A Predator's Skull
The skull of Thylacoleo carnifex presents a formidable set of weapons. This Pleistocene carnivore, weighing between 101 and 130 kilograms, was not a feline, but a member of the order Diprotodontia, related to modern wombats and koalas. Its short, heavy snout and wide skull anchored immense jaw muscles, producing the most powerful bite, pound for pound, of any known mammal, living or extinct. A 101-kilogram Thylacoleo could generate a bite force comparable to a 250-kilogram African lion.
The animal's dental arrangement was highly specialized for predation. Instead of large canines, it had two large, forward-facing incisors for stabbing and gripping. Its most distinctive features are the massive, blade-like third premolars that functioned like a pair of shearing carnassials. These self-sharpening teeth were adapted to slice flesh and cut through bone. This dental toolkit, combined with its powerful jaw, allowed Thylacoleo to hunt and consume animals much larger than itself, including the giant kangaroo Procoptodon and the rhino-sized Diprotodon. The fossils found at Naracoorte Caves, a World Heritage site, include some of the most complete Thylacoleo skeletons ever discovered.