Reconstruction of Pyramios alcootense by P. Murray

The Pyramios alcootense was a big marsupial like a wombat that was around the same size as the Plaisiodon centralis. It weighed between 500 - 700 kilos and was about 1.5 metres tall and 3 metres long. The Pyramios had a snout and mouth like a shovel or scoop that was probably used to find tubers or roots under the ground. The Pyramios was a herbivore.

Only two Pyramios alcootense fossils have been found at Alcoota. Pyramios alcootense 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 but unpredictable water supply at Alcoota where the Pyramios 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. This would include animals like the Pyramios.

Top view of a Pyramios alcootense skull, Museum of Central Australia	Pyramios alcootense skull, Museum of Central Australia