Hobbies And Interests
Diprotodon
The diprotodon, also known as the rhinoceros wombat, was nearly as large as the modern hippopotamus. Standing 6 ft. tall at the shoulders and weighing about 1 ton, this massive creature was related to and resembled the common wombat currently found in Australia. The first remains of a diprotodon were discovered in the 1830's in New South Wales. It was the largest marsupial ever found. Hair and tracks have been preserved in mud throughout South Australia, with the most complete specimen currently displayed in the Coonabarabran Visitor Center in New South Wales. Fossil records of an animal's rib bone show that the diprotodon is one of the few Ice Age animals that humans encountered and hunted.
Dromornis
The dromornis is an ancient relative of modern geese. Standing 10 ft. tall and weighing more than 1,000 lbs., the dromornis is one of the largest birds ever discovered. The dromornis was a flightless bird that possessed powerful legs, and is thought to have inhabited tropical areas of Australia. The powerful beak of the dromornis was once thought to be an adaptation to help cut through thick bush, but current theory suggests it was used for tearing meat from its prey. The stresses of climate change are thought to have caused the extinction of the dromornis about 30,000 years ago. Unlike many other fossil records of newly discovered creatures, the first remains of the dromornis likely came from a natural impression in the earth of the animal's foot bones.
Marsupial Lion
Weighing in at nearly 300 lbs., the marsupial lion was the largest known meat-eating mammal ever found in Australia. The marsupial lion was about the same size as the modern leopard, and is thought to have stored its prey in trees the same way as the leopard. Contrary to its name, the marsupial lion is not related to the African lion; it is more closely related to the modern Tasmanian devil. Owing to natural changes in its environment, the marsupial lion went extinct about 46,000 years ago. The first complete skeleton of the marsupial lion was found in a cave system in the Nullarbor Plain. In addition to the world's first complete specimen, dozens of other marsupial lion remains were found at the site.
Tasmanian Tiger
Also known as the thylacine, the Tasmanian tiger is one of Australia's most well-known megafauna. The Tasmanian tiger first appeared about 4 million years ago, and survived until the 20th century. Last seen in the wild in the 1930's, the thylacine's extinction was caused by habitat loss, competition from wild dogs, and excessive human bounty hunting. As of May 2011, five species of Tasmanian tiger have been found from fossilized remains, ranging from species the size of a small cat to some almost as large as a German shepherd.