at Alcoota all jammed together from animals that died in the space of a few years. One theory about what happened at Alcoota is that the climate was very unpredictable and there was little or no rain for a few years in that area. Plants died and the animals that ate plants died of starvation.

Plaisiodon centralis skeleton, Museum of Central Australia	Plaisiodon centralis skull, Museum of Central Australia