Comments on: Thylacine: Felid-Like or Canid-Like?

By: JungleHusky

JungleHusky — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:13:48 +0000

As interesting as the debate whether or not it was more cat-like versus dog-like is, the following quote really stood out.

Quote:
“Researchers debate why the Tasmanian tiger fared so poorly on continental Australia with the arrival of humans and dingoes. Most accept that human activity disrupted thylacine habitat and perhaps its food sources as well.”
END

The mere mention of human activity implies an incompatibility that suggests a more “us or them” perspective. If this is indeed true then it has a profound message history can repeat itself via more extinctions if we as humans do not watch where we step.

By: DWA

DWA — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:08:42 +0000

I remember a National Geographic book on Australia depicting a thylacine in pursuit of a wallaby, implying very strongly that running the prey to exhaustion was how they did it. (I’ll have to find the book. I seem to remember the wallaby’s tongue hanging out.)

If they hunted solo, I would consider that unlikely. This finding seems to lend a lot of strength to the supposition that a solo predator isn’t playing long-distance chase. No other solo land predator does that I’m aware of.

The cheetah, cited here as if it’s some kind of exception, uses speed over a very short distance. If the prey isn’t caught within 100 yards or less, it isn’t caught. Lions chase – over short distances and usually into ambush by other pride members.

By: Surroundx

Surroundx — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:59:29 +0000

The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) was notoriously elusive, even when it was relatively common. It's shy nature adds weight to the hypothesis that it was an ambush predator a priori, as there are few other reasons why they would adopt this nature (unless of course it was simply employed in response to people). Most of its potential prey species were either arboreal (possums) or very agile (wallabies and kangaroos), and so their population probably wouldn't have been sustainable if they employed canine-proper, hunting techniques.