Thylacine Skull Suggests a High-Speed Snap, Not a Wolf-Like Bite

The thylacine’s skull may have been designed for a hunting method unlike that of any living meat-eating mammal, according to a study led by Flinders University and published in Nature Communications. Often called the Tasmanian tiger, the thylacine was historically compared with wolves, foxes and other members of the dog family. But researchers examining historical skull specimens say its anatomy does not fit the profile of a large, wolf-like predator capable of holding down substantial prey. The study identified an unusual combination of features: an oversized skull, a long and tall upper jaw, and a widened snout. Although an average thylacine reportedly weighed about half as much as an average wolf, its skull was roughly comparable in size to a gray wolf’s. Its snout, however, was long and slender rather than broad and robust. Researchers believe that structure enabled a forceful snapping attack on small- to medium-sized prey, including animals around the size of rabbit-sized bandicoots. A longer jaw allows the tip to move faster during a bite, increasing the impact of the strike. The large skull may have helped the animal withstand those forces. Professor Vera Weisbecker of Flinders University said the combination resembles features more commonly seen in predatory fish and crocodiles, whose elongated jaws can snap rapidly at agile prey. The study’s authors describe the thylacine as possibly the last living mammal known to possess this particular “big head, lethal snap” arrangement. The findings also build on earlier work by University of Melbourne researchers that found similarities between thylacine and wolf DNA regions involved in skull development. According to those researchers, the genetic similarities may help explain why the animals’ skulls showed similar growth patterns while ending up with noticeably different adult shapes. The new interpretation challenges historical assumptions that the thylacine was a major threat to livestock. The researchers say those beliefs contributed to hunting of the species, despite limited evidence that it was a ferocious predator of large farm animals. The thylacine was subsequently hunted to extinction, and the study’s authors present its loss as a warning about the consequences of misunderstanding Australia’s native wildlife.