Scientists Discover Ancient Lion Remains, Confirming a New Species

Marsupial Lion is a cat-sized lion with extremely sharp teeth capable of biting through bone. Recent research confirms that the marsupial lion is a new species.Paleontologists at the University of New South Wales discovered the remains of the small lion in the Riversleigh World Heritage area (in Queensland, Australia – scientists have been searching for fossils there for decades).

Peter Schouten

Previously, this marsupial lion was included in the Thylacoleo genus due to its small teeth and small size. However, when researchers carefully examined the skull and jaw, they found that the skull’s anatomical structure differed from other marsupial lions.

Michael Archer, professor of biology, earth and environmental science at the University of New South Wales, said on Friday: “As we find more and better specimens in Riversleigh, we begin to realize that it doesn’t belong to that branch. It is a unique marsupial.

A paper published this month in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology confirms that the mammal is a new branch of marsupial lions. Researchers believe that the marsupial lion (Lekaneleo roskellyae) lived in trees and ate birds, snakes, and other small animals with broken teeth.

The marsupial lion is now extinct, surviving from the late Miocene to the late Pliocene (2 million years ago – 46,000 years ago) in Australia. The marsupial lion stood 71 cm (28 inches) tall, was 114 cm (45 inches) long, and weighed 101 to 130 kg (223 to 287 pounds); individual weights could reach 124 to 160 kg (273 to 353 pounds).