Sarcophilus laniarius facts for kids

Sarcophilus laniarius was a large extinct species of Tasmanian devil. It was much bigger than the Tasmanian devils we see today. The scientist Richard Owen first described this animal in 1838. He originally called it Dasyurus laniarus.

About the Giant Tasmanian Devil

This ancient devil lived during the Late Pleistocene epoch. This was a long time ago, when huge ice sheets covered parts of the Earth. Sarcophilus laniarius was about 15% larger than modern devils. It was also around 50% heavier. Imagine a devil that was half again as heavy as the ones alive now!

Where They Lived

Scientists have found fossils of S. laniarius in different parts of Australia. Many fossils were found in limestone caves at Naracoorte, South Australia. These caves are famous for their ancient animal remains. Older fossils, about 50,000 to 70,000 years old, were also found. These older bones came from Darling Downs in Queensland and from Western Australia.

Scientists are not sure if modern Tasmanian devils evolved from S. laniarius. It's also possible that both types of devils lived at the same time. Richard Owen thought they lived together. He based this idea on fossils found in New South Wales in 1877.

How They Lived

Scientists believe that S. laniarius and another large extinct species, S. moornaensis, were both hunters and scavengers. This means they hunted live animals and also ate animals that were already dead. Millions of years ago, there were many different types of thylacines. Thylacines were also marsupials, like devils. Some thylacines were small and looked for food, while others were larger.

Devils and thylacines are similar in some ways. So, scientists think the devils might have had a similar history. It's thought that the smaller size of S. laniarius and S. moornaensis helped them survive longer. They might have adapted better to changes in their environment than some of the larger thylacines.

Why They Disappeared

The extinction of these two large devil species happened around the same time humans arrived in Australia. Because of this, some scientists think humans might have caused their disappearance. Hunting by early humans and clearing land could have played a role.

However, others disagree with this idea. They point out that early Indigenous Australians only started using boomerangs and spears for hunting about 10,000 years ago. This means large-scale hunting might not have been possible earlier. Also, caves where Indigenous Australians lived have very few devil bones or rock paintings of devils. This suggests devils were not a big part of their lives. A report from 1910 also claimed that Indigenous Australians preferred to eat plant-eating animals, not meat-eating ones.

Another main idea for their extinction is climate change. The last Ice Age brought big changes to the climate. These changes might have made it hard for S. laniarius to find food or survive.

See also

In Spanish: Sarcophilus laniarius para niños

• Sarcophilus