The Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus), vanished from mainland Australia thousands of years ago and became extinct in Tasmania in 1936. As the largest carnivorous marsupial, its ecology and feeding habits are subjects of intense scientific and historical debate. Reconstructing the diet requires synthesizing historical accounts with modern forensic analysis of its anatomy and preserved remains. The Thylacine was a specialized hunter whose demise was sealed by a misunderstanding of its predatory capabilities.
The Natural Menu of the Thylacine
Scientific analysis classifies the Thylacine as a hypercarnivore, meaning its diet consisted of over 90% meat, reflecting a high degree of specialization. Before European settlement, the primary targets of the Thylacine were medium-sized native marsupials that were abundant across its range. The bulk of its natural menu is believed to have included smaller prey like wallabies, possums, and bandicoots.
The animal’s dental structure supports this preference for smaller, softer prey rather than large, robust animals. Its teeth were adapted for slicing and shearing flesh, featuring specialized carnassial teeth that functioned like scissors to cut meat from bone. This contrasts sharply with predators that crush bone, suggesting the Thylacine was restricted to consuming soft tissue. This specialization meant the Thylacine was highly dependent on the stability of its chosen prey populations.
Hunting Strategies and Physical Adaptations
The Thylacine’s anatomy suggests it was a solitary, ambush-style hunter, rather than an endurance runner like a wolf. Its elbow joint morphology indicates a limited ability for sustained, high-speed running over long distances. Instead, it possessed a greater degree of forelimb flexibility, which would have been useful for wrestling and controlling prey at close range following a sudden rush.
The animal was primarily nocturnal or crepuscular, emerging at dawn and dusk to hunt, using stealth and surprise to secure its meals. A notable feature was its jaw, which could open to an extraordinary gape of up to 80 degrees. Despite this wide gape, biomechanical studies show the Thylacine had a relatively weak bite force, which restricted its prey to animals significantly smaller than its own body mass.
Scientific Evidence Reconstructing the Diet
Reconstructing the diet of an extinct species relies on forensic science applied to preserved specimens and ancient ecological signals. One direct method involves the analysis of fossilized feces, or coprolites, which can contain macrofossils, such as hair, bone fragments, and plant matter, providing a snapshot of a recent meal. While Thylacine coprolites are rare, preserved stomach contents from museum specimens offer similar direct evidence of prey consumption.
A more long-term view of the diet is provided by stable isotope analysis of bone and fur samples. This technique measures the ratios of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, which are incorporated into the animal’s tissues over time. Nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹⁵N) indicate the animal’s trophic level, or its position in the food chain. Carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C) can identify the type of ecosystem or food source it relied upon. Dental morphology studies, including the wear patterns on the specialized shearing molars, also provide indirect evidence.
The Historical Controversy: Predation on Livestock
The widespread perception of the Thylacine as a livestock predator was a major factor in its extinction. European settlers in Tasmania, beginning in the 1800s, blamed the marsupial for significant losses of domestic sheep and poultry. This belief led the government to implement a systematic bounty scheme that rewarded hunters for Thylacine carcasses.
Modern scientific analysis, however, paints a different picture of the animal’s predatory capacity. Biomechanical modeling of the Thylacine skull demonstrated that its jaw was not strong enough to consistently dispatch large prey like a sheep. The skull would have experienced high stress when biting down on a struggling animal of that size. This research suggests the Thylacine’s reputation as a sheep killer was greatly exaggerated, with much of the documented livestock loss more likely attributable to feral dogs or dingoes. The Thylacine, restricted by its weak jaw to smaller, agile native prey, was ultimately hunted to extinction for a crime it was ill-equipped to commit.