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Complete marsupial lion skeleton replica on display in SA’s Naracoorte Caves

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In short:

A complete replica of the skeleton of a marsupial lion (Thylacoleo) has been housed in the Naracoorte Caves in South Australia.

Recent discoveries suggest the animal may have climbed up and ambushed its prey from above.

What’s next?

The completed skeleton will remain on display in the World Heritage-listed caves.

The skeleton of a marsupial lion is seen pouncing on tourists at the World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves in South Australia.

For decades, a partial skeleton cast of a marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) has been sitting in a fossil chamber at the Victoria Caves, which served as an animal trap for at least 500,000 years.

A new replica was installed at the weekend, revealing a complete skeleton that challenges academic understanding of the extinct carnivore.

Discoveries at Naracoorte in 2006 and on the Nullarbor Plain in Western Australia in 2010 have allowed the reconstruction of a complete skeleton of the marsupial lion, including the collarbone and tail.

A complete replica of the marsupial lion skeleton is on display at Naracoorte Caves in South Australia

Bones of a marsupial lion found on the Nullarbor Plain in Western Australia in 2010. (Image credit: Flinders University)

A lion dropping from trees?

Flinders University emeritus professor Rod Wells said the clavicle, combined with the strong forearms, confirmed researchers’ suspicions that the marsupial lion may have been able to climb.

He said that while the marsupial lion was “by far” Australia’s largest mammalian predator, it was not particularly fast and relied on ambush prey.

“It will hide in bushes or reeds and then attack unsuspecting animals,” he said.

“Or maybe it fell from a tree. Maybe it was ‘Drop Bear’.'”

The animal’s large thumb claw also could have grasped and bitten prey, which could have included leaf-eating kangaroos, he said.

A complete replica of the marsupial lion skeleton is on display at Naracoorte Caves in South Australia

The new model includes a complete tail and collarbone. (Provided by: Clay Bryce)

Professor Wells was one of the explorers who first discovered fossil deposits in a South Australian cave in 1969, when he saw the skull of a marsupial lion.

More than 50 years later, he returned to the caves to assist in installing the new model he had supported in rebuilding.

Professor Wells said researchers have used modern marsupials to better understand the marsupial lion.

A complete replica of the marsupial lion skeleton is on display at Naracoorte Caves in South Australia

Illustration of the skeleton of a marsupial lion, by Peter Murray. (Image credit: Rod Wells et al.)

“Even though it’s not related to the Tasmanian devil, the mechanics of its skeleton match that of the Tasmanian devil very well,” he said.

Professor Wells said the ancient marsupial probably disappeared about 50,000 to 55,000 years ago, around the same time humans first appeared in Australia.

He said: “For newcomers to this continent, facing this animal must have been quite terrifying.

A complete replica of the marsupial lion skeleton is on display at Naracoorte Caves in South Australia

Flinders University’s Carey Burke and Rod Wells praised the new model. (ABC South East SA: Josh Brine)

‘A zoo through time’

The new model was created by Carey Burke, a technical officer at Flinders University’s Paleobiology Laboratory.

He also had help from student volunteers, including PhD student Jacob van Zoulen, who conducted the scans.

Mr Burke said a scale model of the skeleton was 3D printed from a scan of the original fossil.

These provide guidance for the final product made from the polyurethane resin.

He said they chose to pose the model in the lunge position to depict how dangerous the marsupial lion was.

“I wanted something dynamic that could show you the teeth, could show you the claws, could show you the movements that the animal could do,” he said.

A complete replica of the marsupial lion skeleton is on display at Naracoorte Caves in South Australia

Carey Burke assembles a model as a tour group arrives. (ABC South East SA: Josh Brine)

As Mr. Burke put the model into place, a tour group walked through the cave, asking questions about the animal.

“It’s almost like going to a zoo, but it’s a zoo that spans time, not just a zoo that spans location,” he said.

“I hope that after I’m gone, there will still be people who can continue to learn about the marsupial lion.”

A complete replica of the marsupial lion skeleton is on display at Naracoorte Caves in South Australia

Naracoorte Caves are listed as a World Heritage Site. (ABC South East: Selina Green)

Professor Wells said that as scientists learn more about the animals that once inhabited the African continent, even millions of years ago, they keep discovering similarities they had to the animals we have today.

“You can almost immediately tell from the features of a fossil whether it’s a koala, a platypus or a possum,” he said.

“The Australian story is variations on a theme.”

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