Marsupial Lion
| Marsupial Lion Temporal range: Early - Late Pleistocene |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Family: | Thylacoleonidae |
| Genus: | Thylacoleo |
| Species: | T. carnifex |
| Binomial name | |
| Thylacoleo carnifex Owen, 1859 |
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The Marsupial Lion, Thylacoleo carnifex, is an extinct species of carnivorous marsupial that lived in Australia from the early to late Pleistocene, from 1,600,000 to 40,000 years ago.[1] The scientific name comes from the words thylakos - pouch, leo - lion, and carnifex - murderer, tormentor or butcher. It is (or was) the largest carnivore, or meat-eating mammal, ever to have lived in Australia.[1]
Fossil remains on the dry Nullarbor Plain show that humans and climate change caused the extinction of the Australian megafauna around 45,000 years ago.[2]
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Description [change]
The marsupial lion is closely related to the wombat and the koala, but not the cat family[3] even though it looked like a cat. It had strong claws and very powerful jaws. Scientists have estimated by quantitative measurements that it had the most powerful bite of any animal, alive or extinct.[3] It was able to hunt animals like the giant kangaroo and the giant wombat, but its big jaw would have made it hard for it to hunt and kill small animals.[4] The marsupial lion could weigh up to 130 kg (287 lb).[3] It was about 1.5 m (5 ft) long, and stood about 75 cm (2 ft) tall.[1]
Fossils and other evidence [change]
Fossil bones of the marsupial lion have been found in caves on the Nullabor Plain. Scientists have estimated their age at between 400,000 and 800,000 years old.[3][5] Cave paintings of marsupial lions in northwest Australia, discovered in 2006, depict them with a striped back, tufted tail and pointed ears.[6] In 2009, after a long drought in southeast Victoria had dried out many lakes, a farmer near Ballarat discovered fossil footprints and a jawbone of a marsupial lion preserved in limestone in a dry lake bed.[7]
Other websites [change]
References [change]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Australia's Lost Kingdoms - Pleistocene Marsupial Lion". www.lostkingdoms.com. http://www.lostkingdoms.com/facts/factsheet54.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
- ↑ "News in Science - Marsupial lion reignites megafauna debate - 25/01/2007". www.abc.net.au. http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2007/1832750.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Ice Age marsupial lion a real nipper of a beast - National - www.theage.com.au". theage.com.au. http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Ice-Age-marsupial-lion-a-real-nipper-of-a-beast/2005/04/02/1112302283477.html. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
- ↑ "Marsupial lion was fast killer". www.theaustralian.news.com.au. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23069545-30417,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
- ↑ "Underground monsters found - Science - Specials - smh.com.au". smh.com.au. http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/underground-monsters-found/2007/01/25/1169594402921.html. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
- ↑ "Cave Painting Depicts Extinct Marsupial Lion". news.yahoo.com. http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090510/sc_livescience/cavepaintingdepictsextinctmarsupiallion. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
- ↑ "Mega-marsupial grave in dry lake". www.news.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25527894-2862,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
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