CANBERRA, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- A skeleton of a "marsupial lion" that roamed Australia 35,000 years ago has revealed that the species was similar to the Tasmanian devil, according to a study.
The study, published by South Australia's Flinders University on Thursday, found that the Thylacoleo carnifex was a lion-like marsupial that was a skilled climber despite weighing over 100 kilograms.
Researchers from Flinders University analyzed newly-found remains of the species, including the only known full skeleton.
They found that the anatomy of the lion was most similar to that of the Tasmanian devil, the largest marsupial carnivore still living in Australia.
"These recent fossil discoveries in South Australian caves enabled us to finally assemble a complete skeleton of the marsupial lion for the first time ever," lead author Rod Wells said in a media release on Thursday.
"We concluded that the marsupial lion was a stealth or ambush predator of larger prey, a niche not dissimilar to that of the Tasmanian devil which feeds on smaller prey in comparison.
"It has taken 160 years...to finally complete the skeletal jigsaw of this enigmatic and controversial marsupial and reveal how nature structured a super carnivore from its ancient herbivorous ancestors."
Thylacoleo carnifex was Australia's most dominant predator for millions of years before its extinction approximately 40,000 years ago.
The animal was first described using remains of the skull and jaw fragments in 1859 but the recent discoveries included the first known remains of the tail and collarbone.
"Our analysis of the tail suggests that it was held up in the air and that it was being used in a way that differs from all living marsupials," Aaron Camens, a lecturer in palaeontology at Flinders University, said.
"Examining the whole skeleton reveals what a truly unique animal Thylacoleo was. It looked like a cross between a possum and a wombat, climbed a bit like a koala, and moved with the stiff-backed gait of a Tasmanian Devil, all whilst filling a niche different to any other animal on earth."
