Tjarrpecinus rothi
Encyclopedia
Tjarrpecinus rothi lived during the late Miocene
and has been found at the Alcoota
scientific reserve in the Northern Territory
. It is named after Karl Roth for his contributions to the natural history of central Australia.
T. rothi was a carnivorous, quadrupedal marsupial in Australia. In appearance it resembled a dog with a long snout. Its molar teeth were specialized for carnivory; the cups and crest were reduced or elongated to give the molars a cutting blade.
T. rothi is known from a holotype left maxillary fragment and was reassembled from a concentration of small bone and tooth fragments. Most of the fragments exhibit chemical erosion and have a layer of calcite.
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
and has been found at the Alcoota
Alcoota
The Alcoota Fossil Beds are an important paleontological site located on Alcoota Station in Central Australia, 200km north-east of Alice Springs. It is notable for the occurrence of well-preserved, rare, Tertiary vertebrate fossils, which provide evidence of the evolution of the Northern...
scientific reserve in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. It is named after Karl Roth for his contributions to the natural history of central Australia.
T. rothi was a carnivorous, quadrupedal marsupial in Australia. In appearance it resembled a dog with a long snout. Its molar teeth were specialized for carnivory; the cups and crest were reduced or elongated to give the molars a cutting blade.
T. rothi is known from a holotype left maxillary fragment and was reassembled from a concentration of small bone and tooth fragments. Most of the fragments exhibit chemical erosion and have a layer of calcite.