| Thylacine | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| General information | |||
| Universe | Real Life | ||
| Aliases | Tasmanian tiger Tasmanian wolf Nannup tiger | ||
| Classification | Thylacinus cynocephalus | ||
| Species type | Thylacine | ||
| Homeworld | Earth | ||
| Intelligence | Non-sapient | ||
| Biochemistry | Carbon-based | ||
| Biological information | |||
| Lifespan | Wild: 5-7 years Captivity: 9 years | ||
| Reproduction | Sexual, viviparous | ||
| Average height | 20-27 in (50.8-68.58 cm) at shoulder | ||
| Average weight | 66 lbs (29.94 kg) | ||
| Average length | 39-51 in (99.06-129.54 cm) w/o tail | ||
| Locomotion | Quadrupedal | ||
| Feeding behavior | Carnivorous | ||
| Prey | Kangaroos Small rodents Birds | ||
| Predators | Humans Dingoes | ||
| Lineage information | |||
| Related species | Thylacinus macknessi† Thylacinus potens† Thylacinus megiriani† Thylacinus yorkellus† | ||
| Cultural information | |||
| Sociocultral characteristics | |||
| Scientific taxonomy | |||
| Planet | Earth | ||
| Domain | Eukaryota | ||
| Kingdom | Animalia | ||
| Subkingdom | Bilateria | ||
| Infrakingdom | Deuterostomia | ||
| Phylum | Chordata | ||
| Subphylum | Vertebrata | ||
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata | ||
| Superclass | Tetrapoda | ||
| Class | Mammalia | ||
| Subclass | Theria | ||
| Infraclass | Marsupialia | ||
| Superorder | Australidelphia | ||
| Order | Dasyuromorpha | ||
| Family | Thylacinidae | ||
| Genus | Thylacinus | ||
| Species | T. cynocephalus | ||
| Other information | |||
| Status | Extinct | ||
| Creator | God (debated) | ||
The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), often called the Tasmanian tiger is the most well-known extinct marsupial. They went extinct in 1936.
Biology[]
The thylacine was relatively shy and nocturnal, with the general appearance of a medium-to-large-size canid, except for its stiff tail and abdominal pouch similar to that of a kangaroo. Because of convergent evolution, it displayed an anatomy and adaptations similar to the tiger (Panthera tigris) and wolf (Canis lupus) of the Northern Hemisphere, such as dark transverse stripes that radiated from the top of its back, and a skull shape extremely similar to those of canids, despite being unrelated. The thylacine was a formidable apex predator, though exactly how large its prey animals were is disputed. Its closest living relatives are the Tasmanian devil and the numbat. The thylacine was one of only two marsupials known to have a pouch in both sexes: the other (still extant) species is the water opossum from Central and South America. The pouch of the male thylacine served as a protective sheath, covering the external reproductive organs.