Microleo

My-kro-le-oh.
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Maeve Foster

Paleoclimatologist

Maeve Foster explores the Earth's climatic past to understand the forces that shaped life on our planet. Her research into ancient climate events provides valuable context for current environmental challenges.

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Name

Microleo ‭(‬small Leo‭)‬.

Phonetic

My-kro-le-oh.

Named By

Anna K.‭ ‬Gillispie,‭ ‬Michael Archer‭ & ‬Suzanne J.‭ ‬Hand‭ ‬-‭ ‬2016.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Marsupialia,‭ ‬Diprotodontia,‭ ‬Thylacoleonidae.

Diet

Carnivore/Insectivore.

Species

M.‭ ‬attenboroughi‭

Size

Uncertain due to lack of remains.

Known locations

Australia,‭ ‬Queensland.

Time Period

Burdigalian of the Miocene.

Fossil representation

Partial palate.

In Depth

       Microleo is a genus of thylacoleonid marsupial that lived in Australia during the early Miocene.‭ ‬Microleo has already become well known as‭ ‬a relative of the fearsome Thylacoleo,‭ ‬however it seems that‭ ‬Microleo was much smaller.‭ ‬Because of the lack of overall fossil remains for the holotype,‭ ‬an exact size for Microleo is near impossible to determine,‭ ‬however,‭ ‬Microleo has been considered to have been roughly possum sized.‭ ‬In terms of ecological niche,‭ ‬Microleo was probably an arboreal hunter that hunted for insects as well as birds and lizards that were in the trees.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A tiny new marsupial lion‭ (‬Marsupialia,‭ ‬Thylacoleonidae‭) ‬from the early Miocene of Australia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Palaeontologia Electronica.‭ ‬Palaeontological Association‭ ‬19.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Anna K.‭ ‬Gillispie,‭ ‬Michael Archer‭ & ‬Suzanne J.‭ ‬Hand‭ ‬-‭ ‬2016.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT