Research indicates the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) had powerful snapping bites suited to catching small and medium-sized prey like bandicoots, rather than large animals such as sheep and cattle.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by multiple independent peer-reviewed studies (2011 Journal of Zoology, 2026 Nature Communications) and corroborated by several independent science journalism outlets and university press releases describing the same findings.
Sources
- Smart News: Science News - Smithsonian Magazine (smithsonianmag.com)
- https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/02/science/tasmanian-tiger-skull-bite-force (cnn.com)
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-31/thylacine-study-challenges-previously-held-views-tasmanian-tiger/107096846 (abc.net.au)
- https://news.flinders.edu.au/blog/2026/09/01/jaw-dropping-news-on-the-tassie-tiger/ (news.flinders.edu.au)