What animal is the text discussing?
Q: What animal is the text discussing?
A: The text is discussing the Marsupial lion, Thylacoleo.
Q: When did this animal live in Australia?
A: The Marsupial lion lived in Australia from 1,600,000 to 46,000 years ago.
Q: What caused the extinction of this species?
A: Humans and climate change probably caused the extinction of the Australian megafauna about 45,000 years ago.
Q: How was it adapted for hunting its prey?
A: It had retractable claws which allowed them to remain sharp by protecting them from wear when walking. It also had semi-opposable first digits on each hand with an enlarged claw which would have been used to grapple with its prey. Additionally, it had four functional toes on its hind feet with a roughened pad similar to that of possums which may have assisted with climbing.
Q: How powerful was its bite compared to other mammals?
A: Biologists estimate that it had the most powerful bite of any mammal, alive or extinct.
Q: What size was it approximately?
A: The marsupial lion could weigh up to 130 kg (287 lb) and was about 1.5 m (5 ft) long and stood about 75 cm (2 ft) tall.
