Thylacoleo
/ˌθaɪləkəˈliːoʊ/noun
A genus of extinct Australian marsupial predators that lived during the Pleistocene epoch.
Did you know?Thylacoleo carnifex had exceptionally powerful jaws and blade-like premolars, making it one of the most specialized mammalian meat-eaters known.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
thýlakos
“A pouch, sack, or bag”
Ancient Greek
Greek
léōn
“Lion”
1859
Scientific Latin
Thylacoleo
“A taxonomic genus name combining “pouch” and “lion””
19th Century
Scientific English
Thylacoleo
“The name applied to an extinct Australian marsupial predator”
Modern English
English
thylacoleo
“A fossil genus commonly known as the marsupial lion”