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Megalania
Megalania (''Megalania prisca'' or ''Varanus priscus'') is an extinct giant goanna or monitor lizard.〔 They were part of a megafaunal assemblage that inhabited southern Australia during the Pleistocene. They seem to have disappeared sometime after 50,000 years ago. The first aboriginal settlers of Australia might have encountered them.〔
==Taxonomy==
The name ''Megalania prisca'' was coined in 1859 by Sir Richard Owen to mean "ancient great roamer"; the name was chosen "in reference to the terrestrial nature of the great Saurian".〔 Owen used a modification of the Greek word ἠλαίνω ''ēlainō'' ("I roam"). The close similarity to the Latin word: ''lania'' (feminine form of "butcher") has resulted in numerous taxonomic and popular descriptions of megalania mistranslating the name as: ancient giant butcher.
Owen introduced the genus ''Megalania'' to accommodate the species ''Megalania prisca''. Its status as a valid genus remains controversial, with many authors preferring to consider it a junior synonym of ''Varanus'',〔 Cited in )〕 which encompasses all living monitor lizards. As the gender of the genera ''Megalania'' and ''Varanus'' are respectively feminine and masculine, the specific name ''prisca'' (fem.)/''priscus'' (masc.) follows suit.
The genus ''Megalania'' is included as a synonym of ''Varanus'' by many researchers due to the relationships of the many ''Varanus'' species; ''M. prisca'' is closely related to other Australian monitors classified as ''Varanus'', so excluding ''M. prisca'' from ''Varanus'' renders the latter genus an unnatural grouping. Ralph Molnar noted in 2004 that, even if every species of the genus ''Varanus'' were divided into groups currently designated as subgenera, ''V. priscus'' would still be classified in the genus ''Varanus'', because this is the current subgenus name, as well as genus name, for all Australian monitors. Unless other Australian monitor species were each also classified their own exclusive genera, ''Megalania'' would not be a valid genus name. However, Molnar noted that "megalania" is suitable for use as a vernacular, rather than scientific name, for the species ''Varanus priscus''.〔
抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』
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