Maximucinus muirheadae
| Maximucinus muirheadae Temporal range: Lower Oligocene–Middle Miocene | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Dasyuromorphia |
| Family: | †Thylacinidae |
| Genus: | †Maximucinus |
| Species: | †M. muirheadae |
| Binomial name | |
| Maximucinus muirheadae | |
Maximucinus muirheadae lived from the late Oligocene to middle Miocene and is the largest thylacinid species known to have lived in Australia from the late Oligocene to the middle Miocene.
M. muirheadae was a quadrupedal marsupial predator, that in appearance looked similar to a dog with a long snout. Its molar teeth were specialized for carnivory; the cups and crest were reduced or elongated to give the molars a cutting blade. It is estimated to have weighed about 18 kilograms.
The holotype and only specimen is a second upper molar found in Riversleigh. The species is named after Jeanette Muirhead because of her work on thylacinids.
External links
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