NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Marsupial lion

The Marsupial Lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) is an extinct species of carnivorous marsupial, (the largest Austrailan mammalian predator at that time) that lived in Australia from about 24 million years ago, during the late Oligocene, and became extinct about 50,000 years ago, during the late Pleistocene epoch. The average Marsupial Lion was 28 inches at the shoulder and about 45 inches long from head to tail. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Myxozoa (slime animals) Superphylum Deuterostomia (blastopore becomes anus) Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... {{{subdivision_ranks}}} See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Orders Superorder Ameridelphia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Superorder Australidelphia Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Marsupials are mammals in which the female typically has a pouch (called the marsupium, from which the name Marsupial derives) in which it rears its young through early infancy. ... Suborders Vombatiformes Phalangeriformes Macropodiformes Diprotodontia is a large taxon of about 120 marsupial mammals including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, Koala, wombats, and many others. ... Genus Thylacoleonidae is a group of extinct meat-eating marsupials from Australia. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Sir Richard Owen and Dinornis bird skeleton Sir Richard Owen KCB (July 20, 1804â€“December 18, 1892) was an English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist. ... 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Orders Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Marsupials are mammals in which the female typically has a pouch (called the marsupium, from which the name Marsupial derives) in which it rears its young through early infancy. ... Mega-annum, usually abbreviated as Ma, is a unit of time equal to one million years. ... The Oligocene epoch is a geologic period of time that extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present. ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) is part of the geologic timescale. ...

Pound for pound, the Marsupial Lion had the strongest bite of any mammal species living or extinct; a 220 lb (100 kg) Marsupial Lion had a bite comparable to that of a 550 lb (250 kg) African Lion [1] and is thought to have hunted large animals such as diprotodonts and giant kangaroos. It also had extremely strong forelimbs, with retractable claws, a trait previously unseen in marsupials. Its strong forelimbs, retracting claws and incredibly powerful jaws mean that it may have been possible for a Thylacolero to climb trees and perhaps to carry carcasses to keep the kill for itself (similar to the leopard today). Skulls indicate that some specimens were even heavier than 350 pounds, as large as a small lion. Orders Multituberculata (extinct) Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Australosphenida Ausktribosphenida Monotremata Subclass Eutheria (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Anagaloidea (extinct) Arctostylopida (extinct) Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Cingulata Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Dinocerata (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Leptictida (extinct) Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia (extinct) Notoungulata... The pound is the name of a number of units of mass, all in the range of 300 to 600 grams. ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ... Species Diprotodon opatum Diprotodon minor Diprotodon loderi Diprotodon annextans Diprotodonts were the largest marsupials that ever lived. ... Binomial name Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758) Synonyms Felis pardus Linnaeus, 1758 The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera. ...

There are many similarities between prehistoric Australian megafauna and some mythical creatures from the aboriginal dreamtime. It has been postulated that some of the dreamtime stories were derived from the animals that once coexisted with the aboriginals. Australian megafauna is a term used to describe a number of comparatively large animal species in Australia. ... Representation of the Rainbow serpent, the Waugal The Dreamtime is the central, unifying theme in Australian Aboriginal mythology. ...

Taxonomy

Family: Thylacoleonidae (Marsupial lions) Genus Thylacoleonidae is a group of extinct meat-eating marsupials from Australia. ...

Marsupial "lion" alludes to the superficial resemblance to the placental lion and its ecological niche as a large predator. Thylacoleo is not related to Panthera leo. Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ...

Genus: Thylacoleo (Thylacopardus) - Australia's and South American marsupial lions, that lived from about 24 million years ago, during the late Oligocene, and became extinct about 50,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age about 10,000 years ago, during the late Pleistocene epoch. Binomial name Thylacoleo carnifex (Owen, 1858) The Marsupial Lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) is an extinct species of carnivorous marsupial, that lived in Australia from about 24 million years ago, during the late Oligocene, and became extinct about 50,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. ... Orders Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Marsupials are mammals in which the female typically has a pouch (called the marsupium, from which the name Marsupial derives) in which it rears its young through early infancy. ...

Cultural references

It has been hypothesised that the Thylacoleo, if arboreal, gave rise to the fabled "drop bear", a fictional animal that will drop on unwary travellers (usually gullible tourists) from the trees, just as the diprotodon may have given rise to the bunyip. Some cryptozoologists use this animal to explain sightings of the Phantom cat in Australia. A drop bear (or dropbear) is a mythical Australian marsupial supposedly related to the koala. ... Species Diprotodon opatum Diprotodon minor Diprotodon loderi Diprotodon annextans Diprotodons were the largest marsupials that ever lived. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Cryptozoology is the study of rumored or mythological animals that are presumed to exist, but for which conclusive proof does not yet exist; or are generally considered extinct, but occasionally reported. ... Phantom cats or alien big cats (ABCs) are a phenomenon of a number of countries and states including Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Denmark, and Hawaii. ...

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Taxonomy

Cultural references

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Taxonomy GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Cultural references

See also

External links

Taxonomy