Thylacoleo
Thylacoleo (Greek for "lion with a pouch") is an extinct genus of carnivorous marsupials that lived in Australia from the late Pliocene to the late from the Pleistocene (from 2 million to 46,000 years ago). Some of these "marsupial lions" They were the largest mammalian predators in Australia at the time, the largest representative being Thylacoleo carnifex with the size of a small lion.
Description
Pound for pound, Thylacoleo carnifex had the biggest bite of any mammal species, living or extinct; a T. 100-kilogram carnifex had a bite force comparable to that of a 250-kg African lion and is believed to have hunted large game such as Diprotodon spp. and giant kangaroos. It had extremely strong forelimbs with retractable claws, a trait unknown in other marsupials. Thylacoleo also possessed large hooked claws on its semi-opposable thumbs, which it used to capture and disentangle prey. The long muscular tail was similar to that of kangaroos. Specialized tail bones called chevrons allowed the animal to adopt a tripod stance, freeing its front legs for chopping and grappling.
Its forelimbs, retractable claws, and powerful jaws indicate that Thylacoleo was capable of climbing trees and perhaps carrying carcasses to devour (in a similar way to modern leopards). Due to its unique predatory morphology, scientists have repeatedly claimed that Thylacoleo is the most specialized carnivorous mammal of all time.
Thylacoleo measured about 71 centimeters at the withers and about 114 centimeters long to the tail. The species T. carnifex was the largest, and their skulls indicate that they averaged 101 - 130 kilograms in weight, with individuals weighing between 124 and 160 kilograms being common.
Discoveries
Thylacoleo was first described by Sir Richard Owen in 1859. In 2002, eight remarkable complete skeletons of T. carnifex were discovered in a limestone cavern below the Nullarbor Plain, where the animals fell through a narrow opening on the plain. Based on the location of the skeletons, at least some survived the fall, only to die of thirst and starvation.
In 2008, rock art believed to depict a Thylacoleo was discovered on the northwest coast of the Kimberley. This represents the second example of megafauna represented by the indigenous inhabitants of Australia. The image contains details that might otherwise have remained mere conjecture, for example the tail is shown with a tuft at the tip, it has ears that are more pointed than rounded, and the animal is striped. The prominent eye, a feature rarely shown in other images of animals from the region, suggests the possibility that the creature may have been a nocturnal hunter. In 2009, a second image was found that would represent a Thylacoleo interacting with a hunter who is in the act of attacking or defending the animal with a multi-pronged spear. This image is smaller and much less detailed than the 2008 find, and could even represent a thylacine. However, the comparative size indicates that it is more likely a marsupial lion.
Taxonomy
Family: Thylacoleonidae (marsupial lions)
The name "marsupial lion" alludes to their superficial resemblance to true lions and to the fact that, like them, they played the role of great predator. However, Thylacoleo is not closely related to felids.
Genus: Thylacoleo (Thylacopardus) - this genus lived for 2 million years, during the Pliocene, becoming extinct about 30 000 years ago, at the end of the Pleistocene.
- Thylacoleo carnifex (Pleistocene)
- Thylacoleo crassidentatus lived during the Pliocene, about 5 million years ago, and it was a size similar to that of a big dog. The fossils of T. crassidentatus They have been found in the southeast of Queensland.
- Thylacoleo hilli lived during the Pliocene and had half the size that T. crassidentatus. The fossil holotype was found in Town Cave in South Australia. Possible additional specimens have been found on the Bow fossil site by a team from the University of New South Wales in 1979.
The family to which they belong, Thylacoleonidae, has much older representatives (for example, Priscileo and Wakaleo) dating to the late Oligocene, about 24 million years ago. of years.