Thylacoleonidae

Thylacoleonidae Temporal range: Late Oligocene–Pleistocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Thylacoleo
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Diprotodontia
Family:	†Thylacoleonidae Gill, 1872
Genera
†Priscileo †Wakaleo †Thylacoleo

The Thylacoleonidae are a family of extinct meat-eating marsupials from Australia, referred to as marsupial lions.^[1] The best known is Thylacoleo carnifex, also called the marsupial lion.^[2] The clade ranged from the Late Oligocene to the Pleistocene, with some species the size of a possum and others as large as a leopard.

Classification

Three genera are currently accepted as belonging to this family:^[3]

• Genus †Priscileo
  • †Priscileo pitikantensis (Upper Oligocene)
  • †Priscileo roskellyae (Middle Miocene)
• Subfamily Wakaleoninae
  • Genus †Wakaleo
    • †Wakaleo alcootaensis (Upper Miocene)
    • †Wakaleo oldfieldi (Lower—Upper Miocene)
    • †Wakaleo vanderleueri (Middle—Upper Miocene)
• Subfamily Thylacoleoninae
  • Genus †Thylacoleo
    • †Thylacoleo carnifex (Pleistocene)
    • †Thylacoleo crassidentatus (Pliocene)
    • †Thylacoleo hilli (Pliocene)

See also

• Thylacinidae

References

1. Werdelin, L (1988). "Circumventing a Constraint - the Case of Thylacoleo (Marsupialia, Thylacoleonidae)". Australian Journal of Zoology 36 (5): 565. doi:10.1071/ZO9880565. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
2. Wroe, Stephen. "Move Over Sabre-Tooth Tiger". Australian Museum. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
3. Haaramo, Mikko. "Diprotodontia - diprotodonts". Mikko's Phylogeny Archive. Retrieved 2007-12-29.