Thylacinus potens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thylacinus potensTemporal range: Miocene (10-8 MYA)
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†T. potens
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| Thylacinus potens (Woodburne, 1967)
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Thylacinus potens was a very large ancient animal. Its name means "powerful thylacine." It was one of the biggest members of the Thylacinidae family. This amazing creature lived a long time ago, during the Miocene epoch.
What Was Thylacinus Potens?
Thylacinus potens was a type of marsupial. Marsupials are mammals that carry their young in a pouch. The most famous marsupial today is the kangaroo! Thylacinus potens looked a bit like a wolf. It was about the same size as a modern wolf, which is around 5 feet (1.5 meters) long from head to body.
Strong and Sturdy
This ancient animal was very strong. Its body was more robust, meaning it was built more heavily than the modern Thylacine. It also had a shorter and wider skull. These features likely helped it hunt and survive in its ancient habitat.
Where Did It Live?
Scientists found fossils of Thylacinus potens in Australia. The fossils were discovered near a place called Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. This tells us that these powerful animals once roamed the Australian continent millions of years ago.
Images for kids
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Restoration of Thylacinus potens
