17. Thylacoleo with Aaron Camens

Adele’s joined by special guest Dr Aaron Camens from Flinders University to talk about the original drop bear and so-called marsupial lion, Thylacoleo carnifex!

We talk about combining fossils with footprints and bite marks to get the facts on the ankle-biting hunting tactics of this ambush predator, its weird opposable thumbs, and the roles of climate change and First Nations peoples in the megafauna mass extinction.

Plus a teaser for National Science Week involving ABC Catalyst with mechanical bite force experiments, honourable mentions for Microleo, and the parallels between panic buying toilet paper and competitive exclusion.

Random Fossil Fact:
The Natural History Museum at South Kensington
Architect Alfred Waterhouse and his iconic Natural History Museum building

Thylacoleo
Australian Museum - Thylacoleo carnifex
Queensland Museum - Thylacoleo sp.

Pals in Palaeo @palsinpalaeo
Host: Adele Pentland @palaeodel

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Transcripts

The Pals in Palaeo Cover Art
Jenny Zhao Design @jennyzdesign
Crumpet Club House@crumpetclubhouse

The Pals in Palaeo Theme Music
Hello Kelly @hellokellymusic

Podcast Producer + Editor
Jean-César Puechmarin @cesar_on_safari
Podcast Editor
François "Francy" Goudreault @hellofrancy