Thylacinus

Name meaning:

Marsupial tiger

Period of life:

1,8 million years ago until extinction in 1936 CE

Period:

Quaternary period

Habitat:

Steppes

Taxonomy:

Mammals

Countries:

Quaternary period Thylacinus | 3D Dinopedia

Cave lion

Bison

Thylacinus (1,8 million years ago until extinction in 1936 CE)

What does the name mean: Thylacinus — “marsupial dog”, cynocephalus — “dog-headed”. The common name “marsupial tiger” refers to the animal’s striped coloration.

The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), also known as the Tasmanian tiger, was an extinct carnivorous marsupial mammal formerly distributed across Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania. Despite its external resemblance to canids, it was not closely related to them and represented a separate evolutionary lineage of marsupial predators.

The body of the thylacine was slender and elongated, reaching about 1–1.3 m in length excluding the tail. Coloration ranged from yellowish-brown to grayish, with characteristic dark transverse stripes across the back and rump. The head was elongated with a pointed snout and erect ears. The tail was thick at the base and relatively stiff.

Like other marsupials, the thylacine possessed a pouch. In females it was used for carrying developing young, while in males it served a protective function by covering the reproductive organs.

The structure of the teeth and jaws indicates a predatory lifestyle. The diet included various vertebrates, ranging from small marsupials and birds to larger animals such as wallabies.

Historically, the range of the species declined under the influence of climatic changes, competition with dingoes, and human activity. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the thylacine survived only in Tasmania, where it was subjected to systematic persecution. The last reliably known individual died in captivity in 1936, after which the species has been considered extinct.

Reports of possible thylacine sightings in the wild continue to appear, but none have received scientific confirmation.

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