Muribacinus gadiyuli
| Muribacinus gadiyuli Temporal range: Middle Miocene | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Dasyuromorphia |
| Family: | †Thylacinidae |
| Genus: | †Muribacinus |
| Species: | †M. gadiyuli |
| Binomial name | |
| Muribacinus gadiyuli | |
Muribacinus gadiyuli lived during the middle Miocene in Riversleigh. The generic name comes from the Waanyi aboriginal word for “little” in reference to its considerably small size compared to the modern thylacine and was similar in size to a fox-terrier dog.
M. gadiyuli was a quadrupedal marsupial predator, that in appearance looked similar to a dog with a long snout. Its molar teeth were specialized for carnivory; the cups and crest were reduced or elongated to give the molars a cutting blade.
The holotype and only specimens are a well preserved right maxilla, right dentary, and the holotype, a section of the jugal bone.