Explore this animal in Size of Extinct Animals ↗
466 / Cenozoic
Palorchestes
Palorchestes azael
A mobile snout, huge claws and strange forelimbs belonged to a marsupial unlike any tapir.
View original image · 1600 × 1067- Time range
- About 1 million–40,000 years ago
- Final stage
- Late Pleistocene
- Geographic range
- Forest and riverbanks · Australia
01 / DEFINITION & ECOLOGY
What was Palorchestes?
Palorchestes (Palorchestes azael) was an extinct organism known from About 1 million–40,000 years ago, with a range in Forest and riverbanks · Australia.
Life and ecology
It pulled branches close, stripped bark and dug for roots.
02 / DISAPPEARANCE
Why did Palorchestes disappear?
Drying, fire-regime change and human activity may have combined.
03 / EVIDENCE
How do scientists know about Palorchestes?
Skulls, teeth, limbs and muscle attachments support specialized feeding.
04 / SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the source record
Use the scientific name to compare taxonomy, occurrence records and the fossil record. Database coverage and classifications may differ.
05 / REVISION HISTORY
How has this record changed?
- Verified authoritative entity sources and added three responsive reconstruction sizes.
- Initial bilingual species record published.
06 / CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS