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Thylacoleo
'''''Thylacoleo''''' ("Pouch Lion") is an extinct genus of carnivorous marsupials that lived in Australia from the late Pliocene to the late Pleistocene (2 mya (unit)|MYA to 30,000 years ago). Some of these "marsupial lions" were the largest mammalian predators in Australia of that time, with ''Thylacoleo carnifex'' approaching the weight of a small lion.
There are many similarities between prehistoric Australian megafauna and some mythical creatures from the dreamtime (mythology)|aboriginal dreamtime .
Description
Pound for pound, ''Thylacoleo carnifex'' had the strongest bite of any mammal species living or extinct; a ''T. carnifex'' had a bite comparable to that of a Lion|African Lion[BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Marsupial munch tops big biters] and is thought to have hunted large animals such as ''Diprotodon'' spp. and giant kangaroos. It also had extremely strong forelimbs, with retractable catlike claws, a trait previously unseen in marsupials. ''Thylacoleo'' also possessed enormous hooded claws set on large semi-opposable thumbs, which were used to capture and disembowel prey. The long muscular tail was similar to that of a kangaroo. Specialized tail bones called Chevron (anatomy)|chevrons allowed the animal to tripod itself, and freed the front legs for slashing and grasping. [NOVA | Bone Diggers | Anatomy of Thylacoleo | PBS]
Its strong forelimbs, retracting claws and incredibly powerful jaws mean that it may have been possible for ''Thylacoleo'' to climb trees and perhaps to carry carcasses to keep the kill for itself (similar to the leopard today). Due to its unique predatory morphology, scientists repeatedly claim ''Thylacoleo'' to be the most specialized mammalian carnivore of all time. [Extinct Australian "Lion" Was Big Biter, Expert Says]
Thylacoleo was at the shoulder and about long from head to tail. The ''T. carnifex'' species is the largest, and skulls indicate they averaged to , and individuals reaching to were common.Discoveries
Thylacoleo was first described by Sir Richard Owen in 1859.
In 2002, a remarkably complete skeleton of ''T. carnifex'' was discovered in a limestone cave under Nullarbor Plain, where the animal fell to its death through a narrow opening in the plain above.[BBC News, "Caverns give up huge fossil haul", 25 January 2007.]
Taxonomy
Family: Thylacoleonidae (Marsupial lions)
Marsupial "lion" alludes to the superficial resemblance to the placental lion and its ecological niche as a large predator. ''Thylacoleo'' is not related to the modern lion ''Lion|Panthera leo''.
Genus: ''Thylacoleo'' (''Thylacopardus'') - Australia's marsupial lions, that lived from about 2 million years ago, during the late Pliocene and became extinct about 30,000 years ago, during the late Pleistocene epoch.
- ''Thylacoleo hilli'' (Oligocene, Pliocene)
- ''Thylacoleo crassidentatus'' (Pliocene)
- ''Thylacoleo carnifex'' (Pleistocene)
The family it belonged to, the Thylacoleonidae, has fossil representatives (e.g. ''Priscileo'' and ''Wakaleo'') dating back to the late Oligocene, some 24 million years.References
See also
- Naracoorte Caves National Park
External links
- Thylacoleo - Australia's Marsupial Lion
- Thylacoleo in Pleistocene Australia
- Steve Wroe's Web Page: Australian Megafauna
- BBC: Mega-marsupials once roamed Australia
Category:Prehistoric diprotodonts
Category:Prehistoric animals of Australia
Category:Pliocene mammals
Category:Pleistocene mammals
Category:Pleistocene extinctions
Related Images- Skeleton of a ''Thylacoleo carnifex'' in the Victoria Fossil Cave, Naracoorte Caves National Park.
- Drawing of ''Thylacoleo carnifex'' skull fragments by Richard Owen.
- Skull of ''Thylacoleo''
Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL
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