A single genus and species makes up this family of marsupials. The marsupial wolf, now probably extinct, was once widespread in Australia and New Guinea. Its last stronghold was in Tasmania. The last known individual died in captivity in 1936.
Thylacines were clearly related to the dasyuromorphs, based based on morphological and molecular evidence. They were polyprotodont, with dental formula 4/3, 1/1, 3/3, 4/4 = 46; and they were not syndactylous. They differ from other dasyuroids most conspicuously in their size and body form; these large, wolflike animals reached a weight of 35 kg and had long, canid-like limbs with digitigrade posture.
Competition from dingos and domestic dogs, hunting by European sheep ranchers, and an epidemic of distemper have all been blamed for the decline of the thylacine.
 tasmanian wolf (extinct) |
Family Dasyuridae - (dasyurids) Family Myrmecobiidae - (numbat or marsupial anteater) Family Thylacinidae - (extinct thylacine or Tasmanian wolf)<<<<<<<>>>>>>> ARTIODACTYLA CARNIVORA CETACEA CHIROPTERA DASYUROMORPHIA DERMOPTERA DIDELPHIMORPHI DIPROTODONTIA HYRACOIDEA INSECTIVORA LAGOMORPHA MACROSCELIDEA MICROBIOTHERIA MONOTREMATA NOTORYCTEMORPHIA PAUCITUBERCULATA PERAMELEMORPHIA PERISSODACTYLA PHOLIDOTA PRIMATES PROBOSCIDEA RODENTIA SCANDENTIA SIRENIA TUBULIDENTATA XENARTHRA
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