Whollydooleya facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whollydooleya |
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Whollydooleya tomnpatrichorum is the name of an ancient animal that lived a very long time ago. We know about it from a fossil, which is like a preserved piece of an animal or plant. This fossil was found near a special place called the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in Australia. This animal was a very early example of a "hypercarnivore," meaning it ate mostly meat. Scientists think it lived during the middle or late Miocene epoch, which was millions of years ago.
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Discovering Whollydooleya
Scientists officially described this new species and genus in 2016. Many researchers from different Australian universities worked together on this exciting discovery. They placed this new animal in the Dasyuridae family. This family includes many meat-eating marsupials, like the Tasmanian devil.
The First Fossil Find
The only fossil found so far is a single tooth. It's either the second or third molar tooth. This important tooth is called the "holotype" because it's the main example of the species. It was found near the edge of the Riversleigh fossil area. This specific spot is sometimes called "new Riversleigh."
How it Got its Name
The animal's genus name, Whollydooleya, comes from a place called Wholly Dooley hill. This hill was named after a volunteer at Riversleigh, Genevieve Dooley. The species name, tomnpatrichorum, honors two famous researchers: Tom Rich and Patricia Vickers-Rich. They are well-known for their amazing work with fossils in Australia, especially at Riversleigh.
What Whollydooleya Was Like
Whollydooleya tomnpatrichorum was a marsupial that ate a lot of meat. It was distantly related to the Tasmanian devil, which lives in Tasmania today.
Size and Diet
Scientists believe this ancient animal weighed between 20 and 25 kilograms (about 44 to 55 pounds). This is roughly twice the weight of a modern Tasmanian devil! Because it was a hypercarnivore, it was able to hunt and eat animals even bigger than itself.
The Wholly Dooley Site
Whollydooleya is the first new species found at the Wholly Dooley site. This area was discovered by looking at satellite pictures. The fossils found there tell us about animals that lived during a very dry period in the Riversleigh area's history.
