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Posted by duddy   October 30, 2016   9622 views

The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. Due to its striped lower back, it is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger. Native to continental Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, it is believed to have become extinct in the 20th century. It was the last extant member of its family, Thylacinidae; specimens of other members of the family have been found in the fossil record dating back to the late Oligocene.

Surviving evidence suggests that it was a relatively shy, nocturnal creature with the general appearance of a medium-to-large-size dog, except for its stiff tail and abdominal pouch (reminiscent of a kangaroo) and dark transverse stripes that radiated from the top of its back, similar to those of a tiger. The Tasmanian tiger was an apex predator, like the tigers and wolves of the Northern Hemisphere from which it obtained two of its common names. As a marsupial, it was not closely related to these placental mammals, but because of convergent evolution it displayed the same general form and adaptations.

Intensive hunting encouraged by bounties is generally blamed for its extinction, but other contributing factors may have been disease, the introduction of dogs, and human encroachment into its habitat. Rare footage of this animal is show n below. Unfortunately, two-thirds of wildlife animals could be extinct by 2020.


extinct animal tiger
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