Big bite ... Thylacoleo carnifex /AAP
Posted on 04/02/2005 6:50:29 AM PST by yankeedame
Aussie lion beats all in bite test
April 02, 2005
From: AAP
A MARSUPIAL lion that roamed Australia during the Ice Age had the most powerful bite of any known animal in the world, living or extinct, an Australian and Canadian research team has discovered.
More closely related to a wombat than an African lion, the 100 kilo marsupial lion known as Thylacoleo carnifex could out bite the sabre-toothed tiger, the bone-cracking spotted hyena and the Tasmanian Devil. The researchers compared the bite force of the marsupial lion to 38 different species, living and extinct, and found that its jaws were much stronger than any other species for its size.
The team, Colin McHenry of the University of Newcastle, Dr Stephen Wroe of the University of Sydney and Professor Jeffrey Thomason of the University of Guelph in Ontario, published their findings in an online paper for the Proceedings of the Royal Society Series.
"From measurements of skull dimensions we predicted bite force in a wide range of mammalian carnivores," Dr Wroe, a University of Sydney palaeontologist, said.
"I had a hunch the marsupial lion would have a very powerful bite, but we were surprised at just how hard they were biting given their size.
"A good sized marsupial lion could weigh up to 130 kilos - the size of a front row rugby forward."
Related to wombats and koalas, Thylacoleo carnifex is referred to as the marsupial lion because of its robust, cat like appearance, and was capable of grasping its prey with strong semi-opposable thumb claws.
Combined with its powerful jaws and huge incisor teeth, the marsupial lion was the largest mammalian predator in Australia during the Ice Age period and became extinct some time within the last 45,000 years.
"Its biggest prey would have been the Diprotodon, a gigantic wombat-like creature that could weigh over three tonnes," Dr Wroe said.
"Using the same methods we have applied to measure the bite force of the marsupial lion, we can also estimate or predict the maximum prey size of living species."
haha! Really! :)
Try picturing it in its undies.
The dude in the hat ain't bad either!
Yes, have you ever seen their "belly buttons?" They're huge.
.....female shrews have venomous saliva......
And are frequently bitter with foetid language. Duct tape over the mouth will generally solve the problem.
vote for pedro
My thoughts exactly.
Is your middle name "Wayne" by any chance?
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