When The "Combat Wombat" Became An Apex Predator

แชร์
ฝัง
  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ธ.ค. 2022
  • Help us out and take the 2023 PBSDS survey! to.pbs.org/pbssurvey2023u
    In Australia, evolution built a family of deadly predators by taking a group of cute, harmless herbivores and turning them murderous.
    *****
    PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to to.pbs.org/DonateEons
    *****
    Produced by Complexly for PBS Digital Studios
    Super special thanks to the following Patreon patrons for helping make Eons possible:
    Michael Roy, John H. Austin, Jr., Kate Huhmann, Alex Hackman, Tyler Adams, Amanda Ward, Stephen Patterson, Mark Foster, Karen Farrell, Trevor Long, Raphael Haase, daniel blankstein, Roberto Adrian Ramirez Flores, Jason Rostoker, Jonathan Rust, Avery Sanford, Mary Tevington, Bart & Elke van Iersel - De Jong, William Craig II, James Dowling-Healey, Irene Wood, Derek Helling, WilCatRhClPPh33, Mark Talbott-Williams, Nomi Alchin, Duane Westhoff, Hillary Ryde-Collins, Yu Mei, 4th_phase, Jayme Coyle, Ben Cooper, Albert Folsom, Oscar Amoros Huguet, Patrick Wells, Matt Parker, Jerrit Erickson, MissyElliottSmith, Stefan Weber, Dan Caffee, Merri Snaidman, Gabriel Cortez, Stephanie Tan, Marcus Lejon, Nick Ryhajlo, Sean Dennis, Betsy Radley, Anthony, Philip Slingerland, John Vanek, Eric Vonk, Jon Monteiro, James Bording, Miles Chaston, Michael McClellan, Jeff Graham, Daisuke Goto, Gregory Kintz, Chandler Bass, Tsee Lee, Robert Hill.
    If you'd like to support the channel, head over to / eons and pledge for some cool rewards!
    Want to follow Eons elsewhere on the internet?
    Facebook - / eonsshow
    Twitter - / eonsshow
    Instagram - / eonsshow
    References: docs.google.com/document/d/1y...
  • บันเทิง

ความคิดเห็น • 1.2K

  • @hopsiepike
    @hopsiepike ปีที่แล้ว +937

    A killer wombat seems as absurd as a murderous panda, but there it is.

    • @archangel_one
      @archangel_one ปีที่แล้ว +85

      BEWARE the DROP BEARS!

    • @brooklyna007
      @brooklyna007 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Murderous Panda = Grizzly Bear.
      Bears are Carnivorans (the evolutionary order). Pandas are the herbivorous exception in that order.

    • @sirderpymister4883
      @sirderpymister4883 ปีที่แล้ว +116

      Aren’t murderous pandas just a roundabout term for bears?

    • @archangel_one
      @archangel_one ปีที่แล้ว +23

      @@sirderpymister4883 Someone's been watching Kung Fu Panda

    • @indyreno2933
      @indyreno2933 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Marsupial lions are actually more primitive than any living diprotodont.

  • @Ginjitzu
    @Ginjitzu ปีที่แล้ว +220

    PBS: "Thylacoleo Carnifex was an apex predator."
    Me, who's been through the redwoods biome on foot: "Ah yes. The ol' death-from-above, combat wombat."

    • @MickHaggs
      @MickHaggs ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Going on foot is better than going through the redwood in the air.
      *Casually flying*
      *And now I'm falling to the ground from a great height while simultaneously having my face clawed off*
      They're great mounts though

    • @HairyNumbNuts
      @HairyNumbNuts ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Drop bears are supposed to be a legend. So, there really used to be one.

    • @bronhaller
      @bronhaller ปีที่แล้ว +13

      @@HairyNumbNuts yup. I maintain that the drop bear story comes from Indigenous people having to deal with them and passing down the lore

    • @sebcw1204
      @sebcw1204 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      not to be confused with the purlovia "death from below badger tank"

    • @leobuana7430
      @leobuana7430 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@bronhaller is that Australian cryptid legend ?

  • @Melanosuchusniger
    @Melanosuchusniger ปีที่แล้ว +1085

    I’d argue Quinkana is the most underrated Australian carnivore, people always talk about Thylacoleo and Megalania but never the massive galloping land crocodile Quinkana that was equal in size with megalania and probably even more deadly.

    • @omage3457
      @omage3457 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      I hard agree here

    • @jarlborg1531
      @jarlborg1531 ปีที่แล้ว +218

      Everybody's gangster til the crocs start galloping.

    • @user-lq4ct6dr5m
      @user-lq4ct6dr5m ปีที่แล้ว +40

      Don't forget the giant boa that hunts the croc as well

    • @mattrush8005
      @mattrush8005 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      They did one on it 3 years ago I’m pretty sure.

    • @Zabi-S
      @Zabi-S ปีที่แล้ว +47

      Quinkana, Megalania and Thylacoleo all filled different predatory niches.
      Thylacoleo = ambush hunter
      Quinkana = pursuit hunter
      Megalania = apex hunter

  • @leeleaman8057
    @leeleaman8057 ปีที่แล้ว +558

    “Typical Australia”

    • @AspireGMD
      @AspireGMD ปีที่แล้ว +27

      Most accurate quote in human history.

    • @mikebauer6917
      @mikebauer6917 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      Weird, extreme and dangerous? Checks out.

    • @leeleaman8057
      @leeleaman8057 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@mikebauer6917 and wonderful!

    • @____________838
      @____________838 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      “Peak Australia”

    • @t1bzy
      @t1bzy ปีที่แล้ว +18

      I wanted to take offence at that statement but realised I had just chased off a Western Brown Snake. 😐

  • @theonebman7581
    @theonebman7581 ปีที่แล้ว +50

    Australian megafauna is extremely underrated tbh

    • @kenattwood8060
      @kenattwood8060 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Yes, I would like to see more on this topic.

    • @MuertaRara
      @MuertaRara ปีที่แล้ว +5

      yes! it is so hard to find decent videos and books to that topic

  • @_ninthRing_
    @_ninthRing_ ปีที่แล้ว +65

    While the direct translation may be "Meat Cutting", the word *Carnifex* is actually Latin for "Executioner".

    • @MossyMozart
      @MossyMozart ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @ninthRing - Even more appropriate!

    • @JubioHDX
      @JubioHDX ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Pretty cool taxonomic name, basically "the pouched lion executioner", gotta be the most badass marsupial in name at least. Wish we still had these guys in australia to continue to round out their ridiculous native fauna

  • @ryanwaege7251
    @ryanwaege7251 ปีที่แล้ว +112

    So maybe not so far-fetched for koala bears to evolve into the mythical drop bear?

    • @madcow3417
      @madcow3417 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Mythical?!? My best friend was murdered by a drop bear! This was in Texas, and there were no other witnesses, but that's the story I'm sticking with.

    • @unicornfoal
      @unicornfoal ปีที่แล้ว +15

      The whole reason the 'drop bear' story came about is because people like you keep calling koalas "koala bears" when they aren't bears. They're koalas.

    • @indyreno2933
      @indyreno2933 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      There is no such thing as a koala bear, they're just called koalas, koalas are diprotodonts, while bears are carnivorans.

    • @sydhenderson6753
      @sydhenderson6753 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Drop bears are the surviving apex predator.

    • @Primalxbeast
      @Primalxbeast ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@unicornfoal I'm not going to stop calling sea horses sea horses just because they're fish.

  • @Delunkleus
    @Delunkleus ปีที่แล้ว +69

    I like to think stories of ‘Drop Bears’ are really just some kind of cultural memory of thylacoleo

    • @julesmasseffectmusic
      @julesmasseffectmusic 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      Thycaleo can't look up.
      Bad for a tree climber.
      The aboriginal in North QLD still have oral history about them. Must been scary if 10,000 years later the story is still around.

  • @358itachi
    @358itachi ปีที่แล้ว +193

    It still feels somewhat missing without the name of 'Steve' to round up the patreon names. With the crazy 2+ years we have seen, I hope Steve is still doing well somewhere on this planet.

    • @chrisgames5201
      @chrisgames5201 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Agreed
      Steve was my favorite

    • @petrovtiganu9904
      @petrovtiganu9904 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Where is steve?

    • @AS-fi7hc
      @AS-fi7hc ปีที่แล้ว +18

      I know!!! I think of him at the end of every video, hope he’s doing alright

    • @shaider1982
      @shaider1982 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Nice to know I wasn't the only one missing him.

    • @MossyMozart
      @MossyMozart ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@AS-fi7hc - I know what you mean. I always mentally add his name at the end of every video.

  • @savorymarshmallows
    @savorymarshmallows ปีที่แล้ว +382

    I love puzzling out the meanings of these names and this is a great one.
    Thylac: pouched
    Oleo: a type of margarine
    What we're looking at here is the first marsupial butter substitute.

    • @DunnoJustLuckyIGuess
      @DunnoJustLuckyIGuess ปีที่แล้ว +88

      "I can't believe it's not a pouched mammal!"

    • @_Opal_Miner_
      @_Opal_Miner_ ปีที่แล้ว +15

      "I c an't believe it's not bit me"

    • @sableempire9654
      @sableempire9654 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      😂

    • @samuelaraujomedeiros6682
      @samuelaraujomedeiros6682 ปีที่แล้ว +38

      Leo means lion. Thylaco probably means pouched. And carnifex is, of course, that pistol from the Mass Effect series.

    • @chanshengsupremacy8889
      @chanshengsupremacy8889 ปีที่แล้ว

      Leo generally refers to all cats not just lions

  • @mackdog3270
    @mackdog3270 ปีที่แล้ว +69

    My money's on the koala being the next apex predator. They always seemed a little shifty to me.

    • @khajiitkitten5679
      @khajiitkitten5679 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      I don't think that will happen, as apparently the eucalyptus leaves that are their exclusive diet have a natural soporific in them--the little guys are always stoned.

    • @edwardfletcher7790
      @edwardfletcher7790 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Never heard of Drop Bears ? LoL

    • @monticore1626
      @monticore1626 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@khajiitkitten5679that’s why they haven’t killed us yet, if they sobered up we would be in big trouble

  • @chrisanderson7820
    @chrisanderson7820 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Wombats are not entirely small or harmless. They look cute but their muscle density is insane, they are basically a ball of solid steel and have been known to occasionally crash cars that drive over them and aren't afraid to stand up for themselves.

  • @veggieboyultimate
    @veggieboyultimate ปีที่แล้ว +300

    Do you think you can do a video on the therizinosaurs? A family of dinosaurs that did the opposite, going from carnivore to herbivore.

    • @stephaniehight2771
      @stephaniehight2771 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      As the most primitive of dinosaurs appear to all be carnivores or omnivores, all of your major dinosaur herbivores evolved from meat eaters.

    • @hyperswag506
      @hyperswag506 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      The ones with the crazy long claws.
      Also… pandas went through the same thing. Bears turning herbivorous.

    • @marisoldavis3357
      @marisoldavis3357 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Please make a video of the hulitherium tomasetti aka marsupial panda it live in New Guinea .

    • @patriotenfield3276
      @patriotenfield3276 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      It became vegan.

    • @debopriyokar4921
      @debopriyokar4921 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      NO WAY I JUST WATCHED THEIR THERIZINOSAURS VIDEO

  • @geekyprojects1353
    @geekyprojects1353 ปีที่แล้ว +220

    Imagine a lion approaches you and bares his teeth. And it has teeth like a cartoon squirrel. That would immediately take tension out of the situation.

    • @robinliesens7983
      @robinliesens7983 ปีที่แล้ว +79

      I don't know, man. If a rat was the size of a leopard I'm quite sure nobody would laugh if it came at them.

    • @geekyprojects1353
      @geekyprojects1353 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      @@robinliesens7983 Who knows? When a dictator looks like Winnie the Pooh people still do laugh.

    • @IchhabezuvielYoutubegegucktO_o
      @IchhabezuvielYoutubegegucktO_o ปีที่แล้ว +35

      @@geekyprojects1353 Just on the Internet, not if they are standing infront of him and being at his mercy

    • @rbb9753
      @rbb9753 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Momentarily

    • @Primalxbeast
      @Primalxbeast ปีที่แล้ว +29

      Beavers easily chew through trees. Rodent like teeth on a large carnivore wouldn't be something I would take lightly.

  • @jamesdominguez7685
    @jamesdominguez7685 ปีที่แล้ว +70

    All of the extant and extinct marsupial carnivores are fascinating. Thylacoleo had some truly bizarre anatomy, such as a forelimb bone structure that doesn't seem to exist in any other animal. Also, thylacines (a.k.a. Tassie tigers) looked very dog-like, but when startled they would hop away at high speed on their hind legs, exactly like a kangaroo. I will always be angry at my Aussie ancestors for wiping out the Tassie tiger.

    • @powerbreed
      @powerbreed ปีที่แล้ว

      From the moment humans got here they started killing off species and will continue to do so for our entire existence.

    • @thecorlorlesspig1993
      @thecorlorlesspig1993 ปีที่แล้ว

      I'd love to see them jump on their hind legs

  • @aaronmarks9366
    @aaronmarks9366 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    Along with the fascinating Thylacoleo, I was intrigued by the word "fell" as an adjective, which I had never seen before. According to Wiktionary, it means "Of a strong and cruel nature; eager and unsparing; grim; fierce; ruthless; savage" and derives from a Proto-Germanic adjective *faluz. The English word has cognates in a few other modern Germanic languages, but otherwise, parallel to many of the fantastic prehistoric animals of Australia, it seems to have mostly died out. The processes of biological and linguistic evolution are often surprisingly similar.

    • @paulc7143
      @paulc7143 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Still survives in the phrase "one fell swoop" but that's about the only continued usage

    • @kylemackinnon5696
      @kylemackinnon5696 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      "Fell Beast" is a term ive seen in books a lot

    • @PurpleShift42
      @PurpleShift42 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      ​@@kylemackinnon5696 especially fantasy fiction, haha

  • @tenstorme426
    @tenstorme426 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I can't get over how that one rendering of Thylacoleo completely captures that one Australian expression. 0:47 Look at 'em. It's as if they're crying out from ancient times "aaaaye **** what the **** are you doin' you dog ****"

  • @brianedwards7142
    @brianedwards7142 ปีที่แล้ว +95

    This is why I was relieved when they discovered that Bonnethead Sharks are deliberate omnivores. I wondered how such a successful group could have been around so long without some using all the resources at hand.

  • @jcortese3300
    @jcortese3300 ปีที่แล้ว +110

    I love seeing interesting marsupials. For some reason I've never managed to grasp, it's fascinating to see a marsupial face -- so often a somewhat silly or cute vaguely antelope/mouse-deer-shaped face -- with gaping jaws and sharp teeth. It's just not something we're used to seeing -- a scary marsupial. Fascinating stuff!

    • @indridcold8433
      @indridcold8433 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      The North American opossum looks rather fierce close up. From a distance, it does look like a large rat. Get up close and it is not Mickey anymore.

    • @jcortese3300
      @jcortese3300 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@indridcold8433 Agreed -- I remember hearing someone online say how cute possums were and thinking, "Are you out of your mind?" It transpired they were in Australia, where they are kind of cuddly looking. Up here, you're absolutely right -- giant nightmare rats.

    • @asmith8692
      @asmith8692 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Tasmanian devils are also marsupials, so we still have some scary marsupials.
      Though, mind you, one of the scariest is the red kangaroo, which is capable of killing you with a kick. My parents were part of a tour group where the guides were attempting to keep a tourist away from kangaroos. Unfortunately they were calling him by the wrong name.

    • @tijanamilenkovic9442
      @tijanamilenkovic9442 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@asmith8692 Imagine if kangaroos became apex predators what they would look like, what would they eat and the niche of which animals would fulfill maybe that predatory kangaroo would be a mix of a kangaroo, pangolin and wolverine and would be quadrupedal and would probably hunt a variety of prey and would be an ambush predator what do you think about it?

  • @nightuniverse8314
    @nightuniverse8314 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I love how certain niches get filled regardless of class of organism.

  • @cloud_appreciation_society
    @cloud_appreciation_society ปีที่แล้ว +19

    When I was a kid I discovered a book on Australian megafauna in the school library. It was the first time I'd ever encountered the concept and after the initial moment of my mind being blown I was absolutely enchanted. They felt tangible in a way that dinosaurs weren't because I had seen the smaller, distant relatives of so many of the animals pictured.
    To this day I still think megafauna are way underrated.

  • @danilodesouza6461
    @danilodesouza6461 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I'd LOVE if we discover that Thylacoleo also pooped dices

    • @edwardfletcher7790
      @edwardfletcher7790 ปีที่แล้ว

      They were hypercarnivores.
      Wombats are herbivores.
      Carnivorous animals do really nasty poos.

  • @fieldo85
    @fieldo85 ปีที่แล้ว +61

    I've seen a cave painting of Thylacoleo in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. But it was on a sacred site that has little scientific investigation. There was also paintings of war between Aboriginal tribes. The area/cave has been continually inhabited for ~60,000 years.

    • @michaelwilliams3232
      @michaelwilliams3232 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I read somewhere that aboriginal peoples only drew what they saw so it would be useful to know how old the paintings were reckoned to be.

    • @blixten2928
      @blixten2928 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Yes, I've heard that Australian rock paintings show several extinct species. They are also beautiful, by the way.

    • @NoTaboos
      @NoTaboos ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@blixten2928 Yes; the aborigines caused a hell of a lot of extinctions.

    • @mehere8038
      @mehere8038 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      the origins of the "drop bear" stories appears to be Aboriginal stories of the Thylacoeo hunting. Same with Yowies & Bunyips & all the rest - Aboriginal stories of real creatures now extinct, picked up on by whites

    • @carmen.eve.2033
      @carmen.eve.2033 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@NoTaboos as have all humans. Also, that term is a slur. I understand you may not have known this but please try not to use it in future 😊

  • @bahghoul
    @bahghoul ปีที่แล้ว +71

    I wish Thylacoleo hadn't gone extinct, yet at the same time, I realize how terrifying they would have been if they survived to modern times.

    • @sizanogreen9900
      @sizanogreen9900 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      just imagine... real *combat wombats*

    • @thealmightyaku-4153
      @thealmightyaku-4153 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      I can only imagine there'd be a few Thylacoleo heads mounted on English parlour walls.

    • @VioletEnds
      @VioletEnds ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@sizanogreen9900 real drop bears lol

    • @liammurphy2725
      @liammurphy2725 ปีที่แล้ว

      'I wish' and 'if'. The pointless things some folks say.

    • @Glacier7474
      @Glacier7474 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@liammurphy2725 what's wrong?

  • @makeracistsafraidagain
    @makeracistsafraidagain ปีที่แล้ว +104

    We have lots of opossums in our yard. I'm sure they would enjoy seeing this.

    • @TragoudistrosMPH
      @TragoudistrosMPH ปีที่แล้ว

      *stops playing dead* One day you'll be crawling over OUR fences primates!

    • @chaosgoettin
      @chaosgoettin ปีที่แล้ว +4

      too bad you think they are useless :( You guys have marsupials, and they keep your yard free of pests. yet, you treat them like rats.

    • @marcpeterson1092
      @marcpeterson1092 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Invite them in. Make snacks. Make a party of it. (avoid alcohol, opossums are pretty crazy when they drink.)

    • @benpuljak2304
      @benpuljak2304 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@chaosgoettin you know little.

    • @chaosgoettin
      @chaosgoettin ปีที่แล้ว

      @@benpuljak2304 but more than you, it seems.

  • @professorporygon6808
    @professorporygon6808 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    One of my favorite prehistoric Mammals from Australia.

    • @Cornexium
      @Cornexium ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Not a wide category for sure but still nice

    • @kenattwood8060
      @kenattwood8060 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@Cornexium If you were to take an in-depth look at the Australian fossil record then you might possibly change your mind on the category size.

    • @Cornexium
      @Cornexium ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@kenattwood8060 Australian fossil record is indeed big especially for more recent megafauna however you gotta put it into context. How much does prehistoric Australian mammals make up of the general species diversity of prehistoric Earth starting from the evolution of proto-mammals?

    • @Zabi-S
      @Zabi-S ปีที่แล้ว

      One of my favourite prehistoric mammals, PERIOD.

    • @kenattwood8060
      @kenattwood8060 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Cornexium This is actually irrelevant as prehistoric Australian fossils make up 100% of the general species diversity of prehistoric Australia.... We are discussing localised evolution after all.

  • @BaldPerspective
    @BaldPerspective ปีที่แล้ว +6

    The scratch marks on the cave wall that were found remind me of those videos of cats that jump in plastic boxes & just start furiously pawing & scratching at the inner walls. Richard Owen was really a genius to name Thylacoleo after lions.

  • @DonJuanMarco1994
    @DonJuanMarco1994 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    Finally, an episode about Prehistoric Australian Marsupials. ❤️

  • @stuartaaron613
    @stuartaaron613 ปีที่แล้ว +57

    Having a wombat ancestor developing into an apex predator is just like the finches discovered by Darwin which evolved into predators. As for the next apex predator in Australia, currently it's a creature know as homo sapiens.

    • @patrickmccurry1563
      @patrickmccurry1563 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Or that one finch Darwin missed that drinks blood. The vampire ground finch. Not kidding.

    • @stuartaaron613
      @stuartaaron613 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@patrickmccurry1563 I heard of that one as well. Evolution can produce some wild creatures, and plants.

    • @dracodracarys2339
      @dracodracarys2339 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      no it's the platypus

    • @chonqmonk
      @chonqmonk ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I have several wombat relatives myself.

    • @duskpede5146
      @duskpede5146 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      nah its cats and foxes

  • @tommyflo146
    @tommyflo146 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    this bear knows how to drop it

  • @Gazza75
    @Gazza75 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Any predator that can take down hippo/rhino sized animals solo is a beast.

  • @AspireGMD
    @AspireGMD ปีที่แล้ว +96

    I was hoping to see a new video from you guys, and right as I opened youtube, I was blessed, and perfectly on time too. Keep up the great work, especially love the prehistoric animal episodes like this one.

  • @Renisanxious
    @Renisanxious ปีที่แล้ว +14

    I love this video, but I want to comment on the surveys that PBS does. I've been participating in them for the past 2 years and I find it so awesome that they take feedback and genuinely listen to their audiences. I've been watching PBS shows since the early 2000s when watching PBS Kids and I can't find another large company that actually cares about their audience on the same level as PBS. Thank you for all you do!

  • @albertines4827
    @albertines4827 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I really appreciated seeing the specific mobs mentioned at the end. It made me smile.

  • @EranRicos
    @EranRicos ปีที่แล้ว +730

    Australia- the land with a “tiger” that’s less dangerous than a dog, and a “lion” That was smaller than a jaguar with front teeth like a rat🫤

    • @mikewilson858
      @mikewilson858 ปีที่แล้ว +148

      On the other hand the lizards were the size of crocodiles

    • @cassiuspharell8711
      @cassiuspharell8711 ปีที่แล้ว +70

      @@mikewilson858 Yes, megalania. 20 feet Komodo-like lizard.

    • @bennydufresne8994
      @bennydufresne8994 ปีที่แล้ว +57

      Thilocine was definitely more dangerous than a dog, they can open there jaw 180 degreess

    • @michaelteret4763
      @michaelteret4763 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Hence venom?

    • @rileyjackson1762
      @rileyjackson1762 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      @@mikewilson858 I know you’re talking about the giant Komodo dragon, but my brain could only look at this and go “… you mean like a crocodile” cause they have the salt water crocodile.

  • @sairajmenon556
    @sairajmenon556 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Finally!!! Thylacoleo is here!!! 😭😭😭 I've been waiting for this one for so long a while now!!! Thank you PBS Eons!!!

  • @Bonasera7
    @Bonasera7 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    The epithet “carnifex” is probably the most metal byname of any animal

  • @royhay5741
    @royhay5741 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    Megalania, quinkana, thylacoleo and wonambi might’ve gone extinct, but Komodo dragons only became locally extinct. Komodo dragons originated and used to live in Australia up until relatively recently. They died out along with their prey, but we've introduced new potential prey for them

    • @PurpleShift42
      @PurpleShift42 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      To be fair, there are other relatives of the Komodo dragon still around in Australia, we just call them goannas (monitor lizards). Wikipedia even tells me we have their sister taxon still around, the lace monitor, and they're also apex predators. So we probably don't need to go that far to recreate the biosphere of pre-Indigenous-inhabitation Australia 😛

    • @sarban1653
      @sarban1653 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PurpleShift42 But still, none of those are as big as the Komodo dragon or would be able to do the same stuff. And yeah, Komodo dragons are technically a type of goanna.

  • @KimberlyGreen
    @KimberlyGreen ปีที่แล้ว +10

    That critter has, to quote Monty Python, "nasty big pointy teeth!" 😲

    • @scp-2348
      @scp-2348 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      "That could rip a man apart"!

  • @eriklowe5844
    @eriklowe5844 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Very sad that they are gone 😢😢😢

  • @Lilhuniib
    @Lilhuniib ปีที่แล้ว +6

    When I discovered this channel I was excited because…. Duh natural history! But now I’ve developed this habit of watching it before bed and I can’t make it through an episode without falling asleep. The hosts’ voices are so soothing, I can’t help it!

    • @Manj_J
      @Manj_J ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Personally if I binge-watch more than like 3 of these episodes I start to feel sleepy because of the calmness of their voices, which is why whenever I'm sick I take my meds and snuggle up in bed to binge-watch them until I fall asleep, it's become a tradition for me now to the point that even watching these videos makes me feel better even without me being sick lol

  • @TragoudistrosMPH
    @TragoudistrosMPH ปีที่แล้ว +8

    So cool seeing a different body plan. You never know what will work!

  • @carltanner9065
    @carltanner9065 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    You also had a number of wallaby genera evolve to eat meat, Ekaltadeta, for instance. So, there were plenty of predatory animals around in Australia back in Thlacoleo's day, and even beforehand.

  • @rickG913
    @rickG913 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    With Thylacoleo out of the picture it’s finally time for Kangaroos and convergent evolution to give rise to…Tyroonasaurus-Rex 🦖 🦘

  • @rheinbewachen1211
    @rheinbewachen1211 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This reminds me how over millions of years some lizard species became the mosasaur.

  • @TheRCvie
    @TheRCvie ปีที่แล้ว +2

    If you've ever wondered how a wombat got all bitty then you've never met a wombat.

  • @brendanhoffmann8402
    @brendanhoffmann8402 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I love doing surveys, especially for a company I love so much! you're welcome!

  • @banthaexplosion
    @banthaexplosion ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Love her voice, she needs to narrate more often.

  • @OpEditorial
    @OpEditorial ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Essentially the only thing filling the apex predator void in Australia would be the salt water crocodile, so if you stay out of Darwin and Far North Queensland you should be fine. Because every other dangerous animal in this country is usually small and timid and surprisingly easy to avoid.

    • @PurpleShift42
      @PurpleShift42 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      And let's not forget the infamously baby-eating dingos (poor Lindy Chamberlain)

    • @OpEditorial
      @OpEditorial 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@PurpleShift42 true, though dingos are almost never encountered in most suburban areas

  • @kiancuratolo903
    @kiancuratolo903 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Wonderful presentation of an interesting topic as always!

  • @sableempire9654
    @sableempire9654 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Also will add- Wombats are built like a Combat Tank. They’re grumpy AF. They hate everyone. They ignore everything not grass or another wombat. They are loners. They’re very strong and destructive. They can burrow through a dam wall. They’re perfectly predisposed to becoming carnivores.

  • @iancanada6875
    @iancanada6875 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    They’re just like us, from simple herbivores to apex predators dominating their environment.

    • @tijanamilenkovic3425
      @tijanamilenkovic3425 ปีที่แล้ว

      Is there is something opposite of that, from a simple predator to a large dominant herbivore 😅

    • @thanator4063
      @thanator4063 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@tijanamilenkovic3425 Well... Sauropods

  • @germanomagnone
    @germanomagnone ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I imagine that perhaps an evolution similar to the Thylacoleo, from a herbivore to a carnivore, could happen for example in arboreal rodents such as squirrels, I think it could happen in certain places, if the conditions were optimal for a similar adaptation.

    • @sneeringimperialist6667
      @sneeringimperialist6667 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Squirrels eat bird's eggs now. Maybe not a huge stretch.

    • @germanomagnone
      @germanomagnone ปีที่แล้ว +2

      ​@@sneeringimperialist6667 well, as Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park he once said "life finds a way".😉😉😉😉

    • @ekosubandie2094
      @ekosubandie2094 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Most rodent species are already omnivorous, so it won't be particularly difficult for at least one of them to transition into full carnivory at some point in the future anyway

    • @germanomagnone
      @germanomagnone ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@ekosubandie2094 Already Dougal Dixon in 1981 with his Falanx: "Amphimorphodus cynomorphus" (descendants of the rats that cover the lifestyle of the wolves) had thought about it, I only made a variation with another type of rodent.

    • @tijanamilenkovic3425
      @tijanamilenkovic3425 ปีที่แล้ว

      Does anyone know the example of a carnivore transitioning into a herbivore? 😅

  • @themonsterbaby
    @themonsterbaby ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Man I would've loved to see one of these in real life. Such a cool, unique predator.

  • @tracksuitcheems
    @tracksuitcheems ปีที่แล้ว +1

    What do you mean missing? Have you seen how jacked kangaroos are?!

  • @FishHeadSalad
    @FishHeadSalad ปีที่แล้ว +2

    As someone who lives in Virginia, I have always had an adoration for our only marsupial. The Biogeography that got them here would sound crazy if it weren't for continental drift.

  • @fizola88
    @fizola88 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Did the Survey, hope it helps you and Spacetime to still be on, since I love your content.
    Was a bit scared when there wasnt Terra to choose in survey, are they ending or what?

  • @celestebredin6213
    @celestebredin6213 ปีที่แล้ว

    Really wanted to know more about this! Thank you ‼️

  • @KSL042
    @KSL042 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love this channel !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hold my breath waiting for videos to drop !!!!!!!

  • @LucidLucifer13
    @LucidLucifer13 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    Love seeing videos about the history of my adopted home. And what a great one it was!

    • @Circuit7Active
      @Circuit7Active ปีที่แล้ว +1

      nothing special really.

    • @infinitemonkey917
      @infinitemonkey917 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Circuit7Active How is a big cat sized marsupial, evolved from placid herbivores and capable of taking down large prey with it's front teeth not awesome ?

    • @MossyMozart
      @MossyMozart ปีที่แล้ว

      @@infinitemonkey917 - It is most definitely awsome!

  • @westbysouthwest
    @westbysouthwest ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I, for one, welcome our new carnivorous quokka overlords.

    • @iamblackthorne
      @iamblackthorne ปีที่แล้ว

      This is a fantastic idea! Bring 'em on!

    • @tijanamilenkovic9442
      @tijanamilenkovic9442 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@iamblackthorne who is laughing now, dolphins?

  • @Thiago100Zwetsch
    @Thiago100Zwetsch ปีที่แล้ว

    I love all of your videos. Those puns in the end are oustanding as well!!

  • @Hmm...Whats-Their-Name
    @Hmm...Whats-Their-Name ปีที่แล้ว

    Seriously, of all the amazing bits from this video, 10:08 is my favorite, so-PBS moment. Thanks for all you do.

  • @LincolnDWard
    @LincolnDWard ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Can we please collectively agree to call these guys real-life drop bears?

  • @williammurry2593
    @williammurry2593 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I requested you guys cover this at the last audience survey! Im so excited!

  • @PolarAxeMC
    @PolarAxeMC ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great to see a video about Australia's unique animals! I think they are really cool and underrated, more people should know about our unique fauna, they are as cool as the rest of the world! Great vid!

  • @eEdselEdsel
    @eEdselEdsel ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Australia: I'm gonna take a Dunkekosteus, make it land based and give it pockets.

  • @cipherpurinina
    @cipherpurinina ปีที่แล้ว +3

    thylacoleo my beloved

  • @nerdyninjatemptress
    @nerdyninjatemptress ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Can or have you ever done a video on how human populations ended up on Australia and other islands? I’d love to know more about how humans ended up on various islands and how isolation changed those populations the same way islands can create giant or miniature animals due to the isolation.

  • @mischanandlerbong
    @mischanandlerbong 18 วันที่ผ่านมา

    "Australia's Apex Predator" sounds like a thriller movie title

  • @TheGoobler
    @TheGoobler ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Was the dingo omitted from discussion as a Australian carnivorous predator because it was an introduced animal?

    • @Ashtari
      @Ashtari ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Dingos are considered small to medium sized. This was a video about large predators and in the time since the decline of the thyla, something should have taken it’s place as the apex large predator. But outside of humans, there are no large predators on Australia.

    • @fubberpish3614
      @fubberpish3614 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Ashtari large terrestrial predators that is - Australia does have large aquatic predators. Saltwater Crocodiles, various sharks and rays, cetaceans, various predatory fishes.
      But yes, modern Australia lacks large land predators, other than humans and the Dingo. I do wonder what will evolve in the future to fill this open niche - perhaps a giant dasyurid? or a predatory kangaroo? fully terrestrial crocodiles? or predatory emus?

    • @Ashtari
      @Ashtari ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@fubberpish3614 As harsh as the Australian climate is combined with the appearance of modern humans, we may actually never see a large land predator take the niche.
      We are seeing this trend around the world, where large apex land predators are in decline where ever modern humans exist, unless said humans go out of their ways to bolster the populations. Or in the case of the Brown bear it's also a generalist that can survive on humanity's refuse.

  • @tymon5349
    @tymon5349 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    So basically it was a combat wombat

    • @indyreno2933
      @indyreno2933 ปีที่แล้ว

      Not really, wombats are more closely related to cuscuses and kangaroos than to marsupial lions.

    • @clusterfer
      @clusterfer ปีที่แล้ว

      Combat Wombat is my new band name!

    • @clusterfer
      @clusterfer ปีที่แล้ว

      ... now

    • @tijanamilenkovic9442
      @tijanamilenkovic9442 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@clusterfer MORTAL WOMBAT! just sound so edgy and metal so is your band heavy metal

  • @ckl9390
    @ckl9390 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Giant, carnivorous, predatory wombat with retractable claws and teeth like bolt cutters. Sort of makes you want to clone one.

  • @poulthomas469
    @poulthomas469 ปีที่แล้ว

    Shout out for the survey. The more people who speak up the better!

  • @meganfitzmaurice5757
    @meganfitzmaurice5757 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    I would love an episode on how people extrapolate what a beast looks like (i say beasts to be more accurate because humans are animals...🤷) based on just their bones. Do they compare them to the bones of beasts that people were able to study the bones and bodies of at the same time?

    • @dixon_481
      @dixon_481 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yeah! I know little bits and bobs about this but I'd love to know more. I think that would make a great episode.

    • @Crow0567
      @Crow0567 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      This applies to ancient humans too! So "animals" works just fine here

  • @polardiamond981
    @polardiamond981 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Hey can you guys do a video on the weird looking ancient sharks?? I especially wanna about the one with the anvil thingy on its head LOL

  • @GhazMazMSM
    @GhazMazMSM ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Imagine if the next top carnivore of Australia ends up being a giant Platypus.

  • @erasamus1057
    @erasamus1057 ปีที่แล้ว

    I'm so glad I found this channel..... now where that survey at

  • @KayclauShipper
    @KayclauShipper ปีที่แล้ว +4

    So many marsupial variants! Wouldn't it be funny if there were a humanoid marsupial? How would humans look if we were marsupials?

    • @teej008
      @teej008 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      make a cool cryptid.

    • @juritudi57yearsago59
      @juritudi57yearsago59 ปีที่แล้ว

      We’d have pouches

    • @ralsim5308
      @ralsim5308 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Childbirth would have been long way easier and less risky for poor women lives

    • @KayclauShipper
      @KayclauShipper ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ralsim5308 oh definitely.

    • @tijanamilenkovic9442
      @tijanamilenkovic9442 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@KayclauShipper also how about marsupial seal, marsupial whale, marsupial dolphin or marsupial sea cow
      just imagine a fully marine marsupial and so many opportunities this kind of animal would have for its lifestyle

  • @joshuaevans6295
    @joshuaevans6295 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    "Koala family" "Skilled climber" WAIT ARE YOU SAING THIS WAS AN IRL DROP BEAR

  • @zofiajaworek1882
    @zofiajaworek1882 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    OMG yes! I have requested that a while back. Thank you so much! 😃😃😃

  • @kateenniaantoine7341
    @kateenniaantoine7341 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The dingo was introduced into Australia and they thrived!

  • @deinowolfhybridhero5101
    @deinowolfhybridhero5101 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Is possible that tylacoleo could be an excellent hunter /scavenger but also a total omnivore? Something more similar to a bear than a real hipercarnivorous

    • @Meraxes6
      @Meraxes6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Its teeth would tell us that. Looks like it doesn’t really have crushing molars like most omnivores, only cutting teeth for eating meat

    • @edwardfletcher7790
      @edwardfletcher7790 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Totally wrong direction, absolutely a hypercarnivore.

  • @PeloquinDavid
    @PeloquinDavid ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Oh come on! We know perfectly well which is the most fell and destructive mammal predator in Australia (and everywhere else...)

  • @lunastar89
    @lunastar89 ปีที่แล้ว

    Yayyyy! I was wondering when you'd cover this!

  • @Pentten
    @Pentten ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The answer to the question you pose at the end could be Drop Bears being an actual thing

  • @yingle6027
    @yingle6027 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    The apex predator of Australia is the Wollongong Mulleted Bogan. Evolved from the humble Irish Penal Colony Inmate, I believe.

    • @richardhaselwood9478
      @richardhaselwood9478 ปีที่แล้ว

      Just remember, there are many local variants of the Mulleted Bogan. They really are quite common, e.g. in the Valley at 3am on Friday night/Saturday morning

  • @FBIandre123
    @FBIandre123 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    9:53 empty? What about dingos?

    • @tijanamilenkovic9442
      @tijanamilenkovic9442 ปีที่แล้ว

      they are not native nor are they marsupials

    • @FBIandre123
      @FBIandre123 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      ​@@tijanamilenkovic9442 but they are in australia and they are in the top predator nich

  • @5daboz
    @5daboz ปีที่แล้ว +2

    9:50 ... humans. I mean, who would not kill a sheep-eating koala on-sight?

  • @craigthacker
    @craigthacker ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks Kallie, another great episode.

  • @GenghisDon1970
    @GenghisDon1970 ปีที่แล้ว +38

    I dunno...I think the apex predators simply weren't mammalian (nor marsupial); they were reptiles. Huge monitor lizards like Komodo dragons or Varanus Priscus/Megalania & land crocodilians like Quinkana. It'd not like the marsupial lion isn't impressive, but the real issue was less about a missing apex predator & more about the apex predator not being a mammal at all. Too unthinkable for many.

    • @seanmckelvey6618
      @seanmckelvey6618 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      This is exactly it. I think people are still bothered by the fact that there could exist a place during that time that didn't have mammalian apex predators, which I think stems from this deeply held belief that mammals are somehow inherently superior to reptiles or birds. Thylacoleo is an impressive creature for sure, but it's not big enough to be the apex predator when the largest game are things like Diprotodon and gigantic Kangaroos. You know what was more than big enough though? The giant monitor lizard and blade toothed land crocodiles. It bugs me that people can conceive of Australia's isolation being the reason for something like the marsupial lion existing, but can't seem to truly conceive of it's isolation also meaning that mammals never reached the spot of top predator.

    • @ZombieBarioth
      @ZombieBarioth ปีที่แล้ว +7

      In fairness people do accept mammals aren't always the apex predator, that thinking apparently just ends with the dinosaurs. As though we somehow reached a point where mammals were too big to fail. Maybe we did, but Australian mammals clearly never got that far. That's the part people can't seem to wrap their heads around.

    • @GenghisDon1970
      @GenghisDon1970 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ZombieBarioth well said

    • @GenghisDon1970
      @GenghisDon1970 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@seanmckelvey6618 yep!

    • @LastFirstism
      @LastFirstism ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@seanmckelvey6618 I think it is simply because mammal's superior thermoregulatory ability means that they can be more active terrestrial hunters than reptiles. Although monitor's unique among lizards ability to breathe while running does mean they can be more active than other reptiles and marsupials do tend to have lower metabolisms, hence lower activity levels. But lizards and crocodiles generally eat less frequently and move around less than their mammalian equivalents.
      Australia losing its placental mammals does clearly change things, though. And reptiles may have beat mammals to many of those niches.

  • @stephenbesley3177
    @stephenbesley3177 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    A stabby wombat. Cute...ish

  • @julescaru8591
    @julescaru8591 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Just a quick thank you for acknowledging the traditional owners of the land, always was, always will be!
    All the best Jules 🌈

    • @duskpede5146
      @duskpede5146 ปีที่แล้ว

      ah nothing like symbolic recognition without any substantive change to real injustice

    • @julescaru8591
      @julescaru8591 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@duskpede5146 yeah that’s true we still have a long way to go, 💕

    • @mehere8038
      @mehere8038 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      would have been nice if they also recognised how connected to the eco-system the Indigenous people were & how they kept everything in perfect balance without other apex predators present! That's never been seen anywhere else in the world & presumably took a LOT of skill

    • @AngryGodzillaBirds1
      @AngryGodzillaBirds1 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@Duskpede what is PBS eons supposed to do about centuries-spanning colonialism

    • @carmen.eve.2033
      @carmen.eve.2033 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@duskpede5146 recognition is the first step lol we'll get there eventually

  • @gianmarcozampella5138
    @gianmarcozampella5138 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    such a cool critter,I know this genus since a lot of years,and yet,I still mistake Thylacoleo with Thylacosmilus

  • @Articulate99
    @Articulate99 ปีที่แล้ว

    Always interesting, thank you.

  • @pastmasterjt6186
    @pastmasterjt6186 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I have never clicked a video so fast
    Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi

  • @drstone3418
    @drstone3418 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Dingos are Apex predators

    • @FeralDropbear
      @FeralDropbear ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Dingos are not native, they were brought over by early humans to the continent but yes they are the apex predators of Australia now even though only small in comparison to Thylacoleo.

  • @MaydaTiger
    @MaydaTiger ปีที่แล้ว

    that was awesome and a lot of info to me thank you

  • @Ezullof
    @Ezullof ปีที่แล้ว +2

    It sounds like evolving into an "apex predator" is an achievement, but evolutionarily speaking, it's often a dead end.

  • @beejohare4684
    @beejohare4684 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Looking forward to the Australian Drop-Bear video, the deadliest land animal here in Oz 😉

    • @siobhantheprawn
      @siobhantheprawn ปีที่แล้ว +2

      My cousin lost an ear to a drop bear, walked right under the tree with a Vegemite sandwich and BAM. Lucky it didn't take his head off.
      He only got away by calling it a shrimp which as we all know is the only thing that will make a Drop Bear retreat.
      Those of you that don't know, a Drop Bears only eat local produce, if it thinks you're a foreigner it will reject you.

    • @richardhaselwood9478
      @richardhaselwood9478 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@siobhantheprawn Truly vicious bastards.

    • @Reoh0z
      @Reoh0z ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@siobhantheprawn That's why we always walk around with a Vegemite sandwich in hand, its drop bear insurance. Just wave it at them, toss it over and run!