Macropus sp. calcaneus bitten by Thylacoleo carnifex

Kangaroo heel bone bitten by marsupial ‘lion’

This is the calcaneus (heel bone) of a modern kangaroo species from the Cooper Creek in the Lake Eyre Basin. The large, v-shaped incision in the bone is the result of the powerful bite force of Thylacoleo carnifex the largest marsupial predator ever to evolve in Australia.

Skeletal element: Calcaneus
Specimen number: SAMA P54625
Significance of specimen: Provides important information about hunting strategy of Thylacoleo
Geological age: Late Pleistocene, Katipiri Formation
State/territory: South Australia
Locality/site: Malkuni Waterhole, Cooper Creek