Thylacoleonidae

Thylacoleonidae
Temporal range: Late Oligocene–Late Pleistocene
Thylacoleo
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Suborder: Vombatiformes
Family: †Thylacoleonidae
Gill, 1872[1]
Genera

Thylacoleonidae is a family of extinct carnivorous diprotodontian marsupials from Australia, referred to as marsupial lions.[2] The best known is Thylacoleo carnifex, also called the marsupial lion.[3] The clade ranged from the Late Oligocene to the Late Pleistocene, with some earlier species the size of a possum, while the youngest members of the family belonging to the genus Thylacoleo reached sizes comparable to living big cats.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gill1872 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Werdelin, L (1988). "Circumventing a Constraint - the Case of Thylacoleo (Marsupialia, Thylacoleonidae)". Australian Journal of Zoology. 36 (5): 565. doi:10.1071/ZO9880565.
  3. ^ Wroe, Stephen. "Move Over Sabre-Tooth Tiger". Australian Museum. Archived from the original on 2003-03-10. Retrieved 2008-06-03.