Volia

Volia
Temporal range: Late Pleistocene - Early Holocene
Life restoration of Volia vitiensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Reptilia
Order:Crocodilia
Family:Crocodylidae
Subfamily:Mekosuchinae
Genus:Volia
Species
  • V. athollandersoni
  • V. vitiensis

Volia is an extinct genus of mekosuchine crocodylian from Fiji. It was around 2–3 metres (7–10 ft) long. Notwithstanding its small size, it was probably the top predator of the Pleistocene ecosystems of Fiji.

Fossils of Volia athollandersoni have been found in the Fiji Islands at Voli-Voli Cave and Wainibuku Cave. The holotype for Volia athollandersoni is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.[1] V. athollandersoni and the other large reptiles of Fiji may have been exterminated by human hunting soon after Fiji was colonized by ancient Polynesians.

References

  1. "Volia athollandersoni; holotype". Collections Online. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
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