Josephoartigasia monesi

tags: researchblogging.org, Josephoartigasia monesi, Giant South American rodent, fossils, megamammals, Dinomyidae The head of the newly-found Josephoartigasia monesi (A), in comparison to a South American rodent known as a pakarana, Dinomys branickii (B). Image: G. Lecuona [larger size]. As a resident of NYC, you often hear stories of enormous rats that are aggressive enough to fight an alleycat -- and win. Even though I watch the rats run around in the subways and am impressed by their audacity, I've never seen any rats that had reached a particularly impressive size, although I have…