. The ancient life-history of the earth; a comprehensive outline of the principles and leading facts of palæontological science. Paleontology. FAUNA OF THE POST-PLIOCENE. 349 its teeth, Diprotodoii shows itself to be closely allied to the living, grass-eating Kangaroos; but the hind-limbs were not so disproportionately long. In size, also, Diprotodon must have many times exceeded the dimensions of the largest of its living successors, since the skull measures no less than three feet in length. The other form in question is Thylacoleo (fig. 259), which is believed by Professor Owen to belong to
. The ancient life-history of the earth; a comprehensive outline of the principles and leading facts of palæontological science. Paleontology. FAUNA OF THE POST-PLIOCENE. 349 its teeth, Diprotodoii shows itself to be closely allied to the living, grass-eating Kangaroos; but the hind-limbs were not so disproportionately long. In size, also, Diprotodon must have many times exceeded the dimensions of the largest of its living successors, since the skull measures no less than three feet in length. The other form in question is Thylacoleo (fig. 259), which is believed by Professor Owen to belong to the same group as the existing "Native Devil" {Dasyuriis) of Van Diemen's Land, and therefore to have been flesh-eating and rapacious in its habits, though this view is not accepted by others. The principal feature in the skull of Thylacoleo is. Fig. i^(j.—'S&.v\\oi Thylacoleo. Post-Pliocene, Australia. Greatly reduced. (After Flower.) the presence, on each side of each jaw, of a single huge tooth, which is greatly compressed, and has a cutting edge. This tooth is regarded by Owen as corresponding to the great cut- ting tooth of the jaw of the typical Carnivores, but Professor Flower considers that Thylacoleo is rather related to the Kan- garoo-rats. The size of the crown of the tooth in question is not less than two inches and a quarter; and whether carnivo- rous or not, it indicates an animal of a size exceeding that of the largest of existing Lions. The order of the Edentates, comprising the existing Sloths, Ant-eaters, and Armadillos, and entirely restricted at the present day to South America, Southern Asia, and Africa, is one alike. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Nicholson, Henry Alleyne, 1844-1899. Edinburgh, London, Blackwood
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Keywords: ., bookaut, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectpaleontology
