Thylacinus macknessi
Encyclopedia
Thylacinus macknessi lived during the early Miocene
and is the oldest known member of the genus Thylacinus
. It is named after Brian Mackness, a supporter of Australian vertebrate paleontology.
T. macknessi was a quadrupedal marsupial predator, that in appearance looked similar to a dog with a long snout. Its molar teeth were specialized for carnivory; the cups and crest were reduced or elongated to give the molars a cutting blade.
When the species was first described, only the posterior section of the jaw was known. Two years later in 1995 at the same fossil site, Muirhead and Gillespie found the anterior half of the specimen in a block of limestone. Its fossils have been found in north-western Queensland
at the Riversleigh
world heritage area at Neville's Garden Site.
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
and is the oldest known member of the genus Thylacinus
Thylacinus
Thylacinus is a genus of extinct carnivorous marsupials from the order Dasyuromorphia. The only recent member was the Thylacine , which became extinct in 1936 due to hunting. The other animals in the group all lived in prehistoric times in Australia...
. It is named after Brian Mackness, a supporter of Australian vertebrate paleontology.
T. macknessi was a quadrupedal marsupial predator, that in appearance looked similar to a dog with a long snout. Its molar teeth were specialized for carnivory; the cups and crest were reduced or elongated to give the molars a cutting blade.
When the species was first described, only the posterior section of the jaw was known. Two years later in 1995 at the same fossil site, Muirhead and Gillespie found the anterior half of the specimen in a block of limestone. Its fossils have been found in north-western Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
at the Riversleigh
Riversleigh
Riversleigh, in North West Queensland, is Australia's most famous fossil site. The 100 km² area has fossil remains of ancient mammals, birds and reptiles of Oligocene and Miocene age...
world heritage area at Neville's Garden Site.