Thylacinidae (the thylacine family)

Characteristics

Thylacinids were meat-eaters with elongate skulls, strong jaws and teeth adapted for slicing flesh. Their body form—long snout, erect ears and a stiff tail—resembled that of medium-sized canids, an example of convergent evolution. As marsupials they had reproductive features typical of the group, including a pouch to carry undeveloped young.

Fossil history and decline

Fossils attributed to thylacinids appear in the Australasian record from the Cenozoic era; different genera are known from the Miocene and later deposits. Human arrival, habitat change and direct persecution contributed to population declines. The best-known species, Thylacinus cynocephalus, survived on Tasmania into historical times but was driven to extinction in the 20th century; the last confirmed captive individual died in 1936.

Scientific and cultural significance

Thylacinids are important in studies of marsupial evolution and in discussions of adaptive convergence between marsupials and placental mammals. The thylacine, in particular, became an icon of extinction and conservation failures and continues to appear in popular culture and speculative conservation debates, including unconfirmed sighting reports and genetic-technology proposals.

Relations and distinctions

• Order: Dasyuromorphia — related to modern dasyurids (quolls, Tasmanian devil).
• Distinctive traits: carnassial dentition, long jaws and dog-like body plan.
• Status: most family members are known only from fossils; the thylacine is widely considered extinct.

For an introduction to the broader order and related taxa, see Dasyuromorphia.