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| A
cast replica of an articulated Thylacoleo hand (manus) from Victoria
Fossil Cave, Naracoorte, South Australia. Although the distal phalanges
(finger tip bones) are missing, this specimen represents the first instance
in which anyone had ever seen what the hand of Thylacoleo actually
looked like. In the limestone cave, mineral-laden water had dripped
from the ceiling onto the hand ages ago, which acted as a glue to keep
the bones together. |
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| The
same hand viewed from another angle. Note the hooded structure of
the thumb. A large, sharp claw would have projected from this, serving
as a formidable weapon. By comparison, the claws of the other fingers
were relatively small and weak. In this replica, the thumb has been
swung back to display the wide range of movement it had in life.
Thylacoleo
carnifex was a very robustly built animal with strong, gripping arms,
and was probably able to climb trees. |
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| A
cast replica of a partial, articulated Thylacoleo foot (pes) from
Victoria Fossil Cave, Naracoorte, South Australia. Its structure
suggests that the animal's weight was distributed along the side of the
foot, which would have given it a plantigrade stance, much like that of
modern possums, koalas and wombats. |
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