Fossil Discovery in Central Australia Sheds Light on Ancient Thylacine
A team of palaeontologists from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory has uncovered a complete femur from the largest known species of thylacine to have lived in the region, offering new insights into the size and proportions of this ancient predator.
The discovery was made at the Alcoota fossil bed, about 150 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs, a site that was once a wet, lush environment with permanently flowing rivers. During the late Miocene, this landscape supported a diverse range of wildlife, including flightless giant birds, flamingos, crocodiles and the thylacine species Thylacinus potens, a distant relative of the more famous Tasmanian tiger.
What Did the Team Find?
MAGNT senior curator of earth sciences Adam Yates was working in one of three pits at the scientific reserve when he uncovered the intact femur. “It’s the best feeling,” Dr Yates said. Initially unsure of what he had found, he carefully brushed away sediment to reveal the ball joint of the bone. “I didn’t know what it was and kept brushing and following it back.”
The femur is the first complete specimen of its kind in MAGNT’s collection. Previous discoveries at the site over the past four decades had only yielded fragments of teeth and jaw bones. Dr Yates noted that the team had long speculated about the Alcoota thylacine, which differs from its Tasmanian counterpart.
How Big Was the Territory Tiger?
It was previously thought that the Alcoota thylacine was significantly larger than the Tasmanian tiger. However, the size of the newly discovered femur suggests otherwise. “It doesn’t look particularly large,” Dr Yates said. The animal may have had unusual proportions, with a large, massive head but a relatively small body. “It’s sort of like a bull-headed type of thing, quite different from the Tasmanian thylacine.”
What Do the Teeth Tell Us?
The Alcoota thylacine had broader teeth than the Tasmanian tiger, which had sharp, slender teeth suited for slicing through tender carcasses. “There is evidence to suggest it was chewing into a greater percentage of the carcass,” Dr Yates explained. The broader teeth allowed the animal to tackle tougher parts of its prey, indicating a different feeding strategy.
What Happens Next?
The femur will be carefully removed from the ground and prepared for transport back to Megafauna Central in Alice Springs. “We have to get it out of the ground in one piece,” Dr Yates said. He has been reinforcing the bone and digging around it to ensure its safe extraction. Once in the lab, further analysis will provide more detailed insights into the size and lifestyle of this ancient predator.
This discovery underscores the scientific value of the Alcoota fossil bed and the ongoing work of Australian palaeontologists to piece together the continent’s prehistoric past.