Scientists Discover Ancient Marsupial Lion Remains, Confirming a New Species

Marsupial Lion is a cat-sized lion with very sharp teeth, capable of biting through bones. The latest research confirms that the Marsupial Lion is a new species.Paleontologists at the University of New South Wales discovered the remains of this little lion in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area (in Queensland, Australia) – where scientists have been searching for fossils for decades.

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 anatomy 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 an unprecedented marsupial lion.”

A paper published this month in the *Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology* confirms that this mammal is a new branch of the Marsupial Lion family. Researchers believe that the Marsupial Lion (Lekaneleo roskellyae) lived in trees and preyed on bird, snake, 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 an average of 101 to 130 kg (223 to 287 lbs); individuals could weigh up to 124 to 160 kg (273 to 353 lbs).