Vanuatu The Secret Land Of Giants
Posted on 19 August 2010 by LynThomas in Travel
Scientists have confirmed that Vanuatu was host to a never-before-seen supersize animal, in the genus Meiolania, (giant horned turtles), was driven to extinction by humans, on the 80 tropical island archipelago of Vanuatu, in the north west corner of the South Pacific.
Researchers have also discovered that subsequent settlers killed, butchered and ate the turtles and dumped their bones on top of their predecessors’ graves, according to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The species found at Vanuatu is new to science. “It is the first time this family of turtles has been shown to have met with humans and there are many turtle bones in the middens,” says Dr White. It appears the animals were killed elsewhere and the meaty parts only carried back to the village.
The turtles, which were more than eight feet in length, outlived most of the other outsized, extinct animals known as megafauna. According to scientists at the University of New South Wales, the giant turtles were alive when a people known as the Lapita arrived in the area about 3,000 year ago.
They found the turtle leg bones, but not shells or skulls. Scientists believe there is a 300 year gap between people arriving in Vanuatu and the extinction of the giant turtles.
Vanuatu however, is home to many other giants:
Vanuatu coconut crab
The world’s largest land-living arthropod, the coconut crab, which can grow to a weight of 4.1 kilo with a leg span of more than .091 metres,if allowed to live their full 30 year life span. However, being considered a food delicacy, the brightly coloured crab seldom ranges beyond a few cm.
The giant banyan tree, is the largest living organism in the world. The giant tree on the island of Tanna is so large it can be seen from space.
Vanuatu boasts one of the world’s largest free standing musical instruments, the tam tams, used to communicate between villages and in ceremonies.
The reefs of Vanuatu can also lay claim to spectacular giant clams and giant snails. In some areas these have been fished almost to extinction.
These and many more wonders, make Vanuatu the ‘Must See Destination’ and the best place to holiday in the South Pacific, experiencing wilderness beauty, a totally different culture and way of life.
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[...] Scientists have recently confirmed that Vanuatu was host to a never-before-viewed supersize animal, in the genus Meiolania, (giant horned turtles). It was pushed to extinction by humans, on the 80 tropical island archipelago of Vanautu, in the north west corner of the South Pacific. Read how Vanuatu is home to many more giants… [...]