The aim of this thesis is to assess the role of diet in the extinction of Australia's iconic
marsupial carnivore, the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) in Tasmania. Herein, we
present two novel techniques to address fundamental questions regarding their maximum
prey size and potential competition with sympatric predators. Three-dimensional computer
models of the thylacine skull were used to assess their biomechanical limitations in prey size
within a comparative context. This included living relatives from the family Dasyuiridae as …