A recent study on the locomotion patterns of predatory mammals revealed that the extinct Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) was more likely to be an opportunistic raider rather than a pursuit predator like wolves.
Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine) in captivity. Image credit: University of Melbourne/Art Gallery Victoria.
“The Thylacine, a carnivorous marsupial weighing between 10-28 kg, existed in mainland Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. It went extinct from the mainland and New Guinea approximately 3,500 years ago, and from Tasmania in the 1930s,” explained Dr. Christopher Clemente from the University of the Sunshine Coast and his team.
“Belonging to the order Dasyuromorphia, these animals varied in size, with some species as small as less than 250 g, feeding primarily on insects like Antechinus, Fasco Galles, and Danarts, to larger species like possums (Dasyurus) and Tasmanian devils (300g to 10kg).
“Smaller species in this group exhibit a posture similar to small rodents, while larger species adopt a more upright posture, mirroring trends observed in placental mammals.”
“Although possums and Tasmanian devils are known as solitary ambush predators, the devils are also considered carrion specialists. They all thrive in a wide range of environments and, like most marsupials, prefer a bouncing gait over galloping for high-speed locomotion.”
“What type of predator was the possum? Previous research based on morphology indicated that possums displayed behavior akin to both dog-like and cat-like predators, resulting in names such as ‘marsupial wolf’ or ‘Tasmanian tiger’ respectively.”
The study employed geometric morphometry to analyze the movements of 48 carnivorous mammal species, from domestic cats and hyenas to wolves and Tasmanian devils.
By digitizing 115 video-recorded strides and tracking 19 body landmarks frame by frame, they constructed a mathematical “shape space” to depict changes in posture during each stride.
These species were grouped into five hunting strategy categories based on traits such as tracking distance, prey size, and social behavior: anteaters, opportunistic grapplers, large grapplers, opportunistic pouncers, and social hunters.
The researchers then examined how well these ecological categories aligned with movement patterns, considering body weight, gait style, and evolutionary relationships.
View Rare archival footage of the last Thylacine captured at Hobart’s Beaumaris Zoo. They assessed its walking posture and compared it to that of modern species.
Through various statistical methods, the study revealed that the sugar glider’s walking style was most similar to an opportunistic attacker, with some resemblances to an anteater in overall posture.
“By examining posture, movement, and locomotion through archival footage and biomechanical analysis, we could infer the hunting style of animals,” explained Dr. Clemente.
“We categorized the animals into five groups, ranging from socially pursuing prey to pouncing and grappling predators.”
“It was notable that the Thylacine exhibited characteristics of an opportunistic raider akin to a fox, jackal, or coyote, rather than a fierce predator like a tiger or wolf,” he added.
“The study found that hunting behavior is reflected in predator movements, especially during fast, efficient locomotion involving acceleration, maneuvering, and prey capture.”
The study was published in the journal Ecology and Evolution of BMC.
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JL Gashuk et al. 2026. Convergent carnivores or divergent Dasyuridae? Inferring predation and movement strategies of extant and extinct carnivorous marsupials from locomotor morphology. BMC Ecology and Evolution 26, 69; doi: 10.1186/s12862-026-02569-x
Source: www.sci.news
