Australian megafauna

Following is an incomplete list of Australian megafauna, in the format:

Latin name, (common name, if applicable), and a brief description.

Most of the species mentioned became extinct during the Pleistocene (20,000-50,000 years before present). It is hypothesized that the arrival of Aborigines (~60,000 years ago) and their hunting and landscape-changing use of fire may have contributed to the disappearance of the megafauna. Drought conditions during peak glaciation (~18,000 years ago) are a significantly confounding factor, however recent studies may rule this out as the primary cause of extinction (Roberts et al. 2001).

Extinct Australian megafauna: pre-1788:

Mammals:

Procoptodon goliah (the Giant Short-faced Kangaroo) is the largest kangaroo discovered. It grew 2-3 metres tall, and weighed up to 200 kilograms. It had a flat shortened face with jaw and teeth adapted for chewing tough semi-arid vegetation, and forward-looking eyes providing stereoscopic vision. Procoptodon was one of seventeen species in three genera in the Sthenurine family, all of which are extinct. Sthenurines inhabited open woodlands in central Northern Australia as the tropical rainforests were beginning to retreat. All Sthenurines had an extremely developed, almost hoof-like, fourth toe on the hindlimbs, with other toes vestigial. Additionally, elastic ligaments between the toe bones gave this group improved spring and speed compared to modern kangaroos. Sthenurine forelimbs were long with two extra long fingers and claws compared with the relatively small, stiff arms of modern macropods. These may have been used for pulling branches nearer for eating and for quadrupedal movement for short distances.
Simosthenurus occidentalis (another Sthenurine) was about as tall as a modern Eastern Grey Kangaroo, but much more robust. It is one of the nine species of leaf-eating kangaroos identified at Naracoorte.
Diprotodon optatum was the largest species of Diprotodontid. Approximately three metres long, two metres high at the shoulder and weighing up to two tonnes, it resembled a giant wombat. It is the largest marsupial currently known.
Zygomaturus trilobus was a smaller (bullock-sized, about two metres long by one metre high) Diprotodontid that may have had a short trunk. It appears to have lived in wetlands, using two fork-like incisors to shovel up reeds and sedges for food.
Palorchestes azael (the Marsupial Tapir) was a Diprotodontid of a similar size to Zygomaturus, with long claws and a longish trunk. It lived in the Miocene.
Phascolarctos stirtoni was a koala similar to the modern form, but one third larger.
Thylacoleo carnifex, (the Marsupial Lion), had a cat-like skull with large slicing pre-molars. It had a retractable thumb-claw and massive forelimbs. It was almost certainly carnivorous and a tree-dweller.
Sarcophilus harrisii laniarius was a large form of the Tasmanian Devil.
Zaglossus hacketti was a sheep-sized echidna uncovered in Mammoth Cave in Western Australia, and is the largest monotreme so far uncovered.
Megalibgwilia ramsayi was a large, long-beaked echidna with powerful forelimbs for digging. Its diet would probably have included worms and grubs rather than ants.
Propleopus oscillans (the Carnivorous Kangaroo, Miocene/Pliocene) was a large (~70 kilogram) rat-kangaroo with large shearing and stout grinding teeth that indicate it may have been an opportunistic carnivore able to eat insects, vertebrates (possibly carrion), fruits and soft leaves.

Birds:

Dromornis stirtoni, (Stirton's Thunder Bird, Miocene epoch) was a flightless bird three metres tall that weighed half a tonne. It is one of the largest birds so far discovered. It inhabited subtropical open woodlands and may have been carnivorous. It was heavier than the Moa and taller than the Aepyornis. This group of birds (the Family Dromornithidae) was more closely related to waterfowl than modern ratites.
Genyornis newtoni (the Mihirung) was related to Dromornis, and was about the height of an ostrich. It was the last survivor of the Dromornithidae. It had a large lower jaw and was probably omnivorous.
Anthropornis nordenskjoeldi (Nordenskjoeldi's Giant Penguin) was a giant, primitive penguin reaching 1.35 metres high and weighing up to 90 kilograms. Its wing possessed a residual bent joint (possibly remaining from flying ancestors) which does not occur in modern species.
Progura naracoortensis was a giant malleefowl.

Reptiles:

Megalania prisca was a carnivorous, goanna-like lizard, at least seven metres long, and weighing up to 600 kilograms.
Wonambi naracoortensis was a non-venomous snake of five to six metres in length which killed its prey by constriction.
Quinkana sp., was a land-living crocodile which grew up to seven metres in length. It had long legs positioned underneath its body, and chased down mammals, birds and other reptiles for food. Its teeth were blade-like for cutting rather than pointed for gripping as with water swelling crocodiles. It belonged to the Mekosuchine family (all now extinct). It was discovered at Bluff Downs in Queensland.
Liasis sp., (Bluff Downs Giant Python, Pliocene) grew up to ten metres long, and is the largest Australian snake known. It hunted mammals, birds and reptiles in riparian woodlands. It is related to the Olive Python (Liasis olivacea).

References

Field, J. H. and J. Dodson. 1999. Late Pleistocene megafauna and archaeology from Cuddie Springs, south-eastern Australia. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 65: 1-27.

Field, J. H. and W. E. Boles. 1998. Genyornis newtoni and Dromaius novaehollandiae at 30,000 b.p. in central northern New South Wales. Alcheringa 22: 177-188.

Murray, P. F. and D. Megirian. 1998. The skull of dromornithid birds: anatomical evidence for their relationship to Anseriformes (Dromornithidae, Anseriformes). Records of the South Australian Museum 31: 51-97.

Roberts, R. G., T. F. Flannery, L. A. Ayliffe, H. Yoshida, J. M. Olley, G. J. Prideaux, G. M. Laslett, A. Baynes, M. A. Smith, R. Jones, and B. L. Smith. 2001. New ages for the last Australian megafauna: continent-wide extinction about 46,000 years ago. Science 292: 1888-1892.