Thylacosmilus
Thylacosmilus is a extinct genus of carnivorous sparassodont.[1] found as fossils in deposits dated from about 10 million to 3 million years ago (late Miocene to late Pliocene epoch) in Argentina, South America.
| Thylacosmilus | |
|---|---|
| File:Thylacosmilus Atrox.jpg | |
| Thylacosmilus atrox Field Museum of Natural History | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Infraclass: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | Thylacosmilidae
|
| Genus: | Thylacosmilus Riggs, 1933
|
Thylacosmilus was sabre-toothed and was about as large as a modern jaguar. To a remarkable degree, Thylacosmilus paralleled the evolution of felid sabre-toothed cats like Smilodon. Its canine teeth were long and powerfully developed; they were used for stabbing prey. Its killing method was to hold its prey, and make deep bites into the soft tissue driven by powerful neck muscles.[2][3] The canine teeth were protected by a well-developed flange, or projecting edge, in the chin region of the lower jaw. The canines continued to grow during adult life, which they do not in marsupials or placental mammals.[4]
Thylacosmilus died out during the late Pliocene, whereas saber-toothed cats did not get to South America until the middle Pleistocene epoch.[5][6] As a result, the last appearance of Thylacosmilus is separated from the first appearance of Smilodon by over one and a half million years.
Thylacosmilus Media
- Thylacosmilus Holotype FMNH.jpg
Partially reconstructed holotype skull, Field Museum of Natural History
- Thylacosmilus atrox holotype skull.jpg
Holotype skull in multiple views
- Megantereon and Thylacosmilus skulls compared.png
Comparison of the skulls of the two saber toothed mammals Megantereon and Thylacosmilus
- Thylacosmilus atlas, axis, and limb bones.jpg
Atlas, axis, and limb bones; the outlines of the missing foot bones are restored after the thylacine
- Cladosictis (white background).jpg
Cladosictis (white background)
- Thylacosmilus NT small.jpg
Life reconstruction of Thylacosmilus atrox
- Thylacosmilus Size Comparison.svg
Thylacosmilus Size Comparison
- Craniodental details of Thylacosmilus.png
Details in the skull and teeth, compared with Megantereon
- Thylacosmilus atrox skull.JPG
Skull cast mounted with open jaws, North American Museum of Ancient Life
- Thylacosmilus atrox Skeletal Reconstruction.png
Skeletal reconstruction of Thylacosmilus atrox. Missing parts based on other members of Sparassodonta.
References
- ↑ The Sparassodonta were actually not marsupials, but a sister group which used to be described as marsupials.
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Sparassodonts did not have the regular two-stage growth pattern of modern mammals.
- ↑ see Great American Interchange.
- ↑ Prevosti, Francisco J; Forasiepi, Analia & Zimicz, Natalia 2013. The evolution of the Cenozoic terrestrial mammalian predator guild in South America: competition or replacement?. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 20: 3–21. [1]